kscans

Chapter 125 - Heilon's Fortress and the Birthday Party

"By the way, Master… once Shizuka is all better, are you planning on doing anything… lewd with her?"

Famu asked, her voice a mere whisper. It was an uncharacteristically lonely tone for her.

"N-No, of course not."

I'd just heard what Famu had been thinking a moment ago. Even if I had wanted to, I couldn't possibly have said yes.

"Do you think she'll keep working at that shop?"

"I wonder. The thing is, other transmigrators might be after her. And it doesn't seem like she has any special skills or combat ability to defend herself. If possible, I'd like to bring her to Miglutt and keep an eye on her."

Famu nodded.

"And we still have to find that 'Ko-kun' person, right?"

To be honest, I had no idea what I'd do once I gathered all the transmigrators. But I wanted us to pool our information and figure out a way to survive in this world.

"She said they ran into Takamura and his group. He or Komachi might have some information."

"Master, you've been forgetting about Mizuki-chan again. And I can see your panties."

"Ugh, sorry."

I clamped my legs shut and pushed down the hem of my skirt. As we were talking, Shizuka returned by herself. It seemed her treatment was a success; the pimple-like blemish on her face was gone. I could almost swear she looked prettier now. Mash-kun and Myra seemed to be continuing their conversation with the bishop.

"Mash-kun told me. That you're all heading to Miglutt. I think I'm going to quit my job on Longhorn Street and go with you."

"I don't mind, but what do you plan to do once you get there?"

I spoke while trying my best to channel the Mizuki in my head.

"If Mash won't have sex with me, I guess I'll just work at a shop in Miglutt. I hear there are a bunch of places like that in a district called Crystal Square."

Her blatant come-ons toward me seemed to have vanished. It looked like she'd finally yielded to Famu's pressure.

"...No, you should be looking for your boyfriend first! I don't like how promiscuous you are, so your boyfriend probably wouldn't be hanging around places like that, right? And do you want to get sick again?"

There's a chance her boyfriend is the type of guy who's against her sleeping with other men but is perfectly fine sleeping with other women himself, but I'd better not say that. It'd just be stirring up a hornet's nest.

"But I really do love sex. I want to keep sleeping with all sorts of different people."

A faint smile graced her lips, and her gaze drifted toward some distant point.

"Could you please not say such vulgar things with an expression as fresh and pure as a page from a story about youthful days?!"

Still, her wish struck me as dazzling. If I could, I'd scream that I want to sleep with every woman in the world. But Famu is scary, so I'll keep my mouth shut.

"That's why I have a favor to ask."

Shizuka pressed her hands together and bowed her head.

"If I tell them I'm quitting my job on Longhorn Street, the boss might do something to me! Could you come with me?"

"..."

So it was trouble after all. I had a very bad feeling about this.

From a distance, the city of Heilon sat on a low hill, much like a flatland mountain castle from my old world. The place Famu guided us to, where Marmi was staying, was a fortress at the very peak of that hill. It was a massive stone structure with numerous spires. Viewed from the front, the building was covered in intricate carvings. Its huge, arched entrance was open, but I hesitated to even approach it. Just looking at it was enough to make me want to turn back.

"Are you sure you have an acquaintance in a place like this?"

Shizuka asked, her mouth agape as she stared at the castle. I hadn't expected Marmi to be staying here, either.

"The person we're about to meet is a real princess. Say anything stupid and she has attendants who will deck you, or worse, cut you down where you stand. So be careful."

"What? Seriously? I'm in deep trouble, then."

While I was warning her, Famu nonchalantly shuffled over to the castle guards on sentry duty. I couldn't think of a single girl who fit the description of "shuffling along"

better than her. As I watched her go, she told the guards that she wished to see Marmi. Besides me, there was Famu, Mash-kun, Myra, and Shizuka.

We waited for a short while before Patricia and several knights appeared. She gave us a small bow. I couldn't tell if the knights were from Heilon or if they had come to escort her. Inside the castle, Patricia led the way, followed by Mash-kun and Myra. Behind them were myself, Famu, and Shizuka, with the knights bringing up the rear.

"I've lived in this city for about two years, but this is my first time inside the castle!"

Shizuka exclaimed, her eyes darting around at the marble floors and high ceilings as we walked down the corridor. She was one irreverent comment away from getting her head lopped off, but the same could be said for me, so I kept quiet. It did make me wonder, though: if one of us died while Mizuki and I were swapped, what would happen next? Lost in thought, I noticed Myra chattering away at Mash-kun. In the end, she never believed that Mizuki and I had switched bodies. She just thought we were teasing her.

"Somehow, Myra seems really happy today,"

I murmured. Shizuka let out a thoughtful "Hmm,"

glanced from Mash-kun and Myra to me and Famu, and then grinned.

"Myra's standing in the same spot Famu usually does, isn't she?"

"Huh? No, she's not."

After I said it, I realized she was right—the distance between Mash-kun and Myra was exactly the same as the distance between me and Famu. The spot Myra was occupying was Famu's designated seat. Was she happy because she thought Famu had deferred to her? For some reason, she looked even cuter than usual. The only problem was that she wasn't doing it next to me.

Eventually, Patricia stopped in front of a room. The knights who had been walking behind us passed by and opened the door. It looked like a drawing-room. A large one. Luxurious carpets hung on the walls, and silk curtains on the windows swayed in the breeze. My eyes were drawn to the gilt-decorated furniture, similar to what I'd seen in the mountain castle, and an ornately decorated fireplace. In the room, sofas were arranged around a large table, and reclining on one was Marmi. Marmi, Cecily, Aira, and Wake were all there. Marmi stood up, walked over to Mash-kun, and paused. After tilting her head, she came over to me and gave a slight curtsy, tugging at the hem of her skirt.

"...I was waiting."

"Ah... I mean, hello. Mash-kun is over there."

"...No. You are Mash. I wasn't sure, but since Famu is next to you, there's no mistake."

Can elves and dog-eared people judge people with some kind of sixth sense? Meanwhile, Cecily and Aira were gathered around Mash-kun. I was a little jealous. As I was thinking that, Marmi took my hand.

"...You're going to make me a cheesecake, right? Let's go to the kitchen. I want to watch you make it."

Marmi started pulling me by the hand.

"Wait, I'm just helping. Mizuki prepared the cream cheese, and she's the only one who knows the rest of the recipe."

"...Right now, you are Mizuki."

Marmi's expression said it was only natural that I should be the one to make it, but that was impossible, so I decided to call Mash-kun over. Just as I did, Famu, standing on my other side, tugged on the hem of my clothes.

"Master, Mizuki bought a lot of eggs yesterday. I'll help, so could you please make some dashimaki tamago? I want to learn how to make it."

I wonder if dashimaki tamago even goes with cheesecake.

And so, the table was laden with cheesecake, dashimaki tamago made with dried mushrooms, fruits and baked sweets provided by the lord of the castle, and tea we had bought from the Mateo Trading Company. Amidst the spread of sweets, only the rolled omelet stood out as a bizarre anomaly.

"Happy birthday,"

Patricia said. Marmi, fidgeting shyly, gave a nod. In front of her stood twelve candles, and Marmi carefully blew each one out. At first, we'd tried to put the candles on the cheesecake, but we couldn't find any that were thin enough. Her birthday party had begun.

"Is there anything special you do for birthdays here?"

I asked Myra. She gave me that strange look again, so I flicked my eyes toward Mash-kun, passing the question to him. Myra still didn't believe Mizuki and I had swapped. I had explained it to Cecily and Aira too, but they didn't believe it either. This was getting really annoying. I was tempted to have Shizuka use her special skill on Cecily and Aira to expose the truth of whether there was any love between them. But then I realized it would be difficult to prove the skill's effect was real. Shizuka's claim that it only works on people in love was, after all, just her word.

"Is there anything special you do for birthdays?"

Mash-kun asked Myra again.

"Not particularly, but the age of adulthood differs between races."

"It does?"

"Yes, it's sixteen for humans. For most beastmen, it's fifteen. For elves, it's twelve. The dwarves are the latest, at twenty."

Myra explained to Mash-kun. It was interesting that elves, known for their long lifespans, came of age so early.

"So, what happens when you come of age?"

"Nothing in particular, but you're recognized as an independent adult and permitted to marry."

"What about drinking?"

"We don't let children drink much, but there's no strict rule about age."

Mash-kun shot me a triumphant look. What was that supposed to mean?

"The dog-eared race has a coming-of-age ritual called the 'Okage-inu' when they turn fifteen, don't they?"

Myra looked at Famu. I couldn't help but chuckle, imagining Famu going on a pilgrimage.

"Mmph. I thought you weren't the type to make fun of the dog-eared race, Master!"

Famu huffed.

"No, it's just that in the old days in my world, there was a custom where people who couldn't go on a pilgrimage would have their pet dog do it for them with a pouch tied around its neck. It just reminded me of that."

"Is that so? In the dog-eared settlements, it's tradition for boys to go to the city and live there for a year when they turn fifteen,"

Famu explained. I had always suspected she had a faint understanding of my original world. Perhaps the customs that Okita Soji, the hero who saved the dog-eared people, had brought with him had taken root as their culture. I turned my gaze to Marmi, seated at the head of the table. As of today, she was officially an adult. But turning twelve didn't mean she would suddenly mature. She was still a child. Still, her chest seemed about as developed as Famu's, so she had a bright future ahead of her. Just as I was thinking that, Marmi looked over at me.

"...Mizuki, Famu, I want you to stay the night."

"Are you sure? Aren't we causing enough trouble for Cecily and Aira?"

"Why do I have to hear that from you, Mizuki?!"

Cecily snapped at me. Her tone felt sharper than usual. Aira, too, shot me a look with a hint of thorniness. I was surprised. It seemed their attitudes also changed depending on whether they were talking to Mash or someone else.

"...I have a request—or rather, a job—for the members of Levante."

While I was standing there, stunned and unsure how to react to Cecily's outburst, Marmi began to speak.

"...This castle is haunted. I want you to defeat the ghost."