Chapter 50: What Kind of Good Person Dates Like This?
Compared to usual, Liang Yue, who rarely gave himself a day off, walked along Oraly Street without the usual sense of urgency.
In the early morning, many adventurers headed to the dungeon, fueling the city's prosperity.
The shops lining the street and the various food stalls were bustling with activity at this hour.
He casually bought a portion of fried potato balls for breakfast and headed directly toward the Adventurers' Guild.
At the time, they had only agreed on a meeting time, not a location.
Since their relationship had started at the Adventurers' Guild, meeting there seemed most appropriate.
Things unfolded just as expected.
Upon reaching the main road in front of the guild's palace, Liang Yue looked up and immediately noticed a figure standing by the entrance.
Her short brown hair fell naturally over her shoulders, and without her usual glasses, the usual sternness was replaced by an unexpectedly girlish charm.
She wore a white V-neck fitted blouse that accentuated Aina’s excellent figure, with a gray bow decorating the base of the neckline.
Paired with it was a youthful, vibrant red pleated skirt.
But what truly caught Liang Yue’s eyes were her flawless, straight legs outlined by black over-the-knee socks, revealing a subtle softness.
Aina, the most popular staff member at the Adventurers' Guild, rarely appeared in casual attire like this; she looked as if waiting for a date, drawing the attention of many passing adventurers.
Most of the whispered speculation centered on the question: “Who is the guy Aina is going on a date with today?”
Pushing through the crowd with some difficulty, Liang Yue had no desire to become a spectacle, but such things were inevitable.
Facing the curious gazes, he remained composed and walked toward Aina, greeting her with a relaxed smile: “Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Aina.”
Ignoring the stares of others, Aina kept her gaze fixed on Liang Yue, her usual capable adventurer demeanor showing no sign of feeling disrespected.
If the atmosphere became too serious, she wouldn’t know how to interact; watching the young man approach resolutely, she tilted her head slightly, her smile gentle: “I just arrived too. I thought you might not guess the meeting place.”
“I didn’t expect you to think of coming here together!”
Though the date hadn’t officially started, she already felt certain that spending time with Liang Yue today would be very pleasant.
Standing quietly by his side, curiosity getting the better of her, Aina softly asked, “Liang Yue, have you made plans for today?”
---
Liang Yue did not try to flatter himself. Facing Aina’s gentle and expectant gaze, he felt a bit uneasy.
Handling each matter separately made the process complicated.
Planning was a skill, and fortunately, he was reasonably good at it. So he kept his composure when meeting her hopeful eyes.
“I have.”
In past interactions, Liang Yue had given her the impression of maturity beyond his years.
Aina’s lips curved into a faint smile as she guessed the date would be a simple outing, probably just shopping.
Lunch at her favorite restaurant?
Since it was her first date with a male companion, those were the only things she could imagine, though she hoped for a pleasant surprise.
“Do you want me to help you with the plans?”
There was a teasing brightness in her smile as she noticed a stray lock of hair falling across his cheek and gently tucked it behind his ear.
Only after tidying him up did she withdraw her fingers.
Meeting Liang Yue’s clear, sincere gaze, she quickly turned her face away, her slender, upward-pointing elf ears faintly tinged with red.
“Your hair... is a bit messy.”
“Miss Aina, you’re really gentle,” Liang Yue said earnestly, then braced himself to share today’s schedule: “I’m going to the guild first to exchange the dungeon rewards from yesterday.”
“After that...”
“I’ll go to the Hephaestus Weapon Shop in Babel Tower to pick up a repaired weapon, then just wander around.”
“I might trouble you to help me pick out a suitable weapon.”
“?”
The sparkle in the girl’s eyes faded, replaced by a growing question mark. The plan was indeed unconventional.
It even gave Aina the strong impression that this wasn’t a date at all, but rather this guy wanted to treat her as a guide or tool for Babel Tower!
Her lips twitched slightly, revealing how absurd she found the situation.
But noticing Liang Yue’s cautious, probing expression, she didn’t get angry; instead, she found the contrast endearing.
“This is just the kind of plan Liang Yue would make.”
She nodded expressionlessly and turned—not to leave, but to strictly follow the itinerary he had prepared.
Seeing he didn’t follow immediately, she turned back, her tone resolute and unquestionable: “Actually... the exact plans don’t really matter.”
“If it’s you...”
“I’ll be happy anyway!”
---
“Thank you.”
It was hard to judge objectively, but Aina’s gentle and thoughtful nature was different from others, and she was refreshingly straightforward.
Hearing her say that, Liang Yue felt the half-elf’s understanding and that subtle aura of an elegant, mature woman.
As a response, he put away his smile and grew serious: “I hope to spend a wonderful day with you, Miss Aina!”
—
Thanks to yesterday’s monster feast, the large number of magic stones dropped upon their kills were exchanged for 50,000 Faris.
Adding in his savings and extra income, Liang Yue finally held 400,000 Faris—making him a relatively wealthy adventurer with no immediate need for new equipment.
Buying a second-tier weapon should suffice.
Walking side by side with Aina along West Street, he felt like a star adventurer, receiving curious but not hostile looks from fellow adventurers.
The journey to Babel Tower went smoothly. With Aina as his guide, they soon arrived at the Hephaestus Weapon Shop.
“This is the place.”
Standing before the shop, Aina wondered about the relationship between Hestia and Hephaestus and why weapons were repaired here, but respecting privacy, she didn’t ask.
“It should be sorted out quickly.”
Though the Hephaestus Weapon Shop offered repair services, if he were to buy a second-tier weapon here, he definitely wouldn’t have enough money to pay right now.
Liang Yue took out the two short swords borrowed from Tsubaki, pushed open the glass door, and scanned the shop.
His gaze soon settled on a dark-skinned woman sitting beside the counter—a tall, imposing sisterly figure.
He showed respect to Tsubaki, who had helped repair his weapon and offered the loan: “Senior Tsubaki, I’m here to return the weapons.”
“Hm.”
“Just put them anywhere.”
If it were just returning weapons, handing them to the shop clerk would suffice, but the reason Tsubaki waited here for Liang Yue was that ordinary short sword imbued with sword energy!
After standing up and stretching lazily, her tone grew serious: “I wanted to tell you something in person when you returned them.”