Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut

–

「Please wake up, master──」

There was the sensation of his body being shaken.

The indifferent voice of a girl and her breathing were gently tickling Lux"s ear.

「……It"s quite hard to wake you up. I heard from Airi that Lux-san is someone who has no problem waking up early though.」

(Eh……?)

Lux was harboring a small doubt inside his warm drowsiness.

From what his sleepy eyes briefly glanced, he didn"t know who this girl was.

But, the girl"s tone had a trait that was familiar to him.

「Perhaps it"s my method to wake him up that is bad? Then, I"ll try imitating Airi. Onii-chan, please wake up.」

It was a quiet voice that sounded calm and had no intonation.

Lux had recollection of this peculiar way of talking in roundabout way that was somewhat different from his little sister Airi who acted like a respectable young lady.

When he slowly opened his heavy eyelids, he could see that girl"s face.

Lux felt relieved and his tension slackened, but at that moment an intense out of place feeling a.s.saulted him.

「Something is different. Please wake up, Lux-san──」

「……Wait, Noct! What are you doing here-!?」

Lux leaped up in a flash from his bed and questioned the girl in front of him.

His consciousness instantly woke up.

The girl who was his junior in this Academy──his little sister"s best friend, and a member of the famous trio in the Academy──the Triad, was standing there as though it was only natural.

The girl with black hair and deep green eyes slightly opened her eyes wide, but her usual composure immediately returned and she quietly took a step back.

「Yes. Good morning, master.」

Noct softly closed her eyes and bowed toward Lux.

「Ah, that, good morni──……not that! Just what are you doing here!?」

「Just as Lux-san see, I only came to wake you up though?」

「No, that"s not what I meant. More importantly your appearance──?」

Yes,

He didn"t notice that the girl before him was Noct for a moment was caused by her outfit.

She was wearing a maid headdress and a cotton dress with black basic tone.

The maid appearance with pure white ap.r.o.n that gave a sense of cleanliness really suited her.

Even though her figure was enveloped with graceful elegance, her s.e.x appeal could also be vaguely felt, causing his heart to spontaneously skip a beat.

However Lux stared fixedly at her, wondering just why she was dressing like that.

「No. Unfortunately, I cannot answer the wish of the perverted master who wants the skirt"s length to be shortened.」

「you"re wrong!? What kind of person Noct is setting me up inside your mind!? Tha, that"s not it, why are you dressing like that──」

「Yes. Before explaining, first I recommend master to wash your face. The breakfast will still be some time ahead. Sharis and Tillfur are already waiting outside.」

Noct obstinately didn"t answer Lux"s question and she prompted him indifferently.

「Eh……?」

When Lux opened his room"s curtain while still wearing his sleepwear, he could see Tillfur below wearing casual clothing in front of the dormitory"s door.

When she noticed Lux, she looked up at him with her bright smile and,

「Lux-chi, morniiing!」

She waved her hand at him cheerfully.

Lux responded to her with an awkward smile and he recalled the plan for today. He turned around.

「Noct, you see.」

「Yes. What is it, master.」

「I completely don"t understand why Noct is dressing like that.」

Incidentally, it was also a puzzle why she was calling him master instead of the usual 「Lux-san」.

「Yes. Could it be, master wish to help you changing clothes?」

「I cannot change clothes in front of a girl who is my junior, that"s why get out for now please!?」

After Lux yelled with flushed cheeks, Noct listened to his order with a slightly disappointed face.

Lux let out a long sigh at the morning that gave him the premonition of a flurried day.

–

「──Then in the end, today the requests from everyone else were gone?」

Ten-odd minutes later after the uproar of his waking up.

Lux who changed into his uniform and went outside was being shaken inside the small coach.

As expected, the members of Triad were riding together with him.

The oldest one and the leader, the third year student, Sharis.

The bright mood maker, the second year student, Tillfur.

And then, the calm and quiet best friend of his little sister, Noct. These three people.

「Sorry to spring this to you out of nowhere. Perhaps you are taken aback because the ch.o.r.es requests are suddenly disappearing, but we too wanted to surprise you.」

Sharis who was sitting beside Lux chuckled at his question.

Today was a rest day for him after so long.

In the Academy that was nurturing Drag-Knights, the daily schedule could caused fatigue to pile up easier than expected.

Thus, in the case the students used Drag-Ride consecutively over and over, sometimes a rest period that was called as rest day would be especially prepared for the students.

At present, Lux was receiving various requests from the students and staffs in the Academy, but normally he couldn"t fulfill all of them because of the great number.

Thus today Lux promised to go get the piling up requests from Tillfur who was managing the requests from the students, but──.

「Yes. The works that are the portion for today had been done beforehand altogether by us Triad. Of course, we avoided the requests that can only be done by Lux-san and collected it for you to be done later.」

It seemed that they had planned and carried it out from before this.

「I have talked a bit with Tillfur, but it appear that you are working a bit too much everyday. You planned to work even at this rare rest day right? That"s why today as your close friends, we formed a plan so that Lux-kun can properly rest──that"s how it is.」

「……That"s, I"m really happy hearing that. But, everyone, your appearance──?」

Lux nodded in understanding at Sharis"s words while asking.

Lux was in his uniform like usual, but the appearance of the Triad who were accompanying him was all over the place for some reason.

Sharis was wearing a das.h.i.+ng butler uniform that he wasn"t used to seeing.

Tillfur was wearing a cute casual clothes with high exposure rate for autumn.

Noct was in chic and straight maid appearance the same like before.

「This is for the amus.e.m.e.nt after we arrive at my villa.」

「Ha, haa……」

Sharis"s smile was filled with implication. Lux could only respond with an expression that was completely at loss for words.

She was fundamentally someone with leaders.h.i.+p capacity and good with looking after other people, but she was strangely a festival lover and tended to act theatrically, or something like that.

She formed the team called Triad and purposefully volunteered to act as the Academy"s vigilance committee. There were also good times like when Lux was enrolled into the Academy at first, together with Lisha she planned the welcome party for him.

「But, why are we going as far as going out?」

A simple question suddenly surfaced in his mind.

「If it"s for me to rest, then isn"t it fine even if do it in the Academy──?」

Sharis smiled proudly when he asked her that.

「Fufuh. It looks like we know about Lux-kun better than you know yourself.」

「Lux-chi. Even if it"s a rest day you won"t have anything to do after all, and when a request from someone came to you, you will surely accept it. Not just the dorm mother, the other girls will also come to you with requests for sure.」

「Yes. Master need to learn the option called 『I refuse』 for a bit more, and then please actually apply it.」

Sharis smiled wryly, while Tillfur and Noct turned a fixed stare at him and muttered that.

(I, I cannot deny it……)

Honestly, he was aware of that himself.

It appeared, these girls who were being considerate of Lux seeing how many requests coming at him were in the right.

The coach the four were riding was running along with gentle rocking.

Amidst the calm early morning air where people had only just gotten waking up, Lux was being shook by the coach"s rocking while feeling a subtle guilt as though he was skipping off work.

–

「──We have been waiting for your arrival. Thank you for your work, Sharis-ojousama.」

The residence district of Cross Field"s second block.

In front of the pure white big mansion that had garden and pond in it, the guards and maids were welcoming their arrival.

「This is the house used by my family members like my father or relatives when they come to Cross Field. But today it"s completely reserved for you and us.」

Lux reconfirmed once more, that the girls in the Academy were fundamentally n.o.ble young ladies as expected.

Especially Sharis, even among the Triad, she was the daughter of the vice commander of the new kingdom"s military, so perhaps this was only natural.

「Sorry for the trouble. Leave the rest to us. We only need one guard for the outside.」

「Yes. Please take care.」

The maids and guards bowed in respond to Sharis"s thanks, then they left.

「Eh──?」

The servants of the house where they were going to spend their time at after this were going home early for some reason.

Lux tilted his head wondering what was the meaning of this. Then Sharis who was wearing butler uniform walked ahead and opened the door for him.

「Now, welcome. Lux-dono, please take a rest peacefully for today here.」

Lux smiled wryly at Sharis"s excessively theatrical gesture.

「Could it be, everyone is dressed like that because……」

「Yes. For this whole day, we will take care of Lux-san as your servants.」

「Waaa, how envious. To be able to be accompanied by three girls who are this cuteee. ……Something like that, that"s why, Lux-chi too don"t hold back at all okay?」

Noct who nodded indifferently and Tillfur who gave him a thumb up cheerfully.

「We are finally inviting you for a break after much trouble. Doing it normally won"t be interesting right? You are a former prince after all. I thought that this kind of idea won"t be bad occasionally.」

「……Because of that, Sharis-senpai dressed as butler like that?」

「Well yeah. There was that servant of missy Krulcifer, Alterize wasn"t it? I also want to try dressing like her at aleast once. Does it suit me?」

「Then, Noct is──」

「In the first place my background is from the family of servants that are serving Sharis"s family──the Balts.h.i.+ft house. This is my primary appearance outside the Academy.」

「…………Why is it only Tillfur who is wearing casual clothes?」

It was only his girl cla.s.smate who was wearing casual clothing that consisted of black innerwear that was covered with sleeveless tunic

Her short pants had two stylish belts coiling around, and her wrists were adorned with slender rings.

It was an appearance that was fitting for the lively Tillfur, but her healthy shoulders and thighs that were boldly exposed felt defenseless somehow. It made his heart beat really fast.

「It won"t be fun even if there are two people dressed as maid see. And so, my role is as the young lady who is Lux-chi"s playmate, how"s that?」

Seeing Tillfur winking at him in delight, Lux was convinced.

「In the end, everyone is simply doing whatever you want isn"t it!?」

After gathering breath for a moment, he retorted with his all.

「Fuu, it can"t be helped that we got found out.」

Sharis shrugged and responded with a cheerful laugh.

Really, this trio was really interesting and troubling.

However, somehow he was also feeling a bit amused.

This kind of 『playing』 with friends of the same generation was something he had never done until now after all.

Until now, Lux had no friend who would do something like this for him.

「But, our feeling that wish to entertain you is the real thing. That"s why, right, we will give you the command right to make one request to each of us. Just say any demand that you like.」

「Command right, ……is it?」

「By the way, it"s a right that is only for today. You have to use it up properly okay?」

These girls who were his friends would accept Lux"s personal command.

Honestly speaking, it was an act that Lux found it the most difficult to do, but now that it had come to this, going along with it was only proper.

While Lux was thinking of what he should request, Sharis who was standing beside him suddenly smiled mischievously and whispered into Lux"s ear.

「……But, please be moderate with perverted wish okay? After all we too are still innocent virgin. It doesn"t feel like we will be able to respond to your expectation well.」

「What are you saying right in the morning!? Ma, making that kind of request, I"m not even think──」

Lux went red until his ears instantly and yelled.

「You heard that both of you! It seems Lux-kun is still pure at heart you know? Let"s entertain him without any worry!」

Sharis showed a congenial smile and said that toward Tillfur and Noct.

「Wait, just what are you ascertaining from me!/」

「Aa, I"m glaad. There is also that Yoruka girl after all, so recently I"m feeling a bit uneasy you knooow」

For some reason Tillfur was patting down her chest looking relieved from the bottom of her heart.

「Yes. I think I can also make a good report to Airi.」

「Why are you taking memo like that!? Stop it!」

Lux spontaneously yelled seeing Noct writing smoothly using feather pen on the paper in her hand.

「Now, let"s quickly prepare breakfast. Lux-kun, after choosing coffee or tea, just relax easily there.」

「Please don"t behave like a servant as though you only just remember about it!」

Lux was escorted inside the villa with such lively mood.

–

After the four finished their breakfast, they enjoyed a light after meal rest.

Lux proposed to help out with tidying up like was.h.i.+ng plates and so on, but Noct who was in charge of the housework denied him gently.

「Master, please rest at ease.」

「No, it"s fine to call me Lux just like usual……or rather, is there a meaning in this role distribution?」

Somehow, it would feel more relaxing for Lux if they interacted with him like usual, so he spontaneously said that.

「There is. Lux-kun was chosen as princess Lizsharte"s knight. It doesn"t matter even if you are a former imperial family of the old empire or a criminal──when you obtained that t.i.tle, in the future there is a high possibility that you too will have subordinates. It will be fine if you think of this as rehearsal for that.」

Sharis in her butler uniform was replying like that from right behind the sofa where Lux was sitting.

Her words themselves might be indeed correct.

But……, somehow it also felt like it was only the surface reason.

「Thaat"s how it is, it"s fine to use us without reservation for killing time you know? Even though I look like this, in regards to playing I"m more able than any other.」

Tillfur puffed up her chest proudly. Lux smiled wryly seeing that.

In the end, it seemed like this was a really loose master and servant relations.h.i.+p.

「I guess, thank you. But, right now I have no request yet I think.」

「Lux-chi, normally what are you doing in your holiday? Like when you were still a prince, or before you came to our Academy.」

「Hmmmm……」

Lux hesitated to answer Tillfur"s question.

Honestly speaking, he couldn"t really remember.

When he was still living at imperial court, he only had the memory of playing with Philuffy, after that he stretched himself thin with Drag-Ride practice or studying.

In his life of ch.o.r.es after the coup d"etat, he had no memory other than sleeping because of his fatigue in his holiday.

Speaking of holiday for Lux, his impression about it was instead the time of working in service business.

「Then, how about you spend your time today for your hobby?」

Sharis gave an advice while Lux was crossing his arms and pondering.

But, Lux could only smile stiffly.

「I, cannot remember. If I"m forced to say, then searching for odd job"s tool or something──」

「……Uwah, so you used even your free time for your ch.o.r.es.」

Tillfur showed a twitching expression at Lux"s answer.

「Yes. It seems that Lux-san is ill. The ch.o.r.es nature has been completely instilled into your very bone.」

「Cruel-!?」

「Pardon my rudeness master. My true feeling unconsciously slipped out.」

"What"s going on with the thing about these three entertaining me……?"

While Lux was hurt by Noct"s words, Sharis suddenly talked from behind Lux.

「Lux-kun. What is called hobby is something that you discover. Was there anything that attract your personal interest while you were playing or working in the past?」

「Eerrr……」

Even if she told him that, he couldn"t remember anything.

「Uwaa……. Sometimes Lux-chi will give off feeling like that but──, could it be you have never thought about your own enjoyment at all?」

「N, no such thing──but」

Even though he tried to deny it in panic, he was shocked of himself who couldn"t deny it somewhere inside.

「Master. The cleaning up is finished.」

While they were talking like that, the maidNoct who finished the clean up came to his side.

In the end they couldn"t decide what to do. The three sat together on the sofa.

When Lux was falling silent with a troubled look, the Triad began discussing in whispers.

Before long it appeared they reached a conclusion. Sharis clapped Lux"s shoulder lightly.

「Yosh, the schedule today is decided.」

「Eh……?」

「Let"s stimulate the feeling of enjoying spare time that Lux-kun has completely forgotten. ──And so, we will have you accompany us in our hobby today. Is that fine?」

「Ye, yes!」

Lux spontaneously nodded at Shari"s confident invitation.

After that the four immediately arranged their appearance and departed to the center of second block"s center.

–

「──Then first, will you accompany me with my hobby?」

The place they were heading with Sharis"s recommendation was a corner where there were a lot of shops lining up even in the commercial district.

There was a shop there that although small, it was standing with a high cla.s.s feeling. When they entered, a mysterious smell was drifting their way.

Colorful gla.s.s jars were lined up on the shelves. Even just the containers looked fairly pricey.

「This shop, could it be──?」

「Oh, have Lux-kun came to a similar shop like this before?」

Sharis who said that took one of the small jar and opened the lid.

She lightly soaked a paper strip inside it and then presented it to him. Lux immediately understood what it was.

「──Is this, perfume?」

「Perfume, then there is also pomade. I like the rose aroma, but it"s quiet expensive, and if you aren"t careful with the amount, it will only smell gaudy, so there is also a trick in using it.」

「Syvalles"s training will make you sweat a lot, so this kind of thing is really useful you knoow?」

「Yes. I and Tillfur also have Sharis to choose different perfume and pomade for each of us.」

「Hee……」

Lux though it unexpected inside his heart.

He knew that Sharis liked rose, and because of that she preferred perfume and pomade of that fragrance, but he didn"t know that Tillfur and Noct also received theirs from her.

「Well, we aren"t using it as frequently as Sharis thouugh. But we will when we want to dress up occasionally.」

「Is that so……」

He felt a bit embarra.s.sed that he had never noticed until now.

Perhaps the other girls who somehow smell good were also actually fussing about it in the back.

(It"s really hard for girl huh.)

Lux was in admiration, at the same time he became curious with the perfume of the girls and approached near them. There Tillfur took distance from him in panic.

「──Wait, don"t sniff our scent nonchalantly like that!? Lo, look, we are taking care of it so it will be all right! But there is still the slightest chance of something going wrong isn"t it!?」

「So, sorry-……!」

What kind of slightest chance could it be?

Lux thought questioningly inside his heart, but surely it was rude to approach and sniff a girl.

「Master too still have things to learn.」

When Lux apologized in fl.u.s.ter, Noct muttered that while presenting to him two small jars.

Tillfur used orange perfume and pomade.

And it seemed Noct was using lavender aroma, she allowed him to sniff each of the jar"s scent.

The perfumes perfectly suited the image of the lively and cheerful Tillfur, and the calm and composed Noct.

「──Now then, I want to present a perfume to Lux-kun too. Try sniffing various aroma and test which one you like. If you use it well, your stock as man will increase further you know?」

「I understand. I"ll give it a try.」

Lux"s expression broke into a relieved smile at Sharis"s consideration.

He had done various things through his ch.o.r.es, but he hadn"t experienced something like this, so it felt fresh.

「Actually I also want you to try cosmetic too. If it is matched with the cross-dressing you did before, I think it will surely become useful for disguise but──」

「──I absolutely don"t want to do that!」

Lux who got his previous trauma revived instantly refused with all his might.

In the end he chose a lemongra.s.s perfume and then they headed to the next shop.

–

「Yahoo! I have contacted beforehand but, do you got free time?」

Next they visited a shop of ornament that Tillfur"s relative was managing.

The inside of the shop gave an antique feeling, various accessories were lining up everywhere.

「My? You are bringing your friends again.」

A female shopkeeper with elegant atmosphere welcomed Lux and co with a smile.

It seemed that Tillfur"s family had an artisan background, they had their main store in the capital which seemed to be really famous.

「At Lilmit main store, they are making goods that are dedicated for the kingdom, like n.o.ble"s family crest, the arm band of the new kingdom"s military, collar badge, and so on. A part of those items manufacturing has been requested to us since the era of the old empire.」

「Yes. The three of us getting acquainted with each other mainly began from that connection too.」

Sharis was born in a famous family of knight, while Noct was from the family of servants that served Sharis"s house.

And then, Tillfur was the daughter of craftsman who came and went to receive work order from the military.

They were each brought by their parents to work since they were childhood and encountered each other, and because their residences were close to each other at the time, they became close.

They were childhood friends from ten years ago, and even now they were really close to each other.

Even though their ages were different from each other──, and then even though strictly speaking the relations.h.i.+p between Sharis and Noct was that of a master and servant, they called each other without honorific. It seemed that they interacted with each other while forgetting their background when it was only the three of them was from their childhood promise that was still alive until now.

「Is, that so.」

Lux was feeling surprised by the unexpected truth and he looked around inside the shop once more.

The daughter of a famous craftsman who had a shop of long standing in the royal capital.

When he imagined that, his impression of Tillfur changed slightly.

「Theen, Tillfur"s hobby is to by accessory?」

Tillfur made a mischievous smile at Lux"s frank question, as though she had been waiting for it. Then she waved her finger while going "tsk, tsk".

「How naïve, Lux-chi. Something like that is for only beginner. Today we came here to design our own accessory.」

She lined up chairs in front of the counter, then she prepared a desk, papers, ink, and feather pens.

It seemed she had made appointment so the shop would make the accessory based on their own designed shape or picture.

「As an apprentice, sometimes I was also told to do design work. How"s that? Surprised?」

「……Yes. You"re amazing, Tillfur.」

When Lux praised her honestly, Sharis and Noct muttered with a small voice.

「Though most of what she created will be adjusted again by the shopkeeper here.」

「Yes. Also, the accessory from her design doesn"t really sold well.」

「Wai-!? Even though I"m doing my best in making appeal-!?」

Lux smiled wryly at Tillfur"s boast that easily crumbled while he also tried to draw his own design.

The rabbit picture that he casually drew ended up poorly. Tillfur laughed at it.

「──Then, next I will introduce my hobby to master.」

For the last, Lux accompanied Noct in her hobby at the bookstore that was near the center of the second block.

Because book was expensive and previous, there was also shop with members.h.i.+p system that not only sold book but also lending them out.

The store was smaller than the library in the Academy, but countless bookshelves were lined up and the s.p.a.ce was filled with peculiar scent.

Reading originally should be really matching with Noct"s image but──.

「But, I wonder why. I don"t really remember Noct reading book in the Academy though?」

「Yes. I almost never read in front of other people after all.」

She easily answered like that.

「Normally I will prioritize my work as servant. After all nonchalantly obtaining various knowledge for the sake of the master I"m serving is my duty.」

Certainly, Noct might be a daughter of family of servant.

But, at the very least right now she was still military cadet. Her work ethic in spite of that was surprising.

Perhaps, her usual silent appearance was also from there──.

「By the way, my personality is like this simply by birth.」

"Is my face that easy to understand……?"

After reading Lux"s heart with her usual fixed stare, Noct silently walked forward.

「Master too, if there is book that you are interested at, please tell me by all means.」

「Ri, right……」

(She is still going to continue calling me that……?)

Even while feeling slightly overwhelmed, Lux stared at the spine of the books lining up inside the shelves. He took some of them into his hand and gave them a look.

At the past, he was reading tactic manual, philosophy book, and Drag-Ride book in the imperial court"s archive, but──.

Almost everything was for the sake of obtaining necessary knowledge for the revolution. He had almost never reading book simply because of pure curiosity.

「By the way, what kind of book Noct is reading right now?」

「Yes. Recently I"m reading mainly books about decorative plant and kitchen garden. Because I"m also raising up flower in the Academy.」

When Lux tried asking to obtain a clue for what book to choose, such reply immediately came back to him.

He thought that it didn"t sound so bad, but as expected he didn"t get any other idea.

「Oi, the boy there. What kind of thing you are interested at?」

「No, that"s──」

While he was walking around in front of the bookshelves, the middle-aged man behind the counter called out to him.

The shopkeeper gave a stern impression with his large built that was unusual for a bookstore. He leaned his body forward and beckoned at Lux.

「Even so, boy, you cannot be made light of eh.」

「Yes……?」

The shopkeeper brought his face close to the ear of the bewildered Lux and grinned widely.

「That missy wearing maid uniform. She often came since some time ago, but this is the first time she brought a man with her. You are quite something huh?」

「……No, Noct is only my junior in school. We aren"t like that.」

「Gah-ha-ha. Don"t be so shy! Even I got several women serving me when I was young!」

*Bam bam* The shopkeeper slapped Lux"s back painfully.

Lux was nonplussed by this shopkeeper"s mood, but the Triad were looking for book at slight distance away, so they weren"t paying attention to here.

「Yos.h.!.+ What kind of book that you want? You can tell uncle anything!」

「Err, is there any book that is popular for a boy my age?」

When the troubled Lux told the shopkeeper his original objective, the shopkeeper grinned after thinking for a while and took out a book from behind the counter.

「Yos.h.!.+ It has to be this. Surely this is gonna be useful when you got closer with those girls. Also , it can be used somehow when you are alone by yourself. This book is enlightening.」

Was this a book about how to get closer to someone, or perhaps about friends.h.i.+p?

「The, then please lend me that.」

「──Here you go, don"t let your teachers find it no matter what!」

The shopkeeper spoke incomprehensible thing while giving the book to Lux.

「Eh? The price──」

「Aah……I already got the money from that girl just now. This book"s cost is within that range. Don"t worry.」

「Eh……?」

Lux turned his gaze at Noct who was some distance away.

When the girl in maid appearance noticed him, she gave him a small nod.

「──Thank you very much.」

Lux said his grat.i.tude to the shopkeeper and joined up with the Triad.

They then entered a nearby café for a short break and this time Lux said his thanks to Noct once more.

「Thank you Noct. For giving me this present of book.」

「I only did the natural thing for a servant. More importantly Lux-san, what kind of book that you bought?」

「Yep yep. I"m also interested.」

Noct showed a faint smile. The Tillfur also spiritedly joined the talk.

「Here. Take a look.」

Lux presented the book the shopkeeper chose for him and Noct opened the page.

But, right after that, for some reason the junior girl"s expression stiffened.

Ten-odd seconds later, Noct"s cheeks were vaguely reddening and he turned a reproachful gaze at him along with a mysterious silence.

「Excuse me, Lux-san.」

「What? I was told that it"s a book that will be really useful for me──」

「This novel, it has a story about the love affair of a master and a maid written in it though?」

「Buhah!?」

Lux reflexively spurted out the tea he was drinking.

「Eh, let me see──wait, this book, there ain"t nothing in it except erotic scene!?」

Tillfur who s.n.a.t.c.hed the book from the side yelled with blus.h.i.+ng cheeks.

「Wai-!? Wait a second!? This is some kind of mistake. I"m not──」

Lux who was about to make excuse went "hah" in realization.

『Surely this is gonna be useful when you got closer with those girls.』

He recalled the shopkeeper"s words and cold sweat trickled through his back.

「Don"t tell me──this is what he meant!?」

At that moment, Noct who was sitting in front of him while staring at him reproachfully was glaring at Lux with an upward gaze.

「So I was made to buy this kind of lewd book as my hospitality for Lux-san. Does Lux-san overlap the image of the maid in this story with me?」

「It"s a misunderstanding so stop with that way of talking okay!? Or rather, don"t tell this to Airi no matter what!」

「But, it can"t be helped if this is master"s wish. I"m returning this book. Please, enjoy it to your heart"s content.」

「No, it"s fine you know!? I don"t need it! This is only a mistake anyway!」

「Lux-san really doesn"t need this book? The content written inside seem to be really amazing though?」

「I will tell Airi later that Lux-san is hesitating.」

「I"m telling you that"s not it-!? I really don"t need it!」

Lux shook his head in panic. Near him, Sharis and Tillfur were staring at him with a grin.

「Fufufu. Somehow it feels strange to know the fetish of a boy I"m acquainted with.」

「Lux-chi also has that kind of side eeeh.」

「Tha, that"s why this is just a mistake──」

「Then I will keep hold to this book. I will look for a chance and send it back to that perverted shopkeeper. In exchange I will choose the suitable book for Lux-san.」

「Ah, ye, yes……」

It wasn"t an atmosphere where he could say that he felt just slightly disappointed of that.

After the four had tea for a bit, they left the café.

They would shop in the market before returning to Sharis"s villa.

「Do you have a request for the dinner master? If it"s something that needs no prior preparation then I can mostly make it but──」

「……Err, food that everyone likes is fine.」

When Lux answered like that to Noct"s question, the Triad made a long sigh.

「You are just like always. It helps that you are considerate, but it"s fine to be a bit more selfish you know? After all we too have know each other quite well.」

「But──」

When Lux was going to respond to Sharis"s words, at that time,

–

「……Oi! You over there-!」

–

At the main street that was heading toward the market in the second district, a man came yelling angrily.

He was wearing an old and dirty coat with unshaven grim face.

Strong scent of alcohol could be smelt mixing with sour body odor.

「……Me?」

Lux was slightly perplexed while pointing at himself. Then the man got even closer with unsteady gait.

「Ain"t that obvious you criminal! Because you lost against the like of the new kingdom, I got fired from my job! The value of man got decreased in this d.a.m.n country! ……Hics!」

The man"s face was bright red until his neck. His gait was unsteady.

「Did something happen?」

Even so, Lux replied calmly.

He had often met this kind of drunk since he was doing ch.o.r.es, so he was used with handling them.

He wanted to conclude this peacefully in the way that didn"t bother the Triad.

「I was only doing exactly the same thing like before! Even though I finally climbed up until the position of the aide of miner union leader, just because of that minor thiiing──. If it"s at the empire in the past, this kinda thing ain"t gonna happen to me……dammit-!」

If the unclear rambling of the drunkard was summarized, it seemed that the man"s drinking habit was bad and he constantly acted and spoke violently at the women in his workplace. He was criticized about that by the work inspector and just the other day he was dismissed from his position.

The current new kingdom was changing from the strong trend of male chauvinism.

The drunkard thought that was the cause of his failure. Then at that timing he accidentally caught sight of Lux who was a former imperial family. His rage exploded from that.

"Fuu." Lux took a deep breath, then he spoke with a calm voice.

「I understand that you hate me, but nothing good will come from it even if you do that you know?」

However, it appeared the man took offense needlessly at Lux"s calm att.i.tude. He raised up his empty bottle and attacked suddenly instead.

「Shuut up you criminal! Because of you b.a.s.t.a.r.d I──」

That attack which was like a surprise attack made Lux held his breath.

But, the moment he reacted in order to protect Sharis and others, the three girls burst into action and leaped in front of Lux.

「Buhah!?」

Tillfur threw the wheat flour bundle they bought for dinner to the man"s face, then when the man faltered, Noct swept the man"s leg with her boot.

At the end Sharis sharply thrust her sheathed Sword Device in front of the face of the man who fell on her b.u.t.t.

「Yo, you b.i.t.c.hes, what aare──」

The flowing combination movement caused the repelled man to get bewildered, unable to understand what had happened.

「Stay quiet if you don"t want to get injured. We are going to call the guard now so be patient. Also, laying your hand on him right now isn"t a good move you know? After all this me, the daughter of the military"s vice commander is accompanying him.」

「Guh, u……!」

The more a person wielded their authority, the weaker they were against someone with stronger authority.

The man groaned in frustration and didn"t resist further.

It was surprising.

Even though Lux thought that he was better than the girls in hand-to-hand combat and tried to protect them, it was instead him who got protected.

「Perhaps we have overstepped ourselves impertinently?」

After the drunkard was taken away by the arriving guards, Sharis suddenly said that to him.

「No, I was saved──, but……」

「It"s all right. After all we are also really used to this kinda thing. We have caught many peeping tom, molester, or kidnapper that came to the Academy after all.」

「Yes. But, master also seems familiar with this. You didn"t look shaken at all.」

「……I guess.」

Lux smiled awkwardly in respond to Noct"s words.

「Recently I haven"t really met anyone like that──but five years ago, when I had only just started doing ch.o.r.es here and there, something like this happened frequently.」

「There was also people who investigated my location and aimed at me, so I kept moving to various places, and I also couldn"t make friend the same age with me at all──wait, sorry. Somehow it became a gloomy story.」

When Lux hurriedly smiled wryly, Sharis lightly clapped Lux"s shoulder.

And then, they started walking through the path toward the market again.

「Sorry for today, we are making merry foolishly like usual. We thought to entertain you a bit more seriously but, the three of us are this kind of people after all.」

「That"s not true. When I"m looking at you three, I"m also having fun.」

Sharis went "fuh" seeing Lux"s smiling face and she smiled.

「I see. That"s great. By the way, you still haven"t use your command right to us though? Won"t you make your decision soon?」

「Ah……」

Lux noticed that he had completely forgotten about what he had been told before they went out until now.

The three were sending him fixed gaze that was filled with expectation. After worrying and thinking for a while──Lux said.

「Err, then──, from here on……will you three keep getting along with me as my friends?」

Lux said that even while thinking that it was a bit embarra.s.sing.

That was Lux"s genuine feeling.

Lux intended to wish for the relations.h.i.+p that he who was a former imperial family and a criminal was looking for, but──.

「No good.」

「Eeeeh……!?」

Sharis who suddenly put up a smile answered Lux immediately.

「Me too, I think that kind of wish is just out of question.」

「Yes. I agree with that point.」

(To, to think that I"ll receive rejection when the mood is like this-……!)

Lux was dumbfounded inside his heart. He reflexively hung down his head, but then,

「Fufu, you are cute like always. Don"t look that shocked.」

Sharis wrapped her hand on Lux"s shoulder with a mischievous tone.

The sensation of soft breast touched his shoulder. At the same time, the faint scent of rose perfume caused his heart to skip a beat.

Sharis lightly poked at the cheek of the bewildered Lux and she smiled.

「We and you are already a very close friends right? And then, it"s already decided that we are going to get along well with you from here on too. That"s why──there is already no need to accept that kind of command right from the start.」

Tillfur and Noct also showed their smile in respond to Sharis"s words.

Just from seeing that, it was conveyed to Lux that these three had the same feeling.

「──Thank you, very much.」

Lux smiled in relieves and told them so.

For a long time, he didn"t wish for that for the sake of his objective.

Even so──somewhere in his heart he was wis.h.i.+ng for that relations.h.i.+p all this time.

He was really happy that they were saying that to him.

「Then, how about we try to form a team of not just us three, but with the four of us? However, it will be weird if one of us is the only one with different appearance──I won"t mind if you cross dress only when in the time of activity you know?」

「Please stop already with that kind of talk-!」

Lux whose old wound was gouged out yelled in fl.u.s.ter.

As expected, having a lot of friends that were only girls might bring a different kind of hards.h.i.+p with it too. Lux smiled wryly.