After dinner, the two of us returned to the station near my apartment.
(For the record, I was already pretty full, so Mary ended up eating about half of my portion.)
「Aah… Yuuki-san…」
「What’s wrong, Mary? Are you thinking of staying over after all?」
「Th-that’s… not necessary for now…」
「Then what is it?」
「Um… it’s about how I should address you…」
「I don’t really mind. Just call me whatever feels right to you, Mary.」
「Then… how about I call you ‘danna-sama’ normally, and use your name when we’re alone?」
「If that’s comfortable for you, it’s fine with me. Being called danna-sama by you doesn’t sound bad at all.」
TN: I usually translate danna-sama to husband since it’s rarely used as a maid/servant calling the patriarch of the household….at least in the novels I translate. I’ll just let it be this time to avoid confusion(?)
I scratched my cheek with the hand that wasn’t holding hers. It was a little embarrassing, but it wasn’t a bad feeling.
「Then Yuuki-san! Let’s head home!」
Pulled along by Mary, we passed through the entrance of the apartment building.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
「Hmm… so that’s how you got back.」
「Was it a bad idea?」
I asked Hikari, who was sitting beside me.
「It’s fine. Mary’s just shy, that’s all. Let her move at her own pace. She’s older than you, after all, she knows herself well enough.」
「I see… that’s good then…」
When I looked over at Mary, she was happily arranging the roses I had just put into a vase.
「Still, Yuuki, proposing to me in the hospital, and now you’re doing that kind of thing on a cruise ship…」
Hikari grinned and teased me openly.
「Sorry… it wasn’t really romantic or anything…」
「It’s fine. A proposal from a bedridden Yuuki is a rare thing now. In a way, it’s a kind of proposal no one else would ever make.」
「Though the roles were reversed when Mary proposed to me…」
「Oh, you’re cheeky. Then maybe I should have you propose to me properly again, somewhere nice…」
「If that happens, I’ll have to make it really extravagant.」
「Haah… sure, a fancy proposal is nice and all, but I think I’d prefer something more simple…」
「I see… then I’ll have to make it even flashier.」
「Were you even listening!?」
「Even if you’re okay with simple, I still want to do it my way.」
「Then I guess I can’t argue.」
Hikari gave a wry smile.
「Thanks, Hikari.」
「Yeah. Me too, thank you.」
「Did I do something that deserves your thanks?」
「Just… even though you’re surrounded by so many attractive girls, you haven’t cast me aside.」
She snuggled against my arm a little, leaning in affectionately.
「Of course I wouldn’t. You’re such a huge part of my life.」
「I see…」
This time, she rubbed her face against my arm.
「What is it, Hikari?」
「No reason… just felt like it.」
(Hmm… something’s definitely bothering her…)
「Alright then, let’s go to bed, princess.」
「Waaah 」
I lifted Hikari into a princess carry.
「Mary.」
「What is it, danna-sama?」
「Hikari and I are heading to bed… what about you?」
Mary looked at Hikari in my arms and seemed to think for a moment.
「I’m… going to sit this one out today」
「Alright. Good night」
「Good night, danna-sama, Hikari-san」
After getting into bed with Hikari and stroking her hair, she slowly began to speak.
「We’re heading to isekai tomorrow night, right?」
「Yeah, that’s right」
「I just feel like… there’s definitely someone over there who likes you」
「I wonder… maybe you’re overthinking it」
「Hmm… but come on, Yuuki, you saved a whole world. There’s no way nobody fell for you」
「And I bet she’s super pretty too…」
「Hmm…」
「Do people like that really exist…?」
「If we’re talking politics, then definitely. I’m sure plenty of people would want your bloodline」
「It’s that serious…?」
「It is that serious」
「Well, if anything happens, I’ll run. No one can follow me here anyway」
「That’s true…」
「Besides, without you, I’m a total mess」
「Come on… that’s not true」
「If you hadn’t pushed me back then, I wouldn’t have known what to do about everyone either」
「You should be able to figure at least that much out on your own…」
「Nah, I feel lucky just to get advice from you」
「Good grief…」
With that, Hikari clung to me even tighter.
「Suu… haa…」
「Hey, that tickles…」
「Honestly… even I worry, you know」
「Yeah… sorry」
「It’s fine. I chose this path to stay with you, Yuuki. I’ll follow you wherever you go. So… don’t leave me behind, okay?」
「Yeah… I’d never go anywhere without you, Hikari」
Bathed in moonlight, we slowly drifted off to sleep together.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
「Alright, is everyone ready?」
I suited up in the latest bodysuit brought by Tsuzuri-san and Ootori-san, then put on the clothes I used to wear over there. For a weapon, I carried a new sword brought by Shuuji-san. I had already packed my change of clothes in my Item Box earlier that afternoon.
「Thank goodness we made it in time」
「This is… really easy to move in. Thank you, Tsuzuri-san」
「Still, you’ve grown up so much, Yuuki…」
「Haha… my body is technically five years older now」
「Yuuki, I think that’s all your luggage」
「Whoa… that’s a lot…」
「Well… we’ve got a lot of stuff」
「I guess it’s fine. Just leave the bags over there」
「Okaaay」
「Onii-san!」
「Onii-chan!」
Haruka and Touka came up and clung to me in turn.
「What do you think?」
「How’s this outfit look?」
Haruka and Touka were wearing custom-made bodysuits, each paired with a modified T-shirt and skirt. At a glance, it almost looked like street fashion.
Their weapons had also been upgraded. Haruka now wore her weapons on her forearms for easier access, instead of at her waist. Her shield had reinforced metal parts at the four corners, allowing it to strike and thrust. Her kodachi was handcrafted by Takanashi-ojiichan.
Touka had a new quiver at her waist containing various types of arrowheads. There was a magnet at the bottom to keep the arrows from falling out even when upside down. On her left hand for nocking arrows, she wore a small buckler. A bow was strapped to her back, and throwing knives identical to mine were attached to her thigh.
「Yeah, both of you look great」
「Thank you very much!」
「We did it!」
As for Hikari’s gear, we decided to hold off since we might find something better in the other world.
So for now, he’s just wearing regular clothes and ankle-length pants.
I gave him a handgun for self-defense, but hopefully he won’t need to use it.
「Sorry to keep you waiting」
Mary arrived a bit later, wearing her usual long skirt and a magazine pouch equipped with various ammo types. She was loaded with about 5,000 rounds.
Mary’s loadout consisted of one PGM Hécate II, two Beretta M92s, and a hidden Desert Eagle Mark XIX.
By the way, when us magic users infused our mana into the bullets and fired, we ended up blasting holes through the garrison walls, so we decided not to do that again.
Incidentally, Haruka-chan sliced one of those bullets in half (after it was fired, with a draw slash).
「Mary, is that all your luggage?」
「Yes, that’s everything」
Mary placed a cardboard box filled with tea, sweets, and other snacks.
「Alright, I’ll store it now」
I used spatial storage to pack everything away, and I heard Tsuzuri-san’s voice of awe.
「That magic really is incredible…」
「Ahaha… The teleportation was pretty amazing too, right?」
「That really surprised me…」
「Yuuki～ it’s about time～」
Called by Hikari, I headed over to the meeting point where everyone had gathered.
「Alright then, Rina-chan, Tsuzuri-san, we’re off」
「Tomoe-chan, Rina-san, Tsuzuri-san, we’re heading out」
「Tomoe-chan, we’re going now! Rina onee-chan, Tsuzuri onee-chan, take care～」
「Tsuzuri-san, Ootori-san, we’ll be off」
「Be careful out there」
「Take care」
「Please be safe」
「Also, Tomoe-chan」
「Yes?」
「I’m leaving things in your hands」
With those words, Tomoe-chan clenched her fist and responded cheerfully.
「Yes! Leave it to me! This is my battlefield, after all!」
Then we exchanged a quick kiss, and Tsuzuri-san and Touka egged us on with a playful cheer.
「Alright everyone! Let’s go!」
Using the talisman we got from God-sama, we teleported. Our destination was the lakeside by the World Tree, the same place we departed from.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
「Are you really sure you didn’t want to go?」
「Yes! Besides, there are some people acting a bit suspicious lately, aren’t there?」
「Honestly… where do you even get your intel from…?」
「The Tsumugi family is scary, huh～」
「Oh right, if you’re free tomorrow, would you like to stay at our house tonight?」
「That sounds great. I’m off work tomorrow, so I’ll let Mio-san know」
「As for me… I’ve got the late shift, so I’ll have to head home by noon, but… it’s fine」
「In that case, please do come to our house!」
Leave a Reply