Chapter 72: Chapter 72

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: Unexpected Hospitality

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"Hey, Amelia."

"Hmm?"

The promised day had arrived. The day they were to head to the sea.

On their way to Arte's house.

Taking advantage of Dorothy having succumbed to boredom and fallen asleep, he spoke to Amelia, who was resting.

There were more than a few things he wanted to ask the cheerfully smiling Amelia.

That enormous amount of luggage, for one, and her obvious delight made him uneasy.

Whenever Amelia got excited, strange things always seemed to happen.

But more than that, he wanted an answer to a question that had suddenly popped into his head.

"Why is Arte coming along with us?"

"...What are you suddenly talking about?"

Amelia narrowed her eyes and looked at me, as if wondering what nonsense I was spouting.

...Was it too out of the blue? No, but what could I do? It just popped into my head.

"Well, Arte's goal was to leak the artifact from the secret chamber, wasn't it?"

"Oh... was it? I think... maybe it was?"

Did you forget?

Dumbfounded, this time *I* stared intently at Amelia.

Perhaps realizing how absurd she sounded, Amelia tried to laugh it off and gloss over the topic.

"Right, it was! So? What about it?"

"Haa..."

Should I let it slide this time?

Since it seemed she'd remembered, even if belatedly.

Now, I had to ask a more important question.

"No, I was thinking she's already achieved her goal, hasn't she? Couldn't she just drop out now?"

"Huh?"

"Didn't you say last time that the secret chamber was exposed, and they decided to completely rebuild the academy?"

"Huh? Oh?"

"Then hasn't the artifact already been leaked? Have you heard anything about what was in the secret chamber?"

"No, I haven't."

Yes, that was right.

So, isn't there no longer any reason for Arte to be at the academy?

The night before they were to leave for their trip, that thought had suddenly crossed my mind.

Arte was a member of Arachne. And her purpose for infiltrating the school was the artifact inside the secret chamber.

Whether she wanted it for herself, or simply wanted to leak it, I wasn't sure... But one thing was certain.

Arte's objective was already outside the academy.

"The item Arte was after is already outside the academy. Whether what Arte wanted to do succeeded or failed, I don't know..."

Isn't there no longer any reason for her to be with us?

I was about to utter those words, but I swallowed them back, along with my saliva.

...I was afraid Arte might truly disappear if I said them.

At first, I was afraid of her, and I still don't quite understand what she's thinking.

But Arte is a friend too, isn't she?

Even if she entered the academy with an objective, the fact that she became a friend hasn't changed.

A friend who helps when things are tough, and sets you straight when you're about to go astray.

But if Arte no longer comes to the academy...

"You were talking so seriously, I thought something big was up. Of course, there's a reason for her to stay."

"There is?"

"Of course there is. You're at the academy, aren't you?"

"I'm not joking right now...!"

"Listen closely, Yu Shiu."

This time, it was different.

Amelia spoke, her playful smile gone.

"I know what you're worried about. You're worried about Arte, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

Shiu was worried about Arte.

He didn't know why, but Arte's mind was unstable.

Shiu had briefly glimpsed Arte's true feelings. Inside that Ferris wheel car.

He recalled her talking about dolls and puppet shows, in a way that made no sense.

That appearance, which seemed so incredibly unstable.

The way she had briefly changed, as if she'd suffered a setback, was probably her true self.

Even though she always seemed composed and belonged to a secret organization, she was still human.

She couldn't always be strong.

When things got tough, someone had to help her.

"I don't know what you saw, or why you're worried about Arte. And it doesn't seem like you're going to tell me."

"That... I'm sorry."

"It's fine. There's nothing uglier than hearing someone else's vulnerabilities from another person's mouth."

If I told Amelia that I'd seen Arte's vulnerable side, she might offer better advice.

But I didn't say anything.

Because that was a matter between Arte and me.

"But it's a needless worry. We can create a reason for Arte to stay with us."

"We can? You're not going to start talking about..."

"Even if it's not love, just being friends is enough. If she feels she doesn't want to be separated from us, then that's perfectly fine."

Love talk again? I'm serious right now.

I was about to say that.

But Amelia's words momentarily left me speechless.

Because her reply was more serious than I'd expected.

"I see."

"Yes, so stop with the unnecessary thoughts and get ready quickly. We're here. Dorothy... well, it's probably fine to just let her sleep."

Amelia cut off the conversation and looked out the window.

A large country house.

It wasn't as grand as Amelia's house, which he'd seen on the way, but it was quite a large home.

So this is Arte's house.

He rang the bell, and after a moment, someone quickly came out.

"Yes, who is it?"

"...Amelia!"

"Got it!"

"Kyaa?! W-what?! A-a thief?! Master! Help me!?"

He had naturally expected Arte to come out, but at first, he was puzzled by the unfamiliar voice.

However, the moment he saw the person who opened the door and stepped out.

He, along with Amelia, instantly subdued the villain who had emerged from the house.

"...This woman, why is she in Arte's house?! Don't tell me!"

"I heard a few remnants had escaped...!"

A woman with a snake's tail instead of legs.

There was no mistake. She was a remnant of Übermensch.

Why was she here?

This was Arte's house. Even they had only recently learned her address.

It didn't seem like Arte would easily reveal her home address to others.

In that case, there was only one answer. Retribution.

"Ugh, ack. Cough."

"What did you do to Arte? Tell me!"

"Cough, cough... M-my neck... You said to tell you, but my neck... I'll tell you, just, my neck, my neck...!"

"...What's all this commotion?"

"Arte?! You're safe!"

What?

Still subduing the villain who was choking and struggling, I looked up.

Arte was looking at us, perfectly fine, contrary to what I'd imagined.

"Th-thank goodness! You're safe!"

"Of course, I'm safe. This is my house, after all."

Arte sighed, looking dumbfounded, and said.

"What exactly are you doing?"

"She's a remnant of Übermensch! Be careful, Arte. Your address..."

"...She's my housemaid."

"Huh?"

"Cough, hack... Let, let me go. I'm sorry, I made a mistake..."

At Arte's words, the grip on the snake-beastman's neck, which I had been subduing, loosened.

I looked at the villain's body, as she straightened herself while continuously coughing. Just as Arte said, she was indeed wearing a maid uniform.

...Huh? She's really a maid?

"A-a maid? A villain?"

"Ah. Well, you see... she washed her hands of the villain organization, but in her current state, she couldn't survive, so she sought refuge with me. Isn't that right?"

Arte sought the maid's agreement.

The maid, who had been rubbing her neck with a tearful expression, frantically nodded.

"Yes, yes! Th-that's right! Thanks to you, Master, I'm happy!"

"..."

No matter how I looked at it, it was suspicious.

It had the kind of suspiciousness that suggested it was just made up on the spot.

And the maid's reaction seemed overly dramatic.

"By the way, what about Dorothy? Are we going to Dorothy's now?"

"No, you're the last stop. Dorothy's asleep."

"Ah, I see. ...Have you eaten yet? The time seems a bit awkward."

"No, not yet."

"Then that works out perfectly. Would you like to bring Dorothy as well? Since you've come all this way, you might as well have a meal before you go."

It seemed, no matter how I looked at it, that she was trying to change the subject.

Why would Arte, a member of Arachne who supposedly despised villains, keep a remnant of Übermensch alive and employ her as a maid?

There were many questions, but I decided not to press them.

She wouldn't answer anyway.

"Alright, then. I'd appreciate it."

With a feeling different from what I'd expected, I stepped into Arte's house for the first time.

***

"...Hide yourselves."

She whispered softly into the air.

She whispered quieter than ambient noise, but Lyra would understand.

Because she had four ears.

Annoyance surged.

Seriously, the person who knows best that her lower body is a snake's tail, why did she go outside and cause trouble?

She should have just stayed put.

I just said something to change the subject, and now I have to offer them something to eat.

Maybe I should punish her later. I'll make her drink snake wine.

"Yawn..."

"It's smaller than I expected?"

"...Smaller? This?"

Amelia and Shiu were remarking on the house, while a groggy Dorothy shambled over.

[...Smaller?! Unacceptable! My dear readers, let's move!]

Move? What nonsense.

This is already plenty big.

If a country house with a swimming pool is small, then what does that make other houses?

Amelia's the weird one. Such a rich girl.

"Do you like steak?"

"I absolutely love it!"

"...Well, I don't dislike it."

As for Dorothy... well, she's nodding off, so I probably won't get a proper answer if I ask her.

Perhaps I should show off my skills for the first time in a while.

"Then please wait. I'll make you a delicious steak."

CRASH!

Spira, who had been slumped with her head on the floor, slipped again, making a loud noise.

"..."

"H-Hick! S-sorry! Master!"

"You can do it, right?"

"Y-yes, Master!"

The fact that a snake's tail made it easy to slip was not my concern.

If she made a mistake, she had to be punished.

Just stay like that until dinner.