After handing Ainz the backpack, the skeleton and the Slime began dividing their spoils.
Saitama casually picked up a manga and started flipping through it.
"A whole new world!" Rimuru clutched a light novel, thrilled.
The books and manga Yuto had brought back were unheard of in his own previous world, where he had only read local literature.
These new acquisitions felt like an entirely new frontier.
At this moment, his excitement surpassed even his initial transdimensional journey!
"Marvelous... truly marvelous," Ainz murmured repeatedly.
His delight was no less intense.
Only Saitama remained calm, as he had never been interested in light novels.
If it had been a game, he might have shown a flicker of enthusiasm.
Seeing the trio absorbed in their reading, Yuto had nothing more to say.
His gaze shifted to the young author sitting quietly in the corner.
She seemed to be watching him as well. The moment their eyes met, he noticed her gaze dart away.
"Ahem." Yuto cleared his throat softly and strolled toward Utaha.
Her heart began to race in sync with his approaching footsteps.
She raised her eyebrows, her eyes meeting his gaze like a silent breeze.
"Kamisaka-kun, is something the matter?" Her lips parted slightly, the corners of her eyes tilting upward in a half-amused, half-provocative expression.
Yuto raised an eyebrow. "Tch, I wonder who it was on the phone who said they wanted my opinion on their light novel?"
The oppressive atmosphere that had hung over Utaha earlier dissipated, allowing Yuto's tone to lighten.
Upon hearing his words, her face flushed before she quickly regained her composure.
The fleeting blush was like the bloom of a night-blooming cereus—a momentary flash of breathtaking beauty.
"So, Kamisaka-kun, what do you think?" Instead of firing back with her usual sharp retort, Utaha asked hesitantly.
This surprised Yuto.
He thought he understood her well enough by now. She was known for her sharp wit and refusal to lose any verbal sparring match.
His earlier words had been a subtle jab, and he couldn't believe she hadn't caught on.
Yet she didn't retort.
He refocused, recognizing the earnestness and conflict in her demeanor.
She wanted his honest evaluation. In that case, he couldn't afford to be dismissive.
With nothing pressing to do, he pulled up a stool opposite Utaha.
The space beneath the bar was hollowed out for storage, and among the miscellaneous items was a stool he often used to rest.
His action caught the trio's attention.
Ainz patted Rimuru's shoulder, while Saitama chuckled.
The three exchanged knowing nods, communicating through some secret, encrypted channel.
Yuto pulled the stool closer.
Utaha's breathing hitched briefly, but she quickly regained her composure.
"It's brilliantly written," Yuto said, his gaze locked on her eyes.
His words stirred a turbulent undercurrent in her gaze.
A faint, crescent-shaped smile curved the corners of her lips.
"And?" she pressed.
Yuto blinked, taken aback. 'It's written brilliantly—isn't that enough? What else... does she want me to analyze it or something?'
"The writing is delicate, with well-chosen words. It elegantly portrays the emotional journeys of the male and female leads. This is a rare gem of a young adult romance light novel." Yuto deployed his exam-honed analytical skills to deliver this assessment.
The girl's smile remained gentle, but her eyes still bored into him.
"Anything else?"
Utaha was hoping he would uncover the secret hidden within her work—the true meaning behind the male and female leads' names.
Those names... they actually referred to...
Under her expectant gaze, Yuto pondered. 'Does she want me to keep analyzing? Hmm...'
"Of course, there's plenty to praise—the plot structure, the character designs, they're all quite good. Honestly, I think your light novel is a sure thing for publication. Those isekai novels are just so boring."
His last half-sentence was the truth.
Amidst a market flooded with isekai novels, Utaha's work stood out like a clear stream.
Yet even after his praise, the girl's expression remained unchanged.
No, it would be more accurate to say she looked disappointed.
Yuto was taken aback.
'I'm complimenting you! Why the disappointment? Are girls' feelings really this complicated?'
"Alright, thank you, Kamisaka-kun." Utaha sighed inwardly.
'As expected, I shouldn't have hoped Kamisaka-kun could uncover the secret hidden in my novel. Perhaps... I concealed it too subtly? Or... maybe he simply didn't care...'
Girls' feelings are enigmatic, or at least that's what Yuto thought.
Utaha's thoughts drifted back to Asuna, her expression shifting with her changing thoughts.
Yuto watched as her gaze shifted from exasperation to suspicion and scrutiny.
'What's going on?' he wondered, confused.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Utaha didn't answer right away.
She first calmed her racing emotions, then took a slow, deliberate breath.
"Kamisaka-kun," she asked, her face wearing a gentle smile, "why was Yuuki-san here earlier?"
Her eyes held a hint of casual curiosity.
'Ah, so that's what she wanted to ask...' Yuto thought.
He recounted his encounter with Asuna earlier that day.
After listening in silence for a long time, Utaha let out a soft sigh. She didn't know whether to feel relieved or uneasy.
She trusted that Yuto wouldn't lie to her, but her intuition screamed that something was wrong.
Torn between logic and intuition, she could only sigh silently.
"I heard you mention buying galge and body pillows earlier. Where did you go today?" She quickly changed the subject to avoid the topic of Asuna.
Yuto shook his head wearily. "Akihabara."
Hearing that he had gone to Akihabara, Utaha nearly choked on her breath.
She wouldn't claim to know him inside and out, but she had a good grasp of his character.
She knew perfectly well that Yuto wasn't an otaku.
That's precisely why she was so shocked!
"Are you really that surprised?" Yuto glanced at her, puzzled.
"Absolutely." Her expression regained its composure, a mischievous smile playing at the corners of her lips as she teased him.
"I was just getting some things for Ainz and the others. Last night..." Yuto explained the reason.
The girl turned her head to look past him at Ainz and Rimuru standing behind the counter.
As soon as her gaze shifted, she noticed Ainz, Rimuru, and Saitama awkwardly averting their eyes.
All three were staring intently at the light novels in their hands, as if oblivious to her scrutiny.
Utaha's eyebrow twitched slightly, her mind already guessing what was happening.
A faint blush crept across her cheeks.
She pretended nothing was amiss and resumed her conversation.
...
Meanwhile, the trio engaged in a private, telepathic conversation:
'Did they notice us just now?' — Ainz
'Probably not!' — Rimuru
'Huh? I got the feeling they did.' — Saitama
'Stop imagining things.' — Rimuru
'Sneak a peek, sneak a peek! Don't let Kamisaka or Kasumigaoka catch us spying on them.' — Ainz
...
"So, you went to Akihabara just to buy them stuff?" Utaha steered the conversation back.
Yuto nodded.
"Didn't you get anything for yourself? Like, you know, the kind of things guys like—galge, or a life-sized anime girl body pillow... tsk tsk." Utaha's tone dripped with playful teasing.
Yuto flicked her forehead with his finger.
"Kasumigaoka-san, your mind needs a thorough cleansing." He was at a loss when it came to dealing with the girl's wild fantasies.
"Don't flick my forehead," Utaha said, pushing him away like an untamed wildcat.
The push was gentle, barely more than a light tap.
"Oh, right. Machida-san called me this afternoon," Utaha remembered her conversation with her editor.
Thinking about it now, she felt a strange tension creeping into her mood.
"What's up?"
"Machida-san arranged a pre-launch event for my light novel at the upcoming anime convention..." Utaha spilled the beans to Yuto.
Because her novel had garnered impressive clicks on the Undead River Bunko website, Editor Machida had submitted a publishing proposal.
This process was standard practice for all editors aimed at securing publication for their top-performing works.
Machida Sonoko's only notable success under her charge was Utaha's novel.
After the submitted titles underwent internal review, the bunko decided to print a limited run of the new books and test the waters with a pre-launch promotion at the upcoming anime convention.
These new titles would be displayed in a small corner of the booth, where staff would record feedback from readers to inform future commercial strategies.
Publishing a light novel isn't an easy task.
This was Utaha's first time undertaking such a project, so nervousness was inevitable.
"Believe in yourself. You've got this," Yuto said sincerely, happy for her.
After speaking, Utaha seemed conflicted, her gaze drifting as if avoiding his eyes.
"Do... do you have time next Tuesday?" she asked, feigning composure.
Yuto understood.
He sighed listlessly. "Perhaps... maybe... possibly?"
Utaha's temper flared at his vague reply!
She shot him an irritated glare.
"Hmph! I'm leaving now. I'll contact you next Tuesday!" she declared, puffing up her cheeks as she stood.
Her final words unilaterally sealed their plans, leaving no room to object.
Yuto pressed his lips into a thin line and shrugged. "Honestly, since Kasumigaoka-san is so determined, I suppose I have no choice but to agree."
"Hmph!" Utaha stormed off in a huff.
A faint smile played on Yuto's lips.
'Just as expected,' he thought. 'Teasing Kasumigaoka is still amusing.'
"Pfft—" Reiko, who had been listening to their entire exchange, covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.
Yuto turned to her, his face softening into a gentle smile. "Reiko, it's not nice to laugh at others, you know."
"Yes, Boss," she replied, winking playfully at him.
Yuto turned back to the trio.
'Tsk, they're really engrossed in their reading,' he mused, a touch of sentimentality in his thoughts.
Little did he know, the trio's gazes had only just landed on the light novels in their hands.
Moments earlier, they had been furtively observing Yuto and Utaha.