Chapter 178: Label, The Diamond In The Rough! ...And Planning Some Vacations

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After they were properly introduced and settled, Elisa became noticeably more talkative and sociable with the new people in her home. This change surprised the usually reserved group of ninjas.

She had taken a considerable liking to Label. Despite her initial mild jealousy when Riven brought yet another woman into the house, she quickly calmed down after learning that Label was only a year older than Daniela — practically still a kid in her eyes.

However, she was especially surprised by Label’s natural beauty once the girl stopped using her long hair to cover half her face. "This seems kind of fun...! Daniela already had most things figured out, so I couldn’t really teach her much, but you’re a real diamond in the rough! This is going to be enjoyable. I’m going to turn you into a proper young lady." Elisa saw in Label’s beauty a perfect diamond in the rough that she wanted to polish and improve while having fun in the process.

"Eh?!" Label panicked even more, her mouth hanging open after receiving such strange and unexpected words. "W-What does... that mean? Diamond in the rough?"

"It means that I am going to teach you proper manners, how to speak and socialize correctly, how to dress up, how to cook, how to clean, and much more!" Elisa declared with an energetic and determined voice. "From what Riven told me, your house was a complete mess, right? And you have almost zero personal hygiene! Look at these nails! You need a manicure ASAP! Okay, Riven, you’re taking the week off, right? Tomorrow we’re going to give this girl a proper treatment for her nails, skin, and hair."

Riven was taken aback by how quickly his wife had begun socializing again. "Well, sure? If you insist... Actually, I was already planning to go on a small vacation. There’s a Gate I want to visit that’s not in this city but over in Beach City. We could turn it into a short trip."

"Really?!" Elisa’s eyes sparkled with excitement. "That sounds so nice... The beach! I-I haven’t... walked outside of this house or even left the city for such a long time."

"What’s Beach City?" Kagehisa wondered aloud. "Some city far away? Sorry if I’m not knowledgeable enough. I’ve only been in this country for a couple of months at most. Maybe Ryujin would have known more about it..."

"America went through a lot of chaos decades ago," Riven explained patiently. "Many of the big cities were destroyed when the Gates first appeared, but they were eventually rebuilt with the help of powerful families. Beach City is where California used to be. It now has a bunch of high-end resorts and countless other insane attractions. The whole place feels like an even bigger and flashier Las Vegas, but right in front of the ocean. They use the massive Mana Reactor that the Claymore family built there to power the entire city..."

"I see... how amusing," Kagehisa nodded with interest. "I’ve heard that Japan also suffered heavily, and a lot of cities were destroyed. Tokyo was almost completely wiped out, but it was rebuilt from the ground up and became Neo Tokyo. I visited it once. It’s so full of Magitech everywhere that it feels completely unreal — and it’s a nightmare for our sharp senses as ninjas..."

"Neo Tokyo..." Riven narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. If the Yokai Guild continues their efforts to oppress the population together with the New Imperial Family, they will need to be taken care of eventually, he thought to himself.

He was not planning to limit his actions only to America after all. The entire planet was in danger, and that reality would eventually force him to travel outside his own country.

For the time being, however, he decided not to speak about these larger plans so he would not scare his wife or make her think he had completely lost his mind.

"Anyway, I’ve already reserved a flight there," Riven said with a calm smile. "What do you think about going this weekend?"

"Sure!" Elisa answered happily, clearly pleased that Riven had already worked everything out. "Now that I can move my arms and hands again, I can enjoy things a little better...!"

Riven felt relieved that Elisa did not mind the idea at all. "I’m glad you’re okay with it. Anyway, who wants cake?"

After they finished dinner, Riven shared generous pieces of cake with everyone. He had bought a massive wedding-sized cake so that it would last for a long while... or maybe only a week, because his wife could be quite the sweet tooth when given the chance.

"Hmm! It’s so fresh!" she said happily. "The whipped cream is delicious as well."

Ren, Goki, and Hinata were completely amazed. They had never tasted soft, spongy cake with whipped cream and fruit before, even though such desserts — usually called "Christmas Cakes" back in Japan — were quite common.

"Incredible. I’ve never tasted something so creamy, so sweet, and so full of color and life," Ren muttered in quiet wonder. "It feels like I am tasting a piece of pure nature itself."

"You’re exaggerating a little, but it is indeed the best cake I’ve ever eaten," Kagehisa nodded in agreement. "The ones they make back in Japan cannot compare to something made in the West!"

"Umai!" Hinata said happily while taking another small bite.

"Oh, now this is something amazing to end the day with!" Goki declared with pure joy.

Riven ate a piece himself, but then Elisa, Daniela, and Label asked for seconds... and then thirds. Even Hinata, very cautiously and while fidgeting with her hair out of nervousness, eventually asked for a second slice as well.

In the end the girls ate so much cake that half of the massive dessert was already gone in a single night! Riven was no longer sure if any of it would even last past tomorrow.

Feeling happy and deeply relieved by how the evening had gone, Elisa leaned closer and whispered to Riven. "Let’s go take a bath together before sleep..."

"Sure," he nodded softly, noticing that she was already growing sleepy, which only made her look even cuter in his eyes.

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