CH 26

—-Aikawa Emi point of view—-

Opening the door to the outdoor bath, I saw a big bath that I had never seen before. No doubt, The size is twice of that large public bath that I saw at the hotel where I

stayed at Noboribetsu Onsen in Hokkaido that I took long time ago.

(TN: Onsen is Hotspring for those who don’t know)

“Wa~a So big! Megumin”

Alice is innocently delighted, it is not on the level that one can talk about it easily. How hard did they struggle to make it? When Shin said “Will you accept it?” what did I

say? If you can see this much before, no way you can accept it.

“Let’s get in”

After saying that, I follow Alice-chan entering the onsen after we took a bath and soaked into the hot water. My voices comes out as I feel the hot water through my body.

“Fu ni~yu~”

“Ahaha, Megumin sounds like a cat”

Alice who heard my voice is making fun of me, I move to the far side of the bath without care on surroundings.

“Wait, Megumin”

I can hear her voice coming from behind but I cannot stop. It’s one of my dreams. If you are here alone without the regular customers. “Swimming in the bath” this can now be

fulfilled! After I moved to the center I breathed heavily and danced in hot water at once. When I try to breathe out and look up from the hot water, I am a little surprised to

see the figure of Alice-chan coming closer doing a butterfly at high speed.

“You’re terrible, you cannot stop swimming leaving me”

“Sorry, I just got excited… but why did you chase me with “butterfly”? I’m glad you could swim anyway”

“Me, I can only do butterfly”

When I asked her, Alice-chan replied a little swollen. You cannot swim anything other than butterfly. Does that mean if Arakawa-kun go to the sea, she will follow behind him at high speed while making full use of “Butterfly Swimming”? That is probably— no, It’s definitely a horror.

Might as well teach her other ways of swimming? As I thought so, I asked Alice.

“Really? Then I want to learn crawl”

That’s not it Alice-chan. What I want to say is more… When you go to the beach with your boyfriend, you can swim with him in ease.

After teaching how to swim for a while, we sit on the edge of the bathtub to cool our body. While the two of as were looking at the sky while dazzling, Alice started to talk.

“I should have brought Kon. Ah… but, I wonder if she will be surprised if I put her in hot water?”

I wonder? I never read a story in novels that a dragon is will be immersed in hot spring. I can only imagine her floating with pleasure if she’s surprised. Suddenly when I was thinking about that.

Shuba~ tsu! Shuba~ tsu!

A small rocket was flying. You can hear the sound. When I looked around, I saw rockets flying away from the entrance toward the surroundings. What’s going on? I thought that we should move away but then Alice-chan asked Arakawa-kun in a loud voice.

“Kouki-kun, what are you doing!?”

“I’m shooting an pest avoiding rocket, the next rocket is will be shoot by Shingo and it is a homemade fireworks so be sure to expect it”

I heard it from listening to Arakawa-kun’s reply from a distance. If so, “Firecracker”… it might be good? I do not understand why is it necessary to bother making a rocket though. Ma~a, perhaps even if you asked Shin “Fuhi! Is it not romantic?” is the incomprehensible answer which will return.

Hyyuuu–….. Pan!

While imagining Shin’s answer, the fireworks suddenly started to rise and light up the sky. It is certainly a little smaller compared to the fireworks display but it is warm and beautiful like flower with hearts that dye the night sky.

“Beautiful~”

As I say that, Alice was nodding. While viewing the fireworks as it is, Alice who is next to me speaks with a serious tone.

“Megumin, why do you like Saito-kun?”

Why? I do not know… but I noticed that I liked him. At first I thought of him as “A bad person doing funny laugh”. I remember having only recognized that. From there, what did I like? I was trying to remember clearly while exploring my memories.

It was certainly the first impression that changed, it was when I was looking for for a disc containing research data after school. Shin who passed by by chance searched

together with me for 3 hours. When the disc is found, I thought that he will ask something in return but Shin-kun said “That’s good! Well then, I will go home.” I was not

able to say thank you. It change to an image of “Strange but good person” in me at that time.

After a while, when I was shopping in town, I was involved with bad people. While grabbing my arm and trying to forcibly take me, I suddenly heard Shin-kun’s voice.

“Hey! Please let her go”

While trembling a little… he is trying to save me by placing a big baggage on the ground. I remember clearly that I felt very dependable. Sure thing, Shin-kun who was about to be beaten by the defect opened the baggage that was on the ground and started Chabane from inside.

At that time, when he helped me with Chabane who could not speak yet, it became “Strange but courageous and good-looking person”. I tell Alice-chan that.

“After all, the Strange Person is still attached on his image.”

I was laughing. Because Shin-kun is useless so it cannot be helped…I like that now. By the way, why did Alice-chan love Arakawa? I ask her in doubt but she replied with “secret”. She did not answer while I tell her mine. I replied and say with a little anger “no fair”.

“Fireworks are over, time to go? I have to plan our summer vacation while eating dinner.”

As I thought, she ran away to a changing room. Since I was completely thrown out, I decided to listen to it next time without hesitation. I think that while looking at the sky where fireworks have disappeared.

There seems to be lots of fun during the summer vacation this year.

—-Skin Head Point of View—-

While hiding together with my subordinates near the vicinity of the building of Kouki-kun. The talk is about dinner’s portable food. It is cold and it does not work well for flattery but it can wake you up and keep your belly full. While leaving my back on the rocks that look just good, I started to eat barely.

“Damn, Why are we on such duty? It is around this time that Kouki-kun is doing well with cute girls soaked in a hot spring while we are bitten by insects and eating cold

meals… There is a degree to unfairness”

“You will get paid on this job. Do not say unnecessary things, try eating the food quickly. Even the truth of the matter of the previous raid is not well understood. We need

to be alarmed”

I return the response of the template but it seems they cannot be convinced and continues to leak dissatisfaction. I also look at the faces of other members, apparently they all seem to be in the same opinion. It cannot be helped… It is not because there is a petition order being implied so I decided to tell “some information”.

“This is to know the land over the commander, The Arakawa did not buy only the land around that building.”

When I start talking, they closed their mouth that was complaining and started to concentrate on my words. This guys are professionals, they should be able to continue the mission if you cancel their temporary dissatisfaction. I keep talking.

“Of course Kouki-kun had no idea about this, It is only the amount of the building and surrounding land that was drawn from his cash but his family purchased all the land around here… the reason is for us escort to have a place to lurk”

“Because of what?” My subordinates seem to be interested and asked me a question. Before talking about the continuation of the story I told them “Continue this evening without complaining”, I will tell the rest after they promise me that.

“For the escort and “to base the surroundings”, the area around here is will be a fortification owned by the Arakawas. Of course, Okayama is only a mountain but the main is an underground fortress, I do not know in details but I heard that the number of military personnel planned to be accommodated is around 1,800 and we can also arrange arbitrary arms. It seems Arakawa-san fears her son’s safety because of the previous raid, she got permission from the United Nations. That means… she will lead an armed group next to the self-defense army of Japan. No, perhaps even a largest scale may be good if including quality aspects. It was decided to station the legendary Shuichi-san’s unit in here as well even if that itself says anything.”

I know that my subordinates are excitedly selected. The story earlier will include the members to be housed in the underground fortress. I think it is a very honorable thing.

Even so… The mind of Kouki-kun and her mother and the force of Shuichi-san. If these three started to work seriously, can they manipulate themselves at the intention of United Nation.

I am holding my arms as if with the feeling of seeing something horrible. I heard the launch sound of a rocket bullet from the building. Is it not a raid!? When I got up quickly, a wireless contact came in.

“Currently, the escort target is launching pest rockets for harmful animals to avoid them.”

I see, No need to worry then. I sit down again and let the subordinate listen to rest of the story.

“If you are going to make an underground fortress around here, the bath is probably a hot spring after all! I’m looking forward to it.”

“Oh-! Women of the unit will be pleased. I might be able to peek when I go as well.”

“I remembered that we could peek, that Alice was cute. Can I not peep at the bath with a scope from here?”

The moment that a foolish subordinate said such unscrupulous things

Hyyuuu–….. Gan~Tsu!

A “Rocket Bullet” hit the rock where I was leaning earlier. A momentary silent fell with my subordinates… The principal who said unscrupulous things are pulling down with a face that seems to cry. When I say that it is a coincidence.

“But that… it is a misfire”

To point out with trembling voice. I realized that he and I got frightened. A suitably shot rocket flew by chance to our place. Does it make it for me to be accidentally misfired? It is impossible for such a thing not to happen. He definitely aimed and shot it but only the beginning was a warning shot.

It is thanks to the the head of the institution that conducts ethics education. If I return, I have to write a report titled “Ethical Education Effects are Great”. I command my subordinates to refrain from any more unscrupulous remarks.

I do not know the effect of avoiding pests but the rocket bullet seems to have an effect on “peeping women” pests.

– —Yamamoto Kaoru Point of View—-

When I am arranging documents in the office, I heard a scratching sound on the door so I raise my face. I wonder if that child came? I found a small dragon at my feet when I

opened the door.

“Kon!”

“Hello” is what her face showing. While hugging Kon-chan who is looking at me, I took out the tomato that I always have from the refrigerator since this child first arrived.

While watching the appearance of her happily eating. I remember the time when I first met this little dragon. That was supposed to be the night of the day the school was attacked…

A report told that the school was destroyed and one student was taken away, I was busy contacting various parts concerned. When I was hoping that the students will come back safely after the communication has settled down, I saw Arakawa-kun’s pet coming in from the open door.

I thought “A new type of lizard”. I wanted to drive out reptiles but since it is a pet of “Arakawa-kun” I can only watch because I don’t want to irritate him badly and cause injuries. The lizard walked unsteadily while staring at me. When I jumped onto the desk, She touched the ink pad that was near by my hand and rubbed her hands on paper that don’t have anything written on it.

“Food Please”

The character was written badly but the lizard in front of me definitely wrote Japanese on paper. I was surprised, “What are you? Can you understand words even if you are a

lizard?”. In addition to writing letters on paper, I heard a voice.

“I am a dragon. It is different from a lizard. Food please.”

Dragon… This lizard pertain herself as a dragon. Although normally it will be a funny story, it is annoying that Arakawa-kun would have no discomfort in having a pet such

as this. However, there is nothing to eat under such circumstances even if you ask for a meal. If anything is good then it might be convenient to ask the dragon.

“I like vegetables but anything is fine.”

There should be left over from the vegetable salad that I bought for lunch… When I handed a salad, it began to eat delightfully. It looks like it is pitifully hungry, she is eating wholeheartedly. When she finished eating, she wrote letters on the paper again.

“Thank You. My name is Kon”

“So, you say your name is Kon-chan”

I stroked Kon-chan and found out that I was smiling. Today a lot of terrible thing happened… It will be good if there is some healing at the end. While continuing to

stroke while thinking so, Kon-chan touched the paperweight that was at the desk and starts to write letters on paper again.

(TN: Healing here is a Japanese Expression like forgetting bad things because of cuteness, its hard to explain)

“Is this iron?”

“Yes, That’s an iron-made paperweight”

When I answer, Kon-chan’s wings started to light and a purple light flashed… the

iron-made paperweights became a brilliant “pure gold” paperweight.

“Here you go. I will come again”

After writing so, Kon-chan go out of the room through the door where she came in.

“Kon… Kon?”

I noticed Kon-chan being crowed, I suddenly got pulled back to reality. It seems like she finished eating the tomato that I gave her. I am writing letters on paper with my fountain pen.

“Gochisosama, It was delicious”

(TN: Gochisosama is a Japanese expression after eating a meal. Can also mean “Thanks for the meal/food”)

“You seem to have memorized a lot of characters”

When I say so and praise her, she proudly puff her chest. Its cute and caught her to stroke then Kon-chan writes more characters.

“Thanks, but I don’t always have tricks in gold so let’s try another one this time? Please teach me valuable precious metals and stones.”

When I saw it, I got dizzy against Kon-chan for the first time. Does this child understand the value of the act he is doing? Ma~a, I’ll teach her properly later.

Now, I decided to have a big blue diamond made.