Chapter 84

Elinora-nee-san, as usual, entered my room without knocking.

"Al, what are you doing?"

She asked, still holding the doorknob, looking at me sitting on the floor and the paper in front of me.

To her, this mansion is all her room, so there's no need for knocking.

Even if we complained about it now, we'd only get a dismissive response.

"I'm folding paper. Origami."

When I showed her the paper I was folding, Elinora-nee-san frowned in confusion.

"Origami? I don't know what you're doing, but paper isn't free, you know?"

I felt like she was making fun of me. She probably thought I was wasting paper for no reason. If so, that's really unfair.

"No, no, I'm not wasting paper. This will turn into something interesting."

"...Huh?"

Hmm, it's faster to show her, since she's obsessed with swords.

Let's start with something simple.

I moved the half-folded paper to the side and picked up a piece of paper cut to the right size.

Though, it's just white. I'll have to make something that works in white.

If it's white, I can make a rabbit, a swan, a fish, or with a little ink, a cow.

If I get the silhouette right, just adding some eyes should make it look cute.

I really wanted to make something colorful like a flower, a dog, or a fox, but it's hard to tell with just white.

For now, let's make a cute rabbit. That should be easy to understand.

Once I decided, I started folding, recalling the memory of making it in elementary school and comparing it to the real thing.

Elinora-nee-san must have realized I was doing something, so she let go of the doorknob and sat in front of me.

When she sat down, a pleasant scent wafted over, similar to Elna-mama's.

"...You're still as skilled as ever."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Surprisingly, my hands moved without stopping, and when I finished, I drew a face on it.

"Done! A rabbit's face!"

It's just the face. I didn't know how to fold the body.

When I handed it to her, Elinora-nee-san let out an exclamation and examined it, touching the ears and flipping it over.

"Wow, it really looks like a rabbit's face. It even has ears and is so cute."

Of course, I folded it to look like a rabbit's face.

While she was looking at it, I made a cow, a swan, a boat, and a jumping frog named Gekota.

They're a bit plain, but I can only use white paper, so please bear with it.

"Hey, can I keep this?"

Out of all of them, Elinora-nee-san liked the jumping Gekota the most. If you press its bottom with your finger, it jumps.

Elinora-nee-san, with her beautiful red eyes shining, was looking at Gekota perched on her palm.

It's a bit sad it's not green, but the round eyes I drew make it quite cute.

Come to think of it, she really liked Gekota when I made slippers for her.

Gekota is cute, but I think Tonkichi is cute too.

By the way, after that, I was made to make a pair for Elinora-nee-san, and they're still attached to her feet. My room has a carpet for lying down, so they're usually pushed to the side, but it's a heartwarming sight to see her wearing them to match Elna-mama.

"If you like the jumping Gekota, you can have it."

"Wait a minute! Where did that jumping come from?"

"Can I borrow it—"

When I tried to take Gekota from her palm to explain, Elinora-nee-san twisted her body to keep it away. What a cute gesture.

"No, I just want to borrow it. I can make more anytime."

"Really!? Then make about five more!"

She really liked it.

"Okay, okay."

When I nodded, Elinora-nee-san smiled and held out her hand with Gekota on it.

I carefully took Gekota and placed it on the floor.

Then I pressed the bottom part with my index finger and let go.

Gekota jumped.

"It jumped!"

Then I made it jump several times in a row, and Elinora-nee-san let out cute exclamations like "Oh!" and "Kyaa!"

Seeing her in a different, cuter light, I couldn't help but smile.

Elinora-nee-san seemed to really like the jumping Gekota, making it jump and chasing after it like a frog, jumping herself.

"This is great! Make about ten more!"

Maybe I shouldn't have shown her.

While Elinora-nee-san was playing with the jumping Gekota, I started folding a crane.

If I had to name a representative of origami, it would be this.

I think every Japanese person has made one at least once in elementary school.

For school events and such.

At first, I was surprised, thinking, "What is this? You can make something like this just by folding paper!?"

Then, after hearing a complicated explanation, I tentatively folded and completed an awkward crane.

Since I'm quite familiar with folding paper airplanes, I folded the crane smoothly.

And finally, I spread the wings to complete it.

"What's that? A bird?"

Elinora-nee-san was right next to me.

"That's right. It's a crane."

"You can really make something like this by folding paper?"

"It's easy once you learn. Why don't you try?"

If she gets hooked, she might fold Gekota herself.

It was a purely strategic move, but Elinora-nee-san took the paper in her hands.

"Okay, I'll try. Watch closely."

When I folded the paper into a triangle, Elinora-nee-san followed suit.

Wow, that's rough. This will be a problem later.

"What? It's fine, isn't it?"

Maybe she noticed my expression, because Elinora-nee-san complained.

"No, you need to align the edges. They're sticking out."

"...You're so picky."

I showed her a neatly folded triangle, and after staring at it, she grumbled and refolded it.

If she starts like this, it's going to be a long road.

Then, when I folded it in half, Elinora-nee-san followed. This time, she aligned the corners properly.

Good, good. At this rate, it might be difficult, but—

"Wait a minute! How did you do that just now!?"

It didn't go well. We were at the part where you open the third inner part, flatten it, and make it square.

Elinora-nee-san stumbled here.

"That's how! Here!"

"Here?"

"No!"

"You need to open it up!"

"Open it? I don't understand... like this?"

"No! You're just unfolding it! We're only at the third step, and you're already stumbling!"

"I don't understand. My fingers don't move as smoothly as yours."

What a thing to say. To say my fingers moving are creepy just because I'm folding paper.

She's the one who says things like, "Can't you do this?" during sword practice!

Those words almost slipped out, but I held them back.

She's Elinora-nee-san. It's normal for her to say unreasonable things.

Considering my past life, I, as the senior, should be the calm one here.

In the first place, trying to fold a crane right away was too difficult.

It's my fault for suggesting it to Elinora-nee-san. I'm making the same mistake as her.

Let's try something simpler.

"That expression of yours is annoying."

Just as Elinora-nee-san was starting to get annoyed, a voice called out from the entrance.

"You two seem to be having fun. What are you doing?"

Silvio-nii-san came at the perfect time. Really good timing.

Thanks to Elinora-nee-san not closing the door.

"Origami. Origami."

When I showed Silvio-nii-san the swan I made earlier, he entered with interest and picked it up.

By the way, he was wearing the Gekota slippers today too.

"Wow, is this a bird?"

"That's right."

"You made this just by folding paper. That's impressive. Can I do it too?"

He seemed unexpectedly interested, either out of curiosity or genuine interest.

"Sure, Silvio-nii-san can do it."

Unlike a certain someone, he's neat and skilled.

"Your 'sure' is concerning."

"Your imagination, that's all. Look, Elinora-nee-san, let's do something simple and fun next."

"Don't treat me like a child just because you're Al."

Despite her words, Elinora-nee-san seemed drawn in by the word "fun" and came over.

Still, I hear "just because you're Al" a lot, and it's really unfair when I think about it.

Sure, my status in this mansion is low, but it's not fair. It's true, but still.

"So, what are we folding next? Not that crane again, right?"

Elinora-nee-san, still traumatized from the crane, sent a hateful glance at it.

"Even though the crane was impressive, this one is impressive too."

"Then let's make a simple and fun shuriken next."

"Shuriken?"

Elinora-nee-san and Silvio-nii-san both said it in surprise.

I could have made a paper airplane, but I'm saving that for last.

"Is it not one of those confusing things where you have to unfold it again?"

"No. It's a bit tricky to get the hang of, but it's easy."

I immediately gave two sheets of paper each to Silvio-nii-san and Elinora-nee-san.

Silvio-nii-san, being a first-timer, had a bright smile, but Elinora-nee-san's eyes narrowed when I gave her two sheets.

Just because there are more sheets doesn't mean it's harder.

"Okay, first, fold it in half—"

◆

"It doesn't match!"

"That's because I said you can't fold both the same way!"

In front of us was a misaligned lump of paper because she folded both in the same direction.

"Done. It looks like a strange star shape?"

On the other hand, Silvio-nii-san, who listened carefully and was honest, completed it perfectly, with no warping and neatly aligned edges.

"Silvio-nii-san did it right?"

"Shut up! I'll just do it the other way!"

"Al, how do you play with this?"

While Elinora-nee-san was unfolding and refolding the paper, Silvio-nii-san asked.

"You throw it."

"Huh? You throw it?"

Silvio-nii-san seemed surprised and confused.

"Right! You pinch it and throw it like this!"

I went out into the hallway and threw it as a demonstration. It flew past Silvio-nii-san's room and landed in front of Elinora-nee-san's room.

It was about six meters.

"It flies pretty fast. Hey!"

Silvio-nii-san's thrown shuriken hit the wall and fell.

That's about what you'd expect at first.

"It's hard to control."

Silvio-nii-san didn't seem to mind and picked up the shuriken with a bright smile.

"Hey, get mine too."

"Done!"

Just as I called out to Silvio-nii-san, Elinora-nee-san stood up.

Then, she came out into the hallway and aimed at Silvio-nii-san, who was picking up my shuriken.

No, no, no, no, no!

"Hey!"

"Silvio-nii-san! Watch out—"

My well-intentioned warning made Silvio-nii-san turn around—

"Huh?"

The shuriken, thrown with a form that would surprise a ninja, pierced Silvio-nii-san's forehead.

I thought I heard a "thud."

"Silvioooooo!"

I caught Silvio-nii-san as he fell.

"...Al, it hurts... shuriken..."

"Silvioooooo!"

If it had been a real iron shuriken, it would have definitely gouged his forehead.

It was that perfect a throw. Elinora-nee-san is really, unnecessarily good at sports.

"...This could be useful. If made of iron, it could be a good weapon, don't you think?"

Next to me, my sister was muttering something dangerous.

Of course, she wasn't concerned about Silvio-nii-san.

To her, the fallen brother probably looked like a stone on the side of the road.

Still, I don't want her to turn a peaceful toy into a weapon.

Simultaneous update with the evil god's otherworld summoning!