kscans

Chapter 249 - The Party Venue

A week had passed since my outings with Lydia-chan and Arc. Today was the day of the party, a so called unveiling for the two of them, so Arc, Nanapon, and Yoshino-san had come over to my house.

"Huh? Where's Lydia-chan?"

Only Arc was here.

"Lydia is getting ready. It takes time for a girl, you know."

So do you.

I stared intently at Arc's face.

"What?"

"I really can't tell with you."

"You, on the other hand, change a lot."

Well, Eleanor-san and Okita-kun are completely different, after all.

"I'd like to verify it, though."

Everyone refuses.

"Anyone would refuse that."

"Well, whatever. The party is this afternoon, right?"

It was not yet ten o'clock.

"Yeah. But I'm going to show you the venue first. It's better if you see it beforehand, right?"

"That's true. Nanaka-san, Yoshino-san, are you ready?"

I looked at the two of them.

"I'm ready."

"I have no problem either."

They were both in their familiar adventurer gear. When was the last time I saw them dressed like this?

"Kaede-chan, please hold down the fort."

I couldn't very well take Kaede-chan with us.

"Understood."

"Alright, Arc, if you would."

"Yeah. Here we go."

Arc held out his hand, and our surroundings changed. We were in a large room, probably about fifty meters square. White-clothed round tables were placed in a staggered arrangement. However, there were no chairs, and nothing was on the tables.

"Oh, you can see outside."

As Yoshino-san said, there were windows, and light streamed in from outside.

We all made a beeline for the windows and looked out. It seemed this room was on the second floor, and outside we could see similar two-story buildings and stone-paved roads. But there were no people in sight.

"Don't stare too much."

Arc was saying something.

"Nanaka-san, use your Clairvoyance. Is anyone there?"

"Such a complete disregard..."

"Um, there are a lot of people cooking on the first floor. Oh, Mia-san is there. And near her, Lydia-chan is changing... you're the worst."

"Why are you looking at me? You're the perverted Peeping Tom using Clairvoyance."

THE criminal.

"I'm not a Peeping Tom."

"Liar. What about the surrounding buildings?"

"So mean... Hmm, there's no one in the surrounding buildings."

No one? There are quite a few buildings, though.

"Arc?"

"I told you before. The population has decreased. This area used to be the noble district, but now most people live together in other places."

It's because ninety percent of the world's population vanished.

"So they're ruins?"

"They're being maintained. Don't call them ruins."

He might be sensitive about it.

"So this is Frontier. It's pretty normal."

Yoshino-san murmured as she surveyed the view from the window.

"Your town is way more fantasy-like. What's with that forest of buildings dozens of stories high?"

There's a term for it, concrete jungle, but it seems people from another world have a similar impression.

"Can we go for a walk outside?"

"No. And don't forget your job, Master..."

Oh, right.

"Is your unveiling seat over there?"

"That's right."

At the far end of the room was a dais about fifty centimeters high, upon which sat two ornate chairs side by side.

"Hmm... All three of you, come here."

We moved away from the window, went up onto the dais, and walked to the chairs.

"This is my seat."

Arc sat on the left side. Which meant the right was for Lydia-chan.

"You can see the whole room from here."

I stood next to Arc and surveyed the room. Being slightly elevated, I would be able to see everything clearly even with a large crowd of people.

"Nanapon, what's behind us?"

Yoshino-san asked Nanapon while looking at the wall behind the chairs.

"There's a passageway over there."

Nanapon pointed at the left wall. But to my eyes, it just looked like a plain white wall.

"A hidden door..."

Yoshino-san murmured, walked over, and began to touch the wall where Nanapon had pointed.

"Nanaka is really scary... Are you guys going to be okay?"

"There's no way we could misuse it. That's why you asked us, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah... Yoshino, that's an escape route for emergencies, so don't touch it too much."

When Arc stopped her, Yoshino-san returned.

"So they do have something like that prepared."

Yoshino-san murmured, sounding impressed.

"Just in case. If something happens and my teleportation isn't fast enough, escape through there."

"Got it. Arc, we'll be fine, so you take Lydia and teleport to Okita-kun's house."

"I will."

Arc nodded at Yoshino-san's words.

"Well, something like that won't happen. That's what Nanaka-san is for."

"Leave it to me."

With Nanapon's Clairvoyance, there would be no problem.

"Yoshino-san, you protect Lydia-chan. I'll prioritize protecting Arc."

"That's probably for the best."

Yoshino-san would be fine. She's a money-grubbing slob-san, but she takes her work seriously.

"What should I do?"

Nanapon asked.

"You'll drink an invisibility potion and stay by my side. If it's about to wear off, go to that black curtain over there."

I pointed to the black curtain on the left.

"Behind that... Understood."

After confirming the curtain, Nanapon nodded deeply.

"I'm counting on all three of you. Especially Lydia. His Majesty and I have teleportation, but there's nothing we can do for Lydia."

"I know. Don't worry, it'll be fine. I'll protect my disciple, and if any thugs show up, I'll cut them in two. Oh, would it be better to behead them?"

I don't know the culture of this world, but if they're going to put the heads on display, beheading would be better.

"That's why I said you're scary..."

"A killer."

"Eleanor-san, are you stressed out?"

The three of them were recoiling.

"Of course I am. I haven't gotten any exercise recently, and my one-million-yen short sword is crying."

I said as I pulled the sword from my hood.

"You really should go back to being an adventurer. You're a witch who can no longer live in a peaceful world."

Don't talk about me like a soldier returning from war. Am I Rambo or something?

"Kaede-chan says I can't."

"Well, Asakura-san would say that, wouldn't she..."

"Ah, I hope some thugs show up."

I can finally show off my swordsmanship skills after so long.

"You're the first bodyguard I've had who says something like that..."

Arc looked at me with an anxious expression.