Episode 203
"Ugh..."
"F-Frey. Are you okay?"
"Master...?"
I, who had been rescued from Isollet's room, was standing with a dazed expression while surrounded by Lulu and Irina.
"Get a hold of yourself, pull yourself together, Frey."
"...Please come to your senses, Master."
I kept spacing out while thinking about what had just happened to me, but then suddenly, along with a refreshing sensation that crept into my mind, I raised my head.
"It, it was nothing. That's all it was."
"R-right. That's all it was."
Lulu was speaking to me while glowing her magic eye, and beside her, Irina was nodding hurriedly while holding my hand.
"........"
However, even so, my mouth wouldn't easily open.
Was it because what Isollet did to me was quite shocking?
Or perhaps, was it because while suffering such a thing, for some unknown reason, I felt a strange emotion?
Normally, I would have quickly regulated my emotions, but for some reason, I couldn't easily calm down.
It seems there must be a reason why Isollet's conquest state hasn't closed.
"Do something...! You're a mage!"
"W-wait. Let me cast a mental contamination removal spell..."
"Calm down, you two."
Calming Lulu and Irina who were making a fuss in front of me while thinking such thoughts, I took a deep breath and stood up from my seat.
"Let's go."
"Y-your face turned red. Frey."
"...I said let's go."
Being subjected to such things by someone I never thought would do that, and by Isollet of all people, must have been quite a shock.
No, what am I thinking right now. Isollet was just trying to teach me a lesson. There's no way she would have actually assaulted me.
Isollet performed such actions just now to give me the lesson that 'it's not about being lost in lust, but about subjugating others.'
So, let's stop thinking about what just happened.
"It's dangerous... Just because the four of us are restraining ourselves won't solve anything... Danger lurks everywhere..."
As I walked while thinking such thoughts, Irina started muttering something in a serious voice from behind.
"I can't hand Frey over to that dangerous old maid group... I need to stay sharp..."
I heard quite dangerous words. Old maid danger group - if Isollet heard that, a life-or-death battle might unfold that very day.
Well, Isollet is still in her twenties... and she has such a youthful appearance that she's often mistaken for a student at the Academy, but for some reason, she's quite sensitive to such remarks.
"......."
Remembering the time I made that kind of joke as a prank and got head-locked for several hours, I was shaking my head back and forth when suddenly someone appeared in front of me.
"U-umm..."
Wondering what it was, Lulu had somehow come in front of me and was fidgeting. What is it this time?
"M-Master. There's something I'm curious about..."
"Yeah?"
"By any chance... do you like being pounced on?"
When I made a dazed expression upon hearing those words, Lulu spoke with an urgent expression.
"I-I can become a large dog too! That... I can do the pouncing and licking well too... Or I can make it hard to handle like a hunting dog..."
"...I told you to calm down."
"Y-yes..."
Sighing as I stroked her, I stepped out into the mansion's living room with an exhausted expression.
"......."
Then, a holy knight sitting demurely on the sofa came into view.
"Hmm."
I thought I saw an illusion earlier, but looking again now, it's certain. She looks almost identical to the goddess I saw in the third trial.
Of course, unlike the goddess, she's neither mature nor has a younger face, and instead of a foolish and vacant atmosphere, she exudes a mysterious atmosphere.
Still, she's similar enough to be considered the same person.
"Hmmm..."
The situation was so fascinating that I was staring intently at her, and she glanced at me briefly with a cold expression.
'...Looking at her like that, she also looks like a demon god?'
The sun god and demon god I saw in the third trial had quite similar faces to each other. Probably related to them calling each other older sister and younger sister...
Then, who does that one resemble?
The sun god who put on a vacant expression like Pereluche, as if afraid someone would mistake her for the sun god? Or the demon god who wore an evil expression that anyone would call an evil god?
Or perhaps, a third person?
"...What is it."
Oops, I had been staring at her continuously while lost in thought. She's already someone who's wary of me, so this is problematic.
"Ah, um... well..."
Thinking such thoughts while scratching my head, I eventually put on an awkward smile and asked a question.
"Want to have a meal together?"
It wasn't long after that when she and I headed to the mansion's dining room.
.
"...Sigh."
While having my meal, I saw Isollet's affection increase floating in the air, and putting away the system window with a dazed expression, I fell into thought.
'I'm going crazy...'
Isollet's face, which had pinned me down and brought her face right up to mine, keeps coming to mind.
I didn't know it would leave this much of an aftereffect. Is the gap from her usual appearance this important?
"...Chomp, chomp."
While thinking such thoughts, I heard strange sounds from in front of me, so I raised my head and saw a quite bizarre scene unfolding.
"What... are you doing?"
"I am eating salmon steak."
"No, I know that..."
The holy knight in front of me was chewing on the salmon steak while holding it in her hand. What on earth?
"Those... don't you use a knife and fork?"
"You mean these?"
When I pointed to the knife and fork placed demurely in front of her, the girl who had been staring at them vacantly carefully lifted the fork and knife, and then.
"Crunch."
She chewed them with her teeth.
"Ouch."
And then, naturally, she frowned and covered her mouth with her hand.
"You... don't know how to use a fork and knife?"
When I asked her cautiously, she, who had been frowning intensely perhaps because her teeth hurt, answered in a low voice.
"I have not received any particular education."
"...What?"
"Since I came outside earlier than planned, I only completed combat training so... ugh."
Suddenly stopping her words, she said.
"You don't need to know."
Answering like that, she started carefully licking the fork.
"........"
Staring at her blankly, I quietly opened the system window.
[Name: ???]
[Abilities: Strength 6.5 / Holy Power 8.1 / Intelligence 8.8 / Mental Strength 9]
[Special Notes: ???]
[Disposition: Vessel]
[Goodness: 85]
"Hmm..."
This is information that gives me quite a lot to think about. The name and special notes marked with question marks, and the disposition too...
What I need to pay attention to right now is her intelligence value.
If her intelligence is 8.8, that's smart enough to be called a genius even at Sunrise Academy.
"...Ptooey."
However, right now, after carefully licking the fork, she eventually couldn't withstand the metallic taste and spat it out - her behavior looks foolish.
The answer to resolve the contradiction created by these two facts is that she lacks 'knowledge' not 'intelligence.'
It's not that flowers are blooming in her head like Pereluche, but rather that her mind is completely empty.
Of course, this is a guess that wouldn't work for ordinary people, but if my prediction is correct... she could certainly be like that.
"What's your name?"
"...None of your business."
When I asked her name, a cold answer came back immediately.
"Then what about hobbies..."
"I said it's none of your business."
At first, I thought I'd try saying something whether it worked or not, but after continuously getting coldly rejected, I started to feel competitive.
"Is there anyone you respect? Why did you want to make Isollet your teacher? Are you going to enroll in the Academy soon? What's your relationship with the Order..."
"It's troublesome if you keep doing this."
So I was persistently trying to talk to her, and then...
"...When is your birthday?"
I asked that question.
"My words don't seem to..."
She, who was about to answer coldly as she had done until now...
"........"
Soon stopped speaking for a moment, then started making a confused expression.
"...I don't know."
And then the answer finally came.
"I can't seem to remember when my birthday is."
Hearing that answer, I looked into her eyes and quietly fell into thought.
'As expected... is she connected to the Order's experiment...?'
Of course, making arbitrary guesses with the information I have now would be foolish.
So, until Serena of the Day finds out detailed information about the Order's secrets and this girl, I shouldn't unnecessarily raise her wariness any further.
- Rattle...!
Thinking such thoughts as I stood up from my seat, I was about to leave the mansion after telling her to take good care of Isollet from now on, but.
"Pfft."
Seeing her with salmon sauce smeared all over her mouth, I couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Why are you doing that?"
She tilted her head while looking at me.
The appearance of a girl with a mysterious beauty like a goddess, with sauce on her mouth and a bewildered expression, was truly a sight to behold.
"Why did you get so much on your mouth?"
After suppressing my laughter for a while, I took out a napkin and held it out to her face.
"Did they not teach you manners at the Order?"
With a smooth expression, I started wiping the corner of her mouth.
She already has rock-bottom affection toward me, so if I do this, she'll dislike me even more.
Since it's come to this, I should plant a solid first impression before I go.
"W-what are you doing...!"
"Just stay still."
As expected, she naturally tried to shake off my arm, but when I grabbed her arm, she started showing a flustered expression.
'As expected, her strength is a bit above average for a girl her age.'
She seems to have received combat training, so her swordsmanship itself looks quite excellent, but her actual strength wasn't that strong as I had anticipated.
When I saw her in the third trial, I had expected this to some extent from seeing her fight defensively using holy power rather than strength, and fortunately, my prediction was correct.
"Ow, that hurts."
"I told you to stay still."
Twisting her arm forcibly like that and approaching in front of her, I carefully started wiping the corner of her mouth with the napkin.
"Ugh..."
At first she resisted fiercely, but gradually she stopped resisting and started looking into my eyes.
"W-what is this...?"
Eventually she asked in a trembling voice.
"Look, there's a lot smeared on the corner of your mouth."
Showing her the salmon sauce on the napkin.
"But you know... looking at you like this, you're kind of pretty?"
Smiling brightly, I approached her a bit more and touched her hair.
"U-umm..."
Then, she suddenly made a moaning sound.
"Ugh..."
She started staggering and breaking out in cold sweat.
"W-what? What's wrong?"
"M-my vision... my vision is showing. Why? I haven't even prayed... suddenly why...?"
Inadvertently catching her, I was making a flustered expression at the sudden abnormal phenomenon when.
"You..."
After rambling and staggering for a while, she looked up at me with vacant eyes and whispered quietly.
"...You should run away right now."
"What?"
After saying those words, she lost consciousness right there and closed her eyes.
"......!?"
Having suddenly suffered a mishap while wiping the salmon sauce off her mouth, I made a flustered expression, sat her in the chair, and checked her pulse.
'...There's nothing particularly wrong.'
After confirming there were no health problems, I quietly stood up and headed to the mansion's entrance while muttering.
"Anyway... let's go. Those two are waiting in the carriage too."
Like that, the moment I stepped into the entrance with a rather uncomfortable feeling.
- Grab...!
"Hiek!"
Someone grabbed my arm.
"W-what?"
"...Frey."
Startled by an inexplicable moist sensation and turning around, what was in front of my eyes was.
"Where... are you going...?"
Isollet, who for some reason was soaked in sweat.
"I'm going home. Oh, by the way... the meal was really delicious."
"........"
"And, your new disciple was delicious too. She's probably collapsed in the dining room right now from exhaustion, so you should check quickly..."
At first I spoke with a brazen expression as I always did.
"Click..."
"...I-I see."
But seeing Isollet looking down at me with a terrifying expression for some reason.
"W-why are you like that..."
The memory from earlier came back to life, and I couldn't help but shrink back with a nervous expression.
"As expected, this won't do."
- Bang!!
"Hah!"
Then, Isollet, who had been looking at me like that, pushed me against the wall right next to the entrance door and said.
"I'll make a proposal. From now on, come to my house once a week."
"What?"
"Like... when we were young."
"W-why...?"
Feeling an eerie sensation from the suddenly frightening atmosphere, I answered, and Isollet, who trembled briefly perhaps from the cold, continued speaking.
"In order to eliminate that disrespectful insolent personality of yours, I will conduct follow-up training."
"Training? What kind of training... heuk..."
"No questions are needed. Just follow. If you follow my control, that insolent personality will disappear too."
Feeling an inexplicable chill and trying to escape, she grabbed my arm again and brought her face right up to mine.
"Of course, right now it's just a proposal, but... if you keep acting like that..."
Grabbing my neck with her other hand and breathing rough breath onto my face, she finished speaking.
"...I could change to a method that isn't a proposal. Is that what you want?"
And then, silence flowed for a moment.
- Squeeze...!
As strength went into her hand, which was inexplicably moist, gripping my neck, a cool sensation began to spread throughout my body.
"...I-I'll come."
In this situation, if I dragged the conversation any further, it seemed like something big would happen, so I answered in a tiny voice.
"........"
Isollet, who had been looking down at me with a strange expression for a while.
"W-what...? Where did you go...?"
"...Th-then, see you next week."
Hearing the footsteps of the holy knight who had regained consciousness, she suddenly came to her senses and separated from me.
"........"
I, who had been quietly spacing out at the fact that I had just been pushed against the wall by Isollet and pinned down like earlier.
"...Are you not going?"
Hearing Isollet's words, who was also making a dazed expression but then started looking at me with eyes mixed with guilt and a strange emotion, I quickly left her mansion and fell into thought.
'What on earth is this situation right now? And, that girl... did she perhaps foresee this?'
I don't know for sure, but it seems I'll need to be mentally prepared when I come to this house in the future.