Finally, I can Retire, Or so I Thought

The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. Dion realized the guards and knights weren’t lowering their spears anytime soon, and they certainly weren’t about to just let them walk away. To make matters worse, a squad of mages and arcana researchers was forming up behind the front line, clearly preparing for a fight. Seeing the situation spiral out of control, Dion nudged Cleo.

"Cleo, do something. Aren’t you a royal mage who knows how to handle diplomacy?" Dion asked naively.

"Ugh... ex-royal mage! EX! EX! Besides, this is Minatheras, not Lutherias! What is wrong with you?" Cleo snapped back, annoyed.

"Ugh... so what do we do now?" Sheila asked.

"Leave it to me," Aria offered.

"Hah... and what are you gonna do, airhead princess?" Luna scoffed.

"Shut up and watch, blonde airhead," Aria shot back.

"I hope you actually know what you’re doing. Last time we went to a capital with no plan, we ended up arrested," Mei reminded her.

"Getting arrested wasn’t my fault! Just watch," Aria countered.

Flashin a sweet smile, Aria stepped forward, spears still bristling at her even with her hands raised. Suddenly, three dimensional storage portals opened above her upraised hands. Tables tumbled out and landed in neat rows, followed by a shower of goods: fine jewelry, perfumes, raw magic crystals, ancient artifacts, forged weapons, and suits of armor, all settling perfectly onto the tabletops.

"Step right up, step right up! Take a look, folks! We are the Aetherias Trading Company! We accidentally got turned around and emerged through this building... so consider this our pop-up shop! Come on by and take a look!" Aria shouted, hawking her wares.

Understanding Aria’s game and what she was trying to pull off, Dion stepped up right beside her. He picked up a brand-new multi-purpose knife from the display, holding it high.

"Check out this multi-purpose knife, good for cutting through just about anything! Perfect for travel, outdoor cooking, or everyday home use! Come take a look, prices are negotiable!" Dion yelled out, backing her up.

Seeing Dion join in, Aria got even more energized, shouting at the top of her lungs. The guards, knights, mages, and gathering crowd were completely baffled. Luna, Sheila, Cleo, and Mei, who was still holding Gina, were equally lost for words, standing like statues, unable to believe their eyes. But the tension thawed as Aria aggressively shoved merchandise into the guards’ hands, forcing them to lower their spears to hold the items.

"Instead of standing there staring, why don’t you guys lend a hand?" Dion whispered back to Luna, Sheila, Cleo, and Mei.

"Oh... good point," Mei said.

Luna, Sheila, Cleo, and Mei exchanged glances, then stepped up with wide, bright smiles to help sell Aria’s inventory. Even Gina pitched in as the mascot, sitting atop a display table where the crowd cooed at her cuteness. The standoff dissolved completely. The guards and knights sheathed their weapons and started browsing the goods, while mages and curious locals pressed forward to see the selection.

In all the shopping chaos, nearly every citizen in the plaza forgot about the giant crystal pyramid sticking out like a sore thumb in the middle of their town. Dion let out a breath of relief as the air cleared up. He glanced over at Aria, who was enthusiastically pitch-selling beside him, and smiled softly.

"Thank goodness she acted fast to defuse the room. Otherwise, we would’ve had to fight our way out," Dion thought to himself.

A little while later, as they were serving customers, Cleo bent down to pick up a dropped pen beneath the table.

"Huh... Cleo?"

She heard a girl’s voice call out, a voice she recognized instantly. Rolling her eyes as she grabbed the pen, she stood back up to see a dark-haired girl with pigtails, wearing thick glasses, carrying a book, and dressed in full mage robes. Cleo forced a sweet smile.

"Hello Astrid, how have you been?" Cleo murmured. "Grrr... out of all my academy classmates, why do I keep bumping into the weird ones today? First Johan, and now this S-rank wizard with her bizarre habits. Though, wherever Johan is, she’s never far behind," Cleo complained in her head.

"I’m doing well! What are you doing in Minatheras? I thought you were working as a royal mage in Lutherias," Astrid replied.

"Oh, you know... just helping out with sales, haha," Cleo offered awkwardly with a strained smile.

"Ah, I see. I’m assigned here now to assist the magic department’s research," Astrid said.

"That’s great! Congratulations," Cleo replied. "Not like I asked," Cleo grumbled internally, rolling her eyes in her head.

"Hold on a second, I’ll go grab my husband," Astrid offered.

"Ugh... no, no, no need! Don’t bother... just browse around here first!" Cleo blurted out, grabbing Astrid’s arm so hard the girl nearly stumbled backward.

"Husband?" Sheila, Mei, and Luna asked in unison.

"Uh... everyone, this is Astrid, an old academy classmate of mine and Johan’s wife," Cleo introduced with a deadpan face.

"Oh... Johan’s wife?" Sheila, Mei, and Luna repeated together, their expressions turning instantly serious as they stared at Astrid.

"Um... yeah? Is something wrong?" Astrid asked, confused.

"Nothing at all... your husband is a really good guy, haha," Sheila said nervously.

"Yeah, absolutely, you’re a lucky woman, haha," Luna added awkwardly.

"Hmm... even if he’s a bit odd..."

Cleo slapped a hand over Mei’s mouth before she could finish her sentence, glaring at her with a glare that could kill. Mei flinched slightly. Astrid then began chatting with the group, while Aria and Dion stayed busy serving the steady stream of customers. As the conversation warmed up...

"So Cleo, when are you planning on starting a family?" Astrid asked casually, without a shred of malice.

Cleo froze on the spot, her face going completely blank as her brain short-circuited. She realized she had been so consumed by work, researching legends, and drinking at taverns that she had never given romance a second thought. Meanwhile, her academy peers her age were almost all settled down with families of their own. Luna, Sheila, and Mei turned to Cleo, waiting for an answer.

Ahem.

Rebooting her brain, Cleo snapped back to reality. She took a deep breath, let it out, and put on a brilliant smile.

"I’m already married," Cleo stated flatly.

"WHAT?!" Sheila, Luna, and Mei gasped. Even Gina, sitting on the table, whipped her head around to stare at Cleo like she was looking at a stranger.

"Oh really? Is your husband a royal knight? Or some noble?" Astrid asked curiously.

Cleo casually pointed her index finger to the side, landing straight on Dion, who was standing beside Aria. Astrid turned to look at Dion, narrowing her eyes as she adjusted her thick glasses. She slid her glasses up and down her nose, studying him from different angles and contrasts. Then she turned back to Cleo.

"Oh... nice! A bit younger, huh?" Astrid asked casually.

"Yep... two years younger than us. I’ve retired from being a royal mage and live with him now, he covers all my living expenses," Cleo boasted, clearly letting her mouth run away with her.

"Wow... lucky you! Where is he from?" Astrid asked.

"The Kingdom of Thetor," Cleo answered proudly, resting her hands on her hips with her chin raised slightly.

"Well, you two look great together. Congratulations!" Astrid said, smiling.

"Thanks!" Cleo beamed back.

"Alright, I should get back. I have a lot of work waiting at the office. You should swing by my place sometime... though... are you still afraid of ghosts and the undead?" Astrid asked.

"Oh, don’t worry about it, no need to trouble yourself," Cleo replied. "I know exactly which house she’s talking about," Cleo added in her head.

"Alright then, see you later! Bye!" Astrid waved as she walked off.

"Bye!" Cleo waved back.

Once Astrid was out of sight and the buying crowd began to thin, Cleo’s cheerful mask dropped back to her usual cold expression. She let out a long "sigh," but suddenly, a sharp chill ran down her spine. A wave of intent washed over her from behind. Tap. Two hands clamped onto her shoulders from behind. Cleo’s face went pale as she slowly turned her head.

Sheila, Luna, Mei, and Aria were standing right behind her. They were smiling, but their eyes were completely dark.

"I think we need to have a little chat, grandma," Aria said, who happened to be four years younger than Cleo.

"Indeed. We need a very logical explanation for what just came out of your mouth," Luna added, making a rare move to agree with Aria.

"Since the crowd’s thinned out, let’s head inside," Sheila suggested, her hands still firmly gripping Cleo’s shoulders.

"Please don’t resist or put up a fight. It’s better if you just come quietly," Mei added.

Without waiting for Cleo to answer, the four girls dragged her straight into the crystal pyramid. Gina, sitting on the table, watched the whole thing in complete confusion. She waddled across the tabletop and sat down in front of Dion. Dion looked at Gina, then turned to watch a resigned Cleo get dragged into the structure by Luna, Sheila, Aria, and Mei.

"What’s wrong with them now?" Dion asked Gina.

"Kyuuuu," Gina replied, shrugging her tiny shoulders and shaking her head.