Alice Tale in Phantasmagoria Chapter 57

It's not clear how they did the census, but the population of the kingdom seems to be over a million citizens. Five-hundred thousand exceeding of that are congregated inside capital. Well, who knows the number percentage of the part that is Rinnal and Rufin? Five-hundred thousand, the scale that the city was designed for. Which in effect, made it large. It certainly has the basic utilities put in order, but coming from j.a.pan I have gotten used to it, getting the hand of it can be done. Rather, I would like it better if there were more people. "So it is a human majority here after all." Time to go study a bit. Ignorance is to be feared. To this day I continue to borrow the Wilmington residency, within their grandiose library skimming the books. Klan's household has pretty much everything. Coincidentally there next to me, Saira was here to study blacksmithing but already in the dream world. A little while ago lulling herself to sleep, and then her face hit the desk before you could stop her. While putting a blanket over her, you could start to hear her breathing sounds. It wasn't last night's study lectures that caused it, but experiments using her skills that made her lose some sleep, so it's understandable. With her gold coin that she gets for daily expenses, it is generally used to buy smithing materials for smith drill practice. Dedicating herself day and night towards creating a brilliant weapon, this girl devotes herself towards that goal. It's a subject of envy, na. "......m? What is this?" Walking alongside the bookshelves, it stuck out. A book about Elves. It draws me in. Getting excited, I stood on the spot as my soul searched what lay inside. Long-lived minority race, that almost never goes out from their forest villages, is that it? Perhaps people are not very aware of their existence since they barely have children. And elves have strong magic power. It seems that it's almost impossible for humans to be strong with magic. Even if it's just to be able to use magic, a stat of two is regarded as good. Hmm~~mm, then, is Eclair not human? That magic power, it's not possible for it to be a stat of two. ・ "――Eh?" Reading further, I found an entry whose meaning I couldn't understand. ――Elves can only be female. ...What? What the, heck? I mean, from a biological standpoint... how can that be? "Reading further.... might not be good for me." Let's stop. I believe, there are things that are better left unknown. I returned the book to the shelf, restarting the library loitering. Yes, I would rather look at the dragon family. Because Ilya. For that girl, is always too silent about a lot many things! Relations to Libra and her white dragon, I can make a conjecture. I think back to that about Ilya. Why would Ilya, in any scenario, have a chance encounter with me and be rescued? ――Because of magical power, simply. Ilya has an Intelligence trait of 0. However, the irony exists such that magical power is a necessity, I think is an appropriate a.s.sertion. Conclusively, a contract with a dragon is one of supplying magical power and nothing more ...... is what I think, am I not wrong? Then, how come Ilya is so hesitant to contract with me? ... If she told me it wouldn't be appropriate for a master to do that, that would come as a shock. Probably...... there is peril hidden in it, somewhere. My loitering about has managed to result to its objective. A book on dragons. I took it into my arms, in that instance ―― pressing into me from behind, were some other hands. "Investigating into someone else's ecology, milady is rather ecchi?" "y, Ilya!" Close!! ・ From behind, in that posture of wrapping around me. Like - you can't escape - my waist was stolen from and belonged to those hands. "Milady is being a bit too absent-minded...... you have easily shown a gap like this." "Whwai, don't whisper in my ears!" Somehow, I was getting an unpleasant ASMR! "I'm worried. Someday you will be a.s.saulted like this, Milady." "~~~~っ" Isn't this already that attack!? "a, A~~, I just remembered that I have some thing, I have to head out, Ilya!" That's why you should let me go, ne? "Going to head towards Klancesca-sama's place?" "Eh? Ah, yup." "So it is that indeed." s, So it is that indeed....... Ilya nodded in a way I didn't understand, but finally releasing me. Haa...... Ilya clinging to me is bad for my heart, ne. But moreover...... "Seriously, Ilya is so stubborn, ne." Turning to face her, giving her the reproachful stare. Investigating into her, ma, I'll let it go. These investigations on a whim, let's stop those for now. But, being caught late, I would never forgive myself. 　 ・ Returning with a smile that I can't read, Ilya received my reproachful stare. "If this is the body what you want, I will offer it to you. If it is to remove your enemies, I will show you how I repel them. However, if Milady gets herself in danger, I shall act on my own accord." "...... You are all right, ne?" "I am all right." She is totally not all right - from what I can hear, but I can't say anything. Unclear, actions...... It can't be helped, for now, it is time to go finish off the task with Klan. The residence Klancesca has lent to us is but one of the holiday villas the Wilmingtons own in the capital. As it is a city of half a million, the area is a bit cramped. As of now, Klancesca was attending to government affairs at the place, none other than the castle of the royal capital. And the place where she will return, is the Wilmington princ.i.p.al home inside the capital. It is different than the place being lent to us. So that is why, there is no choice that the meeting place for that girl in the night is the Wilmington home. It is already dusk so the horse drawn carriage of her family came to get me there. ......Though I could get there faster by running, I don't want to be conspicuous, ne. The civil landscape of the urban capital, was systematically built. It was divided in sidewalks for people to walk on and a road for carriages. The carriage road was in a ditck-like lower place reached by going down stairs, and since the places for pedestrians to cross have bridges, accidents almost never happen. ・ The carriage roads were spread throughout the capital like the lines in a Go board, and the intersections worked as stops, being it a service of scheduled stops. ・ The fare is 10 copper coins no matter where you ride it on or you go down at. For that reason, you pay when boarding it. When you have to change cars at an intersection, since you receive a numbered ticket you don't have to pay extra. Naturally, as a means of transport in the capital, it's one people are very used to. Since it was quite far away, the sun was setting by the time I reached Klan's main residence. Before a gate very different both in scale and security to that of the residence we were borrowing, I asked if I could be brought to Klan and, well, I was allowed to enter disappoingly easily. ・ "They said bath, but it's a total hot spring preserve here, ne, this..." Too freaking big. Anyway, Klan is really busy, na. It is already late into the night The workers of the farm should be asleep at this hour. This hour...... "Speaking of that, why aren't there clocks?" In this era of development, civilization without it is unnatural. "――That is because the Church has a monopoly over time, you know." "Hya!!?" Surprised from the voice, I panicked, involuntarily went shoulders under the water to conceal myself, "Hu, you really are a shy person, nanodesu-ne, Alice." "Klan!" I turned around there it was ―――――――― waitwaitwait! She's wrapped in a towel...!? Her hair let down, different from how it is normally, this is fresh-! "c, Can't you cover yourself more, Klan!!" "I' am proud of my body, so I' don't feel the need to hide it."・ So manly! Klan was a slight taller than I was, and also those arms and legs......like Ilya, that part of them is pretty amazing. "......You have a hot look in your eyes, wa, Alice." "Wawaaaっ, I apologize!" Having accidentally embarra.s.singly gazed at her, I drowned my head down in the bath. However, since I couldn't continue not breathing, I meekly surfaced up. What am I going to do with you, the face that Klancesca wore while looking at me. "Seriously......it has been a while, wa, Alice. I am not playing any petty tricks, and just happened to come and meet you? ......You're being so cruel, wa." Sounding like a pout somehow, she sat down on a stool at the was.h.i.+ng area. Turning her back against where I stood, it felt calm enough to converse. "......Pardon me, Klan. I was thinking you were busy." "For that reason, I wanted to see your face still. Do you not understand that state of mind?" Saying that, she picked her high-cla.s.s body soap and began was.h.i.+ng her body. Though a princess, she was bathing by herself...... Of course, some guards must be close by somewhere. "Ummm......" "The scar that you left at the spot your latched on, still hasn't completely disappeared, being made fun of in the middle of the conference troubles me, yo? The place you latched is conspicuous after all." "th, That's!" At the back of her neck, I squinted my eyes to see it. At the same moment ―― everything came flas.h.i.+ng back, the moment where I was stuck to her neck, the sensation, various various things... "Well, it's okay, wa. It only resulted in a few sympathetic questions." "Klan...." "Alice, stay here today. I have some things prepared for you here in the mansion." "... Prepared for me?" "Fufu, indeed. Prepared for you wa." ・ She said in a playful tone, well, whatever, I've already resigned myself. And now, I am in a canopy bed, sharing the bed with Klancesca. I am wearing a negligee. "Alice, it's just the two of us, wa." Right beside me, Klan greeted in a whisper. An unusually amorous tone. ・ Klan is wearing a similar negligee. Not that it is bad or anything, Klan is fundamentally amorous, compared to others her age. With a completely unsarcastic smile, she gave more impressions of that one after another. ――Even so. "k, Klan, the bed is so huge, aren't you sticking to me too much!?" Next to me, sleeping. She is glued to me, no exaggeration! In more meanings (body parts) than one! "I' am sensitive to cold. We are fellow friends are we not, cuddling such as this is a natural, wa." i, Is that so? Certainly, I have an image that girls who are close friends do play like this with each other...... "I want Alice to be marked by my scent wherever a person can see. That way, when the wind blows, people would know you are my guardian by looking." From that, my sense of self became strange. I must calm down, hold a normal conversation. "Klan, can you stop pulling strings behind the Guild in secret, ne?" "I understand, I didn't want you to be exposed to danger, but I became an annoyance to the girl I fancy." ... I just told myself that it's nothing more than my own imagination. This is, my imagination, right? What do I do, my heart is throwing a tantrum. "Eh, umm...... it's just my imagination, na." "Fufu, what are you imagining?" "That Klan, is this kind of girl?" "Until now, I have never held clear and precise feelings. If I have changed, you made me into this, wa, Alice." Saying that, Klan once again snuggled up to me. This is.... I don't know where, but different from sleeping with anyone else. Compared to s.h.i.+on-san, and Saira at that time. "Alice, you are ...... an elf, ne?" ".... I am, a half-elf." "Half? Well, even so... This fortunate developement, I am gracious of G.o.d for it." Happily, Klan muttered. "I', due to my position, must succeed in leaving a heir." "That's only natural..." "To be more specific, I have rejected all of them up till now, but I don't lack marriage proposals." Klan has it difficult. "Alice, as I told you some time ago, I don't think it is that I hate gentlemen. It is yet that I have found one that I had a liking to." "Quite a lot, this talk is, ne....." "Therefore at first, I was a little baffled. When I realized my own feelings." "....." The dense yet logical person that I was, I don't think there is any doubt left and to realize the apparent now. ――The meaning of the kiss floated. "But now, with sure conviction, I can convey, wa ――――― I like you, Alice. This is the feeling of my entire person." My heart jumped. Klan had her arms enclosed around me, I looked down at the hands that were held. "i, I .... I, about Klan, ...... but you are really too a.s.sertive, Klan......" For example, by chance, going to the bath meeting together. Like, changing clothes together. Like, sleeping together. It's not that sort of talk. My heart no longer belongs to me, as it beats on rapidly. "Alice, I won't restrain you from being together with another. But against that rival, I' will pluck you from their hands, wa." I didn't notice, when Klan was pressed on top of me and I couldn't move. Like the result of a power relations.h.i.+p, to which I can no longer escape. But, with her resolve being so sure, I wouldn't have been able to move anyway. ――With that, her trembling face, she softly drew her hand out. "Alice...." "Klan is actually nervous, ne. Naturally, ne....." It shouldn't be surprising; Klan is the same age. As said before, many new various things are starting. "This is unfair for me, na, Klan is the only one to have been prepared." I shut my eyes for a moment, taking in a breath as I then opened my eyes, and it mysteriously calmed me down. "――I also like you a lot, Klan." I spontaneously smiled naturally. And Klan momentaneously shed tears receiving those words and like that, fell on top of me. In the royal capital, the peaceful night continued on with that――――