Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 7 - Chapter 3

The Cold Front Line and Feeling Like a Princess

Wednesday, December 23rd

Koutarou, who was reading the script, reached the end of the page he was on. And as if waiting for that, the script flipped the page on its own. It hadn’t been moved by hand, and nobody was touching it. It was almost as if the wind had flipped the page for him. Despite that, Koutarou showed no sign of surprise at the strange sight. He just continued reading on the next page as if nothing had happened.

“Thanks.”

“Mmhmm!”

It was Sanae’s voice that responded to Koutarou, coming from somewhere overhead. She had used her psychic powers to flip the page. It was a very similar phenomenon to what occurred in horror movies when pages of books would turn on their own.

“Oh...”

Shortly after starting on the next page, Koutarou stopped. He’d reached the end of the scene, so more than half of the page was blank.

It’s almost time to go anyway, so I guess I’ll stop here.

Since it seemed like a good place to stop, Koutarou closed the script. He then clasped his hands together and lifted them over his head.

“Hmm...!”

When he stretched, his joints could be heard popping. He’d been reading sitting in the same position since morning.

“Jeez, reading really makes my shoulders stiff.”

When he lowered his arms again, Koutarou grabbed his left shoulder with his opposite hand. Simply stretching wasn’t going to fix the stiffness.

“Koutarou, I’ll massage your shoulders.”

“Yeah, please do.”

“Just leave it to Sanae-chan!”

Sanae floated down to Koutarou’s back and began rubbing his shoulders.

“Excuse me, sir! Your shoulders sure are quite stiff!”

“Ah, but that feels good.”

“It’s Sanae-chan’s Special Spiritual Massage, after all!”

Sanae used her Poltergeist powers to roughly massage Koutarou’s shoulders as she controlled the flow of the surrounding spiritual energy. She soothed his aura wherever it needed it most, and put more power into the parts that were already working well. Overall, it had an amazing effect on his body. It was a completely new kind of massage technique that would have surprised even professionals in the field.

“You could make a living doing this.”

“No way! I could only do this for you, Koutarou. Anyone else would put up their guard, and the whole thing would be pointless.”

“I don’t really get it, but what a waste...”

“Eeheehee! Praise me even more, you jerk!”

Since Sanae’s massage was so skillful, Koutarou simply entrusted his body to her for a while. It felt like the iron buried in his shoulders melted away like ice.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting, Satomi-sama.”

By the end of the massage, Ruth appeared from the glowing wall, wearing a gym outfit. She was going to go jogging to build up her physical strength.

“I’m off.”

“I’m leaving now.”

Koutarou and Ruth, now both in gym clothes, dashed out of the apartment for their jog. And since Koutarou was going to knitting society club activities afterwards, he was carrying a bag with a change of clothes.

“...Take care.”

Theia’s shoulders drooped a little as she saw them off.

The Blue Knight is heading for the Silver Princess. Isn’t that only natural...?

While Theia tried to convince herself that was how things were supposed to be, she realized her own disappointment. Even though it was just an acting role, she didn’t like her knight going to another princess.

Koutarou would probably swear loyalty to the Silver Princess, no, to Sakuraba Harumi...

Theia began feeling like there was a large gap between her and Harumi. Koutarou had respected and admired Harumi for a long time, but he hadn’t done the same for Theia. It was obvious who he felt was more noble.

In the end, I’m lacking the qualities that make a true princess...

The door closed with Theia lost in thought, and Koutarou and Ruth disappeared from her sight.

If Sakuraba Harumi and I fought over who got to make Koutarou their vassal...

A dark feeling rose in her chest as she imagined that.

I’m no match for Sakuraba Harumi. There’s no way I’d win the way I am right now...

Left alone in room 106, Theia felt a true sense of defeat for the first time in her life.

Koutarou and Ruth were jogging side by side along the road that led to their high school. Ruth wanted to jog and Koutarou was headed to school anyway, so it worked out well for both of them.

Since he was matching his pace to Ruth’s, Koutarou was going much slower than he would if running on his own. Ruth had a shorter stride and a lot less muscle than he did. The former she couldn’t help, but working on building up those muscles was the first phase of her martial arts training.

Since it was the middle of the day during winter vacation, there was no one else out on the street. The cold winter road looked even lonelier with just the two of them jogging down it, yet none of that loneliness was reflected on either of their faces.

“I’m sorry for wasting your time, Satomi-sama.”

“Don’t sweat it. You’re always taking care of me, you know, Ruth-san.”

Ruth looked apologetically at Koutarou while running. However, Koutarou shook his head and smiled.

“You’re always doing all the housework, so I feel a little guilty. Don’t even worry about something like this.”

“Thank you very much, Satomi-sama.”

Ruth cheerfully nodded. The boost in mood put a little spring in her step, but there was still a lingering doubt in the back of Ruth’s mind.

Why... Why is it that I want to get stronger? Thinking about it now, there doesn’t seem to be any need for it...

Up until now, Ruth had an urge to get stronger that drove her forward in this endeavor. But as she jogged alongside Koutarou, she felt none of that whatsoever. Though at the same time, she didn’t want to stop running. She felt like going on forever. It was all quite mysterious to her.

Listen to me! I’m Her Highness’s guard. The stronger I get, the safer Her Highness will be!

In the end, Ruth decided she did want to get stronger. She had some questions about where the motivation had come from originally, but the stronger she got, the safer Theia would be. She couldn’t see any benefit to staying as weak as she was.

“I hope I can become strong enough to protect Her Highness.”

“Theia’s already stupid strong. Is there any real reason to protect her?”

Koutarou smiled wryly at Ruth. To him, Theia wasn’t exactly someone who needed protecting. In fact, she’d helped Koutarou out so many times now that he knew he could count on her to take care of herself and then some.

“Heehee, Satomi-sama, if you took the weapons away from Her Highness, she would be just a normal girl.”

“She’s pretty good in a fist fight too though.”

Koutarou continued to smile wryly while rubbing his chin. The very same chin, in fact, that Theia had punched just the other day. Koutarou had gotten into plenty of fights with Theia, so he knew just how strong she was. And she was light on her feet, despite all that power. She also had good instincts when it came to fighting. So no matter how he thought about it, he just couldn’t see Theia as Ruth had described her—“a normal girl.”

“Heehee, but Satomi-sama, it’s not like there’s only ever going to be one enemy.”

“Ah, that’s true. I guess I tend to forget that she’s a princess.”

In that moment, the reality of her situation set in on Koutarou.

Even if she’s fine now, once she returns to her country, she’ll be surrounded by enemies, huh...

She was the princess of an empire that ruled an entire galaxy. She had a lot of political adversaries, and she was always in danger. There were radicals that opposed the imperial government, not to mention rivals competing for the throne. Additionally, Theia’s mother, Elfaria, had a poor relationship with the empire’s military. The whole atmosphere was a little tense. That was her everyday life, so her current life on Earth was the exception rather than the norm.

“Yes. Once Her Highness returns home, things will be much more dangerous for her than they are here.”

Ruth’s expression turned severe in an instant. Seeing that expression, Koutarou felt like her life was far harsher than he had even imagined.

So that’s why she wants to protect her and get stronger... Rather than just wanting to deal with the actual danger, she wants Theia to feel safe...

Koutarou could vaguely understand how Ruth felt. And as he looked up into the winter sky, he knew he wanted to be of help to her.

“I have something I want to ask you, Satomi-sama.”

“Yes?”

Koutarou looked down from the afternoon sky and turned to Ruth. As he did, he saw that she had a very grave look on her face.

I guess it must be serious...?

Sensing how serious she was, Koutarou stopped, and Ruth did the same. They now stood there facing each other on the road that led to school.

“Satomi-sama, this is not Her Highness’s will. Rather, I’m telling you of my own initiative, so I want you to keep it secret from Her Highness for a while.”

Ruth started the conversation in a very solemn manner. She had been thinking about this for a while now, so neither her words nor her expression showed any hesitation.

“Satomi-sama, I don’t mind if you don’t do it right away, but regardless of whether Her Highness seizes room 106 or not, would you please serve Her Highness?”

“Huh...?”

Ruth’s request surprised Koutarou. Not really understanding what she meant, Koutarou asked her for clarification.

“What do you mean by serving her?”

He understood that Theia needed to make him her vassal if she won room 106. The conquest of a location and its inhabitants was Theia’s trial. However, Ruth was asking Koutarou to serve Theia regardless of whether she won or not. Koutarou couldn’t understand the meaning behind that.

“Yes. Like I said before, Her Highness has a lot of enemies. She lives her life constantly on guard. She never knows when the people she considers her allies might betray her.”

Ruth looked right at Koutarou with the light of a strong wish and deep trust reflecting in her eyes.

“She also can’t easily trust those who would offer her help. There’s no way of knowing what organization or faction put them up to it.”

This consultation with Koutarou wasn’t just important for Theia, but for Ruth too. She continued to explain herself to him as if praying.

“However, Satomi-sama, you are different.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Satomi-sama, you have no connection to Forthorthe. There is absolutely no risk of ulterior motives. And I am well aware of what kind of person you are.”

Having heard that much, Koutarou began to understand what this was about.

Now that I think about it, Ruth’s mentioned something like this before...

As Koutarou recalled, Ruth had explained Theia’s circumstances just before they all went to the beach. Because of political reasons and because of her title and position as a princess, she had a hard time making companions. However, she had come to Earth and met Koutarou, who had absolutely nothing to do with Forthorthe. Thanks to that, Theia was able to make her first friend—an equal that would yell right back at her whenever she yelled at him.

And Ruth was talking about the same thing now. Koutarou had no investment in whatever happened in Forthorthe, and Theia and Ruth trusted him as more than just a friend. He was a true ally. That was why Ruth was asking Koutarou to serve Theia.

“And that’s why you asked me?”

“Yes. Please, whatever it takes. Regardless of whether or not Her Highness becomes the empress, she needs an ally she can trust. A knight.”

Whether or not Theia ascended the throne, if she remained a princess, she would still have enemies. So regardless of what happened to Theia in the future, Ruth, who was concerned for her safety, wanted Koutarou to be on her side.

“But Ruth, I’m an alien—or a human from a different star system or whatever. I don’t think what you’re asking is really possible.”

Koutarou was well aware of how big of a deal this was. It was on a completely different level from becoming a vassal in name alone for the sake of some trial. And because of the gravity of it all, Koutarou was a little overwhelmed. He couldn’t decide something like that on the spot.

“That is not a problem. Forthorthe has long been an intergalactic empire. There are already several examples of humans from different star systems becoming nobles.”

It was almost as if Ruth had expected his response. She countered without missing a beat. However, Koutarou replied with even more fervor.

“Even so, I have no status and no authority! I can’t see how I could be of any help!”

Based on Koutarou’s reaction now, Ruth was quite convinced she’d judged him correctly.

Seeing as you’re worrying about things like that, we have no other option than to make you an ally, Satomi-sama...

Ruth flashed a small smile and replied to Koutarou, “If this is about status or authority, Her Highness already has those, so they are unnecessary in your case. And if you insist on them, I wouldn’t mind you joining the Pardomshiha family.”

Theia could give Koutarou both status and authority. And if he needed pedigree, he could be adopted into the Pardomshiha family. But Ruth wasn’t really asking Koutarou for anything like that.

“What we need is neither status nor authority. What we need is you personally, Satomi-sama.”

Ruth was asking for Koutarou himself. It might have been a sincere enough wish to be equivalent to a declaration of love.

Koutarou walked towards the club building at Harukaze High School, scratching his head and thinking.

“Become Theia’s vassal, become her knight...”

He had parted ways with Ruth at the entrance to the school, and she had continued her jog from there. She was long gone now, but Koutarou’s head was still rattling with what she’d said. Ruth wanted Koutarou to serve Theia regardless of whether Theia gained control of the apartment or not. Koutarou wasn’t sure how to feel.

“It’s just unreasonable, Ruth-san...”

Koutarou sighed repeatedly. Becoming Theia’s vassal meant traveling to Forthorthe, leaving Earth and abandoning his current life. That’s why it wasn’t something that Koutarou could decide on right away. Fortunately, Ruth understood that and didn’t mind waiting for Koutarou’s answer until rulership of room 106 had been determined.

“If she just wanted me to be Theia’s vassal, that would be one thing... But leaving Earth...”

Koutarou wasn’t as resistant to the idea of becoming Theia’s vassal now as he was when they first met. Theia had saved him several times since then, and he knew that behind her stubborn facade, she was really a lonely, gentle girl. Both Koutarou and Theia had grown over the past months, and their relationship had greatly changed.

Koutarou felt like he could have said yes to Ruth if all she’d asked was for him to pledge his loyalty to Theia. Since he was stubborn himself, he had a problem saying it to Theia’s face, but he wouldn’t really mind becoming her vassal. The reason he hadn’t done so already was because of Kiriha’s situation. If Koutarou became Theia’s vassal, the current power balance in room 106 would shift dramatically in her favor. And if Theia seized control of the apartment, things with the underground dwellers might develop just as Kiriha feared. That scenario had to be avoided no matter what.

Another wrench in the gears of Koutarou’s decision making process was the thought of what would happen after he became Theia’s vassal. Theia would eventually return to Forthorthe. When that happened, he would have to accompany her back as part of her retinue. In other words, he’d need to abandon his life as an Earthling and become a Forthorthian. Koutarou had grown pretty attached to his current lifestyle, so giving that all up wouldn’t be easy.

He didn’t dislike the idea of becoming Theia’s vassal. He also knew about her hardships and enemies. But he couldn’t allow Kiriha to lose the battle for room 106 right now. He also didn’t want to leave his life on Earth. Those thoughts kept swirling around Koutarou’s head, putting his brain in danger of overheating.

“Aargh, I give up!”

Reaching his limit, Koutarou abandoned thinking about it altogether. Just like Ruth had said, there was no need to make a decision right away.

Either way, I feel like something’s missing...

That’s what Koutarou concluded as he made his way to the club building.

He wanted at least one clear sign before deciding if he should become Theia’s vassal or not. Right now, the scale in Koutarou’s head was balanced with Kiriha on one side and Theia on the other. It would only take the slightest nudge to dip it in either direction, and then Koutarou would be able to make his decision.

“Now to focus on knitting...”

Koutarou stopped in his tracks and shook his head as if to clear it. For now, he would be participating in the knitting society’s club activities. He couldn’t keep worrying about all this.

“I wouldn’t want to make Sakuraba-senpai worry by having a serious expression on my face... Hmm?”

After switching mental gears, just as Koutarou was about to start walking again, he could suddenly feel someone’s eyes on him. It was a cold stare that sent shivers down his spine.

“What?”

Koutarou looked around to see who it was, but there was no one nearby. Since the area around the club building was pretty open, it should have been easy to spot whoever it was. But Koutarou didn’t see anyone at all.

“...Am I just being too self-conscious?”

He chalked it up to his imagination and entered the club building.

With the new script in hand, Harumi seemed happy despite her tense expression.

“Thank you, Satomi-kun.”

After thanking him, she began flipping through the pages of the script. Watching her do so, Koutarou figured that she was pleased.

“Satomi-kun, it might be a bit sudden, but can we practice our lines now?”

“Sakuraba-senpai, I understand that you’re excited about it, but we have club activities to do.”

“O-Of course. I’m sorry, Satomi-kun.”

Harumi’s face turned red when Koutarou pointed that out. She hurriedly closed the script and picked up her knitting needles that were resting on top of a nearby desk.

The knitting society had planned club activities for the day, and they had only received permission to use the club room during winter break because of that. Koutarou also wanted to practice for the play, but just ignoring their club activities altogether would be problematic.

Besides, if we start practicing now, it’ll affect tomorrow...

Koutarou began moving his own knitting needles and smiled at the flustered Harumi.

“I’ll be your practice partner all you want later.”

“...Satomi-kun, you meanie.”

Harumi, still blushing, snuck a peek at Koutarou’s face and quickly went back to looking at the knitting in her hands. She was feeling a mix of embarrassment and unhappiness, a rare combination for her.

“Maybe I am, but there are preparations to be made for tomorrow.”

“I-I know that. You really are a bully...”

Harumi continued moving her knitting needles, her face still red. While Harumi’s expression and tone of voice seemed displeased, she was actually quite delighted at the moment.

Lately I’ve gotten better at talking to Satomi-kun...

Harumi looked up from her work to sneak another peek at Koutarou. He was cheerfully moving his knitting needles and was still smiling from his conversation with Harumi.

Harumi in the past often felt lonely when Koutarou only treated her as a respectable upperclassman. So to her, Koutarou being mean from time to time was a welcome change.

This is all thanks to Nijino-san... But this is still nothing compared to Theiamillis-san...

Harumi’s ideal relationship with Koutarou was like the one he had with Theia. They would talk to each other without holding anything back. From time to time they would even fight, but they always seemed energetic and cheerful even then, just like best friends.

Harumi wanted to be treasured as a dear friend, not as a princess or an upperclassman. She wanted them to be able to be who they were with each other—for better or worse—without reserve. That’s how Harumi felt, and that’s why she was envious of Theia. The only other person Koutarou was that open with was Kenji.

I’d like it if we could be like that one day... and then some day...

Harumi’s cheeks suddenly got hot and turned red again. She had gotten flustered imagining her ideal future with Koutarou. She then hurriedly moved her knitting needles as if trying to knit away the embarrassing thoughts that had entered her mind.

“Oh, by the way, about tomorrow...”

“Eeek!”

Hearing Koutarou’s voice in such a moment, she let out a surprised yelp.

“What’s wrong, Senpai?”

“I-It’s nothing! Nothing at all...”

Harumi’s face, shaking from side to side, was redder than ever. She was now about the color of a tomato or an apple.

“Really? Well anyways, about tomorrow...”

Koutarou didn’t pay it much mind and continued to talk. Meanwhile, Harumi was desperately trying to keep her cool, but her knitting needles were only moving faster.

“Are you ready for tomorrow?”

“Y-Yes. It will be my first time spending Christmas this way, so I’m not sure what to wear, but all the other preparations are ready.”

“I see. I’ve finished the preparations on my end as well. I had a hard time finding something that would suit your tastes though, Senpai.”

“I-I’ll make sure not to be late tomorrow.”

At this rate, Harumi wouldn’t calm down until quite some time later.

Koutarou was holding a metallic card between his fingers. It was the trading card he had gotten the other day on his trip to the amusement park with Kiriha. Koutarou himself didn’t have any strong attachment to it, but he knew that it was precious to Kiriha, so he couldn’t bring himself to get rid of it.

“S-Satomi-kun, do you have a moment?”

“Sure.”

When Harumi called for him, he placed the card between the pages of his script and closed it. He was currently using the card as a bookmark.

After finishing their club activities for the time being, Koutarou and Harumi were now practicing for the play. That said, they had only just gotten their scripts, so the most they could do was read through their scenes and lines.

“About this final parting scene...”

“S-Sakuraba-senpai, what’s wrong?! Are you hurting somewhere?”

The moment Koutarou saw Harumi’s face, he was so surprised that he nearly leaped out of his chair. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

“Ah, no... I’m s-sorry, it’s not like that. It was just such a good story that I teared up...”

Harumi smiled at Koutarou as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Harumi had been so moved by the script that it had genuinely brought her to tears.

“Oh... So that’s what it was...”

Realizing he may have overreacted, Koutarou let out a sigh of relief while smiling wryly as he sat back down. He then flipped to a page at the end of the script.

She must have really liked it. No, Sakuraba-senpai is sensitive, so that might be why...

The story ended with the Blue Knight and the Silver Princess parting ways. That scene seemed to make Harumi very emotional. Even though she wiped her eyes, her tears wouldn’t stop flowing. Seeing that, Koutarou thought this was really just like her.

“I’m sorry for crying all of a sudden...”

“Hahaha, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it. So what part of the story did you like the most?”

Koutarou wanted to make sure he was able to perform that part to the best of his ability, so he wanted to know exactly which part of the play he needed to concentrate on.

“Well...”

Harumi flipped through the pages of the script while smiling and crying at the same time.

“In a way, the play tells the story of the Silver Princess’s feelings.”

She ran her finger across the Silver Princess’s lines printed on the page. Both her touch and the way she looked at the lines were very gentle.

“The sorrowful and impatient feelings of not being able to confess her love... The Silver Princess would give her life for the Blue Knight, but their titles get in the way and she’s unable to convey how she truly feels. That really struck a chord with me...”

Harumi slowly closed her eyes and put her left hand on her chest as she spoke.

“If I were to pick a scene, it would probably be the final parting scene.”

“I thought so.”

Koutarou nodded at her answer.

The last scene is so amazing that it’s hard to believe Theia wrote it...

The Silver Princess and Blue Knight’s love ended without ever blossoming. That wasn’t just Theia’s writing, but historical fact.

There was much too large of a gap in status between the empress-to-be, the Silver Princess, and a low-ranking noble whose territory was on the very fringes of the nation like the Blue Knight. Regardless of how much the Blue Knight had done, it wasn’t enough to bridge the chasm between them. If the Blue Knight suddenly acquired a high position through marriage, the aristocracy—made unstable by the war—surely would have protested. That kind of unrest just couldn’t be risked in such delicate times.

On top of that, Forthorthe was still in a precarious political situation, so the Silver Princess never would have been able to marry as she pleased. Marriage was a powerful political tool, especially with other nations. So even if it weren’t for the difference in their stations, it was unlikely they would have been able to be together.

Knowing that, the Blue Knight left before any problems arose from their relationship. It was said that he simply left to return to his hometown, but it was also theorized by historians that his disappearance was to avoid any political conflict.

“Satomi-kun, if the person you loved was out of your reach, what would you do?”

Harumi finally wiped away the last of her tears.

“I...”

Koutarou began thinking.

If I was in the Blue Knight’s position and I fell in love with the Silver Princess...

It was so different from his life or anything that he knew that he was having a hard time imagining it.

“I don’t know. And I don’t think I would until it actually happened... Love that crosses social boundaries, huh? I wonder...”

Koutarou tilted his head to one side and then the other. He couldn’t conceive how the Blue Knight must have felt.

It’s probably bad if I can’t at least imagine what it was like for him before the play...

Koutarou slumped his shoulders and smiled wryly at his own immaturity.

“I see...”

Harumi smiled when she saw that.

I’m glad that’s not an issue between me and Koutarou...

Harumi understood the Silver Princess’s feelings quite well. Well enough, in fact, that she was grateful that she and Koutarou were just normal high school students.

“What about you, Sakuraba-senpai?”

“I... I feel like it would be hard to convey my feelings too.”

Harumi already had her answer, but like the Silver Princess, she couldn’t tell him.

If both Theiamillis-san and I confessed to Satomi-kun at the same time, Satomi-kun would surely pick Theiamillis-san. I’m no match for her...

Harumi was convinced that she didn’t stand a chance against Theia.

“That’s just like you, Sakuraba-senpai.”

Koutarou smiled at Harumi’s answer. It sounded just like something the shy and modest Harumi would say.

“But I don’t think that will do.”

However, when Harumi compared herself to the Silver Princess, she felt like she shouldn’t give up just yet.

I can’t give up. I’m not like the Silver Princess who had so many obstacles before her...

Harumi didn’t have to worry about differences in social status, what the aristocracy might think, or politics with other countries. It was simply a matter of letting Koutarou know how she felt.

“Sakuraba-senpai...”

But hearing Harumi say that keeping her feelings in just wouldn’t do came as a surprise to Koutarou. There was a strong will visible in her eyes as she said those words.

Sakuraba-senpai really is strong... She’s just like a real princess...

In the moment, Koutarou was quite sure he’d done the right thing in recommending Harumi for the lead role as the Silver Princess.

“So you would confess?”

“Yes. It might be impossible right away, but eventually, for sure.”

Harumi looked Koutarou straight in the eyes and nodded.

No matter how many years it takes and no matter how much distance there might be between us, one day I’ll...

That strong desire was the biggest difference between the girl in the script and Harumi.

As Koutarou got off the bus, Harumi, who had stepped off before him, met him with a smile.

“I don’t think it’s good for a knight to keep his princess waiting.”

“Yes, but Her Highness is the only one with a pass.”

In Kisshouharukaze City, public transit passengers paid when disembarking. Because of that, Koutarou, who didn’t normally ride the bus, took longer to get off than Harumi, who had a digital pass.

“As you desire.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Teeheehee...”

“Hahaha.”

The pair laughed together and walked along side by side. They could see the arcade of the shopping district in the direction they were headed. Because it was starting to grow dark, the lights from the arcade shone gorgeously.

After finishing up with their club activities and practice for the play, they headed towards the station together. Koutarou had his part-time job handing out flyers, and Harumi had something to buy. It was practically on the way home for Harumi anyway.

“It looks like it’ll get cold tonight... Your job must be hard.”

The sun was still up, but the wind was already cold. Now that it was late December, it was safe to say it was finally winter proper. And with the cold, Harumi was worried about Koutarou, who would be out here working alone. Harumi’s body trembled lightly and she looked up towards the sky. The setting sun in the dead of winter always seemed melancholic to her.

“This is the last day, so I’m gonna go all out.”

However, Koutarou didn’t seem to be feeling anything like that. Instead, he was pumping himself up for the task ahead.

Today was December 23rd. It would be his last night handing out flyers since it was the last day the bakery he was working for would be taking orders for Christmas cakes. The cold might be harsh as Harumi had said, but Koutarou was keeping himself motivated by telling himself it was the last time he’d have to put up with it.

“Satomi-kun, please be a little more considerate of your health.”

Harumi smiled halfheartedly at Koutarou. She was part worried and part impressed.

Satomi-kun is always so reckless...

Thinking about it now, Harumi recalled several times in the past he’d behaved that way.

During the sports festival, he jumped over the crowd of racers while carrying me. During the cultural festival, he made me play the lead role as the heroine...

Harumi had plenty of memories with Koutarou. They popped into her head as if they were bubbling up from a spring in her memory bank.

The same was true when we were being chased by the coup d’etat forces. Even though I tried everything I could to stop him, he went ahead on his own. And when the magicians summoned a dragon, I begged him not to come, but in the end he did anyway...

In the forest along the border, Koutarou had stayed behind to fight the coup d’etat forces in order to let Harumi and the others get away. When the magicians had summoned a strange monster, he’d fearlessly stood in its way.

“Satomi-kun is always so reck— Wait, huh?”

Harumi’s train of thought ground to a halt and she stopped cold in her tracks.

“When we were chased by coup d’etat forces? And what about a dragon...?”

Harumi was confused by the memories that had popped into her head. Of course she’d never faced a dragon or anything like that.

Oh, silly me. I’m really getting too absorbed in my character for the play...

The memories she was recalling were very similar to scenes in “The Silver Princess and the Blue Knight,” so Harumi quickly determined that she was too caught up in her character.

“Hee... heehee...”

“What’s up, Sakuraba-senpai?”

Koutarou had a perplexed expression on his face as he looked at Harumi, who had stopped walking all of a sudden and started giggling. Harumi responded to Koutarou’s question while still laughing.

“I-It’s just... I caught myself thinking of myself like a princess. It was just too funny. Teeheehee... It seems like I’ve gotten too into character.”

“If you’re talking about the play, I should probably do the same thing.”

“You can’t. It would be strange if we both became like that. Heehee...”

“Hahaha, that’s true. Everyone’ll start to think the club has gotten into something weird. Hahaha.”

The sound of Koutarou and Harumi’s cheerful laughter was heartwarming on such a cold winter night. Once Harumi caught back up to Koutarou, they began walking side by side again.

“Oh, that’s right, Satomi-kun. Would you like me to help you with your part-time job like yesterday?”

“I can’t have that. I can’t afford having a princess help me out all the time.”

“...You cheapskate, Satomi-kun.”

“It’s just as you say, my princess.”

“Jeez...”

In contrast to the bright and lively air about the two of them, their surroundings were growing ever darker. The truth was that a sword-shaped crest had been glowing on Harumi’s forehead ever since she’d gotten off the bus, but that crest was now flickering as it disappeared. In better lighting, Koutarou might have noticed it, but in the dim light of the setting sun, he hadn’t seen it at all.

“Achoo!”

Koutarou stopped handing out flyers to sneeze. It was now past eight in the evening and the shopping street was getting colder. Koutarou had felt much warmer while he was with Harumi.

“I wonder if it was a good idea to turn her down...”

Koutarou wondered if he’d made the right decision as he wiped his nose with a tissue.

Harumi had offered to help hand out flyers like before, but Koutarou had declined and sent her home. She had only joined in for the last spurt yesterday, but if she helped out from the start, she’d be out in the cold for hours. And since Harumi had a weak constitution, Koutarou couldn’t accept that.

“If you help me out from the start, I’d have to give you half of the pay, Sakuraba-senpai,” he’d told her.

“Can’t you just treat it like me repaying you for everything you’ve helped me with?”

“No can do. Besides, don’t you have something to do, Senpai?”

“Please. Can’t you allow me this much?”

“I can’t. Tomorrow is more important.”

Harumi had done her best to protest, but when Koutarou brought up tomorrow, she’d reluctantly backed down. She knew getting ready for tomorrow was important too.

“Senpai’s been a lot more feisty lately, but this might be too much.”

Koutarou began handing out flyers again, and while he did, the cold chilled his body more and more. Even his sigh of relief after sending Harumi home came out as white mist.

“How about a cake for Christmas? At Harukaze Bakery, we’re accepting orders for Christmas cakes! Today is the last day to reserve yours!”

The temperature was only going to drop further, and there were still plenty of flyers to hand out. Koutarou’s last night on the job for the year was by far the harshest.

About an hour later after the clock had passed 9:30 PM, Sanae’s energetic voice—and her spiritual energy with it—rang out through the shopping street.

“Ah, there he is! Found Koutarou!”

Sanae had raised her voice because she’d spotted Koutarou. Locating him was growing to be a special skill of hers. Since she was always clinging on to him, she was extra sensitive to his aura and could pick it out of a crowd with ease.

“Where?”

“There. Under that light.”

“Ah... What’s with that ridiculous outfit?”

Theia also managed to spot Koutarou with Sanae’s guidance. However, the moment she saw him, she frowned.

“Your Highness, that’s an outfit made to imitate Santa Claus, a type of fairy that hands out presents to children this time of year.”

“I see. So it looks so outlandish because it’s fantastical.”

Next to Theia was Ruth. It seemed like they were interested in the Santa outfit that Koutarou was wearing. They were both staring at it intently. And behind the two of them stood Yurika and Kiriha.

“Brrr! Let’s hurry on home and get out of this cold.”

Yurika’s nose was running as she shivered in the night air. Despite wearing more clothes than anyone else, she seemed to be the one that took the cold the worst.

“Heh, Yurika, aren’t you the one that said that we should go meet up with Koutarou?”

Kiriha was the opposite of Yurika. Despite being lightly dressed, she showed no sign of succumbing to the cold. She looked just the same as she did when in room 106.

“But I didn’t think it would be this cold.”

“...You really don’t have any guts.”

“Guts wouldn’t make me any warmer right now!”

“Koutarou seems pretty fine though.”

“Satomi-sama has guts to spare, after all.”

“That said, it’s not like it’s not cold out here. Let’s hurry.”

Following Kiriha’s lead, the residents of room 106 approached Koutarou.

The truth was that the five girls were all worried about Koutarou working in the cold, so they’d come to check up on him. They’d actually been tipped off by Harumi about it. She’d messaged Yurika around 9 PM while she and the other girls were watching the news.

Harumi’s message was about how worried she was over Koutarou working out in the cold. As Yurika was reading it, the news was reporting how it would be the coldest night in Kisshouharukaze City of the year. The other girls became worried as well, which was why they’d come all the way out to the station to see him.

“How about a cake for Christmas? At Harukaze Bakery, we’re accepting orders for Christmas cakes! Today is the last day to reserve yours!”

By this hour, Koutarou was almost done. He only had about six flyers left. Since the bakery was open until 10 PM, he was confident that he would be able to finish up before it closed.

“Thank you. Please order your Christmas cake from Harukaze Bakery.”

Koutarou handed a flyer to couple with a child because the child had taken an interest in Koutarou’s outfit.

“Bye-bye, Santa! Please give me lots of presents!”

“If you’re a good boy, I’ll make sure to bring some. See you later!”

The child waved his hand to Koutarou as he walked away. Koutarou quickly waved back. As he did, the parents smiled and bowed before taking their son’s hand and walking away as a family.

“Heh, I remember being like that once.”

Koutarou looked at the couple and their child as they walked away. The child was holding on to the flyer Koutarou had given him and was talking to his parents about something. He clearly believed Santa was real, and his parents were smiling at him... The sight warmed Koutarou in a nostalgic way.

“Oh, you have a surprisingly cute side to you too.”

“Whoa! K-Kiriha-san?!”

Koutarou reflexively shouted out in surprise when Kiriha suddenly whispered into his ear. The act alone shocked him, but that she’d overheard him talking to himself shocked him even more.

“It’s not just Kiriha.”

“Huh?”

When he heard Sanae’s voice too and turned to look, he saw all five girls: Kiriha, Sanae, Theia, Ruth, and Yurika. The residents of room 106 were all gathered together now.

“What’s up? Why are you guys all together like this?”

Koutarou was confused as to why the five girls had shown up in the shopping district. He didn’t think they’d have any business there at this time of day.

“We heard on the TV that tonight would be really cold, so we came to check up on you.”

Theia was the one to answer Koutarou’s question. She stuck her finger in his face and stared right at him.

“On me?”

“Are you unhappy with that?”

Koutarou’s eyes were wide open as Kiriha revealed a somewhat teasing and somewhat amazed smile.

“No, not at all.”

Seeing her smile like that, he realized this wasn’t really anything to be surprised about. He had been getting along with Sanae ever since their ceasefire. Yurika was a little unreliable, but he thought she was fun to be around. Kiriha had finally opened up to Koutarou, so they had been getting along much better as of late. They were practically best friends now. As for Theia and Ruth, he felt like Theia had matured a lot since they first met. Thanks to that, their relationship was improving by the day. And Ruth trusted Koutarou so much that she had even asked him to serve Theia with her.

That’s right. I shouldn’t be surprised that they would come to check on me. But that means...

However, becoming aware that the occasion was nothing to be surprised over brought with it a new surprise.

Koutarou wanted Sanae to remain in the room so she could wait for her parents. If Kiriha were to lose, war might break out. He also wanted to help her find her first love. He didn’t mind cooperating with Theia regarding her trial, and he didn’t want to betray Ruth’s trust. As for Yurika, Koutarou was moved by how sincere she could be from time to time. She’d even been getting a little more serious recently, and she was a good friend of Harumi’s. Her extraordinary hobby alone wasn’t a reason to kick her out.

I don’t feel like chasing any of them out of room 106...

The new surprise was that he was no longer against their invasions. At the start, Koutarou had tried to repel all of the girls, but before he knew it, he had begun wanting the opposite. He now wanted all of their invasions to succeed.

They’ve managed to invade my heart before I even realized it...

If the battle for his apartment ended now, the war that Kiriha feared might break out. As a princess, Theia wanted to win fair and square, but Ruth wanted the battle to continue so Theia could live her life out peacefully on Earth for a while longer. If the other invaders were to disappear, Sanae would probably get lonely. And he simply wanted Yurika to live however she wanted.

For all of those reasons, Koutarou wanted the battle to continue. It wasn’t just for his own sake, but also for the sake of protecting the surface and for the sake of each of these invaders.

That’s why I’m doing this job too...

Though he was hesitant about this development, he didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. These invaders, after all, had all come to pick him up.

“One, two, three, four, five... There are only five flyers left!”

“Then if we take one each, the job will be done.”

“L-Let’s hurry home, Satomi-san! There’s no need to be out in this cold!”

“All right, let’s go home and get started on your practice!”

“Your Highness, before that, Satomi-sama should take a bath and eat dinner.”

And that wasn’t all. Koutarou believed that these five girls had begun feeling that they were all necessary to one another too.

Once all the flyers had been handed out, Sanae jumped on to Koutarou’s back like normal as the six of them headed home.

“Ack, Koutarou! Your body is so cold!”

And as soon as she did, Sanae reflexively let go of him for a moment. She was startled by just how cold he felt.

“Really?”

“Yes, really! At this rate, you’re going to catch a cold!”

Because Koutarou’s body temperature had gradually dropped while he was working, he hadn’t realized how cold it had actually gotten outside. Sanae, however, could tell exactly what state his body was in with her psychic powers, and she was rightly worried about how cold he was.

“It’s fine. I have faith in my constitution.”

“Shut it, you. You could have at least worn some more clothes.”

Sanae put her palms on his back as she scolded him. She was planning on warming his body up by carefully regulating his circulation, similar to when she had given him a massage.

“What?!”

When Theia heard what Sanae said, she snatched up Koutarou’s hands and held them in her own.

“I-It’s true! You fool, what were you doing to get this cold?!”

“I was working, obviously.”

“That’s not what I meant!”

Theia glared at Koutarou and exhaled slowly into his hands. She was trying to warm him up too.

“Ah...”

Seeing Theia do that, Sanae stopped. She let go of Koutarou’s back and looked at her palms with a forlorn expression.

I’m envious of Theia... I can’t do that...

Sanae stared through her somewhat translucent hands. She was a ghost and had no physical form. She would often hang on to Koutarou, but in reality, she couldn’t physically touch him. Although she knew how it felt for her spiritual form to make contact with him, it wasn’t the same sensation as touching him directly.

“Seriously, what are you going to do if you catch a cold and you fall behind on your practice?!”

“...Could you at least be worried about me?”

“I am. You’re my leading man, after all!”

“That’s still just being worried about the play!”

“Don’t worry. If you catch a cold, I’ll spend all night nursing you back to health. Fortunately we have tomorrow off, so I’ll treat you lovingly and—”

“Don’t say stuff like that with a straight face, Kiriha-san! If you don’t stop, I’m eventually going to think you mean it!”

“You’ve been getting colder lately, Koutarou. Hahh... And you used to react so energetically, too...”

“Of course! I won’t be tricked by you anymore!”

“Ruth, help out. Take clothes off of Yurika and wrap Koutarou up.”

“As you wish, my princess.”

“Kyaaaaah! Nooooo!”

Through Sanae’s translucent palms, she could see Koutarou and the other four girls making a fuss.

It’s not just Theia... Everyone can do that...

Touching, grabbing, shaking. Those things were only natural to them, but Sanae couldn’t do any of it. If she tried to touch something, she’d pass right through it. If she possessed someone, she could feel the sensation of touch, but she wasn’t the one actually touching anything.

A ghost... I really am just a ghost...

Like that, Sanae finally realized that she was fundamentally different from the other girls.