Part 1
MC's POV
I felt a terrible headache as soon as my consciousness seemed to return to me. My sense of direction was messed up and I could not make up whether I was laying down or standing.
I am probably going through some side effects of some sort but the details keep evading me.
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A while later, I could feel a soft feeling below my head. I assumed it to be a pillow, a good and comfortable one. It has an enjoyable fragrance as well. It smelled like a flower, but for some reason, my mind could not muster enough clarity to identify it. However, I found myself snuggling group this pillow even further and taking in more of that scent. I had the feeling that I had been in a place where the smell was not pleasant so this change of environment is welcomed. Nonetheless, it was kind of absurd now that I thought about it. There is no way that such a thing would appear all of sudden so this must be a dream.
Satisfied with that conclusion, I snuggled once again on my pillow.
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As soon as I opened my eyes, I could see the figure of Rossweisse-san blushing.
It was truly an interesting dream, it is pretty accurate as she would look like that when I teased her in reality.
"...idiot, what are you doing as soon as you wake up. I was so worried..." Rossweisse-san flashed me a relieved smile.
This is either a dream or I died, a true angel is smiling at me.
Naturally, I noticed the tears at the corners of her eyes.
"I am truly a sinful guy to make you cry." I muttered.
Extending my hand, I gently wiped her tears.
For some reason, her expression froze. I guess that this is one of those lucid dreams where you can't control what happens around you.
"...Scathach! Nora is acting strange...? No, that is actually how he usually is." Rossweisse-san cast a doubtful expression my way.
What a rude comment did my brain-made Rossweisse-san make.
"Hmmm, I told you it would happen. I recall that when Setanta, no, when Chu Chulain went through the challenge, he acted like a madman for several days. In his case, he challenged me to fight every day, thinking he could win easily." Scathach spoke.
Looking to one side, I saw her leaning on the wall of the room I was in. It seemed to be a room in the castle, so I guess the setting was kept the same.
Looking at me with a slightly cold look, Scathach seemed to be scanning my body.
"He is practically healed so he should be able to stand up tomorrow. His life force is rather impressive, as expected of a Youkai." Scathach mumbled. "Like I was told, he will be able to resist any training I put him through."
Saying some things I found scary, the woman who wore the bodysuit even now was appraising me.
"Well, now that he became my disciple you will be free to go, Rossweisse." Scathach said. "And you, now that I am your Shishou, I will make sure you become a splendid warrior."
Shishou? She? That is quite sudden.
Wait, something is coming to me. There was something about her that I was supposed to not say, no, it was to say...? How confusing, my memory feels tangled up.
"Feel free to call me the way you prefer, I am not particularly strict in regards to honorifics as you, people, are." Scathach muttered.
Way of calling her? I wonder why. The word thighs keeps popping on my mind when I look at her face. My eyes could not help to stare at that place.
They certainly looked attractive and hard to stop staring at.
How to call her...? No, her thighs... Huh? Should I just...?
"Can I call you Thighs Shishou?" I inquired.
After those words left my mouth, the air froze. Rossweisse-san started to tremble for some reason her cute lips opened and closed not knowing what to say.
"Even though I was magnanimous enough to forgive you for what you said before... Heh, it seems you are eager to start training." Scathach spoke in a dark tone of voice. "I am not a doctor but I did hear that light exercise can be good to improve the health of patients. Nora, be grateful. Not just anyone has the luck to be nursed by me."
Wut?
I kind of feel like this dream will soon turn into a nightmare.
Raising her hand forward, a rune shone on the back of her hand and the red spears appeared.
"My aqua-eyed goddess! You need to save your husband, please!" I called out.
Mustering my most pitiful expression, I looked at her but she just blushed. I enjoy her reactions, but to blush because I called myself her husband is interesting yet now was not the best time.
"I will headpat you a lot, I will give you lap pillows as well, but for that, I need to survive." I cried out.
Clinging to her, I shuddered. Thighs Shishou was getting closer with a smile that was certainly not a smile. However, despite the danger for my dear cat life, I felt complicated... since I was enjoying how my face rubbed a certain part of Rossweisse-san.
Could it be that all this time... I was a pervert?
"Nora-kun! Stop, I get it, I will help you so please stop doing that!" Rossweisse-san's voice sounded awkward due to her embarrassment.
"I refuse to accept that I am enjoying this! I am not a pervert! I only have Yasaka-san in my heart! The only thing that will arouse my love (lust) more than the regular Yasaka-san is Yasaka-san in a mini skirt maid outfit!" I reluctantly parted with the softness. "Don't be deceived, Nora."
After clearing the fog in my mind for almost falling prey to the softness, I turned to Thighs Shishou. I had gotten cocky when I thought I would be able to remain calm when her glare landed on me. My legs began shaking but I refused to admit defeat (again). No, I guess if I retreat is not admitting defeat so I could run-
"Ouch! Not the ears, don't hit the ears! They are my only good point!" I cried out in pain after the blunt side of the spear landed on my head.
"Reflect on your actions, you fool!" Scathach shouted.
Yasaka's POV
"*Sneeze* Hmmm? Is someone speaking about me?" Yasaka lightly rubbed her nose.
"..."
As usual, she was in her office doing paperwork, but someone she had been summoning for a while finally appeared. It took a bit of a trick to make this person interested enough to appear, but she finally made it.
Stopping her paperwork when that person arrived, Yasaka could see the relieved expression of one of her people who brought the guest before her. Of course, many sent wary looks at the guest and concerned expressions at Yasaka, but she gestured them to be left alone.
Her guest remained silent all the time, and not even a hint of goodwill could be felt. To be precise, what could be felt was a large amount of resentment and ill will, coupled with the cold disposition and alertness the guest showed, the meeting did not seem friendly at all. The black mass of darkness in front of Yasaka could be hardly described as a youkai, but rather, a baleful spirit or even a wraith would fit her more. However, there were two reasons why the being in front of her could be reasoned with.
"How is Sora doing? I heard that the curse had been affecting her again..." Yasaka asked in concern.
The alertness was reduced somewhat and the darkness dismissed as well enough to catch sight of a pair of red eyes peeking at her, they were cold enough to cause a chill run down the spine of even seasoned warriors, yet Yasaka stared what with the same concerned face as before. Some change occurred as the eyes softened and the darkness diminished again to show the face behind it. A young girl who was perhaps one or two years older than Nora could be seen. She had black hair that could not be measured in size given that the darkness still covered the rest of the body, but you could still distinguish her delicate features.
"...she had to stay a couple of days in bed, but she is doing better."
After that brief answer, the darkness covered the face of the young girl again.
Sighing, Yasaka made a mental note to contact Saya's colleague, Nightingale, to come and check on Sora. Their personalities made it almost impossible to not fight but Sora would refuse to receive treatment from any else other than Saya, Nightingale, or Nora. No, to be precise, she once commented that she would only allow Nightingale to treat her if she was unconscious but that was a joke, probably.
"I know someone who could do Nora-kun's job in his absence, she usually travels around the world but when I contact her, I will send her to check upon Sora." Yasaka said.
Narrowing her eyes, Yasaka noticed clearly how the other party reacted when Nora's name was uttered. Like she has expected and had people investigate, the young girl in from her was fond of Nora. The ill will and resentment surrounding her almost disappeared just from hearing his name, that was more than enough proof.
"That aside, I called you for a reason. It is like I explained in the letter." Yasaka went straight to the heart of the matter.
There was no visible change in the mass of darkness, but it seemed to be attentively listening to her.
"That boy has a disposition that is hard to hide, he has no realized or pretends not to. However, he gets dragged in troublesome situations often." Yasaka spoke. "Not only that, he would sometimes willingly involve himself in that kind of situation by his own will. Even now, he sent two people working under him to the midst of a situation that is making the Himejima Clan restless. Ah, the headache..."
Gently rubbing her forehead, she tried to massage her forehead to alleviate the pain.
"...if you want to use me to..."
The young girl only muttered that but the light in the room got visible less despite being noon. Yasaka immediately understood what the other party was thinking so she raised her hand in a sign of stopping.
"I heard that you have some curious abilities. Attaching yourself to someone's shadow and traveling between them is an extra ability besides your control over darkness, right? I don't want you to cause him any harm so rest assured on that front. I would never harm that child." Yasaka spoke in a serious tone.
She kept to herself that she would surely flick his forehead if he played around too much.
"What I am offering you is quite simple, with the growth of his activities, he will need trustworthy people to aid him. He has already two people, one came from my side and the other one came from the devil's side." Yasaka raised two fingers. "The first one is a good child I allowed him to pouch to his side, while the second one... no matter how much it pains me to say it, she is a good girl who means no harm and wholeheartedly serves him. Tsk. It is difficult to hate her when there is nothing to nitpick. Well, personality aside, she periodically sends a report to what I can only describe as an ancient devil. Even though Nora-kun is aware of it and that girl is very sensitive with the things she writes, I can't be certain what kind of trick that man will pull out."
Deciding to assume that the girl had understood most of what she wanted to explain, or let know. Yasaka thought that the next question might make her sound like a weirdo. However, regardless of her purpose, for Nora to accept, there is only one way to do so.
"Have you ever thought of working for Nora-kun... as his maid?" Yasaka closed her eyes due to embarrassment.
That child, he better be grateful and prepare her something exquisite when he comes back. He will owe her a big... deal... on second thought, he might pass the bill for those other times she kind of made use of him. She got the feeling he is waiting for the chance to ask for something big.
"...eh?"
Like Yasaka predicted, a doubtful sound came out from the mouth of the girl.
MC's POV
Today I learned two things.
Do not go too far even if you are in a dream, you might just realize that you were in fact totally awake. That one is very important, but the other one is even more. My Shishou dislikes being called Thighs Shishou.
"I am hungry, shall I make something for all of us?" I muttered as I rubbed my head.
"Nora-kun, you... *sigh*" Rossweisse-san stared at me speechlessly.
"Do you need me to hunt something? Consider it my congratulatory gift for passing the challenge. Celebration is in order." Scathach-Shishou offered.
No, should I go with '-sama', she might still be angry,
"There is no need, Scathach-sama. I have more than enough food in my pouch." I said.
Looking around, I could not see it in the room. Did she put it somewhere else?
"Eh... are you looking for your pouch? I-I h-have it, just l-look that other way." Rossweisse-san shyly muttered.
No way, don't tell me? No matter if that pouch is small enough to fit there, to actually go that far... no, there must be some mysterious forces at work here. I had such a stroke of intense bad luck before so to balance it, this ecchi world gave me an ecchi situation.
"Nora, don't use '-sama', Shishou, or simply Scathach is ok as well. Somehow it doesn't feel right to be called like that by you." Scathach had a pondering expression as she uttered that.
Since she called out to me, I was distracted and could not confirm where the pouch was pulled out from.
"H-Here, I-I was protecting it, t-that was all!" Rossweisse explained herself.
Alright? I was not going to chastise her, in fact-
"Thank you very much for this wonderful gift." I offered her my most sincere gratitude.
Feeling like it was lacking, I patted her head. However, for some reason, she covered her face with her hands. Not only that, she was turning red and steam almost seemed to come out. It was almost as warm as the temperature my pouch had.
"Alrighty! Onwards to the kitchen!" I uttered.
Ignoring the embarrassed Rossweisse-san's reaction and the slightly intrigued expression my newfound Shishou had, I began walking. Using my ability, I did not waste much time figuring out what path to take to find the kitchen. However, as my sight landed on that place, I furrowed my eyebrows.
I hoped my eyes were playing tricks on me but it was still the same no matter how much I looked, however, I wanted to believe I was wrong so I shut my mouth until I personally confirmed the status of the place.
This Shishou of mine...
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Damn, I was certain. How dare she? Did she only keep clean the places we would use like the room or the hallways we walked on to reach the throne room?
Rossweisse's POV
After the embarrassment she went through for keeping Nora's pouch in a certain place, she decided to silently follow after the boy along with Scathach. She dared not to utter a single word to not make the boy focus on her. He was acting stranger than usual so she did not want to become a victim of his next antic... again, although the head pats felt nice.
When they arrived at the kitchen, Nora froze. Rossweisse could understand his reaction somewhat, it was an absurdly spacious kitchen and while the design look a little old and lacked modern equipment, several runes attached in various places seemed to be there to make up for it. However, what made Nora react like that was probably the state the kitchen was in. Full of dust and unattended, it looked like it had been neglected for years.
It did not take long for Nora to start trembling and Rossweisse could tell that he was not happy. An oppressive aura spread out, and while it did not have the same weight as one made of magic power or Ki, it made even Scathach take a fighting stance.
Glaring back, Nora directed his stare at Scathach. In response, she was about to launch a preventive strike at Nora whose eyes looked like he would tear apart any enemy. However, like it was a lie, he smiled with the gentlest smile she had ever seen. Nonetheless, Scathach only raised her guard.
"...what is this pressure?" Scathach mumbled.
She seemed at a loss about the situation as much as her. Rossweisse imagined several things, but she can honestly say that she did not expect what happened next.
"Shishou, no, Scathach. What the heck is wrong with this kitchen?" Nora kindly asked.
His words had a strange warmth, but Rossweisse could only sweat cold despite not being the one receiving Nora's full attention. Nevertheless, she could feel the pendant on her neck releasing some green light and she was able to relax again.
"After my subjects and servants left the castle, I paid no mind to use this facility when I did not need to. I could easily feed myself by relying on hunting for prey in the forest and picking wild fruits." Scathach muttered.
Rossweisse could immediately tell that it was the wrong answer since Nora's lips twitched.
"So not only do you neglect the kitchen, but you have been neglecting your eating habits, huh." Nora murmured. "Your diet only consisted of that?"
"Hmmm? Yes, I would make a campfire and roast deer, bears, and the like. Other than that, I would make dried meat to not waste what I hunted and eat some other day." Scathach said.
Another wrong answer, Nora was having a hard time managing his expression. Rossweisse did not know if Scathach was doing it on purpose and she was taunting Nora or she was simply obvious to the boy's reaction. No, judging from the slight smile on her face, it could even be a combination of both.
"...did you use any seasoning?" Nora asked.
"Of course, I am not that foolish. I used salt." Scathach said.
"...heh, is that so? Really? Salt, you only used salt. Are you kidding me?" Nora exclaimed. "Let me wildly guess something. Did you only use magic to clean the places we were going to walk on when we arrived?"
With one of the brightest smiles she had ever seen, Nora looked at Scathach.
"Hoh? You could actually tell that, as expected of my disciple." Scathach nodded in acceptance.
That was the worst answer. Rossweisse slowly took a few steps back and as silently as possible avoided getting involved.
"You... people like you... people like you!" Nora lowered his head until a shadow covered his expression.
Alarm bells rang inside Rossweisse head and she hasted her strategic retreat- no, her escape.
"What were you thinking you fool!? Were you really living with such a sloppy lifestyle until now? Are you f*cking kidding me? HUH? Where are you going? Do you want to run? Not gonna happen, I will not let you." Nora exploded. "Don't you dare to raise that spear? Do you think I am scared if you raise that spear? You are gravely mistaken if you think that such a thing will save you from getting scolded! Who cares if you are a God-Slayer, I couldn't care less. You can be a God-Slayer, even the Goblin-Slayer, I don't give a damn. Sit in seiza right in this instant; I will have to teach you some common sense."
Coldly sweating, Rossweisse wondered if the effects of staying too long in Lands of Shadows were still affecting him. Nora seemed to know no fear as scolded Scathach who seemed rather... obedient? Rather than being angry, she was actually following what he asked of her with a dazed look. Even though he was forceful with his words, Scathach only blinked with a blank look.
Feeling that staying will only cause to get dragged somehow, Rossweisse left the scene.
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Even though she tried to escape and managed to run away for a good distance, Rossweisse got worried about the boy's fate. She could tell that the purple-haired woman would not kill him, but that was the only thing she was sure of.
In the end, she could not stay idling around without doing anything so she traced back her steps to the kitchen.
It did not take long for her to smell something nice being cooked, but what made her stop in her tracks was the obediently-sitting-in-seiza-position Scathach. She got flabbergasted in an instant and she had to rub her eyes to confirm the scene before her again, yet it remained the same no matter how many times she rubbed her eyes.
Perhaps it was her presence that caused it, but Scathach got woke up from her daze. Without saying a word, she stood up, but before she straightened her back, she started to shake.
That was it, she was going to snap and Nora will get knocked in the head again. Just when Rossweisse thought that-
"Hah... ahaha... HAHAHA!" Scathach laughed.
It was to the point that tears threatened to come out of her eyes. However, it was a laugh that seemed honest and lacked any ill-feeling, like she was enjoying herself.
"That boy sure got guts, I will give him that." Scathach muttered and started to walk away.
Brimming with curiosity, Rossweisse waited until they passed each other to speak.
"Eh... where are you going?" Rossweisse asked.
She blamed her bad communication skills when she was nervous. There were various things she wanted to ask but she only managed to let out that. As soon as she got home, she would practice some more.
"Oh, if it isn't Rossweisse. I have been tasked with a certain thing by him. After being scolded, he left me outside the kitchen to reflect on my actions, and as soon as I finished doing that, he told me to go and clean the dining hall so we could all eat together." Scathach smiled happily. "You can't turn down a request from the one who feeds you so I am on my way to do so. Haha, he is truly an amusing guy. None of my disciples had the guts to ever scold me. I will enjoy training him tomorrow."
Neither slow nor fast, Scathach strode away.
Her nonchalant air and her easy-going nature seemed to fit well with Nora, she seemed like a good match as the boy's teacher and mentor. For some reason, Rossweisse felt bothered by that. She was kind of like a teacher to him as well and Nora that Scathach appeared, he might not want to learn from her again. It was a little unsightly, but she did not want to change her status with Nora.
Wait, there was something that bothered her. She could not be certain of the specifics, but it was about the last thing Scathach said. She mentioned enjoying training and with such a happy expression. Just recalling what kind of person she was from the books she read, Rossweisse started to feel pity for Nora.
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The food was as tasty as you would expect from him and Scathach did not leave anything she was given. However, perhaps it was because Nora had a smug look or she simply did not find it that tasty, but Scathach glanced at the expectant-for-praise Nora and-
"It was not bad." Scathach said.
Face palming, Rossweisse wanted to retort that she should at least stop licking her lips in regret as she saw her empty plate if she thought so. The regular Nora would've noticed but this one-
"...what? That is impossible, 'not bad', that's it? That is all you are going to say?" Nora trembled.
"Indeed." Scathach nodded. "I might not look like it now, but I used to be the queen of a Queendom. Riches were a common thing during that time, the most famous chefs in my land were my personal cooks and they were not only one or two, but dozens. They were people who spent all their life-improving their skills. How old are you? Do you think you can reach their levels with the small amount of time you have been cooking? Try again, you fool. Oh, add a bit more spices to the chicken. Only that much, I will praise you for."
Gesturing Nora to leave and make more food, Scathach leaned back on her seat lazily. He on the other hand looked pale and did not even dare to refute the words that the god-slayer told him. Just when Rossweisse felt pity and was about to reach for him, his expression hardened, and then it turned into a determined expression, his eyes were burning with motivation.
"You just wait!" Nora shouted and ran away.
His destination was probably the kitchen.
"Was is it not that good? Nora-kun's food, I mean." Rossweisse asked.
"Hmm? Oh, that? No, it was the best dish I have ever tasted." Scathach replied.
Blinking in confusion, Rossweisse was not sure what to say.
"Why did you tell him that then?" Rossweisse inquired.
"Wouldn't he get complacent and stagnate because I praise him easily?" Scathach commented. "His cooking skills are indeed very advanced, but he can still improve. Besides, I am a martial artist, praising his cooking skills would not be considered that important. Only when he starts showing his worth in combat is when I will offer him some praise."
Understanding a bit and not understanding at all, Rossweisse had only one thought, perhaps the woman in front of her was socially awkward like herself. While she could not deny that her words had some truth, Nora wouldn't stagnate for simple words of praise... getting a little smug might be possible though.
"For now, I have no other option but to compare him to the heroes I have trained, they were all brilliant disciples and brave warriors so I have high standards." Scathach added.
Rossweisse decided to pray for Nora from this day, he will really need a miracle to survive the trials she imagines that Scathach will put him through.
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It was on the second day after Nora's torture- training with Scathach began that the woman took him away when he was unconscious. She would usually let him rest on her lap, but this time Rossweisse was not granted (?) that opportunity. Her days had been to watch over Nora who was too tired to even speak or to read a Grimoire that the boy had taken from the wooden chest from the tournament.
After Scathach brought Nora back, he had a black rune engraved on the upper area of his arm near his shoulder. However, it faded away after a minute of examination.
"That is proof that he indeed became my disciple. I delayed placing that on him since I wanted to have my revenge- ahem, I wanted to instruct him in the minimum basic of what his training will consist." Scathach muttered.
Deciding to not point out her obvious slip of the tongue, Rossweisse simply took Nora and put him in bed.
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The next day, Rossweisse thought that everything would be the same, but Nora woke up even earlier than usual and asked her to get ready to leave.
Slightly sleepy since she stayed until late to read the Grimoire, Rossweisse did not even question his words and walked behind with unsteady steps, and she would've bumped into a wall more than once if the boy had not used his tails to drag her away.
To avoid any accidents and to not make her grow embarrassed, he settled for putting his tail on her hand. Walking that way, Rossweisse was saved from the merciless walls that seemed to have a devilish attraction and made her lean to one side or another.
Rubbing her eyes all the way until they reached the throne room where Scathach usually waited for them, Rossweisse looked as Nora entered the room.
Like she was waiting for them to appear or maybe because she simply slept on the throne, Scathach simply opened one eye and kept the other closed. She seemed to acknowledge their presence but she was not paying full attention to them.
"Shishou, now that I got this time, I can leave this place already so I came to say my goodbyes." Nora spoke.
She was not aware that the time that looked like a tattoo had that kind of function, she thought it was more of a mark that proved Nora's qualifications to learn under the Witch of Dunscaith or identification of some sort.
Not being ready for it, Rossweisse widened her eyes and from Scathach's reaction, she did not expect it either.
"...you are leaving? Why? Your training is not finished yet. There is a long way to go..." Scathach said and mumbled in a low tone of voice. "...This is not what he told me."
Keeping her voice down for the last part made it impossible to listen for Rossweisse, but she wondered if the boy heard her since his cat ears twitched for a second.
"I am worried about the outside world." Nora said. "Well, receiving the lap pillow treatment from Rossweisse-san every day is nice and all, but people must be worried about her."
Looking straight at Scathach, Nora did not shy away. With arms crossed he simply stated his business, but he was practically informing and not looking for permission.
"If you stay here training, you can become a strong warrior. I have yet to teach you martial arts but I reckon that in a year your strength will double simply by correcting your bad habits during fights." Scathach argued.
Somehow, she sounded reluctant to let him leave. Rossweisse did not think that Nora's charm affected her as it did for her classmates, but rather, the purple-haired woman seemed to have some expectations towards him, and by leaving... he will disappoint her.
"I am thankful for saving my sorry cat life and the precious valkyrie behind me, but we have stayed here for too long." Nora spoke. "It is time to leave."
Speaking in a resolute tone, Nora did not waver even though Scathach's intense gaze seemed to pierce holes on him.
"...I see. Do you as you please." Scathach looked away. "How pathetic of me to be deceived for those promises. However, that is how it has to be..."
Shaking her head, the Witch of Dunscaith looked forlorn. Feeling conflicted, Rossweisse was torn between trying to cheer up the woman by telling her that she would stay for a bit more and the excitement of finally going back home.
"Nora-kun..." Rossweisse called out to the boy, but even she was unsure of the reason she did so.
"Do not get grumpy, Shishou." Nora spoke.
Receiving an annoyed look from Scathach, Nora did not flinch. Rossweisse thought once again that he was amazing, in particular, he was fearless.
"I prepared some food for you and I also left some spices for you to cook with. They will last you for a while so I also left some vegetables for you to balance your diet. Eating only meat all the time is no good, you know? I hope you can start taking care of yourself. Oh, please clean the kitchen before and after using it. Don't forget to do so to the rest of the castle as well, don't could any corners, you hear me?" Nora started to preach.
"It is my castle, I will do as I please. Why do you care? You are leaving." Scathach said.
"Hahaha, I know it is yours my silly Shishou. I want it clean since I will come back someday to train. The kitchen goes without saying, how can I polish my skills until they are up to your standards otherwise." Nora chuckled in amusement.
Thinking that her heart would stop, Rossweisse prepared to grab Nora and run. For some reason, he seemed daring against Scathach. She wondered if he did not learn his lesson during the two days he received his mentor 'care'. Is the miasma still affecting him even now?
"N-Nora-kun, you idiot... Why are you making her mad?" Rossweisse complained.
"Heh, Rossweisse-san does not understand. Actually, I think that my dear Shishou is a warm-hearted person. Yes, she is what you would call a tsundere-" Nora's words were cut short by the spear that flew and passed right beside his face.
Slightly frozen in place, Nora hastily turned his back to Scathach and grabbed her hand. There was nothing awkward about his actions and Rossweisse noticed that she did not feel bothered by it nor did she feel conscious of his actions.
"Well, it is time to go. Rossweisse-san, we depart at once!" Nora spoke.
Half dragging her, Nora began walking away with wide steps. Rossweisse could not help but look back to see if another attack might come flying, but she only managed to see Scathach snorting with an amused smile. She could've seen wrongly, but Rossweisse could also read that Scathach looked relieved for some reason. Perhaps, as Nora said, she was not honest with her feelings and was actually happy that Nora would come back.
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Leaving the castle after evading a few more of the spears became strangely easy for Nora, he seemed to have gotten used to it.
After the castle, Nora used the rune easily and they reappeared on the human world again. Rossweisse wanted to believe it was like that, but she was not sure where they were.
"These are the ruins of Scathach's castle. She seemed to have set the coordinates to leave here." Nora spoke beside her.
Nodding in response, Rossweisse stared around her surrounding like she was searching for something, but she failed to see any signs of the fight Scathach said. No, Scathach never said it was a fight, she mentioned that the creature died before she did anything. However, regardless of the actual facts, there was no sign of anything.
"...I see." Rossweisse nodded. "...Nora-kun, why did you say you almost killed me? Why did you tell me that Scathach saved us?"
The pondering expression Nora had after pulling a map from who knows where changed into a stoic face.
"Because it is the truth. If I had not met, you wouldn't have been so close to death." Nora started to study the map without sparing her a look.
Biting her lips, Rossweisse felt a little hurt.
"If you had not come to meet me, we wouldn't have become friends." Rossweisse muttered.
Tightening his grip on the map, Nora's expression turned gloomy.
"Is being friends with me more important than your life? Are you an idiot? Get angry! Get angry at me! Not only me, but your dear friend, Nur-san could've lost her life as well!" Nora looked at her.
His reaction seemed a bit too much, but he looked genuinely worried and guilty so she couldn't just speak whatever came to her mind. Pausing for a moment, Rossweisse pondered about the boy in front of her.
He had an abnormal reaction but she had not been considering why. Has she ever tried to understand him?
"But I am alive, and you told me that Nur was alive as well." Rossweisse said.
"That is not the point here!" Nora retorted.
Staring deep into his eyes, Rossweisse recalled Scathach's advice. The eyes are the window of the soul, especially for people who keep a nonchalant or collected front regardless of the situation. When something goes beyond the acceptance level, they will show their true colors. Rossweisse was not sure why she was told that in the first place, but it seemed that Scathach wanted her to look after her disciple since she thought Rossweisse would fit more the role of mental caretaker.
It was a simple feeling, but Rossweisse felt like muttering this would be appropriate.
"I did not go anywhere. I am right here with you." Rossweisse smiled.
Hoping to relieve him, she used a gentle tone, however, she did not see calm down, instead-
"...this is not a game. Do you have any idea how many would suffer because you are gone? Your parents, your friends, the rest of your family... Me, I can't forgive myself for that. I don't want to lose anything else." Nora looked down.
So that was it. Isn't he like her? He is lonely, he is afraid of the same thing as everyone else. It was a simple, no, calling it that worry simple would e rude. It was a common thing to worry about. Like he tried to be her strength, it was time she tried to do the same.
She kind of felt embarrassed to initiate this, but it was all for her friend's sake. There is no other choice.
Lowering her height a bit, she pulled Nora in for a hug. She kind of blanked out since she did not plan what else to do besides pulling him closer, but she remembered his actions so she awkwardly and slowly wrapped her hands on his back. Fighting against the shame, she gently and kindly patted his back. Rossweisse could tell that he was surprised since he was frozen in place and no words came from his mouth. That worked in her favor since she would probably faint if he started teasing her now.
"It is ok. I am not going anywhere, you can rest assured." Rossweisse gently spoke.
Not receiving any answer made her consider that she was lacking something. What is the thing that would touch Nora more? What would touch her more if it were her? No. She had to recall. Scathach told her he did something as crazy as to jump inside the creature's mouth for her.
"I promise you I will never disappear from your sight. I will never leave you alone, I will stay by your side forever." Rossweisse promised.
Was it too much? Rossweisse did not think it was. What he did for her was something she doubt a sane person would do, but he did it for her. Something like this promise was nothing. Staying by his side forever was nothing...?
Tilting her head, Rossweisse suddenly noticed what she just said. Part of her wanted to take back some of those words since she basically did a confession of marriage but the trembling Nora in her arms stopped her.
Something wet touched the shoulder Nora's head was resting on, but she did not say anything.
Nora always called her the precious valkyrie, but for Rossweisse, Nora was the precious one.
...
...
...
"I want to apologize for my actions again." Nora muttered in a serious tone.
After a few minutes of hugging each other and Nora wiping his tears, he suddenly spoke. Rossweisse frowned and wondered if he was going to talk about the same thing.
"Don't put that face, the reason I want to apologize is for making you worry. There were tons of better ways I could've handled the situation but I let the guilt crush me and acted immaturely. However, I will not lie. Scathach saved you at the end of the day. I only managed to drag you of that thing before fainting so do show your gratitude to her when we meet her again... I-I already- received mine-e just now, so we are even." Nora smiled wryly at the beginning but his face ended up blushing at the end of words.
Covering her face, Rossweisse did not comment on that. He looked happy and she actually did not feel like taking her words back anymore.
"Rossweisse...? Nora...? Is that truly you two?"
A familiar voice interrupted the two who were talking.
Rossweisse turned to look being Nora who had done the same, and coming in regular clothing was her sempai. She was not alone, a group of Valkyries was accompanying her.
"Oh, Odin. Thank you for this miracle." Rita muttered a small prayer and got closer.
The people who accompanied her looked familiar and they all did small prayers as well. Some had reddened eyes as they looked at them. Rossweisse recognized her other sempai, Hilda who holding back her tears.
"I have no words to express how happy I am to see you two in perfect health. At that time, I would've jumped to help but I was too scared." Rita strode closer until she was at arms reach. "I always believed you two would be ok, that is why we joined the search team. However, to think it would be us to find you... I am really glad you guys are ok."
Without muttering other words, she pulled Nora and her for a hug while she shed tears. Rossweisse was baffled and Nora as well, but they simply let her do as she pleased since they were relieved of seeing a familiar face after being so far from home.
She wondered why, but Rossweisse got kind of bothered that Nora was hugged with more intensity than her. There was no need to push him against Eira's chest, was there?
Part 3
MC's POV
After the reunion with the Valkyries, the mood got more emotional than with the chat I had with Rossweisse-san. Many young women passed me around like a doll and hugged me. It was a heavy mood so I felt inclined to let them do as they pleased. Rossweisse-san's stare was a bit too much though, I was not doing it because I enjoyed the hugs. Yes, even though they had changed into their regular clothing to hug me, I only thought it was a sign of friendship. Nothing else, yes.
Getting pulled by Rossweisse-san to get away, things calmed down somewhat. I idly wondered about the fate of these girls. In the Canon, the Valkyries either got into a relationship and married as soon as they could or they spend long years of their lives without finding a man. That was kind of pitiful. Perhaps I should create a way to help them to get some guys and they will show their gratitude to me by working for me.
While I had those delusional ideas, they took us to an apartment they were using as a base. Somehow, during the way, no guys dared to even hit on them despite their amazing looks. To be honest, I almost shed tears at that. It seems the Canon Rossweisse is not the only one with the nickname 'valkyrie with years equaling without boyfriend'.
"How is Nur?" Rossweisse asked as soon as they offered us a seat.
It was a little cramped inside the living room with all of us together, and even more, since I was guided to a sofa and surrounded by Valkyries. I doubted they all slept here so maybe they took turns to go around looking for us.
"She is healthy, she was never hurt in the first place. However, she has been crying a lot. I have notified Asgard and they will soon send someone skilled enough to send us all back at once. Right now things are a little sensitive since that monster appeared and they don't want to risk losing you guys again." Eira-san muttered.
Well, after finding people who were missing for so long, you wouldn't want to lose them. That would apply to the police or the government itself. They would lose credibility.
Looking at Rossweisse-san like she had something to say, Eira-san bit her lips.
Feeling something bad, I tensed up.
"Your grandmother has been hurt badly and is staying in the hospital. Right now, she has finally gone past the dangerous phase and she is recovering well enough to leave intensive care. Thanks to the healing magic applied to her she has been saved from a difficult situation." Eira spoke
Rossweisse-san was in shock and her mouth opened and closed, she seemed to be trying to say something, however, she was unable to do so. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes and her breathing was quickening.
Fearing that the news will cause her to enter a state of shock and her body loses control of itself, I hastily stood in front of her and grabbed her hands.
When my mother's condition got worse, I received an immense shock that left me unable to react for hours. Knowing what emotional wounds can cause, I grabbed her hands and started to circulate ki around us. It was basically a Senjutsu technique that relaxed the body and created a comfortable feeling. Her emotions should start sorting by themselves, but I wanted to prevent them from physically triggering a negative reaction on her.
"Hey, look at me. Rossweisse-san, it is ok. Listen to me, she is ok now, she is out of danger so do not panic. Keep your eyes on me and breathe. Take some air slowly... then let it out. See? Like that, follow my lead..." I started to instruct her.
She needs to keep her remind in the real world instead of having tragic disillusions. Getting emotional and fearing the worse always happens in these situations, not everyone has the strength to calmly take the news.
Glancing at Eira, I signaled her to stop talking. She read my gesture and nodded with a guilty expression.
"Don't put that face, someone had to do it and you took that difficult task, thank you. However, I think Rossweisse-san needs some time alone until she calms down, do you mind?" I asked.
Nodding heavily, Eira-san signaled everyone to leave the apartment. Getting that staying here would be counterproductive, the Valkyries left.
As soon as the door closed, Rossweisse-san broke down in tears. She did not cry loudly but rather wept silently.
About half an hour later, a soft breathing sound was all I heard, she seemed to have fallen asleep.
Sighing, I carried her to one of the rooms after using Senjutsu to strengthen myself.
I was not sure if the Valkyries would mind me trespassing into their rooms but I could not leave this sleeping beauty sleeping on the couch. I ignore the risky underwear laying on the floor and the bed before gently putting down Rossweisse-san. Silently cleaning the room and putting everything in place, I had the idle thought that perhaps the Valkyries did not have boyfriends because they led a sloppy lifestyle.
Leaving the room, I went to get more info. This news was too sudden after all.
...
...
...
"You came." Eira-san's voice greeted me when I left the apartment.
Most of the Valkyries had dispersed leaving only Eira-san and Hilda-san, the rest are perhaps doing valkyries' stuff, whatever that is. I did not want to think of the pitiful situation of them going to a bar or a park to meet some guys. If they come empty-handed, I might even cry.
Sounding a little bitter, she did not look like the great figure we met at that time. Hilda-san just nodded at me. I think I heard her talking before but she seemed like the type to keep quiet.
"What can you tell me about what you said in the living room?" I went straight to the point.
Looking at me with a pleased expression, Eira-san leaned on the wall before starting to explain.
What a strange lady.
"Not much, she is a figure that many look up to so to hear that she got hurt that badly during a mission caused a ruckus. However, information regarding what led to her hospitalization has not been given." Eira-san shook her head.
That seems normal, if they spill the beans about an assignment just because that person got hurt, it could cause the task they tried to complete to fail. However, that old lady had been working on catching the ones after Rossweisse-san so it is worrisome. Her health aside, I wondered if I should-
"You ok?" Eira-san muttered.
My musings and lack of response seemed to worry my talking partner.
"Sorry." I apologized
I was kind of rude given that I started the conversation.
"You are worried about her?" Eira-san asked.
"She is a good girl who is a little awkward around people, and even though she is growing, this situation is more than she can handle. I can't do much, but I can at least try to make it easier for her." I muttered.
Shrugging my shoulders, I did not know what kind of effects this situation will have on her. I did not want her to become traumatized, so I tried to gather info to tell her, all so she could be mentally prepared.
"Araa~ You are quite protective of her. Do you like her?" Eira-san asked with a teasing smile hanging on her face.
That was a good question. I am damn well sure I had feelings for Yasaka-san. I was certain that I loved her, then the little ones at home are not too far off behind but there were no romantic feelings involved. After all, Kuroka-chan and Shirone-chan are like the light in the darkness for me. Kunou-chan is precious as well, I just loved that little furball. Rossweisse-san, we spent a short time together, however-
"Maybe, but it is not like you think." I replied.
I could see her covering her mouth and blushing, thus I was certain she got a strange misunderstanding.
Shaking my head, I wonder what went through her head since her eyes looked lost and her blush was getting stronger. It seemed to be a common thing as Hilda-san had a feed-up expression.
As expected of Rossweisse-san's Sempai, she is not a normal person.
Blame my chaotic personality since I could feel a small smile forming on my face. For some strange reason, Hilda-san started shaking and avoided looking into my eyes. Weird.
"Well, she is not the only one I took a great liking to." I said in a teasing tone.
My voice was enough to pull Eira-san out of her disillusions; she looked at me with her mouth open. That said, I did not lie. I got my cats and foxes at home after all. However, I just stared at her and Hilda-san so it was bound to cause misunderstandings. Since it was already happening with Rossweisse-san, a little more chaos should be ok. I will go home soon and won't meet other Valkyries so there is no problem with a little joke.
"Y-You surely mean Nur, right?" Eira-san nervously asked.
"I do like her as well, but the list is longer than you think, who knows, there could be people in the area who are included." I smiled.
I did not lie again. I do like Nur-san, it was difficult to hate that awkward valkyrie. Rossweisse-san is also in the area.
"O-Oh? Is that so?" Eira-san smiled as well.
Oh uh. They wouldn't be that desperate... would they? I am around 10 years old, not a target...? No, no, they wouldn't be that pitiful.
...
...
...
I ignored the possible problem I caused and hope that the future me will deal with it.
I just went back to wait for my fiance to wake up.
A few ecchi events happened at that time when she woke up flustered, but that was a story for another time.
A strange person came to pick up us, and she was oddly enthusiastic about me for some reason. However, the Valkyries who could be said to be always around me abandoned me. The woman seemed to be quite the big shot.
What I learned later was that her name was Freya. I seemed to recall a bit of mythology about my past life and she likes cats. Should I say I was lucky or not?
...
...
...
We went straight to a hospital, Rossweisse-san and me were a given, but Eira-san and Hilda-san followed as well for some reason. I saw her discussing something with the Valkyries in a heated manner before they reached a compromise. I was scared about what they spoke so I ignored it.
Rossweisse-san had her mind in another place since she did not even seem to notice it. She anxiously passed from one side to another in the reception while we waited for the one who was in charge of Gondul-san's treatment. No matter how much she moved from one side to another, that person won't arrive faster. I suggested that she took a rest but she seemed to ignore my words, although she kept holding my hands so I ended up awkwardly following her around.
...
...
...
The person treating Gondul-san soon led her away and in her haste to see her grandmother, I was left behind. I kind of felt like an abandoned kid... well, I was one, but that is a different matter altogether.
Before Eira-san could jump in and start talking to me, I detected a presence running at full speed. Of course, while this hospital was private and not just anyone could enter, some people would be moving around all the time. However, what piqued my interest was that the presence was familiar.
I felt a tinge of nostalgia after noticing it, it had been a while since I saw her. I heard she made it out uninjured, but visiting Gondul had priority given her condition.
"...erk!"
Her voice could be heard and she seemed to get closer.
"YOU JERK!"
I think my dear Shishou must've pulled my cat ears too hard when she tried to reproach me the other day, I think I failed to hear the worry in Nur-san's voice.
"I FINALLY FOUND YOU, IDIOT!"
Nope, even after trying harder to listen to what my dear friend Nur-san was saying, the words were not heartwarming at all.
Wearing a slovenly appearance, Nur-san came running at full speed from the hallway opposite the one the precious Valkyrie left. An angry expression was on her face and she looked to be out for blood.
I guess she is angry at me for not contacting her, well, I do not have her cell phone number and I can't use communication magic yet. There is no other choice but to accept her anger.
Closing my eyes and extending my hands to be ready for the hit I will receive, I felt a strong blow. No, to describe it more precisely, it was a body blow.
"You! Idiot, idiot! Don't you have any idea how worried I was!? You dumb cat! Idiot! Jerk!" Nur-san shouted.
I was a little at loss, not sure what to do. She had thrown herself at me and continued to insult me. I would've taken as her letting out her anger if I only listened to her words. Heck, she was grabbing my shirt as I lay on the ground with her straddling me. Something wet made contact with me and I timidly opened my eyes to see something I did not expect given her words.
Nur-san had tears running down her face and looked at me sadly.
I guess I am truly dumb.
"Sorry to make you worry, but we are ok." I spoke in a gentle tone and reached my hand to pay her head.
"Uwaaaaah!" Nur-san cried.
Without minding her surroundings and the looks that were given to us, she just cried as I tried to console her. The warm looks I received were embarrassing, but I ignored them.
"I am back, my friend." I said.
...
...
...
Having to separate from Nur-san proved difficult, but I had been called by Gondul-san who woke up. I had to promise to send Rossweisse-san back to Nur-san and it was only when she let me go reluctantly.
...
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...
The first thing I saw when I entered the room was Gondul-san laying in bed and Rossweisse-san standing at one side of the bed. The worry on her face was evident, but she look much better than before. It seemed that talking to Gondul-san was good for her to calm down her anxious heart. That made me glad.
"Is that you Nora? I don't have much time." Gondul-san's voice pulled me out of musings.
Changing my line of sight from Rossweisse-san to Gondul-san, I had a blank look. My steps were swift and I stood beside her. Using my special ability I tried to see any hidden wound since her exterior look healthy enough. I also held her wrist and injected Ki to check her that way as well. Gondul-san looked slightly pale so I thought that she might be in poor health for reasons that can't be seen, however-
"Please take care of Rose in my stead, I leave her to you... Can you promise that to this poor old lady? It is not a difficult request for the kind Nora to fulfill a dying old lady's wish, right? *Cough*" Gondul-san weakly raised her right hand, the one I was holding, however, she could not do so even though I did not put much weight.
My lips twitched and looking at Rossweisse-san beside me with her hands covering her face was enough to tell what was going on.
"...finished acting? I know you are doing better than you look." I muttered.
I had checked using a different way but she was fine, while she was kind of weak, she was perfectly fine.
"Tsk, I would've liked if you had accepted to take responsibility for her, for life, and you married her as well." Gondul-san muttered regretfully. "I do not know if you are smart or not by knowing about my condition and still not accepting. What is wrong with you? My Rose does not lack anything."
She certainly does not lack anything. I can only describe it as the perfect wife material and I honestly find it hard to find anything to nitpick in her charm department, however, I got my dear kitsune at home. She won't make me fall for her... that easily. Besides, she is not interested in me in the slightest.
"P-Please stop it, I told you he would act like that. He is not in l-love like you told me!" Rossweisse embarrassedly reproached the laying figure.
It seems that even mentioning the topic makes her embarrassed. That is cute, but big bro here is extremely worried about her future. Will she be able to have a relationship with someone at this rate? The canon is kind of messed up already, and it is questionable if she might even become a devil, not to mention, her marriage partner in the Canon, Issei i-
"Nora-kun! You tell her as well! She doesn't believe me!" Rossweisse-san whined.
While I was lost in thought, it seemed these two continued to chat until the precious valkyrie decided to ask for help from me because her grandmother teased her.
Lightly shaking my shoulder, she was teary-eyed. The smirk on Gondul-san's face made me feel like she was misunderstanding something. I mean, we are indeed closer than the last time she saw us. It does not take a genius to figure that out, even now, she was standing very close to me, and she did seem to mind it like before. Physical contact became a regular thing for us until a certain level.
Extending my hand to pat her head to calm her down only made the annoying smirk on Gondul-san's face widen but I chose to ignore it. I did not want to make the situation worse than it was so you should stop rising that thumbs up, Gondul-san.
...
...
...
Sending Rossweisse-san to go and meet her dear friend, I was left alone with Gondul-san. She, who signaled me to send the precious valkyrie away, appeared to have a matter to discuss with me.
Now that the coast was clear I sat in the chair near her bed. I extended my hand and began using Senjutsu on her. While she was doing better, I noticed how exhausted her body was. Her vitality had taken a hit, and it was because the treatment she received relied on pushing her body to the point of using her life force to recover. I was not sure if it was the primary option when she had to recover or it was a treatment on the spot to avoid death, but she received quite the hit on it.
Understanding my intentions or simply not feeling like talking, the older lady closed her eyes did not a word until I finished.
"...you have my gratitude." Gondul-san muttered.
"I can't my 'grandmother-in-law' to suffer, can I?" I joked.
Chuckling slightly, Gondul-san opened her eyes and directed a piercing glare my way.
"I heard what happened." Gondul-san spoke in a serious but thankful tone. "Rose told me everything."
Sighing, I had an idea about what she said. That silly one is too good-hearted to say the truth.
Shaking my head, I decided to skip the details for now. I had more curiosity about her side.
"...are the ones who did this to you the same as the ones who are after Rossweisse-san?" I inquired.
Nodding heavily, Gondul-san waved her hand and a spell was cast. It reminded me of the one Suzaku-san used to keep sound from traveling outside a location.
"I let down my guard, they seemed to know about what happened to Rose and they revealed that intending to disrupt my actions." Gondul-san bitterly explained. "However, I did some digging before being dragged to the hospital. Only a limited number of people found out about such a thing in that time frame. That is to say, they were told by someone who saw what happened. Of course, that includes people who were there during the attack."
I think I need to knock some sense into this lady.
"So, you walked around wounded...? Avoiding getting treatment? Worsening your wounds?" I asked.
There are other things to do, but I am kind of pissed at her now. Rossweisse-san cried to sleep because she was worried about this reckless old lady.
"It was important to get to the button of that while I could move... Why are you raising your hand? No! Wait! Ouch! No! Ack! That hurt, I am an injured person! Ouch!" Gondul-san complained.
I was merciless though. Regardless of her blood relationship with that valkyrie, she made her cry.
...
...
...
"...you sure that you are not in love with her or anything? Getting whacked in the head for making my granddaughter cry was something I did not expect from someone else other than her beloved..." Gondul-san muttered in a bitter tone.
I rolled my eyes at that. Midway, she started to use magic to protect her head so I reinforced my body to be able to do more damage. She was stubborn so I had to be, even more, thus my Ki got depleted rather fast.
"Shall we get to the point?" I advised.
Like I had tried before, I gathered Ki while I spoke. It is not only while speaking, I have been trying to do so while walking and doing a variety of activities. My goal is to able to do so naturally while I fight so I won't suffer from the deficiency of Ki no matter what.
Tilting her head, Gondul-san forgot to reply, no, she was not even rubbing her head exaggeratedly like before. With furrowed eyebrows, she looked around and seemed to nod, almost like she was hearing something. I wondered if she went bonkers in the head but my demonic power moved on its own and gathered in my eyes, not to mention that my ability got activated partially, in a different way than what I usually used it. As a result, I saw them, spirits who were gathering here. A large number of them filled the room and some were talking with the older valkyrie.
"Do you always do that?" Gondul-san inquired with curiosity.
It seemed to be a question derived from her curiosity and the spirits who pointed at me repeatedly.
"Do what?" I asked back.
I had an idea what she meant but I wanted to make sure.
"I barely noticed after these children told me, but you have been taking in the ki in the area at an excessive rate. They got startled for the amount you have been taking." Gondul-san pointed to the small figure sitting on her other hand.
"Nothing weird there, I think that many youkais should be able to do that with ease." I muttered.
I think that many of those old youkais with their huge Ki pools should be able to nonchalantly take on the Ki in the ambiance like nothing. Swallowing the measly amount I am taking can't be that hard.
"I see..." Gondul-san nodded and the spirits seemed to whisper something to her. "They are telling me that you are a strange one and that you need to have your head checked because you are saying ridiculous things."
I see, so spirits and I will be enemies huh.
"Nora, even though they have a great liking to you, they are getting scared by the way you are looking at them." Gondul-san muttered. "Oh, they also recommend that you continue gathering ki at that speed, the more you get used to it, the better. Hmm, if that is the case then learning spells that drain magic power could be useful to you... Hmmm."
Tsk.
"Before leaving, I think you should travel with me for a little stop. Tiamat is in charge of protecting a large community of spirits and they are always looking for those with affinity to contract them. However, there are hardly people with an affinity for them." Gondul-san sighed. "That aside, we got sidetracked. I am worried, those people can still try some stuff with my dear Rose, but I can move freely just yet. I am being questioned for moving on my own like that and that is going to bring some repercussions. However, I only see the downside that I was unable to finish off those after Rose."
I am not sure how this got solved in the Canon so I have not even the slightest idea what kind of advice I should give, that said, I think that eventually, Rossweisse-san will come to face danger from her investigation. Unfortunately, part of me can't bring myself to tell her to quit given that the threat of that creature, I feel like having her be completely unrelated to that would be a bad move. Nonetheless, her safety is a must.
"If what you say is true, they will use the next chance to catch her without a doubt. With you out of the picture, they will get cocky and come out. Nonetheless, that could be a good opportunity to finish them at once. Yet, without you, that seems like a dream. Calling Grayfia-san could put her in trouble and Shishou won't move. How troublesome, why can't I find someone old man in a ring that is actually a big shot and will solve my problems went things get ugly? Why?" I sighed helplessly.
"Actually, I have an idea. It would require a bit of sacrifice on your part... what do you say?" Gondul-san's eyes looked slightly scary.
I felt threatened, could my life be in danger? No, my cat senses point at something else.
"I heard that you stole the heart of some goddesses so I was wondering how much would you be willing to sacrifice for my Rose." Gondul-san muttered.
That is so evil... yet I think sometimes you need to jump in hell to get results. They might have my body! But never my heart!
3rd Person POV
"Shizuku... you think it was a good idea?" Marion asked.
Breathing with difficulty, her maid uniform had seen better days since there were many tears and the maid looked tired.
"Shiki-sama gave priority to our lives even though the mission might fail by doing so. Agreeing to complete our assignment even though we are borrowing the strength of that woman to avoid putting us in danger is not going against anything he has asked." Shizuku replied.
Although she looked in a better shape than Marion, her clothing was damaged me given that it was a skin-tight outfit in some places, it would look like Nora would describe 'lewd'.
"Even though that is the case, agreeing to exchange information about something like that. Master has not given his permission." Marion insisted.
Hiding behind a wall made of ice, they could hear sounds of fighting coming from the other side as well as the lowering temperature of their surroundings.
"Honestly, I would rather have Shiki-sama here and have him take care of this..." Shizuku sighed.
Tilting her head, Marion stopped hearing the sound of fighting so her full attention was on the girl.
"I know that our master is resourceful, but I don't understand why you said that." Marion said.
Recalling the variety of people her master knew, and his ability to meet and befriend people, Marion could agree that he had high communication and perhaps negotiation skills given the numbers in his finances that she happened to check once.
"Silly you, she is a breathtaking beauty with a gentle aura and maternal aura around her, not to mention that she looks like an airhead. Our master will wipe the floor with her defenses and conquer her easily." Shizuku smirked.
Staring blankly at Shizuku, Marion remained with her eyes widened to the limit and found it hard to refute when she recalled the silly appearance that the Himejima heir showed when Nora came out as a topic, she went from the cool beauty and sweet Onee-san to... that lost cause who would blush happily when she learned that Nora sent them to help her.
"There is no way..." Marion shook her head.
Getting an exasperated look from Shizuku, Marion could not look at her in the eyes.
"The coast is clear."
A carefree voice caught the two talking girls' attention. Following their line of sight that moved to see who spoke, they saw the figure of the one who saved them from a dangerous situation where black cloaked people opened a book that released a large serpent Youkai who fled. They tried to fight the ones left behind but they were too strong for them to even muster any resistance and that was when the person before them appeared.
A beautiful young woman, with a slim voluptuous figure with long blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes. She is dressed in a witch robe with a cloak and a pointed witch hat.
"Thank you for saving us, Miss Witch." Marion bowed.
Following her, Shizuku did that.
"I am a Magical Girl, Miss Maid."
The young woman corrected.
Rolling her eyes, Shizuku did not interfere.
"How are you? Miss Ninja... No, was it Kunou-chan?"
The young woman tilted her head with furrowed eyebrows.
Looking at the young woman having trouble thinking, Shizuku wondered why she came up in the conversation even though she swallowed her urge to retort.
"It is Shizuku, my name." Shizuku muttered. "Miss Maid over here is called Marion, AKA our Master's beloved maid."
Pointing at Marion who glared at her, Shizuku whistled nonchalantly.
"Is that so? My name is Lavinia Reni." Lavinia smiled.
"Thank you for saving us, our Master will surely repay this." Shizuku muttered.
Thinking that causing a bit of mischief for Nora who sent them to this hard assignment was only fair, Shizuku imagined his troubled face when he deals with the young woman who innocently looked at her.
"Shizuku!" Marion reproached.
Perhaps noticing what she was up to, Marion glared at her with angry eyes.
Whistling nonchalantly, Shizuku did not say anything else.
"Hehe, you two seem like good friends." Lavinia commented.
""How did you arrive at that conclusion!?"" Marion and Shizuku retorted at the same time.
"Do you know about those people? I am looking for magicians who wear similar gear. I was patrolling the area but I failed to find what I was looking for." Lavinia suddenly said.
"They should be different groups at this point, but our Master believes that they might join forces later." Marion replied.
She could vaguely remember that Nora once mentioned that she might find some strange girl if she was lucky and that girl would prove to be a great help. At that time, he was busy baking cakes so he only mentioned the name of that person and she only remembered that information given the odd behavior this person in front of her displays.
"Huh? What is that supposed to mean...?" Lavinia tapped her chin curiously. "Are they with the Utsusemi or maybe some new forces at work?"
Mumbling something, Lavinia was lost in thoughts.
"Marion-kun, should you tell her that? As your Sempai, I don't think you should spill the beans so easily." Shizuku warmly spoke.
Rolling her eyes, Marion resisted the urge to head chop the kitsune who was acting like she was wise all of the sudden.
"Check this." Marion pulled a piece of paper from her maid outfit.
Taking the paper that was pulled from the cleavage of her kouhai, Shizuku could read several names on it, they were the names of the people her master had asked to find and after being pointed by Marion, she noticed the name Lavinia Reni on it.
Widening her eyes, she pointed at the clueless witch- Magical Girl who was walking to the bodies of their enemies to check them.
"I doubt she would follow us obediently." Shizuku sighed in defeat.
"I am afraid that I was not told anything that could help us lure her to meet our master." Marion crestfallenly said.
Having an idea, Shizuku smiled wickedly.
"I guess I will have to use whatever method I can." Shizuku started to check her pockets until she pulled out something and showed it to Marion.
Staring blankly at it, Marion had mixed feelings about it.
"Why do you have a picture of our master using the deadly technique of kitty eyes?" Marion inquired.
Blushing slightly, Shizuku scratched her cheek.
"Otome's secret, that is all I will say." Shizuku did not dare to look at her coworker in the eyes. "Using this, we could get her."
Rubbing the bridge of her nose, Marion tried the hardest she could to not 'confiscate' the picture so it was not used for 'impure' reasons by 'anyone'.
"How did you get it?" Marion asked.
"I exchanged my sweets with Shirone-chan, she sells these in exchange for Shiki-sama's pictures." Shizuku commented.
Face palming, Marion decided to never tell her master about it or she was sure he will have a terrible headache. She is doing only for that reason, all for her master.
"How would that help us?" Marion spoke in a tired tone.
"This is why you are the kouhai, and I am the kouhai." Shizuku arrogantly responded and walked away.
Momentarily wondering if she should burn or freeze the tail of her sempai, Marion saw her walk away to Lavinia and start talking.
After nodding and taking the picture, Lavinia shed a few years before nodding with a determined look. The blonde young woman walked her way with determined eyes and Marion could see Shizuku who had a playful look.
"I heard the details, that poor child is looking for his mother and seeks the love of a family. I was told that he also knows about my cause and he has some information that could help me out. Please, let me follow you back to his house and wait for him there, I was also told that several children need care and you have enough room for me to stay there. Right now I have been staying in hotel rooms but Shizuku told me that I could get a free room there if I get your permission." Lavinia said.
Deciding for burning her coworker's tail, Marion sighed in defeat, regardless of the nonsense that she told the innocent person in front of her, Marion would at least be able to secure another person her master mentioned.