/
「A pickup has been sent.」It’s been a few days since I received that message from Ilya.
While I was taking it easy at Wilmington’s mansion, a message about an arrival came in from a maid-san.
Watching the lawn from the wide balcony on the 2nd floor, 1 carriage is passing through from the large gate.
I assume it’s Ilya’s group.
While watching the scene with the carriage coming to a stop and being guided in as such, I calm my restless mood.
The truth is that I want to jump out and greet them but「We will be going out to greet them and such or should I say, please refrain from unbecoming conduct.」and I’m being prudent given that nail which was stabbed in to the matter.
Ilya is finicky about manners.
She’s finicky about position.
But if it can be said that that’s that girl’s pride, then covering that in mud would be a foolish story.
As such, while assuming a will of steel, I’m holding back my body that seems to be about to carefreely go leaping forth for that sort of reason.
「You’ve become restless, even though it’d be fine to go if you mind it that much.」
The Eclair reading an abstruse seeming grimoire on a table seat put out on the balcony let out a fed up seeming voice.
Saying this is rude but, that girl actually has a good head.
The assumption from her image that she lives by vigor and instinct is wrong.
She’s earnest in her own pursuit of magic and its practical applications.
I suppose that if she uses her『demon eye』she’s able to comprehend the entirety of the past but, even if hypothetically she was able to control it you could say she wants to learn something new, I suppose that’s also that girl’s pride.
Everyone, has a firm grip on their intentions don’t they.
「No, this is also the responsibility of a goshujin-sama. When unable to handle the matter of standing ready in a composed manner as a master, everyone working for her will lose face together.」
I want to be composed like Kran.
But I suppose that side has been ingrained since birth by her royal studies.
I suppose that’s also been true for Eclair since her birth but, since it seems her environment was different.
「You’re mysterious aren’t you. It feels like I haven’t once heard you speak of the manner in which you lived or, your hometown.」
「……」
My hometown is it……
My expression stiffened, with a sense like I’d been pulled back to reality.
Eclair panicked after seeing that.
「Ah, tha, that’s wrong Alice! It’s fine if you don’t think back to it, that is……sorry, for being inconsiderate.」
It’s not like there’s something I don’t want to recall or anything, there’s no reason why I wouldn’t want to return there.
Therefore when Eclair looked at my face, it was a misunderstanding when she thought I’d thought back to something I didn’t want to think back to.
It’s just that at some point it came to be that I accepted this world as my world so, it’s just that when I’m reminded of my family’s faces I become a little apologetic and there’s a tingling.
Home sickness occasionally comes out in some way or other.
「……Nn.」
「Eh?」
My mischievous heart bubbled up toward the flustered Eclair.
Purposefully making a sulky face, I pointed my lips and opened my arms, as if to say please embrace me.
Looking at me as such, Eclair made a bitter smile with a relieved seeming face.
Eclair stood up and left her book on the table to come over.
「You’re really, cute aren’t you.」
We went on and strongly embraced in that manner and, that warmth blew my home sickness away.
「Yosh, forgiven!」
「You said it.」
We both laughed softly into the ears together.
◇■◇■◇
After that, Ilya’s group reached the mansion safely and though that meant there were various moving reunions, I was promptly put to work.
It was a matter regarding a guild rank C mission to help someone out.
It’s true that my guild rank has grown steadily due to the maid-sans activities so, presently I’m already A rank.
It’s not the case that the maid-sans are accepting requests by themselves (to begin with they can’t register since they themselves are all orphan slaves), they’re completing their work under the standard known as the『Alice family』.
In a sense if feels like the representative has some sort of credentials and, they work as employees of the company (office).
Speaking of those who work at the guild while thinking in that manner there’s already a number of people who accept requests under that sort of gathering in a variety of 『organization Xs』.
That way the efficiency is good and, by accepting the request as an organization the danger is minimal.
Maa I suppose the sort who are called『adventurers』that have a disposition which doesn’t allow group action are of course also, around though.
Because they’re adventurers who love freedom and independence.
「What what, I want to open the heart of the woman distrusting woman that was turned down by that elf long ago.」
I passed my eye over the request form.
「We should proceed with this, ojousama. It is suitable for ojousama. Rather it’s a sort of request that no one besides ojousama could resolve though.」
And, Ilya announced her presence while standing stiffly, in front of me as I sat at the desk in the mansion’s office.
「Ilya.」
「Hai, ojousama.」
After briefly looking over the request form, I raised my gaze.
「It’s been a while hasn’t it.」
「It seems there’s been no change so, be at ease.」
「……」
「……」
I try steadily watching Ilya.
Really there’s no change in her expression, she has a cooperative smile.
You could also call it a work smile.
「Ilya.」
「Hai, ojousama.」
「……Aren’t you somehow cold?」
「It is just your imagination.」
Ilya’s posture is good, it gives a sense that there’s no gap.
While gazing, given her narrow waist and such, the quality of her style inevitably ends up coming to my eyes.
As she noticed me gazing like that as if it was natural, even so being troubled by my gaze for example or giving a warning for example, she didn’t do that sort of thing at all.
Umu.
I must properly force out what’s inside that iron wall like Ilya’s chest, as her goshujin-sama.
「Ilya, come close.」
「……Hai, ojousama.」
Her softly moving semi-long blond hair, swayed as if from confusion.
Circling the desk, Ilya came toward me until she was just beside the chair I sat in.
「There’s no change?」
「It’s okay.」
「Truly? You’re not hurting in places where my eyes can’t reach?」
「There’s no problem.」
U～n……
I tried gripping the hand of the stubborn Ilya.
「Nee? Such a thing as this hand’s warmth being lost before I noticed it, I don’t like that you know? Ilya, please bear in mind the fact that I feel you’re precious.」
「……Ojousama is.」
「Nn?」
My hand that’s gripping hers was answered with a little power and, Ilya expressed a smile as if she was troubled.
「You’re occasionally sharp eyed so it’s bothersome.」
「Sudden verbal violence!? Wawaa.」
Ilya having proceeded to physical violence following her verbal violence, pushed me down on the desk and slid her own leg in between my legs.
That is to say I was forced into a situation where I couldn’t move at all.
「……Eh? What is this? Did I do something?」
The chair which had incidentally fallen, let out a dull note on the dense carpet and toppled over.
My heart was raging to an extent that I didn’t have focus to spare for that though……
Beyond how she’s pressing up against my body, her face is close.
Enough that I can feel her breath.
「This side also……just how much……just how much do you think I worried.」
However, Ilya’s distorted expression with no signs of messing around crushed my wicked sense of tension.
「I, I’m sorry……」
「Ojousama is not in the wrong.」
「Eh, in that case the culprit is Rin-chan then?」
「To speak of such a thing is preposterous.」
I haven’t spoken of the particulars of the matter’s circumstances but, it’s the case that she surmised the point of the sort that it was rather dangerous isn’t it……
「I’m lamenting over why I, wasn’t sleeping together with ojousama!」
「No, that’s strange……」
Then do you intend to slip into my bed every time from now on?
「For I who am the shield that should protect ojousama, to watch on as ojousama was exposed to danger……there is no way that it is okay for that to be!」
……I see, the culprit is herself?
She’s the same self-reproaching Ilya as always.
I feel like I saw this development when it came to seem that I’d be sniped by Aim.
「Mo～Ilya you always worry too much.」
「Ojousama, please put a collar on me.」
「Collar……Eh?」
「A collar that explodes if it’s 3 steps away from ojousama would be good.」
「With 3 steps!?」
Depending on the force wouldn’t I also be caught up in it!
「Someone like me who didn’t protect ojousama, has no value.」
「U, un……could you calm down a little Ilya?」
Or rather what you’re thinking is too horrifying……
Furthermore how long will this posture go on for?
I tried resisting with slight movement but, Ilya immediately applied resistance.
「Ilya.」
「Hai, ojousama.」
Receiving my gaze as I glared with half closed eyes, Ilya smiled lightly.
Seeing that expression I became convinced.
「……You’re playing around right.」
「Fufu, preposterous. I am serious.」
While saying that, I was released from her restraint.
Her hands reached around my waist and I was lifted up.
I’m finally able to raise my body.
「It’s troubling having a body like this that’s light like a feather jumping about, ojousama.」
「An incident came up for some reason so, it can’t be helped you know.」
「Being loved even by trouble is, as expected from you.」
「That doesn’t make me happy……」
If the singularity that Libra spoke of is me, it seems that various things would follow such a being so, I understand that in a certain sense the cause is within myself.
That means that grasping happiness, to maintain that there’s nothing except to overcome.
Living on in this world seems difficult.
Of course, I have no intention of dying.
I don’t but……
「Nee Ilya? It’s not an exaggeration even if I say your life is my belonging?」
「There is no discrepancy at all. Whether speaking in terms of emotions or, in terms of reality.」
「I see I see, then whether life or death it’s the same isn’t it.」
「……Fufu, being told that is strangely reassuring isn’t it.」
……Certainly.
「With that said, it would not be improper even if I died if ojousama yet lives. There appears to be no mistake in that.」
「Then, act so as not to die before me. This is an order.」
「Fufu, yes, my, lady.」
While kneeling in that place, Ilya handed over her formal reply that I hadn’t heard in a while.
It felt like, aah, I’ve come home haven’t I.
With a no objection, I clear my throat to cover my embarrassment and return to my chair.
While I was sitting back down on that chair, the Ilya who had circled around to the front of the desk stood by with a thoroughly proper sitting posture.
「Kohon, there was a request……wasn’t there? Let’s take it. Since it’s been a while and I want to try doing guild work again.」
「Then, I’ll handle it in that manner okay.」
「Un, please do.」
I return the documents to Ilya and, the girl who accepted that promptly turned her back to me and left.
Of course, she went after politely showing her respect before closing the door though.
「Mu～～」
She readily goes around pushing and pulling so, I end up becoming unnecessarily concerned with the things related to Ilya.
……Is she a playboy?
No, an imp?
Maa setting that aside, there’s a request from the guild after all this time.
Let’s work seriously.
But this request, what’s with it?
That she was turned down by an elf……isn’t that basically fine?
Since having a romance with an elf is something that’s relatively normal in this world, even if it’s scarce the content itself isn’t strange.
What’s strange is opening the heart of a woman who distrusts women.
Just how much of a trauma did it become……
Was it something where she couldn’t give up completely even if it wasn’t fated to be?
I suppose that so long as humans live there are various things and, I guess it’s not the case that she’s distrustful of men as well?
……And it wasn’t me.
There’s no reason to be fixated on elves and, what should I say about the part regarding opening the heart.
That this sort of request with an entanglement of infatuation also exists……
It’s a little late but, it might be better to choose my work.
「――Do you have some time, Alice.」
「Ah……oneechan!!」
Going「I did knock though」while reclining against the opened door, she lightly knocked on the door again.
It really is Shion-san like cool behavior.
Short chestnut color hair and, I recall my sense of security at the nostalgic deep appearance of her eyes of that same color.
The sense of security at having returned to family.
「Really, it makes me worry when you suddenly disappear?」
「U……I’m sorry about that. I was also surprised.」
And I’ve already been thoroughly bullied by Ilya.
「I heard that you went eastward though.」
「On that note, we met oneechan’s shishou you know, in a cave behind a waterfall.」
He lived in a strange place didn’t he.
「Heei? Did he have good arms as always?」
「I’m not sure? I didn’t fight him so.」
I matched off against not the blacksmith but Makina before the waterfall’s cave though, she was strong enough to surprise me you know.
Ah, more importantly――
I turned my eyes to the katana contained in a roll, placed on a shelf in my room like a decoration.
Shion-san also looked at that as if following me.
「That is?」
「Fufu～, That’s oneechan’s new katana!」
「Mine? Did my shishou perhaps make it for me?」
「……No, a yet different person……but the being who made it for us is an extremely superb master craftsman.」
With her interest piqued Shion-san asked if it was okay to open it with her eye so, I nodded with great force.
Opening the wrapping on the katana that had been placed on the shelf in that manner, the black scabbard with a sakura motif entertained the eye as if to reveal the artsmanship of the work.
It’s a unprecedentedly exquisite article with just that.
Drawing it further out of the scabbard, Shion-san’s eyes opened widely.
「……This……how?」
My reaction was beautiful katana issn’t it, I couldn’t sense anything beyond that but I guess Shion-san, being a swordsman, understood the extent of that sword’s sharpness by eye.
「If I explained everything it would take a while but, it’s the full power masterwork that a person who I’ve placed my total faith in made for us! It seems the name is said as Senbonzakura Murakumo.」
「Rather elegant name isn’t it.」
「Fufu, it is isn’t it. She loves sakura so, its name that’s borrowing from that holds her affection.」
It does make me a little curious, about the origin of the name that the future Saira gave it doesn’t it.
「I see, is it okay if I use this?」
「As if someone besides oneechan could master that katana.」
I of course, I assume it’s also impossible for Ilya or Aim.
「The blacksmith-san who made that katana said it was a katana to protect. That it’s a heavenly sword that will protect everyone.」
「Heavenly sword, Senbonzakura Murakumo is it.」
Shion-san drew the sword out once and, returned it as if flowing after lightly swinging it once.
……Awesome.
「If I don’t become a wielder befitting this katana, the blacksmith would be angered wouldn’t she.」
「Fufu, since she said it wouldn’t lose to Raikiri, she’ll become furious if you lose you know, assuredly.」
「Haha, then the next time there’s a battle I have to slash it enough to send it flying don’t I.」
If Raikiri is sent flying from a slash, I suppose that really would befuddle everyone.
There are times where the renown magic sword Raikiri loses, un.
……The showdown between users has already been finished though hasn’t it!
Oneechan truly is history’s strongest swordsman!
And, Shion-san has begun lightly patting my head as I descended into my eager thoughts.
「Good work, Alice. Thank you.」
「……I feel like I’m being treated like a child.」
Like, a first errand.
「Do you dislike it?」
「……Fufun, it can’t be helped. It’s fine if you pat me more you know?」
「Hai hai.」
Shion-san continued giving me pats for a while with a bitter smile, as I made a prideful face.
Because of Makina’s assistance, I’ve overcome this world’s turning point.
I should cherish my life, that’s how I feel.