Chapter 42 Coffin Dance Arc Part 4

Michael's first night in the mansion was peaceful. Or at least it should have been, but there was just this one thing.

A chair creaked as it was pushed closer to his bed.

"It's midnight, we can talk in the morning." Michael groaned. He didn't open his eyes, and tried to continue his sleep.

There was the sound of sheeting scuffling, and a weight was on the edge of the bed. Something had climbed up.

"I'm trying to sleep, we can chat when I wake up." Michael whined and turned on the bed, his back to the presence in the room.

The Dark Paladin felt an unearthly weight on top of him.

Michael opened his eyes and grouchily glared at the possessed doll sitting on him.

===x===

Aqua was humming as she went to wake Michael up. This was because she was a kind goddess that wanted her Summoned Hero to have something pretty to wake up to.

Also so he can make breakfast. She was surprised he wasn't already hogging the kitchen, when she went to get her food.

"Gooood morning~ Michael~. It's a new day and--"

Aqua froze.

Michael was standing next to a blackboard with a ruler in one hand, which he tapped the open palm of his other hand with it.

Flying in front of the blackboard was the doll possessed by the spirit of Anna, the girl who died in this mansion from sickness, writing lines.

I will not annoy the residents when they are trying to sleep.

I will not annoy the residents when they are trying to sleep.

I will not annoy the residents when they are trying to sleep.

The doll stop mid-sentence, and turned to see who entered the room. Aqua could have swore the wooden doll was trying to let out tears.

The doll looked back to the board, paused for a moment, then went back to writing lines.

"And where do you think you're going?" Michael threw his hand out, and it looked like he caught something invisible in the air.

No. It was ghost Anna's head. She was trying to use some poltergeist skill, to have her doll vessel continue writing while she ran away.

"Get back in the doll, you still have a hundred more lines to do!"

"Help...me..." The sorrowful ethereal voice of the ghost girl reached out the Aqua.

Aqua politely closed the door, turned and walked away.

"Oh, good morning, Aqua." Darkness greeted in the hallway. She had returned and was a mix of pleasantly surprised, and disappointed, that Aqua didn't blow away her money. She settled in just fine though. Darkness walked with Aqua, heading with her to the living room. "Did you wake Michael up?"

"Michael is awake. Yep." Aqua replied with a stilted smile, and walked faster.

===x===

"Aaaaah~."

"Mmmmm~."

"Shoooo goooood~."

Breakfast was a completely normal event. Michael observed as the girls enjoyed their food. A lot of moans were around. Blood rushing to their faces as they smiled, and cupped their cheeks, while letting out sounds of their enjoyment.

They're gonna get too dependent on this, aren't they? Michael couldn't help but think. I should probably do something about it. Then Michael turned to the other guests in his house, and his face deadpanned a bit. I should also do something about them too.

"By the Goddess Aqua, this food is true divine!"

"Aaah~ Michael, I fell in love with you all over again!"

"Man, I can't believe we'll get to eat like this everyday."

Michael felt his eye twitch at that. While the Axis worshipers invited themselves to breakfast with them, with Aqua enthusiastically allowing them in, Michael didn't mind. If it's just the once.

Everyday? Well, there is clearly one answer to that.

"Well, I'm glad you're all enjoying the food. Please, eat up your fill." Michael said pleasantly.

""We will!""

Various shouts from the Axis members and even Aqua rang back to him.

"After all, you're gonna need it for the after breakfast exercise, so you can burn those calories and be energetic for the day."

Silence began to fill the room as the Axis neighbors and Michael's party looked at him in confusion.

"'After breakfast exercise'?" Roza asked after swallowing some omelets.

"Oh yeah," Michael smile, something sadistic hidden behind his eyes. "It's our party tradition to do a light exercise after breakfast. Helps to get one ready to face the day and all."

"It is?" Aqua asked.

Megumin slapped a hand over the Arch Priest's mouth. An understanding glint in the Arch Wizard's eyes as she nodded at her party leader.

"Eh, don't worry about it." Cecily waved one hand dismissively, while holding a chicken leg in the other. "It's gonna be like waving our arms around, or bending to touch our toes and stuff."

Murmur and relief and agreement went around.

"Well, there is that." Michael began. "You don't need to worry though. It's just three laps around Axel's wall for a start, and then--"

"ARE YOU INSANE?!"

"WHAT THE HELL!"

"How the hell is running 3 laps around Axel 'light'?"

The protests immediately began. Aqua was struggling behind Megumin's hand, trying to voice her rejection too.

"Honest, I just said 'three' because it's your first day. Usually, it's ten." Michael in a casual surprise manner. Like he is surprised that they are protesting such a "simple" exercise.

""TEN!"" They shouted, and Aqua's muffled voice joined them.

"After that two hours of cardio, with weighted and resistance causing clothes. It would be like doing push-up with a boulder on your back. Nothing big!"

Darkness panted in approval.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'NOTHING BIG'?" The horrified shouts of the Axis members answer back.

"Michael, Michael!" Aqua cried out as she finally got Megumin's hand off her.

"Yes, Aqua?" Michael focused back on her.

"Since when has this tradition been going on? I've never heard of it!" Aqua demanded.

"Yeah, yeah!"

"That's right, that's right!" The Axis members shouted their agreement with her.

"Since now." Michael said in a gendo pose. His voice was heavy, there was a deep reverb to it, like something much bigger and scarier was speaking. "After all, for those who eat in this house, payment in pain and blood in natural. Doubly so for the freeloaders." Michael smiled pleasantly. "That's fair, right guys." Michael looked the Axis Order in the eyes and grinned. "Of course this doesn't have to apply this time, since we're just neighbors welcoming each other. But if you want..."

A moment of pause.

Then the Axis member quickly finished their meal, said their thanks (with Cecily professing her love), and they all dashed out.

Michael had grabbed Aqua by the scarf when she attempted to run off with them.

"GAH! Why!?" Aqua shouted.

"You live here." Michael deadpanned.

"Oh. Right!" Aqua brightened up, as if she forgot.

"Ah, Michael, are we really gonna do training like that?" Asked Yunyun, to which Megumin hissed at her.

"Obviously not." Megumin said with a fake chuckle. "Michael was just saying that to scare them off."

"Actually you are," Michael said casually.

"We are!" His party shouted back in various ranges of enthusiasm and dread.

"I mean, the ten laps around Axel is gonna be the same, but the rest is gonna be personalized to each of you. In fact, let me get the whiteboard. Oh and Darkness, make sure Aqua doesn't run away." Michael stood up and left. Darkness did as ordered, holding onto Aqua's scarf whom didn't want to let go of it.

"Wait, Michael, an Arch Wizard--No, a Crimson Demon doesn't need physical training. Wait!" Megumin stood up at the table but didn't follow him.

"Michael, I agree with Megumin. Not about Crimson Demons not need physical training, we do. But isn't it wasteful to physically train a mage?"

"Nope, you'll see."

Michael left the room.

"Hey, Schwanhild?" Darkness asked the other noble. Aqua was choking herself on pulling the scarf, but Darkness's hold didn't budge.

"Yes, Lady Darkness?" A casual curiosity in the little Priest's voice.

"Ah, you can just call me 'Darkness', Schwanhild. Seriously, we should be over formality by now in our party." Darkness said bashfully. Aqua turned around and started pulling on the scarf, nothing changed.

"I see. Very well, then." Schwanhild nodded. "Did you have a question?"

"Ah yes," Darkness gathered her thoughts. Meanwhile Aqua was trying to pry open Darkness's grip with a crowbar, while pushing on the Crusader's wrist with her leg. Aqua would have better luck with a statue. "Do you have any complains regarding Michael?" Darkness asked. The crowbar snapped, and Aqua yelled as she fell on the ground.

"Michael?" Schwanhild answered, while looking at Aqua in worry. Aqua gave her little Priest a thumbs up to tell her, she was fine. "Well," Schwanhild went back to answer Darkness. "No. His ability as an adventurer are excellent, and leadership is exemplary. As a party member, he is accommodating and reliable. I have no complains about being in a party with him."

Aqua stood up, dusted herself, and sat back in her seat, crossing her arms with a huff.

"Ah, I see." Darkness said back. "It's just that when I went back home, I met your mother who asked me about..."

Darkness didn't get the chance to explain, as Michael came into the dining area, with a whiteboard rolling behind him, and a doll floating by.

"Umm, Michael, what's that?" Yunyun asked, trembling a bit, pointing at the flying doll.

"Oh, that's Anna. The Ghost that haunts this mansion. If you find your things missing, or something pranking you, it's probably her fault."

The doll radiated pout energy at Michael.

"Hi, Anna!" Aqua waved hello. The doll waved back.

Ignoring the shouts and exclaims of surprise, Michael continued.

"She's my assistant now. Anyways, let's talk about your general and personalized training. We'll do those everyday, before we go on quests. You're all free in the late evening, unless we finish our quest early. All of us will have the weekend off to do whatever we want, but I still expect you to do your morning training. Any objections?"

Michael was met with ambivalent acceptance.

"Also I'm going to be teaching you all how to cook, so you can become self-reliant, and we'll take shifts on who makes breakfast and lunch."

Michael was met with violent rejection.

"NOOOOOOOOO!"