Sevens (LN) Volume 5 prologue

Prologue This was sudden but, I hated the existence called little sister.

Of course it was also related to my biological little sister Celes who was the cause that made me, Lyle Walt got chased out from my house.

Right now I was in a completely different place, in addition it wasn't also the time to think of something like this, however I couldn't help but running from reality.

This place was the underground labyrinth of the academy city Arumsaas.

And then right now we had only just finished a battle.

I was dirty with sweat and dust. I wiped my sticky cheek with the back of my hand.

The smell of my glove's leather stimulated my nose.

「……Just what in the world I should do?」

Squabbling in front of my eyes was Aria Lockwarde whose curly red hair was singed at the tip and Sophia Rowley who had long black hair.

Arisan was dressed in easy to move clothes, but her clothes were also slightly singed similar with her hair.

Whether it was her clothes or protective armor, she was wearing things that made it her body line clear to see.

She was using spear. Because she was moving around, heavy equipments would slow her down.

In contrast, Sophisan was wearing heavy equipments on top of a robe.

She disliked showing her skin, in addition she was carrying a large axe──a battleaxe on her back.

Sophisan was the opposite of Arisan, a heavily equipped warrior. She was staring at a part of her hair that was cut and became tearful.

Arisan was showing her singed hair and equipment to Sophisan while pressing on her.

「Wait, why didn't you dodge at that time!? Because of that I got covered with flame!」

Sophisan retorted back.

「It was because Aria swung your spear around! I got distracted by that……I almost got injured seriously there!」

The one who was trying to calm down the two was my former fiancée who was tying her long light brown hair in a side ponytail.

She was dressed like a magician and her hand was holding a silver staff.

Her name was Novem Forxus. She was a magician just like her appearance suggested.

「Both of you, please calm down. For now, let's talk together calmly. Okay?」

The cause of the two's quarrel was what happened in the middle of battle.

Magic was fired from behind them who went forward as vanguard.

Sophisan cut into the firing line of that magic.

Sophisan hit back the magic with her battleaxe. The magic──the fireball that got its direction changed burst nearby Arisan.

I was shocked that such thing happened.

Anyway, we defeated the monsters even while in shock, and when things calmed down, the two started to quarrel.

The one who was dismantling magic stone and materials from the monsters was the adventurer who we hired as the party's supporter.

She was a petite girl wearing glass with characteristic blue hair and red eyes, Clara Bulmer.

Her left arm was conspicuous. Her arm starting from the upper arm was a prosthetic hand that looked like armor.

Clarsan muttered in exasperation.

「To me it looks like there is problem with both of them though.」

Hearing those words of Clarsan, a girl with green hair and eyes laughed while talking.

She had an atmosphere like a big sister, but the cause of Arisan and Sophisan──the magic was fired by this person.

Her name was Miranda Circry.

She was enrolled in Arumsaas's academy, a young lady from a house of viscount.

Similar like my former fiancée Novem, I had ties with this girl too as someone that might become married with me.

We met in Arumsaas and right now she became our comrade.

「They aren't attacking each other with their weapon so it's fine. Just let them vent.」

Mirandsan was making suggestion to leave them alone looking like she was having fun instead. I pressed on my blue hair with my hand while shaking my head.

「No, we should stop them here.」

Mirandsan seemed to sense my feeling of 「The cause if your magic wasn't it」 from my gaze and she shrugged.

「I was instructed by Lyle so I fired my magic, before that I had also called out to those two. It's upsetting to be thought as the source of the problem. In the first place, if you say that then that means the problem lies in Lyle who gave the instruction.」

I who suddenly got criticized took a step back.

Certainly, I became uneasy wondering if using magic in that timing was the wrong decision.

Mirandsan seemed delighted seeing me like this.

When I turned my gaze to Clarsan, she gave me an assistance even while sighing slightly.

「I cannot assert that it was a mistake based on the timing. Certainly there was a problem, but Mirandsan had also called to the two beforehand. I cannot say that it's only Lyle-san who is in the wrong.」

I was relieved that there was someone who backed me up.

However, it was Arisan and Sophisan who couldn't accept Clarsan's opinion.

The two protested at me.

「In the first place, until now there wasn't any need to call out before firing magic!」

「That's right. It's only natural to be unable to react after the method is suddenly changed!」

This time we advanced through the passage and bumped with a group of monster. From there it became a battle. Until now using the Arts from the Jewel hanging on my neck I would be able to detect the enemy beforehand.

In a situation where I couldn't do that, I was unable to give instruction like before.

At best I could only tell them what kind of approach we were using against the encountered enemy.

「Because monsters suddenly showed up. Besides, I was wondering that perhaps it's bad to make only the two vanguards dealing with the enemies alone.」

When I made my excuse, Arisan placed her spear on her shoulder.

She averted her gaze from me in dissatisfaction.

「Then, just use your Arts already! It's meaningless doing something like this.」

It wasn't just Arisan who looked dissatisfied.

Sophisan was also agreeing with Arisan's opinion.

「I don't know the reason why you aren't using your Arts but, this place is still floor B4. Even though previously we advanced until floor B40, this time we can only advance until this far in one day. I cannot think there there's any meaning in it.」

My shoulders dropped.

We could easily conquer the dungeon if using the Arts.

We could but……right now I couldn't use them.

Physical strengthening, position detection at the surrounding, mental interference, increase of travelling speed, terrain grasping, enemy position detection, tool storage……those convenient Arts were sealed.

To be more accurate, I wasn't permitted to use them.

A terrifying punishment would wait if I used them.

「No, you know, it's that……I'm thinking, to reevaluate our party, or like, checking how far we can go without relying on Arts.」

The reason of my vague response lied in the prohibition of the Arts.

Inside the heirloom Jewel hanging on my neck, the memories of six ancestors of Walt House were residing.

They possessed their own will and could talk to me.

A lot of time I was helped by the ancestors' knowledge rather than the Arts.

But, they one-sidedly declared the prohibition of me using the Arts without making the reason why clear to me.

I didn't understand the reason of the prohibition.

Inside me there were several prospects about what could be the reason, but I didn't understand which was the correct one so I couldn't explain myself with confidence.

Because of that, the atmosphere inside the party was becoming bad.

Arisan roughly messed up her hair.

「That's why, I'm telling you it's meaningless. This is our third time entering the dungeon since your Arts were prohibited. We can't advance properly even after three times.」

Exactly.

Not only that──.

「I don't want to say it but, the money to hire Clarsan is becoming a great burden. In the first place, we don't earn anything so we're in the red isn't it?」

Actually we wanted to advance further, and the assistance of Clarsan was essential no matter what in order to prepare for that.

That was why we hired her, but because we couldn't advance as planned, it became pointless to hire Clarsan.

We got into the red from the work in the dungeon this time too.

Taking into consideration the payment to Clarsan for the preparation in order to enter the dungeon, the money we earned was completely insufficient.

It was Novem who helped me who was feeling down.

Unlike before, she was starting to lecture the two with a strong tone.

「Both of you are speaking too far. Besides, it's also a fact that we are relying too much on Lyle-sama's Arts. In order to prepare if something happen, we need to learn the situation when the Arts cannot be used like this.」

While I was feeling saved by Novem's correct argument, Clarsan talked to us.

「I'm sorry to interrupt everyone's talk but……we're making too much ruckus. The monsters are gathering here.」

When everyone followed Clarsan's gaze, we could see a group of goblins making the sound of scraping metal over there.

There was still some distance, so I pulled out the saber on my waist.

「Novem, prepare to burn them away with magic. After that──」

Arisan and Sophisan seemed irritated at my instruction. They rushed out without listening till the end.

My hand reached out toward their backs.

「Eh, wait…..e, eh?」

It was troubling that they were acting by themselves. As expected we couldn't use magic that might drag ally into it.

Mirandsan talked to me before starting to run.

「I'll back them up. Watch our back okay?」

「Ah, yes.」

I replied. Now I didn't understand who was the leader of this party.

『I wonder how I should say it.』

『I never even imagined that it will be this horrible.』

『Red……red they said. Novem-chan and others are in the red?』

『It's really wrong of them to ignore order but, Lyle's attitude was also bad.』

『Lyle, someone who act as commander has to be careful of what he say. It's no good if you make your surrounding uneasy.』

『Isn't it good that at least he learn that at this stage?』

The six ancestors sitting around the round table.

Starting from the Second who was dressed as hunter, the Third until the Seventh were speaking in turn. No one was saying something kind to me.

Especially horrible was the Fourth who was irritated because we were in the red.

A tall man whose blue hair was parted to one side with the ratio of 7:3 and wearing glasses.

The Fourth looked the most serious if he was looked form only his appearance.

He was known in the history of Walt House as a character with the disposition of civil official who displayed his ability in domestic affairs.

But, this was what I thought after seeing the reality.

This person was someone who loved money.

『Lyle, listen well. I'm not telling you to not spend money in your preparation. But, at the very least please aim to be in the black. In the red……what's more it's the third time with this.』

It seemed he was shocked because we got into the red.

「Err, it will help if the prohibition to use Arts is lifted though.」

The Fourth who was shocked by the being in red immediately replied to my suggestion.

『Rejected. I cannot permit that.』

This.

The ancestors prohibited me from using Arts without telling me the reason.

The condition so they would recognize the user of Arts was to conquer the floor B30 of Arumsaas underground dungeon without use of Arts.

Anyway, they wouldn't compromise with this condition.

In addition, the silver weapon that the First left behind──even the great sword was forbidden to use.

The Fourth took off his glasses and wiped the lenses.

『We absolutely won't allow the use of Arts until you accomplish the task.』

「In that case, can you tell me why you are forbidding the Arts?」

It was the Third who answered my question.

『Think by yourself. Well, just consider it as one of your task too.』]

They didn't answer my question like this.

My grandfather the Seventh talked to me.

『Lyle, it's also important to find the answer by yourself. In order to do that, even if several years passed we won't allow the use of Arts. If you want to quickly use the Arts, then conquer the floor B30 right away.』

Floor B30──how many adventurer in Arumsaas who was able to do such thing?

I heard that the party who accomplished it in the past gathered dozens of people before challenging the dungeon.

Our party right now had five people with the addition of Mirandsan.

Even with Clarsan getting temporarily hired we only had six people.

If I wanted to accomplish the task with proper method, it would surely take several years for it.

「Are you all telling me to increase the number of people?」

The Third was grinning.

『That depends on Lyle. Oops, it's better that you wake up soon.』

When the Third said that, my consciousness went away from the Jewel and returned to my body.

My body was shaken and I opened my eyes.

Floor B3 of the dungeon.

We were resting inside a cramped room in the middle of our return to the surface.

Originally we were planning to aim at floor B10 within three days.

However, the fact was we were only able to advance until half of it during these three days. It signified our current strength.

「Lyle-sama, it's time.」

「Yeah, my bad. Eh?」

Everyone was awake when I looked around.

Originally there should be no way that everyone was awake. I should be awake before that to take turn as lookout.

「……Could it be, I overslept?」

Novem smiled.

「No, Lyle-sama looked tired so I let you sleep. I took over as the lookout so please don't worry.」

I hurriedly stood up.

「So, sorry. Let's depart right──」

Novem stopped the panicking me.

「Please eat before that. We only need to return to the surface, but we cannot let our guard down.」

I took the meal presented to me within the awkward atmosphere.

It was bread and soup.

But, the taste of the soup was……terrible.

It was bitter and watery.

Bluntly speaking it wasn't tasty.

When I spontaneously pressed on my chest and choked, Novem prepared water for me.

Sophisan opened her mouth from some distance away.

「Look, even Lyle-dono has the same reaction. Aria, the food is a failure just as I said. It's a flavored hot water rather than a soup. Rather having no taste will make it better isn't it?」

It seemed it was Arisan who was on cooking duty. She was making excuse in shame.

「I thought mild flavor will be better because we're tired! Sophia's flavoring is thick so you won't get the good point of my cooking though.」

「Aria's flavoring is too bland. We won't be able to get energy eating that.」

The two were totally opposite in the matter of flavoring.

I softened the bread with the soup and ate it and finished the meal right away as though washing it down into my stomach.

I looked at Arisan with a smile but, my cheeks were twitching.

「I, it was delicious.」

Both Arisan and Sophisan were turning a doubtful gaze at me.

Mirandsan was giggling.

She was having fun looking at our situation.

「Lyle, the lie just now is terrible. Because everyone is thinking that it's bad. Even Aria honestly think that it's a failure aren't you?」

Arisan looked down.

「My, my bad. I'm not used with the seasoning in Arumsaas.」

Even I had something that I understood from our travel.

That was how the taste of food differed depending on the locality.

It seemed that there would be subtle difference even within the same locality. Even the common home cooking would have some kind of different at Arumsaas and the city where we were living previously.

After all there was difference in the meat and vegetable that was procured.

There was also vegetable that I had never seen before.

Arisan too must be troubled in how to cook before the ingredients of Arumsaas.

The Second spoke out from inside the Jewel.

『When I saw them quarreling because of seasoning, it reminds me of my mother and my wife.』

The Third spoke in nostalgia.

『Yeah. Granny came from the northern part of Bahnseim Kingdom. The seasoning there is particularly strong. The north is cold, so it cause the cooking's seasoning to become strong it seems.』

Their voices could only be heard by me.

That was why, no one knew about me obtaining assistance from the six past ancestors of Walt House.

It was the ancestors who told me how the surrounding would see me if I mentioned about them.

They said that if I couldn't show any clear proof about them helping me, then staying quiet like this would be better for me.

As for me, I wanted to tell the people around me that the memory of my ancestors was resurrected inside the Jewel hanging on my neck.

I wanted them how I was annoyed thanks to these guys sucking my mana and making a ruckus.

The blue Jewel of Walt House allowed the past ancestors to give me advice, in addition it even taught me how to use the Arts. It was a useful tool if you only heard about that part.

However, it was sucking mana from me. Furthermore the amount that they were sucking was so much it was like my mana got shaved with scraping sound.

Because of that, before this I fainted many times and collapsed.

Thanks to that, people thought of me as weakling.

In addition because I got carried into the city on the back of girl, I was getting famous in Arumsaas as a pathetic man.

It was greatly troubling.

While I was thinking that, Arisan muttered in a low voice.

「Sophia was raised at the countryside, that's why you don't understand the taste of the city.」

Recently Arisan was snappy.

Arisan was also the same like that.

「The taste of city? I can't understand what is good from Aria's soup. If it's like this then the one made by the automaton is still better.」

It seemed those words stepped on Arisan's landmine.

「Now you said it! Besides, if you're saying that then even Sophia can't win against her! What's with you, losing against automaton even though you were taught how to cook!」

It was Novem who acted to stop the two whose argument was gradually getting intense.

「Enough already both of you. The break time is over. Let's depart after we finish tidying up.」

Clarsan who was sitting while reading book at slight distance away was persisting with an attitude of it wasn't any concern of her.

She was the only one here who was a temporarily hired party member. Her relationship with us was a contractual one.

Mirandsan was grinning.

「Oh, over already? I wanted to watch a bit more though.」

Mirandsan who was really skilled. She was someone who could do everything skillfully, from being a vanguard until rear guard.

「Mirandsan, can I ask you to not provoke them too much?」

Mirandsan smiled slightly coldly at Novem's request and replied.

「Won't it be healthier to slightly argue at each other truthfully? Well, I guess it will be better for me to obey your instruction seeing that I'm the newcomer in the party. I'll be patient until I become Lyle's number one.」

The atmosphere in that place became even worse.

Everyone closed their mouth. Only the sound of Clarsan turning the page could be heard.

If I have to mention a flaw of Mirandsan, it was her personality.

The Fifth was slightly appalled.

『……This is Milleia's great-grandchild?』

Mirandsan's great grandmother was a woman named Milleia from Walt House.

In other words, I and Mirandsan were distantly related──no, were we already mostly unrelated? Anyway, she was a woman related to the ancestors starting from the Fifth and below.

The Fifth's daughter.

The Sixth's little sister.

The Seventh's aunt.

When Mirandsan who was the great granddaughter of such woman joined my party, she proclaimed in front of everyone 「I want to be Lyle's number one」.

Since then, the party's atmosphere felt strangely strained.

The Sixth was groaning in bewilderment.

『The great grandchild of that kind Milleia, how does she turn out like this?』

But, it was only the Seventh who seemed to have a bit of an idea. He didn't say clearly how and where Mirandsan and Milleisan were similar, but he felt convinced when he saw Mirandsan.

『She is undoubtedly Obue's great grandchild.』

There were only females around me. This kind of party was rare among the adventurers.

Speaking of adventurers, the image I had about them was a more manly gathering of comrades with good relationship.

Or rather, a lot of party that I happened to see in the guild was like that.

A party with only one man and the rest were women seemed to be extremely few. I too had never seen a party like that until now.

Everyone closed their mouth and began tidying up the baggage silently. Even though previously there were more smiles, the atmosphere changed completely with Mirandsan joining up.

「……I wonder, where did I make a mistake?」

The noisy bunches were commenting by turn when I muttered that to myself.

『The atmosphere worsened since Miranda joined isn't it?』

『No, in the first place there is problem with Lyle's attitude I think?』

『If I have to say where did you make a mistake……as I thought, it was that time when you had just arrived in Arumsaas I guess? Remember, there was that short rebellious phase of Lyle.』

『That was terrible huh.』

『Lyle, you better shape up more.』

『In the first place rather than a single mistake, isn't this the result of making mistakes continuously until now?』

……The ancestors who wouldn't give any decent advice.

The blue Jewel that I had, was it something cursed in reality?

It was afternoon when we returned to the surface.

We who returned earlier than schedule headed toward Arumsaas's adventurer guild on foot.

Arumsaas had an academy at its center and it was called as academy city.

In addition there was one other thing. There was also an entrance to an underground dungeon at the center of the city.

Having a dungeon at the center of the city was one of its great peculiarities that couldn't be found at other city.

The surrounding landscape that had no sense of unity.

We who were walking in the middle of that were given cold gaze from the citizens.

Adventurers were a bothersome existence for the residents of the city.

They were scared seeing us armed, as well as our body that bluntly speaking was stinky from the sweat and blood from fighting monsters.

From the viewpoint of the common citizens they wouldn't want to get near us.

「Good grief, can't something be done about the adventurers?」

「They're spoiling Arumsaas's scenery.」

「Please look at that. A young man is leading around beautiful girls. It's really envi──scandalous. They don't know any shame.」

Was it shameful for female to be adventurer?

I wanted to ask back like that, but I guess it was disagreeable for them seeing beautiful girls around me.

Recently I somehow came to understand.

From the perspective of me who knew of the internal conditions, it wasn't a relationship that could be envied at but……even if I said that other people would only heart it as sarcasm.

The Second was irritated.

『Who the hell they think it thanks to that Arumsaas is becoming rich. In the first place, if it's about the scenery then do something about this townscape that has no sense of unity at all.』

The Fourth seemed disinterested.

『Well, there're a lot of people who hate adventurer. To begin with, even the Seventh is also an adventurer hater.』

The Seventh was brazenly speaking of his hate of adventurer like usual.

『I hate them. Actually I don't want Lyle to become something like adventurer if possible.』

We walked amidst the cold gazes.

The adventurer guild was located near the city's outer wall.

It was far away from the underground dungeon.

Perhaps because they were tired or because the bad atmosphere, the party members didn't even try to make any talk.

I spoke out.

「We, we have time today, so how about we eat out with every──」

Arisan refused.

「I want to go home clean myself and lie down so I won't go.」

Right away Sophisan also spoke of her abstention.

「I also had eaten in the dungeon so I'll refrain.」

Novem put her hands on her cheeks with a troubled look.

「As expected we can't eat out while leaving the two of them.」

Recently both Arisan and Sophisan were treating me coldly.

Mirandsan made fun of me.

「Lyle, your maid will be sad if you speak about eating out you know?」

My maid……no, yep, she was my maid I guess.

It wasn't wrong but, was she really a maid?

Clarsan looked at me while speaking with a small voice in a bit of reservation.

「……I also have business in library, so I'm thinking of parting at the guild.」

My shoulders dropped and I smiled awkwardly.

「I, I see. The, then, let's go back right away.」

I could hear snickers from inside the Jewel.

While I was irritated with the ancestors, Clarsan called me to stop.

We returned to Mirandsan's house after selling the magic stones and materials at the adventurer guild.

It would cost a lot to stay in an inn, so being able to live in a house like this was something to feel greatly grateful about.

「We're home.」

My feeling was gloomy when I opened the entrance's door.

The amount of money we were able to exchange at the guild was so little.

As per the contract, the reward was on equal apportionment.

The supporter Clarsan got equal share and from there she was given further reward of seventy percent.

Because of that even Clarsan's earning was also little.

Preparation was necessary in order to enter the dungeon, and naturally it cost money.

It was still better because we only scheduled for three days, but I couldn't forget Clarsan's words.

『If the situation stay like this, I wish to refrain from accepting another contract with the same condition. If my service as supporter is asked again next time, I wish to be allowed to decide the reward by myself.』

Clarsan's livelihood was also hanging on this.

I couldn't just tell her, we failed, and ended it like that.

Taking that into consideration we were fortunate.

After all we had quite an amount as saving, and we didn't need to pay for rent at Arumsaas like this──.

「CHICKEN DICKWAAAAD!」

「GYAAAA!」

The reason I screamed was because of the person, no, the automaton who leaped at me the moment I opened the door.

The automaton with characteristic appearance of blonde hair in twintail and maid uniform that was the same color like her red eyes wasn't a human.

She was a legacy of a destroyed civilization. The automatic doll that was created by the ancient people──a mechanized doll.

She hated the name Poyopoyo that I named her, the self-proclaimed maid automaton with screw loose in her head who called me insultingly as chicken dickwad.

When she jumped on the tired me, I ended up being pushed down.

「What the hell are you doing!」

Poyopoyo lifted up her upper body and blushed. A maid who had no problem with straddling on me, I wanted to fire her.

「Will you have dinner, or will you take a bath? Or perhaps……you, want, me!」

She was making a cute pose, but I looked up at Poyopoyo with a cold gaze.

「……For now we're going to enter the bath in turn, so can you move away from me before that?」

「A serious reply huh! Chicken dickwad, please look a bit more embarrassed. This Poyopoyo is really lonely!」

The face of the female camp who were watching me and Poyopoyo in front of the entrance was looking really conflicted.

They knew about Poyopoyo's eccentricity from living under the same roof, and yet I didn't understand why they were also looking at me coldly.

Even though I wasn't doing anything wrong. I wished they would stop looking at me with criticism.

While I was thinking that, Novem pushed away Poyopoyo from me.

「Poyopoyo-san, Lyle-sama is tired so please stop with that kind of indecent talk alright?」

Poyopoyo was irritated. But rather than because of Novem's words, it was more toward Novem herself.

Since she was activated in the laboratory of an oddball named Damian Valle who was a professor in Arumsaas's academy, she was harboring animosity toward Novem without even trying to hide it.

「You're annoying, this vixen. I won't yield the role of taking care of chicken dickwad to anyone!」

This automaton was this eccentric and conspicuous, but she was really skilled as a maid servant.

She could do anything from cleaning, laundry, until cooking.

Because of that the inside of the house was always pleasant.

Mirandsan stretched her hand toward me. After I took her hand and stood up, a girl's figure entered my sight.

A girl with a displeased face at the entrance──Shannon Circry was glaring at me.

She was Mirandsan's little sister with wavy long purple hair and yellow eyes.

Her appearance was adorable, but her attitude toward me wasn't cute at the slightest.

This girl hated me.

And then, I also hated this girl──Shannon.

It made me irritated seeing a little sister.

「Tsk, even though it'll be great if you alone don't come back.」

She was a hopeless little girl who said this kind of thing.

She was two years younger than me, so she was the same age with Celes.

Even though just that alone already made me disliked her, this girl's attitude toward me was also really bad.

「You're annoying, you brat.」

I also talked back to her, but the Fourth's exasperated voice came from the Jewel.

『Why are you getting worked up against a younger child?』

Shannon stuck out her tongue.

「Onee-sama became strange because of your fault! This gigolo bastard!」

「What did you say just now!?」

「Gigolo bastard, that's what I said. You're freeloading in this house of us sisters while you cannot even have any decent earning, on top of that you're causing trouble for Onee-sama, this gigolo bastard!」

While I was getting irritated at Shannon who was saying gigolo bastard with a loud voice, the ancestors inside the Jewel were laughing loudly.

『Well, she is certainly not wrong!』

『Gigolo bastard! Yep, it isn't wrong!』

『……Puh』

『The house belongs to Miranda or rather to Circry House, and recently you can't earn money so I can't say that she is wrong.』

『Haha~, Shannon too is hitting right on the mark huh.』

『Lyle, it'll be fine if you work hard next time……even so gigolo bastard she said.』

It rubbed me the wrong way hearing the Seventh holding back his laughter.

While I was getting vexed, Mirandsan hugged Shannon and lifted her up.

「Don't say stupid thing, at least say welcome back.」

Shannon loved Mirandsan. Because of that she listened to what her beloved big sister told her.

「I, I'm sorry. Onee-sama, welcome back.」

「Say it to everyone.」

Mirandsan threatened. Shannon made a strange voice 「Hih!」 from her throat.

It was a good feeling.

「We, welcome back.」

Mirandsan put Shannon back on the floor and patted her head.

「We're home. Look, everyone is tired, so let's move away from the entrance already. Poyopoyo and Novem too, keep the quarrel in moderation.」

When I looked at the two, they were still arguing.

Novem was taken aback and returned to her senses at Mirandsan's voice. She cleared her throat in embarrassment.

「……Pardon me. Now, Lyle-sama, please enter the bath first.」

I shook my head.

「No, I'm fine entering last. Everyone should enter first.」

Seeing that conversation of me and Novem, Poyopoyo was biting on a white handkerchief with a frustrated look.

「Even though I'm this devoted, chicken dickwad won't even look at me……this might be good in its own way. Yep, I'm feeling delighted!」

Just when I thought Poyopoyo was crying in frustration just now, she was suddenly being all smile. Her abundant expressiveness, or rather her extreme change was putting me off.

「……That's scary for some reason.」

「Why!? Wait, please don't seriously draw away from me. If chicken dickwad hate me, I won't be able to live!」

No, in the first place you were a machine so you couldn't be called alive…….

While we were having that kind of exchange, Arisan and Sophisan who were standing a bit further away sent me a gaze as though they wanted to say something.

When our eyes met, the two of them entered into the house silently.

「If chicken dickwad doesn't enter the bath, then first it will be meal then. Please leave it to me. Today I'm making the favorite foods of chicken dickwad.」

Novem made a troubled look at Poyopoyo while they were entering into the house together.

「It will be troubling if you prepare nothing but Lyle-sama's favorite menu though.」

「I won't listen to a vixen's opinion.」

Only me remained there at the end.

When I moved to enter the house, Shannon's face came out from inside.

「……Stu~pid」

Shannon said that before running back into the house. Seeing her I felt convinced once more.

「As I thought a little sister is the worst.」

──Aria who finished taking a bath and eating lied down on the bed and looked at the ceiling.

The house of Circry sisters had a size that it could be called a mansion.

It also had rooms for several people. It was appreciated that each person could have their own room.

She had no dissatisfaction living in a group, but Aria noticed that recently there was a part of her that felt relieved when she was alone like this.

「It's a failure too today.」

She placed the back of her hand on her forehead.

Night had come outside the window.

She recalled what happened in the bath.

It would take time to enter one by one, so she took a bath together with Sophia. However, Sophia might be irritated that Aria made fun of her cooking as countryside cooking. She didn't say a single word to her.

「I'm really no good.」

She wanted to apologize, but she couldn't honestly apologize.

Lately they would get into quarrel because of little things. Until now Novem would act as mediator and gave follow up to the people around her. Things were going well at that time.

However, Miranda was messing up with that harmony. She was virtually inciting them, and Lyle who was seeing that without being able to do anything was also making her irritated.

(But, I'm the one who is the most disgusting……I kept making failure and dragged everyone down.)

The atmosphere was becoming bad since Miranda joined.

「Wanting to become Lyle's number one, is it.」

Aria muttered Miranda's words.]

When Miranda said it, she remembered that she certainly felt flustered.

Today too she was spending the night in distress from being unable to find the answer of what she wanted to do.