Chapter 1129: NO.34: Staying overnight at a friend's place without informing your mom?

NO. 34: Staying overnight at a friend's place without informing your mom?

May I ask, sir, are you her teacher? Since our boss also works part-time as a teacher, if you are a teacher you can enjoy activity discounts here.

No, that's not it, but can a trainer do that?

Eh?! Of course!! Ah, could you be Trainer Lindun?!

That's correct, but could you please lower your volume a bit?

Ah, okay, okay, sorry, I got too excited. Actually I'm a fan of yours and your subordinate Chazuo.

Thank you for your kindness; if the chance arises, I'll bring Chazuo for a drink.

Really?!

If the chance arises, by the way, do you need to use this to verify your identity? The youth shook the trainer badge in his hand.

Ah, no need, this is the payment code.

Okay… did you receive it?

Received it, ah, Trainer Lindun… could you sign for me?

Of course not a problem, Gongbi teacher, please wait a moment.

After ten minutes of that relentless topic, Aomo Lindun stood at the café's checkout counter, with Xi standing beside him—a combination that would make the staff suspect something.

He didn't just walk out outright; instead he seemed to be waiting for him to finish paying before leaving together, which surprised him a little, but he also had to notify the other party amid the continual delays.

The other merely turned his head impatiently and waved his hand, indicating it was fine.

Trainer Lindun, what's this about her?

It was an impolite reply that even the staff found hard to remain calm about, but the young man also knew his identity and position made it inconvenient to speak up, so he expressed himself rather vaguely.

The signed version is right here.

Lindun trainer, seeming completely indifferent and pretending not to hear, merely smiled and bade farewell to him, then immediately waved at the dragon‑like woman: "Sorry for the wait, Gongbi teacher, let's go."

Not bad. The girl lifted her chin.

The youth, somewhat surprised, said: "Really? I thought you were quite familiar with this."

?

What is this about?

Watching the two walk out of the shop one after another, the staff habitually saw them off with a businesslike demeanor, yet also looked puzzled at their retreating backs.

Just as he was about to open some fan communities to exchange fresh news, he had to stop because a new customer needed attention.

And on the street outside the shop, the combination of formal attire and student uniform was proceeding slowly, as Xi intentionally slowed her pace to fall behind, and Aomo, noticing her slowed steps, likewise slowed his own.

This considerateness instead made the former a little annoyed: "Why are you walking so slowly?"

"Walking slowly is good for body and mind," Aomo shrugged, "or are you planning to say goodbye here, Gongbi teacher?"

"I..." Xi, her expression not very natural, fell silent for a moment, gazing at the street where the streetlights had lit up, making it bright and colorful, "I intend to stroll around this area."

"I recommend going two more blocks in that direction; there will be at least three Uma Musume‑themed commercial entertainment zones," Aomo said after giving the directions, then promptly began to disintegrate from the bottom up, "Well then, I'll take my leave, Gongbi teacher..."

Wait! You're just leaving like that?!

?

Innumerable small squares that had disintegrated from his body began to reassemble as the confusion on his face started to clear.

You? What? Aren't you supposed to know what state I'm in right now?!

As if the scene were replayed with roles reversed, Gongbi teacher's emotions were not very steady; indeed she hadn't expected Aomo to leave so decisively.

As for Aomo, to be honest, although he had some suspicions, those suspicions themselves were hard to confirm.

Merely considering—the fact that the other party didn't leave abruptly when he was paying—this phenomenon itself made him wonder… perhaps the other still had something to say.

The direction was easy to determine.

If we weren't going to talk about drawing doujinshi at the table just now, but instead wait until after work to say it… it ought to be something personal, but Aomo reckons there's nothing private to discuss with them, and really he should head back sooner!

Having determined the direction, but the demon not interested in details, after getting a blatantly stubborn reply to a mild counter‑question, he didn't bother to indulge the other party.

But that brief moment of opportunity was still seized by Xi.

Indeed she seized the opportunity.

Although the concrete performance was hasty, it also amounted to being frank, causing Aomo, who was about to converge teleportation points near the office, to forcibly halt and reverse the process.

This is an effect achievable only with Mefilas‑type teleportation ability.

If it were Zetton or Dark Tiga instead, teleportation would be instantaneous; regret wouldn't allow any mid‑process reversal—only the option to teleport there and back again.

Fortunately, Aomo usually conserves magical power whenever possible, habitually using Mefilas ability for transport, so he could still hear the other party immediately add a question.

You know full well I was talking about that staff member earlier!

That's indeed true.

In fact, Xi's earlier remark "Not bad" was about that staff member, praising the fact that despite being dissatisfied, they displayed sufficient restraining quality.

Aomo also realized this, which led him to lament earlier that he had thought Xi was a regular here.

But the result is obvious: Miss Xi either just picked a random spot, or she had seen or heard some recommendation.

However, this doesn't matter, because a momentary coincidence never means permanence—it's like when you play a game and perhaps happen to pick the same character as another stranger, wield the same weapon, and perform the same combo by chance.

But if you wanted to replicate that round with such a stranger, it would be far too difficult.

Unless you're playing with a longsword (x).

As everyone knows, all longsword wielders share a single brain (x).

Aomo does not believe he shares a central processor with Xi, even though as a painter observation is also a compulsory subject.

But never mind observation—for the mind, observation is merely the foundation.

It is the logic circuits built upon that foundation that truly reveal individual differences.

However, now that the other party has been exposed to this extent, even if he was previously uncertain, he can now be certain.

Miss Xi merely seized a good opportunity to slip out of the house; she generally doesn't want to go back right away.

But she's not a child; her finances should be independent.

Since her finances are independent, where can't she play after running out of the house? Where can't she stay?

Boundary Gate District, as a cultural special zone for transmigrants, also as a cultural special zone for horse girls, each year has a considerable sum of economic development coming from tourism, which also means that this big district lacks nothing in terms of hotels, inns, residences, and similar places.

Even if she doesn't want to stay alone in those places, she can still choose the Jidong District's specialty internet café—there are manga to read, computers to play on, and facilities set up for overnight stays.

However, based on the information he gathered from browsing the Luodao Forum, Miss Xi can even stay directly inside the picture scroll she herself created.

Such a strange ability—perhaps she doesn't even need to go to an internet café.

Just find a random place to wield the brush and paint, and her lodging gets by—as long as the city management doesn't discover and quickly wash it away.

In short, no matter what...

"My office isn't a hotel, Miss Xi." He bluntly sighed.

Even though putting a painting in the room isn't a problem, Aomo feels this is quite inappropriate, especially given how delicate his reputation on Luodao is.

"Ling Jie often goes to your place, so why aren't you welcoming her now?"

"... I think that's not the same thing."

At one moment, Aomo felt as if his brain had been smashed.

My brothers can come anytime, but are you my brother?!

Moreover, Ling hasn't even stayed overnight here!

Aside from being in Luodao, these past few days she hasn't even been seen in reality—she only appears as usual in dreams.

Admittedly, in recent days his sleep time has been rather short due to certain reasons everyone understands.

But the wonder of dreams lies in the infinite extension of temporal bodily sensation; the so-called 'one nap, a lifetime' is precisely the ultimate manifestation of this sensory discrepancy.

So although he's slept little these days, he unexpectedly isn't especially fatigued.

As for the past, bodily—or rather cellular—fatigue and detoxification can be alleviated by energy cycles such as magic power, but only to a limited extent.

But it's merely alleviation.

Moreover, mental fatigue is always hard to avoid.

But once the latter has a chance to recover, he then wouldn't have to sport obvious dark circles just to avoid dizziness by catching extra sleep.

He merely can't avoid yawning now and then.

"How is it not the same thing? She also ran to your place to avoid Miss Shu, staying there for several days."

"?"

Miss Xi's logic comes with a certain bias…… Upon noticing the discrepancy in information, or perhaps his own opinion, Aomo raised his hand and rubbed his nose bridge.

Explanation…… After all, he decided to forget it.

Aomo, anxious only to fulfill the message he had sent, didn't want to continue such inefficient communication, and the other's words directly inspired him.

"Avoiding Miss Shu, right?"

"Done!"

Aomo, lowering his hand, sighed and tore open a void woven from black mist beside himself.

"Alright, come over."