Kanata seemed to have returned to the party venue after finishing their secret talk…
The Lieutenant General and I returned to the dazzling party venue.
A slow-tempo song was playing, and a circle of men and women was forming in the center of the venue, dancing.
So, “cheating time” exists even outside of dance parties.
I didn’t have any experience with parties back in my old world, so I didn’t know.
I’ve been danced around by fate enough, but I can’t even manage a simple Bon Odori.
I guess I’ll just have to stay in a corner and be quiet.
I got a Champagne from a waiter and leaned against a pillar in the corner to drink it.
Delicious! This is good Champagne, it must be expensive.
When something good happens… I’ll drink this with Shuri. Maybe I’ll ask the waiter for the brand later.
I hope this “something good” means Shuri and Hotaru have gone back to how they used to be.
It would be best if Hotaru… could tell Shuri about what happened two years ago herself.
Shuri would surely… no, she would definitely think of a way to overcome it together. That’s the kind of person she is.
If that’s not possible… I’ll have to talk to Hotaru myself.
Since I promised Shigure-san that I wouldn’t tell anyone, I can’t speak to anyone other than Hotaru about that matter.
But if that’s the case, I might have to leave the Garden.
If I were a normal person, a transfer might not be so difficult… but no, it would be difficult.
I don’t want to leave the Garden.
…Before I knew it, I was dancing with Nattō Bacteria again. How much do I enjoy playing in the maze of my thoughts?
“What’s wrong? You look so gloomy. Are you sad because Lilith isn’t here?”
It was Marika-san, the woman with ruby eyes, who whispered to me from behind the pillar.
“Marika-san! Please don’t whisper from behind me suddenly!”
Honestly! Why do both the Commander and Marika-san sneak up from behind me like that!
It makes me look like a fool every time I jump!
Without paying a mind to my indignation, Marika-san took my hand and pulled me into the dancing circle.
“W-wait a minute! I’ve never danced before!”
“Then this is a good opportunity. Try it. Or are you not satisfied with me as your partner?”
“It’s not that I’m not satisfied, but I don’t want to be embarrassed here. Wouldn’t you be embarrassed too, Marika-san, to dance a clumsy dance with someone who can’t dance?”
Marika-san winked with her crimson eyes, which shone more vividly than the ruby ring on her slender, graceful fingers.
Her charm… it’s not just ruby eyes; they are more captivating than rubies.
“Kanata, you always try to be too cool about everything.”
“I’m not trying to be cool. You know my rough side well, don’t you, Marika-san!”
“Then there’s no problem. According to Lilith’s Grandpa, “Life belongs to those who enjoy it.” He was a grumpy old man, but it’s quite a good philosophy, isn’t it? Can you say you’re enjoying life if you miss out on a chance to dance with such a beautiful woman like me?”
I relented. …It’s true, life belongs to those who enjoy it. It’s a simple and clear rule.
Lilith’s Grandpa was apparently a world-renowned mathematician, but couldn’t he have been a philosopher too?
“I’ve relented, let’s dance. There’s a saying, “The dancing fool and the watching fool are the same fool, so why not dance?””
“Where is that saying from?”
I think… it was from Awa Odori.
“Well, if you’re willing, that’s all that matters. A slow dance isn’t difficult if you have core strength. I’ll lead, so follow me. It’s like the battlefield, just match our breathing… and dance.”
Marika-san took my hand and joined the dancing circle.
At first, I was hesitant and could only move awkwardly, but thanks to Marika-san’s excellent leadership, I think I’ve gotten a little better.
“Good, good. You have a solid core, so you look the part.”
“If looking clumsy counts as the part, then yes.”
“Don’t worry, soon someone who’s even worse than you will join the circle. Look over there.”
As I shifted my gaze, I saw the Commander’s smiling face pulling the somewhat troubled-looking Lieutenant General Shinonome’s hand.
…The Lieutenant General is also not good at dancing… well, he did seem like the type.
The Commander is quite mischievous to pull him out when it’s something he should know.
Finally, unable to resist, the Lieutenant General was pulled out and dragged over to us.
The Lieutenant General and I, two unfortunate men, could only face each other and give wry smiles.
“…My condolences, Lieutenant General.”
“…Yours too.”
The Commander smirked somewhat wickedy and began to tease the Lieutenant General.
“Uncle, are you unhappy dancing with me?”
“N-no, it’s not that… I’m not good at parties, and I’m even worse at dancing…”
A fitting reply from the Lieutenant General, who is honest, sincere, and clumsy.
“That won’t do, you must overcome your weaknesses. I shall instruct you, Uncle.”
The Commander, who is cunning, selfish, and skillful, replied.
Yeah, Marika-san was right. The Lieutenant General looks more hesitant and is worse than me.
“We two men being danced around by two women, it’s like a microcosm of life, isn’t it, Lieutenant General?”
“Don’t say such pathetic things with such an enlightened look. Unlike you, I’ve been danced around for a quarter of a century.”
That’s because you agreed to be the Commander’s guardian. Hmm? A quarter of a century, you say? That means…
“So the Commander is at least twenty-five years old or older…”
“…Kanata, do you want to die?”
Oh no, the Commander’s age was a top military secret.
“N-no, of course not. I didn’t hear anything… Whoa!”
I was forcibly pulled closer. Naturally, I ended up in a position of being close to Marika-san.
“Hey, Kanata. How can you chat away while neglecting your partner?”
Yes, I’m sorry. B-but, we’re so close that our chests are touching! They are touching!
“M-Marika-san. Uhm… your chest, you see…”
“I’m letting you feel it. You were thinking about something with a serious look, but you seem a little more cheerful now.”
Was I that transparent? I always seem to cause Marika-san trouble and worry.
But thanks to you, I’m feeling better now… in various ways.
The enjoyable “cheating time” was over, and wanting to feel the night breeze, I went out onto the balcony.
The vast balcony was empty, and I had this luxurious space all to myself.
I rested my arms on the railing and enjoyed the night view, which looked like a black velvet cloth sprinkled with colorful jewels.
I definitely prefer night views when it comes to looking at scenery.
I wonder if my father is looking at a night view like this in Tokyo… No, he’s probably looking down on it.
While thinking about such trivial things, a Champagne glass was placed on the railing.
“Commander, Marika-san just did that to me too. When are you going to stop sneaking up behind people?”
“It’s your fault for showing weakness. Kanata, if you’re like that on the battlefield, you’ll get a double promotion in no time.”
You say such ominous things while elegantly tilting your Champagne glass.
Since you brought it for me, I’ll gratefully accept the Champagne.
…It’s a Martini, not Champagne. But I like both, so it’s fine.
“I understand why Natsume isn’t here, but is Lilith working?”
“Yes, it’s faster for Lilith to do it than for me. I’ve confined her to the suite.”
…Poor thing. She’s probably cursing her own competence right now.
“It’s a misfortune for Lilith too, to be worked to death just because she’s competent.”
“Don’t say that, Kanata. You’re the one who uses Lilith the most. I heard you came up with a pretty nasty way to cheat. How did you manage to develop such a sly brain?”
“If you ferment Nattō Bacteria with your brain, you’ll become like this. Shouldn’t we supplement with people strong in law and numbers before Child Abuse becomes a problem? The Garden seems to be full of brawny types…”
“It seems so. I want to scout people who are good with Military Law in particular. There are too many Thugs who operate on the very edge of Military Law. It’s troublesome.”
…You’re the one who scouted those Thugs, Commander.
“Are they really just operating on the edge? They seem to be closer to the black side…”
“We need a Military Law pro who can bring black to a gray zone. Kanata, you often cause problems too.”
I have no comeback.
“I’m a problematic soldier trying to get through the exam by cheating. I wish I could switch brains with Lilith just for the exam day.”
“Why don’t you try to channel Lilith’s soul with a medium?”
I’m not an Itako medium from Osorezan, so I can’t do that.
If I could imitate a medium, I wouldn’t go through such troublesome cheating.
“There’s no way I can do that. I’m not a medium.”
“No matter how much of an exaggerated character Kanata is, he can’t do mediumship. Princess Mikoto might be able to, though.”
What? Princess Mikoto can do mediumship too?
“Princess Mikoto can do that too!?”
“The Mikado clan are originally a family of shrine maidens. There’s a legend, no, a myth, that the first generation matriarch of the Mikado clan, Shinryu, could summon kami. If she can summon kami, she can probably summon humans?”
“Ah, you mean the so-called shrine maiden princess, right? In ancient times, they wrote it as Miko, meaning child of kami, didn’t they?”
“Apparently. Well, mediums and shrine maidens were common in ancient times, but for the Mikado clan with their Dragon Eyes, it would have seemed like a real miracle.”
“Actually, it is a real miracle, isn’t it? To be able to read a person’s mind, even if it’s just their surface consciousness.”
“It’s certainly different from those fake mediums who possess foreign spirits and speak in Izuruha.”
That happens. I saw that kind of TV show in my old world.
The studio kept saying, “How fluent is that foreigner in Japanese?”
“Commander, let’s go back to the venue soon. It doesn’t look good if the host is absent from their own seat.”
“Go back first. I’ll have a smoke and then return.”
Saying that, the Commander lit a long, thin cigarette.
The Commander looked like a scene from a movie, smoking under the night view.
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