Vol-04 Ch 5 – Kaori and Lexia

Part 1

It's been a few days since Kaori learned about the other world. We've continued to study for tests since then, but one thing has changed between us. That was Kaori's wish to study at the house in the other world.

It's not that Kaori doesn't like the house in Japan, but she says the air in the other world is better, so studying there will help her clear her head. Well, now that the existence of the other world has been exposed, there is no particular reason for me to refuse it, so we study in the other world.

And along with that, I showed Kaori some dishes made with ingredients from the other world, and she was happy to eat them.

By the way, the ingredients I used were a type of food that increases our status. Although Kaori's status has increased thanks to those ingredients, apparently she didn't get the experience value from that group battle with the [Hell Slime], so her level is still at 1.

…I don't really understand this concept of experience value either.

Normally, it wouldn't be possible to experience being attacked by a group of slimes like that, but that experience doesn't add to the experience value either. Assuming the means of gaining experience is that you have to fight and win directly, that's pretty much impossible.

Fortunately for me, thanks to Sage-san's weapon, I was able to beat a hundred times stronger monsters when I was at a low level and low status, and I realized once again that I was truly blessed.

However, that Sage-san's weapon is exclusive to me, or rather, it's been contracted at some point, so I can't lend it out, and if Kaori wants to level up, she'll have to find a low-status monster. Or rather, I don't think the experience of killing a creature is a good one, so I'd like her to stay calm if possible…

However, despite being level 1, thanks to the status-raising ingredients in my house's garden that increased her status a bit, Kaori has a superhuman physical ability on Earth.

It seems that when she got home, she was able to carry a heavy load with ease, which surprised even Kaori herself… but I told her to keep that matter to herself. Well, I haven't been able to hide it well myself, so it's a bit late to say that.

Just like that, we were still taking a break after finishing our studies at the house in the other world.

"Hmm! As I thought, the air in this world is really good!"

"Yeah. You get used to it when you're over here, but when you come back to Earth, things get a little weird."

"Ah, I know! What can I say? It feels a little smoky."

We talk to each other about the other world's air and smile, and Kaori starts to soften up after a bit.

"Hmm? What's going on?"

"Eh? Ah, no, you see…"

Kaori was a bit hesitant about something, but she immediately looked at me with a determined expression.

"Yuuya-san, would you be willing to show me around this world?"

"Eh?"

When my eyes widened at the words I hadn't expected, Kaori looked straight at me.

"It's partly because I want to know more about this world, but I also want to see the things that Yuuya-san has seen in this world."

"That's…"

"Is that bad…?"

"Ugh…"

I stifle my words to Kaori, who looks up at me anxiously.

…If I think about it, that's true. If you come to this unknown world, you'll want to look around.

It's just…

"…It's difficult, I guess."

"Why is that…?"

"Just like Kaori was attacked before, there are a lot of monsters in this world. And even if you go to the city, it's not as safe as in Japan."

Even in the royal capital, there are those who have been caught up in raids, and there is even a disturbing organization called the Dark Guild.

"I want to take you with me, but I'm not strong enough to say that I can absolutely protect you."

"Are you still not strong enough, Yuuya-san?"

"Yeah, I'm not quite there yet."

Master Rabbit, the mysterious girl from the other day, there are many opponents I can't compete with anyway. And that's exactly the case with the monsters in the depths of this great devil's nest; I won't be able to fight them properly with the current me.

Kaori heard my explanation, and her mouth was somewhat aggrieved.

"Mmm… If that's the case, then it can't be helped…"

"I'm so sorry."

"…But then, if you think it's okay, Yuuya-san, will you take me with you?"

"Of course!"

"Then, I forgive you."

Kaori gave a slight smile as she said that.

"So, we might not be able to go outside, but it's okay inside this house's garden, right?"

"Oh, that's okay."

"Then let's go to the garden!"

Responding to Kaori's request, we go out into the garden.

"Once again, I think outside; it's a strange place. The trees around it are also of a type I've never seen before… Come to think of it, what do you grow in that field?"

"It's a vegetable from the other world that I made Kaori eat the other day, and it has the effect of increasing the stats. Of course, it doesn't rise without limit, but I thought it would be a good idea for Kaori, who has trouble raising her level."

"I was really surprised when I got home! Well, I was convinced later when I heard the reason… but then again, it's hard to keep a low profile, but it's a little funny to think that I have the power to be like a character in a story."

"I'd appreciate it if you put it that way. Also, I'm growing a medicinal herb called [Complete Recovery Herb], but…"

"Medicinal herb… is it?"

"Yeah. What's amazing is that these herbs can heal any wound."

"What kind of wounds?"

"Yeah. For example, even if you lose your arm due to some accident, if you take this [Complete Recovery Herb], that arm will grow back."

"G-grow…"

Kaori's face paled a bit as she imagined the scene. I wasn't anything like that since fighting monsters in this world became the norm for me to slash off hands and such, but it would normally be a pretty shocking image.

"And then it does not just heal wounds; it seems to heal diseases as well. Maybe it can heal anything except resurrecting the dead."

"….."

Kaori was at a loss for words when she heard the [Complete Recovery Herb] explanation.

"…If such a thing really existed, I think everyone would seek it out… And if there is that herb, it can cure incurable diseases that are still considered incurable all over the world today. Right?"

"Well…"

"It's a complete fight-or-flight effect on Earth's medical technology…"

Indeed, when I think about it, [Complete Recovery Herb] is a blown effect. I've already tried not to think too much about it just because it's something that Sage-san was growing.

Besides, I need to prepare a lot of recovery methods because it would be troublesome if something happened in this world or in the exploration of this great devil's nest.

As I was thinking like that, Kaori was staring at the field with some kind of difficult expression.

"That… Yuuya-san. I'm sure Yuuya-san already understands enough… but obviously the crops, concepts, and items here are too dangerous on Earth."

"…Yeah."

"The spear in and out of empty space the other day was also unique to this world, wasn't it?"

"Yes. It's a skill called [Item Box], but…"

"I don't know how much of that skill can be stored, but if it were unlimited, it would overturn all common sense on Earth."

"….."

"I also think that the power of magic is a very dangerous thing. If this power is known to Japan and the rest of the world… it would not be a good thing."

If Kaori is right, if the concept of this world's magic were brought to Earth, it would be only a matter of time before it was used for warfare. And as Lexia-san said before, teleportation magic is definitely one of the most dangerous types of magic.

For me, I can easily go far away and stop being late to school, but I don't want to use it for the extent of that, but that's not the case if I think about it on a nationwide basis.

It's really hard to keep up with this world.

"…I think we're done for the moment, and we should go back."

It was then that Kaori was about to go back to the room… with a wry smile as the conversation turned out to be more difficult than expected.

"──Yuuyaaa-samaaaa!"

"Eh?"

I let out a shout of surprise and turned around to look at…

"It's me! Here!"

"How do we expect to survive if you keep making us do things your way! Shit! Any number of lives wouldn't be enough for Lexia's guards…!"

"Aah, my head hurts…"

To my surprise, I saw Lexia-san blasting towards this house, and from behind her, Luna and Owen-san jumped in to fight against the monsters that were following further behind them, desperately. Apparently, it seems that the ones chasing after Lexia-san and the others are a group of [Goblin Elite].

"Uhm…?"

Kaori stares at me, bewildered by such a scene, and I stare back at Kaori like that. Then Luna notices me in such a state.

"Ah, hey! Yuuya! Help us! …wait, who's that woman next to you…?"

"No, I think we have bigger problems right now. We're in danger of becoming the monsters' food for thought if we're not careful."

"You will be the sole prey, Owen! I'm busy now!

"It really makes me sick to my stomach…! Kuh! For that matter, I can only hold the entire goblin elite back as best I can…!"

"That's what I'm doing! Complain to the stupid princess over there!"

As usual, I mean, Owen-san looks like he's having a very hard time. Is he going to be okay? I'll give him some Earth-grown stomach pills and headache pills next time. As I was looking at the scene in front of me in a daze, thinking that I'll have to go to the pharmacy next time, Lexia-san noticed me too and raised her voice.

"Yuuya-samaaaaa! Who's the woman next to youuuuu!"

"…Eh, Yuuya-san? Those people are…?"

I couldn't help but look up at the sky as I realized that this was going to be complicated.

"Ah… well, can I head over to help first?"

"Eh? Ah, yeah, I know. It sounds like it's going to be pretty tough…"

"Thanks… Night, Akatsuki. I'm sure it will be fine, but just in case, watch over Kaori."

"Woof!"

"Fugo!"

While laughing at their energetic replies, I quickly changed into my [Bloody War Demon Series] armor and ran off at once.

"Phew!"

Then, with the least amount of movement, I released a kick to the forehead of the goblin elite that was closest to Lexia-san, and the face of the goblin elite exploded from the force of the kick.

Without killing the momentum, this time, I stepped through the head of the Goblin Elite in Luna's direction, and then I used that leg as an axis to slam a spinning kick into the Goblin Elite that was closing in on Owen-san.

Until now, I wasn't able to move this smoothly, but thanks to my training with Master Usagi, I was able to attack like this while smoothly moving on to the next move when it came to kicks.

The number of Goblin Elites had decreased with my participation in the fight, and Luna and Owen-san had also successfully defeated the Goblin Elites they were dealing with.

When all the Goblin Elites were thus eradicated, Owen-san took a breath.

"Phew… Yuuya-dono, thank you for saving us."

"N-no, that's fine, but… well, what exactly is going on…? You went all the way to such a dangerous place…"

There is no longer any need for me to go to the royal capital, so there shouldn't be any need to come all the way to the dangerous great devil's nest like this. Then, as if realizing my inner feelings, Luna looks at me in a dumbfounded way.

"What is it, Yuuya? The other day, Lexia said she was going to visit Yuuya's house. Or are we not allowed to come unless we have something to do?"

"Eh? No, it's not like that, but…"

"Then that's good. It was Lexia who started it, but I… Uhm… I've wanted to meet you too."

Seeing Luna's cheeks redden as she says that, I remember being kissed by Luna before, and even I get red in the face. I ask Luna as if to disguise such an expression.

"C-come to think of it, how did you get here? It must have been hard for you."

"Yeah… but Lexia's selfishness means that we have become a little stronger too."

"I-I see…"

I couldn't help but give a drawn-out smile at Luna's somewhat accomplished reaction, and Luna pointed in a direction.

"More importantly… that, can we leave that alone?"

"Eh?"

When I turned my gaze toward the… direction Luna indicated, I saw the figure of Lexia-san, who had crossed the fence and entered the garden before I knew it, silently confronted Kaori… W-what was that atmosphere…

As I hurriedly returned to my house with Owen-san and the others, Lexia-san and Kaori didn't seem to care about us and continued to stare at each other in silence.

"….."

"….."

I'm not sure what to do with the too heavy atmosphere, so I looked towards Owen-san to ask for help, but he seemed to have his eyes closed and didn't give a damn about it. W-well, he's usually having a hard time…

Next, I turn my attention to Luna, but for some reason, Luna is staring at me with half-lidded eyes. Eh, why?

No one seemed to be able to do anything about the situation anywhere I looked, and when I was in full-blown trouble, Lexia-san slowly opened her mouth.

"…You, what's your name?"

"…I'm Kaori Houjou. Uhm… you are?" [T/n: Wasn't Kaori didn't have the language comprehension skill?]

"…I'm Lexia von Alceria. I see… if you don't know me, then you're from the same country as Yuuya-sama…"

As I watched the course of events to see what would happen once they knew each other's names, they suddenly turned their gaze towards me.

"By the way, Yuuya-san──."

"By the way, Yuuya-sama──."

"What is your relationship with this person?" they said in unison.

Part 2

The first thing I asked them to do was to come to my house and sit down with a cup of tea or something. At that time, Kaori introduced herself to Owen-san and Luna as well, so I'll be answering the questions from the two of them earlier…

I opened my mouth, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with the sharp looks from the two… no, three people, including Luna.

"Well… first of all, Kaori, she's a friend of mine."

When I said that, Kaori looked a little dissatisfied, but on the contrary, Lexia-san and the others looked like they were missing a beat.

"Eh? Is that all?"

"Other than that, it's hard to explain…"

I sneak an earful to Kaori, who looks at me with a quizzical expression at my stalling.

"I haven't explained our world to those… Lexia-san and others."

"Eh?"

"For some reason, they think I'm a foreigner, too…"

"I-I see…"

Before Lexia-san and the others arrived, we had talked about the technology and power of this world is dangerous to Earth, and Kaori was convinced that I hadn't told them I was an otherworlder.

"B-but still… only friend is…"

"Eh?"

"I-it was nothing!"

Kaori seems to have muttered something after that… well, if she says it's nothing, it must be so.

"The first thing you should know about Lexia-san and the others is that… Lexia-san is the princess of a country called Alceria Kingdom."

"Eeh?!"

Kaori's eyes widened in surprise at my explanation. It's natural, of course. It's not like she's going to meet a princess in her normal life.

"And Luna and Owen-san are her bodyguards."

"A princess and… bodyguard…"

She seems surprised at the word princess, but I heard that even Kaori has a bodyguard, so it's not that unusual. A knight would be unusual, though.

…No, if I think about it, Kaori is also a person who lives in a different world than I do, right? Just having a bodyguard on Earth is very impressive, however…

When I remember again that Kaori is a young lady, she came back to her senses and asked me.

"S-so, how did that princess, Lexia-sama, and Yuuya-san meet?"

"Ara, you can call me Lexia if you want. You… Kaori is the same age as Yuuya-sama, right? Besides, I'll call you Kaori too!"

"Eeh? N-no… is that okay?"

Kaori was feeling pressured by Lexia-san's push as usual, but Lexia-san smiled.

"Of course. I'm the one who told you, after all, so it's okay!"

"…Lexia-sama. I'm sure it's fine for this occasion, but if you handle it that way in your official duty, you'll have to deal it with more…"

"As you said, it"s fine here, right?"

"…I don't care anymore."

Really, thank you for your hard work, Owen-san.

"Now, if you're going to call Lexia like that, you should call me Luna, too."

"E-err…"

Kaori looked at me as if to say what to do.

"Well… they said it's good for them, so I guess it's fine."

"I-is that what it is… but I'm sorry. At least allow me to call you Lexia-san and Luna-san, please."

"Hmm… well, it can't be helped…"

Kaori is always polite, so it would be difficult for her to call them casually like that for now. Lexia-san seemed to have figured that out, and she nodded while smiling bitterly.

"So, as for how I met Yuuya-sama… one day, I was targeted by assassins who wanted to kill me, and I ran away to this forest to escape from them."

"A-assassins…"

Kaori is suddenly dumbfounded by a word that is unlikely to be used in normal life in Japan.

"But those assassins were killed by a monster in this forest, and I thought I would be killed as well. But… Yuuya-sama saved me from that!"

Lexia-san says that with sparkling eyes, and I feel very embarrassed when she says that again.

"After that, I couldn't stay long; I came here to see Yuuya-sama again and asked him to marry me!"

"M-marriage proposal!?"

Ah, wait. That's awkward. This is going to complicate things. As expected, Kaori, who was surprised by Lexia-san's words, looks at me in a daze.

"Yu-Yuuya-san… the marriage proposal, was it true…?"

"No, I mean, it was true, but… I have refused it properly! Because from my point of view, we were complete strangers at the time!"

"T-that's right…"

"Well, I'm not giving up on it, though!"

For some reason, Lexia-san proudly puffed out her chest. What's really good about me…

Then this time, Luna also opened her mouth.

"And while I'm at it, I'd like to tell you about me, the assassin who attacked Lexia in the story earlier, one of them is me."

"Eh… eeeeehhhh!"

Luna's words surprised Kaori again. That's true too. A former assassin and his target are together now. It's usually hard to believe.

"When I was hired to do that job, I visited this forest to investigate… I was also attacked by monsters, and when I was close to death, Yuuya saved me. Well, a lot happened from there… but that's a long story, so that's okay."

"…A different world is amazing…"

Kaori was, first of all, stunned by the many stories she had never heard on Earth, and then she muttered of such things. While I was smiling bitterly at Kaori's figure, Lexia-san suddenly stood up.

"Well then, Yuuya-sama!"

"Eh?"

"Let us take a bath, please!"

"…Huh?"

The request was so abrupt that I involuntarily gave a distracted reply…

"Uhm… are you here today to just take a bath…?"

"No. I just got sweaty and dirty from running to come here…"

"Geez… I'm sickened by your selfishness, but I'm sick of sweat and dirt, too."

"I-I see…"

It looks like it was really hard to get here, Luna nods, and I guess I have to let them take a bath. Then Kaori, who doesn't know about the bath I have, tilted her head in wonder.

"A bath…?"

"Yes, that's right! Since we're here, Kaori should come in with us too!"

"Eh, me too?!"

Kaori was surprised that she was also invited to join them, but it seems to be the decision between Lexia-san and Luna now. Since I have no reason to refuse to let them take a bath either, I prepare for it without understanding it well.

"Ah, Yuuya-sama. You refused it last time, but do you want to come in with us this time?"

"Buhoh!"

When I finished preparing the bath, Lexia-san said something like that again, just like before, no way. Kaori blushes as I gushed at that statement.

"E-eh!?! come in together!?"

"Yes. Is there something wrong with that?"

"…How is that not wrong? Really, what's going on in your mindset…?"

"Excuse me, okay! It's perfectly normal!"

No, I don't think it's normal…

Unable to say so, I managed to convince them to give up, and the three of them went to the bath.

＊＊＊

"There's really a bath…"

As I took off my clothes, I was surprised to see a bath with steam rising in front of me.

At first, I thought that I would take a bath in this house, but it seemed that one of the drop items that Yuuya-san had talked about before was a bath that could be carried around, and that I would be in it.

I didn't understand the idea of taking a bath with them, but I don't understand even more about a portable bath than that. How does one go about carrying a bath with them?

──That's what I thought, but the moment Yuuya-san somehow took out a square object and placed it on the floor, a bath was instantly created.

I was no longer at a loss for words. This world is simply astonishing because it defies all common sense on Earth. However… I was told that we would be in this bath together, but even though we are the same girls… I was a little nervous about it.

When I was waiting without knowing it well, Lexia-san and the others came over and prepared for it. Then we rinsed off, and when it came time to get into the bath──.

"Haaaaahhh…"

I couldn't help but let out a voice at how good it felt. Then Lexia-san and the others, who were also soaking in hot water, also looked comfortably.

"Phew… It feels so good."

"Yeah… as always, the baths Yuuya has are the best…"

I can vaguely guess from their words, but after all, they have been helped by Yuuya-san and have used this bath before. It's probably okay, but I don't think it's possible that they are… in it with Yuuya-san, right?

Earlier, Lexia-san said something about Yuuya-san joining us too, but… I think it's okay, no, I think it's okay to see Yuuya-san's reaction. The two of them told me how they met Yuuya-san, and I was happy to hear that Yuuya-san is still the same in this world.

After all, when someone is in trouble, he goes to help…

That's probably why Lexia-san was attracted to Yuuya-san like that.

And I also──.

"──So, what about Kaori?"

"Eh?"

I give an unwilling response to Lexia-san's abruptly thrown words. I-is it okay…? …The other party is a princess. I've met a number of important people through my father's relationship, but as expected, I never had the opportunity to meet a princess, so I couldn't help but think so.

However, Lexia-san doesn't seem to be particularly bothered by this, and she looks straight at me.

"So, I mean, what do you think, Kaori?"

"Uh… what is it about?"

"That's Yuya-sama, of course!"

"Huh!"

I stifled a few words, not expecting her to ask me so straightforwardly.

"I-I'm… Uhm…"

"You don't have to fake it or anything. I just want to know how Kaori really feels."

I couldn't look away from Lexia-san's eyes, which were staring straight at me as if to say that she would not allow me to lie.

"…I like Yuuya-san. From the first time we met, I was unintentionally attracted to Yuuya-san's kindness."

"….."

"After that, Yuuya-san never changed and helped me so many times that… I found myself feeling emotions that I had never felt before. And I guess this is what it means to love…"

With Lexia-san's prompting, I was finally able to calmly analyze my feelings.

I like Yuuya-san. I was confused because it was my first emotion, but when I finally accepted it, I felt… embarrassed and somewhat refreshed.

Then Lexia heard my words and nodded.

"I see… Luna is the same, but why does everyone want to hide their feelings. Why don't you honestly say you like Yuuya-sama?"

"…No, you're just too straightforward."

"It's okay. You must keep up the positive feelings. Otherwise, people won't be able to understand you very well."

That may be… but…

"Uhm… from what I hear about it… is Luna-san also… about Yuuya?"

"Uh… Yeah, that's right."

Luna-san blushed and looked kind of cute as she awkwardly looked away from me.

"Oh well, fine. Even if I find out Kaori likes Yuuya-sama, it won't change anything I do!"

"Eh?"

"I told you, right? I said I proposed Yuuya-sama. I haven't given up yet!"

"Eeehh! B-but isn't it too early to get married…?"

"Ara, is that the case in Yuuya-sama and Kaori's country? You know, in our country, marriage is commonplace at this age."

What a surprise. It's true that we women are just about the right age to get married on Earth, but Yuuya is not yet 18 years old.

But that is the law in… Japan on Earth and I guess that would be legal… in this world?

Lexia-san, who doesn't know that I'm confused, continues.

"So I won't give up on Yuuya-sama! Of course, I'm not going to let Luna and Kaori beat me, either!"

"Huh? But I'm one step ahead of you at the moment."

"Mukiii! That was because Owen didn't want to stop the carriageeeee!"

"Well, leave this sorry princess aside… as for me, Kaori, you are the biggest obstacle."

"Eh?"

"You're from the same country as Yuuya, and from the exchange you just had, you must know a side of Yuuya that we don't know about."

"Huh? That's right! Kaori has an advantage that we don't! That means… could it be that I'm the most late on this case?"

I don't know what made her think that, but I don't think that she is late about this, at least not when she is asking Yuuya-san to marry her. I just accepted my feelings honestly just now, but I really thought it was amazing that Lexia-san could communicate her feelings so clearly and even more so to her partner.

While I'm feeling that way, Lexia-san points her finger at Luna-san and me.

"Okay! I'll turn the tables from here, and I'll be the one to marry Yuuya-sama first!　Brace yourself!"

"Hmph, I'll just pull away again soon enough."

Somehow, Luna-san laughed wryly at Lexia-san's statement like that, but I felt strange about Lexia-san's statement.

"What do you mean by, err… first?"

Normally, once you get married, there is no later…

Then Lexia-san and Luna-san looked at each other.

"Eh, could it be that… it's not possible to marry more than one person in Kaori country?"

"T-there's no such thing, eh… can you do that on your country?"

"It's pretty standard."

"It's interesting. It's interesting how these parts of our culture can be so different!"

Luna-san and Lexia-san looked curious, but I couldn't believe it from my upbringing in the Japanese way of thinking.

"You mean that… polygamy?"

"There are not only polygamy but also polyandry, as well. Especially for royalty and nobility, they have a tendency to do either.

"My father has taken several other women besides my mother, you know. And I know the female heads of families who have married many men."

I'm honestly amazed at the explanation of Lexia-san and Luna-san, but when I hear the words nobility and royalty, I feel slightly chilled. Those people have to leave behind an heir, so they will probably marry a lot of women and men.

But…

"I'm sure that… was understandable if you meant among the nobility and royalty. But that idea is indeed unthinkable for the average citizen, isn't it…?"

"Well, it's rare for a commoner to be polygamous, but that's because they don't have the economic power to do so. A commoner with money would have been married polygamously. A great merchant would be a good example. On this point, there's no problem with Yuuya-sama. The materials of the monsters in this forest are enough to make a tremendous amount of money, and if anything, he can do well as an adventurer."

"And since he's going to marry me, he's going to be royalty anyway, right? That's perfectly fine!"

I'm beginning to get a headache from the common sense of the other world that is told too much one after another. It's true that there are countries on Earth where bigamy is allowed, but it's unthinkable in Japan, so to think that Yuuya-san would be adapted to that…

When I was shocked by that one thing, Lexia-san changed the topic in a cheerful tone.

"Well, we'll see what happens there! And I have to get Yuuya-sama to go for it too!"

"Right."

"So, for my part, I'd like to ask you about the things Kaori knows about Yuuya-sama!"

"Eh? T-the thing that I know about?"

"Yes! When it comes to this, we should be talking about what we know about Yuuya-sama with each other, right? I'm sure Kaori would like to know the side of Yuuya-sama that we all know, wouldn't you?"

"That's, of course!"

I certainly don't know about Yuuya-san's activities in this world, so I'd like to hear about it. Lexia-san laughed happily at my reaction, and from there, Luna-san and I were included in a discussion about Yuuya-san.

It had been a really long time since I had talked this much with a girl my age, and by the time we left the bath, we had become great friends.

Part 3

While Lexia and the others were having a conversation in the bath, Owen tried to gather information on Yuuya and the others. However, because of Kaori's sudden appearance, he has more to look into, and it's a bit of a headache.

Nevertheless, there are several similarities between Yuuya and Kaori, which can be helpful in gathering information.

"(Although their hair and eye color are the same, their facial features are not that similar… the line of brother and sister is thin, and they are probably really friends. If that's the case, does that mean Kaori-dono is a nobleman or royalty like Yuuya-dono…?)"

Nevertheless, it didn't change the fact that he had little information. That's why Owen's misunderstanding accelerated, and his head ached that he had new things to report when he returned to the royal capital.

This was because Owen wanted to gather as much information about Yuuya as possible and report it to Arnold. When Arnold was attacked by Rhaegar, even though those attackers were exceptionally skilled, Yuuya had managed to deal with them effortlessly, and even took out a series of legendary-grade items.

There was no way they would let loose a country with such an individual so easily, and Arnold wanted him to stay in the Alceria Kingdom if possible. It was because he believed that if Yuuya were willing to abandon his country and become a citizen of the Alceria Kingdom, it would be of great benefit to the country.

In fact, there was no doubt that Yuuya's abilities and legendary grade items would have a tremendous impact on diplomacy. However, since both Owen and Arnold had only seen a small part of Yuuya's abilities yet, it was not known what would happen if they knew about Yuuya's transfer magic and other things.

"(The best thing is not to bring in only Yuya-dono, but Yuya-dono and Lexia-sama marry and start trading with Yuuya-dono's country as it is. …But, His Majesty would be reluctant to do so. Well, after the last one, the hostility towards Yuuya-dono is almost gone, anyway…)"

Arnold's assessment of Yuuya had been revised after Yuuya had treated Rhaegar, which Arnold himself had given up on, and that made Arnold revised his opinion of Yuuya. That's how tremendous Yuuya's actions were, but the man himself was not so aware of it.

Still, although Arnold himself still thinks that the current situation of his beloved daughter, Lexia, favoring Yuuya is not pleasant, he was quite troubled by Yuuya's abilities and other factors.

It's a great idea to get a chance to connect with Yuuya, but as a parent, he doesn't want to give her to anyone. Nevertheless, there was no need to jump to conclusions just yet, since Yuuya himself, whose favor is directed at him, has refused Lexia's marriage proposal.

However, the emergence of an uncertain element called Kaori here complicated the battle over Yuuya.

"(Even so…)"

Owen suddenly turned his attention to Night and Akatsuki, who were relaxing near him.

"Woof?"

"Fugo?"

Then they tilted their heads curiously.

"(They were only briefly introduced to me, but… they are Yuuya-dono's family. That's not normal by any stretch of the imagination…)"

With that in mind, Owen took the opportunity to take a good look at Night and Akatsuki.

"(Night-dono is a… dog? It's not… he's a wolf. However, when it comes to black wolf monsters, there aren't too many types… the most famous one is [Black Fang], but they're a D-class. It wasn't very good. In fact, it wouldn't be able to fight in the Great Devil's Nest. Other than that, there are several things that come to mind, such as the [Shadow Wolf] and the [Murder Claw], which are still too weak to survive in the Great Devil's Nest. Besides, a search for enemy ability beyond that Yuuya-dono is not normal. If that's the case──.)"

Thinking up to that point, Owen's mind was filled with the name of a certain monster. And the moment that monster's name popped into his head, sweat appeared on Owen's forehead.

"(C-could it is… that legendary [Black Fenrir]… I guess it can't be that… Even [Fenrir], who is known as the "God Wolf," has been brought to its knees, and has even attacked the three once-glorious nations in a single night…)"

He looked at Night again, but Night still only tilted his head cutely.

"(No, no, no, no, no, that's indeed not true. Legend has it that it was even described as being large enough to swallow a city in its entirety. By all accounts, Night-dono is too small. He's probably a monster unique to the Great Devil's Nest that is still unknown to me and the rest of the world. If that's the case, Akatsuki-dono is also…)"

This time he looked at Akatsuki, but Akatsuki didn't seem to be interested in Owen; he just rolled around sluggishly on the floor with his belly showing.

"…Fumu. For all intents and purposes, he's just a little piggy. No, that red hair is rare, but he doesn't… look particularly amazing. I haven't even seen him fighting like Night-dono, and he's probably not very good at fighting.)"

There was no need to think any further about Akatsuki, Owen decided.

──In the end, Owen was unable to gather any significant information and continued to ponder.

＊＊＊

"Phew… That was a nice bath!"

"Yeah… as expected of Yuuya's bath."

"It's amazing… I never thought I'd feel so much better after a bath."

The three of them came back from the bath, talking happily to each other.

…It's amazing. They were a bit distant before the bath, but now they seem to be getting along quite well. First, let's ask Kaori what she thought after trying the bath for the first time.

"Kaori. How was the bath?"

"It's amazing! My skin is feeling smoother, but even more than that, it feels like… a power is rising from the bottom of my body!"

I could tell by the way Kaori said that with sparkling eyes that she was satisfied.

"I'm glad to hear that. That item seems to have various effects, you know."

"An item from a different world is really amazing… and you can take that bath with you, right?"

"Well, yeah. Therefore, you can take a bath wherever you want, and since the effect of the item seems to be to make it invisible to the people around it, you don't have to worry about being seen. But even so, I suppose you still have to choose the place to some extent."

"But it's still amazing!"

While smiling bitterly at Kaori, who was more into the bath than I expected, I asked Lexia-san and Luna as well.

"Speaking of which, what did you do here today? You know, I forgot all about it in the introduction of Kaori and the sudden bath…"

"Ara, we don't have particular needs, you know?"

"Huh?"

I froze at the unexpected statement. However, Lexia-san didn't seem bothered by it and puffed out her chest.

"I came here just to see Yuuya-sama!"

"…I've always wanted to meet Yuuya too, but your location is hard to go… This princess doesn't care about that, so I have to put myself in her shoes, as well…"

"Eh, no, this place is indeed dangerous, but wait a minute… You came here after properly informing Arnold-sama, didn't you…?"

"We didn't do it because it was too much trouble!"

Not good…! This is going to piss him off again…!

As I put my hand over my head, Owen-san let out a sigh and told me.

"Yuuya-dono. Please be at ease. I have reported to him, just in case."

"Oh, that's good to know…"

No, really. But if they don't have anything to do, then it might bore them…

I'm sorry that they came all this way, and I tell them honestly.

"Well, sorry. I've got another thing to do tomorrow…"

And by things, of course, I mean school. There's not much time left until the test.

"Ara, is that so? Does that involve Kaori?"

"Yes, that's right…"

"Fumu… I'm very curious about the details of that when it's just the two of you doing things together… but it's also true that we came here so suddenly that I can't say anything about it."

Lexia-san seemed to be convinced, even though she looked a little dissatisfied.

"If that's the case, it's time for us to leave too. My father is going to be angry if we stay too long!"

"No, I think he'll be furious when you come out without telling him…"

Lexia-san didn't seem to be bothered by Luna's righteous argument either. She wondered what would happen from her position as a former assassin, but it was good that the two of them seemed to be more compatible than expected.

Then the moment Lexia-san and the others said they were leaving, Kaori looked a little sad.

"I understand that, but when it comes to saying goodbye… it's a little sad."

"Oh, it's not like it's a lifetime farewell. You don't have to be so depressed! If you want, I can come back tomorrow at the same time as today, okay?"

"Lexia-sama. From tomorrow onwards, your official duties will continue for a while."

"Eh."

At Owen-san's words, Lexia-san's expression, which had been so lively a moment ago, froze.

"Ugh, it's not true, right?"

"No, it's true. Giving your official duties would make it impossible for you to be selfish, no matter what you say. I advised Lexia-sama that this would be just fine for her."

"O-Owennnnnnnnnnnn!"

Lexia-san stared at Owen-san with a devilish look on her face. That's scary… But even though Owen-san looks at Lexia-san like that, he doesn't seem to be affected.

"You've been acting a little too freely lately. I'll have you working to your heart's content for a while from tomorrow."

"N-no!"

"No, no. For now, as far as I know, you'll be attending the upcoming social events, and you'll be meeting with people from the neighboring kingdom of Rowness. Also, there will be a visit to a provincial city that you were unable to visit last time."

"N-nooooooo!"

Lexia-san collapsed on the spot. H-how hard it is for royalty to do that… And just by listening to the story like that, I can strongly feel that Lexia-san is a real princess. The world we live in is different, after all.

Next to the crumbling Lexia-san, Luna let out a dumbfounded sigh.

"Sigh… I wouldn't say I like it too, but all this. Since I'm employed by Lexia, do I have to join in…?"

Then she heard Luna's words and suddenly regained her energy.

"L-Luna! You're with me, right? You don't like it, too, do you? There's nothing fun about socializing at a dinner party, after all!"

"Yes. But I'm just an escort. I don't have to deal with any of the annoying interactions around there, though."

"Y-you traitooooorrrr!"

Apparently, Lexia-san doesn't have any allies. So please don't look at me like that. There's nothing I can do about it.

"Ugh… i-it can't be helped… I will finish those things right away and come here again!"

"Yes, yes, that's right."

"Just one 'yes' is enough!"

Lexia-sama yelled at Owen-san and then looked at us again.

"Well then, It's a regret to say goodbye, but we'll leave now."

"Oh, do you want me to walk you to the entrance of this [Great Devil's Nest]?"

"Thanks, but no thanks. Since we're here, it's best also to raise Luna and Owen's levels!"

"This girl…!"

Luna and Owen-san's eyes were wide open. A-are they going to be okay?

Well, the monsters near the entrance to the Great Devil's Nest can be dealt with by Luna, even if they come in packs, so it's okay.

"So, Kaori. See you later!"

"Yes! I'm sure we'll have plenty to talk about again!"

──That's how Lexia-san and the others left. In the meantime, I asked Night to follow them from the shadows, so they should be fine.

As we were watching them off, Kaori muttered next to me.

"They've gone…"

"That's right…"

"…Lexia-san and the others were nice, and we had a lot of fun."

"I see. I'm glad you're getting along so well."

At first, I was strangely tense, and I wondered what was going to happen. I chuckled, and I asked her something that was suddenly on my mind.

"Oh, by the way, you were so close at the end, what exactly did you talk about in the bath?"

In response to my question, Kaori looked up at me and smiled mischievously.

"…It's a secret!"