Chapter Two Hundred and Fifteen: Anniversary Date 5
“Mr. Julius, thank you for such a wonderful gift.”
“If it makes you happy, that’s all that matters, Karen.”
After Karen had decided on the World Tree ladle as her present from Julius, and during the payment, Karen once again thanked Julius and timidly looked up at him.
Although she had declined the orichalcum alchemy cauldron, Julius wore a cheerful expression even under the sunlight. Since she hadn’t wanted to disappoint him, Karen breathed a sigh of relief.
Besides, it truly was a gift she was grateful for and happy to receive. Karen gently stroked the glossy, smooth wood grain with the pad of her finger.
“I’d been thinking for a while now that I wanted a dedicated ladle. I knew about the World Tree ladle, and I thought that if I were to get one, the sooner the better, but I just couldn’t bring myself to purchase it…”
As Urgo had said, materials from the World Tree needed to be attuned to the user’s magical power, but once properly acclimated, they became irreplaceable, invaluable tools. That was precisely why she had wanted to acquire one as early as possible and grow accustomed to using it.
“You can carry a ladle wherever you go, right? It’s lighter than mithril, but given the World Tree’s toughness, it could function as a weapon stronger than a mediocre blade. It might even shield you in a pinch. I want you to carry it with you at all times.”
“Yes, I will. How should I carry it?”
“It will fit perfectly in a club sheath, Karen. Shall we go buy one now?”
Karen started to nod, then froze.
“…How do you know it fits in a club sheath?”
“Oops.”
Julius rather theatrically pressed his finger against his lips. His smiling mouth, sparkling eyes, and eyebrows that dropped ever so slightly in apparent guilt—Karen caught on and was stunned.
“Don’t tell me—you tricked me!?”
While cheaper compared to an orichalcum alchemy cauldron, a World Tree ladle was also a terrifyingly expensive magical tool. Though not in the hundreds of millions or billions, it was still an item in the tens of millions of yen range. If he had recommended this from the start, would Karen have really accepted it so readily?
“You made me think you were going to buy the orichalcum alchemy cauldron to numb my sense of money, when you intended to buy the World Tree ladle from the beginning!?”
“It seems I’ve been found out.”
“What would you have done if I’d really wanted the orichalcum alchemy cauldron!?”
“In that case, I would have gladly purchased it. Though I thought I might have to borrow money from Brother Helfried, depending on the amount. Well, I didn’t think it would come to that.”
First present an impossible demand, then, when the other party hesitates, appear to ease the conditions while presenting your real demand. A person confronted with an impossible demand feels that the other party has made a concession, thinks they must reciprocate, and becomes more likely to accept the next request.
It was a type of deception technique.
Karen, who had fallen completely into Julius’s scheme, held her head in her hands.
“I truly wished to give you something you would keep for the rest of your life, Karen. Since it is a tool, it may one day break—but even so, I wanted something that could stay by your side for as long as possible.”
By that logic, Julius’s first choice for a gift had been the World Tree ladle from the start. While an orichalcum alchemy cauldron would be lighter than an adamantite one, it still wasn’t something one could casually carry around.
Karen said with pursed lips:
“…If you had said that, I might have accepted it honestly from the beginning, you know?”
“Still, the orichalcum alchemy cauldron had been tempting as well. With that, you would never need to replace it in your lifetime, nor risk losing it.”
“There’s no way I could accept something like that!”
And yet, this World Tree ladle now in Karen’s hands was also the type of gift she normally couldn’t accept. In truth, no matter what he had said, she might not have been able to accept it so easily.
Her sense of money had been completely numbed with an anesthetic. Everything was in the palm of Julius’s hand.
“…I’ll treasure this and use it carefully. But! Please don’t use methods like this in the future. It’s bad for my heart.”
“Understood, Karen. Brother Helfried told me that if I use it too much, you’ll stop being fooled by it.”
“You’re planning to use it again!”
“I’ll save up for the day when our household finances become one.”
“Geez!”
While laughing at Karen, who hit his arm to hide her embarrassment, Julius next took her to a leather goods shop. It was the smooth escort of someone who had already picked out the shop from the start. By the time they purchased a leather holder that could fit the World Tree ladle, the fourth bell had already rung.
“It’s not quite noon, but we have time until the evening party, so let’s go eat a snack or something. This time I’m treating!”
“Very well. May I choose the shop?”
“Of course. Is there somewhere you want to go?”
Julius nodded with a smile and took Karen to the "Green Bird Pavilion," a fashionable confectionery shop that every commoner girl living in the royal capital of the Earthfill Kingdom would want to visit on a date at least once.
Though there was usually a line at this café, for some reason, there wasn’t a soul in sight today, and the shop’s sign read "Reserved for Private Event Today.”
“I heard that commoner women dream at least once of coming to this shop with their partner. That’s why I wanted to come here with you, Karen.”
Karen understood Julius’s feelings. Just as she had wished to become someone who shaped his dreams, if he felt the same, then this must be something he truly wanted to do.
“…It’s true I once wanted to have a date here, and this is my first time coming here on a date, and it’s with you, Mr. Julius.”
“I’m happy to hear that.”
She had come here with Natalia before, but that shouldn’t count. At least she had never come here with Lyos.
Julius was welcomed in by the staff almost without question, and Karen followed after him. When they sat at a table in one corner of the empty establishment, Julius said:
“Do you have any recommendations?”
Karen hesitated a bit, but made the same suggestion she always made when she came with Natalia.
“Let’s order four cakes and split all of them in half. That way, we won’t get too full and can enjoy four different flavors.”
“Then, let’s do that.”
Though it might be improper behavior for Julius, even so, what he wanted to know was what Karen desired.
Karen and Julius carefully selected and ordered four cakes together, then halved and shared them.
“I find this strawberry tart quite delicious.”
“I like the cream pie.”
“This one is excellent as well. I hear the owner was once a royal palace chef.”
“Is that so? Maybe that’s why it’s so delicious.”
“Since they quit being a royal palace chef because they wanted to make confections rather than regular cooking, it’s also possible they simply pursued what they loved.”
They leisurely enjoyed their sweets and conversation, and when it came time to pay, she was told the bill had already been settled at the time of the reservation, meaning Julius had outmaneuvered her again. By the time they left the shop in playful banter, the time for the party was drawing near.
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