Chapter 61: Chocolate Fountain
[You transferred 2000 QP to Oberon, hoping he can get through this period.]
[You lost 2000 QP.]
"Oh,"
Seeing the amount transferred to his phone, Oberon was a little surprised,
"Why did you send me more than 1000?"
"Because you always seem short on cash, so I sent a little extra to make things easier for you."
Eikou said,
"Anyway, I'm not short on money right now, so I'm not in a rush to get it back. Just take your time."
"Haha, you're the kind of guy people can take advantage of, bad people will suck you dry." Oberon laughed.
"It's fine, taking a small loss to help a friend isn't a big deal."
Eikou smiled brightly,
"No need to rush, just take care of yourself, Oberon."
Oberon's eyes widened slightly.
Immediately, he put on his gentlemanly prince mask and said with his usual elegant tone:
"Thank you so much, Sir Eikou, I'll repay your kindness later."
"Mainly, this savings is enough for me to live off comfortably, muahahahaha."
Eikou laughed loudly, boasting for the third time.
"Alright alright, we get it, you're rich." Oberon muttered.
Next to them, Artoria still shyly tried to refuse one last time, whispering: "Actually, I already bought bread and mineral water at the counter…"
"You can't get full just from that. You're Artoria. If you eat just bread and water at night, you'll no longer be Artoria — you have to eat properly!"
"'Eat properly'? Are you guys trying to turn me into some kind of pig? Just what kind of Artoria image do you all have of me?"
"Alright alright,"
Everyone enthusiastically pushed her shoulders, trying to pull her out of the classroom.
"I know you're nervous because you're new, but just think of today as us bullying you once," Eikou said, "Accept the overwhelming enthusiasm of us all."
"Then… alright…"
Artoria's cute and slightly silly face flushed red with embarrassment.
Though it was embarrassing to admit, her stomach actually let out a loud "growl" — the bento from lunch wasn't nearly enough for her appetite.
"So what are we eating?" she asked expectantly.
"Hmm… I think you like sweets. I remember there's a cheese hotpot restaurant that opened recently in the shopping district, and it's got pretty good reviews." Eikou said thoughtfully.
"Cheese hotpot?!"
Artoria's green eyes immediately lit up.
"They even have a chocolate fountain in the restaurant," Eikou added.
"What?!"
Her face twisted in shock, and drool unconsciously dripped from the corner of her mouth.
There's really a chocolate fountain?!
"A city like this actually has such a miraculous structure? No, impossible… this must be a dream created by Merlin! That damn Merlin, damn him!"
"I don't really get it, but I think you just scolded Merlin for nothing…" Eikou said.
Gawain gave her a thumbs-up: "Scolding Merlin is never without reason! Young Our King, well said!"
"Ahem ahem…"
Artoria wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, unable to suppress the excitement on her face,
"We must not waste another second. Take me there now! If this isn't a dream, I need to confirm with my own eyes that the chocolate fountain is real — and figure out how it works. Does it use Magecraft to keep pumping hot chocolate nonstop? Or did someone use the Holy Grail to wish for it? I want to see it with my own eyes!"
Seeing how excited she was, even her ahoge was swaying around energetically, and the way she looked at him with such sincere, expectant eyes—
Eikou suddenly felt a surge of happiness.
It felt like if he gave her just a piece of candy, he could lead her away with ease. This Artoria was way too adorable!
"Alright then, let's go right now,"
Eikou turned his head, planning to invite the Fairy Knight group along, but realized that at some point, they had already disappeared.
"Barghest, Melusine, where's Baobhan Sith?"
"I just saw them bolt straight to the library right after class ended. Probably studying,"
Tristan explained,
"The aura around them was like 'betting everything they have,' so it's best not to get too close for now."
Barghest and Melusine suddenly wanting to study was still understandable, but why was Baobhan Sith involved too?
No, it didn't seem related to the seat war. Lately, Baobhan Sith had been leaving early every day. Who knows what she'd been busy with.
"Forget it, as long as they're happy..."
...
[May 26, Afternoon.]
[You and your friends took Artoria Caster to the shopping district.]
[Artoria was dazzled by the bustling streets of Academy City. The endless rows of goods in the glass displays made her eyes spin, and the lively crowd made her a little overwhelmed — but she didn't dislike the feeling.]
[If no one paid attention, Artoria would get lost in looking around, standing still like a lost house cat not knowing which way to go.]
[You led Artoria to the newly opened cheese hotpot restaurant.]
[Unfortunately, the restaurant was temporarily closed today, and Artoria couldn't see the chocolate fountain she had longed for.]
[In the end, you chose a nearby maid-themed restaurant. Even though it didn't have cheese hotpot, the food review app said it had a chocolate fountain. Artoria would probably like it.]
"This is the place,"
Eikou said as he looked at the beautifully decorated maid café in front of them.
"...Oh oh, what a beautiful place. Do they have any special dress code for guests?"
Artoria nervously asked, clutching the slightly rustic hat she was wearing after leaving the school gates,
"Will they kick me out if I go in dressed like this?"
"Rest assured, Our King, your appearance is already at Holy Lance level."
The Knights of the Round Table cheerfully pushed her into the maid café.
[You all enjoyed delicious, warm omurice in the restaurant.]
[Artoria wasn't very used to the atmosphere of a themed restaurant. The maids, with their bright smiles and elegant outfits, called you "Master" and "Milady," a way of addressing that made her feel both flustered and excessively pampered.]
[Artoria finally got to see the legendary "chocolate fountain." Though not as grand as she imagined, it was actually a device for chocolate fondue, pouring a thick stream of hot chocolate.]
[She was a bit disappointed at first, but after tasting a piece of candy covered in the rich chocolate, her opinion changed instantly.]
[A satisfied smile bloomed on Artoria's face.]
[You all happily enjoyed dessert and dinner together, spending a warm and blissful time.]
[Just like that, time slowly passed into the night.]
[Before leaving, you received a card from the maid café introducing their home service — including cooking, cleaning, massage, and other household tasks. With just one call, a cute maid could be invited to your home.]
[All the guys there suddenly thought of the same thing…]
[Out of politeness, you temporarily accepted the service card.]
...