Manowa

◎ Shirodieh City, Special Ward, Louise"s Villa

「Milady. And all of her companions, welcome.」

While saying that, a lizard tribe middle-aged woman ushered them inside. The lizard tribe was rare in Minshiana, but not to the degree that they were never seen by someone walking in a city, and many of them worked as adventurers because they had higher physical abilities than humans. Therefore, none of the people there were surprised.

「It"s been a long time, Melissa. Everyone, this is Melissa, who looks after this villa.」

Everyone greeted her after Louise"s words, and Melissa also bowed with the characteristic smile of the lizard tribe. Whether that was charming or scary depended on the person. Since Naoki had the experience of being attacked by an Earth Dragon, his smile was a little cramped.

「Well, how has it been? Has anyone been here?」

「That"s right. The head of the house has visited this place a few times in the last several months, but after confirming there were none here, he quickly returned home.」

「Well, I have also been traveling all over the place for a while.」

Two and a half months had pa.s.sed since Louise had joined the party. In that time, she sealed the named devil Diablo and defeated the rampaging Hiruko devil. Louise could a.s.sert that there were no other people in the Cancer family who had been as active as her recently.

「And there is a letter for you.」

So saying, Melissa pulled a letter out of her breast pocket.

「It doesn"t say there"s more work, right?」

While saying that like she was chanting a spell, Louise took the letter and broke the wax seal.

「Hmm, let me see.」

「Milady, is everything fine?」

Melissa said while looking at her with Kazane and the rest, and Louise replied「There"s no problem」as she checked the contents. Kazane could see that Louise wore a frown as she read the letter.

「Did something happen?」

「Well...」

Kazane asked, and Louise looked like she was wondering what to say, but for now she coughed to clear her throat and faced Kazane and the rest.

「It looks like devils have been appearing more frequently over the past few years. The letter was a warning about that.」

「Does that mean ones like Diablo have been appearing?」

Louise shook her head.

「That one was really a big deal. That cla.s.s normally can"t be defeated, and they"re difficult to even notice. There is also information related to Resurrect written here; the whereabouts of 14 devil users were confirmed. That will be over soon, though.」

The arrangements for Diablo"s processing were already made. Although it seemed that was done right after he was defeated. Since the king died. Being aware of it and not contacting them about it would have been a remarkable problem.

(Well, that doesn"t mean there"s anything I can do right now)

Louise folded the list and put it away.

「Let"s forget about work now. More importantly, we should settle in for the time being rather than having a long conversation here.」

Louise switched her mood and showed her companions into the villa.

And after they finished putting away their luggage, Kazane, Yumika and Tiara went shopping, Jinrai went to the hot spring at this villa, and Naoki went to the terrace to think for a bit. Louise sensed the scent of a delicious situation and headed to the terrace where Naoki was located.

◎ Shirodieh City, Special Ward, Louise"s Villa, Terrace

「You have a damp face.」

Louise entered the terrace and said.

「Please leave me alone.」

Naoki was sloppily sitting on the terrace and replied. Even though he knew better, he couldn"t control his feelings, and they showed on his face.

「Now now, want a drink?」

So saying, Louise put wine and a gla.s.s on the table.

「I"ll accept it.」

Naoki couldn"t do anything else, so he poured a gla.s.s and took a drink.

(...Delicious)

It wasn"t cheap, at least to the degree that it wouldn"t be found at a tavern, and had a fine taste.

「So, is your older sister the cause of your displeasure?」

「You know without me saying, don"t you?」

Naoki resentfully replied to Louise"s question. Louise was also a part of the exchange in the carriage. There was no way Louise wouldn"t understand with her sharp intuition.

「Well, maybe, but there are things I won"t understand unless you say them.」

「I just think I"m pathetic. I was strangely stubborn and opposed my Aneki"s words, even though there"s only a problem because I"m too weak. I"m just being stubborn, but it can"t be helped.」

Louise had a wry smile after Naoki"s words. Being stubborn was necessary. Louise wasn"t interested in spineless men.

「Which reminds me, you proposed to Kazane when you first met.」

「Uhh, that"s right. Should I say I didn"t want to miss the chance with someone that similar to my older sister, or that I lost my sanity since there was an Aneki that wasn"t related to me, or, uh, I thought maybe there"s a country where siblings can marry?」

Louise thought (that"s revolting) after that last phrase, but for now she endured it. She was a patient person.

「But you went out with Yumika, isn"t that right? Doesn"t that mean you aren"t only interested in your older sister?」

When they were riding the horse together, she was holding his waist, so her large b.r.e.a.s.t.s would shake and touch him. Even though he thought it would go unnoticed, unfortunately he was with Louise Nee-san. She knew his lower abdomen had risen. And that the size was average.

「Yeah, after all, Aneki is Aneki. I know. I also like Yumika.」

「I see」

(Not 『liked』but『like』?)

She didn"t know what kind of like it was, but Louise thought he would have eyes for Tiara if he was normal like that. That was what she wanted to ask. And one more thing.

「Which reminds me, you were adventuring with Jinrai-kun"s grandchildren, right? Wasn"t the sister named Emily? Was there anything with her?」

「No, there wasn"t. Not at all.」

He was acting strange.

(There was something, wasn"t there.)

It was Louise"s intuition, or perhaps his agitation was just at that level.

「We were together for two years, so it"s not like I never thought about that, but it feels like she has started avoiding me, so I think she probably doesn"t want me to look at her that way.」

So he was the dull type. The most depressing type.

「I see.」

In other words, it seems she"s interested... Louise understood.

「Ah, that"s right.」

So saying, Louise brought her face close to Naoki.

「Wha, wha, what is it?」

Naoki was fl.u.s.tered after she suddenly brought her face so close. His Onee-san interest was also rising.

「Nn, it"s nothing.」

However, Louise said that while pulling her face away and thinking (I saw something interesting).

Actually, a girl in a villa a little bit away was staring at them. Louise thought she might be at the age to be interested in a young boy and Onee-san"s love affair. And from a distance, it would have looked like Louise and Naoki were kissing. The girl"s face turned red and she was repeatedly opening and closing her mouth, and when Louise turned that way with a「What?」expression like she had just noticed her, she turned even redder and went inside her house.

(Youth)

So Louise thought. To put it simply, she was enjoying the reaction from showing a strongly stimulating (pretend) scene to a peeping girl.

But there was something that Louise naturally didn"t notice. Louise never imagined the voyeur was the girl they had just been talking about. Because Louise didn"t not know the faces of Jinrai"s grandchildren.

Name: Yuihama Kazane

Occupation: Magic Swordswoman

t.i.tle: Ogre Killer, Dragon Slayer, High Beast Summoner

Equipment: Staff 『White Blaze』, Two Handed Sword『Black Fang』, Adhesion Sword『Gum』, Spell Dagger, Dragonscale Breastplate, Drake Gauntlets, Silver Sheep Clothes, Sylphyn Skirt, Plasma Pants, Dragon Ogre Greaves, Indestructible Cloak, Mysterious Pouch, Crimson Saint Coffin, Heroic Spirit Summoning Ring, Circlet of Wisdom, Aim Bracelet, Magic Acc.u.mulator, White Magic Acc.u.mulator

Level : 30

Health: 107

Magic Power: 181+420

Strength: 52+10

Agility: 43+4

Endurance: 29

Wisdom : 57

Dexterity : 38

Spell : 『Fly』 『Torch』 『Fire』 『Heal』『Firestorm』『Healer Ray』『High Heal』

Skill : 『Warrior"s Memory』 『Night Vision』 『Crushing Blow』 『Dog"s Sense of Smell』 『Golem Maker: Lv3』 『Rush』 『Fire Principle: Third Chapter』 『Healing Principle: Fourth Chapter』 『Air Jump: Lv2』 『Killing Leg: Lv2』 『Fear Voice』 『Invisible』 『Tiger Eye』 『Wall Walking』 『Intuition』 『Cheat Death』 『Nimble』『Charge』『Material Shield』『Information Link』『Optical Camouflage』『Dash』『Bloodsucking Blade』『Dragonization』『Regenerate』『Soul Breaking Blade』『Stealthy Placement』『Thunder Chariot』『St.u.r.dy Teeth』『Crystallization』

Yumika:「Well, now I think of him more like a younger brother.」

Kazane:「And I am the real older sister. The real thing is different, it"s much more radiant.」

Yumika:「Yes yes.」