kscans

Chapter 182 - The Dog-Eared Knights and a New Encounter

In the end, it was decided that Reeni would be looked after by the Star Union Family. Shizuka, too, would be living there for the time being.

"Starting today, I'm going to be Augustus-san's mistress. Mo, you can call me Stepmom now."

She promptly earned a fist to the head from Patricia for her troubles. Marmi seemed intent on splitting her time between her own mansion and the inn. Tonight, she decided to stay at the mansion with Shizuka and the others. Famu was fast asleep on my back. As we were about to leave Mo's estate, I saw a company of fully armed knights waiting outside the gate. The bearded man at the front was from the dog-eared race. When he spotted Maryanne among us, he dropped to one knee and bowed his head. The other knights followed his lead, kneeling in a display of polished discipline.

"Lady Maryanne. We have come to escort you."

She nodded at his words, then turned to face me.

"I will be returning home today as well."

"Got it. I don't think we'll be seeing each other again, but take care."

If I knew we'd be parting so soon, I should have touched her breasts more. I wanted to touch her straight, upright ears, too.

"No, no, no, no, what are you talking about?! The promise from our duel is still very much alive."

"Is that so? But I'm getting a serious glare..."

The bearded man was still on one knee, but he had raised his head and was now staring daggers at me. It was incredibly uncomfortable.

"Next time, please come to my home. I will make preparations to ensure there are no discourtesies."

"Maryanne might be fine with it, but..."

Why was the bearded man glaring at me? It had to be born from a sense of duty to her, an unyielding will to never forgive anyone who would harm her. I thought this as I looked at the light-blue stone set in the ring on his finger.

"That is different from Famu's. Knights who serve the One-Land Family are required to wear those rings as a matter of ceremony,"

she said, noticing my gaze. Still, I couldn't believe the look in the bearded man's eyes was mere formality. She had said she was isolated at home, but perhaps there were people like him who were truly devoted to her. If not, there's no way she could have deployed soldiers to strike down the Crimson Brigade.

"So they send an escort like this whenever you run away from home?"

"Yes. If I return on the same day, they don't usually come, but they will if I stay out overnight."

From the way she said it, these little getaways of hers seemed to be a regular occurrence. I think I finally understood the strange looks the guests at the inn were giving her.

There were two things I needed to ask before she left. One was the exact location of the Crimson Brigade, but I decided to hold off on that, as I was hesitant to bring it up in front of Famu.

"Before you go, can you tell me what you know about Sameim?"

My words were met with a moment of silence from her.

"Mash, would you be willing to entrust this matter to me?"

"No. She's Famu's friend. I can't just leave it to someone else."

"Do you not trust me?"

"It's not that. I just think it's something Famu and I have to do. Famu is..."

I trailed off. Famu feels a sense of guilt toward her village because of her own newfound happiness. But she's a victim. Even if someone told her she had no reason to feel that way, she probably couldn't shake it. That's how strong her feelings for her village are. I want her, at the very least, to be the one to handle Sameim's situation.

Just then, Maryanne bowed her head.

"Mash, I understand your deep affection for Famu, Sameim, and all our brethren—an affection that rivals that of the otherworldly heroes of legend and even Okita Soji—and I understand your concerns. However, I am also the Souryo of the dog-eared race. I must ask you to please leave this to me."

Was she being so insistent for the sake of her own position, or for Sameim's?

"Alright. I'll let Famu know. And Maryanne... you're one of us now, too. If you're in trouble, count on us."

Maryanne looked up and smiled brightly. She unfastened the katana and wakizashi from her waist and held them in her hands.

"I heard the wakizashi is precious to you and was thinking of returning it, but I've had a change of heart. Therefore, I shall keep it. In its place, please use my tachi. It is a masterpiece given to me by my master. I can say with confidence that it is a blade worthy of being worn by you."

Careful not to drop Famu from my back, I accepted Maryanne's tachi. It had a solid weight to it.

"Maryanne, let me see your hands."

At my request, she held out both her palms. The skin at the base of her ring and pinky fingers was hard and thick. It was just like mine back when I learned kendo as a child. Touching those spots, I was filled with a wave of nostalgia.

"My master told me I had no talent. That's why I just kept practicing the same forms over and over."

A reverse diagonal cut from an iai draw, and a downward strike from an overhead stance. I could picture her, honing her skills through tireless training. She looked embarrassed and pulled her hands back.

"Those hands are far more magnificent than this sword."

She smiled bashfully at my words.

"Please tell Famu that if she wants this wakizashi, I will face her anytime. No matter what she says, I have no intention of backing down now either."

Maryanne turned and walked quietly toward her knights. As she approached, they all rose to their feet and bowed their heads deeply. Then, as if leading their queen, they fell into an orderly formation and departed. It was a scene that differed greatly from the descriptions she had given me.

As I watched them go, Famu's arms, which were draped around my neck, tightened with a squeeze.

"I know you've been playing possum, Famu."

She just hugged me tighter. It seemed she had no intention of getting down.


The sun was beginning to set. As the light waned, the sky shifted into a deep blue, making the townscape appear white in the fading light. It was the hour of twilight. The streets were reasonably busy with people, either heading home from work or out to procure dinner. We were walking toward the area controlled by the One-Land Family. The road was cobblestone, lined with stone houses. I had heard there were distinct districts governed by each of the Four Regent Families, but there were no clear borders.

A horse-drawn carriage passed through the center of the road. We moved to the side to avoid it.

"If you didn't have anything to do, we could have just stayed at Mo's house again, couldn't we?"

Mizuki said.

"Your only goal is the bath, anyway, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

she replied without a hint of shame.

"I don't know, for some reason I can't relax in other people's houses. It feels like my actions are restricted, like I'm being watched. Besides, you might not get it since you seem to have had a good upbringing, but... well, places like that just make me uncomfortable."

"I get that. It's just, with Shizuka and Reeni gone now, right after Cecily and Aira... it feels really lonely."

I felt the same way she did. I still hadn't been able to bring myself to remove Cecily and Aira from our party roster.

"You wanted Shizuka to stay? If I ask her, she'll come back, you know."

Mizuki grimaced. Still, compared to yesterday, at least Famu, Mizuki, and Myra were here today.

"But I wonder what Shizuka would actually do if you made a move on her. I kind of feel like she'd run away."

"Are you saying her passion for sex is just an act? It would be easy enough to test that, you know."

I put on a brave face, but if she ran away, I'd be devastated.

"Don't you dare. But if she really did like that sort of thing, wouldn't she have just stayed in Heilon?"

Mizuki answered.

"I don't know about that. I think my threat about her only having ten years to live was pretty effective. By the way, she said she was dating that 'Ko-kun' guy while still seeing the teacher who assaulted her. Do you have any idea what kind of feelings would lead to that?"

Mizuki tilted her head at my question.

"Hmm. I think love and lust are very similar, but they're actually separate desires. Love is something created in the mind, in your thoughts, while lust is more of an instinct, a system of the body. They're both housed in a single body and are intricately connected. But for her, I think they might be clearly separated."

"Spoken like a true masturbator, Mizuki."

"Hey, don't say things like that out here."

"But aren't they separate for you, too? Like when you do it by yourself?"

"I only thought about it because you asked! I haven't sorted it out in my own head yet. I always thought it was weird, so I've been hating myself for it forever! And besides, why do I have to tell you this stuff?!"

Mizuki puffed out her cheeks and turned her gaze toward the street. Her eyes widened. She stopped walking.

"Senpai..."

"Huh?"

Following her line of sight, I saw a man of about twenty. He had blue hair, a cool gaze, and a sharp jawline. Dressed in silver mail with a greatsword on his back, he was a size bigger than me and had a somewhat muscular build. At a glance, he looked like an experienced adventurer. The man, too, wore a surprised expression upon seeing Mizuki.

"Senpai! Yuki-senpai!"

Mizuki broke into a run. I reached out to grab her wrist, but my hand closed on empty air. The man seemed bewildered as Mizuki ran up to him, but he soon broke into a smile, and they clasped each other's hands. They were chatting amicably, but I couldn't make out the words from this distance. I had no desire to get any closer. Still, first Yuki, now Hyakka... why were people close to her being transported here? Could someone I know be in this world, too?

"Yuki, was it?"

Myra's gaze was sharp.

"Is that the transmigrator who killed Hyakka and Ito's companions?"

"N-no. Actually, the name Yuki is really common in my original world. So, I don't know if it's him yet,"

I answered, my voice faint.

"I see. The name Yuki is so common in your world that there could be multiple people with that name among the hundred transmigrators."

"...That, I don't know either. There might be."

My stammering, incoherent words made Myra blink. Then she peered into my face as if trying to discern the truth. I felt awkward and averted my gaze.

"Mash, you knew Mizuki had an acquaintance named Yuki, didn't you? Why didn't you tell us?"

"Sorry... I found out by chance when I saw her phone while playing with Famu. But I didn't want to blame Mizuki for something like that."

"So Mizuki didn't mention it herself, and Famu knew as well..."

Myra reached over and lightly tapped the forehead of Famu, who was pretending to be asleep on my shoulder.

"That's not like you, Mash. Shouldn't you have warned us to be cautious?"

"Wait a minute. There are six billion people in my original world. The country Mizuki and I lived in has over a hundred million people. I never imagined an acquaintance of hers would be transported here."

In truth, I had been thinking the same thing as Myra. But I didn't want to say it and have Mizuki think I was just jealous. I didn't want her to look down on me. Even now, seeing the smile she gives Yuki is driving me insane.

"Until now, I could believe it was a coincidence. But she said Hyakka was also an acquaintance of hers."

"You're right. If it happens a third time, there has to be some kind of pattern."

I had to calm down. As Myra said, I should consider the possibility that transmigrators are being chosen from a much closer circle of people. But figuring out the intention or the pattern behind it seemed difficult. I didn't even know why I was chosen in the first place. While I was talking with Myra, Mizuki came running back alone.

"Mash, I'm having dinner with my senpai today,"

she said, her voice giddy.

"The two of you?"

"Yeah, is that okay?"

As she asked, I glanced over at Yuki. He was still standing in the same spot, watching us, showing no sign of approaching. He seemed to be alone. Maybe his other party members were elsewhere.

"Hey,"

Mizuki said, grabbing my arm and shaking it.

"Yeah... Be careful."

"Careful of what?!"

Mizuki's smile blossomed. The sight of it turned my mind completely white. She ran back toward Yuki.