Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 21 - Chapter 3

Room 106’s Portrait

Saturday, November 6th

Considering the current situation, marriage was out of the question. Politics aside, Theia also had Koutarou’s feelings to take into consideration. Forcing herself on him wasn’t what she wanted. Moreover, even if they were to marry, children would be much further down the line. Theia was well aware of that, but now that she knew everything she’d dreamed of was possible, she couldn’t help thinking about it constantly. That was true even now, as Theia stood in front of the bookstore, gazing over the magazines that were just released today.

“A special feature on raising children, huh...?”

These magazines were something she normally had no interest in, but a certain something had snagged her attention and just wouldn’t let go. One magazine had a couple pushing a stroller on the front, and it instantly sent Theia’s mind spinning over possibilities for the future. She couldn’t help imagining her and Koutarou on the magazine cover instead.

“But... for me to buy something like this...”

Despite her growing desires, Theia knew that buying a magazine like this would be entirely out of character. She was an active, bold, aggressive girl. What business did she have reading a parenting magazine? Her common sense and pride prevented her from picking it up, yet she couldn’t just walk away. As a result, she ended up just standing there and staring at the magazine for some time.

“Is something the matter, Your Highness?”

Before long, Ruth emerged from the bookstore. She’d come to buy a recipe book, so the trip here was actually her idea. Theia had simply tagged along.

“I-It’s nothing. Nothing at all.”

Theia blushed a little and quickly looked away. She didn’t want Ruth to know what she was doing.

“Oh? If you say so...”

Theia’s reaction, however, struck Ruth as odd. She glanced over at what Theia had just been looking at and spotted the magazine almost immediately.

So this was what caught Her Highness’s eye...

Ruth knew it when she saw it, because she too had heard the news that Forthorthians and Earthlings could have children. It was incredibly easy for her to understand what was going through Theia’s head because she was thinking and feeling the exact same things. Moreover, as Theia’s childhood friend, she knew just what to do for her at a time like this.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I forgot to buy something. Would you mind waiting here for me just a moment longer?”

“S-Sure.”

Ruth flashed a small smile, went back inside, picked up a couple of the magazines at the storefront, and headed back to the register. The magazine Theia had been eyeballing, of course, was among her haul. Ruth wanted to get it for her, but she knew it would be awkward and hard for Theia to accept if that were the only magazine she bought. If she bought several, however, she could pick it out of the pile at her leisure and simply claim that she was reading it because she was bored or some such. Ruth knew Theia well, and there was no more considerate or steadfast friend to have.

Upon returning to room 106, Ruth set the bag of books and magazines from the bookstore on the tea table and then got to doing the housework. Things like cleaning the bath, preparing dinner, and doing the laundry could all be done automatically by Forthorthian machines, but Ruth enjoyed doing it all by hand. She considered housekeeping a hobby of sorts, and treasured it because she believed it would mean something extra special in the future.

“Hmm...”

Sitting in the inner room, Theia intently watched Ruth from a distance. There was something she wanted to do, but she didn’t want Ruth to see her do it. She waited patiently, and when she saw a humming Ruth enter the bathroom with gloves and a sponge, she took it as a clear sign she was cleaning the bath. That should keep her occupied for a while.

“All right.”

After waiting for Ruth to close the bathroom door behind her, Theia quickly crawled up to the tea table and pulled out the contents of the bag sitting on top of it.

“Here it is...”

Theia plucked the parenting magazine out of the stack—the very same one she’d been staring at in front of the bookstore.

“I-In these pages, our f-future together is...”

Theia tried to keep her pounding heart from leaping right out of her chest as she flipped through the pages. She was so nervous that her hands were trembling. One of the first things her eyes fell upon was a picture of a young wife smiling at her baby fast asleep in a crib.

“Ah...”

The moment she saw the photo, Theia was completely enthralled. She carefully turned page after page, staring closely at each picture. It was like she was seeing her future become more and more clear. In the end, she didn’t read a single word of the actual feature; she was content just looking at the pictures of happy families as she imagined herself with her future husband.

A-A wedding ceremony... Yes, there has to be a proper wedding before children... After swearing our love before the goddess, we will... he and I will live together with Ruth and mother. We’ll have fun together every day and raise our children with love... and then... and then...

Indeed, Theia saw herself with her future husband in each and every photo of the magazine. Rather than strangers, she saw herself with the man she loved, surrounded by family and friends. Her children, her best friend, her mother, the other girls of room 106... It was like she was seeing her ideal future unfold before her very eyes.

“Then... Then there’s the housework... If he does it, j-just how much should I let him do? Ruth will probably want to do the housework anyway, so... Augh, what should I do?!”

Theia’s excited mind raced with possibilities as she continued to flip through the magazine. Right now, she wasn’t the iron-willed princess the people of Forthorthe knew her as. No, she was just a normal girl yearning for a normal future. And Ruth watched over her with a smile all the while.

“Oh, Your Highness... Heehee.”

Theia was so absorbed in the photos that she was oblivious to how much time had passed. Ruth had finished cleaning the bathroom some time ago, but she didn’t mind. This was exactly why she’d bought Theia the magazine, after all, so she decided to let her be for as long as she liked.

“I’m home.”

Currently, Theia just so happened to have the magazine open to a picture of a couple standing at their front door. So when she heard Koutarou call out, she reflexively replied...

“Welcome back, darli―”

Realizing what she was about to say, Theia interrupted herself by clapping a hand over her mouth. And it wasn’t a second too soon.

“BWUH?!”

Upon snapping back to her senses, Theia blushed furiously at the word that had almost left her mouth. Worse yet, Koutarou would see what she was doing. She quickly shut the magazine and stuffed it in the pile with the others on the table. Not a moment later, Koutarou walked in.

“Huh? Is it just you here, Theia?”

“...”

Upon entering the room, Koutarou saw Theia sitting stiff as a board all alone except for the stack of books and magazines on the table next to her. Looking closer, he saw that her face was red.

“What’s wrong, Theia? Did something happen?”

Confused by the present situation, Koutarou sat down next to Theia and got a good look at her. When he did, she began fidgeting.

“N-No, nothing! Really! Nothing at all!”

“You don’t say...”

Koutarou glanced over at the tea table. There was a stack of magazines all sitting atop one another, but the cover of the magazine Theia had been reading was peeking out. It caught his attention, but when he went to reach for it, Theia nearly yelped.

“Right! I was, um, well, uh...”

She was speaking loudly, but she was at a complete loss for words. Her mind was utterly blank. She needed an escape, but there was none in sight.

“What’s up? You can tell me.”

Theia was clearly acting strange—strange enough that Koutarou was starting to worry. He looked at her with a concerned expression. Now that he knew and accepted how important the girls were to him, he wasn’t about to let something like this slide.

“I-I-I... uh... ah... augh...”

However, Theia and her overheating brain were unable to offer a satisfactory answer. She was getting worked up over not being able to say what she wanted, which only sent her running in bigger and bigger circles. It seemed making noises was the best response she could give him right now.

“Actually, Koutarou...”

Fortunately, that was about when a lifeline entered the room—Kiriha. She’d gotten home not long after Koutarou, and now took her usual place at the tea table as she turned to Koutarou.

“Theia-dono’s bra size has increased. Try to be more considerate.”

There, Kiriha pointed to a fashion magazine sitting in the stack.

“Ah...”

With that red herring, Koutarou assumed that Theia was embarrassed because she’d been looking at new bras and offered her a wry apology.

“S-Sorry, Theia.”

“What? O-Oh, d-don’t even mention it...”

Thanks to Kiriha quick wits, Theia managed to avoid further interrogation. Ruth silently bowed to her from behind Koutarou so that he couldn’t see her. Really, she was the one who’d asked Kiriha to intervene. Since she’d been with Theia when Clan delivered the news, she knew perfectly well what Theia was going through and didn’t hesitate to help.

Even though she’d just dodged a bullet, Theia continued acting strange afterward. She simply couldn’t help it. Whenever she was with Koutarou, her mind wandered back to that magazine. Ruth and Kiriha were helping to cover for her, but at this rate, it was only a matter of time before Koutarou picked up on what was really going on. Fortunately, the reason that hadn’t happened yet was because there was a distraction in the apartment. Indeed, room 106 was currently blessed with an unsual visitor.

“Play with me, Layous-sama. I’m bored.”

That visitor was Theia’s mother and the current ruler of the Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire, Empress Elfaria... who was currently sitting listlessly next to Koutarou and leaning on him. She didn’t look much like a mother, much less an empress.

“Come on, Elle. You’re in front of your daughter. Can’t you be at least carry yourself properly? Sit up straight already!”

“There you go, acting like a caretaker again...”

“If you don’t shape up, I’ll call you ‘Your Majesty.’”

Elfaria was proving to be a big enough disturbance that Koutarou failed to notice something was still up with Theia. Theia might have been embarrassed otherwise, but for now, she was grateful for her mother.

“Then what will you call me if I do act proper?”

“...I’m going to hit you.”

“Just call me Elle-chama―”

Thud!

“Augh... You’re as violent as ever! I can’t believe you’d hit the empress...”

Koutarou’s annoyance planted a goose egg smack in the middle of Elfaria’s forehead, which she clutched with tears in her eyes. It was a very Yurika-esque thing to do, but there was a decided difference between her and Elfaria.

“...So, what did you actually come here for?”

“Honestly, I think the citizens I brought along with me are starting to get cabin fever again, so I was wondering if you guys might help me out like you did last time.”

As soon as the subject turned serious, so did Elfaria. She sat up straight, looked Koutarou in the eye, and spoke clearly as she asked for his help. Rather than a careless fool, she now looked like a dignified empress. The girls who were observing this exchange were aghast at the sudden change.

“Come on... Why didn’t you just say so from the start?”

Koutarou, however, was unfazed. If anything, he’d expected this. He knew Elfaria’s true nature, after all.

“Heehee, well... If I start off silly and then get serious, I knew you’d end up saying, ‘Oh, so you did have a proper reason for coming here after all. I guess I’ll help.’”

“You didn’t have to do that for me to―”

“To help the citizens that Alaia-sama protected?”

“...Yeah.”

“But I want you to say that you’ll do it for the sake of Elle-chama and Theia-chan’s beloved citizens.”

Koutarou sometimes caught a glimpse of Alaia in the Forthorthian royals. Unlike Theia and Clan, the older Elfaria had noticed that—and she found it somewhat irritating. That’s why she tried to get Koutarou to see her for who she really was with her eccentric conduct, which also helped keep his attention off Theia for now.

“Take that.”

Thud!

“Ow! What are you doing?! I was going somewhere nice with that!”

“But you tried to sneak that ‘Elle-chama’ crap in there again.”

“Of course I did! I am Elle-chama!”

“You good for nothing empress... What am I going to do with you?”

Aside from her daughter, Koutarou was really the only person Elfaria felt like she could be herself around. The time they’d spent together twenty years ago was still fresh in her mind. It felt like it was just yesterday to her. Koutarou was, after all, her hero and her first love. He was the one true ally the royal families had. And in truth, the citizens weren’t the only ones worn down from being away from their home country—Elfaria was too. She treated herself by coming to see Koutarou, but her adult obstinacy and seriousness prevented anyone else from realizing that.

Fortunately for Elfaria, Koutarou and the others accepted her request without hesitation and agreed to take her and her citizens out on the next holiday. Human hearts are fragile, no matter what planet they hail from. In fact, the farther you are from home, the more obvious that is.

“Layous-sama, I want to try this beautifying bath!”

“The hot springs huh? That looks good.”

The citizens would be split between tour buses to go sightseeing where they pleased. For security reasons, however, Elfaria couldn’t join them. Instead, she would be escorted by Koutarou and the others on a personal sightseeing trip. Currently, they were discussing their destination.

“I have to stay beautiful for the sake of my citizens and my daughter, you know!”

Elfaria had discovered a tourism magazine in the stack on the tea table. She’d spotted a picture of an interesting hot spring while flipping through it, and had claimed to be “in a hot springs mood” ever since.

“Wouldn’t you be happier that way too, Layous-sama?!”

“Theia, Elle is saying stupid stuff again. Help me put her in her place, please.”

“...”

“Hey, Theia?”

“H-H-Huh?! S-Sorry, I wasn’t listening...”

“Are you sure you’re okay? You’ve been acting strange today.”

While Elfaria had thrown him off Theia’s trail thus far, even Koutarou could tell that something wasn’t right when Theia didn’t answer him. Concerned she was lacking her usual vigor, he looked right at her.

“I-I’m fine! Everything’s fine!”

“But you...”

Theia’s face was red and she was spacing out a lot. To Koutarou, she was acting like she might have a cold. So to get to the bottom of this, he reached a hand out and pressed it against her forehead.

“...Well, you don’t seem to have a fever.”

“Huwah?!”

It took Theia by surprise. Really, it was a common gesture between the residents of room 106. It was the easiest, simplest way to see if someone had a fever, after all. Koutarou had even done it to Theia personally several times before, but today... His hand felt strangely hot on her forehead. She just couldn’t help being extremely conscious of him touching her.

Theia loved Koutarou, but because he was an alien, some part of her had long given up on the idea of ever having a real relationship with him. Reality had pumped the breaks on her feelings, but the news Clan gave her the other day turned her world upside down. Looking at the magazine had only made it worse, and now her heart was surging forward full steam ahead. It was like the breaks had been cut; she certainly wouldn’t be slowing down any time soon.

“It’s nothing! N-N-Nothing! Nothing at all, you jerk!”

“Wh-Wha—?! Hey, what’s gotten into you?!”

Theia was spinning her wheels so hard that smoke was practically coming out of her ears. She had no idea how to react, and so defaulted to her usual response—attacking Koutarou. She grabbed hold of the hand on her forehead and put him flawlessly in a joint lock. It perhaps wasn’t the best way to handle the situation, but it would at least shut Koutarou up for the time being.

“Owowow, I just wanted to know― OW! That really hurts!”

“I don’t know! I don’t care! I don’t know!”

“Mercy! Mercy!”

“Ugh! Just drop dead!”

Yet despite having the physical upper hand in this situation, Theia was the one losing here. After putting Koutarou in a joint lock, the two of them were even closer than they’d been before. It set her heart racing all the more. She felt like it was right about to burst.

“Heehee, Satomi-kun and Theia-san sure are full of energy today.”

“Ruth-san, what’s up with Theia-chan?”

To Harumi, it only looked like the two were having fun. But Shizuka saw it differently. She was watching Theia with wide eyes. Seeing this, Ruth smiled and walked over to her.

“Shizuka-sama.”

“Yes?”

There, Ruth leaned in and whispered into Shizuka’s ear...

“Actually, we recently found out that Earthlings and Forthorthians can have children together. So after finding out that she could have a normal relationship and marriage, Her Highness doesn’t know what to do...”

“Really?! Isn’t that great, though?! You’re happy too, right, Ruth-san?!”

Hearing the circumstances, Shizuka’s expression immediately brightened up. Ruth flashed a big smile too and nodded.

“I am! Her Highness had nearly lost heart... but I think it must have nearly leaped out of her chest when she heard the news.”

Of course, the news didn’t apply to just Theia. Ruth was a Forthorthian too, after all. And while she didn’t know what would actually happen in the future, just knowing that it would be possible to have children with the man she loved inspired a brand new optimism within her.

“I guess I always just assumed that, so I’m surprised to hear that it was even a question...”

Harumi smiled at her two friends, having already heard the news. Not being particularly versed in science, it had never dawned on her previously that there might be any kind of complication with Earthlings and Forthorthians having children. They both looked human to her, after all. But though she didn’t understand the scientific implications of the news, she knew its meaning was well worth celebrating. Kiriha and Maki, meanwhile, had much more complex reactions.

“As for me, I’m somewhat perplexed to learn that I’m a descendant of aliens.”

“Yes, me too.”

Kiriha knew that Maxfern and his alchemists brought their culture and technology to the ancestors of the People of the Earth, but as they were aliens, she’d never expected that she was descended from them directly. With Clan’s testimony, however, it seemed that was indeed the truth.

Maki’s case was somewhat simpler. She had only just learned that Folsarians were the descendants of Forthorthe, so learning that their genetics were comparable with Earthlings didn’t shake her but so much. Nevertheless, it was still a surprise.

“What about me, then?” asked Yurika, who wasn’t wholly unrelated to the business involving Folsarians.

“You don’t need any more funny business going on.”

“Sanae-chan, what’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Since Yurika was born with mana, it’s possible that she might be a descendant of a Forthorthian too...”

In Clan’s eyes, that was a distinct possibility. Yurika had been born to an ordinary Japanese family, but she had a remarkable capacity for magic compared to other Earthlings. Rather than assuming that it was a coincidence, Clan thought it was more likely that she carried the blood of Grevanas’s magicians.

“So that means me, Koutarou, Harumi, and Shizuka are the only real Earthlings?”

Kiriha, Maki, Yurika, Clan, Theia, Ruth, and Elfaria were either pure Forthorthian or likely had Forthorthian blood running through their veins to one extent or another.

“Heh, in other words... That means the direction of your cosplay’s been wrong all this time. You should’ve been dressing as an alien. Maybe everyone would’ve believed you then.”

“I’m not sure what I think about you putting it like that!”

“...Hold on, Sanae. That might not necessarily be the case.”

There, Kiriha joined in on the discussion. Something about what Sanae had said that caught her attention.

“What?! Are you saying cosplaying as a magical girl was the right thing to do?!”

“It’d be correct either way!”

“That’s not it―”

“Are you saying I shouldn’t have been a magical girl after all, Kiriha-san?!”

“I meant it’s possible that almost everyone in this region has Forthorthian blood.”

Sanae had said that there were four “real” Earthlings in the room, but Kiriha wasn’t so sure. Maxfern and his people had come to the area that was now known as Kisshouharukaze thousands of years ago. They may have been few in number, but so too was the native population at the time. After enough time and intermingling passed, it was quite possible that almost everyone in the area had some Forthorthian blood in them. It was possible that’s what had triggered Yurika awakening to her magical abilities. And it was even possible the same applied to Harumi, Shizuka, Sanae, and Koutarou.

“That might be true. When I was in Darkness Rainbow, we were mostly active around this area.”

Darkness Rainbow operated worldwide, but their activities had always been centered on Kisshouharukaze City. There were far more children born with abundant mana here than anywhere else. That made it convenient for recruiting members, gathering sacrifices, and many other things.

“So in other words... Layous-sama was already of a lineage fitting enough to become a knight of Forthorthe.”

Upon reaching that conclusion, Elfaria’s eyes began sparkling. Maxfern and Grevanas were without doubt criminals, but Forthorthe wasn’t the kind of country that held people responsible for the sins of their ancestors. In fact, Maxfern’s niece Lidith and Grevanas’s subordinate Caris weren’t even punished in Alaia’s time. Instead, she promoted them to important positions as her loyal retainers. There was no way the royal families would hold Maxfern and Grevanas’s descendants accountable for what they’d done thousands of years in the past. No, it was far more important that they were of Forthorthian blood. Moreover, it was potentially the Forthorthian blood in the area that had eventually given birth to the Blue Knight that went back in time to save Alaia.

“Aaaaand that means we have to transfer the territory confiscated from the Maxfern family over to Layous-sama! How terrible... Heeheehee.”

The moment Alaia had decreed it so, the Blue Knight was untouchable by the law. And if he had the slightest trace of Maxfern’s blood in him, that would make him eligible to inherit all of Maxfern’s territory with absolute impunity.

“Heeheehee... To think he’s not just a knight, but actually the distant relative of a noble, too... We’ll have to get this all sorted out somehow, teehee. Too bad the paperwork is going to be a pain. My, oh my...”

“She doesn’t really sound convincing.”

“Rather, it sounds like she’s trying to come up with more and more ways to ensnare Satomi-kun, doesn’t it?”

Though Elfaria continued to ramble about how much trouble resolving all of this was going to be, she didn’t look troubled in the slightest. If anything, Sanae and Harumi who were observing her seemed to be the troubled ones. The other girls felt more or less the same way too.

“Why are you always that mean to me?! Why can’t you just be more honest?!”

“What are you talking about?! What did I even do?!”

“I don’t care!”

“Ow! Argh, I-I have no idea what you’re talking about, Theia!”

“Kyah! Wh-What are you—?!”

While everyone else was talking, Koutarou was still caught in Theia’s joint lock. It would be easy enough to get out of with spiritual energy or mana, but he didn’t want to do that. He was having fun, after all, and he didn’t want to hurt Theia. She meant too much to him.

“Veltlion, if you leave Elfaria-san be, you’re going to get rooked into something terrible.”

“I doubt it... Satomi Koutarou is too kind.”

“Who cares where it is, even if it’s in Forthorthe? It’s important to have a home...”

“What, Yurika? Are you planning on living with him still?”

“I wonder if room 106 will be vacant once he moves out...”

“Your Majesty Elfaria... I believe it might be better not to be so stubborn. There are Master’s feelings to consider, after all...”

“Ah, yes... How very, very troublesome. Heehee.”

Considering his relationship with Theia and the other invaders, the prospects of Koutarou escaping Elfaria’s clutches weren’t good.

Elfaria would be joining room 106 for dinner tonight, and she was warmly welcomed. Ruth was in charge of the cooking as per the usual, but Theia offered to join in and help too. Kiriha let Theia take over for her, and was instead enjoying some tea before supper.

“To think the day would come I get to eat my own daughter’s homemade cooking...”

“Theia-chan’s cooking is a little rough around the edges, but she’s pretty good. She even got a pretty good evaluation during the cook-off.”

“Shizuka-san, you are the one who taught Theia how to cook, aren’t you? Thank you very much for that.”

“Kiriha-san and Sakuraba-senpai did too. It wasn’t like it was just me.”

“Then I’m grateful to all of you. Really, thank you all.”

Just moments before, she had been acting like a silly young girl. But when it came to Theia, Elfaria was a mother before all else—and it showed. Everyone could tell just how close the two of them were.

“Jeez... You should just act like this all the time, Elle. Why are you always like that?”

“If I’m not, there’s a certain someone who tries to keep a certain distance from me.”

“I don’t understand the way your brain works...”

“I’m sure you don’t. If you did, I wouldn’t have to be like that.”

“Good grief. You really are...”

Koutarou had no complaints about how Elfaria was currently behaving. If possible, he thought she should always act this way... but he couldn’t deny that it would be a little sad not to see her ever be herself again. Getting him to realize that was most likely Elfaria’s real plan from the outset. And Koutarou fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

“It’s for my daughter’s sake.”

“I wonder about that...”

“I’m not lying. I’d do anything to hear you call me mother, Layous-sama.”

“As if I’d ever do that!”

“What? Do you hate Theia?”

“That’s not what I meant! Even if I married her, I’d still never call you mother!”

“Oh my goodness! Could this be your rebellious stage?!”

“No! Just no!”

However, in the end, Elfaria didn’t keep up her serious side for long. By the time Theia and Ruth were finished preparing dinner and had returned to the inner room, she was back to her usual silly self.

“If you don’t cut it out, I’ll punch you in that beautiful face of yours even if you are the empress!”

“What?! You think I’m beautiful?!”

“You good for nothing empress! I say one thing, and you take it and run in the complete opposite direction...”

“I think it’s better to just give up, Veltlion. You can’t win with words in a battle against a hardened politician.”

“Tch... One day, Elle. One day.”

“You’ll marry Theia one day?!”

“See? She’s a genius at conversational manipulation.”

Koutarou was completely worn down by Elfaria. The more he spoke, the more ground he felt like he lost. And since she wasn’t showing any hint of malice or aggression, it wasn’t like he could get his way by settling this with force. It left him at a complete loss.

“Ruth, I think it’s been a while since I’ve seen my mother smile like that with anyone...”

“It’s probably because she trusts Master just like she trusts you, Your Highness.”

“Yes... You’re probably right.”

Much like Theia, politics kept Elfaria from having many close friends or confidants she could show her true colors to. The legendary hero she’d met when she was young was one of a select handful. Realizing that, Theia felt more than ever it was the right thing to do to spend her life by Koutarou’s side.

Once dinner began, Elfaria turned her attention to Theia and let Koutarou catch his breath. With that, things quieted down some and the atmosphere in room 106 returned to normal.

“Here, Koutarou-san.”

“Thank you, Sanae-san.”

Sanae-san passed a small plate of food over to Koutarou, who was sitting next to her. She’d taken to handing him dishes like this as of late, largely because Sanae-chan was always clinging to Koutarou’s back during meals.

“All right, Koutarou, eat up! I’m ready!”

“Rather than going to all this trouble to hand me food and have me eat it, why don’t you just eat it yourself?”

“I like it when you eat it first. That way I know if there are any green peppers in it.”

“Ah, ahaha... I’m sorry about this, Koutarou-san.”

With Sanae-chan on Koutarou’s back, she left Sanae-san sitting at the table alone. Sanae-san felt badly about the trouble she was causing for him, which was why she’d started helping him out at dinner.

“There are green peppers in this?!”

Yurika, meanwhile, had taken something completely different from their conversation. She was sitting across from Sanae-san, on the other side of Koutarou. That put her practically right next to Sanae-chan, and her ears perked up instantly as soon as she heard even hushed mention of the dreaded vegetable.

“No, there’s not.”

“You’re lying! Your face says you’re lying!”

“I said there aren’t any green peppers in it, so just eat it.”

“Satomi-san, you’re trying to trick me into eating them again, aren’t you?! You’re not going to fool me today!”

“Say, Yurika... would you rather shut up and eat or be forced to drink a whole bottle of pepper juice?”

“Thank you for the foooood! Hom nom nom...”

“That’s better.”

If Koutarou took his eyes off of her for even a moment, Yurika would pick vegetables out of her dinner or something else absurd at the table. That was why he usually sat next to her—to keep an eye on her—especially on nights where ingredients she didn’t like were part of the meal.

Elfaria, who was currently sitting across from Koutarou, watched this exchange with an interested expression.

“Theia, what is this pepper juice Layous-sama is talking about?” she asked.

Theia stopped eating for a moment and politely wiped her mouth before answering her mother.

“It’s a drink made from raw green peppers that Koutarou made up.”

“My, how frightening...”

Elfaria winced at the thought. Seeing that, Ruth threw out an extra tidbit.

“Your Majesty, it also uses celery and parsley as the secret ingredients. If you don’t wish to try it, I suggest you make sure you have a balanced meal.”

“A-As expected of Layous-sama! There are no openings in his strategies!”

Elfaria almost always kept her cool, but right now she was pale and shaking. The truth was that her diet was as unbalanced as Yurika’s. That fact had been bothering Ruth for some time, but since Elfaria was empress, there was absolutely nothing Ruth could force her to do. It seemed the mere threat of pepper juice had an effect, however, as she began eating vegetables on her plate that she would ordinarily never touch. Seeing that, Ruth flashed a satisfied smile and returned to eating her own dinner.

“My, my... It seems Elfaria-san has a surprising weak spot,” remarked Clan.

“By the way, what do you think of Earth’s food, Clan-san?” asked Harumi.

Elfaria may have had an unbalanced died, but it was for a very different reason than Yurika. It stemmed from a bit of culture shock between the food of Earth and Forthorthe, and the other Forthorthian citizens who had come with her to Earth were experiencing the same thing. Curious about whether that held true for Clan too, Harumi turned to her.

“It’s fine,” Clan replied from the wall, where she was sitting and eating with the help of one of her gravity-defying inventions. “I’m not really picky when it comes to food.”

She seemed unfazed by the question, but Kiriha flashed an impish smile.

“Heh, Clan-dono left all of the cooking to Koutarou, so she never had the chance to be picky.”

“Kii!”

With her secret now exposed, Clan’s entire face turned red. That gave Harumi a pretty good idea of what the situation really was, and she smiled alongside Kiriha.

“I see. Clan-san did travel with Satomi-kun for quite some time, after all. Heehee... He must’ve worked his magic on her back then.”

“I’m sure. If she were picky, he wouldn’t have served her anything at all.”

“So it was a question of life or death, was it? Teehee...”

“This is no laughing matter! Just... Just how many nights do you think I went hungry? That man is the devil!”

While it was a funny story to Harumi and Kiriha who weren’t picky eaters to begin with, it was no such thing to Clan who had experienced the terror firsthand.

“You don’t get any food if you’re picky...?”

Maki stopped eating and pensively repeated what she’d just heard Kiriha say.

“You don’t have any strong likes or dislikes, Aika-san. You don’t have to worry about not getting fed.”

Shizuka heard her muttering and smiled at her. Maki had lovely table manners, so Shizuka found it amusing that she was worried.

“No, that’s not what I meant... I was thinking maybe I should try it. Being picky, I mean.”

“What, why? You want to be punished? Could it be that you’re into that, Aika-san?!”

“No, that’s not it! Um...”

Maki glanced over at Yurika, blushed, and looked down. Seeing that, Shizuka got the hint.

“Ah, I see... You want Satomi-kun to look after you like he does Yurika-chan.”

“Something like that... I have no experience with that kind of thing...”

She wanted to be scolded by those close to her. She wanted to be worried about and cared for. She’d lived a harsh, desolate childhood devoid of even the common joys and spats that filled almost any household. If possible, she simply wanted to experience what a normal family life was like. Realizing that, Shizuka set straight to helping her out.

“Satomi-kun, do you have a moment?”

“Wait, Kasagi-san!”

“It’s fine, just leave this to me.”

“What is it, Landlord-san?”

“As of today, Aika-san has decided she’s going to stop eating her vegetables. I leave resolving this in your hands.”

“What, why? I don’t follow...”

“Why isn’t important, Satomi-kun. But I’m counting on you.”

“...?”

Koutarou was puzzled by Shizuka’s sudden and odd request. But she earnestly folded her hands together and asked him sincerely. Knowing that she was always taking care of others and had their best interests in mind, Koutarou decided to comply.

“I understand. Leave it to me.”

“Thank you, Satomi-kun!”

“Aika-san, for starters, you’re getting pepper juice after dinner.”

“Oh, um... Okay. I’ll do my best to be picky.”

Koutarou still had no idea what was going on, but he decided not to waste any more brainpower on it. Maki wasn’t the type to be selfish for no reason, so she likely had a reason for whatever she was doing. Whatever it was would probably be easiest to resolve by treating her unbalanced eating just like he would anyone else’s.

“So, Maki, what vegetable are you picking out tonight?”

“Um... For the time being, I’m thinking about this crown daisy.”

“Ooh, I don’t like those either!”

“Hmph... Veltlion is always giving Shizuka and Maki special treatment.”

“I think Satomi-kun gives you plenty of special treatment too, Clan-san.”

“That’s not special treatment! He just bullies me!”

“I wouldn’t mind trading places with you, you know. I don’t particularly like being treated as his senpai.”

“Harumi, the truth is that Clan-dono isn’t really unhappy with the way she gets treated.”

“She’s just not being honest. Clan has always been like that.”

“Heehee... If you’re going to start that, Your Highness, I’d say the same is true for you.”

“Layous-sama, I strictly protest any special treatment based on age!”

“What are you going on about all of a sudden?!”

Dinnertime with eleven people was lively from start to finish. Wherever someone pulled back, someone else was ready to jump right in. It was almost like the fun would never end. But alas, suddenly...

Beep!

“Detecting a small-scale space-time distortion. There is a 90 percent certainty of it being an exit warp.”

Everything came to a grinding halt when Ruth’s bracelet chimed in with a warning message. It was a rude reminder that while Koutarou and the others had overcome many problems, there was still one major one lurking over them.

“Calculating mass based on the distortion... There is an 85 percent certainty that the incoming craft is an information pod. It is believed to be emergency contact from Forthorthe. A swift response is requested, my princess.”

That looming problem was the ongoing coup d’etat in the Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire. A great many complex, intertwining circumstances made it an especially difficult issue to tackle, but it seemed the time had finally come... whether it was easy or not.