Alice Tale in Phantasmagoria Chapter 126

There’s a gathering of ginkgo like trees growing, by the lake sh.o.r.e mansion within Wilmington.
The cicada’s grand chorus that seems to have burst forth from the heat wave can be heard from there.
The season known as summer has managed to come to the lake sh.o.r.e capital.
The light s.h.i.+ning in from the window stabs at my skin and, c.u.mulonimbus clouds like mountains that seem to reach the ends of the earth serve as divine guardians of the clear blue sky’s tranquility.

「Hot……」

I suppose it’s a good thing to say that there are four seasons?
Spring has come summer has come fall has come and winter comes.
It’s actually good to be able to observe this grand order.

「But in this heavy heat……」

Right, I want a certain item of food.
I haven’t been able to find it in this world as of yet wherever or however I search.

「I want to eat, watermelon!!」

The windchime hanging at the room’s window side went, chirin, and released a happy sort of note to change the mood.

◇■◇■◇

「Meeting time! Super meeting time!」

Those with time on their hands in the mansion, gathered in the room used as the meeting room.
Maid-sans wondering what it could be hastened to partic.i.p.ate.
Those girls are always quick and effective.

「Ojousama, what could this be about?」

The Ilya that took one step forward while acting as head maid smiled elegantly while tilting her head.
What is to be feared is that, she’s wearing a long maid dress even within this s.h.i.+tty heat and, beyond that there’s Ilya displaying conduct as if she doesn’t feel a hint of heat.
No I’m not particularly forcing her, this is that girl’s style.
Originally it’d be fine at the level of pants with one s.h.i.+rt.

「Kohon, everyone, you’ve done good work within this heat! But working endlessly isn’t good. While using today and tomorrow as what’s called a special day off, let’s go swim in the lake!」
「However ojousama, if the top suddenly intervenes in the field on a whim, various plans will go awry.」
「Really!?」
「Fufu, it is a joke. There isn’t one single person in this place who would do something like disdaining ojousama’s consideration.」

Looking over them the maid-sans are desperately going un un, and shaking their heads vertically.
Huh, doesn’t this put a little pressure on me……?

「……Come to think of it I’ve completely delegated the management of the mansion but, is there not something that everyone is feeling dissatisfied with or, finds difficult? This meeting is a rare opportunity after all.」

I tried asking with a work smile.
The maid-sans made an intoxicated expression as if they had seen a G.o.d-sama

or the like in response to my smile――their faces suddenly paled as they turned their gazes to the side.

『The, there is nothing at all that we feel dissatisfied with.』

In one voice, an answer that seemed prearranged came back.
I tried looking beside me.

「Ufufu.」
「……」

Ilya was laughing with a wide smile, without anything particularly strange.

◇■◇■◇

For that reason barriers were layed over barriers and, we went out from the strictly closed up mansion to the lake along with the maid-sans.
There’s a private beach for the exclusive use of the royal family, with pure white fine grained sand spread out.
I have my usual fluttery pure white summer dress with sandals and bare feet, the straw hat Bati-san gave me as a present covers my head.
I ended up being showered with cheers 5 times before coming here but I make it something I don’t mind.

「Hot!」

Walking on sand with bare feet feels very good to the touch but, it’s very hot!

「Ojousama, it would be a big deal were you to be burned so please do not walk barefoot too much.」

No but, even if I walk with sandals it isn’t interesting or anything you know!
And the vaguely felt wind from the lake raises faint white waves and tickles my childish heart.
As expected such an Ilya isn’t in her maid form but, is wearing short tops with a see through s.h.i.+rt that fully exposes her navel, below that she’s outfitted with a pareo on top of hot pants.
It suits her extremely well!

「Be that as it may this is a beautiful place issn’t it～～」
「Since it’s an area that outsiders are forbidden entry to isn’t it.」
「It’s a waste isn’t it, Kran’s also stingy issn’t she.」
「Fufu, there hasn’t been a time that I’ve seen a personage as fair as Krancescsama but, if ojousama says as such then that might be so mightn’t it. She also has things she wants to monopolize, surely it’s that sort of thing.」

Being looked at by Ilya as her smile seemed to carry an extra meaning, I’m a little troubled……

「With that said let’s set up a tent and parasol in this area, and make it our base.」

Having said as such Ilya briskly gave out instructions and, the maid-sans commenced action without a moment’s gap.
Laying out rope so it won’t fly away in the wind, striking stakes in, completing the tent for use in changing and breaks, they carried a medical kit in next, set up a simple bed as a countermeasure against heatstroke, prepared all sorts of drinks on a table they carried in――

「Rather is this a regiment!!」

Base camp is

is it!
What have my maid-sans become!

「What are you saying ojousama. Something like a regiment is……we are ojousama’s s.h.i.+eld and, sword. It’s troubling to be compared to regular footmen. We will show a more than even battle even if for example the opponent is the royal guard.」

How could this be……
No I’m afraid it seems that it’s not a falsehood but that they honestly could contend more than evenly with the country’s royal guard that is it’s greatest elites though.

「No that’s fine for now……」

Rather than standing up a simple parasol, I let out a sigh at the beach with a nomadic people’s mobile cottage completed on it.
But well, let’s reset the mood.
Now then……it’s the main event from here!
While I carried a tinge of anxiety, I did the act of requesting the item I hoped for.

「Ilya Ilya.」
「Hai, ojousama.」

Called out with a small voice saying over here over here, what could it be?
And I approach as she makes that curious seeming face.
Uo……whether I look at Ilya from far or near, she really is beautiful……

「Should I suppose this is a surprise attack with a kiss?」
「Would I do that in the midst of this sort of public presence!」
「No, I was thinking you had become liberal despite being a b.i.t.c.h.」
「U, maa, to whatever degree I’ve gotten into such a sunny mood……」

It’s because of this sense of liberation I suppose……
The sky I’m looking up at is high, the wind feels good.
To the contrary this heat already, feels good due to the s.h.i.+ning lake right nearby.

「But that’s not it.」
「That’s regrettable.」

I don’t really know if she regrets it or if that isn’t so, she’s releasing the same voice as always so, which is it?
And Ilya came complaining with her gaze.
Umu……she seems to be hiding something……

「――It’s that I want to eat watermelon. Also I want to do watermelon splitting……」

I tried saying it as I fidgeted!
You could say it really is a little embarra.s.sing or, perhaps you could say it feels like I’m doing something bad……
Even though I don’t know if it is or not anymore perhaps you could say I tried speaking as I pleased……!

「――I see.」

Ilya’s eyes gleamed with uncanny light for a moment and, she nodded while distancing her body.

「In short ojousama felt bad for everyone in the mansion so she brought them with her to go swimming――that isn’t the case, that much was just a pretext? She wanted to eat and split this food called a watermelon, it’s that sort of reason is it not?」
「Don’t say ittt!」

Aah, that’s right!
It’s as you said!
I couldn’t do anything

do anything but crouch down while holding my ears!!
Because it’s since I wanted to eat it!
Because I wanted to eat watermelon!
Because I wanted to split watermelon while raising a commotion with everyone!!

「Fufu……you’re too cute, ojousama.」

She couldn’t endure it from above me anymore, the giggle of a laughing voice with that sort of sense descended toward me.
I fearfully fearfully tried looking up.
Doing that this time there’s an Ilya with a troubled face.

「By the way ojousama. This watermelon, what could the food called as such be……?」
「Eh……?」

That didn’t have the appearance when she came to play a prank or joke, it really was Ilya’s confused seeming face.
Wait wait……

「There aren’t any watermelons!!??」

My scream was swallowed by the cerulean sky and azure lake.

◇■◇■◇

「Something that could have been prepared had you deigned to inform us ahead of time, has ended up putting us on our backfoot due to ojousama’s pointless shyness.」
「……」

You strike where it hurts don’t you Ilysan.

「We’ve found it.」
「Ah, hai.」

I’m sorry, I’m really sorry.
Actually after that, by rummaging through literature and, asking around, the answer we arrived at was on the solitary island within this lake.
We promptly prepared a small boat, some number of people crossed to the solitary island and, we finished making landfall.
There are thick palm like trees growing, like it’s an island of eternal summer.
It appears to be a deserted island that n.o.body approaches according to the tales from the local people.

「From what I’ve heard, that which is called this water-melon seems to inhabit this island.」
「Huh, hasn’t the name changed a little?」

Inhabit??
I wonder if there was telephone game error……

「It’s alright, ojousama will use this. We have prepared it as we were told to.」
「Ah, hai.」

She handed over a wooden katana.
Should I suppose it’s made from paulownia?
It’s very light.
With this even I’m not unable to swing it.

「……Huh, why has everyone readied their weapons?」

Each of the maid-sans is pulling out the knives they carried while hidden in slits.

「It is okay ojousama, even supposing this could be called light equipment we will not be overtaken by something like a water-melon.」
「Eh, these water-melons are watermelons right?」
「Water-melons are water-melons, there’s no mistake.」

Wait a bit is this really being communicated correctly?

「Ano, it might be my imagination but I get the feeling that water-melons seem to be something different though……」
「s.h.i.+! Ojousama, they’ve come……!」
「Eh, come……?」

What’s come?
Looking over the shoulders of everyone taking stance in a circular formation with me at its center, I check the area while hopping like a bunny.
Everyone is bunny.
Everyone is watching the palm trees growing radially into a thick forest from the white beach we made landfall on, while staying cautious.

「Gugee.」
「――Hei?」

I, probably let out the most idiotic voice I’ve made since coming to this other world.
There was, probably――a watermelon there.
A green spherical body with, countless jagged black vertical line in it, the interior is filled with pure red fruit with the exception of the mouth that’s opened of its own accord.

「Gugegugee!!」
「……Huh, that’s strange isn’t it. This isn’t the watermelon I know.」

At the least the watermelons I know don’t make a gugeguge laugh while showing their interior with their mouths open.
Such watermelons (?) crowd in and cover the solitary island’s beach.
On that note……there’s a lot!!

「They’re coming, ojousama!」
「Gugeeeeeeee!!」
「Wawaa!!!?」

Scary!!
Water-melons are scary!!
The green bodies came jumping at us while laughing!!

「Haaa!!」
「Guuuuuueeeeeeee……」

The watermelon (……) cut by Ilya’s knife rolled across the beach while screaming in the agony of death.
The red fruit scattered while splas.h.i.+ng across the white beach.

「……Gross.」

I tried stabbing that half sphere body with my wooden katana and, bikun! It jumped energetically again.
Around me are frightful voices like, gueee and gugeeee, the voices from the roused feminine screams released within the maid-sans’s deadly battle are spreading forth.
b.i.+.c.haa, and flowing blood, not that flowing fruit stained my cheeks.
The sweet scent from the fragrant smell of watermelon came.

「Ojousama! Saa, split as much as you want! We will be your support!」
「Alice ojousama, please trust your back to us!」
「Ojousama, saa!」
「……」

Eh, this is watermelon splitting?
No, I see……
Un, this is watermelon splitting, isn’t it……

「Aha, ahahahaha, ahahahahahahahaa!」

I knew that my cheeks were convulsing.

「Ufufu, if you’re enjoying yourself then that’s what’s important.」
「It’s fine already……I’ll do it, I’ll do it……Teeyaaaaaaaaa!」

The water-melon that jumped out in front of me! Is struck into by my wooden katana with my full power.
Koiーn, that sort of sound was released as my hands went numb.
But it didn’t split.

「No please split! Please split here okay!!」
「Gugegegege!」
「You’re getting to my head!! Don’t laugh～～～!」

Everyone around me encouraged me by giving loud cheers toward, the fierce battle with the water-melon that skillfully evaded my attack.

「Waaiiit～～!!」
「Gugegegegee!」

It’s said that on that day, the crying voices going gugegegege didn’t stop, until the sun set on the island of the lake in Wilmington princ.i.p.ality.

◇■◇■◇

「How was it, ojousama.」
「……It was watermelon.」

I brought out my courage and ate a bite from the fruit that had been split open and, it was precisely that which is the nostalgic taste of watermelon.