Atop the towering tower, a flag bearing a jester's emblem fluttered in the wind.
Bell fled across the broad lawn with Anakitty in tow.
"Ais-san actually has that kind of personality? Are we sure there hasn't been some kind of mistake?"
Anakitty couldn't help but complain.
Ever since she had joined the Loki Familia, Ais had always been cool and naturally aloof. The [yandere] image the gods had just described completely overturned everything Anakitty thought she knew about her.
"She was probably set off by what just happened."
Bell analyzed the reason for Ais's rampage rationally.
The blonde girl had a very low tolerance for embarrassing situations. Judging from Ais's attitude toward Anakitty, that recent suggestive incident had definitely been one of the factors that triggered the avalanche.
"Don't say it out loud. I was so scared I was almost starting to forget about it..."
Anakitty grumbled in a spoiled tone, then changed the subject. "So what do we do now? I can't exactly run away from the Loki Familia."
The expedition was right around the corner, and the personnel had already been fully arranged. They couldn't let this unexpected little incident affect tomorrow's expedition.
"Anakitty-san, go hide with Alicia-san and the others for a while. I'll handle this."
After laying out the plan, Bell let go of the Catgirl's wrist.
"Then be careful."
Anakitty watched the boy leave, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
...
Elsewhere, emerald-green hair and long golden hair danced in the wind.
Riveria faced the raging gale, confronting the rampaging Ais head-on.
"Ais, you didn't just charge after him without thinking."
Riveria spoke gently.
A moment ago, Ais had been staring fixedly at Bell's retreating back. Reflected in her golden eyes was the image of the boy taking Anakitty by the wrist and fleeing together with her.
Black miasma churned in her gaze, but Ais remained where she was, waiting for Riveria to step aside.
"Because Bell just said he would come back here..."
Unlike when she was drunk, Ais still retained a certain amount of reason.
Her lips parted and closed as she spoke, without the slightest doubt in the truth of the boy's words.
"..."
Riveria saw straight through Ais's contradiction.
If she trusted that boy so much, then how could she brand him a liar?
The perceptive Riveria realized that Ais's heart must also be in complete turmoil. The source of it was naturally the boy's "confession," along with the suggestive scene they had happened to stumble upon.
What had stirred up this storm was a love much like the one in Riveria's own heart. She could not point it out directly or force Ais to face those feelings.
The sword had found its sheath.
But there was still a long road ahead before the moment it could be sheathed.
Riveria put away some of her emotion and relief, then said, "In that case, you don't plan to make trouble for Aki?"
Her voice was swallowed by the gale. Whether because of the force of the wind or because she had remembered the indecent scene from earlier, Ais's body swayed slightly.
"Cat... bad cat... thieving cat... tie Aki up...?"
Ais seemed to be thinking about how to deal with Anakitty, her words coming out in broken pieces.
When she had gone on a date with Bell the day before yesterday, many embarrassing things had happened, but he had still been as warm and comforting as ever.
Only a little more than a day had passed, yet things had developed into this. It had to be Aki's fault.
That was what Ais concluded in her heart.
"Is that so? Then what about Bell Cranel?"
Riveria skipped past the topic of Anakitty.
Although she did feel somewhat sorry for the Catgirl, Riveria herself had plenty to say about that earlier scene. It was only a simulated battle. How could two people who had just met for the first time do something so intimate?
Even if it had been an accident, it was unforgivable.
Compared with how Aki would be dealt with, Riveria was more concerned about the boy's safety.
"Beat him... until he becomes good again...?"
Ais honestly stated her intention.
Unfortunately, Ais had her own unique trump card for dealing with bad children.
It was a lingering problem from Riveria's teachings, and also Ais Wallenstein's only weakness. Now, using it against the boy was all too fitting.
"..."
Riveria felt as though she could sense a thick, demon-like miasma rising from behind Ais.
Once, because a certain girl had called her an "old hag," Riveria had resorted to a little private punishment, correcting the girl's personality while educating her.
Looking at Ais now, Riveria couldn't shake the feeling that the boomerang had come back to hit her.
"I'm sorry, Ais. I can't let you pass."
Riveria tightened her grip on her staff.
Back in the Dungeon, she had once told the boy that if he ever saw her completely exposed body, she would definitely resort to violence and beat him until he forgot the memory. But now, hearing similar words as a third party, Riveria stood in Ais's way without hesitation.
Not as an elder, but as a willful princess protecting the one person only she was allowed to bully.
"Riveria... I'll be careful with the weight, so Bell won't suffer too much... so move aside..."
Ais made her promise.
This was a matter between her and the boy. If possible, Ais did not want to drag Riveria into it.
"Unless you defeat me, I won't let you pass."
Riveria refused to back down.
Judging from the word "weight," her earlier hunch had been correct.
Riveria had once tied orichalcum to Ais's leg and thrown her into the water. That had left the young Ais with a psychological scar, and even now, she still feared deep water.
Although it had been for the sake of training her in underwater combat and correcting her bad habit of blurting out "old hag" at every turn, Riveria had never imagined that Ais would take that method and repurpose it, intending to use it on the boy.
"Why...?"
Ais blinked in confusion.
She had already promised. She would only drive the bad child out of Bell and would not injure him.
Once upon a time, Riveria had done the same thing.
Ais was merely recreating what she had done. Riveria had no grounds to object at all.
Unless...
A thought flashed through Ais's mind, but little Ais quickly drove it away.
"The reason is simple. Bell Cranel is a companion on this expedition, and he is also a guest of Twilight Manor. I cannot allow you to do anything that would harm him."
Riveria hid the personal feelings in her heart and smoothly gave the outward explanation.
Normally, most people would choose to give up after hearing a reason involving the familia.
But Ais was not ordinary.
She narrowed her eyes slightly and stared hard into Riveria's emerald-green pupils.
Amid the raging wind, Ais exposed the source of the unease.
"Riveria... you... like Bell too?"
***
...
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
[email protected]/PinkSnake (70 Chapters Ahead).
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.
***