Chapter 90: A Morning in Ray's Mansion
(1/4 Shorter Chapter focused not on Ray.)
A wonderful morning and two weeks had passed since I arrived in this strange world. To make it worse, apparently I am located in the underworld or basically hell. If I told you this would happen two week ago, I would definitely recommend that person to a mental hospital but experiencing hell first hand and seeing multiple different races that look similar to humans does open up my eyes to supernatural belief.
Although I am literally in hell, my life is relatively peaceful. Too peaceful in fact that I crave for changes but too afraid to leave this safe haven. I start my morning with a cold bath and brush my teeth before doing kendo practice until 7 am, the time breakfast is served to those that live inside the mansion belonging to the person I hate but also couldn't at the same time.
He stole the identity of the man I loved but he was forced into his situation instead of willingly because he was apparently some kind of person sent to fix a problem that popped up in my original world.
Every time I am reminded of Ichika, I feel gloomy and disappointed in myself while also fanning the hate for my older sister, the cause Ichika died in the first place. Yet she is still happily pursuing her passion instead of feeling a slight remorse.
Putting on Gi and Hakama, the Kendo training outfit, I walk to the recently built dojo that was built under Ray's order and was built literally in minutes using magic by one of Ray's wives, Ravel. Magic is very impressive to complete something that would take at least a month to build in just minutes.
Sliding open the door to the dojo, I was greeted with Cecilia Alcott in fencing suit training her fencing with Laura Bodewig that didn't wear a training uniform but wearing a form fitting black tank top and similar black spandex shorts that wield two combat knives that connected to her glove by thin but strong wire to mimic her IS weapon.
Both of them had been focusing on combat training since last week for some reason. Not that I have any reason to hate it but I can no longer have the usual peace and calm to clear my mind by focusing on the repetitive kendo practice. My only solace for my turbulent thoughts was deprived from me.
"Its, Houki. Good morning." The two stopped their sparring training and greeted Houki when Laura's knife found its way to Cecilia's neck again.
"Morning." I replied as I shut the door behind me and walked up to them with a simple greeting.
"You rarely the late one to arrive. What happened?" Cecilia asked out of concern to her friend but I just replied with a head shake.
"Nothing, just had some thoughts in my mind." I replied before doing the usual set of Kendo training with great focus with hope it will remove the troublesome thought from my mind.
Meanwhile with Cecilia and Laura.
"Houki seems to have a lot in her mind. I wonder if she isn't adjusting well to new environment." Cecilia commented to Laura.
"Maybe." Laura replied briefly while wiping the sweat dripping down her body with a towel.
"Anyway, wanna go and watch the Xenovia sensei and Roseweisse sensei sparring session? I saw a few people, including them, gathered on the field before coming to the dojo." Laura added which Cecilia's eyes immediately have start appearing because she very admire Roseweisse that currently is her master in fencing practice and swordsmanship.
The same is for Laura though Laura is an apprentice of Yao simply due to her choice of weapon and style that is more similar to the dark elf.
"Let's go!" Cecilia squealed in excitement before changing her outfit and rushed to the field along with Laura.
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"Has Ray not yet left his study office?" Raynare, who was served some delicious tea by Yao, asked because Ray would rarely be willing to stay in that place, doing paperwork willingly and would take any chance to escape.
"Not yet it seems. He had to sort out the people he brought back while settling them appropriately." Ravel, who returned from her parents house two days ago, replied while elegantly chewing on an apple that was served on the table.
"Does he really need to do that?" Raynare turns her gaze to Ravel, waiting for her opinion.
"Nope. Those people can sort it themselves but our husband seems to be insistent to be a responsible leader to those people while also complaining about the unnecessary work he did." Ravel sighed when she remembered that Ray was always complaining and asking her to help when the sorting wasn't even needed in the first place in her opinion.
The people from the IS world and the cultists were doing just fine managing themselves. Making homes, pursuing work and passion. However, Ray insisted they must check one by one if everyone is satisfied with their living conditions or if they need anything else. Which resulted with stacks of form filled with the response from each of those aforementioned people that Ray had to manually sort through these last few days.
"As long as he is happy, I guess." Raynare gives Ravel a look of sympathy to be dragged along by Ray before she turns her gaze back on the field that is currently used by Roseweisse and Xenovia for their destructive sparring session.
"Speaking of which, where are the kids, Kalawarna and Mittelt?" Raynare suddenly realised the mentioned people that should usually join her by now are missing.
"Dunno, Cheshire and Ophis probably went to pester Ray. Kalawarna is helping Lancelot in the kitchen, hoping to learn culinary skills from Lancelot. Mittelt is probably still asleep."
"Lady Cheshire was actually accompanying Lady Myui in the garden." Yao corrected Ravel.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about the new girl." Both Raynare and Ravel exclaimed as they just remembered the new girl that just joined them along with Yao.
Myui isn't known by many or recognised because she is always hiding in her room and only opens up to a selected few like Ray, Cheshire and Yao. Other than the few, most didn't even know she lived in the mansion and she spent most of her free time in the private library trying to learn magic but refused to seek help especially from Ray's wives that she saw as rivals.
"By the way, Yao. Why do you insist on becoming a maid?" Raynare and Ravel asked since they ran out of topics to talk about.
Yao frowned a bit upon hearing the question.
"Everyone keeps asking me this question for some reason." Yao sighed. Very unprofessional attitude for a maid.
"Well, previously I was a traveling companion of Master Ray. However now I am too weak and unworthy of such a position anymore. Thus I decided to become a maid instead to serve Master Ray and his family." Yao answered emotionally from the depths of her heart.
"He saved my tribe from the Flame Dragon. That day I offered myself in eternal servitude along with a large chunk of Adamantine. He accepted it and vanquished the Flame Dragon. I decided on that day to take him as my master and to serve him till the end of my life." Yao explained with an expression filled with gratitude.
Raynare hummed in response but Ravel immediately clapped her hands.
"That's perfect then! Yao becomes the maid while Lancelot is the butler. This mansion finally has a proper roster of staff. Though Lancelot also fills the role of cook." Ravel explained excitedly.
(Dark elf maid… can't go wrong with that one.)
*Bang* *Crash*
Suddenly the sound of an explosion interrupted the conversation and Roseweisse crashed near the three in battered armor that immediately dissolved into magic particles.
"Oi! Are you two trying to destroy the field and the mansion again after we just repaired it yesterday." Ravel scolded Roseweisse and the approaching Xenovia because she is the only devil with proper control of her power of imagination exclusive to the devil that can be used to repair the damage caused by Xenovia and Roseweisse's sparring.
"Sorry, sorry. We got a little carried away because we had spectators watching and we wanted to show them the best of our combat ability." Xenovia apologized and accepted the magically appeared towel that was offered by Yao. Roseweisse also offered one by Yao.
"Anyway, go get cleaned. It's almost time for breakfast." Raynare suggested and everyone nodded before returning into the mansion.
Cecilia and Laura went to get Houki first before they also went to have another bath in the morning, which is their favourite one because they get to use the hot spring bath perfect for after a tired training session.
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I tried to show the other characters and what they do usually to flesh out their character instead of just focusing on Ray. Should do this more often.