A long-awaited day off.
A day like today is an important one where I can forget about Silver Order business for a while and refresh both body and mind.
Which is why I'd planned to hole up at home and spend some leisurely time alone today, but…
"…Why are you here?"
I muttered that while looking at Amber, who was munching away on potato chips after climbing onto my bed without permission.
"Come on. Why so formal between us~? Ah, I spilled chips on the blanket."
"Could you at least sit up while you eat?"
No wonder my back had been stinging whenever I lay in bed lately; so it was because of this brat.
So the real question was, why the hell was Amber camped out at my house. That was the issue.
She was my superior, so I'd given her my address, but she had to go and barge in like this.
"Giving you the spare key was a mistake, wasn't it? Hand it over right now."
"If you died in your room, there'd be no one but me to check on you. And this is an executive order. I absolutely can't return the key!"
She began throwing a pointless tantrum.
"Only an executive when it suits you."
"And a space of your own? A secret base? I'm totally the type who likes that kind of thing."
Not something someone living in a luxury mansion should say.
Anyway, Amber in this state was stubborn. She wasn't someone who could be talked down easily to begin with.
"Do whatever you want, then…"
I snagged a chip and ate it, then settled in next to her.
Spending time alone was nice, but honestly, the current situation wasn't all that bad.
Having been dropped into a world where I had no connections, I was living day to day without so much as a friend, let alone a guardian.
'If it weren't for Amber, I probably would have spent every single day alone and lonely.'
I didn't know if she felt responsible as my superior, but I was grateful she kept hanging out with someone like me.
But unlike a loner like me, Amber must have made countless friends at Jewelry Academia.
She seemed like the type to have all sorts of plans on a holiday like today; was it really okay for her to be in such a shabby place?
"Don't you have other friends to hang out with? I thought you got close with Sophia, too."
After that, Sophia had come by the cafe several times to chat with Amber. Sometimes she even brought friends from other classes.
"Hmm, well, since I'm a magical girl, I thought it might be dangerous to hang out privately and all…"
"Can't argue with that."
Nothing was more spine-chilling than getting too close and getting exposed as a Silver Order executive.
Well, even Amber, who wasn't too bright, was capable of that much thought.
"And I can hang out with the others on weekdays too… so this much is fine!"
"I'm not chewing you out; I was just wondering."
Come to think of it, I had no idea what Amber's school life was like.
Being a student at the famous Jewelry Academia, I could more or less guess, but…
I stared at her as she rolled around on the bed.
I thought I'd caught a glimpse of her panties when she shifted just now, but I decided not to mention it.
"I feel it every time I come over, but this place is so cramped."
"If it's cramped, then leave…"
It was hard to expect comfortable living in a run-down old apartment like this. I'd picked my residence to be as close to Silver Order headquarters as possible.
Of course, I planned to move to a better place once I'd saved up enough. Living somewhere like this forever would only ruin my health.
In the midst of spending time exchanging pointless chatter with Amber or playing games together.
*Thud— thud—*
The sound of someone pacing back and forth beyond the front door kept reaching us.
"Did someone move in next door? It's been noisy since earlier; it's unbearable."
"Seems that way. And if it's too noisy, go home."
The landlady had told me a few days ago that a cute neighbor might move in next door, so I should look forward to it.
'Judging by her tone, it's definitely a girl. Well, no matter how cute she is, just how cute could she be?'
It was somewhat prejudiced, but from an auntie's perspective, any polite and well-mannered girl probably looked cute.
Besides, from my perspective, I was only disappointed that the empty room next door was suddenly occupied.
"This place is so old that the soundproofing is terrible. I was already annoyed by the daily noise from upstairs and downstairs, and now the next door is filled, too."
"Heeh~"
Amber let out that exclamation with a look of absolutely no sympathy.
This was exactly why you shouldn't get involved with rich daughters living in mansions. Just because they had some money, they turned a deaf ear to their revered senior's words.
*Ding-dong—!*
Speak of the devil; I'd thought the footsteps had stopped for a moment when the doorbell echoed through the room.
"Hello~! I'm the one who just moved into Unit 104!"
Without a doubt, a girl's energetic voice. Probably around Amber's age.
"Did she come to personally greet me, the next-door neighbor, just because she moved in?"
"What a fascinating custom. I've never once been greeted like that myself."
"That's because you live in a mansion… no, forget it."
Anyway, I couldn't keep a guest waiting. I hurried to the front door and opened it to see who my new neighbor was—
"……."
Magical Girl Ruby was standing there.
I closed the front door just like that and went over to Amber.
"Huh? Ow! Why'd you hit me!"
I smacked her hard head, wondering if it was a nightmare, but the vivid pain I felt was too real for a dream.
"What the… it's not a dream…"
"Huh…?"
I moved back and opened the front door again.
Magical Girl Ruby— no, Rabi was still standing there.
"Aah! I just moved in, and it turns out next door is where you live, Jade! What an incredible coincidence!"
"…Yeah, incredible."
I thought to myself.
As if it could be a coincidence.
***
"Excuse me~"
First, I sent Amber running out the window, then let Rabi inside.
Of course, I'd given Amber an order: the moment Rabi attacked me, inform the Boss. Even now, she was secretly watching from outside the window.
So in the end, the question boiled down to why she had come looking for me.
"I've never been inside a man's room before."
"…You didn't come here for pointless small talk like that."
"Huh?"
Answering shamelessly with a question wasn't going to change my convictions.
Rabi knew my true identity. No, she'd known from the very beginning.
"I rejected your confession, didn't I? How did you find out my address?"
"Eeh?! It really is a coincidence! I moved in, and my next-door neighbor just happened to be you, so…"
Did she think I was a pushover?
I couldn't check without a mirror, but I was surely wearing a face full of wariness.
In contrast, Rabi only returned an innocent smile, which only soured my mood further.
"…Don't move."
"Ooh?"
I quickly drew the pistol I'd hidden at the back of my waist and aimed it at her.
The sight of an adult man pointing a gun at a little girl—truly surreal and bizarre.
But taking this situation at face value would be far too careless.
Because in this world, there exists a concept called mana that can instantly overturn gaps in strength.
And the person standing before me was one who boasted the greatest and largest mana in humanity. For a mana-deficient wretch like me, I wouldn't even qualify as a playmate.
'Since she's found her way to my home, there's nowhere left to run anyway.'
Rather than leak information about Silver Order without even realizing it, putting up a fight like this was probably better.
Rabi stared at my face intently for a moment—
"Ugh!"
Without even giving me time to pull the trigger, she shattered the pistol in my hand to pieces.
"Silver Order Operations Support Department, Jade."
"…So you knew after all."
I'd more or less expected it. There was no way someone like Ruby would fall for someone like me.
That gentle expression and clumsy attitude she'd shown when she first confessed. It seemed that had all been an act.
'Then this is Rabi's true face.'
Cold eyes and an overbearing atmosphere. As though she were dealing with an entirely different human being.
It was still fine. Even if Rabi took me out right here, Amber would immediately inform the Boss.
The one who uncovered Magical Girl Ruby's true identity would receive lavish treatment from Silver Order.
I wondered if this could be considered a decent end for a mere minion. I'd been grateful to Amber in many ways, so I wanted to repay my debt, even if it had to be like this.
'Though I still don't know why Magical Girl Ruby would target a mere grunt like me…'
At this point, that didn't matter. It was a life I'd already lost once, after all.
"Ah, you're thinking that since Amber is watching from outside the window, word will reach the Silver Order Boss soon. That's what you think, right?"
A shiver ran down my entire body.
'She noticed Amber too…?'
"When you put on such a wonderful expression, I can tell everything. That you don't care what happens to yourself, as long as you protect someone precious."
By now, none of Ruby's words were registering in my head.
"Actually, I cast perception-inhibiting magic before coming in, so no matter what I do, I doubt anyone outside will notice."
"……."
Like prey caught in the gaze of a predator.
That's why I could sense it. That from this moment on, I would be devoured by this girl.
She put her full weight on me, pinning me to the floor, then looked down with an indescribable expression.
"Even if I do something this extreme… right?"
"…?"
Wait. Surely that confession had been a fake to reel me in.
Then why was she taking off her clothes?
Even searching through the waves of my memories, I couldn't come up with a cause.
Because I was a mere minion of Silver Order—an evil organization hostile to the magical girl before my very eyes.