Shadow Slave

To hide her embarrassment, Nephis left to wash off her sweat and change clothes. When she regained her composure and returned, her hair still glistening with moisture, Master Sunless gave her a peculiar glance and looked away.

She would have thought that he was uncomfortable because of being hurt by her just now… if not for the fact that she could feel his desire burning hotly deep within his soul.

The gentle enchanter was not uncomfortable. He was just trying to hide being moved by her appearance… his yearning was usually vague and subdued, as if something was obscuring it from her senses. But she knew that it was there.

Being aware of something like that would make most people feel uneasy, or at least make them act as if they were uneasy. However, Nephis did not mind too much either way.

As her ability to sense longing developed, she had come to know that humans were creatures led by their desires, and that this kind of yearning was both the most common and the one they hid most thoroughly. It had been a bit of a shock for her to learn how many men secretly felt it in her presence, but she quickly came to peace with it.

It was simply human nature. What mattered was not how they felt, but how they chose to act. Some were slaves to their desires, while some were masters of themselves, and lived their lives with clear minds.

Master Sunless was never unpleasant in his actions, and treated her with the utmost decorum. His mind was clear, and his intentions were pure. So, Nephis was not at all appalled by the hidden flames burning in his soul.

In fact, for the first time, she was a bit pleased to know that someone felt that way about her.

At least she wasn't the only one getting flustered all the time!

Now that the sword demonstration was over, there was some time left before the next item on their schedule. The schedule had been prepared by Cassie, who was in charge of maintaining the facade of their fake relationship and keeping the sword commission a secret, but it wasn't very strict. So, Nephis and Master Sunless had some freedom in what they chose to do.

Today, for example, he had prepared a picnic.

Nephis had a vague notion that picnics were usually held in nicer settings, but due to the difficulty of finding privacy in Bastion, they were forced to eat right here in the martial hall.

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She sighed wistfully.

«Maybe I should invite him to the Ivory Island next time, It's peaceful there, and the lake is beautiful But then, she blushed slightly.»

Would that be considered inviting a man over? She lived on the Ivory Island, after all… what would he think?

What would she want him to think?

The charming enchanter, meanwhile, spread a beautiful tablecloth on the bench and placed various snacks on it. There was also a jar of freshly squeezed fruit juice, and some ice to keep it cool.

he gestured

«Please enjoy, Lady Nephis.»

the strenuous sword practice, so his invitation was most

told, Nephis had never paid much attention to food… but everything prepared by Master Sunless was simply too

right to make the sandwich juicy without becoming soggy. The homemade sauce added enough flavor to make the ingredients shine, but not so much

It was delectable.

a lot about an Awakened from their cooking. Nephis had tasted enough meals prepared by

wandered a lot. There was a certain spontaneity to them, as well, hinting that his skill had developed gradually by trial and error, as opposed to having been taught

the veterans of the Southern Campaign, and even hints of the Forgotten Shore in his cooking — the latter most likely picked up

Nephis had tasted dishes prepared for the royal table by renowned chefs, and while Master Sunless was not nearly

looked at him, finished her delicious sandwich,

good at cooking, Master

and

Actually, I grew up eating nothing but synthpaste. I only tasted real food after becoming a Sleeper, at the Academy. Let me tell you, Lady

How poor his background must have been, to only get access to palatable food after

thought about it, she knew very little about the young

hesitated for a few

why you decided to open

a surprise and remained silent for a bit. It looked

chuckled and shook his head

don't actually remember where I got the idea to open a restaurant, as well… must have been sometime during the Chain of

stumped

strongly that it was the duty of all Awakened to resist the Nightmare Spell, but that did not mean that

Aspects who maintained the cities, grew crops, and supplied the warriors with

well. The Memories he crafted helped those better

Nephis herself dreamed of something so heavy and unattainable. Wasn't owning a shop too trivial

her face, the

might be difficult for someone as accomplished as you to understand, Lady Nephis. You are a storied champion of humanity, after all… but most people never grow numb to the horrors of the Nightmare Spell. Even if they are seasoned warriors, they would still prefer living quietly away from the abominable monsters and mortal

looked at

was right, of course. She had always been quite different from most people, and felt alienated as a result. She also knew

moment, Nephis tried to imagine what it would be like, to have a mundane dream. If her life had been different, what would her heart strive

looked at the

to open a martial school like this one and dedicate her life to the pursuit of swordsmanship, sharing

had never been among the lessons taught to her as a Legacy, so Nephis had no such skill. But she had often fantasized about performing music as