Chapter 3: Present

After winning the practice match, my party and I were swarmed by those wanting interviews, handshakes, and all manners of things. Sylvia, who was effectively also debuting that day, seemed to fare no better judging from the crowd surrounding her as well.

By the time I finished dealing with the large number of people vying for my attention, the sun had already set. The festivities were going to continue until late into the night, so the streets were still filled with revelry and merrymaking.

“Good show out there. Here’s your new guild card. We’ll be continuing to count on you in the future.”

“That’s...all you’ve got for me?”

I was now in Rio’s office to pay him a visit and grab my new Rank S card. Considering the day’s events, however, his reception seemed a bit cold.

I did work pretty hard today, I thought as I accepted the package that the card was wrapped in.

“Ahaha, I’m quite tired now. All I can think about is getting home and crawling into bed. Getting old...is not something I’d recommended.”

“I see...”

“But, well, I can’t actually do that, now can I?”

He smiled wryly as he wiped his monocle. For once, he actually did look exhausted. On my way up to his office, I’d spied some of the guild staff who had crashed right at their desks. As the man overseeing everything, Rio was probably more spent than all of them. I myself had dinner scheduled with the Oracle of Deramis, so I couldn’t go home and sleep either.

“Kel-nii, let me see! Let me see your new card!”

“I want to see it too, Master.”

“My king, hurry, hurry!”

Unable to wait any longer, Rion and Efil urged me to open the package. For some reason, Gerard was also acting like a child. All right, all right, I’m taking it out now.

“Feast your eyes on this beauty!”

“OOHHHH!”

“OOHHHH!”

“OOHHHH!”

After slowly and deliberately undoing the wrapping, I took the card out and held it aloft. While it had been gold-colored at Rank A, it now shone in a fantastical rainbow coloring. The halo surrounding the card was probably just my imagination, but even so, the reaction from Rion and the others was extremely satisfying.

Even Sera looked somewhat impressed. “So, its color changes according to the angle of the light.”

“It’s holographic!” Rion exclaimed.

“Ahem.” Rio cleared his throat. “The card is actually quite precious, so don’t go flashing it about, all right? Oh, look at the time. Do you remember what you have planned after this?”

“Yep, dinner with Colette-sama. Um, is she...okay?”

I, for one, was more than ready to forget the nightmare of the afternoon for her dignity’s sake, but I couldn’t speak for the thousands of others who had heard the same thing broadcast loud and clear all over town. There had been no sign of her anywhere since the incident, which did seem a little worrying.

“Probably not. The entire Deramisian delegation has locked themselves up in their quarters and have been praying this whole time, I hear.”

So he says, Melfina.

::I knew you’d ask me. Don’t worry; the girl is fine. She’s gotten through far more trying tribulations than this. Quite a few times, I might add.::

I imagine it would still be a pretty big blow for a teenage girl. I’m a guy and I know I would plunge into depression if it happened to me.

“I’ll deal with her,” added Rio, “so you just follow Ange-kun’s guidance. I believe Goldiana and Sylvia are also on their way.”

“All right, I’ll do that. Come on, guys, time to go.”

We headed downstairs to the counter where Ange was waiting for us. When I closed the office door, I thought I heard Rio muttering to himself, “Vomiting...in public...what am I even supposed to say to her...”

◇ ◇ ◇

I changed back into my formal wear, then followed Ange to the most high-class restaurant in Parth. I’d seen it from the outside a few times before but had never been able to bring myself to go in because of how stiff and formal it looked. Most importantly, I didn’t know anything about dining etiquette here. The raucous atmosphere of the taverns was more my cup of tea.

But this is a good opportunity. Let’s see what kind of dishes such a fancy place serves. Wait, no, that’s not my main goal today. The point of this dinner is to deepen my relationship with Deramis and use that to gather information about the Rizean Empire.

“This is the venue for the dinner. It looks like Goldiana-san and Sylvia-san’s group have already arrived, so you guys can go straight in and take your seats.”

“Got it, thanks. What are you going to do now, Ange?”

“Sadly, I still have some work left, so I’ve got to get back to the guild. But the festivities are ending tonight so it’s the last push!”

“You’re having a tough time of it too, I see. Once everything calms down, let’s go grab a meal or something.”

“Really?! Guess I’ll look forward to that, then. Um, can we do it, like, just the two —”

“Kelvin-chan, there you are! What are you dearies doing standing around outside? Come on in, come on in! I’ve been waiting forever!”

During my conversation with Ange, Prettia had appeared in the doorway. The incredibly buff man was still clad in the same dress from the afternoon. Yeah, I think I need a bit more time to get used to the sight...

“Sorry, we’re coming. We’ll be going now, Ange.”

“Ah, mm, okay. Good luck in there, Kelvin.”

For some reason, Ange’s face was expressionless as we parted. I guess she’s probably tired, just like Rio is. Let’s find a day to pay her a visit and bring her some food or something.

◇ ◇ ◇

The atmosphere inside the restaurant was, to my surprise, quite subdued, having none of the gaudy flashiness that I associated with the nobility. Instead, the interior design was refined and classy, and the same could be said of the outfits of the customers. Everyone’s manner of eating had a certain gracefulness and elegance to it all.

“Uh, if that level of etiquette is a requirement here, I’m in deep trouble,” I muttered with some alarm.

“I...don’t think I can do it either,” Rion agreed with an equally pale face.

Sera turned to us, looking genuinely surprised. “You two don’t know dining etiquette?”

The two of us were a little shocked by her reaction. I forgot it every once in a while, but Sera was demon royalty. In other words, she was a princess. As such, she had a perfect grasp of things like table manners and overall etiquette. She simply chose not to use them on a regular basis because she was too lazy.

The rest of our group was, come to think of it, quite high-specced in that regard as well. Take Gerard, for instance. Despite having been born a commoner, he had worked his way up to become a knight — which was a rank of nobility — and thus knew this type of etiquette inside and out. In his case, him wearing full armor was probably more problematic.

As for Efil, what was there to say? This was a girl who spent every single day improving herself as a maid. There was no way she would shirk on something like formal etiquette. She learned everything she could at every opportunity she had, even going as far as to ask the maids at Toraj Castle for instructions and training while we were staying in the city. In short, there was no cause for concern there.

“K-Kel-nii, which side is the knife and which is the fork?”

Calm down, sister mine. Your dominant hand is your knife hand. Wait...it is, right? It’s this one, isn’t it? Shit, now I’m doubting myself. In the first place, are the manners in this world even the same as those back in Japan? From what the other customers are doing, it doesn’t look all that different, but...ugh, how can the party leader and his sister be the ones who are the least presentable?! If it’s just about being polite, I might be able to manage somehow, but etiquette is knowledge-based; I can’t know what I never learned.

“Oh, don’t fret, dear. We’re in the room at the back, so there’s no need to worry about manners. Besides, what’s truly important is not the etiquette itself but a considerate attitude towards others. Meals are meant to be enjoyed, after all!”

“If you say so...” I replied, not entirely reassured. I turned to my companions. “Still, we are meeting the Oracle, who represents all of Deramis, so let’s at least put in the minimum amount of effort to be polite, please.”

Prettia clapped a hand over his mouth. “Oh, my, what a gentleman you are, Kelvin-chan!”

“Is this really going to work out?” Gerard muttered.

It’s hardly perfect, but we can’t afford to be preoccupied right now. We have to learn whatever we can regarding Rizea from Colette.

::Kel-nii, if push comes to shove...::

I see you’re thinking what I’m thinking.

As a fail-safe, Rion and I secretly resolved to have Efil give us instructions through the Network during the meal.

◇ ◇ ◇

The moment I laid eyes on our dining party and registered the mismatch between their splendid outfits and the way they were eating, all my worries flew right out the window.

“Oh ’ey, iz ’elvin-zan.”

“Sylvia, don’t speak while you’re chewing!”

There was Sylvia, shoveling food into her mouth even though her cheeks were already puffed up like a squirrel’s, and Ema, admonishing her. The two of them seemed to be around the same age based on their appearances, but their exchanges were reminiscent of a parent and child from time to time.

“Fuck, they were invited too?”

“Of course they were. They’re the main guests tonight.”

Oh, hey, the great and mighty Brutal Beast has recovered enough to be up and about. That elf, Ariel, must be a pretty good healer. The beast’s just sitting there next to Kokudori, energetically wolfing down his food in spite of the bandages he’s still sporting. Grabbing a bone in one hand and biting directly into the meat is such an adventurer-like way of eating. I didn’t think I would feel relief at seeing this guy again, but his table manners do put me at ease.

“I’m so sorry for the repeated disrespect our stupid dog is causing you!”

Upon seeing us, Ariel’s head whipped around to look at Nagua, then she shot up in her seat and gave us a beautiful ninety-degree bow in apology.

“Oh, no, it’s fine. I feel like a burden’s just been lifted from my shoulders,” I replied with a grin that stretched from ear to ear.

“I never thought I’d feel as reassured as I do now,” Rion added, similarly grinning.

“What?” Ariel looked confused, caught off guard by our reactions.

“Uh...th-thank you for being so...understanding...?”

Thinking about it calmly now, I suppose it is an absurd idea to expect good etiquette from most adventurers.

“Now you see what I mean, dearie?”

“You were right; looks like I was worrying about nothing after all,” I admitted. From the corner of my eye, I saw Sera shutting up Nagua with a death glare on the whole party’s behalf. Another question abruptly popped into my mind. “Um, are we supposed to be eating even though the Oracle hasn’t arrived yet?”

Sylvia, who had finally finished swallowing everything in her mouth, replied, “A Deramisian messenger just came. He told us to go ahead and start eating because the Oracle will be late.”

“I see...well, I suppose she has her own circumstances...” Let’s not recall the atmosphere in the arena from that moment anymore.

I directed my thoughts to the Network. Melfina, is Colette actually coming? Can you tell?

::Relax, honey. She just arrived.::

I turned around at Melfina’s words and heard the sound of several pairs of footsteps on the other side of the door, which opened a moment later with a soft click.

“I am truly sorry for my lateness, everyone. I am Colette Deramilius, and I thank you all for being here tonight.”

Before my eyes stood the Oracle, her face adorned with a smile so clear and beautiful that it seemed as if the afternoon incident had never occurred.

Oh, hey, looks like she’s back on her feet. Just what kind of trick did that sly old geezer use? It does bother me a little how the smiles on the faces of Colette’s guards are so stiff, though.

::Oh, no, I’m sure she recovered entirely on her own. She’s well accustomed to being disgraced to that degree.::

Seriously? I wouldn’t have guessed it from that pretty face of hers. What kind of disgrace is she regularly suffering to be “accustomed” to it, anyway?

“Oh, my, we’ve been waiting for you, Colette-chan! All right, now that everyone’s assembled, let’s raise a toast!”

◇ ◇ ◇

Roughly an hour after the first toast, the alcohol had fully made its way into our systems (with the exception of Rion, who was underage, and Sera, for obvious reasons). After eating at the tables for a while, we had largely shifted to a standing buffet approach, with everyone milling around while they ate and drank. The food itself was delicious, but I couldn’t help finding it a little unsatisfactory. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by Efil’s cooking. I’m honestly at a loss for how to react to the meal here.

“Let go of me!” Nagua howled. “That bastard’s definitely planning on doing something to Sylvia!”

Kokudori sighed. “No, he’s not. The three of them are in the middle of an important talk between representatives. Don’t bother them.”

“The man is right. So, how about we drink together over there?” Gerard chuckled, clapping the beastkin on the back and steering him a distance away.

“Fuck, why is it just guys around me?!”

“Oh, you wanted to join Sera and Goldiana’s table? You should have said so earlier. Kokudori-dono, would you mind giving me a hand?”

“It would be my pleasure.”

“N-Noooo! Those two aren’t girls!”

Sounds like things are really livening up on their side of the room. Why can’t I be part of that circle?

“Kelvin-san, are you listening to me?”

“Of course I am. You were talking about Touya, right?”

At the moment, I was being forced to listen to Colette’s complaints. I had originally approached her in hopes of questioning her about Rizea but had quickly lost the initiative in the conversation. And although Sylvia was sitting with us, she had been entirely focused on eating the whole time. Since I had become acquainted with Touya during my time in Toraj, I was now Colette’s sole target for venting.

“That’s right! I’m sure you understand, having worked with Touya yourself! Everywhere he goes, he gets into trouble, and more often than not, it’s related to a woman! Just how many times do you think he’s seen me in my underwear...”

“Hahaha, that sounds tough. When I was with him, nothing of the sort occurred, though.”

“Is that true? I can hardly believe it.”

Oh, wow, she looks genuinely surprised. Well, I did keep my guard up the whole time, to prevent anything from happening to Efil and the others, so maybe that did the trick? Doing so really wore me out, though.

“Um, there’s been something that’s been bothering me for a while now. Please excuse me.”

“Uh...what are you doing?”

Colette had suddenly leaned in and started sniffing me. Wait, do I smell sweaty?! But I took a bath after the match!

The girl seemed to have zoned out for a moment, then suddenly started. “N-No, it was nothing! Please don’t mind me!”

“I...see...” What the hell was that?

After smelling me, Colette’s eyes seemed to glaze over, her breathing turning ragged as her cheeks flushed, and she shot me glances again and again. It was so obvious that even Sylvia tilted her head, going, “Hm?”

::Uh-oh...::

What’s wrong, Melfina? You know what’s going on?

::Honey, please be careful. Colette possesses the Olfaction skill at Rank S. There is a possibility that she’s detected my smell on you. This could be a huge crisis.::

Uh...what?

I had failed to notice that Colette’s eyes had gradually taken on the glint of a religious fanatic.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Is this about the present, Sera-chan? Did you not give it to him yet?”

“Yeah...not yet...”

At one corner of the outdoor terrace, under the light of the moon, Sera was consulting Goldiana.

“I’m sorry it’s taking me so long. You even made time to go out and look for it with me and everything...”

“Oh, pshh, hon, don’t worry about that.”

The demon girl was clearly in low spirits. The topic of their discussion was the present that Sera had failed to give to Kelvin the night before. She was having trouble finding the right time to bring it up again.

“Sera-chan, be honest with me. How do you actually feel about Kelvin-chan?”

“I...like him. I think.”

“As a fellow party member and as a friend? Or as a man?”

Sera fell silent. She had originally prepared the item as a thank-you gift to Kelvin for looking after her while she had Evolved, but the meaning of the gift seemed to be gradually shifting, and she was becoming aware of it.

“I’m not sure. It’s my first time experiencing feelings like these...”

“That’s the same as giving me an answer. Have more confidence in yourself, dearie!”

“But...”

“No ifs, ands, or buts! At this rate, who knows, maybe even Sylvia-chan will fall for him! My female intuition tells me that Kelvin-chan definitely has woman troubles! Efil-chan seems like she’ll go along with whatever he says, so you’ve got to hold the reins properly!”

Goldiana’s intuition was actually half-correct, but there was no one present at the moment to tell him so.

“All right, honey, I’ll teach you this strategy; it’s bound to work,” Goldiana continued reassuringly before whispering something into Sera’s ear.

“Um...so I just have to say that line?”

“That’s right! Call Kelvin-chan to your room tonight. Give him the present, and when the mood is right, say it. Don’t worry, it’s worked for me many times! Oh, and when you say it, your pose should be —”

Goldiana’s instructions continued for quite a while longer.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Your face looks flushed, Oracle. Should we take our leave soon?”

“No, I’m absolutely fine. Stand down.”

“As you say...”

The head of the Deramisian guards had come over with a look of concern but was immediately dismissed. Colette was interacting with me and Sylvia in a friendly enough manner, but there was a natural authority to her exchange with her guard. That aura of dignity despite having a few cups in her...I guess she’s not the Oracle of Deramis for nothing.

But the guard was right that Colette looked a bit strange. In contrast to her pale face this afternoon, her cheeks were now as red as a tomato. Melfina had warned me to be careful, but I couldn’t pretend that I didn’t notice her condition. Sylvia had returned to eating, leaving me to deal with the oracle alone.

“Umm...Kelvin-san, I think I might be a bit tipsy. Would you mind accompanying me outside for some fresh air?”

“Not at all. I suppose you did have quite a few glasses — taking a small break sounds like a good idea. Will you be joining us, Sylvia?”

“It’s about time for me to get back to Ema. This was fun. Please invite me again.”

But you were just eating the whole time and didn’t say anything! Well, as long as she enjoyed herself, who am I to comment, right? At the very least, we have now become, as the Japanese saying goes, friends who are close enough to have eaten out of the same pot.

Colette and I headed out to the terrace, leaving Sylvia behind.

::Honey, I’m saying this for your own good: you really should turn back while you still can.::

Even if she’s detected your presence by smell, that’s not enough to serve as evidence. And look how out of it she seems; I’m just helping her get some air.

::That’s not what I’m worried about. I’ve said it before, but Colette is a bit sick.::

If she’s sick, that’s all the more reason to help her out.

::All right, okay. Don’t blame me for whatever happens next.::

On my way to the terrace, I noticed Gerard and the other two guys observing us. When did the three of them get so close? They even have their arms around each other’s shoulders.

“Oho, that’s surprising — my king’s chosen Colette-dono, it seems. I can only hope this doesn’t turn into a diplomatic incident.”

“And here I had expected him to be after Sylvia instead...”

“I told you guys! I told you Sylvia wouldn’t do anything obscene like that! Wait a sec, so you were expecting him to make a move?! The fuck happened to the ‘important talk’ shit?!”

It sounds like they’re getting heated up about something over there. What could they possibly be talking about?

◇ ◇ ◇

Colette and I found ourselves greeted by a sky full of stars as we stepped out onto the terrace connected to our private room. The place was a lot bigger than I’d expected and furnished with several tables and seats. I saw Sera and Prettia huddled at the far end, but they seemed to be having a serious conversation. I steered Colette in the other direction so as to not bother them.

“Colette-san, how about we take a seat over there?”

“Yes, please.”

I pulled the chair back for her. It was a comfortable night, with just the right amount of wind blowing. If she stays here for a while, she should start to feel a bit be— wait, is it just me, or do her eyes look kind of different from before?

“Are you sure you’re okay, Colette-san?”

“There’s no need for the ‘-san.’ ‘Colette’ is fine.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Please just call me ‘Colette.’”

“Suuuure, okay. So, Colette?”

The instant I said her name, she grabbed me with both arms and shivered a little. She looked up at me, her eyes dyed with an emotion I couldn’t quite make out. Seriously, is she okay here?!

“Thank you very much. I know this is an audacious request, but...please allow me to call you Kelvin-sama in turn!”

“What?! Hold on, Colette, what are you —”

After announcing what sounded almost like a confession of love, Colette threw herself at me. Not only that; she pressed her face against my chest and started taking deep breaths. Even with Parallel Processing working at full capacity, my mind couldn’t absorb what was happening.

“I knew it — this aromatic, noble, and heavenly fragrance is definitely Melfina-sama’s! Ohhhhh, if I close my eyes, I can just see that divine figure of hers, illuminated by a snow-white light of holiness! Oh, how dazzling! Oh, the magnificence and splendor!”

Forget full capacity — my brain had completely shorted out.

“Ten years it had been since I accepted my divine calling to serve as Melfina-sama’s Oracle! I trained my sense of smell in hopes of at least savoring her fragrance, so there is no possibility I would be mistaken in such close proximity! Judging from the amount of lingering aroma, I’d say you have been in direct contact with Melfina-sama in the past few days! The only conclusion I can draw is...Kelvin-sama, are you an emissary of the heavens?! Are you an emissary of the Goddess?!”

What’s with that totally accurate guess?! And her face is far too close. Her eyes are scaring me too!

::I did say so, didn’t I? That she is ‘sick.’::

You purposely phrased it in an ambiguous way, didn’t you?! She’s the textbook definition of a religious fanatic!

::Oh, fine, I guess I’ll help you out a bit. When I’m this close, I can grant a prophecy even in my current form.::

Oh god...dess, thank you.

“Colette, can you hear me?” Melfina asked, broadcasting her voice directly into our brains.

“That...is Melfina-sama!”

“Keep your voice down. Unlike the Great Cathedral, this place is not soundproofed.”

“I-I-I am terribly sorry! I got too excited...” Colette panted in a way that somehow made even her apology seem uncomfortably sensual.

Danger Detection, couldn’t you have warned me earlier? I should probably rank you up soon.

“I’m telling you this only because it’s you, Colette, but Kelvin is moving on business separate from that of the Heroes. When you return to Deramis, pretend not to know about his connection with me. So as to prevent other people from finding out, I strictly forbid you to interfere in his matters. However, under the above conditions, if you are able to aid him within your personal capacity, I give you permission to do so.”

Nice job surreptitiously including a pretext for making her give me information, Melfina!

“Yes, my Goddess! I will do everything you say! Um...but may I be so presumptuous as to ask exactly what your relationship with Kelvin-sama is?”

“He’s...my husband!”

Fuck! You made me choke on my saliva! And what’s with that singsong voice?! You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?!

“Why do you seem so surprised, honey? Especially after how intense we were in bed last night...”

The only thing intense was your sleeping posture! Can you not toss and turn so much?!

“H-How can this be?! I...Kelvin-sama, I have been so disrespectful to you!” Colette lamented as she slid off me, crumpling to the floor.

There’s no need to apologize, because I’m not Melfina’s husband! “Colette, that’s not it. Mel is actually —”

“You are so close to Melfina-sama that you refer to her by a pet name?! There is no longer any room for doubt. Kelvin-sama, please grind me under your foot for my irreverence! Exact upon me any punishment you deem fit! Do with my body as you wish! Please punish me! I beg of you — please!”

“Hold on, you — do you have a nosebleed?!” I suddenly found myself saddled with the task of calming the oracle down. Thankfully, Sera seemed fully occupied by something else and failed to notice what was happening on my side of the terrace. I could hear her still talking with Goldiana some distance away.

◇ ◇ ◇

“L-Like this?”

“That’s perfect, Sera-chan! You’re so cute, even I might fall for you!”

While Kelvin and Colette were making their way from the private dining room to the terrace, the trio of men also moved to the window, careful not to draw attention to themselves. They watched as Kelvin and the oracle sat down on the opposite end of the balcony from Sera and Goldiana.

“Oho, looks like they’ve got a good atmosphere going. Two youngsters opening their hearts to each other under the starry sky. My king sure moves quickly.”

“The eyes of the Oracle...those are indeed the eyes of a maiden in love.”

“Hah! I knew it, that bastard’s just a fucking playboy!”

Each man had something different to say, but all of them were doing the same thing. Namely, they were staring.

“Ohhh! The Oracle has embraced my king! She’s much more proactive than she seems!”

“She’s even rubbing her face on his chest. That decides it. She’s completely fallen for him.”

“Hah! That’s the second-highest authority in Deramis? What an easy woman.”

“If only you were as proactive as she is, Nagua. You always come up with the most roundabout way of doing things; it’s just...”

“What?! Don’t make this about me!”

The three of them were still staring as they bantered.

“Oh, heavens! Are they sure about doing something like that right here?! Colette-dono is grabbing my king’s lower body!”

“Being young sure is great. Sometimes they do the most unexpected things.”

“You two realize how fucking huge your bodies are?! Stop leaning forward — I can’t see!”

They were staring very hard. And at the same time, another group was watching them.

“What are Nagua and the guys doing?”

“Don’t worry about it, Sylvia. Just pretend you don’t see them. Efil-san, would you happen to know how to make this dish as well?”

“Mm, my favorite.”

“Yes, I do. Would you like me to teach you tomorrow, Ema-sama?”

“Um, if you’re teaching her, would you mind teaching me too?”

“Good luck trying to get the person you’re interested in to notice you, Ariel!”

“R-Rion-san, shhhhh!”

Things were far more peaceful on the girls’ side of the room.

◇ ◇ ◇

“I will be taking my leave now, Kelvin-sama. It pains me to do so, but I must return to Deramis first thing tomorrow morning.”

“We will miss you. Someday, we’ll come pay Deramis a visit. Let’s meet up then.”

“I will look forward to it with great eagerness.”

With dinner over, we had all gathered outside the restaurant to exchange farewells. Per Melfina’s orders, Colette was behaving normally so as to not raise any suspicions. Looks like she’s doing a good job of it.

“I would love to grant you permission to use the teleportation gate in our capital, but I’m afraid that’s under the Pope’s jurisdiction, not mine. However, I promise to convince him to grant you access by the time we meet next!” Colette grabbed my hands and stared at me intensely with slightly teary eyes.

“I...would appreciate that, thank you very much. But there’s no need to force things on my behalf, really.” She...is doing a good job, right? Does she fully understand what Melfina told her? The group of guys whispering in the back is bothering me, but I’ve got no time to deal with them right now. Even if Colette’s letting the facade drop a bit here, I’ve got to keep up appearances. I can get through this.

“Thank you for your consideration. Well, then, everyone, let us meet again someday.”

“Oh, hold on, Colette-san,” Sylvia called just as Colette was about to get into the carriage awaiting her.

“Yes, Sylvia-san?”

“There’s something personal I want to ask you.”

“What might that be?”

“Um...can we discuss it in private?”

Colette paused briefly, then said, “Very well” and signaled for her guards to remain on standby.

Sylvia shot a glance at the rest of us. Right, “in private” means she doesn’t want us to hear it, either. Let’s leave first.

“In that case, we’ll be taking our leave.”

“Thanks, Kelvin. See you tomorrow.” Sylvia bobbed her head and gave me a small wave.

Nagua started. “Hold on, what the fuck does she mean by ‘tomorrow’?!”

“While you were busy being a naughty peeker, we made a promise to Efil-san,” Ariel replied. “She’s going to teach us how to cook at Kelvin-san’s house tomorrow. So I’m sure we’ll be seeing him.”

“Wh-What?! This is the first I’m hearing about it!”

“You shush, Nagua! Efil-san, we’ll be in your care tomorrow.”

We turned our backs on the lively ruckus to head home. Phew, that was a long, long day...

“Time to head home, dearies!”

“Uh...why are you with our group, Prettia?” Considering how naturally he joined us, it almost didn’t register for me.

“I’m going the same way as you dearies for part of the way! And also, I’m still juuust a little worried.”

“What do you mean? Did something happen, Sera?”

“Wh-What?! No, no, nothing’s happening! Happened! It’s nothing!”

Okay, clearly something’s going on given how exaggerated that reaction was. But I think the right thing to do here is to drop it.

“Master, as I reported during the dinner, Sylvia-sama, Ema-sama, and Ariel-sama will be visiting the house tomorrow afternoon. We will be using the kitchen and the dining room.”

“Ah, right, for your cooking class. Sounds like Sylvia and the others won’t be able to stay in Parth much longer, so give them a good time.”

“Thank you, Master! Um, if you are free, we’d love it if you could join us too.”

Apparently, Ema was going to learn cooking for Sylvia’s sake, Ariel was doing it to grab the attention of a guy she liked, and Sylvia was just going to sit in and eat everything.

::Still, my king, I feel I must apologize for having thought you a sleeper. It turns out you really can pull it off!:: Gerard whispered through the Network, giving my ribs a few jabs with his elbow.

Is he referring to how I managed to get the information on Rizea from Colette? Looks like he’s pretty concerned about it. I used the Network to reply, despite not quite understanding why he was communicating so secretively.

Well, yeah, you know, things just happened that way. I learned some pretty valuable information, though. We might need to rely on Colette’s help quite a bit in the future.

::I see, so that’s why you...but still, to do that sort of thing with the Oracle, and right there in the open! Every once in a while, you really do surprise me, my king.::

Yeah? was the only reply I could think of.

I mean, it’s true that taking advantage of Colette’s religious piety isn’t the most upstanding way to go about it, but the situation would have spiraled even further out of control if we didn’t handle it properly. It took everything I had to stop Colette as she clung to my legs and begged me to kick her or punish her or whatever. In the end, I had to resort to forcibly pushing her away, but I made sure to do it in a way that didn’t hurt her.

::K-Kelvin!::

This time, it was Sera who was reaching out through telepathy. As before, she sounded nervous for some reason.

::Um, can you come to my room before going to bed tonight? I have something to give you!::

Although the conversation was taking place through the Network, I could sense how hard she was pushing herself to make the request. By “something to give,” is she referring to the present from yesterday?

On a hunch, I looked over at Prettia, who was walking next to me. Noticing my glance, he turned towards me and returned a heavy, deliberate wink. Yeah, okay, he’s definitely involved somehow.

Sure thing. I’ll be there. Wait for me.

::It’s a promise!::

This time, I turned towards Sera, and she gave me the most dazzling smile ever.

◇ ◇ ◇

We got back home, and it was time to keep my promise to Sera. I stood in front of her door, feeling slightly nervous. I knocked lightly and called out, “Sera, it’s me. May I come in?”

“S-Sure.”

With her permission, I entered the room. I’d been in there before while nursing her. But all the items that had been scattered around last time had been neatly put away now. Sera herself was sitting at the edge of her bed, wearing nothing but a negligee.

“Um...sit here...”

“Okay.”

Sera invited me over by patting the spot next to her, and I obliged. Neither of us could bring ourselves to say anything for a while, and silence reigned. I knew that if I asked, “So, why did you want me to come?” things would proceed. But considering how nervous she was, Prettia’s suggestive actions, and the mood in the room, even I could tell what was up in spite of my usual obliviousness to this sort of thing. We were so close that we could touch each other if we just reached out. Dammit, now I’m nervous too...

“Um...”

“Um...”

And of course we fell victim to the “two people starting to speak at the same time” cliché.

“Sorry. You go ahead, Sera.”

“O-Okay. Here is the present I couldn’t give you yesterday in the tavern. It’s a gift from me.”

I accepted the small box that she thrust at me with quivering hands. Sera’s face was turned the other way, but judging from the steam rising from her head, she had clearly turned bright red.

“Thank you. May I open it?”

“S-Sure. Though I don’t know if you’ll like it or not...”

I carefully undid the beautifully-done wrapping and opened the lid to reveal a silver locket pendant. The design was simple, but the engravings on the cylindrical form were absolutely beautiful. To my surprise, Analyze Eye told me that this was a Rank A item. If it had been purchased, the price would have been enormous. But more than the price, I was impressed that she had managed to find something like this on the open market.

“You...found this and bought it for me?”

“That’s half right. It was Goldiana who found it. Then I bought it with my share of the reward money from the new dungeon exploration quest.”

“I see. I absolutely love it. Starting tomorrow, I’ll wear it all the time.”

“Really?! What a relief...”

If she’d wanted to, she could have used the money to buy herself several top-dollar instruments she’d be wanting for quite a while. Instead, she had passed them up to buy this for me. I’ve got to take good care of it. Honestly, I’m thrilled with this gift.

“The pendant has a tiny compartment, right? Did you put something inside?” I took a closer look at the lock and found it surprisingly secure.

“Mh-hm! It’s filled with my blood. I used my skill to compress it and cram in as much as I could! Don’t open it by accident, all right? It’d cause a mess.”

“I...see.” N-No, I’m still very happy about receiving this.

Sera was now back to her usual self, seemingly having lost her nervousness after managing to hand over the present without mishap. We shot the breeze, poked fun at each other, and shared laughs together as usual. The relationship between us was...well, totally normal.

However, I was aware that I was no longer satisfied with our usual relationship. I had, in fact, fallen in love with this bright and straightforward girl who was always thinking of me and looking out for me. I loved her as much as I did Efil, and there was no changing that now. From the way she blushed whenever our eyes met, I could tell that she reciprocated my feelings.

“Kelvin, I...I have something I want to tell you,” she said, completely out of the blue. I suddenly realized that our hands had overlapped and our fingers were intertwined.

“May I say it first?”

“What?”

If I let Sera say it first, I wouldn’t be a man.

“Sera, I love you.”

With that confession, I slowly brought my face close to hers. Her surprise gradually gave way as she closed her eyes. Little by little, her luscious, sakura-colored lips —

Thud.

A dull sound broke through the charged atmosphere. That’s strange. For some reason, instead of a soft feeling on my lips, my forehead hurts. It hurts a lot.

“What is...”

“What?!”

Between our very surprised faces was a purple barrier that had appeared out of nowhere. It looked like a cylindrical wall with Sera in the middle.

“Magic? No, wait, this is —”

“A blessing...Father’s blessing?!”

At Sera’s exclamation, I activated Analyze Eye. True enough, the barrier was identified as “Blessing of the Demon Lord.”

---

Blessing of the Demon Lord (Demon Lord Gustav)

Protects the target from indecent acts. This blessing will activate regardless of the target’s will and does not consume MP. Only if the target acknowledges the other party and initiates the first move will this blessing no longer activate.

---

Demon Lord, sir, doting on your daughter is fine and all, but are you seriously doing this even from beyond the grave?!

“Oh my god, my father is just...every, single, freaking, time!”

Ohhh boy, Sera’s pupils are turning red.

“Kelvin!”

Startled, I responded with, “Yes, ma’am!” reflexively. However Sera’s next action was a bigger surprise.

“Mmm!”

The barrier crumbled away. On my lips was an incredible softness. My nose was filled with her scent. I had just been kissed by Sera.

“Now Father can’t get in our way anymore.”

“I suppose not.”

It was just a peck that had lasted for the briefest of moments. And it had been so sudden that I couldn’t bring myself to meet Sera’s eyes. She was looking down in embarrassment as well.

No, no, I’m the one who’s supposed to take the lead here; even more so when I actually have a bit of experience! What am I, a middle school student? Get your act together!

“Sera...” I placed my hand on her cheek and turned her head my way.

She looked back up at me, her eyes slightly teary. “Kelvin...please...take me...”

I later recalled this as the moment when all reason flew out of my head.

◇ ◇ ◇

“It’s morning...”

I slowly came to my senses, bathed in the warmth of the sunlight shining through the windows. I turned my head and found Sera’s cherubic face next to me, breathing peacefully. As she was hugging me in her sleep, I could feel her bountiful breasts pressing against me. I was naked too, which made the sensation even more powerful. What a wonderful way to wake up.

“Turns out my willpower might be a lot more brittle than I thought...”

However, I think part of the fault lies with the words she said. It was practically a direct provocation of my primal instincts, locking my mind and actions onto a single track. No man could possibly resist. If I had to guess, that was probably Prettia’s “advice.” Due to straddling the genders, he likely has unparalleled insight into how the minds of both sides work. I shudder to imagine what he could do if he got serious.

Additionally, it had been a while since I had done the deed itself, so I was worried that I might have gone a bit hard on Sera. Ever since Melfina began occupying my bed, I hadn’t had many opportunities to be alone with Efil. I did try my best to maintain that very last strand of my willpower, but I had completely lost myself with Sera before I knew it. In the end, I’d been reduced to nothing more than a ravenous wol—

“Nnn...”

“Sorry, did I wake you?”

Sera yawned and stretched. “Good morning...Kelvin...”

“Good morning, Sera. How are you feeling?”

“It still hurts a bit, but...I’ve never felt better.”

She smiled and planted a kiss on my cheek. Okay, now I’m fully awake.

“Looks like we overslept.”

I checked the time and found that it was already past 9 am. Efil always woke me when I didn’t get up on time myself, so it had been quite a while since I’d slept so late.

Hold on. Why didn’t she come to wake me up today of all days? Because I wasn’t sleeping in my own room? That can’t be it. If it was time for breakfast, she’d definitely go looking for me. The door...is not locked. Oh shit, it’s too late now, but I forgot to lock the door last night when I came in. Does that mean Efil saw Sera and me sleeping together naked and purposely chose not to disturb us?

“Kelvin? Why are you clutching your head?”

“Uh, don’t mind me, I’m just trying to come to terms with our, uh, situation.”

Am I looking at a scene of carnage on the horizon? Sylvia and her party members are supposed to be coming in the afternoon today. I’ve got to gauge what mood Efil is in by then — I don’t think I’ll be able to stand trying to guess her feelings the whole time she’s with them!

“You’re planning on fixing Arondight for me today, right? Um, would you mind if I stayed with you while you work on it?”

She squeezed me just a little bit harder with her hug. That slightly embarrassed look on her face really tickled my senses as a man, but my top priority at the moment was sorting out the current situation.

“Uh, right, the gauntlet that got banged up during your fight the other day, yeah? Um, sure, but let’s grab breakfast first.”

I gave her a gentle pat on the head, then got down from the bed and dressed myself.

“You should get dressed soon too,” I urged. “Efil might put breakfast away if we’re too late. We’ve got to find her and ask her to wait —”

I was trying very hard to come up with a legitimate reason to get Sera to follow my lead. I was aware that my words sounded quite monotone, but it was the best I could manage in my current state.

“Hm? There’s no need to worry. After all,” she pointed towards the door, “she’s standing right outside.”

Ugh, of course she would sense her there with all those detection skills of hers. Ha. Ha. Ha. Oh, who am I kidding. It’s time to stop hiding from reality. I suppose this is the perfect example of the phrase “my heart is in my throat.” I’ve gone so far past being surprised that I can’t feel anything at all. “Yep, she’s on the other side of the door” is all I can say now. Argh, what will happen will happen!

There was no time to get my panic under control, so I just went for it and threw the door open. All I wanted now was to resolve this as quickly as possible. I can only hope that the angelic Efil will be understanding!

“Good morning, Master.”

As Sera had said, Efil was standing there in front of the door. She greeted me with her usual smile and soft tone.

“Good morning, ma’am!”

Although Efil was acting normal, my guilt pushed me to return her morning greeting like a little boy caught doing something wrong. A split second later, I was already kneeling on the floor in apology.

“Um, what are you doing, Master?”

“Aren’t you...mad at me?”

“Me? Mad?” Efil looked at me in puzzlement.

Oh, wow, she really isn’t. “You aren’t, um, mad at me for sleeping with Sera?”

“I am your maid, Master. I would not get mad at you over such matters.”

“Then why didn’t you wake us up today?”

“Because both of you seemed very tired. And I can read the mood. It’s just...”

“Just what?”

“It’s fine if it’s only once in a while, but it would make me happy if you could give me some attention too. I’m also, um, holding myself back, so...” Her voice trailed off as she covered her mouth with her hand in embarrassment, her cheeks aflame.

I immediately enveloped Efil in a hug and whisked her into the room.

“Um, Master?”

My maid was, understandably, quite confused. I gently lowered her onto the bed next to Sera, who had only put on her lingerie so far.

“I feel like I should talk this out properly with both of you,” I said as I sat down on the edge of the bed. I looked straight into the eyes of each girl in turn. “Efil. Sera. I love both of you. I love both of you so much so that I can’t choose between you. You might think me unfaithful for saying this, but I do plan on loving both of you equally.”

The two of them stayed quiet, giving me their full attention.

“Would you still accept me, even under those circumstances?”

I thought I could hear the thumping of my own heart. I wasn’t sure whether I had managed to properly convey my feelings or not.

Sera and Efil exchanged a look then giggled at the same time.

“And here I was wondering what you were going to say, looking so serious and grim. There’s no problem at all!”

“I meant what I said earlier, Master. I also do not see this as a concern.”

“Are...you two sure about that?”

“I’m not saying I’m okay with just anyone, mind you. I’m fine with Efil because I trust her. Just so we’re on the same page!”

“Uh, right, okay.”

“Sera-san, I believe there might even be others joining us in the future. Mel-sama, for example, already declares herself to be his wife.”

“You’ve got to truly love the girl for us to accept her, Kelvin!”

In this way, I somehow managed to get through what I’d feared would be a bloodbath. In the worst case, I’d been prepared for death. What a relief that it’s been resolved so peacefully.

“In that case, I’d like to alleviate Efil’s worries right now.”

“What?”

I pushed both girls down onto the bed and climbed on myself.

“My worr— wait, here?! Now?!”

“Um, me too?”

“Of course. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair, right?”

“But Master, Sylvia-sama and her party will be coming in the afternoon.”

“Not a problem. We have plenty of time before then.”

“Umm, but, Master, umm...”

“Nope, there’s no getting out of this for either of you. If we go into overtime, I’ll make something up and apologize to them myself.”

“That’s not it, Master. Um, could you at least lock the door?”

I looked over, prompted by Efil’s words. True enough, the door was standing slightly ajar. Without speaking, I got off the bed, closed the door, turned the lock, and came right back.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Oh wow, you really slept in today, Master! It’s already the afternoon, you know?”

When I finally reached the dining room, I found Ruka putting away the newly-washed dishes. Looks like everyone already finished eating and left.

“Guess I was pretty exhausted from yesterday. Are there any leftovers?”

“Sure, I’ll serve it now. Oh, Sera-sama! Efil-sama!” Ruka bowed to the two women who had entered the dining room behind me.

“Good morning. Can you get me something to eat too?” Sera asked, settling into a chair.

“Good morning! Please give me a second, I’ll do it really quick! Um, did something happen, Efil-sama?”

Ruka’s really honed her observation skills. Efil, you’re still grinning a little.

“Ahem. I will be getting on with preparations for the afternoon. Ruka, make sure to clean up properly afterwards.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Ah, she deflected that nicely.

◇ ◇ ◇

“So...that mansion is Kelvin-san’s house?”

“Whoa, what an impressive place.”

“Mm. Very big.”

Ariel, Ema, and Sylvia voiced their first impressions in turn as Kelvin’s residence came into view down the road. Along the way, they’d had to make a few stopovers to satiate their leader’s appetite, but thankfully, they had managed to reach their destination in the end.

“Hah! That ain’t nothing,” spat a voice from behind them.

“Why are you even here, Nagua?” Ema asked.

“To keep an eye on Kelvin, obviously. There’s no telling what he’d do to Sylvia if I wasn’t around!”

Ariel sighed. “You are just so...ugh.”

In contrast to the others, Sylvia didn’t seem to quite understand what was going on.

“Well, since you’re already here, never mind,” Ariel continued. “Just don’t cause any trouble, all right?”

“No need to tell me twice. You sure are naggy today.”

“Whose fault do you think that is?!”

“Okay, okay, that’s enough of the spousal comedy act,” Ema interrupted in a practiced fashion. She pointed down the street. “Look, the gates are just ahead.”

True enough, the entrance to the estate had come into view along with two suits of black armor seemingly standing guard on either side. In what appeared to be a display of incredible training, both were standing completely still, each holding a halberd in one hand. Their appearances seemed so similar to that of the veteran in Kelvin’s party, Gerard, that were it not for their heights, they could easily have been mistaken for the knight himself.

“Excuse me. I am Ema. I believe we have an appointment,” Ema said to one of the guards.

Its face turned towards her, and it broke its silence. “Ema-sama, Sylvia-sama, Ariel-sama. Prior notification from Master confirmed. Please pass through. The Head Maid, Efil-sama, awaits you.”

As the guard delivered its lines in what sounded like a strangely flat and drawn-out voice, the gates began opening all by themselves.

“Are these powered by magic? What an elaborate setup,” Ema murmured, sounding impressed. She grabbed Sylvia’s hand and walked on in. Ariel followed, giving the guards a quick bob of her head and a “thank you” as she passed.

Then Nagua stepped forward.

Clang!

“What the fuck is this?”

He found his way blocked by the two guards as they promptly crossed halberds.

“Apologies. We have no prior notification of your visit. Confirming now. Please wait a moment.”

“The fuck? I’m Nagua. I’m with Sylvia. That good enough for you?”

“Apologies. Please wait a moment.”

“You seriously wanna have a go, huh?!”

The guards’ staunch refusal caused Nagua to flare up at once. He was convinced that today’s plans were nothing more than Kelvin luring Sylvia and the others to his house to lay hands on them after he had “landed” the Oracle, which had presumably gone to his head.

“Wait, Nagua. Stop,” Sylvia said with slight concern.

“Huh?! What is this, the tavern all over again?! Sylvia, you seriously think I would lose to a pair of guards?!”

“Uh...it’d be a close fight, maybe?”

Sylvia’s comment served to pour oil onto the flames without her realizing it. Nagua and the guards looked ready to break into a serious fight at the drop of a coin.

“Two. Three. Master has given his permission. Nagua-sama is an official guest. Let him through,” Efil ordered as she approached, rounding the fountain in the garden.

“Understood.”

“Understood.”

With perfected synchronized clanks, the two suits of armor resumed their previous stances.

“I’m terribly sorry for coming out to greet you so late. I also deeply apologize for our guards’ disrespect.”

“Oh, no, we’re the ones in the wrong for bringing Nagua along without prior notice! Come on, apologize!” Ariel tried to force Nagua’s head down, but he resisted her efforts with a sour-sounding “Keh!”

Efil smiled at the exchange and turned to lead the group into the house.

“Efil-san, thank you very much for today,” Ema said as she followed close behind the maid.

“Mm, very honored,” Sylvia added.

“Thank you for coming. I have been looking forward to this. Before we start, however, may I inquire as to how much experience you each have with cooking?”

“Embarrassingly, we aren’t very good at it,” Ariel replied. “I mean, if we had to describe what we’re each able to do...”

The three girls exchanged glances.

“I’m good at cutting things.”

“If it’s just grilling something with Red Magic...I won’t lose to anyone when it comes to firepower!”

“I, uh, know how to detoxify poison!”

Everything listed sounded more like random abilities, obtained for totally different reasons, being applied to cooking rather than having any actual experience with cooking itself.

Nagua snorted. “Honestly, Kokudori and I basically took turns while we were on the road. These three are pretty much hopeless when it comes to the kitchen, so you should prepare yourself for that. I’ve long since given up trying to teach them anything.”

“I...see. I shall do my best.”

As promised, Efil did her utmost, but it was to no avail. After many trials and tribulations, she ended up teaching cooking to Nagua alone.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Man, I completely lost track of time there. I guess it’s true that time flies when you’re having fun.”

“Lately, you’ve started smiling while working on your golems too. I love your smile, Kelvin!”

Sera and I were climbing up from the underground area beneath our house. Repairing Arondight hadn’t taken nearly as long as expected, so the two of us had turned to the golems after that. What was meant to be a little casual tinkering had become a full-blown modification before I’d even realized it.

While working on the golems, Sera always donned a white lab coat. In all likelihood, she had picked up the practice from reading my mind and had asked Efil to make it for her. I definitely did not force her or ask her to do it. I swear.

We also discussed the new dungeon that Sera and the others had recently cleared out. Supposedly, it was a place with a ton of materi— I mean, monsters that seemed like puppets. While sweeping through the place, my companions had diligently collected the broken parts of those monsters and stuffed them into Clotho’s Storage. Upon examination, it turned out that quite a lot of what was gathered could indeed be used for our own golems.

When I spoke to Rion, who had fought these things firsthand...

“Oh, right, I remember this one. It was basically a Gatling gun except that it shot bullets of light, not physical projectiles.”

“Interesting. Maybe it’s a relic left behind by an otherworlder. But considering the speed and destructive power of what you described, it doesn’t seem like it would be all that useful to us. No, wait, hold on...”

The idea to add guns to our golems came to me then. And after some trial and error, the prototype was a success. Our normal golems, which were not possessed by souls and therefore could not make use of any skills, had previously had no way of utilizing magic. However, by equipping them with these magical Gatling guns, even they were now capable of long-range attacks. There were a few other usable parts, but that was our most impressive haul.

So I used my Analyze Eye to learn every last detail about the sample I had on hand, then had Clotho Absorb it and provide me with a steady supply of the same material using Metalicize and Division, which I used to mass-produce the guns with Smithing. Halfway through, I asked Sera and Melfina for help, and thanks to their proficiency in magic, even managed to develop an upgraded version.

This new item drew a bit too much magic to be used on the normal golems, so I was planning on strictly outfitting the upgraded ones — what I called the golems with souls — with them. Trycen’s recent movements seemed more than a little fishy, so it wasn’t a bad idea to bolster our defenses at home, just in case we had to set out in a hurry.

I also assigned names to our next-generation golems. Well, I say names, but it was literally just a numbering system, as in, One, Two, Three, and Four. All of them shared a single appearance, so I engraved their respective numbers onto the armors in order to tell them apart.

As for their fighting strength, I thought I had buffed them quite a bit, but I was having trouble finding opponents who could fight with them on equal ground. Gerard and Rion both took turns, but naturally, the golems didn’t stand a chance against those two. Therefore, I did not actually know how strong they were compared to the average enemy.

Also of note was that Two and Three had been assigned to gate duty in place of the golems that Prettia had wrecked. Considering they were capable of rudimentary speech, in a way they were actually more suited to the job.

Sera suddenly looked around. “By the way, where’s Mel? Wasn’t she with us just now?”

“She went to the dining room first, saying she was hungry after working so hard.”

“Ah, she wanted to try Sylvia and the others’ food, right? I’m feeling a bit peckish myself. Let’s go see what they’ve whipped up.”

“Good idea.”

We finally reached the stop of the stairs. Oh, hey, something’s smelling really good.

◇ ◇ ◇

Every single dish lined up on the table looked extremely appetizing. However, the person standing next to those dishes was not who I had expected.

“What? Why’re you here, Dog Man? And more importantly, why’re you wearing an apron?”

“Keh! Look at the state of ’em and connect the dots yourself.”

To my surprise, it was Nagua. Efil, Ema, and Ariel had their faces planted on the table, whereas Melfina and Sylvia had already started digging in.

“Not bad! Not bad at all!” the goddess declared.

“I knew it was smart to remain on the eating side. This is delicious, Nagua.”

“Yeah? Eat! Eat more!”

So, Nagua knows how to cook? Looks like it’s business as usual for these two gluttons, anyway. As for the others...

“Efil, what happened here?”

“I’m sorry, Master,” she replied, sitting up but with her shoulders drooping. “It was too much for me to handle. There’s nothing more I can do.”

Whoa, it’s my first time seeing her look so defeated.

Nagua snorted. “Sylvia and the others sucked so much that I took their place to learn from the maid here. I seriously have no idea how they can’t do something so fucking easy.”

“Ugh!”

“Ugh!”

“Hey, Dog Man, did you hear Ema and Ariel taking emotional damage from what you just said?”

So, Efil’s feeling down because she had to give up on teaching these three? From the glimpse I got of the inside of the kitchen, she made the right choice. How the hell does a meal end up purple, anyway?

◇ ◇ ◇

“You guys are leaving Parth tomorrow? Why not stay for a few more days?”

“We’d love to. But we have a ship to catch in Toraj.”

I had asked Sylvia and the rest about their plans over an early dinner, but they were in a hurry to make the crossing to the Western Continent.

“Delicious.”

“Efil’s food really is the best after all!”

Sylvia and Melfina were still in the middle of polishing off every dish on the table, the former in a silent, steady manner, the latter clapping a hand to her cheek and humming in delight. In fact, half the food on the table had already disappeared into their stomachs.

Ema and Ariel were still recovering, and Efil, having returned to life a while earlier, had ducked into the kitchen to cook some more. It hardly needed to be said, but most of the new foods were going straight into the two walking black holes that were dining with us.

The hazardous substances concocted by Ema and the rest had been slipped into Clotho’s Storage for fear of their noxious fumes staining the walls of the house. The plan was to perhaps throw them at an enemy in lieu of a weapon someday. Seems like they’d be pretty effective, actually.

Ariel sighed. “Maybe I should just save up some points and pick up the Cooking skill myself.”

“Don’t you go wasting your points, idiot! You realize you’re starting not from zero, but from a negative number, right?! You’d have to raise it to Rank B or even A just to do what the average person can!”

“To think a day would come when Nagua’s the one speaking sense to me!”

During the dinner party at the restaurant, Ema and Ariel had been the only two from Sylvia’s group to demonstrate proper dining etiquette, so I’d figured they were the types who were good at everything. I guess you really can’t judge people by their appearances.

“Aww, you’re leaving already, Sylvie?”

“You shall be missed, lass; you and your party.”

“Look at you two joining the conversation so smoothly,” I said to Rion and Gerard. “Where have you been?” I know they weren’t here a short while ago.

“Ahaha...Danger Detection was warning me not to come near the kitchen, so I was observing from a distance. Alex says he still can’t get close because of the smell in the air.”

“Same here. I’ve already warned Ruka and Ellie to stay away, so don’t worry, my king.”

That bad, huh? Really highlights what a tough time Efil must have had. Oh, hey, why’s Sera not touching her food?

“Sera, you’ve been quiet for a bit. What’s wrong?”

“I was thinking...wouldn’t Dog Man make for a good opponent for our golems?”

“Now that’s an interesting idea.”

“What was that about me?”

I explained our situation to Sylvia’s party: in short, we had developed a new kind of golem and were looking for an opponent to measure its strength in battle against. Nagua, we choose you.

“The fuck? Why do I have to —”

“Sure thing!” Ariel interrupted. “He still has to pay you back for the cooking lesson, after all.”

“I only learned from her ’cause all of you were so absolutely shit at it!”

“All right, we got permission! Take him away, Gerard!” Sera ordered.

My knight obediently lifted up the aproned beastkin man. “I’m sorry, my friend.”

“Who the fuck you calling ‘friend’?! Let me down!” Nagua flailed about desperately, but trying to escape Gerard’s grip was an exercise in futility.

“What are you saying?! Have you already forgotten the bonds of friendship we formed the night we went peeking together?!”

I looked up. “Peeking?”

“AHHHHHHHH! I get it, already! Don’t say any more!”

I did notice them bonding that night, but I didn’t expect them to be that close already. Were they spying on Sylvia or something?

“Well then, I shall head down first, my king.”

“Fuck, why did things turn out this way...”

“Kelvin, let’s go too!”

Gerard went ahead with Nagua over his shoulder. Sera snaked an arm around mine and started pulling me after them.

“Hold on, hold on. If we’re going to watch Nagua and the golems fight, what is everyone else going to do?”

“Umm, I’ll take responsibility and clear all this food.”

“Honey, leave this to us and go on!”

“Ooookay, all right then.” I guess Sylvia and Melfina are staying behind.

Ariel turned to Ema. “What should we do?”

“Go ahead if you want to. The cooking might not have worked out, but there are bound to be other chances to make him notice you.”

“I...suppose you’re right. I’ll be off, then.”

“I’ll guide you! It’s this way!” Rion cried, grabbing Ariel’s hand and dragging her towards the staircase.

Is it just me or is there the hint of a romantic comedy in the air? And Ema is staying behind to help Efil with the cleanup? Uh...

Ema shot me a glare, seemingly having read my mind. “Cooking is the only chore I can’t do, mind you.”

“I...I see. Sorry for doubting you.”

I guess there’s no problem with that. As long as Efil isn’t burdened by any other unwelcome surprises.

“Feel free to go ahead, Master. It looks like Sera-san cannot wait much longer.”

Sera was looking at me with reproachful eyes, her cheeks puffed in displeasure. It was an expression that I very much wanted to snap a photo of, but I could tell that any further delay would not go well for me.

“Sorry, sorry. All right, Efil, please take care of things up here.”

“Of course, Master.”

◇ ◇ ◇

“I...I did it...I won...”

“Yes, you did. Now let’s get you back soon so that you can rest.”

Ariel was currently lending her shoulder to Nagua, who seemed entirely spent but had a very accomplished look on his face. His fight against one of our new golems had been a lot more exciting than expected, with both sides repeatedly taking and losing ground. Nagua had kept up with the golem’s speed — despite the boost it had received from the Wind Jail Gems embedded in its body — and unleashed a constant barrage of punches against its black armor. In turn, the golem had displayed deft usage of its brand new Gatling gun, causing the match to last quite a while. In the end, the beastkin barely managed to snatch a close victory.

“Thank you for today,” Sylvia said. “Now our repertoire is much bigger than before.”

“You mean my repertoire, right?”

Look at that — he’s still got the energy to argue. Hm? Why’s Sylvia staring at me like that? “Is there something on my face?”

“Kelvin, do you want to come with us?”

“Me? Go with you guys? You mean, to the Western Continent?”

“Mm.”

As expected, Nagua could not let that pass. “Hold on, what are you saying, Sylvia?!”

The Western Continent. I mean, I do plan on going there eventually, but we have issues to resolve with Trycen at the moment. It probably isn’t the best time for such a long journey. “I’m sorry, but we still have things we need to do here.”

“I see.”

“Thanks for the invitation, though.”

“It’s okay. Let’s meet again someday, Kelvin.”

“I’m sure we will.”

After that, Sylvia and her party headed back to their inn, departing against the backdrop of the setting sun. I heard later that they left town before sunrise the next day.

◇ ◇ ◇

Yesterday had been yet another tiresome routine, thanks as always to Touya’s many troubles.

I’m glad the frequency of his “encounters” seems to have declined a bit lately, but the fact that he’s still causing such drama means that I continue to have to clean up after him. What is it about him that makes him such a magnet for trouble, anyway? But hey, it’s a whole new day with perfect weather and a clear, blue sky. I’m sure that today, at least —

Click.

“Setsuna! You have to see this!”

“Never mind. Here we go again.”

The door to my room banged open to reveal Touya, who was waving something in his hand.

He said he’d be visiting the Adventurer’s Guild first thing in the morning, didn’t he? I think I know better than to hope for the best by now, but please don’t let it be more trouble.

“You seriously have to see this, Setsuna! It was just issued!!”

“What is it?”

“Do you even have to ask?! It’s an article about Teacher’s Rank S promotion, duh! Look, they were passing them out at the guild!”

An article was thrust into my hands with vigor. It was after our ship had set off from Toraj that Touya had started referring to Kelvin as “Teacher,” as if he fancied himself a student of the adventurer.

Although he’s not entirely wrong there, the same logic would make Captain Cliff his teacher as well, wouldn’t it? If I had to venture a guess, this is definitely the result of Miyabi telling him about some unnecessary tradition again. Anyway, let’s see what the article says.

“Let me take a look.”

◆———Birth of a New Rank S Adventurer!———◆

A Rank S adventurer has been promoted in Parth, the City of Peace. Kelvin-sama is, astonishingly, an adventurer who registered at the guild only three months ago. This is the fastest recorded promotion to Rank S of all time. Furthermore, his strength has been proven by his defeat of Sylvia-sama, the incumbent Rank S adventurer also known as Ice Princess, during his recent exhibition match.

It is only natural to be curious about the alias of this up-and-comer. And indeed, it has just been announced by the Adventurer’s Guild: in light of Kelvin-sama’s preferred weapon being an enormous scythe, his black robe, and his characteristic grin, he has been granted the alias of “Grim Reaper.” This does sound like a rather ominous name, but according to testimonies from the residents of Parth, Kelvin-sama himself is a polite, amicable young man. We have also received reports that he and his party have already defeated several Rank S monsters in the past. Keep your eyes peeled for the future successes of this new rising star.

◆————————————————————◆

So, Kelvin-san really has made the news. From what I knew, Rank S was the realm of superhumans, eccentrics, and oddballs. We had grown significantly stronger ourselves since journeying to the Western Continent, but Kelvin had clearly reached even higher heights in the meantime. This gossip column about him in the margin also seems interesting...

“Kelvin-san really is amazing.”

“He sure is! But we’re going to catch up to him one day!”

“Yeaaah...”

We had been spending practically every day training diligently. However, in regards to the prophecy that Colette had received from the Goddess about the next Demon Lord showing up in Rizea...well, we had yet to find even the faintest whisper of such an event. At present, the empire was the very picture of peace.

Should we really be staying on this side of the world?

A separate article had fallen out from between the pages of the main article. Neither of us had noticed it at first, but this was its title:

◆———Trycen Declares War on the Eastern Continent———◆