Casual Heroing, Chapter 244

CORNELIA SAID WHAT!?! 🗡🗡🗡

Next chapter comes out on February 28th!

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Chapter 244 - Under a Tree

I find myself outside again, standing under the many Flora Sanguinis that surround the estate of the Valerii. This time, however, I’m with someone I’d never imagined meeting in this world.

“Italian, huh? Where from?” I ask Penelope.

“Milan,” she smiles. “Are your parents Italian?”

I nod, “Sicily, though.”

“Luciani doesn’t strike me as a Sicilian surname,” Penelope says.

“Not a common last name there,” I shrug.

We stop under a big tree, and I look in the woman’s, taking a deep breath. “So, was that green girl a Goblin?” I ask, trying to do somesmall talk before we get into it.

Penelope nods, confirming my guess. “Eupraxia is a Goblin,” she says, “Pythia is a Dryad... You haven’t seen any other races, have you?”

“Not really,” I shrug. “Amorium is too South for most people from Carilia. It’s like an industrial city deep in Russia—many people, not much international recognition.”

“So,” I look at her, eager for a deeper connection, “you have one of those amulets that block [Scrying] or whatever?”

Penelope’s response comes with a raised eyebrow. “Aren’t you a [Mage]?”

“Yes, but… let’s just say I don’t know the anti-[Scry] spell, ok? So, do you have it?” My admission feels like a small defeat.

Penelope’s hand moves to the amulet around her neck, and as it glows softly, a bubble envelops us.

“How long have you been here?” Penelope asks her first question as soon as the bubble seals up.

“Three months, give or take,” I answer, taking out a truth-stone, its green light a beacon of honesty in our conversation. “Just to make sure we don’t lie to each other,” I explain, and Penelope nods, acknowledging the rules of this engagement.

“I’ve been here for twelve years. I was in Africa when I suddenly woke up somewhere around Aethereum.”

“The Capital, right?” I frown.

“Yeah.”

“Wait, damn, twelve years ago?! And Africa? What were you doing there?” My questions spill out one after the other.

“Doctors without borders,” Penelope shares, and the respect I feel for her deepens. “Case in point, my classes used to be [Doctor] and [Flesh Mage].”

“I got teleported into a Dragon’s cave and had a lucky encounter that taught me some magic,” I confess, the truth-stone’s green glow a silent witness to the honesty of my words.

Our conversation starts by covering what we went through at the beginning of our respective adventures. She immediately chose to become an Adventurer, where her medical skills became extremely useful even before she got a class. I tell her about the work with Happy Bakery, then briefly about the duel, the Dungeon, and the other stuff I’ve been through.

“Do you ever think about going back?” I ask.

“My life is here,” she responds succinctly.

There’s a small lull after that response. Maybe she expects me to say something similar or to deny it. But the truth is that I don’t know where my life is. I truly don’t.

“Listen,” I say, breaking the silence that has settled between us. “I understand we can’t fully trust each other right now. Yes, we’re both from Earth, but it’s clear we’re navigating two very different lives here. So, if you’re planning to stay in Amorium because of the Dungeon, why don’t we take some time to get to know each other better? And for now, let’s get back to the party. I’ve got a date waiting for me, and I wouldn’t want to make her mad. It’s a long story, but let’s just say my love life here hasn’t been all smooth sailing.”

Penelope laughs, her amusement taking me off-guard. “You’re really into your Elven love life, aren’t you? Sorry if I’m being insensitive, but Eupraxia begged me to ask – we’ve heard you dumped a woman right after her brother’s funeral. Is that true? She keeps up with more gossip than I do with political news.”

Cringing at the reminder, I nod. “Sort of. But it was a long time coming.”

“But haven’t you been here for barely a few months?” she probes.

“Heh, Penny, things are harder than you think when it comes to love.” My attempt at humor falls flat as I notice Penelope’s smile fading.

Her expression turns serious, a slight edge creeping into her voice. “Joey, as you said, we don’t know each other. So, I’ll ask nicely this time: never call me Penny ever again. Thankfully, most people in this world don’t do abbreviations.”

“Oh, alright,” I say a bit sheepishly, feeling the faux pas keenly. “So, are we going back inside?”

Penelope’s gaze softens, the brief tension between us dissipating as quickly as it appeared. “I’ll let you go back to your redhead. We’ll have plenty of time to talk tomorrow.”

...

Lucinda saw Joey about to return and exhaled in relief. Penelope’s striking beauty, coupled with the fact that she shared the same origins as Joey, ignited a flicker of insecurity within Lucinda. They had spoken a language none of the present had understood, something so foreign she couldn’t even begin to place it.

As Penelope walked back, followed in tow by Joey, the Human woman apologized to Lucinda, “Sorry for taking him away from you. I just had to confirm a few things that were better spoken in private.”

“Oh, it’s alright,” Lucinda responded with a polite nod, her curiosity piqued. “Where is that you and Joey come from, anyway? He never mentioned it.”

“Far away – it’s just a little dot in the vast expanse of the nothingness of the whole existence,” Penelope replied, a poetic description that didn’t tell Lucinda anything specific. However, a quick glance at her truth stone confirmed Penelope wasn’t speaking in metaphors—the stone’s greenish glint indicated the truth in her words.

With a polite farewell, Penelope excused herself, leaving Lucinda to wrestle with the emotions stirred up by their encounter.

“Hey, why don’t you show me some Elven dance moves to warm up before they bring out the food? And when’s that, by the way?”

Just as Joey asked that Lucinda’s attention was diverted by the arrival of [Princess] Laurealia. The [Princess] suddenly commanded the room, her presence magnified by the stunning cream-colored dress she wore. The garment was clad in sparkling diamonds, cascading around her like soft, milky rays of the sun. She drew the eyes of every guest in the vicinity.

Laurealia approached Joey and Lucinda with purpose. “It was about time you came here, Joey. You have to do something,” she said, her gaze fixed on Joey with an intensity that tolerated no argument.

Joey, taken aback by the sudden demand, could only muster a confused smile. “What is it?” he asked, trying to maintain a light-hearted tone despite the seriousness of Laurealia’s demeanor.

Laurealia presented Joey with a silver platter, its lid hiding the contents within. “You need to bring this to Cornelia,” she instructed, her voice leaving no room for refusal.

“What’s that? And why me?” Joey’s frown deepened.

“Because you’re the owner of the bakery,” Laurealia explained.

Lucinda, sensing Joey’s hesitation, interjected to offer some clarity. “The [Princess] is right,” she said, her voice gentle yet firm. “It would be seen as bad manners for both parties if she offered the food to Cornelia. The [Princess] outranks everyone here in terms of authority, even her Uncle. She’s the first in line of succession, Joey. She can’t serve food to a noble. It would cause a lot of trouble.”

Joey sensed the importance of the situation for the [Princess] and nodded. “Sure, no problem. What is it that I have to do?”

“Just say, ‘Let us celebrate the Day of Blooming, [Lady] Valeria,’ and offer her the food,” Laurealia instructed, her tone softening slightly. “She’ll accept, and I’ll give the signal for the rest of the food to come out. It’s not a major ceremony, just courtesy.”

...

Joey, clutching the silver platter with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness, made his way through the throng of guests. he could smell the metal from the container in his hands, which almost reminded him of the smell of blood. He wasn’t particularly happy to have to interact with Cornelia, especially knowing that she probably hated Humans like every other noble on Epretos.

But he couldn’t refuse the [Princess]’s orders. Not after he left her alone for a week with so much to take care of.

As he approached the group of nobles, among whom Cornelia Valeria Novafamilia, the crowd seemed to part almost reverentially—almost, it was probably just disgust, though. Joey couldn’t help but notice Diana, Cornelia’s granddaughter, the fiery redhead who had extended him the invitation to this grand event, observing him from the sidelines. Her gaze followed his every step, adding an extra layer of tension to this whole ordeal.

The nobles who crowded Cornelia Valeria Novafamilia studied him with poorly hidden displeasure. However, they all made way for him.

Finally standing before Cornelia, Joey bowed respectfully and presented the platter, unveiling a rather simple but elegant pastry filled with ham.

“Let us celebrate the Day of Blooming, [Lady] Valeria,” he said, his voice steady despite the flutter of nerves.

Cornelia’s response was immediate and cutting.

“I don’t touch food that was made by Humans. You can make yourself scarce now.”