chapter 20

After going through the trouble of stalking (being the stalker Luminous) and confrontation (Leonard and Sachi), the two work out their bit of misunderstanding and mistake of identity and once again, head back to the busy part of the settlement.

With Luminous leading them and showing the two of them the way of course.

"So...where did you go for the past year or so?" Luminous asked him, she still has that stoic expression on her face, just like how Leonard usually remembered.

"...it's really complicated, just know that it's involved quite a bit of killing and..struggles...many...many struggles." he sighed deeply as he remembered all the hairies spiderling and big mama spider that he had to kill back on floor two of Aincrad.

"oh...I see, is that how you got so strong? I didn't recognize you when I saw you today because of that." she stated.

"Erm, yeah that would be the explanation of to why." he shrugged.

"Living in a game world has its perks," he thought.

"I see…" Luminous went back to being silent once more.

"So, how has it been for you girls? Ryan, Mavis and you...Luminous." Leonard started another conversation as they navigate the busy street full of pedestrians.

"I say we're doing so and so, with your brother and the Duke handled most of the difficult stuff in the beginning, we can somewhat handle it all on our own here- maybe with some help from time to time...that's the overall situation for everyone, if you're asking about specific details- miss Ryan has been fine- just somewhat annoyed in the recent months, Mavis is having too much fun, and for me?... well, as you already seen, I'm on patrol just like usual…"

Leonard was no greatly confused.

"Annoyed? What happened?"

"Oh right, forgot to mention that an ambassador from the Republic has moved into the settlement… he's a stupid one… I don't even know why the Republic even bother to send anyone over at all." Luminous stressed out in disappointment when she mentioned the ambassador from the Republic.

"How is that person has anything to do with Ryan being...annoy...oh...right, politic…" he too, facepalmed himself when I remembered that politic in any worlds...is a major headache.

"Well, that's part of the reason as to why she is annoyed, the moment that guy arrived, he tried his utmost best to flatter miss Ryan with flowery words and sending her expensive gifts, he had been doing that for over six months already, most people took it as a sign that the ambassador is trying to make a move on miss Ryan, which Miss Ryan is great dismay of."

"Wait for what? Seriously?" Leonard's eyebrow raised a bit as he tries to comprehend Luminous explanation of what happened over the months and year that he had disappeared from the rest of the world and live his life in a game.

"Don't worry too much about it, she didn't really put any of his words in mind and most of the expensive gifts were instead donated to the poor people that recently moved into the town." Luminous added after seeing Leonard reaction.

"But all of that was just for appearances, I notice that the guy has been snooping around the settlement since he arrived, I've been stalking him for almost half a year already if he's indeed a spy, then I have to say… he's really bad at it."

"...give me more details on it," Leonard asked for more information.

"He had been snooping around town- especially lingering near the graveyard area- where we buried our dead knights who perished during the war of the three kingdoms and then going to a bar to ask for information about the settlement… and especially about the rumor of a dark mage Necromancer."

"What's his name? It's getting interesting now," he asked.

"Stultus Est, I believe that was the name that he goes by."

"Indeed a stupid one…" Leonard commented.

"Speak of the devil, look- he's over there…" Luminous turned her attention to a tall man who had a normal looking face, one that would not be remembered if he was to mix into a crowd- but now he stood out like a sore thumb since he wore all those flashy color, a mix of blue, red, and green- the man is like a walking rainbow.

The man currently stood in front of a gift shop that has goods that came directly from the Republic.

Luminous let out a sigh as she looked at the walking multicolored piece of artwork that was Stultus Est, the Ambassador of the republic.

"He's buying more of that clay doll crap as a gift for the miss...again, for the 180th time at least already…"

"They look...kinda cute…" Sachi muttered as she looked at the beautifully crafted clay doll that was on display, there was all kind of shapes, some were of cute animals other was in the form of majestic beasts and ferocious animals.

"Cute yes, but it's a waste of money, besides- imagine receiving one of them a day for half a year straight, you'll get tired of it eventually and also ran out of space to store all of it," Luminous Replied to the curious Sachi.

"Also, I'm sure that miss Ryan would gladly be gifting you some from her "collections" as she had quite a lot of them...thank to a certain someone." Luminous then added.

So far, she doesn't have much of anything to say for Sachi, she only noticed that Sachi was quite docile at times, much like how Ryan usually was.

She could guess how the two of them- Leonard and Sachi, might be able to get together now, as looking at Sachi, she could see a bit of Ryan character mixed in.

They saw the man name Stultus Est bought a clay doll in the shape of a cat-like animal and some flower from a nearby shop before heading off, toward the same direction that they are currently heading to, the town hall.

They just followed the man, since he basically headed the same way as them, might as well followed the man so Luminous could show them what Stultus Est usual rant is all about.

They put some distance between themselves and Stultus of course.

When they finally arrived at the town hall, they saw Stultus greeted the guards and asked for permission to enter, much to the guard's own dismay, they had to let him in, since they were there only for the formality of thing.

All of these guards thought that the man was trying to make a move on their goddess, miss Ryan.

They all held themselves back from giving the ambassador a beating for doing what he did for the past six months.

After Stultus Est went into the building and disappeared, the guards who were stationed outside curses loudly in frustration.

"Arghh!!! I seriously want to kick him in the teeth!" the man stomped heavily on the dirt ground with the sole of his metal boot.

"You're not the only one! That bastard has been making a move on miss Ryan for the past six months! Doesn't he know that she's in love with lord Leonard?!" his counterpart also added into the frustration.

"Talking about lord Leonard, he had been disappeared for quite a long time, no one has figured out where he went all these time...do you think that he's…"

"You guys were talking about me?" just when the guard was about to jinx Leonard, the man himself showed up.