Chapter 172 Oda Nobuzan (2)
At the Cerza inn, the new morning no longer felt peaceful.
Fitran sat alone at a small wooden table, cradling a warm ceramic cup filled with fragrant tea, its steam curling up like ethereal wisps. Just then, a magical bird messenger descended gracefully, landing softly on his shoulder. An intricate letter unfurled before him, projecting a mesmerizing three-dimensional illusion of the grand Gaia Senate hall, shimmering as if it were alive.
The charming visage of Oda Nobuzan materialized, enveloped in a gentle swirl of wind and fire that danced around him like ethereal guardian spirits.
"...I have come to marry Fitran Fate."
Each word flowed from his lips with a calm smile that belied the sharpness of the announcement, slicing through the stillness like a knife to those who bore witness.
Fitran raised an eyebrow in surprise, a hint of disbelief creeping into his demeanor. "...Huh. I haven't even sent a love letter to the east."
Rinoa, who had been carefully tying her hair back, froze mid-motion. Her pink ears perked up, twitching inquisitively. "Hm?"
"It seems... I've just caught the attention of the world's tenth-ranking sorceress," Fitran remarked casually, attempting to appear unaffected while dipping a dango ball awkwardly into the tea broth, the sweet rice delicacy wobbling precariously.
Rinoa rose slowly, her expression frozen into a smile as brittle as the snow of Cerza during the dry season.
"Oh? How impressive. Perhaps you two are a match made in some celestial kitchen... she can brew you fire tea, and you can freeze other women's hearts with your extraordinarily ambiguous responses."
Fitran turned to her, the weight of the moment settling between them. "Are you... angry?"