kscans

Chapter 659 - Beside the Table

“Nacchan, how long are you going to be so tense?”

“I-I’m not tense or anything…”

Ignoring the bickering men, a teasing voice rose from the other side of Nacchan-senpai. It was the voice of a maiden, filtered through “steel”—

“...So you really are always in full armor.”

“Well, yes. It has never been an issue.”

It was none other than the [Knight], who was sitting at the table in her usual, fully-armored state. True to her words, it seemed to be ‘no issue,’ as she was sipping from her cup with her helmet on.

“…? …………???”

“Hey, it’s embarrassing when you stare like that.”

“Oh, um, right…”

What is that, how does it work? It’s not like only her mouth is open; the food and drink are vanishing through her helmet. This is seriously fantasy.

The rumor that no one has ever seen her face seems to be absolutely true.

“—Oh my, it seems we have a guest.”

As I was captivated by the strange sight, a voice called out from behind me. I turned to see a tall, slender blue figure standing there.

“Ah… uh, hello. Sorry for intruding.”

“Welcome, prince. Good work yesterday.”

“Could everyone please stop calling me that…?”

His expression and voice were fifty percent calmer than what I’d seen and heard on the battlefield. I wonder where Record, the [Long Legs] who had been absent from the table, had been all this time—

“...Look who’s here, the latecomer.”

“The laid-back alien.”

The answer came from the two women who formed his three-person cell. It seems he hadn't even been at the venue until now.

He was right behind me, and tall—no, super tall. In reality, my neck would be hurting in an instant. Looking up at him, Record wore a friendly smile.

“A family man is a busy man, you know. Give me a break.”

“Oh, wow, you have a family—”

““That’s a lie.””

“Huh? …What?”

Nacchan-senpai and Aika-san immediately shot down his casual remark. As I stared blankly, he just smiled with that same friendly look.

“...That one is usually a liar mage. Be careful he doesn't tease you.”

“Less of a liar and more of a flake. He has a clever face but he’s even more of a free spirit than Oume.”

“R-Right…”

I see… maybe? Aika-san’s words seemed more on the mark. I’ve met people who change what they say on a whim depending on the mood, but I’ve never seen someone do it with such a convincing air of sincerity.

And that wasn’t in any of the profiles I found online.

“Haha, my bad. Just think of it as part of my character.”

“You’re just gonna say that yourself…?”

“There’s no ill will behind it. It’s just a habit.”

“What a troublesome habit…”

A weary complaint slipped out from my neighbor. I get it now; she’s probably been teased by his wisecracks countless times in the past. I can vividly picture it.

“Anyway, let’s get along. Is Haru okay?”

“Ah, yes. Anything but ‘prince’.”

There was no reason not to take his offered hand. I shook it, and he smiled again.

He seems like a fundamentally gentle and nice person. Just with a few odd habits… though among the rankers, who are all full of quirks in their own right, he doesn't exactly stand out.

—Now then. Would it be alright if I finally asked about what I’ve been wondering about this whole time?

“Um… is she seriously sleeping?”

“Hm? Oh yeah, she's out cold.”

“She's our second princess, the sleeping one.”

“Completely dead to the world.”

“Don’t bother trying to wake her up. She won’t budge no matter how loud it gets.”

“You’d be something special if you could disturb her sleep.”

“Honestly, I think she’s the bigger problem child here.”

That was the machine-gun response from the Sotalm rankers, minus Oume-san who was engrossed in her chat with Kanata.

On a bed floating beside the long table. The other person who had been silent this whole time, Iris, was sitting on it, which was also a point of interest, but in the center was a single girl in what looked like a negligee.

Long, pale violet hair. Her eyes were closed, so I couldn’t tell their color. Perhaps because of her innocent sleeping face, she looked even younger than our Mi-na and Ri-na. This must be…

Mei, the [Castle Lord]. Third seat of the Southern Faction and, according to the unofficial Anima rankings, the undisputed number one in the defensive equipment category for her [Fairy Tale, Castle of Chalk and Blackwood].

Setting aside the time I outsmarted her cautious stance, she, along with the [Knight] at full power… was the second guardian I believed could definitely stop me in my tracks.

“Hmm………… I suppose I’ll greet her when she wakes up.”

“...Probably fine. I don't think she's going to wake up, though.”

Just as my still-shy senior beside me said, she seemed to be in such a blissful, deep sleep that I was convinced she would continue slumbering on for an eternity.

She was the very picture of tranquility, completely oblivious to the raucous festival noise reaching her.

“Hmm………… hmmm.”

I see. So it’s true.

It seems that every single ranker, regardless of faction, is a person with strong quirks.