Lord Summoner's Freedom Philosophy: Grimoire of Love

Chapter 35 The Black Tea In The Midnight

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Lyan opened his eyes, waking up from his slumber. Strands of pink hair prick his nose. As he turn his head, a beautiful sleeping face appeared in his view. Her mouth that has a beautiful happy smile imprinted on it infected Lyan's face, making him smile as well.

As he shifted his gaze, he saw that beside Belle, there is a fist-sized Slime with butterfly wings on its back.

(Ah, right. Summoning Grimoire) (Lyan)

Lyan summoned the summoning grimoire. As he went to the [Summon] section, he found the new Papilio Slime page written on it.

[Papilio Slime

A slime that is born with the beautiful wings of a butterfly. A Papilio Slime is a rare slime that is born once in several decades. It possesses powerful illusion mana and an adequate amount of dark mana. Just like other slimes, the Papilio Slime possesses the ability to gain stronger depending on what it consumes and devours. When its size gets bigger from feeding, the Papilio Slime is capable of splitting its body and leaving a small part of its main body that could become once again bigger after feeding.

The Papilio Slime's butterfly wings are capable of spreading a mist of illusion and spread a poisonous powder that could paralyze its enemies. The scales on its wings contained the reserve mana it couldn't save inside his body, allowing it to continuously use magic for a long period of time.

Health: 100%/100%

Status: Healthy

Attribute: Illusion

Mood: Happy

Mother: Bellemira Dianthus]

"Mother..." (Lyan)

Lyan continue to surf the grimoire's pages, and when he returned to the section page, Lyan noticed that the white bar below the word 'Summon' has now almost got all of it became black.

"This... It was white before..." (Lyan)

(So when it all became black, something will happen? I guess I'll see it if I have sex again) (Lyan)

Lyan closed the grimoire's book and look at the black crest on Belle's back.

When he was asleep, Lyan felt like he saw a dream about belle's past, but it's already too vague for him to remember now.

"So this is the slave crest, huh..." Uttered Lyan as he touched the sinister-looking crest.

Belle told him that even though the Madam didn't activate their slave crest, she will only remove it if they paid their debt to her.

"I guess I need to find more money first to pay their debt, huh..." Lyan uttered as he covered Belle's body and his with the blanket.

"Mmh... Lyan...?" Belle slowly opened her eyes.

"It's still midnight. You should go back to sleep," (Lyan)

"Hehehe... Waking up with someone you love really fills your happiness... Isn't it...?" said Belle half-asleep.

"You're right," Lyan strokes her head gently

Staring at the girl beside him, various kinds of emotion entered him like ocean waves. When they're in the middle of the act, lust, and affection. When he wakes up and looks at her innocent sleeping face, warmth, and happiness. And when he thinks about whether he could protect the ones he loves in this world, fear and anxiety.

Back in his previous life, there are lots of lives that are precious to him that he can't protect. There are situations where he needs to choose one or another. There are cases where he didn't make it to save them.

This time, will he be able to protect them? Those kinds of thoughts are currently filling Lyan's mind, filling his heart with doubt and anxiety.

(The information I possess is still too limited, it turns out that my strength is not as powerful as I was, and I have eight possible ticking bombs inside me that might explode in three years...) (Lyan)

Staring at his right hand, Lyan questioned himself.

"This time, could I protect and return to their side?" (Lyan)

Lyan then clenched his fist and shakes his head.

(No good will come from negative thoughts. It will be better for me to think about possible scenarios and how to face them instead. I have the summoning grimoire, I am still capable of using my past abilities, and even though I don't know whether I could get the spirits' full help, the little mana I got from each one of them is more than enough already. I could do this) (Lyan)

Resolving himself, Lyan is determined to protect everyone he cares for in this world.

(Somehow, my body is no longer tired, and I'm not sleepy anymore. I guess I'll go out and have some drink) (Lyan)

Slowly enough to make sure Belle didn't wake up, Lyan rise from the bed and dress himself. Somehow, his body felt refreshed, and he didn't feel any fatigue despite of the 'exercise' he just had.

(Is this an effect of the grimoire's ability as well?) (Lyan)

Stealthily, Lyan walked out of the room. As he walks along the hall, he arrived at the staff's living room. What greets him in the living is Abraham and his granddaughter, Ravia, wiping the glasses of the private drink corner.

"You wake up rather early, Mr. Lyan," Abraham's deep voice that gives a sense of reassurance entered Lyan's ears.

"Yes. Somehow my body didn't feel tired at all," Lyan shrugged.

"Take a seat, Mr. Lyan. Ravia, please make him a drink. Forgive me for I couldn't accompany you, Mr. Lyan. I need to give rest to this old body, after all," (Abraham)

"Don't mind me. Please take a rest, Mr. Abraham," (Lyan)

"You can just call me gramps like the others. Then if you excuse me," Abraham left the place and went to his room to rest, leaving the two of them in the living.

"What are you doing? Gramps told you to seat," Ravia motioned him to seat on the stool.

"Then if you excuse me," (Lyan)

*Tap*

Ravia elegantly put a cup of tea with movement befitting a high-class butler.

"Hm~ What a soothing smell," (Lyan)

*Slurp!*

Lyan took a sip of the tea.

"It's a great tea," (Lyan)

Just by a sip, Lyan felt like his body is filled with warmth and calmness. It's a perfectly served black tea. It has a strong aroma, a perfect level of bitterness, and is a bit nutty.

"It tastes like consistency and perseverance," Uttered Lyan as he closed his eyes to savor the taste.

"Consistency? Perseverance?" (Ravia)

"Yes. The perfect bitterness and its strong aroma could only be achieved by continuous practice. The art of tea-making is not something easy to master, after all," (Lyan)

"Heh. Looks like you're pretty well informed about it," Ravia let out a chuckle.

"You can say that it's a hobby of mine," (Lyan)

Ravia stared at the man before her. As his profile got illuminated by the moonlight that creeps through the window beside him, the mysteriousness of the man only grows deeper and darker.

"For your information, I'm not convinced to approve you yet. They are my best friends as well, after all," (Ravia)

Ravia's words are not unexpected for Lyan. He's well aware of the great bond between the girls in the House of Roses. And he also noticed how much Ravia care about the three girls.

(Best friends, huh...) (Lyan)

Lyan remembered Belle's words from last night.

****************************

---Last Night---

"Afer thinking about it, we decided that the three of us want to offer you our hearts together. It'll be sad if only one of us is happy together with you, so that's our decision!" (Belle)

"The three of you?" (Lyan)

"Yes! Alina, Xena, and me. You will accept the others as well, right?" (Belle)

"If they really want to, then yes. But are you sure you're fine with that?" (Lyan)

"Hm... To be honest, it's conflicting. But if you ask me whether I'm sad or not, I'm happier because it felt like there is another bond that connected us with each other. And one more thing," Belle raised her index finger.

"One more thing?" (Lyan)

"I'm interested in threesome..." (Belle)

"T-That's quite an unexpected respond..." (Lyan)

*****************************************

(She did say that last night, didn't she... Well, I've given her my words) (Lyan)

Lyan stared right into Ravia's eyes with a confident smile.

"Then I guess I need to make an extra effort to make all of their friends approve of me," (Lyan)

"Hmph! You better do," (Ravia)

*Slurp!*

A moment of silence enveloped them afterward. Lyan continues to enjoy the tea, while Ravia continues to wipe the glasses. Ravia stole some glances at Lyan, looking at how he seemed to be savoring the taste of the tea she made with a great focus making a small smile appear on her stoic face.

"Tell me, where do you come from? Gramps said that you smell like the underworld, but your eyes didn't have the malice. You didn't look down on the girls of the house as well, which is something unusual for a normal person. Did you use to be an assassin or something? Why did you come to this city?" (Ravia)

"Mr. Abraham's eyes are very keen, I see. Where do I come from, huh... I wonder..." Lyan opened his eyes and look into the window, staring at the moon in the distance.

The scenes of his fight, his struggle with his friends, his failures, and his loss in his previous life flashed through Lyan's mind as if the pictures are getting reflected by the moon.

"It's a place full of crimes, a place where only the strong could live, and the weak suffer. A place filled with betrayals and sad endings. Comparing there and here, here is much more beautiful. That's why I came here. I wonder if my vague explanation can do, Miss Ravia?" (Lyan)

Ravia widens her eyes at the sight of his melancholic smile. His eyes became teary and darkens which make a huge contrast with his usual carefree smile. Putting the glass she's wiping down-

"Forgive me. I didn't mean to make you remember something you don't want," Ravia apologized.

"It's fine. Not to forget is a lesson that I learned and a principle that I follow," Lyan answered as he close his eyes.

"I see. What a unique principle to hold. And as I've said at the time I introduced myself, you can just call me Ravia. No need for honorifics," (Ravia)

"Then I'll do so... About why I don't hold any contempt or disdain towards the girls of the house... It's because I felt sympathy for them instead," (Lyan)

The scene of the village on Incubus and Succubus where he used to live and seek shelter appeared in his mind.

"Sympathy?" (Ravia)

"Most of them chose this line of work, not because they wanted, but because the situation forced them to. Whether it's because of a debt, or because of family matters, or maybe because they're tricked. Most of them didn't have any other choice," (Lyan)

"In this line of work, well, this house is a miracle, I guess. In other places, this line of work is like a devil's circle. Once you enter, you won't be able to return. They are just a bunch of girls that have their life choices narrowed regardless of their will, and got shunned and mocked by the society because of it. Isn't it unfair?" (Lyan)

"Some of them work in a place like this to let their children, their family live. While some of them work just to make sure they themselves could live. What is the difference between them and the others? They are also people, and in this place, all of them are good people. So I sympathize with them," (Lyan)

"Their fate, and their life. It's not like they're a murderer or a thief, they didn't do any crime and didn't harm others, but they got looked down upon. It's a sad story," Lyan shakes his head.

"A very sad and ironic story," (Lyan)

____________________________________________________________________________

Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore

Occupation: Mercenary

Money: 49,722,600 Elnes

Weapon: None

Equipment: Black leather cloak

Grimoire's Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime