Chapter 68

One day, after I finished my breakfast in the mansion, the chef's daughter came over with a smile.

"Master Act, here, take this chocolate! Riri made it!"

The beast girl Riri handed me a wrapped chocolate with a smile.

"What's this?"

"Today is [Valentania] Day!"

"Valentania..."

"Yes! It's a special day to give chocolate to the person you really like!"

So it's that time of year again. No wonder the whole town seemed to be in a festive mood.

"Please take it!"

"Alright, I'll take it."

"Yay! Hooray! Mom! Master Act took Riri's chocolate!"

Riri ran off with a smile to her mother, the chef.

Then, the servants started to gather in front of me.

"What's going on?"

"Master, we made chocolate! Please take mine too!"

All the servants held out boxes of chocolate to me.

"Frederica"

"Yes, sir."

The maid Frederica brought over a cart.

"Alright, I'll take everyone's chocolate. Please place them here."

"Okay!"

The servants' chocolates were piled up on the cart one after another.

"Thank you all."

"You're welcome!"

"Get back to work after this."

"Okay!"

The servants left the dining room happily. "Master Act took our chocolates!" "Yay!" "I hope our feelings reach him!"

What a hassle.

"Here we go again. Why do they all participate in this event so diligently every year?"

"Hmph."

Frederica, for some reason, turned away.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"I'm going out. Put that in the magic bag."

"Hmph."

★

After changing, I went to the guild [Heaven's Raw Stone].

"The guild master is here!"

A guild member near the entrance called out.

"Guild master! Please take our chocolates!"

The guild members rushed over like a wave.

"Alright, I'll take your chocolates. Please line up in front of me."

Frederica spread her arms to create a barrier.

"Move aside, ladies! We want to give them directly! Guild master!"

No use, they're all the same...

"That's not good, everyone. The guild master is busy."

"Katarina!"

The receptionist Katarina approached with a slight smile.

"Even if you don't give it directly, your love for the guild master will still be felt."

"But... I want to give it directly..."

The guild members looked dissatisfied.

"The guild master is busy. Please form a line and behave properly."

"Okay..."

I left the situation to Katarina and Frederica and headed to the second floor.

Looking down from the stairs, I saw a long line in front of them.

"Damn, I wanted to give it directly to the guild master this year..."

"Maybe we should wait for him in front of the mansion next time?"

"No, no, we can't inconvenience the guild master! That's the rule, right?"

"Right... Damn..."

I went to my room and started reviewing the documents.

After a while,

"Good morning, Master Act!"

"Yui, good morning."

My disciple Yui came to work.

"The lower floor had a huge line. All the guild members were giving chocolates to Master Act. You're really popular!"

"They have too much free time, really."

As I was reading the documents, I noticed Yui was still in front of me.

"What's wrong?"

"Um... well... Master Act..."

Yui's face turned red, and she fidgeted.

"Um... I know you've already received a lot from everyone else... and I thought it might be a bother... but..."

"Put it on the desk."

"Okay!"

★

While I was working in the afternoon,

"Master Act!"

A large man with golden hair descended, breaking through the ceiling.

"Laurence"

"Master Act! It's been a while! Yui too!"

"Y-Yes... It's been a while..."

Laurence stood in front of me with a smile.

"Hey, Laurence! You should come through the door! That's just too much, you know!?"

The door opened, and the hero party, led by Ulgar, entered.

"Ah! You're right!"

Luna, the healer, instantly fixed the broken ceiling.

"What brings you here?"

"To tell you my feelings, Master Act!"

Laurence sliced the air with a hand chop, and from the tear in space, he pulled out a plate of chocolate pastries.

"What was that!?"

"Fondant chocolate! Eat it while it's hot!"

"No, not that! Did you just slice space with a hand chop!?"

"Yep! If you store it in an alternate dimension, you can provide it hot!"

Ulgar sighed in exasperation.

"Laurence, the guild master has probably received so much chocolate that he's sick of it. It's a bother to receive something that needs to be eaten immediately."

"Ah! You're right... I'm sorry, Master Act!"

He tried to put it back in space.

"No one said they wouldn't eat it."

"Really! I'm so happy!"

I took the plate from Laurence.

"Frederica, bring forks. And tea for everyone."

"Hmph."

Frederica turned away and walked off.

What a hassle.

"Guild master, I worked hard on this! I'd be happy if you'd take it."

The members of the hero party, starting with the mage Ely, placed their homemade chocolates on my desk.

After a while,

The hero party sat on the sofa, drinking tea and chatting.

"You guys are really foolish. You fall for the event planner's strategy so easily."

"What do you mean?"

Ulgar explained to Ely with a smug look.

"The event [Valentania] didn't exist originally. Someone decided to make it a special day to give chocolate to the person you really like, and it became popular. As a result, chocolate sales increased. The merchants are happy, and the event planner made a fortune."

"Ah, I see... Now that you mention it, it didn't exist before... I wonder who came up with Valentania?"

"Hmm... Ulgar, do you know?"

"Even I don't know that much."

"Guild master, do you know anything?"

"Hmm."

I sipped my tea and nibbled on the chocolate I received.

"Do you have time to come here?"

"It's fine! We can get here instantly on Veevul's back!"

"I'm basically treated like a carriage, Tohohoh..."

Yui, who was in human form, hung his head in disappointment.

"Laurence, you always come here on your own, don't you?"

"Being able to run faster than a demon dragon... That's impressive, Laurence!"

"Running in the sky is just weird, though."

Ulgar glanced at me sideways.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, really!"

Then, the tamer Mio noticed something.

"Ulgar, are you going to give that to him?"

"Shut up, idiot!"

Ulgar stood up and came to me.

"Ahem. I'm not the kind of fool who falls for an event planner's strategy... but I'm not ungrateful either."

"What are you trying to say?"

Turning away, Ulgar took a box out of his pocket.

"Consider it an honor. You're receiving Valentania chocolate from this Ulgar, who plans to skewer the Demon King's heart and become the center of attention for all the girls in the world!"

The party members, who were listening, said with a wry smile,

"You fell for it too, didn't you?"

"No matter what, Ulgar really likes the guild master."

"Ulgar, you're not being honest!"

"Master Act, you're so popular!"

"Shut up, all of you!"

I sighed and took the chocolate from Ulgar.

"Thank you."

"Hmph! Don't get the wrong idea, this doesn't have any special meaning, got it?"

Ulgar's face turned red.

"Ulgar, you're so cute."

"What! Veevul, that's a bit harsh!"

"Running around like a carriage is your own fault."

"Ulgar, you can't forget your training no matter where you go! Run in the sky or cut through space to move!"

"That's only possible for you!"

★

That night,

I returned to the mansion and sat on the bed in my private room.

"Frederica"

"Hmph."

I called out to the maid, who was standing in the corner, looking unhappy.

"How much chocolate did I receive?"

"Hmph."

Frederica turned away.

I sighed.

"Give me the chocolate."

"Give it?"

"…I haven't received any from you yet."

"Just a little more."

"…Am I not going to receive any from you?"

"Aw, how can I resist~"

Her hidden dog ears and tail popped out.

Her tail and ears wagged happily.

"I made this chocolate with all my heart for Master~"

She handed me a wrapped box she had hidden in her pocket.

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome~ I love Master~ However, to ask for it directly... You really wanted my chocolate, didn't you~"

If I don't do this every time, she gets in a bad mood.

So I always ask for it directly.

"Frederica, the magic bag."

"Sure."

It looked like a palm-sized leather bag.

When the cart was tipped over, a pile of wrapped chocolate boxes fell out.

"This is just a part of it. Chocolates are being sent to the guild master from all over."

"Really, it's become too popular."

I sighed and lay down on the bed, taking one and putting it in my mouth.

"You started this, didn't you?"

Frederica started to clean up the chocolates on the cart.

"You're really something, Master. Starting Valentania and contributing to chocolate sales."

When I was expelled from the guild, I started this event as part of the financial strategy.

"We made a lot of money this year too. As expected of a corrupt guild master... However, every year, do you really need to eat all of it?"

I finished the first one and took the second one to eat.

"No, that's a silly question. Master, you would never trample on the feelings of those who gave it to you. You're so kind and wonderful."

"Don't get the wrong idea. I decided it would be wasteful to throw away the ingredients."

"Hehe, you really are a kind and wonderful man~"

[To the Readers]

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