She’s not supposed to be a heroine or anything.
Just in case.
After we gathered, the first thing we did was introduce ourselves.
Our party consisted of six people: me, Ringo, Mitsuki, Maki, Sahzan, and Ena.
The original residents of the mansion were Shizun, the master; Elm, the butler; Lilm, the maid; Fai, the eldest son; Mizu, the eldest daughter; Asu, the second son; and Fu, the second daughter, making a total of seven.
While I could manage to remember everyone, it was still a struggle to keep track of the names of all thirteen people gathered. Maki, at least, was diligently taking notes in her memo pad, writing down all the information.
After the introductions, we were supposed to get straight to dealing with the incident, but then Shizun spoke up.
“If the予告状 is to be believed, the culprit will likely make their move tonight. There’s no point in us being on high alert all the time. How about we have free time until 6 PM?”
Some might think that’s too lenient, but this was the predetermined course of the quest. We already knew the culprit wouldn’t act until nightfall, so I had no reason to object. I thought Mitsuki might be the one to complain, but she only twitched her cat ears and remained silent.
“If you use the Explorer’s Ring, it doesn’t matter where anyone is,” Mitsuki whispered, sensing my gaze.
I truly don’t want to make an enemy of her. Perhaps because of the basic policy of going with the flow, no one from our side raised any objections, and Shizun’s proposal was accepted.
We agreed to meet in the Barrier room at 6 PM and decided to act freely until then. Frankly, from a system perspective, this was to adjust the time for arriving at the Arken Mansion early, but for Players, it was a chance for preliminary investigations before the main event.
Maki, ever the aspiring detective, was eager to start investigating, but I figured we should get acquainted with the mansion’s layout first. So, we decided to have someone guide us through the Arken Family’s residence.
However, Master Shizun was busy, and Butler Elm had returned to his post guarding the Barrier room. Naturally, our guide turned out to be…
“Th-then, I, unworthy as I am, Lilurl, will take on the great duty of guiding you all!”
It was the overly innocent-looking maid who had been pouring tea into a vase in the previous room. Mitsuki raised her eyebrows at the fumbling maid.
“Lilurl? I believe you introduced yourself as Lilm earlier.”
“Oh, I-I’m sorry! I-I made a mistake with my name because I was nervous!”
I felt a palpable sense of dismay from everyone at her shocking statement. Just like at the Hisame Dojo, I thought clumsy maids were only acceptable in fiction; in reality, they’re a turn-off. I felt like lecturing them on why they hired such a person. Even setting that aside, mistaking her own name wasn’t clumsiness, it was bordering on amnesia.
However, the flawed maid, a character undeniably derived from fiction, continued her introduction without reading the room.
“Uh! I’m Rimul, the maid! I-I’d like to ask for your cooperation again.”
Her sudden appearance of a third name sent another wave of dread through our party. Even Sahzan, let alone Ena, took a step back. Mitsuki, who outwardly maintained her composure, had her cat ears bristling like she was facing an unknown threat, letting out a “Shah!”
“…Souma. Do men like that sort of thing?” Maki asked, her gaze tinged with an accusatory tone.
“N-no, it’s not like that…”
Before I could finish, the maid, who had overheard us, approached and…
“Uh, uh, do you have any questions for m-きゃああ!!”
“Whoa!”
She tripped on the carpet and fell towards me. As I caught her, I felt two soft, yielding mounds against my arms, disproportionate to her petite frame.
“I-I-I’m so sorry!”
“N-no…”
As I replied to the hastily retreating maid, I momentarily considered if it was some sort of tradition, but then Maki’s cold gaze and Ringo’s tight grip on my arm brought me back to reality.
…Honestly, the stock-standard clumsy maid is terrifying.
As I had suspected, the clumsy maid’s tour was utterly useless.
“Um, on your right, you see… um, well… a painting!”
“Yes. We can see that.”
“Awww…!!”
The mansion was filled with art pieces of supposed great historical significance at every important juncture, but she had absolutely no knowledge of them.
“Ah, and this thing over here is… a staircase.”
“…And what’s on the second floor?”
“The second floor? Uh, uh, uh… Oh, my room is there!”
“…I see.”
Mitsuki occasionally tried to help, but the clumsy maid’s power managed to render it all useless. Perhaps sensing her own inadequacy, the maid’s talkativeness had significantly dwindled by the time we reached the second floor after touring the first. Maki, to compensate, spoke up.
“But, the art here is amazing! Look, this vase has such bold colors, and painting the pillar the same color as the vase… that’s true artistry…”
“Ah, I-I’m so sorry! That’s where I spilled red paint…”
“…………”
Maki, now as red as the paint, fell silent. Sahzan, looking at a nearby suit of armor, began to speak in her stead.
“Hmph. I don’t understand art, but this armor tells me the Arken family are warriors. These countless scratches and numerous dents etched into the armor. This is truly the mark of a seasoned warrior…”
“Ah, I-I’m so sorry! That’s from me bumping into it and knocking it over countless times…”
“…………”
Then, as Sahzan also fell silent, Mitsuki stepped forward.
“Speaking of exquisite craftsmanship, the detail on this vase is remarkable. The incredibly fine patterns, barely discernible unless you look closely, are woven in every direction…”
“Ah, I-I confess! I broke that vase before and glued it back together with super glue, so those grooves remained…”
“…If that’s the case, it’s the work of a master. I am impressed.”
Unlike the other two, she managed to offer a response, but her cat ears had completely drooped, as if she wanted to burrow into the ground. Mitsuki was also defeated. So, deciding it was her turn, Ena bravely stepped forward.
“Ah, speaking of art, this statue…”
“Ena-san. That’s a wooden sculpture.”
“Aww…!!”
But before the clumsy maid could speak, Mitsuki pointed out her mistake. Ena, her shoulders slumped, was approached by the clumsy maid, who, contrary to her usual self, approached with sparkling eyes.
“I feel like I could become friends with Ena-san!!”
“W-wait! I’m happy, but why do you think that!?”
And so, Ena alone displayed an exceptionally rare gift for the extraordinary. We then ascended to the third floor.
“Uh, um, there’s the Barrier room here, and Elm-san is keeping watch, so please be quiet… B-because Elm-san gets really scary when he’s angry!”
As soon as we reached the third floor, the clumsy maid said so without much quietness. Butler Elm, guarding the Barrier room door, looked towards us.
“Hiyuu!!”
He directed an incredibly imposing smile at the clumsy maid.
“I-I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”
“Ah, hey, wait a minute…”
Overcome with fear, the clumsy maid hid behind my back.
“I’ll only break three plates a day! I’ll only spill drinks that aren’t too hot! So, so please forgive me!!”
She shouted, her conditions sounding like concessions but not really offering much. The clumsy maid clung to me, and then something soft was being pressed into my back. As the situation became too much, a mysterious formula appeared in my mind. Just then, the clumsy maid was pulled away from me by Maki and Ena. Simultaneously, with perfect coordination, Ringo pulled my arm, further separating me from the clumsy maid.
“Please calm down a little.”
“Y-yes.”
Mitsuki, while reprimanding her, also looked slightly exasperated. Meanwhile, having finally escaped the clumsy maid’s intimidating presence, I regained my composure and surveyed the third floor.
“It’s all similar rooms.”
I had thought the same when playing games or when I came here with Shizun earlier. Compared to the first and second floors, the third floor had fewer ornaments and decorations. The hallways were long, and the doors to the few rooms were all identical, making it easy to get lost if you weren’t familiar with it. The only things that could serve as landmarks were…
“Ah, this suit of armor. It’s the same one as the one downstairs,” Maki said, pointing to a Western-style full suit of armor. It was identical in design to the one downstairs, and like that one, it was dented and scratched in places.
“Can you go inside and move it?”
“G-go inside? I-I think that would be difficult. It wasn’t made to be worn, so it’s heavy, and there’s the size issue.”
“I see…”
Indeed, the size wouldn’t fit small children like Asu and Fu, but it might get stuck on someone heavier like Shizun or certain overly developed individuals, including the clumsy maid. Perhaps pleased by Maki’s question, the clumsy maid added.
“This armor is really heavy. I think only I, Elm-san, and Fai-san in this mansion can carry it alone. Ehehe. I’m quite strong, you know!”
The clumsy maid puffed out her chest to show off her strength, but clearly, something else was emphasized.
“S-so, whose room was it next to the Barrier room?”
As I watched the clumsy maid, I felt Ringo and Ena’s gazes piercing me from the side, so I hurriedly changed the subject. I actually remembered the mansion’s layout, but I figured this would distract them.
“Huh? Uh, that would be…”
“The room to your left is Mizu-sama’s room. And the room to your right is currently vacant,” Butler Elm answered, instead of the flustered maid.
“M-my job!?”
While the clumsy maid was in shock, Maki stepped forward.
“Would it be alright to see the vacant room?”
“Please do. It shouldn’t be locked.”
With permission, Maki unhesitatingly opened the door to the right of the Barrier room and peered inside.
“The shape of this room is the same as the Barrier room… Perhaps Mizu’s room is also…”
“Yes. I cannot show you, but all the rooms on this floor have the same layout.”
Maki nodded upon hearing this and began writing something new in her memo pad. Since we couldn’t enter the Barrier room, we thanked Elm and left the third floor.
The mansion was three stories high, so we had now seen almost everywhere. On our way back to the first floor, Ena, who had come up next to me, spoke.
“That maid is incredibly clumsy, but she doesn’t seem like the culprit, does she?”
“Who knows? I can’t say.”
“Ah, refusing to answer is unfair!”
It seemed she was trying to probe me for information about the incident, as if I knew who the culprit was. How audacious of Ena. I decided to fight back a little.
“However, Ena, you should be wary of her for reasons unrelated to that. Don’t you think?”
“Huh? Why do you say that?”
“Well… your characters overlap, don’t they?”
As soon as I said that, Ena’s face turned bright red, and she shouted,
“I-I’m not as clumsy as she is!!”
And then, with a slight delay, came a “Kashan” sound.
“…Ah.”
Looking towards the source of the sound, the vase that Mitsuki had praised earlier had fallen to the ground and shattered, likely because Ena’s excited hand had caught it. Ena turned pale. Then, the clumsy maid, noticing the anomaly, approached. She took in the situation in an instant and then…
“—Here you go.”
With an out-of-place broad smile, she offered something to Ena. The tube-shaped container that Ena was handed, unfitting for a medieval fantasy setting, had “Super Glue” written on it.
Leaving Ena to tackle the terrifying three-dimensional puzzle, we returned to the living room. None of the mansion’s residents were there anymore, and we too decided to go our separate ways.
“I’m going to go and gather information from the people in this house!” Maki said, leaving first.
“Then I’ll also do a quick sweep of the surroundings. I want to rule out the possibility of an outside culprit,” Mitsuki added, before leaving the room.
“Hmph. The nature of a dark adventurer calls me to an endless journey of exploration,” Sahzan, invigorated by the new location, dashed off to continue exploring the mansion.
“W-well then, I’ll be getting back to my work! Ehehe. Actually, I’ve thought of a way to make cleaning easier using wind magic!” With those ominous words, which clearly predicted future dish-breaking incidents, even the clumsy maid left. In the room, only I remained, and…
“……..”
Ringo, who was inexplicably peeking at me from behind a pillar, remained. Was this some kind of game? I considered letting Ringo enjoy herself, but being stared at silently was unsettling.
“Um… Ringo?”
“Ngh!?”
When I spoke, Ringo visibly flinched and hid her face behind the pillar.
“I can see you. And I’ve known you were there from the start.”
As I said that, she peeked out, just her face.
“Don’t stay there. Come here. This sofa is comfortable, you know.”
Despite my invitation, Ringo shook her head.
“…I’m watching.”
She was quite stubborn. However…
“You can watch from next door. It’s unsettling when you’re there, so come on.”
As I patted the spot next to me on the sofa, she reluctantly emerged. Hesitantly, she sat down next to me.
“Why are you suspecting me like that?” I asked. Ringo replied without meeting my eyes.
“…Because, Soma. You had a bad look on your face earlier.”
“Eh?”
Did I look like that? I don’t recall. However, if that was the case, I needed to clear up Ringo’s misunderstanding. I turned to face Ringo, met her eyes, and declared clearly,
“You don’t need to worry so much. I was just thinking about how to deal with Layla this time. I’m not thinking about anything else, and I have no intention of causing trouble for the people in this mansion.”
Finally, I added, “Of course, if I can get a crest as a bonus, I wouldn’t mind,” and Ringo’s expression finally softened.
“…Okay. I believe you.”
With her whispered words, I finally let out a sigh of relief. As the atmosphere relaxed, Ringo let out a small yawn. Seeing that, I became a little concerned.
“Speaking of which, how have you been feeling since then? Have you been having any more pain anywhere?”
When I asked, Ringo hesitated for a moment before replying,
“…I’m okay now.”
“Now” implied that there were times she wasn’t okay. As I stared at her, Ringo squirmed slightly as if tickled and replied in a small voice,
“…I just have trouble sleeping.”
“Sleep deprivation? Is that because your physical condition…”
Ringo shook her head slightly to deny my words as I started to speak. Then, after a longer hesitation than before, she said,
“…Because I have dreams of you disappearing.”
She whispered those words in a tiny voice.
“Me…?”
I was shocked by her words. There was only one possible reason. It was likely because I had mentioned returning to the real world. At that time, Ringo had said she would support our return to our original world. But perhaps, in her heart, Ringo didn’t want me to leave.
“…When I take my eyes off Soma, I feel like you’ll disappear.”
“So, that’s why you were watching me today?”
At my words, she nodded slightly.
“…I’m sorry.”
Ushading her eyes, Ringo even uttered those words.
“No, Ringo doesn’t have anything to apologize for…”
Ringo had nothing to apologize for. The one who should apologize was me. However, considering Maki, I couldn’t say that I wouldn’t return to the original world. So, at the very least, I took Ringo’s hand.
“…So, Soma?”
As Ringo looked up in surprise, I conveyed my feelings with all my might.
“I’m sorry I didn’t notice… But I’m not going anywhere right now. So, um… you can sleep here without any worries.”
As I said that, stammering, understanding gradually spread across Ringo’s face.
“…Mhm.”
Hesitantly, as if scared, she leaned her head against my shoulder. Ringo’s gaze asked “Is this okay?” I responded with an unspoken nod. Relieved from the bottom of her heart, Ringo leaned on me. As I felt her warmth on my right shoulder, I soon heard her steady breathing. She must have been extremely tired.
“…I’m really sorry, Ringo.”
As I said that, I gently brushed the hair from Ringo’s face. Ringo stirred in her sleep. A murmur escaped her sleeping lips.
“So, Soma. Don’t go…”
While my heart ached at her words, I replied as gently as possible, “I won’t go,” and strengthened my grip on Ringo’s hand.
“—Oh?”
Unbeknownst to me, I must have dozed off as well. As I woke up, something fell from my lap, making a loud thud.
“…Soma?”
Startled by the sound, Ringo opened her eyes.
“My bad. Did I wake you?”
“…Mhm. It’s fine.”
Apologizing again to Ringo, who shook her head slightly while still clinging to me, I sat up. I hadn’t placed anything on my lap, but as I leaned forward to pick up what had fallen, my sleepy mind jolted awake.
“This is…”
Looking at the item on the plush carpet, a unique jewel emitting an ominous glow.
“—The Eye of Heaven, huh.”
It should have been discarded by Sahzan somewhere, but it had traveled all the way here, across dimensions. I gently picked up the Eye of Heaven and placed it in my Adventurer’s Bag.
And with this appearing, it meant six hours had passed, and it was almost time…
“Oh! You’re here!”
As if to confirm my thoughts, Shizun’s voice called from upstairs.
“It’s almost 6 PM. Let’s head to the Barrier room.”
We looked at each other and nodded at his words, then stood up, still holding hands.
With that, the stage was set. The incident at the Arken mansion, rife with schemes, was about to begin!
Mission accomplished: Diverted readers’ attention from the incident with the mysterious formula effect!
