Episode 187
"Grrrk!"
Miho, her demonic transformation half undone, tried to rise from her spot with all her might.
"Stay still."
"Hic..."
But at Lulu's single command, she collapsed back onto the floor, and soon, forgetting even her anger, she began to tremble with fear.
'...What is this?'
Watching that scene blankly, I turned my gaze to the Dominion Stone that was shattered into pieces and twinkling in the distance, lost in thought.
'The Dominion Stone is definitely broken...?'
Miho, who had become a demonized spirit creature, was treated as the final boss of the first-year scenario. In other words, it would be difficult not just to control her but even to defeat her in battle.
Yet how did Lulu subdue someone like her with just a word? Though many strange things had happened until now, this was something I couldn't understand at all.
"M-Master. What should we do?"
While I was thinking, Lulu turned her head and urgently asked me.
- Fzzzt... Zzt...
Her magic eye was blazing ruby-red until then.
"Could it be... that magic eye?"
Only then could I somewhat grasp how this incident had occurred.
It seemed that this miracle-like event was something brought about by Lulu's magic eye.
'That's strange...'
However, since I could only grasp 'to some extent,' questions still remained.
What exactly was the identity of the newly manifested ability in Lulu's 'magic eye' that was specialized for simply analyzing and understanding things?
And what exactly was the trigger for that ability's manifestation? There didn't seem to be any warning signs.
"For now... put her to sleep."
"Y-yes."
However, since Miho's condition looked quite bad, I put aside my thoughts for now and gave that command.
"...Fall asleep."
"Mmm..."
Soon, Miho's eyes, now almost free from the demonic transformation's influence, closed gently, and she lost consciousness right there on the floor.
"......."
And silence began to flow.
"U-um..."
Lulu, who had been watching me for a moment in that silence.
"P-please pet me."
She said to me while fidgeting.
".....!?"
And at the same time, a strange impulse was felt.
Of course, with my strong mental resistance, I could resist it sufficiently, but an ordinary person would surely have been affected.
"U-ugh... I'm sorry..."
Meanwhile, Lulu, who had been apologizing while fidgeting, perhaps having tried giving me a command just in case.
"Ahh...!"
Soon covered her eyes and staggered, then collapsed.
"Mmm... mm..."
"Lulu? Are you oka— wah!"
Thanks to that, I was surprised and ran to her, but after touching her body, I was shocked again.
'Why is she so hot...?'
It was because her body was hot like a fireball.
- Fzzzt...
Moreover, her eyes were terribly bloodshot from the sparks continuously flying from them.
If that state continued, it seemed clear that Lulu would suffer serious injury.
- Snap!
Therefore, I applied a bit of force to my hand to knock Lulu unconscious, and thankfully, the blazing magic eye went out.
"Hoo..."
Sighing between the unconscious Lulu and Miho, I turned my gaze to Serena, who had been watching me until then.
".....Mm."
She, who had been quietly looking at me, Miho, and Lulu in turn with eyes that seemed to suspect something.
Finally fixed her gaze on me.
"...How annoying. It was an expensive product."
Since it would be troublesome if daytime Serena discovered my true identity, I said that in a cold voice and kicked Lulu roughly toward her.
"Believe that I really kicked her."
Of course, I didn't actually kick her. I just pretended to kick and gave that command to her, who was under the absolute obedience magic.
"F-Frey."
Serena, who had been looking at me blankly, approached me urgently.
"What happened..."
"Never mind that, just bring healing potions. We'll do emergency treatment and then leave here."
"H-here you go."
Serena, who took out a healing potion from her bosom while saying that, spoke with a timid expression.
"P-please stay a little longer... We can talk, and about what just happened..."
"Don't worry about what just happened."
"Yes, but still, just a little time with me..."
"I said never mind."
Since staying here longer would likely lead to troublesome situations in various ways, I said that in a cold voice, but Serena made a timid expression and pointed to my lower body.
"...Y-you're going outside in that state?"
"Ah."
Only then realizing that my lower garment was torn, I frowned.
'...Come to think of it, I haven't accomplished my purpose for coming here yet either.'
When my thoughts reached that point, I sighed and spoke to Serena.
"Come to think of it, I had something to request of you..."
"Yes! I understand! I'll prepare right away!"
Before my words even finished, Serena answered brightly with a wide smile and clapped her hands.
- Whoosh!!
Two masked assassins popped out from the basement.
"...Clear them out."
Serena, who gave them orders in a cold voice.
"P-please wait a little while until preparations are complete. Would you like some coffee? You like coffee, right? Yes?"
She said that to me and started making a restless expression again.
"Haa..."
For some reason, it's a day that makes me think a lot.
.
"Hmm, hmm..."
"......."
I am now watching Serena clearing her throat while sitting on the reception room sofa.
"So, what exactly is this?"
When I asked her, who was quite focused on organizing the files she was holding, Serena finally looked at me and smiled.
"C-can't you tell by looking? I'm accepting a request."
Beside her as she said that, Miho was glaring at me with narrowed eyes.
"I said I had a request to entrust to the information guild you newly established, not to sit across from each other and have a conversation like this."
Thanks to that, feeling anxious that I might be attacked at any moment, I protested to Serena, and she quickly replied.
"B-but... at our agency, this format is essential..."
"Agency? Not an information guild?"
"Didn't you know?"
Serena said that and, lowering her voice deeply, began to speak with a serious expression.
"The building I established here several months ago is not simply an information guild but..."
"......"
"...a-a detective agency!"
Whether she was intimidated by my cold gaze midway through, she stumbled over her words.
She had an old beret hat on her head that she must have prepared somehow, a checkered cape over her shoulders, and even an unlit cigarette in her hand.
"U-ugh..."
With a red face, she shrank slightly and began to quietly observe my reaction.
'...Cute.'
Since she, who always showed only a cold side, was intimidated and making a trivial expression, the contrast with her usual appearance made her look incredibly cute.
It's almost a shame that we chose to talk on the first floor reception room instead of the basement.
"Hmm..."
Anyway, the building seemed too shabby to call it an information 'guild,' so I was wondering about it, but a detective agency?
Why a detective agency all of a sudden?
"The daughter of a ducal family and current head running a detective agency—isn't your head too much of a flower garden?"
"W-when I meet clients usually, I use disguise magic!"
"No, that's not what I mean..."
Thanks to that, I, whose curiosity was exploding like crazy and was about to ask questions wildly, stopped speaking and quietly fell into thought.
'...Serena must have thought this through.'
This isn't 'daytime Serena's' personal deviation. Even if her memories are erased, 'daytime Serena' is in a position to be controlled by 'nighttime Serena' to some extent.
If so, this pretend-play-like event must be part of a plan Serena established... Unfortunately, I can't understand her grand design.
However, if she fixed her daytime activities to this 'detective agency,' it must surely be something of that much value...
"Ah!"
While I was thinking that, Serena suddenly clapped her hands and began to take out letters.
"...What are you doing?"
When I asked her, Serena scratched her head and answered.
"I-I'm writing a letter to Lady Pelouche."
"...A letter?"
"Yes, Lady Pelouche entrusted me with a request."
Saying that, Serena pointed to the pigeon on my shoulder and continued.
"'My pigeon left home! If you find it, I'll give you a generous reward!' she said..."
"Gu?"
"L-Lady Pelouche is a regular at our agency. She loses her pigeons often..."
Serena, who mimicked Pelouche's characteristic foolish tone, saw my cold expression and started checking my reaction again.
"........."
After that, a long silence passed.
"S-still, our agency has become quite famous! Despite appearances, our case resolution rate so far is 100%, so these days even high-ranking..."
"People of higher status than you won't come."
Hearing those words and sighing deeply, I began to glare at Serena, who had been intimidated for some reason since earlier.
"Heek..."
Then, Serena fidgeted restlessly.
"Playing childish games like children's pranks—it's truly pathetic."
When I coldly denounced her, she sobbed and muttered.
"T-the Empress also entrusted a request..."
"Enough, just accept my request."
"...Yes, yes!"
Suppressing the cuteness I felt from her clumsy and trivial appearance different from usual, I said in a cold voice, and Serena, swallowing dry saliva, brightened her eyes.
"First, investigate the Order's youngest holy knight."
"W-why that person..."
"None of your business. Just investigate properly."
When I said that in a commanding tone, Serena's pupils, who was trying to pry, relaxed for a moment and then she nodded.
"What, what? I would normally try to press for more..."
"By the way, why is she here?"
At the same time, Miho, who was sitting next to her, muttered that, so I frowned slightly and asked Serena.
"S-she's an assistant!"
"Assistant?"
"It's common sense for a detective to have an assistant..."
Then Serena, who answered in a timid voice, glanced at Miho and continued.
"When dangerous things happen, she can fight too, has healing abilities, and actually thinks quite well..."
"Enough, just accept the second request."
Thinking the conversation would get long, I cut off Serena's words and, changing my expression to a darker one, whispered to her.
"...Find out the secrets the Order is hiding."
"Yes, yes?"
Then, Serena said with wide, round eyes.
"H-how far..."
"Everything."
Answering her firmly, I stood up from my seat.
"Well, good work."
"W-wait a moment! Just talk a little more..."
Then, Serena, who quickly stood up and tried to grab my repaired trouser leg.
"...If you finish the work well, I'll go on a date with you for a day."
".....!"
Hearing those words, she froze in place with her mouth wide open.
"Well then..."
Glancing at the cute daytime Serena and secretly smiling, I tried to go outside.
"...Ugh."
Miho, who was sitting on the sofa, made a disgusted expression and gagged, so I turned my gaze to her.
"What are you looking at, human."
Then Miho, glaring at me as if to eat me alive, spat out words.
"Birds of a feather flock together."
Slightly afraid that I might be attacked like before, I muttered that and quickly left the reception room, thinking.
'...She really does have a plan, right?'
No matter how I look at it, it seems like a genius duke's daughter's deviation, but since it's Serena's matter, I concluded my thoughts, assuming there must be an intention, and came out to the first floor.
"M-Master..."
"Let's go, Lulu."
Muttering internally as I left the detective agency with Lulu, who was waiting for me with bandages over her eyes.
'I should rest today...'
I should rest well today, and starting tomorrow, I'll go look for the remaining sub-heroines.
.
Thus, when Frey, dragging his tired body, headed to the carriage with Lulu.
"What on earth..."
Serena, who had been sitting in the reception room until then, made a crying face and looked down at the note in her hand.
[101 Ways to Turn a Man's Heart]
- 72nd, Appeal with a different side from your usual self.
Having lived her whole life only looking at Frey, Serena had no romantic experience at all, so she had no choice but to learn love through writing.
- .....Thus, if the man shows even the slightest reaction, it means he's conscious of you. In other words, operation success!
"Why isn't it working..."
Therefore, not knowing that her operation had completely worked, she made a crying face.
"Right! A date!"
Soon she clapped her hands and stood up from her seat.
"Miho, postpone all schedules. We're going to carry out the requests Frey entrusted to us now."
"...What?"
When Serena, fully excited, spoke, Miho frowned and asked.
"Are you serious? You're postponing all cases just for a date with that person?"
"Yeah."
"...Even the case the Empress entrusted?"
"Yeah."
"Haa..."
Miho, who sighed deeply enough for the ground to sink.
"Do you not dislike that person?"
She asked with a displeased expression.
"Why should I dislike Frey?"
"...Never mind."
However, Miho, who soon realized that words wouldn't work, shook her head and organized the files, then frowned and muttered.
"Anyway, what on earth was that earlier..."
- Knock knock knock
Someone knocked on the reception room door right at that moment.
"Miss Serena, a guest has arrived."
"......."
A blind assassin announced that a guest had come to the detective agency.
"Later, I'm busy right now. Add it to the reservation list and send them back today..."
However, Serena, whose eyes were blinded by Frey's proposal, said that and started to take out her coat.
"I came by recommendation!"
"...Whose recommendation?"
As someone squeezed in through the gap beside the assassin, she asked while tilting her head.
"T-this person..."
"...Lady Pelouche?"
Soon, Serena, who looked at the recommendation letter written messily that the guest held out.
"Please come in."
She quietly sat in her seat and said that.
- Creak...
"So, what brings you here?"
When Serena, who had been looking at the guest quietly with Miho, asked that question.
"By any chance..."
The guest, who had a robe pulled over them.
"...have you heard about the rumor that's been spreading widely lately?"
"About... what rumor?"
She interlocked her fingers and began.
"The rumor about the hero."
The ring on the guest's left hand, whose fingers were interlocked, was quietly shining.