Sevens (LN) - Volume 4 - Chapter 55

Chapter 55 – Poyopoyo
Aria-san and Sophia-san’s eyes looked dead.

The two who came out for a meal looked terribly gaunt.

It wasn’t only because they weren’t eating. They were ruminating the failures that they caused after their Growth and their minds was ground down hard.

I understood their feelings painfully well. But, their failure wasn’t as big as mine.

「My, your eyes can see now? That’s really great.」

Because we were sitting around the same table for breakfast, naturally we would be talking too. Novem was happy when she heard that Shannon-chan’s eyes became able to see.

And yet even though it should be a joyful talk, Shannon-chan seemed strange.

「Thank you. But, for some reason my memory of yesterday and the day before that is hazy. I came home……and then, I was inside the room and Onee-sama came. I also don’t remember what we talked about at that time.」

Miranda-san was laughing.

「Well, you were really confused at that time. Yesterday I also let you sleep to observe your condition, but from today I’ll have you work properly.」

Shannon-chan came to a stop. It seemed she didn’t want to help out.

「……I’m still, feeling a bit confused.」

「I see. And?」

When Miranda-san said that with a smile, Shannon-chan was trembling and replied 「It’s nothing」.

Aria-san and Sophia-san’s shoulders twitched when the talk about the day before yesterday came out. The two of them started to shake fiercely. Both of them were bright red from shame.

It was at that timing that Miranda-san made a declaration in this place.

「Ah, that’s right. I’m also aiming to become Lyle’s lover so the three of you, my best regards.」

Tension ran through the dining table. The Sixth was writhing.

『Nuh! Even though this isn’t my problem, my stomach is──damn it-! I can’t run away anywhere inside this Jewel!』

The Fourth was also troubled.

『This tension……it’s really terrifying.』

Aria-san and Sophia-san stared hard at my face.

「What is the meaning of this, Lyle?」

「Just what in the world happened at a place outside of our sights?」

Their eyes were scary. I averted my gaze and stole glances at Novem. Novem was making a troubled face but, she nodded.

「Well, there is no problem. I don’t mind that.」

──Mind it a bit! Novem, could it be you hated me? But, thinking back it was the fact that there was almost nothing that would make her like me. Could it be, she was becoming fed up with me?

Shannon-chan was also glaring at me.

「It’s your fault that Onee-chan became strange. Take responsibility, you!」

I talked back to her.

「Rather, this is the result of me taking responsibility!」

Shannon-chan’s attitude towards me was very bad. Her tone was also rude, and should I say she was like a little sister, which made me dislike her. Or rather, I hated the existence of a little sister. My tone was also gradually getting rougher towards her.

Within this atmosphere, Miranda-san boldly made one more proclamation.

「Also, because I’m already aiming for him then the first place will be good. That’s why, those who are thinking that even just second place is good enough or it’s fine as long as you can stay at his side, please be prudent. Anyway, I’ll be aiming at Novem’s position right now so best regards.」

This place was enveloped in even more tension. Aria-san talked back to Miranda-san.

「Wa, wait a second! Novem is his former fiancée! Or rather, Miranda, hasn’t your personality changed too much!?」

Miranda-san turned a cold gaze towards Aria-san.

「Unfortunately, this is my real self. Also, does the fact that she is his former fiancée have any relation to it? Besides……Lyle still hasn’t laid his hand on anybody here right?」

Sophia-san’s face turned bright red. She stood up and argued towards Miranda-san.

「Tha, that kind of thing is unrelated……isn’t the case, but that is a matter of ma, marrying, properly before having the first night! Miranda-san, just what’s wrong with you? This isn’t like you at all.」

Miranda-san looked at Sophia-san and chuckled.

「I think that right now I’m being myself the most though. Also~, what do you mean by that kind of thing? I meant to refer to things like kissing or the like though? How far did Sophia imagine it? You mentioned first night, so surely……」

Sophia-san turned bright red until her ears and she sat down before shrinking into herself.

The Second sighed.

『This idiot duo doesn’t stand a chance against her. Now then, what about the main contender Novem-chan……hih!』

The Second seemed to be scared when he looked towards Novem. I also looked at Novem after that. Novem was smiling.

「……I find someone with that much spirit to be preferable for me.」

Miranda-san was also smiling, and yet for some reason I felt cold. Shivers ran through my back. The Seventh yelled about the situation inside the Jewel.

『Nuh! Father, the Sixth is gone──the Fifth has also vanished! Ah, the Fourth fainted!』

It seemed the Fifth and the Sixth had completely disappeared. Perhaps they were locking themselves inside their Room of Memories.

Then, in this situation there was an automaton who brought a frying pan in hand and hit it with a ladle like ringing a bell.

「Is the trivial talk over already? I have an important problem here so can you two please conclude the talk quickly?」

I grasped at the automaton’s words. I slightly thought that I was saved.

「Wha, what is it, that important problem you mentioned?」

「It’s my name!」

Then Shannon-chan was chewing on her sandwich while talking.

「You’re Automaton right?」

「Haa? Are you an idiot? Attaching the name Automaton to me is like the idiotic act of giving the name Dog to a dog. Please understand at least that much!」

Shannon-chan argued back. It felt like she was unexpectedly tough mentally.

「You’re annoying! Or rather, why is your attitude to us really bad like this? Aren’t you kind only to Lyle?」

I shook my head.

「She is insulting me as chicken dickwad though?」

「That’s not all! Everything she does except that is centered on you!」

Aria-san also agreed.

「Certainly, she is only treating Lyle specially. Her treatment of us feels like we are just some extras.」

Then the automaton made a dumbfounded expression. This fellow, even though she was a machine she had abundant expressions.

「What are you all saying? That’s only natural. My goshujin-sama is only the chicken dickwad alone. The others are only extras and no more than that.」

……This thing said it clearly. Everyone turned a cold gaze at the automaton.

It would be bad at this rate, so I ordered her.

「Anyway, everyone is my comrade so can you treat them well?」

The automaton was fidgeting and looking at me with a gaze that was buttering me up.

「The, then, if chicken dickwad decides my name, I will also get the motivation to follow that order.」

Was an automaton affected by motivation? I looked at the automaton. I looked from the top of her head until the tips of her toes, and then what caught my eyes was her twintails……especially the curly part at the end. Each time she moved, it made movement like there was the sound effect of *poyopoyo* accompanying it.

「Then……you’re Poyopoyo.」

In that instant, the automaton Poyopoyo made a terribly troubled face. How should I say it, she looked like she would break down crying anytime now.

「No, that……it’s the name that chicken dickwad assigned me so I’m happy but. I’m extremely happy but! Can I ask you to change the name?」

……This fellow, she didn’t like the name I gave her?

I thought that, but the reaction from the surroundings was cold.

Aria-san licked the sauce on her fingertip while saying to me.

「Lyle, you’re serious?」

Sophia-san’s eyebrows were twitching and her face looked disgusted.

「As expected isn’t that too much? Even as revenge that’s a bit……」

Miranda-san was also making a troubled face.

「You’re right. That’s a bit too much I think~」

Shannon-chan……it was fine to just call this girl without honorific anymore. Shannon was holding her stomach while bursting into laughter.

「The worst! You have no sense at all!」

Novem was also looking at me with a face that looked sad but still forcing herself to make a smile even then.

「Lyle-sama……my apologies, I cannot defend you here.」

……Eh? It was that terrible?

While I was thinking that, the reaction inside the Jewel was also terrible. The Second was seriously pushing his thoughts onto me.

『Lyle, listen to me. Absolutely don’t become a godparent and give a name to a child. You hear me, absolutely don’t!』

Even the Third who was usually laughing wasn’t laughing this time.

『This isn’t just a problem of having no sense. I can’t laugh at this.』

The Fourth was warning me even while enduring his stomachache.

『Lyle, think a bit more! Ah, my stomach hurts. I cannot endure this kind of atmosphere.』

The Fifth and the Sixth were absent, so the Seventh who normally would be my ally relatively often was…….

『……Lyle, for now, if you need to name something how about relying on a book?』

……He threw in the towel. What to do? No one was backing me up. But, somehow it also felt unpleasant to back away here. That was why, after a pause……

「……Then, let’s temporarily use Poyopoyo until I decide your formal name.」

Automaton──Poyopoyo (temp) looked relieved with a praying posture.

「I’m glad. There is still possibility remaining……I’m really glad.」

The Second spoke.

『Just what do you mean by temporary name huh.』

.

After breakfast.

I headed towards the guild.

We had at least given our report to the guild, but we hadn’t finished various things like paying the reward to Clara-san or took care of various other procedures.

Novem had paid Clara-san in advance for the necessary expenses of the exploration this time, but the reward was to be split evenly. We had made an agreement that the supporter’s share would be 70% from that reward.

It was necessary to quickly calculate the earnings this time and then split the reward.

Novem was walking beside me, but she was paying attention to the surroundings since some time ago.

「For some reason we are gathering attention.」

Rather than paying attention to that, my mood was heavy because I would have to face the unpleasant guild staff. We hadn’t gone to report to them in full for several days since we returned.

Surely the staff would make snide remarks to us naggingly.

I showed my face to the guild while thinking that and reported, but…….

「Th, the amount of money for the magic stone purchase is this much. Is, is this satisfactory for you?」

Unexpectedly, the guild staff member was interacting with me humbly.

「Eh? No, there isn’t any problem I think?」

Then the guild staff member carried out the procedure regarding the request accomplishment and other related things with a relieved look. When everything was over, he bowed his head to me.

「Have a nice day.」

……Nn? The guild staff member’s attitude was strange just as I thought. Previously he looked down on us, furthermore he was sarcastic and annoyed.

The mood inside the guild also felt strange somehow.

Then I noticed that the adventurers around us were gossiping about us.

「Is that the man who got favored by a Seven Best?」

「I heard that he received a reward in the form of an automaton. What is an automaton?」

「He immediately got the permit to enter the dungeon printed from the Academy right? Amazing.」

「Idiot, what is really amazing is his strength that conquered floor B40 of the dungeon with less than ten party members!」

Novem who saw the surrounding’s reactions seemed to understand why the guild staff member’s attitude was like that.

「Lyle-sama, it seems the matter of us obtaining a connection with the Academy has become known.」

I had heard that the Academy was the most influential in Arumsaas, but it seemed our friendly relationship with Professor Damian was effective towards the guild.

It was amazing that the rumor had spread just from getting him to remember my name.

「Then, it will be easier to act here from now on.」

When I said that easygoingly, the Sixth’s voice came from inside the Jewel.

『You’re still too optimistic Lyle. Everything won’t just go that well in society. Incidentally, it will be time to think soon.』

I felt anxious toward the ancestors who seemed to start pondering something. I headed towards the merchant next to sell the materials we obtained while feeling that.

.

The market to sell materials in Arumsaas was a warehouse right from the beginning.

I showed myself there and sold the materials I brought, but from what they told me it seemed that they weren’t dealing with the materials from the floor boss.

It was only the normal equipment from the monsters and also their material that could be sold here.

「Can’t you purchase this one too?」

The male merchant made a conflicted face at my words.

「About that, the string is alright. There is a way to use it after all. But, the box you said? That thing is heavy and hard, and I don’t know what it can be used for. I will need many horses to move that thing. I completely don’t know what should that thing be used for. I’ll prefer the material from the boss of floor B10 or B20 more.」

It seemed that the Academy purchased it just some time ago to examine it but right now there seemed to be no demand for it.

「This is troubling.」

When I said that, Novem suggested to me.

「Lyle-sama, if we can’t sell it then we will need to keep it with us or throw it away. If we discard it inside the dungeon, it will be absorbed so isn’t it fine that way?」

Certainly, we couldn’t throw away something so big at some random place. Besides, if we left it inside the dungeon it would get absorbed into the dungeon and vanish. That was the reason the inside of the dungeon didn’t overflow with monster and adventurer corpses.

「Guess we will do that. But, we received a lot of money. Honestly, I thought that all of them are just scraps.」

The equipment the monsters used. They were made from metal.

The merchant corrected my misunderstanding.

「That’s not the case. After all they are using iron of relatively good quality. It will take time to recycle them, but we will manage somehow if we have magic stones. Iron is precious after all, so it can be sold anywhere. It’s an important merchandise.」

Well, now that he mentioned it a dungeon was a mountain of treasure that produced materials. It was the same as a mine. The iron that could be obtained from there in stable supply should be a precious source of income for Arumsaas.

But, the merchant laughed.

「Well, the most expensive thing is the rare metal iron though. Arumsaas’s underground dungeon is really great.」

Treasure box. The objects that were discovered from that were also mostly metal things. Especially because rare metal that emitted mana could also be discovered there, so the existential value of Arumsaas’s underground dungeon was great.

Besides, we earned a great amount of money just from a single job.

It was an earning spot both for adventurers and for merchants.

I received gold coins as payment, then Novem and I headed to the library in order to meet with Clara-san.

.

The rest area of the library.

There we talked to Clara-san about the reward this time. How the boss’s material couldn’t be sold at all. And also the confirmation of the amount of money from selling everything. At the end was the confirmation of the reward.

Because there was no one nearby, Clara-san confirmed the reward at that place.

「……I have received the reward. Even so, this is the first time I earned this much money just from a single job.」

Clara-san was a bit surprised at the amount of money she received.

Novem asked Clara-san.

「I heard you are an excellent supporter though? Shouldn’t you earn at least this much?」

Clara-san pocketed the reward and then she shook her head.

「Supporters often get belittled. Parties that will pay the reward properly will have their own exclusive supporters so the chance of me joining them at work is few. It’s appreciated even just being able to receive the reward properly like this.」

I tried asking what was in my mind.

「Why havn’t you joined a party somewhere permanently?」

Clara-san made a troubled face.

「I won’t be able to use my time freely if I join a party. I love the library. After all I can obtain a mountain of knowledge here.」

Then, the Third was speaking his opinion slightly even while he was agreeing with Clara-san.

『This place is really nice. I even want to live here. But you know, it’s also good to go outside. Can you tell her that, Lyle. Learn the world outside. Experience new things. It will be even more interesting by doing that.』

I responded to the Third’s request.

「But, it’s also fun to get outside and experience new things. You will be able to enjoy the books more by doing that……I think.」

Clara-san made a slightly troubled face at my words.

「I guess. That might be an important thing too. But, people will immediately gather into a good party. The supporter role will immediately get filled up in that case.」

Clara-san said that and finished the talk.

.

──Night.

Novem was feeling the night wind alone in the garden.

She stared at the moon while pondering about the matter from here on, and then she felt a presence behind her and turned around.

Miranda was there.

「Hey, can you talk with me for a bit?」

Novem nodded at Miranda’s invitation. And then her gaze returned to the moon.

「Do you have business with me?」

Miranda muttered while looking at Novem.

「I hate you.」

「Is that so? Even so, you finally show your true character.」

It wasn’t like she wanted to be liked. What was important for Novem was Lyle. Anything other than that was──

Miranda continued.

「I hate how you treat Lyle evasively even though you are the one he loves the most. I also hate how you tame the two idiots Aria and Sophia and made them think that the current situation is right. In the first place, why are you placing other women at Lyle’s side?」

Miranda spat out those words saying that was the most incomprehensible thing for her.

Novem too also had things that she wanted to retort back regarding that matter, but she fundamentally wasn’t even interested in how Miranda was evaluating her.

But…….

(Even I don’t do this because I like it……)

She noticed how she was biting at her lower lip and immediately smoothed her expression.

「Is that all that you want to say? Are you perhaps telling me to leave?」

Miranda shrugged, and then she faced Novem with a composed look.

「I won’t say such petty thing. I want to become Lyle’s number one. I won’t do something like that because I’ll be hated if I do something like that. ……Also, this is only my hunch but」

Miranda fell silent for a while, then she quietly asked Novem. Unlike before, her attitude was really reserved.

「Shannon’s eyes……was it you?」

Novem didn’t answer. Then Miranda sighed.

「I’ll say my thanks as a big sister. Thank you.」

「I didn’t do anything.」

Miranda smiled slightly when Novem said that it wasn’t related with her. And then she turned her back towards her and walked to return inside the house.

「I’ll leave it at that. Though it makes me curious about various things.」

Novem looked down at the garden where there was no one but her.

「……Even though you don’t know anything. Just how am I feeling while doing this」

Novem clenched her hand and desperately pushed down her emotione. She felt like she was getting really emotional today while taking a deep breath, and then something fell on the garden.

When she looked back, there was Lyle there──

.

「Damn it-, that stupid Poyopoyo. I absolutely won’t change her name.」

Poyopoyo intruded into the room while I was calculating various things regarding the earnings this time. She kept nagging indirectly to me that she wanted her name to be changed.

「Does she really hate the name from me so much?」

The Third spoke about Poyopoyo’s feelings.

『She wants it changed because she hates it. It’s obvious.』

She was annoying so I jumped out from the window and landed in the garden. There I found Novem.

「──Novem!」

I was surprised. But Novem too was looking at me in surprise. No, was she looking exasperated?

She was covering her face with her left hand.

「Lyle-sama, it’s dangerous so please don’t jump from the window.」

She normally warned me. I apologized to her.

「That was my bad. More importantly, what are you doing outside?」

「I’m feeling the night wind. Today the wind feels pleasant.」

When Novem said that, certainly I could feel the wind. It felt better than the humid air inside, so I also felt the wind for a while.

「Perhaps I’ll also cool myself. I’m tired from writing the various records.」

The contents of the request this time. How much money was spent for the preparations. And then, how far we advanced inside the dungeon, how much supply we had left. I was also writing down various other records. Like which material was expensive, which one was cheap, and so on.

It took really long when I wrote various things like the Fourth told me.

I stood beside Novem and stretched. Then, Novem looked up to the moon while asking me.

「Lyle-sama, are you happy right now?」

I folded my hands and then thought about it. The ancestors inside the Jewel were annoying, they were useless in daily life, and they were nothing but problem children. I myself was lacking various experiences as an adventurer. I also failed a lot. In regards to comrades too, Aria-san and then Sophia-san, in addition was Miranda-san and even Shannon joined the party and it became lively, but the trouble was also increasing.

To make matters worse, even a strange automaton like Poyopoyo joined. My head hurt.

Novem as usual wasn’t angry even though there were other women around me. Rather it was troubling because she was endorsing it. Furthermore, she was taking the house precepts seriously so I couldn’t handle her. In the first place, the Walt House’s Family Precepts for taking a wife were just a lie that the First spewed out when he was drunk. It was passed down since then and treated importantly, but the beginning was just a lie.

……When I was thinking back like this, it felt like there was nothing but problems.

「I don’t know. But, I think it’s far more fun than when I was in the mansion.」

The ancestors who were annoying at various things, but gave me advice.

My comrades which were problematic because there were only girls, even so compared to before I felt happy simply from being able to talk properly with other people. Previously I was living in house arrest at the mansion. I couldn’t have a proper discussion with other people except with Novem.

「What about you Novem?」

When I asked her back, Novem looked a bit troubled at how to answer. And then, she answered jokingly.

「Let me see. I’m happy that Lyle-sama has brightened up. But, I’m a bit disappointed with the matter of the first kiss.」

Novem was chuckling while teasing me about my kiss with Poyopoyo. I could hear laughing voices from inside the Jewel too.

Could it be that I would get teased about this topic for my whole life?

「Well, let’s stop with the joke──Lyle-sama?」

When my shoulders dropped thinking that I would continue to be made fun of like this, Novem brought her face closer to me.

「──Heh?」

Our lips touched lightly. When Novem moved away, she brushed up her hair that was swaying around her ear to tuck it behind her ear. She looked towards me. Her face was redder than usual, and her smile was like a kid who succeeded in doing a prank. The illumination of the moonlight even made her look like a fairy-tale character.

「That’s why, I’ll take the second one. Is that unpleasant for Lyle-sama?」

I shook my head with all my strength at Novem’s worried voice and answered.

「Not at all! Rather, I want to do it more!」

Novem smiled wryly this time.

「That answer is a bit……ah, I’m lying so please don’t feel down!」

Novem helped me to stand in panic when I sat down on the spot. And then she hugged me.

When I hugged her back, I smell the nice soft scent of someone who just got out of the bath. It felt like she would break if I hugged her too strongly……no, of course she wouldn’t. Novem was strong.

Then Novem muttered.

「Lyle-sama……I’m sorry.」

Novem apologized. I thought that it was about what she said before this. Perhaps it was the kiss, or it was her responding with a joke towards my question. I guessed that she apologized for one of them.

「It’s alright. I don’t mind it.」

Both of us hugged each other for a while and passed the time in the garden.

Even so, the moon today was beautiful.