Isekai Mahou wa Okureteru! (LN) - Volume 9 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Into the Modern World 

Suimei felt unusually pleasant upon waking the following morning. After laying his head on a familiar pillow, he’d sunk right into his bed. The relief of finally being home and the comfort of his own bed made for a far nicer night’s sleep than normal. He woke up completely refreshed and free of aches and pains. He was wide awake now, but saw no harm in taking his time getting up. 

“It should be fine if I just laze around a little longer...” 

As he lazily mumbled to himself, Suimei took a look around the room that was unmistakably his. There were stacks of grimoires atop the desk alongside several magickal tools for simple experiments. Everything was exactly how he’d left it before going to the other world. 

As he stretched before getting out of bed, he noticed a strange sensation at his waist. 

“Zzz...” 

He could hear a light, adorable snore from beneath his sheets. Upon unraveling them, he found Liliana all snuggled up in her cat-eared pajamas. When had she crawled in there? She looked just like a cat curled up this way, and perhaps because of her posture, there was even a curved wrinkle in the sheets. 

Suimei was taken aback at the intruder for a brief moment, but Liliana also crawled into his bed while half asleep back in the other world from time to time, so he wasn’t particularly surprised to see her here now. 

“...Where’d she even find these pajamas, anyways?” 

Suimei pinched the cat ears on the pajama hood while cocking his head. The previous evening, he’d asked Hydemary to procure girl’s pajamas for everyone. She’d gotten a normal set for Felmenia and Lefille, but Liliana’s had ears on it for some reason. 

When Suimei asked her about it, she’d coyly claimed it was a secret. But while the source of the pajamas was a mystery, Liliana was naturally delighted with them. She’d even asked Hydemary if she could take them back to the other world with her when she left, and she burst into joy upon getting permission. 

In any event, just as Suimei was gently peeling Liliana off of him... 

“Suimei-kun, are you awake?” 

He could hear Hydemary’s voice outside his door. 

“Yeah. I’m up.” 

“I’m coming in, then.” 

“Hey, hang— Well, whatever.” 

It was just like Hydemary not to wait for an answer. She was always moving at her own pace. It rather highlighted her childish nature, as she still didn’t understand why she should show any reluctance over entering a boy’s room. 

At this rate, Hydemary was going to see exactly the situation Suimei was in, but he confidently decided it wasn’t a big deal since he hadn’t done anything wrong. He simply sat in bed as the antique door clicked and the latch-type handle moved. When the door opened, the smell of rosewood drifted into the room. This apparently prompted Liliana to wake up. 

“Fwaaah...” 

She stayed in bed and rubbed her eyes before stretching her back. 

“Is it... morning?” 

And so, Hydemary got an eyeful of the scene: Suimei and Liliana sharing a bed. Her expression naturally remained stoic, but her voice was scathing. 

“You know, Suimei-kun, no matter how you look at it, isn’t this a little...” 

“It seemed like... Felmenia and Lefille... wouldn’t get to sleep... any time soon... last night...” 

“So? You had no other choice but to crawl into my bed?” 

“I-It wasn’t really that I had no choice!” 

“Yeah? That so?” 

Despite his bafflement at her sudden fluster, Suimei gently stroked Liliana’s head. As he did, she quieted down with a comfortable look. She was clearly drowsy, her tranquil expression not unlike a cat’s. 

Suspicion lingered in Hydemary’s eyes. Really, it seemed like she’d gotten even more suspicious for some reason. 

“So this is what you’re really like, huh, Suimei-kun? It’s truly embarrassing.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“That you’re a horrible womanizer.” 

“I’m in... complete... agreement... fwaaah...” 

“Isn’t that kinda harsh?” 

“But... true.” 

With that, Liliana clung to Suimei once more. She was still quite sleepy, it seemed. After rubbing her cheek against him, she fell right back into a slumber. As she did, Hydemary turned back to Suimei with her expressionless face. 

“Hey, Suimei-kun.” 

“What?” 

“Did you save her too?” 

“Well, yeah. I’m surprised you can tell.” 

“Of course I can. She’s so attached to you. That’s the only thing it could be.” 

Suimei had spent quite some time with Hydemary ever since she became his disciple. Thanks to that, she had a pretty good idea of how Suimei had handled himself over in the other world. 

“In short, it was business as usual for you even in another world.” 

“I’m still me. I only did what I wanted to do.” 

Suimei replied noncommittally, but he said nothing to refute Hydemary’s claim. He then knit his brows upon receiving no reply, finding it strange that she sank into silence without speaking her mind. 

“What’s up?” 

“...Nothing really.” 

“Sure doesn’t feel like it.” 

“It said it was nothing.” 

Hydemary huffed as she turned away. Suimei couldn’t tell what was wrong with her, but it certainly seemed like something was on her mind. As he wondered what it might be, he laid Liliana down on the bed. 

After forcing Hydemary out of his room, Suimei changed into his everyday clothes and headed out into the hallway, where a certain puppy came running up to him out of nowhere. 

“Suimei-dono, Suimei-dono! Please give me a detailed explanation of this grimoire!” 

Said puppy was, of course, Felmenia. It was no small miracle that she’d safely made it over to him with such a massive stack of books in her arms. 

“Suimei-dono! Suimei-dono!” 

Glancing at her face, she was practically bursting at the seams. It was like she was running on pure excitement. 

“Hey, uh, morning. First thing’s first, calm down.” 

“Oh... Yes. How rude of me.” 

Felmenia hung her head in embarrassment and turned red up to her cheeks. 

“Now, which grimoire are you talking about?” 

“This one... and this one and this one. Oh, and this one too!” 

Despite saying “this grimoire” earlier, Felmenia was pointing to a ton of different books in her arms. She ended up identifying every single tome she was carrying. Impressed that she’d had the time to read through so many books, Suimei took another look at her face. 

“You know you’ve got bags under your eyes, don’t you, Menia?” 

“Huh? Oh, this is, um... Yeah.” 

“Didn’t I tell you to avoid staying up all night?” 

“Teehee...” 

Felmenia tried to laugh it off even as she stood there awkwardly. Despite the sparkle in her eyes, she was looking rather pale. Taking an even closer look at her, her prided silver hair was still uncombed and somewhat disheveled. 

After dinner the previous night, Suimei had given his three visitors a tour of the house and shown them his father’s study. Seeing it had seemingly stimulated Felmenia’s voracious thirst for knowledge. She’d been on a bender ever since. 

Suimei proceeded to take Felmenia to a guest room and turn down the bed for her, but she was acting remarkably strange. It was plainly evident that she was far more interested in more research than getting any sleep. The flames of her academic soul had been fanned, and she stood there restlessly fidgeting in a rather adorable fashion. 

“Oh, come on...” 

“Forgive me, but that room is a treasure vault! Have you not also spent at least one or two sleepless nights in there yourself, Suimei-dono?!” 

“Er...” 

“See?! I knew you had! You’ve stayed up all night too, haven’t you? Haven’t you?!” 

Felmenia’s starry eyes were glittering with excitement upon having found a kindred spirit, and she approached him eagerly. 

“O-Okay, okay. I get it, alright? Jot down everything you want to know and I’ll take some time to go over it with you later.” 

“Can’t you do it right now?!” 

“If we start now, we won’t be done before the afternoon, you know? There’s Hydemary and Liliana to think about, too.” 

“Ah...” 

In all likelihood, if Suimei and Felmenia started discussing magickal matters now, Hydemary and Liliana would both want to join them. And Suimei wasn’t interested in repeating himself over and over. It would just get out of hand. Their forum would easily run through mealtimes, and poor Lefille—the lone nonmagickal compatriot of their group—would be left all alone on the sofa until late that night. 

Thinking of it that way, Suimei thought it best to set up a proper meeting. 

“Where is Lefi, by the way?” 

“Lefille is... When I went to take a look in the bedroom, she wasn’t there.” 

“...And when was that?” 

“Th-This morning... I think?” 

Felmenia’s eyes darted around the room. Her behavior and her memory were equally fuzzy. But Felmenia aside, Lefille had apparently also been up all night for some reason. It seemed she was also restless on her very first evening in another world. 

“Lefille-san is awake,” Hydemary suddenly chimed in. 

“That so?” 

“I brewed her some tea before I came to get you.” 

“Oh, I would also like some. I’m quite interested in the tea of this world.” 

“Then come with me. I’ll make some for you.” 

Hydemary, Felmenia, and Suimei then headed towards the living room with light steps, where they found Lefille daintily enjoying her morning tea on the sofa. Unlike Felmenia, her red hair was beautifully put up in a ponytail, and she was wearing her everyday clothing. She sat perfectly upright, and the elegant way she lifted the teacup to her lips was as pretty as a painting. 

“Morning.” 

“Oh, good morning, Suimei-kun. Good morning, Lady Felmenia.” 

“Good morning to you too.” 

“From the looks of it, you really did stay up all night, didn’t you?” 

“Teehee...” 

Lefille wore a smug smile like she’d predicted this outcome, and Felmenia repeated her awkward laugh from before. She then took a seat next to Lefille, who gazed out toward the veranda with a somewhat disappointed look. 

“You can’t really see the stars here, huh?” 

Just as she said, the number of visible stars in the modern world was quite scant compared to what she was used to—perhaps a testament to the preposterous amount of pollution in the atmosphere here. 

“Have you been outside all this time, Lefi?” 

“Yeah. I wanted to get a feel for what this world is really like.” 

“And your impressions?” 

“How to put it...? It’s like the balance is poor. The energy that I could feel everywhere at home feels very weak here.” 

The energy she could feel everywhere... The nuance of her wording was quite vague, but it was indeed difficult to describe mystical energies. Science was rampant in this world; it was like its natural energies had been driven away. That had an effect on the mysteries here, and was likely the source of Lefille’s unease. 

“How is the tea I brewed for you, by the way?” Hydemary asked. 

“Oh, it’s wonderful. It’s something rather exquisite, isn’t it?” Lefille asked in turn. 

“Of course it is. I am a genius, and I personally picked out the tea myself,” Hydemary replied. 

Hydemary was currently standing at the island in the kitchen, preparing tea for Felmenia. Suimei was also in the kitchen, headed for the dripper at the end of the table. 

“Coffee for you, Suimei-kun? Want me to make it?” 

“I’ll brew it myself. I’m the barista in this house, after all.” 

Suimei had long been in charge of coffee in the Yakagi mansion. It was an everyday ritual for him to brew some for his father whenever he came home from school. 

Kazamitsu would always say something like that it was a father’s privilege to have his son make coffee for him, and he had Suimei do it at least once a day. Just how long had it taken for Suimei to be able to brew something to his father’s satisfaction? Given the right beans, he could now make coffee on par with any cafe. 

Back in the day, Suimei always took his coffee with milk and sugar. But he stopped doing that the day he became a full-fledged magician. It was a sort of farewell to his younger self who could’ve vomited at the bitterness. It was, in a strange way, a curse. 

Suimei placed a filter in the dripper with some ground beans that had been preserved with magicka. He then heated some water to just between 80 and 90 degrees Celsius before slowly pouring it around the edge of the dripper. It was a technique to enhance the taste of the coffee—something he made sure to do ever since he’d screwed it up the first time and hated the coffee it produced. 

Suimei’s eyes gradually grew clearer upon smelling his first cup of coffee in over half a year. The aroma wafted into the living room as well, where Felmenia took notice of it. 

“That’s a wonderful smell,” she commented. 

“Right? Nothing beats coffee first thing in the morning.” Suimei replied. 

“Coffee...?” 

“It’s like tea made from ground beans.” 

“So it’s a relative of tea? It’s... awfully dark, isn’t it?” 

“It sure is.” 

Coffee was called “bean tea” in Japan long ago, so saying they were related was a concise enough explanation. If Suimei really started getting into the nitty-gritty of coffee, they’d be here all day. Felmenia and Lefille, however, both watched what Suimei was doing with great interest. 

“What Suimei-kun’s making there is rather bitter and acidic, so you probably shouldn’t try it that way. If you really want to try some, you’ll need to start with different beans and add plenty of milk and sugar,” Hydemary explained. 

“Isn’t that just your personal preference?” Suimei interjected. 

“And aren’t you just overreaching? Only old men drink that stuff.” 

“I guess that makes me an old man.” 

“Wow, talk about a midlife crisis.” 

“Don’t call it a midlife crisis. Seriously.” 

The two of them continued to badger each other a while longer, but when Hydemary started to calm down... 

“Mary, I’ve got another request for you,” said Suimei. 

“What is it this time?” 

“Sorry to ask after the pajamas last night, but could you get some innocuous clothes for the three of them?” 

“Aah, right. We need to take care of that.” 

Lefille raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. 

“Can I not walk around outside in these clothes?” she asked. 

“It’s not that you can’t,” Suimei replied. 

“You mean to say we’ll stand out, right?” Felmenia chimed in. 

“Yeah, exactly.” Suimei replied. “Liliana... could manage. But as for you two, your clothes pretty much scream ‘otherworldly.’ I think something simple like jeans or a dress will do fine. If you want to put some real effort into being fashionable, though, we can set aside a day for shopping.” 

Liliana’s typical dress could pass for gothic lolita fashion, which wasn’t unfamiliar in Japan. But Lefille’s outfit was borderline, and Felmenia’s was in outright cosplay territory. If they wanted to go out, they’d need street clothes. 

“I can take care of that,” agreed Hydemary. “They certainly do stand out as is.” 

“...So do you.” 

“I’m properly glamoured, so it’s fine.” 

It wasn’t like Hydemary never changed clothes, but she rather liked her magician’s outfit. She even wore it outside all the time, so she was constantly using glamour magic to change her appearance. She would hardly wear anything else. 

But now that everyone had come to an agreement about clothes, it was time for the day’s main event. 

“Lefi, let’s head next door when we’re done here.” 

“Oh...? Oh!” 

Suimei mimicked swinging a sword in the air, causing Lefille to exclaim in an excited voice. She’d stayed up all night just like Felmenia, but it seemed she was full of energy now. There was a fire blazing in her eyes that left no trace of her earlier disappointment over not being able to see the stars. 

Suimei had a great deal he hoped to accomplish now that he was back in modern Japan, and taking Lefille to the Kuchiba residence was an absolute must on that list. She was currently burdened with multiple worries, including the fact that her archenemy manipulated her greatest weakness and that she recently felt like she was losing touch with her sword. Suimei thought he knew someone who could help her with all of that, which was precisely why he wanted to introduce her to Kiyoshiro. 

Kuchiba Kiyoshiro possessed completely inhuman skill, though he himself still vaguely remained in the realm of humanity. He stood at the loftiest summit of swordsmanship. Surely he would be able to identify the core of Lefille’s problems and suggest what she had to do to resolve them. 

That’s why Suimei was once more making the trip to the Japanese-style house next door. Lefille was walking next to him, trembling ever so slightly. It seemed she was quite excited to meet the father and teacher of Hatsumi, a swordswoman whose skills Lefille had seen firsthand. She couldn’t help being a little worked up. 

Lefille was currently wearing the clothes that Hydemary had procured for her. Aside from her otherworldly beauty, she now looked like a rather normal girl. She was dressed in a somewhat boyish ensemble of a T-shirt and jeans, though Suimei had recommended she wear something easier to move in for their trip to the dojo. 

“This is plenty easy to move around in,” she remarked. “The clothing of this world truly is splendid.” 

Suimei was glad to hear it. Thinking back on it, Felmenia was also pleased with the quality of the dress Hydemary had gotten for her. 

“You called it synthetic fibers, right? Does none of the clothing in this world prickle?” Lefille asked. 

“None of it that refrains from using inferior materials like they do back in your world, at least,” Suimei replied. 

“Now that’s something else... I have to say, now that I know such a thing exists, I don’t think I can go back to the old stuff anymore. Heehee.” 

“I don’t blame you.” 

The two of them continued to joke around as they walked, eventually reaching the gate to the Kuchiba residence. Lefille looked up at it and, having thought something or other, looked back towards the Yakagi mansion. 

“This has a fairly different look to it from your house, doesn’t it?” 

“Mine was influenced by the architecture of the houses magicians use overseas. That’s why it’s a bit different. Houses in general here tend to look more like the ones you can see in the area. Hatsumi’s house is of a more traditional style for this country.” 

“It has quite a calming atmosphere to it.” 

“Yeah, Japanese houses are great.” 

Suimei nodded emphatically. Despite being born and raised in a Western-style estate himself, his soul was perfectly at peace in a Japanese-style room. He couldn’t chalk it up to anything but his DNA. 

With such thoughts passing through his mind, he boldly opened the front door of the Kuchiba residence and entered unannounced. Lefille was rather taken aback at the seemingly rude gesture and stared at Suimei in disbelief. 

“Is it okay to just walk in like that?” 

“Well, this place is kinda like a second home to me... Hang on. Yukio-saaan! Are you theeere? You are, riiight?” 

Suimei called out in a slow and silly voice, and before long, Hatsumi’s mother appeared at the entrance. She was dressed in her typical traditional Japanese clothing, and the sound of her house slippers pattering across the floor heralded her arrival. 

“Welcome, Suimei-san. This must be the friend you spoke of yesterday, I presume?” 

“My name is Lefille Grakis.” 

“A pleasure to meet you. I’m Hatsumi’s mother, Yukio.” 

Lefille bowed to greet Yukio, but looked back up blinking in astonishment. Really, she was surprised to hear Yukio introduce herself as Hatsumi’s mother. Yukio, just like Kiyoshiro, looked far too young to be the parent of a high schooler. 

“You’ve very beautiful,” Lefille remarked, straightening herself out. 

“Oh my, how flattering. You’ll make girls cry if you continue to act so gallant all the time, you know?” Yukio giggled. 

“Well, I’m not as bad as Suimei-kun in that regard.” 

“Teehee, you certainly have a point there.” 

“I feel like I’ve been the butt of way more than my fair share of jokes the past two days...” 

Both women got a good giggle at Suimei’s expense, and he took the opportunity to cut to the chase about his visit. 

“Yukio-san, where’s the instructor right now?” 

“In the dojo for practice.” 

“Aah, so they’re at it today, huh?” 

Suimei’s tone betrayed how troublesome he found this development. If he went to the dojo now, then he would end up bumping into the other students... whom he really didn’t get along with. It was entirely likely some of them would complain if he suddenly showed up with an outsider. 

But, seeing no point in brooding over the possibility, he pushed the thought out of his mind. All else aside, he was determined to introduce Lefille to Kiyoshiro. 

“Please come right this way,” Yukio beckoned. 

Lefille and Suimei took off their shoes and followed Yukio into the house. Stepping out onto the porch, they were met with a beautiful, scrupulously maintained garden. It had an elegance to it that couldn’t be found in the other world, and Lefille sighed in admiration as she looked over it. 

“I bet Lady Rumeya would love to enjoy a drink here while looking up at the moon.” 

“Aah, yeah, I can totally see the guild master doing that.” 

Suimei and Lefille continued to chat as Yukio guided them to the dojo. Once there, she opened the sliding door for them, revealing Kiyoshiro’s students all sitting neatly in a row—including Hatsumi. 

It seemed they were about to receive some manner of instruction, or perhaps they were meditating. When Suimei entered, however, a small commotion ran through the dojo. That was only to be expected, as Suimei’s appearance was likely quite a surprise for most of them. 

What was someone who never showed up for practice doing at the dojo now? That was inevitably the question on everyone’s mind; their cold looks Suimei’s way said it all. You see, the other students interpreted Suimei’s lack of attendance at the dojo as a lack of sincerity. In truth he had a good reason for his waywardness, but he naturally couldn’t tell the other students about it. 

Ignoring the other students for now, Suimei went to pray at the shrine and Lefille followed suit. 

“Suimei-kun, it doesn’t appear that we’re very welcome here...” 

“That’s my fault. Sorry. You’ll just have to put up with the awkward atmosphere.” 

As the two of them whispered to each other and finished their prayers, Suimei suddenly realized something. 

“Oh, hey, Haseto. You’re back?” 

“I am. It’s been a while, Suimei-san.” 

A handsome boy who looked much like Kiyoshiro bowed and greeted Suimei. He had long hair with slicked-back bangs, and wore a typical dojo gi with a wooden sword slung at his side. This was Hatsumi’s little brother, Kuchiba Haseto. 

“You already heard the story, right?” 

“Yeah, you really went and did something pretty outrageous, Suimei-san.” 

“Hey, what’s with that? You’re making it sound like it was my fault.” 

“Hahaha, I’m just kidding.” 

Suimei shot a reproachful gaze at Haseto, who began laughing cheerfully. Right now, he both looked and sounded just like his father. Suimei had been friends with Haseto ever since they were children, the same as Hatsumi. And since they’d grown up together, Haseto held a fair bit of respect for Suimei. 

As Suimei was having a chat with his younger cousin for the first time in a while, a sharp voice suddenly rang out through the room. 

“Hey, you! What do you think you’re doing, showing your face at the dojo after all this time?” 

“Hmm? Oh, Suwa-san.” 

Indeed, Suimei’s antagonizer was Suwa—a young man who could be considered one of the hopefuls among the students at the dojo. He had confidence in his own abilities and was the type to put on an act as one of the most senior students, which was likely why he stepped forward now. In stark contrast to his impertinent glare, however, Suimei simply shrugged his shoulders with indifference. 

“Hey now, cut it out,” Kiyoshiro immediately interjected to put a stop to things. 

“But instructor!” Suwa argued. 

“You’re in the presence of a guest.” 

“But this sets a bad example for the younger students.” 

“It does, does it? Hmm...” 

Kiyoshiro’s attitude was ambiguous. It was like he wasn’t sure if he should intervene anymore. Hatsumi, on the other hand, looked quite irritated with Suwa’s attitude and was starting to get rather restless. 

It was objectively true that Suimei had to go overseas for his mystical work quite frequently, so he often couldn’t participate in practice. He’d also been told by his father that pursuing the sword too much would prevent him from becoming an accomplished magician. And so, considering Suimei’s infrequent appearances at the dojo, it was perhaps a matter of course that the other students thought he was lazy and noncommittal. Kiyoshiro was fully aware of Suimei’s circumstances, however, so he was of a different mind altogether. 

That said, the students had no way of knowing what was really going on with Suimei. That’s why Kiyoshiro chose not to chide them for it when they began clamoring noisily. This was where he would ordinarily let out a soft roar to hush the class, but he showed no signs of doing so now. He simply tossed a loaded look Suimei’s way. He seemed to be saying that if Suimei didn’t do something about this soon, it would just keep happening forever. 

“Hey! Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?” 

“...” 

“Are you ignoring me?!” 

Suimei let out a sigh as Suwa’s remarkably loud voice resounded through the dojo again. He was exasperated that a guy like Suwa called himself a swordsman. He wanted to remind him that the dojo was a place for Zen meditation, so it would do him some good to cool his jets. 

Seeing that Suimei had no intention of replying to him, however, Suwa was prepared to make his point a different way. But as soon as he made to stand... 

“Shut up.” 

Though Suimei only muttered those two words, they were more than enough to suppress the entire dojo. Their force silenced everyone with a magician’s psychic chill. Suimei’s mystical presence also dropped the temperature in the room several degrees. It was almost as if all the blabbering mouths had been frozen shut. Everyone’s eagerness to gripe about Suimei was dispelled like an illusion. 

Seeing them shut down so easily, Suimei let out another sigh. Passing a glance over the sorry souls who could offer no resistance despite all their talk mere moments ago, Suimei only spotted five or so people, Kiyoshiro included, who weren’t affected by his pressure. After briefly assessing the situation, Suimei walked over to Suwa and looked down at him with his blazing red eyes. In response, the young man stiffened up as if completely paralyzed. 

“I kept quiet because that was the sportsmanlike thing to do, but I’m the senior disciple here. You’d do well to bear that in mind.” 

“Ugh... B-But...” 

“If you have something to say, I suggest you keep it to yourself until you learn how to move under pressure like this... Well, I guess I can’t ask that much of you. At the very least, forge your nerve enough that you can talk properly, ’kay?” 

There, Suimei turned around to go back to Lefille, but stopped and looked over his shoulder upon suddenly remembering something. 

“One last thing: I finished the training you’re doing now when I was about ten.” 

Suimei then dispersed the pressure he exerted over the room, and surprised voices gradually began filling the dojo once more. After a short while, a stifled laugh could be heard from the far side of the room. Indeed, Kuchiba Kiyoshiro could hardly contain himself. 

“Pfft... Suimei, don’t go freezing up my dojo.” 

“My apologies.” 

Suimei earnestly bowed in apology, and Suwa turned to Kiyoshiro. 

“I-Instructor, about what he just said...” 

“Aah, that? You heard him. Suimei completed all the fundamental training when he was twelve. Circumstances aside, he’s got at least enough skill to be the head coach around here.” 

Suwa turned a desperate look on a middle-aged man with the appearance of a bear—the current head coach of the Kuchiba dojo. 

“C-Coach...” Suwa practically pleaded. 

“The Yakagi boy is more of a veteran in this dojo than any of the assistant instructors. What the instructor says is absolutely true,” the coach claimed. 

And it was true; Suimei had started learning swordsmanship from Kiyoshiro the day the dojo was built. In a sense, Suimei was his first disciple. 

“Boy,” the coach called, turning to Suimei. “If you acted with such overpowering dignity all the time, then you’d earn a bit more respect around here. Right, Instructor?” 

“Of course. You’re talking about the son of the man I idolized as my brother, you know? There’s no way he’s weak. Those of you who don’t realize that are just being swindled. Ain’t that right, Hatsumi?” 

“I-I at least knew he was strong!” 

“Really now?” 

Suimei bashfully scratched the back of his head as he listened to Hatsumi and Kiyoshiro’s exchange. In the middle of it, he heard a clap from the shrine behind him where a girl was offering a prayer. 

She had long, black hair, but its indigo sheen was strikingly different than the deep jet of Hydemary’s locks. She also had beauty marks under both her eyes and had a very traditional Japanese beauty to her features. She was the very embodiment of Yamato Nadeshiko, with an air about her even more graceful and serene than Yukio’s. Her presence right now was also so slight that anyone else would have easily overlooked her. 

“Itsuki?” 

“It’s been quite a while, Yakagi-san.” 

The girl replied to Suimei with a gentle smile as she bowed her head. She was a student of another school, learning the basics of the Kuchiba style from Kiyoshiro. She was quite skilled, however, and was about on par with Hatsumi. She was strong enough that Suimei couldn’t hold a candle to her in terms of swordsmanship. 

“I felt a chill earlier. Did something happen?” she asked. 

“Nothing much. Sorry for being out of touch,” Suimei replied. 

“Don’t mention it. I was worried, but I didn’t think any serious harm would come of it considering the two of you were involved.” 

“Have you already sparred with Hatsumi?” 

“Yes. We borrowed the garden earlier today for three matches.” 

Suimei looked quizzically over at Hatsumi, who boldly smiled back at him. 

“One win, one loss, one tie,” she declared. 

“Even as you are now?” Suimei asked. 

“Yup. That’s Itsuki-san for you. It was an eye-opening experience.” 

There, Hatsumi and Itsuki exchanged a smile. They were about the same age, so they got along quite well. 

Itsuki then looked at Lefille. Her eyes were visibly filled with a strong will, glimmering with a fiery light. It seemed she’d completely pegged Lefille’s talents, and as though to confirm her suspicions... 

“You also appear to be quite skilled.” 

“And it sounds like you’re able to compete with Lady Hatsumi. I would love to have a bout with you.” 

“As would I, if the opportunity presents itself.” 

Lefille focused a bit of her fighting spirit towards her, and the instant she did, the area around Itsuki was dominated by silence. All sound died—the stillness in the air was so unnatural that there was no other way to describe it. Not even the slightest movement or a single breath could be heard. 

Seeing this, Suimei spoke up in a fluster. 

“H-Hey, Itsuki. I brought Lefille here to see the instructor. Sorry, but could you save this for later?” 

“Pardon me. I just got caught up in the moment.” 

Itsuki dispelled her pressure, allowing sound to slowly revive in the area around her. She then flashed a smile. 

“Then, if you’ll excuse me...” 

With that, she bowed and headed for an empty space on the dojo floor where she took a seat on her knees. 

“I see. What uniform excellence...” 

“She, Hatsumi, Haseto, and Kenta-san are special.” 

As Suimei and Lefille were whispering to each other, he suddenly seemed to realize something. 

“Oh, Instructor. About etiquette...” 

“Don’t worry about that. The sun would set before we could teach her everything.” 

Suimei guided Lefille over to and took a seat in front of Kiyoshiro. Judging that she probably wasn’t used to sitting on her knees, he bid her take a more relaxed posture as Kiyoshiro began speaking to her. 

“So, you’re the one in need of advice?” 

“Yes. My name is Lefille Grakis.” 

“I’ve been told the gist of things. Now, make yourself comfortable.” 

“Thank you for your consideration.” 

Lefille lightly bowed her head, then looked up once more to take a good look at Kiyoshiro’s face... 

“...” 

At his very, very peculiar face. 

“What is it?” 

“Pardon me, but I was told that you’re Lady Hatsumi’s father.” 

“Yup, that’s me.” 

“Just like your wife, you appear... quite youthful.” 

“Well, I guess so. Nevertheless, I’m turning 45 this year.” 

“...” 

Lefille was stunned by Kiyoshiro’s statement. Yukio looked like she might be right around thirty, but Kiyoshiro looked even younger than that. 

“He’s a total monster,” interjected Haseto. 

“A legit monster,” echoed Hatsumi. 

“He really is,” confirmed Suimei. 

Kiyoshiro looked depressed upon hearing such comments from his son, daughter, and nephew. 

“You guys...” 

But all three of them averted their gazes simultaneously as if they’d coordinated it. They were perfectly in sync. 

Moving on, Suimei turned to question Lefille. 

“So, what are your first impressions?” 

“It’s frightening...” 

“Hmm?” 

“How do I put it? He looks completely normal. I don’t doubt that he’s strong since you claim he is, but I just don’t see it.” 

“I bet not. He’s a total scam artist.” 

“Funny hearing that from the compulsive swindler.” 

Lefille quipped back at Suimei, who stuck his tongue out at her. Interrupting their banter, Kiyoshiro suddenly got to his feet. 

“Well, let’s get started.” 

“Really? Aren’t you in the middle of practice?” 

“That’s no object. Just watching will be good training for them.” 

Kiyoshiro walked over to the wall where several wooden swords were placed. He let his gaze wander over them as if trying to pick one out. His discerning eyes were... not exactly as sharp as an eagle’s. He looked more like an amateur dubiously assessing a bunch of bonsai trees. 

He groaned as he looked at the swords with uncertainty until one seemed to catch his fancy. 

“Let’s see... We don’t have any good substitutes for your weapon here, but will this do?” 

Kiyoshiro held out a long wooden sword to Lefille. It was a little shorter than her usual blade and far slimmer, but it was the closest match the dojo had. Lefille looked completely bewildered that Kiyoshiro had picked it out without asking her a single thing. 

“Um, by my weapon, you mean...?” 

“It’s a huge thing, about your height with a broad blade, right? Something like a greatsword, yeah?” 

Kiyoshiro answered Lefille with the grin of a mischievous child. Lefille looked to Suimei with a quizzical gaze as if to ask him if he’d told Kiyoshiro about her weapon beforehand, but Suimei shook his head. All he’d told the instructor was that there was a swordswoman he’d like him to meet. He hadn’t gone into much detail. 

“I can tell at least that much.” 

That’s just how Kiyoshiro was. The way he was practically bragging and the way he broke into a cackle gave the slightest glimpse into his abnormality that wasn’t ordinarily apparent. 

Nevertheless, Lefille grasped the wooden sword in her hands and flashed a hopeful smile. She realized just how beyond her Kiyoshiro was, which piqued her interest in him as a swordswoman. And just as she took a stance... 

“Hmm? Now that’s something...” Kiyoshiro muttered. 

He’d likely figured something out just from seeing her stance. Fighters ordinarily aimed to strike stances that revealed no openings, but even the slightest fault allowed Kiyoshiro to see right through someone—an experienced warrior like Lefille included. 

Lefille held the grip of her wooden sword with both hands with her elbows pressed against her sides. As for Kiyoshiro, he stood there casually with a wooden sword resting over his shoulder. That was all he was doing. But the second Lefille stepped forward, their match began. 

Yet there was no ferocity in it at all. Rather, both fighters were moving like this was a light sparring session. Even from Suimei’s perspective, Lefille hardly seemed like herself. This was far too docile compared to how she usually overwhelmed her opponent with heavy strikes. And normally, no matter how much strength she put behind her blows, she would shout out with each and every swing of her blade. 

But her current predicament was Kiyoshiro’s handiwork. No matter how much strength one put into their sword, no matter how hard one tried to pressure him with their fighting spirit, the moment Kiyoshiro swung his blade, his opponent had to move in direct response. They were forced to do so. If they didn’t, there was no way they could stop him. Lefille’s superior instinct told her that much. 

Lefille gripped her sword with both palms while Kiyoshiro wielded his singlehandedly. Even using all of her strength, her wooden blade never reached him. But Kiyoshiro... Whenever he pushed forward, Lefille was pushed back even when she tried to hold her ground for all she was worth. 

This was, of course, not because of the difference in muscular strength between a man and a woman. Lefille’s physical strength was backed by supernatural power, and Kiyoshiro wasn’t as delicate a man as his looks suggested either. 

If Lefille’s opponent had been Hatsumi, they would have at least exchanged a technique or two. But with Kiyoshiro, nary a technique was to be seen. All Lefille could do was swing her wooden sword and meet the blows coming at her. 

It was a simple match in that regard, but in the most sublime way. When one studied martial arts and reached this stage of enlightenment, even the smallest of their movements was supernatural. It was remarkably strange. Logic couldn’t explain it. It didn’t match their skills. This was the very height of fighting as an art form, but the scales were completely tilted in Kiyoshiro’s favor. 

As the match played out, surprised voices filled the room. 

“I can’t believe she’s held out this long...” 

“She’s even pushing back.” 

Kiyoshiro’s students knew the preposterous extent of his skills, and praised Lefille for holding out against him accordingly. 

But not too long after that, the fight seemed to reach a breaking point. Both parties took a few steps backward, gaining distance from one another while keeping their eyes locked on each other. Kiyoshiro was completely relaxed, while Lefille was dripping with sweat and panting heavily. Then, unable to stand any longer, she fell to her knees. 

“Suimei-kun... How much time has passed?” 

“Maybe five minutes? What, you couldn’t tell?” 

“No... My sense of time is a mess.” 

That was just how hard she’d been concentrating. It was fatal in battle to lose all track of one’s surroundings, but even with Lefille’s skill and experience, that was how intensely she’d had to focus in order to hold her own against Kiyoshiro. 

“Grandmaster, could I ask you for another round?” 

“No, take a rest.” 

“But I still have...” 

“You still have energy to spare? Don’t give me that. You won’t get stronger just from panicking, you know?” 

Kiyoshiro remonstrated Lefille after a moment’s respite. Though she was full of zeal from their match, she managed to keep her cool and treat Kiyoshiro with the utmost respect. 

“I understand. But I need to get stronger as soon as possible.” 

“That’s why you want to cross swords again, even if it’s just once more?” 

“Yes.” 

“Well, I get where you’re coming from. But, you know, there’s no shortcut to getting strong. You still won’t make any progress just panicking.” 

“...” 

Lefille was unconvinced. Even if she didn’t show her displeasure, that much was clear from the look in her eyes. Kiyoshiro could understand this as well. 

“Then let me show you the ultimate blade that anybody can use.” 

Very suddenly, Kiyoshiro held his sword above him in an upper stance. Just an upper stance—a simple, perfectly normal stance. There was nothing more to it than that. No matter how hard Lefille stared at him, that was all she could see. He didn’t appear to be concealing some manner of outrageous technique or spectacular move. 

“Grandmaster... You don’t mean to say it’s just a downward strike, do you?” 

“Bingo. That’s exactly it.” 

“And you’re saying such a simple strike is the ultimate blade?” 

Lefille was skeptical. She looked at Kiyoshiro dubiously, perhaps wondering if he was making fun of her. Kiyoshiro, however, remained completely calm. 

“Taking such a simple strike to its very extremes is the most difficult accomplishment of all. Even I haven’t reached that peak. There might be three people in the entire world who have. Now, behold!” 

Kiyoshiro let out a spirited shout; both it and what happened next took everyone in the dojo completely by surprise. By the time they felt the illusory sensation of Kiyoshiro’s fighting spirit singing their skin like hot wind... the tip of his wooden sword was already pointed at the dojo floor. 

Even with a magician’s eyes, Suimei couldn’t follow the sword’s trajectory. It could be described as nothing other than a flash of lightning. Not even Lefille, who had been standing directly in front of Kiyoshiro, had been able to react to it. 

When exactly had he swung? No, that wasn’t even the right question to ask. The very moment he’d taken his stance, his swing was a foregone conclusion. 

A vertical slash from top to bottom was the ultimate blade. It was a strike used by extracting faith from such a belief. Kiyoshiro wasn’t ridiculing anybody by calling it that, and his sword smashed through all other preconceptions. 

That’s why it was the ultimate blade. It was simple... No, it was simply unbelievable. 

“...” 

Lefille stood there dumbfounded like she’d just witnessed a bolt out of the blue. Was she looking at Kiyoshiro’s hands, or his sword? 

“Anyone strong uses this strike. The more you defy the force pulling your sword toward the ground, the more vigor your blade loses. No matter what you try to do, it’s impossible to cancel that out entirely.” 

Kiyoshiro recited his guidance like a poem, then posed a question to the dumbfounded Lefille. 

“Say, Lefille. When you watched that just now, could you see yourself doing the same thing? You couldn’t, right? That means you don’t have the proper groundwork to even imagine it.” 

“Th-That’s...” 

“To extrapolate, you’re not doing what you should be doing. You’re trying to learn what I used in a single bound, and while in your current state no less. When you act so recklessly, you’ll lose sight on the path of the blade.” 

“B-But... I have to get stronger. Is it wrong to desire such a thing?” 

“Well, you see... When you reach your level, the question at hand is no longer as simple as what kind of training you should be doing or what goal you should be setting for yourself. That’s why...” Kiyoshiro paused there for a moment, then continued with conviction, “You shouldn’t be searching for answers to simple questions like what you could or should be doing. Even if you find an answer and begin chasing it, it’s nothing more than a mare’s nest of your own making. That won’t get you anywhere. If you wish to seek a goal, then you should change your mindset.” 

“My... mindset?” 

“That’s the other problem with your sword. Your refusal to lose is too strong, see?” 

“That’s... true.” 

Lefille acknowledged Kiyoshiro’s observation. Just as he’d said, Lefille was determined to win the fight she had ahead of her. It was only natural that her refusal to lose was stronger than ever. 

“The long-cherished ambition of all swordsmen is to die by the sword. They spend all their days thinking about the sword, and they don’t consider their lives complete until they die fighting. And if you’re not ready to die by the blade at any time, you’ll never truly become strong. That’s why swordsmen are endlessly optimistic and bask in elegance. It’s so that they can leave this world with no regrets whenever their time does come. Have you ever known anyone like that?” 

“...” 

Lefille was at a loss for words, and with good reason. There was someone who came to mind immediately: Rumeya Tails. She was the closest swordmaster to Lefille, and certainly enjoyed her fair share of optimism and elegance. Kiyoshiro seemed to pick up on Lefille’s reaction and flashed a bold smile. 

“So you do know one, huh? Then you should understand what I’m telling you.” 

After saying that, Kiyoshiro held his wooden sword sideways and made an unprompted remark. 

“The mindset of a swordsman before a match is to become one with their blade. There is no room for leisures like victory or defeat. The moment you stand before your enemy, you cast yourself aside. The more you fear defeat, the more it will hold you back. And when you can no longer move forward at all, your blade will never reach your enemy no matter what you do. That’s the kind of situation that drives you to recklessness, isn’t it?” 

“?!” 

Kiyoshiro’s analysis was harshly accurate. Lefille had in fact been fixated on victory until now and subsequently quite reckless in battle. Unable to push forward, she took risk after risk to seize victory, claiming her life was worthless all the while. 

“How’s that? Makes sense, right? The root of your panic isn’t the fact that you make light of your own life, but rather the fact that you make light of how you use your life.” 

Lefille’s arms dangled languidly at her sides. Kiyoshiro had hit the bullseye in such a way that it was hard for Lefille to acknowledge. It was true that she’d fought many a battle downplaying the value of her life. And it was in doing so that she’d slipped off the proper path of swordsmanship—more concerned about victory than her blade. 

In short, that was the difference mindset made. A real swordsman was prepared to risk their life, and anyone else panicked at the very thought. “If I do that, I’ll lose. If I do this, I’ll lose.” Such thoughts and fears become an obstruction that kept a swordsman from fighting the way they should. 

Become one with the sword and welcome death. 

Such is the mindset of a true swordsman, and the path they follow to attain victory. 

“That mindset may contradict your way of life. However, if you want to win by the sword, you’ll need to cut yourself free of all such hesitation. You’ll spend your life not just to win, but to win by the sword. Fearing what comes after your death isn’t cowardice; it’s apathy.” 

After declaring that to be the key tenet of swordsmanship, Kiyoshiro suddenly took on a relaxed posture. 

“Now, to wrap things up, let me show you my serious side.” 

No sooner than those words left his mouth, a pressure blew through the room that far surpassed the hot wind of the fighting spirit he’d displayed earlier. This felt more like a force that crushed all in its path, condensed into a single wave like a tsunami. Even as a high grand class magician fortified by the mysteries, Suimei was experiencing vertigo under the swordsman’s pressure. 

Meanwhile, Lefille fell to the floor. Taking a look at her, she was trembling as if she’d seen dread incarnate. It was the unmistakable fear of witnessing the very peak of swordsmanship. 

But after a moment, Kiyoshiro readily dispersed his pressure and cracked a smile. 

“After swinging my sword for thirty-odd years, I finally reached this stage. The man I admired was like this around the time he was Suimei’s age, but he was an exception even among exceptions.” 

“Will I... also be able to reach that stage too?” 

Kiyoshiro let out a tired sigh at Lefille’s question. 

“Before we get to that... Your approach is all wrong. Why do you think you can’t get stronger? With your power, it shouldn’t be all that hard to do, right? It should be way easier for you than it was for me, who only had questionable talent to begin with. Granted, that’s only if you continue down your path properly without giving up on your...” 

Kiyoshiro paused there for a moment, then looked to Suimei upon realizing something. 

“Hey, Suimei, is this why you brought her here?” 

“Well, yeah.” 

That was exactly the reason. If Lefille were told by someone far stronger than herself that she could become stronger, it would be like a glimmer of hope. Suimei’s way of showing her the light may have been a little imprudent, but it was undoubtedly necessary for someone like Lefille who didn’t have much time before her fight to come. And upon putting all this together, Kiyoshiro began scratching his head. 

“Well, about that... Let me give you one more piece of advice.” 

Lefille corrected her posture and readied herself so that she wouldn’t miss a single word Kiyoshiro was to utter. As for the sage advice that left his lips... 

“Go sightseeing.” 

“Huh?” 

“This is your first time in Japan, right?” 

“Y-Yes.” 

“So don’t give a single thought to your sword. Empty your mind and enjoy yourself. This is another form of mental training.” 

“What do you mean...?” 

“I mean that your mind needs a change of pace. Do enough of it, and you’ll get the hang of it. What you need to do right now is to devote yourself to comfort. If your body can get used to that, you’ll eventually learn to master elegance.” 

“Elegance...” 

It was the same thing Rumeya had said—that Lefille needed to calm down her agitated heart which had become fixated on victory. She had to train her mind so that she could wield her sword with elegance and brandish her own power. 

And so, after telling Lefille that was what she needed, Kiyoshiro returned to his seat at the head of the dojo. 

Suimei’s first few days back in Japan were dizzyingly hectic. He spent most of his time running around from one thing to another. He had to explain his circumstances to the Japanese branch; manage all of the problems stemming from his prolonged absence at school; use magicka to smooth things over for Reiji, Mizuki, and Hatsumi too; and lastly, use magicka to reconcile things with Reiji and Mizuki’s families. And, once all of that business was finally settled, he was finally able to get to his real work. 

As for the visitors from another world, Lefille spent her time visiting the Kuchiba dojo next door, while Felmenia and Liliana spent their time poring over the grimoires of the Yakagi estate’s study as well as watching videos on the internet and talking about magicka with Hydemary. Essentially, the three of them spent their time as they pleased while Suimei tended to his business. 

They all took the time, however, to visit the Kuchiba residence together to feast on a Japanese meal Yukio had prepared for them. Suimei would never forget the exasperated look Haseto gave him that night. 

But once Suimei had finally taken care of everything in Japan, all that was left was visiting the Society’s headquarters in Germany and dealing with the work left to him by the Thousand Nights Association. Suimei explained this to the girls, and they were currently in the living room discussing their plans and what they wanted to do before departing for Europe. 

“I want to try that cake Lady Hatsumi spoke of.” 

That was Lefille’s personal request. She actually had quite a sweet tooth, and had already made it known she was interested in sampling new desserts. 

“I want... to go see penguins.” 

Meanwhile, Liliana was unable to forget the animals she’d seen on television. Suimei thought her first request would be to visit the zoo, but it actually turned out to be the aquarium. 

“What about you, Menia?” 

“I would like to visit a bookstore, although watching videos has already been quite educational.” 

As Felmenia said, simply watching videos was a great way to see and learn new things. Just watching footage of a natural phenomenon could serve as inspiration for a new spell, for example. And since Felmenia’s main priority here in Suimei’s world was learning, there wasn’t anywhere in particular she especially wanted to go like the other girls. She was content to leave their itinerary up to them. 

“How will we get around?” 

“I already called my driver. He should be here soon.” 

Suimei didn’t have a license, so he normally relied on his exclusive chauffeur for transportation. Said chauffeur was, naturally, also a Society magician. 

Once they were all ready, Suimei, Felmenia, Lefille, Liliana, and Hydemary left the house and found a black van waiting for them. A young man wearing a grey suit was standing next to it. He had porcelain skin and black, neatly trimmed hair. Rather than merely calm and gentle, it was more accurate to say he had an absolutely tranquil air about him. As Suimei and company drew closer, the young man gave a serene bow. 

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, young master.” 

“Don’t worry about it. Thank you for escorting us, Akitsuki-san.” 

Suimei lightly bowed back to his chauffeur, Akitsuki. Felmenia and the others followed suit, each of them briefly introducing themselves in the process. Once that was done, Liliana tugged on Suimei’s sleeve. 

“So... you really are... a stinking rich boy, Suimei?” she asked. 

“Stinking...? Could you maybe not put it like that?” he replied. 

“But there’s no mistaking that you’re quite rich,” Lefille countered. 

“This man even called you ‘young master,’” Felmenia agreed. 

The girls were rightfully astonished. How could they not see him as some sort of nobility after seeing how he lived? To them, this was the equivalent of Suimei having his own personal carriage at his beck and call. There was no way they would ever think of him as a commoner again. Granted, perhaps this realization was a bit late after they’d already seen the size of the estate where he lived. 

Seemingly quite interested in automobiles, Felmenia then tried touching the black van. 

“I’ve seen them on television, but how does such a thing actually move?” she asked, brimming with curiosity. 

“Allow me to explain,” Akitsuki answered with a grin. “It burns fuel as a source of power to propel it forward.” 

“Oh... Could it be that you know about us already?” 

“Yeah,” Suimei interjected. “I’ve given Akitsuki-san the rundown already, so you don’t need to be cagey around him.” 

He couldn’t say much for Akitsuki’s reaction, however—which had simply been, “Is that so? Understood.” But Akitsuki had been involved with the Yakagis since Kazamitsu’s generation. Much like Hatsumi’s parents, he was likely already convinced anything was possible when it came to this family. 

“Sorry I’m late!” 

After the group chatted for a while longer, Hatsumi came running over. She wasn’t wearing the uniform she always had on, but rather a cute, casual ensemble that included a skirt, headband, and corsage. 

“Oh, you’re here as well.” 

“Hi, Akitsuki-san. Thank you for driving us today.” 

“But of course.” 

Hatsumi greeted Akitsuki, then exchanged good mornings with everyone else. Then, when it was finally time to depart... 

“Who wants shotgun?” 

“Shotgun?” 

“Oh, I mean the seat next to the driver.” 

When Suimei explained it, all three visitors from another world began fidgeting with excitement. It was clear they all wanted to try it, but they were too considerate of one another to be the first to jump at the opportunity. 

“Are you three okay with taking turns?” 

“C-Certainly!” 

“Yup!” 

“Yes...” 

And, with that, the otherworldly visitors boarded a car for the first time. They were all surprised at how soft the seats were. Carriages where they were from didn’t have luxuries like pillowed seats with springs, so the amenities available here made an immediate impression. 

When everyone was settled in, Akitsuki pulled an envelope from his briefcase. 

“For you, young master.” 

The envelope had no sender, but Suimei knew exactly who it was from. It was nearly identical to the letter he’d received from the courier the other day from the Thousand Nights Association. 

“Why do you have this, Akitsuki-san?” 

“It was delivered to the branch office this morning. I was asked to pass it along while I was here.” 

“So they want this taken care of sooner rather than later...” 

Suimei opened the envelope and, just as he expected, found additional materials on the previous enforcement request. 

“...” 

“Young master?” 

“It’s nothing... Shall we get going?” 

Suimei urged his driver to start the car. The letter was important business, but there was nothing he could do about it while he was still in Japan, so he settled on prioritizing today’s plans. 

“Now then, where to first?” 

“Well, let’s start with the shop in front of the station so we can buy some snacks. After that...” 

“I-I want to go... to the aquarium!” 

Liliana was the first to pipe up. She wasn’t usually the type to demand anything, but her desire to see more animals was unbearable. The way she was bouncing up and down in her seat was also rather adorable. Suimei turned to the other girls to see if they were fine with the suggestion, and the four of them nodded obligingly. 

“The aquarium it is, then. Sounds like we’ll be starting there, Akitsuki-san.” 

“Certainly.” 

Akitsuki turned the key and started the car. The internal combustion engine roared, and all three visitors from another world expressed their surprise upon witnessing a car come to life for the first time. 

“W-Wah!” 

“Now this is...” 

“It’s... amazing. There’s nothing... mystical about it... at all.” 

The three of them were looking around at the seats and windows, trying to identify the source of the sounds and vibrations. Akitsuki gave them a brief explanation of what was happening, which helped put them at ease. 

In any case, the first stop of the day was the convenience store in front of the train station. After casually picking out some snacks for the trip, they finally got to relax and sample the goods. Felmenia choked up with tears of joy upon her first taste. 

“Chocolate... This must be the food of the gods.” 

The staples for such a declaration in Japan were chocolate, mayonnaise, and pudding. And Felmenia just so happened to have a chocolate bar in her hands as she exaltedly thanked the heavens. 

“This cream puff thing... is very tasty. Hom.” 

“To think this world has sweets that rival cotton candy and cake... This so-called ice cream is superb.” 

All three visitors from another world were in high spirits as they sampled their treats, or more precisely, wholeheartedly devoured them. They’d picked out sweet and salty snacks that complemented each other as perfectly as good sake and fish. Moreover, with Hydemary present, a lively discussion began over which snacks were better than others. 

Suimei and Hatsumi watched the four of them enjoying themselves with charmed smiles. 

“Don’t eat too much, you three. Junk food’s bad for you if you don’t keep it in moderation,” he cautioned. 

“I-I suppose these are luxury goods...” Felmenia conceded. 

“Besides, we’ve got the main course coming up. You’ll miss out if you fill up now, you know?” Hatsumi added. 

“Oh! You’re right! There’s still the cake!” Lefille shouted in excitement. 

She was very much so looking forward to the cake, and immediately retracted her outstretched hand when Hatsumi reminded her of it. Meanwhile, the one girl who didn’t understand such moderation cocked her head in an innocent manner. 

“Is that so?” Hydemary asked. 

“You’re an exception,” Suimei retorted. 

Junk food was a dietary staple for Hydemary, who aspired to live the childhood dream. It should have been bad for her health, yet it didn’t seem to pose the slightest problem in Hydemary’s case. Perhaps it was a perk of being a homunculus, but how exactly did that even work? 

As Suimei pondered over this, he spotted Felmenia reaching out for another snack. 

“Th-Then, just one more. Just one last—” 

“I’m telling you to stop.” 

“Aah?!” 

Suimei grasped Felmenia’s outstretched hand, which was trembling like a junkie’s, and confiscated the chocolate bar she was going for. 

“Suimei-donooo, that’s so cruel...” 

“Seriously. These are bad for you if you eat too many. How many were you planning on having?” 

Suimei decided to do Felmenia a favor and get rid of the temptation himself. But the moment he unwrapped the foil, Felmenia lunged at him with a glint in her eyes. 

“Om!” 

“H-Hey! Menia! The hell are you doing?! Hey! You’re drooling on my finger!” 

“Nom! This is your fault for stealing my chocolate, Suimei-dono!” 

“Don’t cling to me like that! Um, Felmenia-san... Seriously, please stop! Ugh, this isn’t good!” 

“H-Hang on! What are you two doing fooling around?!” 

Suimei began squirming from the soft sensation coiling around him. Hatsumi, ready to tear the two of them apart in a fluster, reached forward from the back seat. The moment she did, however, Felmenia shot a sharp glare her way that stopped her in her tracks. 

“What are you saying?! Were you not clinging to Suimei-dono yourself right after we teleported here?” 

“Huh? Ah! Th-Th-Th-That was, um... I was overcome with emotion upon returning home! And all I did was lean against him a bit! He was no different than a wall!” 

“So I’m a wall to you?! Isn’t that a little mean?” 

There, Hatsumi desperately looked to Lefille, who was just sitting there minding her own business. 

“Besides! Lately he’s just been caring for Lefille, right?!” 

“Th-That’s because Suimei-kun is helping me work out some problems... But now that you mention it, I suppose he has been rather attentive. Thank you, Suimei-kun.” 

“Huh? Oh, you’re welcome...” 

Suimei gave a bashful reply, but Felmenia began screeching. 

“Unfair! That’s utterly unfair!” 

“Y-You were completely entranced with the grimoires in the study, weren’t you?!” 

“That’s... Actually, what’s that you’re eating, Lefille?!” 

“Cotton candy. It even crackles. It’s rather amusing.” 

“I want some!” 

With that, Felmenia changed her target and latched on to Lefille. Even though they were going at it mere seconds ago, she was now mysteriously being fed crackling cotton candy by hand. 

“Weren’t you two just arguing...?” 

There was no logical connection between their argument and making up, but seeing that they were more or less enjoying themselves now, Suimei was secretly delighted that things were going well. The mood, however, changed suddenly when Felmenia noticed something outside the window and lost her composure. 

“Suimei-dono, Suimei-dono!” 

“Huh?” 

“Wh-What... What in the world is that?!” 

Drawn by those words, Lefille also looked out the window and furrowed her brow. 

“Goodness. What an eerie shape. It seems to be some manner of grotesque creature.” 

“Huh? A grotesque creature?” 

What on earth were they talking about? Suimei didn’t have a clue. This was Japan. Modern Japan, no less. There shouldn’t be any grotesque creatures walking around in the middle of town in broad daylight. As puzzled as Felmenia was, Suimei looked out of her window to see... the town’s mascot. 

“Grotesque indeed.” 

“Wh-What is that thing...?” 

“And who is that woman next to it? Has she enslaved the creature? She seems to have some manner of wand in her hand.” 

“Such a profane figure... It’s likely under the influence of a great evil.” 

Felmenia and Lefille recoiled defensively as they watched the cartoon mascot—which was a cross between a jellyfish and a bear—and the female staff member standing with it. It seemed that they’d mistaken the microphone in her hand for a magic wand. As for the mascot’s tentacles, they apparently looked like the manifestation of a great evil. Liliana spotted the creature shortly after the others did, and began accumulating mana so she would be prepared for anything. 

As for those who knew exactly what the creature was... They were naturally all a little let down. 

Akitsuki simply muttered, “Oh, Jellybear,” with a bitter smile. 

Jellybear was a mysterious caricature of a bear with the body of a jellyfish, somewhat based on the octopus-shaped aliens that used to be popular back in the day. Apparently, the town committee had tried to capitalize on the bear-based characters that were also popular and ended up combining the two into this mysterious abomination. 

And perhaps because that was simply the kind of character it was designed to be, Jellybear was constantly shaking. The discomfort that crept over anyone watching its body wriggle about made you wonder just what manner of insidious magicka was behind it. 

Suimei and his friends had gone to see it around the time of its debut, and Mizuki’s first reaction was, “I can feel my sanity slowly being drained.” The simple act of looking at it made one feel anxious—even Suimei, whose body was steeped in the mysteries. 

For the benefit of everyone who didn’t know, Hydemary then began explaining the monstrosity. 

“That’s not a creature, you see. It’s a stuffed doll with a person inside of it.” 

“Stuffed...? It’s not cute... at all.” 

“Seriously. Why is it so uncute, anyway? Aren’t stuffed things supposed to be cute?” 

Liliana and Lefille both loved cute things, so they were particularly offended by Jellybear. 

“They made this bizarre chimera to capture local tastes. Japan sure is weird, isn’t it?” 

“Hey, we have cute mascots too.” 

“But that’s just a small percentage of them, right?” 

“I can’t deny that...” 

And so the day’s trip got off to a rather surprising start. 

Their first destination after the convenience store was the aquarium Liliana was hoping to see. Upon arriving, they made a beeline for the marine animal exhibits. Liliana was momentarily distracted by the large tanks filled with swimming sharks, but they couldn’t win over cuteness. Liliana eyed the fish tanks in passing as she quickly made her way towards the animals she’d really come to see. Once they were finally in sight, Liliana raised an excited voice. 

“I-It’s the... seal I saw... on television!” 

She sounded as exalted now as she did when she played with cats. However, the animals in question were... 

“This is actually a sea lion.” 

“They’re... different? So this is... a sea lion...” 

Liliana listened attentively to the caretaker explaining things, and now understood the difference between the two animals. The caretaker and the sea lion then began playing catch, and Liliana’s eyes were fixed on the rubber ball as they passed it back and forth. After enjoying this for some time, Liliana suddenly said in an envious tone... 

“I want to... touch the sea lion...” 

“You can’t. Animals get stressed out when unfamiliar people touch them.” 

“Is... that so?” 

Liliana was utterly despondent when Hatsumi told her it would be impossible. Suimei didn’t seem to think so, however... 

“Well, if you really want to touch them—” 

“Magicka... right? Understood.” 

The instant she came to that conclusion, Liliana’s lone eye lit up with a fiery passion and she began accumulating mana. A burning, prickling sensation slowly encroached on the air around them. And upon sensing it, Suimei naturally tried to stop her in a panic. 

“No! Stop right there! Why did it come to that?!” 

“Was I... wrong?” 

“Yes! Seriously wrong!” 

Liliana dismissed her mana and cutely cocked her head to the side. Hatsumi then shot a reproachful gaze Suimei’s way. 

“Isn’t this really your fault, Suimei?” 

“A-Are you saying I’m a bad influence?” 

“I mean, you always go around casting that suggestive stuff willy-nilly, don’t you? Liliana’s just mimicking you.” 

“I only cast that out of sheer necessity!” 

“Suimei, this is also... out of necessity.” 

“Huh? No, no, no, no, no! It’s not the same!” 

“See? I’m totally right.” 

With Liliana and Hatsumi both hitting him right where it hurt, Suimei was left in a complete fluster. And as he squirmed uncomfortably, Liliana flashed an impish smile. 

“I was... just joking. I understand... the difference.” 

“Ugh...” 

In the end, she was just pulling his leg. Liliana had learned how to handle Suimei lately, and was now capable of being quite mischievous. That said, because there were also times when she crawled into Suimei’s bed like a spoiled child, he had a hard time putting up a strong front against her. 

“But... I do still want... to touch it. What... should I do?” 

“Well, the only option is to become a caretaker.” 

“A caretaker...?” 

“That’s what you call the people who take care of the animals here. Look, just like that guy over there.” 

Suimei pointed at the caretaker playing catch with the sea lion. They were showing off their cooperation and had all the guests around them smiling. The caretaker then fed the sea lion some fish and petted it, showing off how used to him the animal was. 

“I’m really... jealous.” 

Liliana stared at the caretaker enviously as she continued to watch the show with Suimei. It wasn’t long, however, before Hydemary and the other girls—who’d been off doing their own thing—showed back up. 

“I bought a present for you, Liliana-chan.” 

“A present?” 

Hydemary didn’t appear to have anything of the like on her. But both Felmenia and Lefille, who’d gone with her, were grinning without saying a word. Suimei had a good guess as to what was about to happen, and smiled right along with them. 

Hydemary took off her hat and flipped it over. After tapping the edge several times with her wand, a puff of smoke shot out from the bottom. When it vanished, there was a large stuffed penguin sitting snugly atop the hat. 

“Ah! Penguin!” 

“It’s the cutest and finest one I could find. Here you go.” 

“Thank... you...” 

Liliana thanked Hydemary and tightly squeezed the stuffed penguin with both arms. The look on her face said she might never let it go. She rubbed her cheek against the soft-looking toy, completely entranced with it. 

“Heehee.” 

Hydemary was giggling like an adoring older sister. She was, in fact, the younger of the two, but it seemed she’d taken such an attitude with Liliana because she was far more innocent. 

“The penguin show will be beginning shortly.” 

“P-Penguins!” 

The sea lion followed the caretaker to the exit, and a new caretaker came in with a line of penguins behind her. Liliana was getting everything she wanted out of her aquarium trip, and she watched the new show with a sparkle in her eye. 

After enjoying the aquarium, the group stopped at a dessert buffet to get their fill of cake. It was Lefille’s personal request, but in truth, all of the girls were looking forward to it. 

Upon entering the shop, they were greeted with a lineup of cakes for the buffet. There were shortcakes, chocolate tortes, fruit tarts, cheesecakes, mille-feuilles, and much, much more. There were cakes of every size, shape, and color to dazzle the eye. 

“Y-Y-Y-Y-You’re saying we can eat as much of this as we want?!” 

“Ooh... This must be heaven...” 

Lefille was unusually excited. Practically drooling, even. Felmenia sounded completely enraptured, and was offering her thanks to Alshuna. Liliana, however, suddenly realized something as she surveyed the shop, furrowing her brow with a troubled look on her face. 

“I thought so... back at the aquarium too... but we really stand out.” 

“Well, yeah.” 

“Is it because... we look like... country bumpkins?” 

“Nope, not at all.” 

The three visitors from another world were indeed behaving something like country bumpkins in the big city, but because they looked more like foreign tourists, nobody was sneering at them or looking down on them. In fact, quite the opposite. A good deal of the attention they were getting was thanks to their looks, as every single one of them was quite a beauty. They stood out even if they didn’t want to, so it was only natural that all eyes fell on them. This was only further confirmed by the nasty looks and death glares Suimei was getting. 

After settling in at their table, Hatsumi rose from her chair. 

“I’m sure you guys aren’t used to this, so I’ll show you how it’s done.” 

“Please do, Lady Hatsumi!” 

“Hatsumi... is the ultimate hero!” 

The visitors from another world all sang Hatsumi’s praise. Suimei was then left at the table to mind their belongings while the girls took a lap around the buffet, eventually returning with jam-packed trays of cake. They were apparently intent on eating everything. Suimei also liked sweets, but he felt his stomach churning just from imagining the sheer amount of sugar. 

Felmenia took her seat and was suddenly overcome with emotion. 

“Such luxury... Even though I only came to this world out of a desire for knowledge...” 

“Considering all that cake, I don’t think knowledge is the only thing you were hungering for...” 

“No! This too is in the pursuit of knowledge—the knowledge of making sweets!” 

“What the hell kind of knowledge are you seeking again?” 

“This isn’t even everything, Suimei-dono!” 

“And you plan on mastering absolutely everything, right?” 

“Of course!” 

Felmenia firmly clenched her fist in the air and let out a puff of air from her nose, such was her vigor. Suimei found this quite charming of her, but he could hear a stifled laugh from next to him. 

“Hmm...? Lefi?” 

“So light... And so, so very fluffy...” 

Lefille began muttering while staring at a mound of whipped cream on her plate. Right now, she looked just like she did when she admired cotton candy as a little girl. She was far enough within her own world to rival Liliana’s enthrallment when she was watching the animals on television. 

“Heehee... I bet not even Princess Graziella has ever experienced such luxury.” 

Lefille finally returned to her senses and beheld the massive quantity of cakes before her with a gaze somehow more dreadful than Felmenia’s. She looked like a carnivore staring down its prey. Indeed, it seemed she was trying to decide where to start. 

“Want me to take a picture so you can show off?” 

“Oh, speaking of, shall we buy some as a souvenir to bring back as well?” 

Contrary to Suimei’s expectations, Lefille suggested something rather kind. What had spurred such a curious change in attitude? Suimei tried to recall Lefille’s previous interactions with Graziella, but all that came to mind was the two of them hurling insults at each other. 

“Do you two actually secretly get along somehow?” 

“Certainly not! A souvenir would just be tangible evidence of such luxury! I have absolutely no intention of going out of my way to do anything for her!” 

“But you will take her cake?” 

“That’s... Well, yes.” 

After watching Lefille talk herself into a corner, Suimei shrugged his shoulders in an exaggerated manner. 

“Yeah, okay, right. You don’t get along at all.” 

“Mrgh! Don’t think you’ve had me so easily!” Lefille declared vehemently as she sampled her first piece of cake. “Wow... This is delicious.” 

“I’m glad.” 

While Lefille and Suimei were going at it, Felmenia took a look around the table. Liliana was engrossed with chucking cakes into her mouth, while Hatsumi slowly worked away at a slice of matcha cake and Hydemary tried a bite of everything with great criticism. Felmenia then looked over at Suimei’s tray. 

“Oh? You didn’t get much, Suimei-dono...” 

“This’ll be enough for me.” 

“This is ’cause Suimei suddenly developed a taste for bitter stuff at some point. Here, I got some dark chocolate cake for you.” 

“Oh, thanks, Hatsumi.” 

Hatsumi moved a slice of chocolate cake from her tray to Suimei’s. As the two of them chatted away, Hydemary observed them with a critical gaze. 

“That felt remarkably natural.” 

“This is it! This is where I sense a gap between the rest of us and Hatsumi-dono!” 

Picking up what Hydemary was putting down, Felmenia suddenly began raising a fuss. Suimei had no idea why, but he could tell that the mood was taking a turn for the worse, and so he tried to smooth things over in a hurry. 

“I mean, all she did was give me something she already had, right? Actually, what’s even the big deal, anyway?” 

“Th-Then here, Suimei-dono! This one is from me!” 

Giving away her cake would mean that she’d have to go and get another slice, which doubled the effort—a realization Felmenia seemed to come to as Suimei accepted the cake from her. 

“Here, half for you.” 

Suimei had expected this much, and began cutting the cake accordingly... when all of a sudden, Felmenia’s eyes began sparkling. 

“Aaaaah!” 

Seeing this, Hatsumi and Lefille were shocked. 

“Bwuh?!” 

“Lady Felmenia! What are you doing amidst all this confusion?!” 

With the two of them in a fluster, Suimei naturally fell into a fluster as well. 

“Wh-What?! You want me to feed you?!” 

“Exactly! Aaaah!” 

Felmenia had a huge smile plastered on her face as she grasped Suimei’s hand and pleaded with him. Overpowered by her intensity, he wasn’t quite sure what to say. Lefille, however, had a diplomatic proposal. 

“Fine, then... But in exchange, we’ll also do the same,” she quietly mumbled. 

“Very well,” Felmenia agreed. 

And so they settled on a deal, leaving the person in question entirely out of the decision. 

“Wait, hang on... How’d it come to this?” 

“Think nothing of it. Lady Hatsumi, you would also find it unfair if you didn’t get to participate, right?” 

“Wh-Why are you asking me?!” 

“I was simply being polite. Does this mean you wish to be left out?” 

“Hang on! I didn’t say that! Suimei, feed me too!” 

“I don’t really get it... But if that’s what you guys want, then fine. There’s no need to fight about it.” 

Suimei completely caved. It was somehow decided that he would be feeding the three of them cake. And at this juncture in the discussion, Hydemary finally piped up. 

“So this is what you’ve been up to, Suimei-kun...” 

“Don’t act like this is normal. This is a... Well...” 

He was about to say that this was a first, but suddenly realized he might be wrong about that. 

“Hmph. You sure do get along.” 

“Well, yeah.” 

“...” 

Hydemary looked out the window and continued to eat her cake in silence. Suimei could tell that she wasn’t quite herself, and inquired about it with his head quizzically cocked to the side. 

“Hey, Mary, you in a bad mood or something?” 

“Not really.” 

“...?” 

In the end, Suimei couldn’t decipher the nuances of Hydemary’s unexpected behavior.