国产午夜亚洲精品AⅤ

Chapter 329

The military had taken control of all the warp gates within the capital, and measures were being taken to restore order and send tourists back to their hometowns as quickly as possible. Of course, all these activities were happening outside the Temple, so to me, it just felt like the Temple festival had ended a day early.

“It’s quiet.”

“Yeah.”

Ellen and I were strolling through the now-peaceful Temple grounds. Even though Ellen had been crowned Miss Temple, she was still just Ellen. Nothing much had changed, and she didn’t seem to place much significance on her new title. If anything, she found it bothersome.

The festival was over, and so was the tournament. While I was supposed to have an audience with the emperor, given the current situation, that opportunity might not arise. I could let either Charlotte or Vertus know about the issue of the orphanages siphoning off money, and it would be resolved later on.

Although I hadn’t managed to attend the contest, Ellen had won Miss Temple, and while Cliffman didn’t win, he did make the podium. I wasn’t sure if his confidence or social anxiety issues had been resolved, though. Riana was teasing him, asking him why he hadn’t won when Ellen had. It seemed like, instead of overcoming his anxiety, he had just gained a persistent bully.

The issue of Radia Schmidt was also important. Radia Schmidt was missing. Even though she was on the verge of graduation, she was still a Temple student, and the winner of the Open Tournament. Her sudden disappearance would soon become a significant issue.

Eleris, who was in charge of her for the moment, would be able to handle her well enough, but Radia Schmidt was a member of the Nameless Monastery and would undoubtedly be a key witness in helping to resolve this whole incident. For the time being, I could only hope that Eleris kept her well hidden.

And also...

“It’s vacation time now.”

“Yeah.”

Winter break had begun.

The imperial family would be in turmoil, but I had completed my task by killing Leverier Lanche.

“What are you going to do this vacation?” Ellen asked, looking at me.

“Well, I don’t have any particular place to go, so I’ll probably stay at the Temple.”

I had plenty to do. Negotiations with the Vampire Council, re-establishing contact with the Black Order, gathering information on Cantus Magna, making a decision regarding Adriana’s situation, and dealing with the Revolutionary Forces.

Also, although it wasn’t my responsibility, there were also matters related to the Magic Research Club I wanted to check in on. It felt like I had postponed too many tasks until after the semester had ended. I couldn’t tell Ellen this, but I was busier now during the vacation.

Ellen walked quietly beside me.

“I’m planning to go home,” she said.

“... Home?”

“Yeah, home.”

Naturally, Ellen’s parents were still alive. She hadn’t been able to return home all year, so it seemed she planned to go back during this winter break.

I had not written in much detail about Ellen’s family background or circumstances. Ellen wasn’t a noble; she was a commoner.

The hero, Ragan Artorius, grew up in a normal village, in a normal family, and became an adventurer. That meant his younger sister, Ellen, had also grown up in a normal village, in a normal family.

Ellen was usually quiet, and never talked about her hometown. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk about it; it just seemed like she didn’t see a reason to bring it up. I had never asked her about it either.

If I started asking her about such things, she might start asking about me, and I wouldn’t have much to say, so I intentionally avoided the topic.

If she was going home, though, she would probably be spending time with her family over the entire break. Would she be gone for the whole vacation?

“... When will you be back?”

“I don’t know,” Ellen replied with a tilt of her head. It seemed she had no specific plans other than spending time with her family.

Then would she be back after the vacation, in time for the new school term next year? That would mean she’d be away from the Temple for at least a couple of months.

“... Why?” Ellen asked, noticing my expression. “Do you want me to come back sooner?”

‘You...! You always catch me off guard like this!’

She stared at me intently. ‘Are you saying you’ll miss me if you don’t see me for a long time?’ her expression intimated.

‘You... You really...’

“... Yeah.”

In the end, I said it, feeling like it was better to just admit it than to keep it in.

‘I mean, I’d worry if I went too long without seeing her. Even if she’s just staying at home, you never know what might happen. Right...? It’s definitely not because I’d miss her if she wasn’t around.

‘Probably not... I think.’

Ellen seemed to ponder for a moment, then tilted her head again. “Then, do you want to come with me?”

“... What?”

“To my home. Do you want to come with me?”

Her sudden suggestion left me momentarily speechless.

‘Is she saying that if I think I’ll miss her, I should just come along?

‘This is... something... I don’t even know what relationship we have anymore...’

I did say that I didn’t have any plans, so I didn’t have a reason to refuse her invitation.

If I said, “Why should I go?” it wouldn’t make sense, considering I had barged into Arnaria without Harriet.

“If you don’t want to, that’s fine,” Ellen said as she continued walking. She didn’t seem particularly upset.

‘You aren’t mad, right?’

She would always pout when she was mad, and she didn’t seem to be doing that.

Then again, Ellen’s parents... They would also be the parents of the hero, Ragan Artorius. I was curious. I had only written that she was the hero’s little sister, without going into detail about what her parents would be like.

Who were these parents that had raised two children who turned out to be such extraordinary individuals? Beyond that, I was simply curious about the environment Ellen had grown up in.

However, I had too many tasks to handle during this vacation. I couldn’t afford to be away.

“... Sorry,” I said.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

There was no reason to feel sorry for not being able to go with her. Ellen shrugged her shoulders, indicating it was no big deal.

***

Adriana had been feeling quite bewildered over the past few days. Of course, it was very different from the bewilderment she’d felt after being was captured by the Nameless Monastery.

“Hey, do you need anything?”

“No... I’m fine, unnie.”

Ever since Reinhart had dropped her off, the person who seemed to be the boss of this mysterious organization had been hovering around her whenever she had a chance.

“Heh. Okay. If you need anything, just let me know. I’m always here.”

Her job seemed to be lounging on the sofa in what she called her office on the top floor of the building, doing nothing. Adriana spent her days in the back room.

“Um... But if you give me your room... where do you sleep, unnie? Last night, you were sleeping on the floor...”

“Me? I don’t really care about that stuff.”

Loyar didn’t use her room much and just hung around her office. The night before, Adriana had been startled when she’d gone to the bathroom. She saw the boss who had given her the room sprawled out on the office floor, sleeping.

Loyar had given Adriana her room and slept on the floor herself. Adriana was so shocked that she told the boss not to sleep there and to use the bed instead. The boss scratched her belly and said, “I usually sleep like this,” and then flopped back down.

She didn’t seem like a bad person, but she was such a strange person that Adriana felt odd whenever Loyar hovered around her.

“What are you doing?”

.

.

“Are you bored?”

.

.

“Want to go for a walk?”

.

.

“Is there anything you want to eat?”

.

.

‘”Are you comfortable here?”

.

Loyar’s constant attention and questions were bewildering. Adriana couldn’t understand why this person, who seemed to be the boss of a mysterious organization, was so concerned about her well-being. It was both comforting and unsettling at the same time.

Whenever Adriana tried to meditate in her room, Loyar would circle around her, constantly asking questions and making conversation. Adriana didn’t find it annoying. In fact, the way Loyar kept circling around and asking questions reminded her of a puppy.

Even though she knew it was rude to think so, she couldn’t shake the feeling that a large dog was hovering around her.

The sight was oddly endearing, and Adriana felt a strange sensation whenever she saw the perpetually disheveled boss.

‘What kind of person is she...?’

Adriana didn’t really know what this place was or why the boss, who seemed to be in charge, looked the most unkempt. While the others wore proper—if not expensive—clothes and kept themselves clean, this person always looked like a wet, unwashed dog with hair sticking out in all directions.

Adriana had lived her life in a monastery. Her life was focused on self-discipline, maintaining cleanliness, and strict personal hygiene. Living with Loyar made Adriana realize for the first time that she had a peculiar obsession with cleanliness.

Regardless of who Loyar was or how scary she might be, seeing someone live in such a state was excessively bothersome to Adriana.

“Um... unnie?”

“Hmm? What is it? What’s wrong?”

As Loyar approached, Adriana flinched slightly and took a step back.

“W-Wouldn’t it be better if you... took a bath?”

“A bath? Why?”

“Well... it would look better... and you wouldn’t have any strange smells... wouldn’t that be nice? Oh, not that you smell strange! I mean... it might be better for your health...”

Adriana stammered, and Loyar tilted her head, sniffing her own arm.

“Do I smell? This is just my natural scent.”

“That can’t be your natural scent...! Uh, um.”

Saying that she didn’t smell anything would be lying. But Adriana couldn’t bring herself to tell Loyar that she smelled like a wet dog, so she bit her lip.

Adriana pondered how to phrase her words, but before she could, Loyar shrugged.

“Well, if it’s that important, I’ll take a bath.”

Loyar dashed off. About three minutes later, she returned.

“...”

Adriana stared at the white-haired woman, water dripping from her wet hair.

“I took a bath. Do I still smell?”

It was clear that Loyar had just splashed some water on herself. She was still wearing the same dirty clothes she had been wearing earlier. She acted as if just getting wet was enough.

Adriana felt like something important inside her had shattered. She began to understand why Reinhart sometimes acted like a madman and charged ahead without thinking. This must be how he felt.

Grab!

“Huh?”

“Follow me.”

Adriana began dragging the bewildered Loyar away.

***

Crash!

—I-I don’t like this smell!

—What do you mean you don’t like the smell of soap?!

—Ah! Don’t apply that! It’s slippery!

—Just stay still for a moment!

The members of the Rotary Club tilted their heads in confusion at the commotion coming from the shower room inside the headquarters.

“What’s going on?”

“You know, that girl Reinhart brought in recently?”

“What about her?”

“Looks like she’s trying to give the boss a bath.”

“The boss?”

—Come here!

—No! I said no! I’m leaving!

—Where do you think you’re going all naked like that?! Get back here!

Crash!

The club members passing through the hallway were left with their mouths agape.

The fact that someone was trying to forcibly bathe the Hound of Irine was astonishing. Judging by the sounds from inside, it was clear that the one being caught and dragged around was not Adriana, but their boss.

Their boss hated anything bothersome more than anything else in the world, including bathing or changing clothes. She was the type to splash some water on her face and claim she was clean.

—Stop it! I said stop!

—Are you going to come here or not?!

The girl from the Temple was forcibly washing Loyar, who was yelping like a caught dog, but she seemed to eventually let herself be subdued and bathed against her will.

“Temple folks sure are something.”

“Yeah, it\'s incredible. The boss can’t even move.”

Everyone passing by commented on how amazing the Temple was.

***

Washing a troublesome large dog is a tough job. Naturally, the one doing the washing would end up a mess. Adriana was soaked from head to toe, including her hair and clothes. Meanwhile, Loyar, the one who had been bathed, was now dressed in fresh clothes, with Adriana diligently drying her wet hair with a towel.

“See? Doesn’t it feel nice to be clean?”

“... Does it?”

Loyar looked at her reflection in the mirror with a nonchalant expression. Her skin looked a bit more radiant, and her previously wild hair was now neat and dried. Adriana was carefully combing Loyar’s hair with a brush.

Loyar didn’t seem to care much about her appearance, but she closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of the brush gently flowing through her hair and scratching her scalp.

Under Adriana’s care, Loyar’s previously matted and disheveled white hair was transformed.

Of course, it wasn’t silky and shiny like well-maintained hair, but it no longer looked like the unkempt fur of a stray dog.

“From now on, make sure to bathe regularly.”

“Uh... I don’t know.”

Loyar tapped her head lightly.

“Can you brush my hair a bit more?”

“...”

In the end, even after Adriana had finished tidying up Loyar’s hair, she continued brushing it for a while longer.

Naturally, when Loyar appeared before the other club members, looking like a proper human for the first time with her hair neatly brushed, they were nearly shocked out of their wits.

—So, the boss is human after all.

—Yeah, who would’ve thought.

“What are you guys babbling about, you idiots?!”

Everyone nodded absentmindedly, acknowledging that their boss was indeed human.

***

Tourists throughout the imperial capital were quickly evacuated under the eye of the military. While the sense of crisis lingering over the capital remained, the chaotic atmosphere was gradually subsiding.

The imperial family knew what had happened, but to prevent indiscriminate rumors from spreading among the general populace, the Imperial government had to make an announcement.

Demons had appeared in the southern part of the capital and massacred over eighty followers of the Five Great Gods, including the former Commander of the Order of the Holy Knights, Leverier Lanche, who had been holding a gathering at an abandoned monastery.

The identity of the demons who had attacked was unclear, and the imperial family was doing everything in their power to investigate the incident. While this was indeed an emergency, the public was urged not to be taken in by rumors related to the Demon King.

That was the essence of the imperial statement. There was no particular lie in it. In fact, there was no reason to mix in falsehoods.

The threat of large-scale civil war had been looming if the empire clashed recklessly with the Church of the Five Great Gods, and the demons had effectively done the empire a favor. The hostility that the followers of the Five Great Gods felt towards the empire had shifted to hostility towards the demons.

At the moment, I was sitting quietly in a darkened underground sewer, a small fire burning beside me.

Shuffle.

Someone appeared in the distance, accompanied by the sound of footsteps. It was Count Argon Pontius, also known as Sarkegar.

“You’re here.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Sit.”

“Yes.”

Sarkegar sat down across from me. Not long after, without a sound, Eleris appeared out of thin air.

“Where’s Radia?”

“She’s in my room. She won’t try to escape, so you can rest assured.”

Eleris also sat quietly by the fire. Given the recent events and the discussions we needed to have, I had called all my subordinates to this former Rotary Club hideout. We were waiting for Loyar to arrive to start the conversation.

After waiting for a while, the sound of approaching footsteps announced another arrival.

“...?”

“What is this?”

Seeing the person who appeared, all three of us tilted our heads in confusion.

“...?”

Seeing our bewildered expressions, the newcomer also tilted their head in confusion.

“... Loyar...?”

“It doesn’t seem like it.”

White hair wasn’t common, and it was indeed Loyar, but she looked so different from usual that the three of us were stunned. Loyar usually looked so disheveled that it felt better to keep your distance. This time, though, her hair was neatly arranged and she was wearing clean clothing, which made her look presentable.

‘Wait. Was Loyar always this decent-looking?’

“Did you take a bath?” Eleris asked, and Loyar nodded.

“Is that a problem?”

“Why on earth did you do that?”

Just the fact that she had bathed and changed clothes was enough to shock Sarkegar and Eleris.

‘Loyar... What kind of life have you been living to make them so surprised that you took a bath? Also, why did you bathe?’

The fact that someone being clean was surprising was already absurd.

Loyar plopped down by the fire.

“The girl you entrusted to me bathed me.”

“... Adriana?”

“Yes.”

It felt strange to hear someone proudly say they had been bathed by someone else.

‘Is she actually a dog in disguise?’