Sevens (LN) - Volume 8 - Chapter 96

Chapter 96 – Promise With Qilin
The Fifth’s memory room.

There, the days that Fredericks spent together with May was being replayed.

『Fredericks-sama, a qilin is a symbol of prosperity but, I heard that it’ll be dangerous if it’s angered. So please, leave this matter to this humble me.』

A merchant came until the animal shed. Fredericks answered him while doing his work.

『I’ve told everyone to not come near here. If you too have passed through my mansion then you should have known that haven’t you?』

『Yes. But, this is an important matter so──』

『I see. I guess it’ll be better if I don’t do any business with your shop when you can’t keep your promise. Take him away.』

Fredericks’s subordinates dragged away the merchant.

『Plea, please wait! Fredericks-sama!』

When May’s head peeked out from her room, Fredericks showed a smile to her.

『It’s alright now.』

The Fifth and also May were watching that scene in nostalgia.

「You stopped doing business with him just because of this?」

『That wasn’t all. It was because he was a merchant who also did business with a hostile feudal lord. He was selling our information, so I already planned to cut off my relation with him.』

He had a proper reason but, the Fifth couldn’t be trusted when it was related to animals.

And then the scene changed to a talk between Fredericks and May.

The young May was smiling on Fredericks’s lap.

May declared to Fredericks with a wide smile.

『You know! I’ll become Fredericks’s wife.』

That was a wish of a child who didn’t understand anything.

Fredericks might be aware of that too. He responded to her with a smile.

『I see. That makes me happy. But, May is still young so let’s wait until you grow up.』

『You said that again. I’m telling you I’ll grow up quickly.』

May looked chagrined seeing her younger self.

She looked like she wanted to say something, but this was just a memory.

It would be meaningless even if she spoke.

That was why she conveyed her feelings towards the Fifth while crying.

「In the end, I couldn’t keep the promise.」

The Fifth shook his head.

『We can meet like this. You returned back for me haven’t you? I’m just a memory but, I’m happy being able to meet you again.』

「I’m sorry, Fredericks. I──made trouble for Fredericks again.」

She must mean about her attacking us.

I who was treated as an outsider kept quiet but,

『I have something to talk about regarding that. May, can you help Lyle?』

「Me? But, Fredericks’s descendant is strong.」

『He’s strong but, he’s still unreliable. It’s only recently that he finally became decent. I want to train him from here on, and Lyle has to become even stronger. ──There is a monster called Celes.』

When May heard that name,

「I’ve heard about that. If I remember right, it’s the human who is recently running wild isn’t it?」

『That fellow came from my family. I want to stop her no matter what. In order to do that, I want to borrow your strength. Can I ask you to do that?』

May looked at the Fifth’s face, then she turned her gaze toward me.

And then after thinking for a bit,

「──Got it. That’s fine. If I can be of help, then I’ll accompany him just for a bit.」

Just for a bit huh.

Even so that would be appreciated. While I was thinking so,

「Will fifty years be enough?」

Hearing May’s words, I remembered. Come to think of it, this child was a qilin.

She was a little girl in the Fifth’s era, right now she was in the age of a girl growing to become a woman.

I couldn’t think of her using a human’s senses.

The Fifth nodded happily.

『Yeah, I’m counting on you.』

May spoke bashfully.

「Can I come to meet you again?」

『Come anytime. Is what I want to say but unfortunately you can’t. But if you stay with Lyle, then there’ll also be a chance where we can meet.』

「Okay!」

The figure of May who acted like an adult couldn’t be found there. She looked like a girl her age.

May turned around towards me.

「Err, your name is Lyle? Take care of me for fifty years from now.」

「Eh? Ri, right?」

Seeing May’s smiling face, I wondered if it was okay for me to answer like that.

I was happy that a qilin would become my ally but, would everything be alright?

And then, May consulted me.

「Also, I have several conditions for helping you.」

「What?」

「Actually I had just become independent. That’s why, I want a family. Give me Lyle’s seed. If I can’t receive it from Fredericks, then I’m fine with receiving it from Lyle who is his descendant.」

I coughed in surprise.

『Aa~, now that you mention it, you also said something like that huh.』

「I asked mama a big favor to become independent. I understood that I won’t be able to meet with Fredericks but, I wanted to become an adult quickly. Because of that I also stopped by at Fredericks’s hometown once.」

I was taken aback by May’s words.

「Ho, how was the situation there?」

When I asked her about my birthplace, May looked up and recalled while talking to me.

「H~m, I only got down on the ground a few times, so I didn’t know much in detail. I only stopped by because I felt nostalgic. But, I got a bad feeling there and left immediately.

The Fifth looked at me,

『Well, ask what you want to ask later. Putting that aside, Lyle──take care of May.』

「Please wait!」

『What?』

「No, please don’t ask back like you don’t know what I want to say. It’s about May. She said that she want my se, seed or something, that’s strange! I’m a human.」

May looked at me and laughed.

「Eh? Lyle doesn’t know? There are only females among divine beasts you know?」

「Eh, is that so?」

The Fifth who loved animals was also knowledgeable about that and explained to me.

『There are a lot of stories about divine beasts bringing fortune to humans right? That’s because they’re searching for a human male to be their pair.』

「Bu, but, I’ve never heard anything like that from the stories of other divine beasts.」

May talked nonchalantly.

「There is also a lot of patterns where the human male doesn’t know that their wife is a divine beast. There are also a lot of comrades who are blending and living in human society. Also, the turf of other divine beasts are in different places.」

「Tu, turf?」

More importantly, it was shocking that divine beasts were blending into human society.

When I looked at May, I was uneasy whether they were really blending in or not.

『In Bahnseim the majority of divine beasts are qilin. There are also divine beasts in the sea, like whales for example, you’ll be able to hear the story if you go there.』

「But!」

『No 「if」 or 「but」! Divine beasts are that kind of living thing, and May has chosen you. That’s all there is to it. Just so you know, from where I’m standing, I’m glad it’s you.』

「I was also surprised by Lyle. He looks like he’ll be able to give me a strong child, I think I’ll want three children at the very least.」

Thre, three children!

『May’s children huh. Surely they’ll be cute children. Even so, I’m glad our talk is concluded well. Lyle, good for you.』

Wa, was it good?

Could something like this be accepted?

──While I was at my wits’ end, both May and the Fifth were looking at me with puzzled expressions.

Was I the strange one here?

The Fifth ignored me and talked to May.

『Also May, about my presence──I want you to keep what happened here a secret.』

.

──Aria laid down the unconscious Lyle on the ground.

The three of them moved Lyle and the qilin from the place where they fought and hid in order to protect them.

Light shined into the forest.

Dawn was approaching.

Lyle who was laid down using his luggage as a pillow looked like he was having a nightmare.

「Is he really okay? I don’t understand why he fainted even though he is doing communication between minds.」

The qilin also fainted. She was quiet right now.

Miranda restrained the qilin once more and continued her vigilance.

「Perhaps he is in the middle of persuading her? There’s also a possibility of failure but, right now we can only believe in Lyle.」

Eva took out a memo from her belongings and wrote down various things.

It must be for writing down a song and story theme.

Aria was exasperated by her act.

「You’re focusing on song even at this kind of time? Stop that.」

「Even I am worried. But, it’s important to quickly jot down the memo. Besides, this is because I believe in Lyle. If it’s Lyle then surely he will accomplish it.」

Aria was slightly surprised at Eva’s words.

「That’s unexpected. I thought that you would be more detached. I was wondering if perhaps you’re only thinking of Lyle as a mere research subject.」

「You’re also rude. I can’t deny that he is my research subject for song but, I’m not that heartless you know?」

She would surely search for the next subject if Lyle was no good.

She thought that Eva was like that, but it seemed Eva was earnest.

「I’m gambling my life on Lyle. Don’t you think that song and tale has that much worth?」

Miranda was on guard against the surroundings while saying to Eva.

「As I thought I can’t understand elves.」

「It’s okay that you don’t understand us. I want to sing a tale with Lyle as the main character. It’ll be the best if it has a happy end with Novem as the heroine.」

Aria held a question towards Eva.

「Why are you supporting Novem? The time you know her is shorter compared to us isn’t it?」

Eva replied ambiguously at the simple question.

It seemed that even she herself didn’t know the reason.

「Does something like time matter in getting along with someone? Well, it’s because of instincts or feelings? Should I call it atmosphere, it’s fun when I’m with Novem, and it also makes me feel at ease.」

Aria recalled their journey until now.

Novem was strangely──liked by the demi-humans.

She saw her liked by demi-human regardless of their species.

Conversely, even though she was that much of a beauty, she was rarely approached by frivolous looking opposite sex.

Since she learned that Novem was keeping various secrets, she couldn’t help but feel that Novem was suspicious.

(Novem is really mysterious.)

Even Lyle had a lot of things that he didn’t know about Novem.

While the three of them were worrying about Lyle and the qilin who weren’t waking up, Miranda sighed.

「──This is the worst timing.」

Eva put back her memo into her belonging and stood up while stretching herself.

「We made a lot of ruckus, so it can’t be helped.」

Aria also stood up and took up a short sword.

Her short spear was destroyed by the qilin, and Lyle fainted so she couldn’t resupply with a new weapon.

These several days were also hard for them, so they didn’t even have any satisfactory rest.

Their bodies were tired.

Their supplies were insufficient.

「The number is a lot.」

The number of approaching footsteps was a lot.

Miranda looked at Lyle, and then her gaze turned towards the qilin.

「Now then, what should we do?」

It wouldn’t be impossible to carry Lyle and the qilin and run away, but their accumulating fatigue was reaching the peak.

If they were asked if they could hold out in this place with just the three of them, the answer was it would be hard.

The commotion would become bigger if they forcefully broke through.

Now then, what to do now? While thinking that, Lyle opened his eyes.

「Lyle!」

Aria approached and called out. Then the qilin also opened her eyes.

It seemed she had no intention to struggle.

Aria helped Lyle to stand up. He was placing his hand on his face looking really tired.

「What’s the matter? Is the misunderstanding resolved?」

Aria showered him with questions. Lyle nodded slightly in response.

「Yes. She said that she will join us.」

Eva was shocked, and then she smiled.

「I was correct to bet my life on Lyle. To think that a qilin will be our comrade, that’s a good omen for us.」

Miranda was concerned by the unenergetic Lyle while explaining the situation simply.

「Lyle, sorry to bring this up while you’re tired but, it seems we have made too much ruckus. People are gathering here. Can you use your Arts?」

Lyle stood up unsteadily, then he responded to Miranda.

「Yeah, I’m fine. Also, I want you to free May.」

「There won’t be any problem doing that will there?」

「No problem. No, really how did it turn out like this.」

Miranda was curious by Lyle’s unclear statement but, she released the qilin──May from the strings she created.

When the strings came off and vanished, May shook her body to remove the remaining strings sticking on her body and returned to her human form.

「My body still feels sticky. Your strings are really persistent.」

「I’m happy to hear that. More importantly, is it true that you’ll become our comrade?」

「Yep. I’ll stay together for around fifty years.」

「──I see. Tell me more about the details later.」

Miranda judged that there was no danger from May and she turned back towards Lyle.

「Now then, what to do now, Lyle?」

Lyle put his hand on his chin and thought, after that he grasped the Jewel──

.

In the sky.

It was cramped with four people getting on May’s back.

The four of them snuggled close to each other while clinging on May’s back. They were in the sky above the forest.

「Wait a second. This is higher than I imagined!」

Aria was yelling, but she also looked like she was having fun.

Miranda was looking on the ground calmly.

「Flying in the sky is really convenient. Feels like we’ll be able to do various things with this. I’m looking forward to it.」

Was she thinking of some scary things?

In contrast Eva was,

「A qilin but a white horse──yep, Lyle is the prince on the white horse. With Novem as the heroine, I’ll be able to create several tales.」

Everyone’s tension seemed to be strange. Perhaps it was because they were tired.

May spoke in exasperation.

「Be quiet. Flying with four people on my back is hard.」

It seemed she meant that it was hard to balance herself.

Apparently there was no problem with the weight.

「By the way, May──about that matter.」

I whispered into May’s ear. She then nodded firmly.

「I won’t say anything. I’ve promised Fredericks too.」

I felt relieved.

The ancestors’s memory were resurrected in my blue Jewel──such thing couldn’t be exposed to my comrades.

Celes was running wild with a yellow Jewel in her possession.

There was no guarantee that everyone wouldn’t be distrusting towards my Jewel.

That was why, I decided after talking with the ancestors that I couldn’t tell everyone.

「Ah, come to think of it──」

I recalled May saying that she had business in the forest.

「What was May’s business here?」

「A new dungeon was formed in the forest, so I went to subjugate it. Actually I didn’t have any plan of stopping by here, but I couldn’t just overlook it. There were also several dungeons that were on the verge of rampaging.」

If what May said was true, then this country’s management of the dungeons was a failure.

It was the correct choice to not overlook it.

No, May was here so perhaps it wouldn’t be a mistake even if I left it alone?

「I, is it, not a problem anymore?」

「I have destroyed almost all of the dungeons. I also destroyed one before encountering Lyle.」

It would be necessary to check it later.

We were traveling through the sky while riding on May’s back.

Various things happened but, we ended up having a new comrade joining us.

.

──Inn.

Aria, Miranda, and Eva who returned back washed their bodies with hot water, finished their meal, and lied down on their beds.

Their bodies were completely exhausted. They were already at their limit.

The sun was still high but, they wanted to fall asleep like this.

Lyle wasn’t in the room in order to introduce May.

The three women──continued conversing intermittently.

「──This time is also hard.」

When Eva said that, Miranda replied with her eyes closed.

「Then it’s fine even if you go home here you know?」

「You’re really an unpleasant woman. If this is a tale, then you’ll be the wicked woman who disrupts the relationship of Lyle and Novem.」

「I’m fine being the wicked woman. I’ll take the main prize. If at the end I can become Lyle’s number one then I’ll even become a wicked woman.」

It sounded like it was said carelessly, but if it was Miranda then she might really do it. Aria thought that while closing her eyes.

「You two are really energetic. How about going to sleep already?」

Eva stayed silent just for a bit before,

「──There are times you’re strangely unable to sleep even though you’re tired and sleepy isn’t it?」

Aria agreed.

「Yeah. Right now is like that.」

Even though they were finally able to rest, the three of them were unable to sleep.

Miranda said to Eva.

「This is a serious talk. Won’t you be happier if you’re singing at a safe place somehow? That’ll also be aligned with your objective.」

Eva had the aim of becoming a famous person.

However──

「I’ll also achieve that. But, I want to sing a tale that is only known by me. Even if I’ll be forgotten, I’ll be happy if I can leave behind a song that will be sang continuously even for thousands of years.」

Miranda didn’t laugh at Eva’s thinking.

「I see──do as you like.」

「I don’t need your permission for that. Right now and also in the future I’ll do what I want.」

A silent time continued after the two’s conversation was over.

Even so they couldn’t sleep.

Due to sleepiness and fatigue, Aria muttered something that normally she wouldn’t say.

「──About the occurrence this time, I was no good just as expected wasn’t I? You know, against those guys who attacked us I was──」

She was regretting her inability to kill. But then Eva laughed a bit.

「You’re still bothered by that?」

「I’m seriously reflecting here. Because of my fault everyone was troubled──」

Aria got angry, but Miranda spoke to her with an exasperated voice.

「Aria is really an idiot.」

「──I myself know really well about that.」

It hurt being told that so clearly.

But, Miranda was,

「If you blundered and died, everyone will be sad, You should be aware of that much.」

Aria’s eyes opened wide when Miranda said that.

「Miranda, just now──」

Miranda kept her eyes closed.

Eva seemed to have gotten her curiosity piqued and talked to Miranda.

「How unexpected. Aren’t you wanting to kick down everyone around you and become Lyle’s number one?」

「I won’t deny that but, is there any merit for me by doing that? I don’t want to get in Lyle’s way, and I won’t do anything that makes Lyle hate me.」

Eva got a bit impressed but,

「That’s a nice story. But, that won’t fit a wicked woman role so I’ll cut it out.」

Miranda was composed.

「Do as you please. But, it will be me who is at Lyle’s side at the end. The happy end that you wish for won’t come. I’ll let you sing the happy end of me and Lyle. ──How unfortunate for you.」

「You’re really an unpleasant woman just as I thought. I hate you.」

「Oh, is that so? But I’ll recognize you as a comrade as long as you stay useful.」

「──I’ll support Novem with──everything I have──」

While they were trading insults to each other, sleeper’s breathing could be heard before they knew it.

Aria’s consciousness was also receding due to the drowsiness.

(Somehow──I’m feeling slightly at ease now.)

She was worrying whether their relationship with each other was fine like this, but she felt like they were able to speak unreservedly a bit more with this──

.

The next day.

May who went out somewhere at night had returned. She arrived at our room carrying a great amount of luggage.

She was shouldering a large bag. She was wiping the sweat on her forehead looking a bit tired.

「What is this?」

When I asked her what she was carrying this early in the morning, May answered brightly.

「This? It’s dungeons’ treasures.」

The Fourth inside the Jewel was shocked hearing that.

『What!?』

The massive luggage that May brought.

When I tried opening the bag, inside there were various treasures like gold, silver, armor, magic stones, etc.

Novem peered inside and spoke in admiration.

「You gathered this much by yourself? Amazing.」

「Ehehe, I’m happy that Novem praised me. But, even this is categorized as few. I had only just gotten independent, so I was unable to stockpile a lot.」

Yesterday, I introduced May to everyone.

Then, May was getting especially attached to Novem.

The Fifth had a complicated look, but he didn’t say anything about that. He said 『If May got attached to her then there must be no problem』──

The Fifth was thoroughly soft toward animals.

Had he forgotten about how he was doubting Novem?

Shannon was rubbing her eyes sleepily while peering at the treasure.

「This much is few? We’ll be able to by a lot of sweets if we have this much.」

May looked happy hearing that.

「Is that so? Then, I’ll buy a lot of sweets with this. Ah, no good. These are for my marriage.」

「Marriage?」

Shannon asked back. Then May puffed up her chest proudly and answered.

「That’s right. The treasures that a qilin stockpiled will be presented to her pair──to her husband.」

Sophia made an astounded face.

There were only two men in our party.

And then, among those men I was the only one connected to May.

Naturally she thought that May would be married to me.

「Lyle-dono, wha, wha-wha-wha, what is the meaning of this!?」

It was extremely unfortunate that Aria, Miranda, and Eva who knew about the circumstance hadn’t woken up due to their fatigue.

I could only make excuse by myself.

「No, how should I say it──it’s because of my ancestor’s connection I think?」

「Your ancestor’s?」

I couldn’t understand why the Fifth sounded a bit happy.

『The qilin who I helped at that time now becomes of help to Lyle like this──this too is fate.』

The Seventh was utterly amazed.

『Have you forgotten how Lyle almost got killed due to that connection?』

Sophia looked like she couldn’t accept it. Then Clara questioned May.

「Do qilin always give a dungeon’s treasure to a man?」

「Because it looks like it’s better to have money.」

It looked like Clara’s curiosity was stimulated.

「Now I understand slightly the reason why people are delighted with divine beasts. Besides, it’s all sorts of interesting. With this I’ll be able to learn in detail about the ecology of qilin.」

But, May pouted.

「Eh, don’t wanna. There’re a lot of bad humans trying to catch us, so I can’t tell you more than this.」

「No, no way!」

Clara was dejected. Putting her aside, Monica shouldered the bag.

From its weight,

「The amount of this is a lot. However, if we have this much, we won’t be troubled with fundraising for the moment. It’s great isn’t it, chicken dickwad.」

「Right you are. It’s great isn’t it.」

The compensation for that would be my seed.

How should I explain this to everyone?

I couldn’t stop sweating coldly.

The Third was laughing loudly.

『It’s different from our plan at first but, in the end we obtained treasures and even got a qilin to join as a comrade. There is no mistake that this is a good omen.』

The Fourth was also satisfied.

『It’s just as Monica said. With this we won’t be troubled for a while.』

Yes, for a while that is.

Even a great amount of money that would allow us to live as we pleased for a while was nothing more than a drop in the bucket if we considered the future. That was why it was troubling.

We who decided to fight Celes was in a really great need of money.

──Reality was really harsh.

Novem was looking at me.

「Wha, what is it?」

「No, I’m thinking that as expected from Lyle-sama. This is my true feeling. To be chosen as a qilin’s pair is an extraordinary good luck after all.」

Novem’s smiling face dealt a pain into my heart as though it was stabbed by a thorn.

「You’re──right.」

Accepting May meant making children with her.

I still couldn’t resolve myself so I wished to postpone talking about it but, the Fifth was angry saying 『What are you dissatisfied about from May huh, you bastard!』.

That person, there was absolutely something wrong with him.

Besides, the other four were also rejoicing about obtaining a qilin as a fighting strength.

I understood that it was necessary to fight Celes, but was it not good of me from being unable to accept this fully?

Novem spoke to me while I was letting out cold sweat.

「Fredericks-sama too is surely going to be happy for this.」

He was, in fact, happy.

But──I mentioned about an ancestor but, I didn’t say anything about it being the Fifth.

Did Novem know about the Fifth keeping a qilin?

.

The palace of the Laukaan Kingdom.

The king looked haggard after receiving the report from the minister.

The reports that came every day were all about the qilin.

But, those reports came together with the reports of the dungeons getting subjugated.

「──A god of pestilence. Qilin isn’t a divine beast that brings good fortune. It’s going mad and destroyed all the dungeons this country is hiding.」

The minister who gave the report said to the king.

「This is a good timing. Your majesty, we don’t have the capability to manage multiple dungeons. It’s good like this.」

「Do, don’t screw around! Finally. Finally the position as the leader of the alliance was within reach, and yet! Do you understand my feeling that a mere animal destroyed that chance huh!」

「This country will be destroyed if the dungeons ran wild.」

「Everything was going well until now. It would be like that too in the future. It should be like that.」

The king’s back bent down and he hid his face with both hands.

The minister continued his report but the king didn’t listen──