Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 7 - Chapter 2

Everyone’s Christmas Circumstances

Tuesday, December 22nd

Koutarou presented two playing cards to Yurika.

“Come on, pick one, Yurika.”

“Hmmmmm...”

Yurika stared at the cards in front of her. Since she could only see the backs of them, she had no way of knowing what each card was. However, her intense stare made it seem as if she was trying to see through to the other side.

Today, the battle for ownership of room 106 was continuing in the form of card games for the first time in a while. They all had suggested a game they were good at it, and had everyone play a round of each. Right now they were on their fifth game with Yurika’s suggestion: Old Maid.

Although there were already in the endgame, no one had actually gone out yet. Everyone had just a couple of cards left in their hand, so things were only a round or two from being over. Koutarou’s hand in particular consisted of the ace of spades and the joker, which he would have loved for Yurika to take off his hands. It was Yurika’s turn now, and she only had one card left herself.

“You can’t see through them no matter how long you stare, so just hurry up and pick one.”

“But if I do and get the old maid, it would be bad for me.”

“It’d be great for me though.”

“Th-That’s mean, Sanae-chan!”

Yurika’s hand wavered between the two cards. Under the circumstances, the normally indecisive Yurika was hesitating even more than usual. It was only natural for Sanae to try and hurry things up. No matter how long Yurika agonized over the cards in front of her, she always managed to pick the old maid. At least, that was the track record she had so far.

“Fight! Yurika, fight!”

Yurika pumped herself up and suddenly looked determined. She then made up her mind and put her hand on one of the cards in Koutarou’s hand.

“Aiiee!”

She drew the card with a shrill cry. She was so scared of drawing the old maid that she actually did it with her eyes closed. And only after bringing the card close to her face did she fearfully peek at it with one eye.

“Oh?”

As she did, her expression brightened up. She had picked the ace of spades.

“I did it! I’m out!”

Yurika put the card she already had and the card she had just drawn together and threw them onto the tea table. She then threw her hands into the air victoriously.

“Ooh...”

Seeing that, Kiriha seemed impressed. As Yurika was constantly losing, her victory here only helped to prolong the battle for room 106. Since that was just what Kiriha wanted, she welcomed Yurika’s good fortune.

“Huh?! Yurika won again?!”

Sanae, however, wasn’t so happy about it. She pouted as she looked at the cards that had been tossed on the table. Sanae hated losing, so it was hard to swallow Yurika beating her.

“Are you cheating or something?!” Sanae demanded, pointing an accusatory finger at Yurika.

“O-Of course I’m not!” Yurika pleaded, adamantly shaking her head.

It wasn’t just that Yurika had beaten her this time. She’d been on a winning streak lately. Yurika bombed games that required brain or brawn, but she was unbelievably lucky when it came to games of chance. Thanks to that, she’d slowly been able to amass points and pull herself out of the dangerous slump she’d been in.

“Calm down, Sanae. At the very least, we know she’s not cheating.”

“Are you so sure?! It’s weird that Yurika is winning this much, no matter how you think about it!”

Even though Koutarou was trying to reason with her, Sanae just couldn’t accept it. Yurika’s winning streak was so remarkable that it didn’t make any sense to Sanae.

“Thank you, Satomi-saaan! I knew you were a good person from the first day we met!”

Tears of gratitude streamed down Yurika’s cheeks at the unexpected support from Koutarou. In typical fashion, she grabbed his hand and intensely shook it up and down.

Heehee, Satomi-san really is my ally! He really understands me!

Yurika didn’t get a whole lot of respect in room 106, but she was happy that Koutarou believed in her.

“Calm down, Sanae. Just have a little faith in Yurika, will you?”

With Yurika still emphatically shaking his hand, Koutarou calmly attempted to persuade Sanae.

“That’s right. I’m not cheating.”

Yurika smiled and followed Koutarou’s lead. Since he was on her side this time, there was no way Yurika was going to back down.

“But...”

“Just think about it. It’s Yurika we’re talking about. She couldn’t possibly cheat.”

“Huh?”

However, the very next moment, Yurika’s smile froze in place. Koutarou’s follow-up was going somewhere strange.

“Kiriha-san might be one thing, but how would Yurika cheat without us catching on? She’s clumsy, not to mention the fact that she has no poker face.”

Koutarou couldn’t even conceive of the possibility of Yurika cheating.

If anything, Yurika’s not the one cheating...

Koutarou glanced at Kiriha, who was happily looking at Sanae and Yurika. In Koutarou’s mind, it made much more sense for Kiriha to be giving Yurika cards to make it easier for her to win. She had something to gain from it by prolonging the battle for room 106.

But I doubt Kiriha-san is cheating either.

Neither one was cheating. That was Koutarou’s ultimate conclusion.

“...That’s true. I’m sorry for doubting you, Yurika. I was wrong. There’s no way an airhead like you could pull off cheating.”

“Yeah, just believe in her, Sanae. She couldn’t possibly cheat.”

“That’s what you meant when you said to believe in me?!”

In the end, Yurika was left shedding bitter tears over Koutarou’s faith in her.

“I’ll definitely cheat. I’ll cheat in an amazing way that no one will notice...”

Apart from Yurika, who was currently in the corner mumbling to herself, the residents of room 106 were drinking tea together. Koutarou, Sanae, Theia, Ruth, and Kiriha were joined by Shizuka, who had come over to play. However, since Sanae couldn’t drink, there were only six cups on the table.

The day’s games had ended with Yurika’s victory, mostly attributable to her luck. She’d managed to get a good deal of points from the invader in the lead, Theia.

“Koutarou, once winter break is over, we’ll do a little training.”

“Would ‘a little training’ even count as training?”

“If that worries you, I won’t mind if we make it a lot of training.”

“No, I’m not worried in the slightest, Princess Theiamillis.”

“At least it seems like you’re well aware of who your master is now, Satomi Koutarou.”

“You’re still going on about that?!”

However, despite her crushing defeat at cards, Theia was in a grand mood. She didn’t seem to care about her points at all.

“It’ll be too late when Satomi-san realizes it. I’ll use my fancy techniques... my fancy techniques and... and...”

Tears continued to stream down Yurika’s cheeks.

“It’s hard to tell who came out on top here...”

Between cheerful Theia and depressed Yurika, it looked like their roles were reversed.

“Oh, by the way, Satomi-kun...”

When she finished drinking her cup of tea, Shizuka turned to Koutarou.

“There’s no need to be shy. I understand.”

“You twerp! Just because the play is close, you’re getting— Huh? Yeah?”

Koutarou, who was in the middle of bickering with Theia, took a moment to realize Shizuka was talking to him before he turned to look at her.

“Hey, Koutarou, we’re not done yet!”

“Owowowow...”

But Theia grabbed Koutarou’s head with both of her hands and forcibly turned it so he was looking at her again. Koutarou yelped.

“A-Are you trying to break my neck?!”

“Ah, sorry...”

However, realizing Koutarou was in pain, Theia quickly let go. She didn’t want to hurt him. Especially not with the play coming up. She couldn’t afford to let anything happen to the Blue Knight’s actor.

“You look like you’re having fun, Satomi-kun.”

“Ouch... Well, it isn’t what it looks like. So what’s up, Landlord-san?”

“Right, about that...”

Shizuka happily clapped her hands together before twirling her finger around and explaining.

“Satomi-kun, I hear you’ve picked up another part-time job.”

“Huh? How do you know that?”

“Mackenzie told me.”

“That bastard, running his mouth like that...”

Koutarou recalled his talk with Kenji at the bowling alley and lightly clicked his tongue. Just as Kenji had assumed, Koutarou wanted to keep the extra part-time job a secret.

“Oh, a new part-time job, huh?”

“Is that why you’ve been getting home late recently?”

“I can’t believe you can do that in this cold weather...”

“I’ll cheat. I’ll definitely cheat...”

Learning of Koutarou’s new part-time job, each of the four invaders reacted somewhat differently. Kiriha was still happily sipping her tea, Theia was nodding her head in understanding, Sanae was fretting he might catch a cold, and Yurika was mumbling something in the corner. They were mostly positive responses, but there was one person in room 106 that was clearly unhappy.

“...”

There were deep furrows in Ruth’s brow as she gave Koutarou a sharp glance almost like glaring at an enemy.

“What’s wrong, Ruth-san?” he asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Ruth then turned her head away. Even though she’d said nothing was wrong, Koutarou could tell she wasn’t telling the truth.

“So why did you start a new part-time job, Satomi-kun?”

When Shizuka pressed the issue, the furrows in Ruth’s brow became even more pronounced.

“Well, I—”

“Is it because you’ve got a girlfriend?! Is it to fund a Christmas date?!”

Unlike Shizuka, whose eyes were sparkling and full of curiosity, Ruth’s countenance was getting darker and darker.

What’s going on?

Koutarou looked at the two contrasting expressions in confusion.

“Now that it’s out, there’s no point in hiding it.”

Kiriha, who had been listening in, grinned at Koutarou, though it quickly changed into a more elegant smile as she began speaking to Shizuka. Koutarou had a bad feeling about what was about to happen, but he was too concerned about Ruth at the moment to intervene.

“Actually, Shizuka, Koutarou and I have a date planned for Christmas.”

“I knew it! So it’s Kiriha-san you’re going on a date with!”

When those words burst out of Shizuka’s mouth, the atmosphere in the room froze and the number of stares piercing through Koutarou increased from one to four. The extra three were courtesy of Sanae, Yurika, and Theia, who each proceeded to lay into him.

“Koutarou, I told you to keep away from Kiriha! She’ll invade our room and the city, you know!”

Sanae assumed that Kiriha had seduced Koutarou for the sake of her invasion. She didn’t believe for a minute that Kiriha had actually fallen for him. Fully believing it was some kind of trickery, Sanae was desperate to save Koutarou from Kiriha’s grasp.

“That’s cheating! Two-timing is unforgivable! It’s cheating! Why are you the only one cheating?!”

Yurika puffed up her cheeks like a balloon. She thought that Koutarou was having an affair with Kiriha. Koutarou had Harumi, so going on a date with Kiriha was an unforgivable betrayal. And since Yurika always imagined Koutarou, Harumi, and herself all going out on dates together, it wasn’t just a betrayal against Harumi, but against her too.

“You fool! What kind of business have you gotten involved in this time?! Spit it out, Koutarou! Who are you fighting against without my permission?!”

Unlike Sanae and Yurika, Theia was worried about something else. She was worried that someone other than Kiriha might be out for Koutarou. Theia wasn’t blind to the political problems of the underground dwellers happening around Kiriha. The battle the other day only confirmed her suspicions on that front. Although they’d come out on top at the amusement park, Theia knew the root of the problem had yet to be resolved. She was concerned that Koutarou had gotten involved in more of Kiriha’s business.

Why are you always like that? I’m the only one you need to protect!

Really, it was the knightly behavior that Theia desired. The courage to stand up against any enemy, challenging every evil, and unconditionally love all else. Those were the three virtues the legendary hero, the Blue Knight, was said to embody. Theia had wished for those virtues to manifest within Koutarou. And even though he was showing them now, knowing that Koutarou might be in danger, she couldn’t bring herself to celebrate it. Joy and worry intermingled in her heart, creating a very complex emotion.

“Kiriha-san, what are you saying all of a sudden?!”

But while the girls berated him, Koutarou himself was loudly protesting to Kiriha. He hadn’t made any date plans with her.

“There’s no need to be so cold, Koutarou. Not after so passionately telling me that you loved me the other day.”

Kiriha looked at Koutarou with a sorrowful expression. And for a brief moment while their eyes met, the corners of her lips curled up in a mischievous smile. Kiriha was having fun backing Koutarou into a corner.

“Oooh, well done, Satomi-kun!”

“Satomi-san! Is this true?!”

“You’re being tricked, Koutarou! Keep it together!”

“Argh, this is getting nowhere! Tell me everything! No secrets!”

Kiriha’s plan worked perfectly. The other girls had all taken the bait, and so Kiriha continued to fan the flames.

“Koutarou promised me that we’d enjoy Christmas on the surface, just the two of us.”

“What are you talking about? Besides, you have someone you’ve decided—”

“Now, now... Here you go!”

Koutarou, who was in a hurry to resolve the increasingly confusing situation, opened his mouth to object, but Kiriha used that opening to shove the half-eaten manjū she was holding into his mouth.

“Mmrphh! Hrmm, mmhhmm...”

“Is it good, Koutarou?”

After successfully shutting Koutarou up, Kiriha smiled brightly. Nothing she’d done seemed suspicious, and her acting was flawless. Even after stuffing a half-eaten manjū in his mouth, they just looked like lovers to the others looking on.

“...I’ll have you explain in detail, Satomi-sama,” Ruth spoke in a low, cold voice.

“I’m sorry. It was really a joke. Honestly, I don’t know why Koutarou picked up another part-time job either,” said Kiriha.

After an explanation and an apology, the atmosphere in the room lightened up again. The girls even stopped glaring at Koutarou as they collectively sighed.

“Jeez... Just give me a break...”

“Heehee...”

Koutarou himself let out a sigh of relief as the situation simmered down. Seeing that, Kiriha smiled yet again.

“How boring.”

The only one who seemed unhappy now was Shizuka, who had been enjoying the commotion.

“...Ahem.”

Finally calmed down, Ruth blushed a little over the misunderstanding. She cleared her throat and pulled herself together before turning to look at Koutarou once more.

“So why did you start a new part-time job, Satomi-sama?”

“Yeah, I want to know too.”

“Well, it’s because I need more money now that it’s getting to be the end of the year,” Koutarou quickly replied.

It was the answer he was going to give in the first place.

“The excavation job is on hold right now, so I needed something else in the meantime.”

“Making ends meet, huh? That’s the most boring answer ever.”

Shizuka sighed despondently. Seeing that, Koutarou smiled bitterly at her.

“I don’t care if it’s boring. My livelihood is at stake here.”

“Satomi-kun, don’t you want to make the most of your youth?”

“What is that even supposed to mean?”

“Koutarou, if you’d like, I’ll live up to your expectations.”

“Kiriha-san, you just be quiet!”

“Ooh, scary...”

Koutarou gave Kiriha an angry stare, but he didn’t exactly look unhappy.

Really, being friends with her is almost more troublesome...

While admiring Kiriha’s strangely cute smile, Koutarou sighed to himself mentally.

“Hmm...”

Watching Koutarou and Kiriha interact like that, Sanae reached a certain conclusion of her own.

Kiriha isn’t really planning on doing anything to Koutarou.

The auras being emitted while Koutarou and Kiriha were talking were very similar to those when Koutarou was talking to Kenji, for example. And it wasn’t just their auras. It was what they said to each other and the meaning behind it. Between all that, Sanae decided that their relationship had changed for the better.

Then I guess letting them be is fine...

Sanae returned to her usual smiling self and jumped on to Koutarou’s back.

“Koutarou, you should make the most of your youth with me.”

“Really, what is that supposed to mean?”

“Don’t sweat the details.”

Now that Sanae was clinging to Koutarou, she felt like copying Kiriha.

“By the way, what is everyone doing on Christmas? Or, really, for the rest of winter break?” Koutarou asked, looking around the room.

He made eye contact with each of the girls, apart from Sanae who was on his back, and they took turns answering him.

“Training for the play, obviously. Of course, you will be too.”

“Helping Her Highness. That and martial arts training.”

“Participating in the cosclub’s activities from the 29th till New Year’s Eve.”

“I’ll be doing the same as always. Ah, but I might go play with Yurika!”

“I was invited to the apartment union’s end of the year party on New Year’s Eve, and I’ll be visiting the shrine on New Year’s Day with some girls from class.”

“I have to perform a ritual on New Year’s Eve and the New Year’s Day.”

“...I see.”

Koutarou nodded after hearing everyone’s plans.

So everyone’s free on Christmas, huh? In that case, I better do my best to keep this a secret or else it’ll be a total bust.

If the cat got out of the bag, it would only be trouble, so Koutarou decided to keep his plans to himself.

Sensing strange feelings from Koutarou’s aura, Sanae whispered into his ear with a confused expression, “What’s up?”

“Oh, nothing. Everyone was so interested in what I was doing, so I was just wondering what all of you had planned.”

“Hmm...”

Sanae quickly backed off. She had only wondered what was going on, so she didn’t pester Koutarou about it.

“So, Koutarou...”

“Yeah?”

Fortunately, no one else seemed to mind Koutarou asking about their plans, and the conversation naturally moved on.

The traditional sword of Forthorthian knights was small for a two-handed sword, but at the same time large for a one-handed sword. It was actually designed to be used both ways, giving the wielder the option of taking up a shield.

With the development of firearms and the arrival of the modern age, two-handed swords largely fell out of favor, meaning that knives and one-handed swords were mostly what was being produced nowadays. Because of that, the only time anyone really saw traditional swords was in noble society, as they valued tradition, or in the hands of a high-ranking officer wearing a formal uniform.

The treasured sword Saguratin in Koutarou’s hands right now, however, was one of those traditional swords.

“Theia, isn’t this a bit too big to be used in one hand?”

“All I can say is get used to it. In the next play, you have to use the sword and shield together.”

“I’ll give it a try, but don’t expect too much.”

Koutarou was currently holding Saguratin in his right hand and a large shield in his left. He was also wearing the replica of the Blue Knight’s armor Theia had given him. It was an ensemble inspired by what the Blue Knight would have worn to battle.

He was having a hard time swinging his sword around like that, however. Before now, he had always fought with the sword in two hands, and this was his first time trying it one-handed. Because of that, his posture caved whenever he swung the heavy sword. To Koutarou, it felt like suddenly being forced to swing a baseball bat with only one hand. However, Theia insisted the shield would be required for the war scenes in the play, so she was counting on Koutarou to pick up the technique.

“Your Highness, do we really need to be so insistent with the shield?”

Koutarou was having trouble wielding the sword and the shield at the same time, so Ruth felt that forcing him to use both was overdoing it.

In reality, Koutarou’s form while using the sword two-handed now was quite good. On top of him getting used to the sword, the power-assist function of the armor had started learning his movements, meaning he was now moving much more sharply than he had during the last play.

All things considered, dropping the shield would allow Koutarou to perform better.

“...”

After what Ruth said, Theia took another look at Koutarou’s appearance as he swung the sword.

She does have a point...

No one on Earth knew the first thing about Forthorthe, so historical accuracy wasn’t really an issue. Only Theia and Ruth would know that the Blue Knight used a shield during the war. So as Ruth had suggested, there was no real point in insisting on it. Having the Blue Knight, no... having Koutarou use a shield would only be for Theia’s self-satisfaction.

But...

But even then, Theia wanted Koutarou to do it anyway. She wanted him to be able to do the same things the Blue Knight had.

“In the end, I guess I just have high expectations of Koutarou.”

“In what regard, Your Highness?”

Ruth readied her own sword and shield as she responded to Theia’s mutterings. Her equipment was quite large compared to her height, but she showed no sign of having any trouble with it. The sword and shield that she was using were automated, modern weapons created by advanced science, unlike Koutarou’s. Because of that, even someone like Ruth who wasn’t that strong could fight on the same level as a normal soldier. And once geared up, Ruth was going to be Koutarou’s practice partner.

“He’ll become an exemplary knight.”

“Just like the Blue Knight?”

Theia couldn’t respond to Ruth’s question right away. She was overcome with surprise.

Could it really...

She had been training Koutarou all this time to become the Blue Knight, but once Ruth had said it that way, Theia realized that wasn’t quite how she actually felt about it. She didn’t know what to make of it.

I don’t want Koutarou to become the Blue Knight...?

She wanted him to be an exemplary knight. But she didn’t want him to be the Blue Knight.

In other words...

“No, I want him to surpass the Blue Knight.”

“Heehee.”

Ruth smiled at Theia’s declaration.

Just by saying that, Satomi-sama has become already become more important than the Blue Knight to us, Your Highness...

After growing up with Theia as something of an older sister, Ruth knew Theia better than anyone. At some point, Theia’s desires had stopped centering on the Blue Knight and started centering on Koutarou. More importantly, Ruth wasn’t sure Theia had ever expected this much from anyone.

“It’s Satomi-sama, Your Highness. I’m sure he’ll be able to.”

“Ruth... Why do you think that?”

Theia looked questioningly at Ruth, who was smiling. She wanted to know the reason behind Ruth’s belief that Koutarou could actually surpass the Blue Knight.

“Because his title is not just ‘Blue Knight.’”

“Huh...?”

“There’s no way that Satomi-sama could be inferior to the Blue Knight. He is ‘Theiamillis’s Blue Knight,’ after all.”

Seeing Ruth declare that with a smile, Theia’s shoulders went slack. And though dumbfounded, the corners of her lips raised into a smile.

“...That’s not logical, Knight of Pardomshiha.”

“I am aware. However, a knight’s virtue is not governed by reason.”

Theia and Ruth laughed at each other. Beneath their formal language was all the love of two sisters.

“Hey, Theia!”

But their bonding moment was punctuated by Koutarou calling out to Theia.

“I don’t know why, but the armor’s beeping and stuff! Something about the weight balance!”

“...Either way, we’ve got a long ways to go.”

“Heeheehee!”

Looking at Koutarou like that, Theia and Ruth laughed once more. As they did, Koutarou got impatient and called out to Theia again.

“Are you listening? Hey, Theia!”

“Then let’s go.”

“As you wish, my princess.”

The two girls then walked over to Koutarou. Today’s training had only just begun.

Koutarou’s sword practice ended as the clock neared midnight.

“Ruth, that’s it for tonight.”

“It’s still early though.”

“I don’t mind. Let him sleep.”

The real reason training had been called to an end was that Koutarou had fallen asleep. They had agreed to take a break, but Koutarou sat down and dozed off that way. In the past, Theia would have slapped him awake and carried on, but for some reason, this time she just quietly declared the lesson was over for the night.

“Is that all right?”

“Koutarou is stubborn. If we woke him up, he’d insist he was fine.”

Theia smiled slightly as she squatted down next to Koutarou and pressed the button to release the armor’s equipment. As she did, the sound of compressed air escaping could be heard as the blue armor loosened up. She thought it would be more comfortable to sleep like that. After confirming that Koutarou was truly asleep, Theia slowly got up and turned to Ruth.

“But considering he fell asleep like this, he must have been really tired. He must’ve worn himself out at that new part-time job.”

“Yes, I think so too.”

Theia and Ruth looked down at Koutarou.

“Our presence must be putting strain on Koutarou’s lifestyle. I can’t find it in me to wake him up and force him to continue with practice.”

“I understand...”

As they watched him sleep, the two girls recalled the various memories they had made living on Earth. To a normal boy like Koutarou, life with them couldn’t be easy. Even getting jerked around by the invaders, he still had his own life to live. And in spite of that, Koutarou was living up to Theia and the others’ expectations.

“...You don’t always have to please everyone, Koutarou...”

Theia looked at him with an apologetic, yet grateful expression.

Rest easy, my knight...

Theia smiled at the sleeping Koutarou. It was a gentle smile truly worthy of the word royal.

“Your Highness... you’ve grown so much more mature,” Ruth muttered when she saw it.

“Huh?”

Hearing that, Theia turned to look at Ruth, who now had a gentle smile of her own on her face.

“I don’t believe you had the luxury to do that when we first came to this planet, Your Highness.”

“That’s true.”

Back then, Theia’s desire to become the empress and protect her mother was so strong that she couldn’t afford to worry about other people’s circumstances or feelings. However, after coming to Earth and meeting Koutarou and the others, that gradually began to change.

“Now I know better. Just as Koutarou said, I was a useless princess. It was perfectly understandable that he wouldn’t swear his loyalty to me.”

And now after all this time, Theia wasn’t the princess she used to be. Her desire to protect her mother hadn’t lessened, but she now appreciated that the best way to do that wasn’t necessarily to become the next empress. Instead, Theia felt that it was more important to become a splendid princess that could earn the loyalty of her citizens. Becoming empress after that would just be a bonus.

Ruth is saying that I’ve changed, but... would Koutarou swear loyalty to me as I am now?

She could ask him to as a joke as often as she wanted, and she certainly did from time to time when they were together. But what would happen if she seriously asked him?

If she did, Koutarou would probably answer. But Theia didn’t have the courage to do that yet. At the moment, all she could do was stare at the sleeping Koutarou. And as she did, she decided in her heart that she would ask him once she had grown more mature.

“I’m really glad we came to this planet.”

Meeting Koutarou and the others, and everything since then... It was a remarkable series of coincidences that was nothing less than miraculous.

“Yeah...”

Right now, Theia and Ruth were both endlessly grateful for those coincidences. Coincidences, perhaps, that were better called fate.