Alice Tale in Phantasmagoria Chapter 63

「Rain is it……」

As thin silk like rain falls, I vacantly stare out the window.
The incessantly falling rain, due to the mist it produced the outside scenery was hidden.
Rain, creates a sentimental feeling for no reason.
Thinking it over, haven't I become completely used to this other world lifestyle, or such.
It helped that the gap in cultural level was surprisingly nil.
No, it was still occasionally surprising though.

「Alice.」
「Ah, Ha～i」

A voice called out from the neighboring room.
The neighboring room exiting from my room and going down the hall to the next door, there is Till's room.
Of course, either room can be entered from the hallway though.
The ones residing on this house's second floor, is just I and Till.
There's no meaning in purposefully leaving the hallway and taking a detour.
Ilya and Saira, also s.h.i.+on-san reside on the first floor.
Being called upon by that neighbor, I opened the door and intruded upon her.

「What would be the matter, Till?」

She's resting upon her bed as usual so, I sit down on that bed's end.
Is it that above being the stay at home type, with the falling rain there's no slight inclination to go out, wearing just a house dress on top, her bare legs are exposed.

「Mou, slovenly.」
「Mu…… leave it be, on the other hand you're dressed well.」
「Guests might come, and there's also business outside.」
「Unfortunately, I don't have any trifles like that.」

That's not something to brag about……

「By the way before talking, perhaps I should also give a warning.」
「Mu……?」

My gaze moved about the room.
The clothes left scattered about after use kept making me anxious and I couldn't help it.

「Please properly place your clothes in the laundry after you finish wearing them, I, don't I say this every time?」
「U, umu…… I have heard you.」
「So why, do you throw them on the floor?」

I don't understand why.
And it's not like, I'm telling Till to do laundry.
It's just, if it's put into the hamper that's fine.

「Since there…… is a floor there?」
「――After this time I'll forcibly enter to clean.」
「St, stop! If you clean you'll clean too much and it'll feel bad!」

AhーAhー, even worn underwear in scattered about……

「……Just what sort of lifestyle have you lived up until now?」
「An attendant took care of me in the village, outside I lodged at inns, so there was nothing to worry about.」

Attendant…… as expected this person, her stature is high.
For now while we talked, I took just the scattered worn clothes and placed them into the furnished hamper.
Collected.

「Once in three days, I'll enter to clean.」
「That, that's too fast! Once a week should be fine!」

U～～～n.
This might be the place to drop this.
Since it's Till.

「I understand.」

Till made a relieved face.
Saying this is rude but, she's a cute person isn't she.
I sat on the bed end once again.

「Sorry, I derailed the conversation.」
「U, umu…… Alice, about the matter to talk about. You don't seem to have noticed so, I thought I should at least warn you once.」
「Ah, hai.」

What is it?

「That crimson young lady.」
「Eclair is it?」
「She's being targeted.」
「Eh? ……What?」

Rather than asking by who, I felt that this seems more appropriate.

「Unknown. But, it doesn't seem to be someone amusing.」

Targeted, is it.
What comes to my mind is, during some night, encountering a small hooded shape in the shadows.
This is not an indiscriminate attempt by an aimless attacker but, that Eclair is being targeted isn't it?
At that time when we were covered due to Till's punishment nothing happened.
Nn, covered?

「Mu?」

Unintentionally, I looked steadily at Till's face.
That late?
By this, person who sleeps so well?

「What is it?」
「Really is, contrarian……」

But when thinking of being this person's disciple, I'm proud.

「Ah, come to think of it does Till know Eclair's s.h.i.+sho? ――Though she did call her Demonic Flame.」
「…… Demonic Flame is it, is that phantasm still continuing to be talked about.」

Phantasm?
Like Till was looking somewhere far away, her eyes narrowed.

「Though she was rumored to be equal in strength with Till.」
「Equal to me? Kufu, was that how it was.」

Like she was thinking back on something Till made a bitter smile.
Saying that that was just a complete stranger, it was someone with whom intimacy can be felt.

「Was it…… someone you knew?」

Ice and Snow and Demonic Flame is it.
Just which one was strong?

「Aah, I knew her well. That person was―― History's strongest magician.」

――――If she had lived.

For some reason, I noticed that sort of nuance embedded within.
But that's strange.
Eclair isn't the sort of child who would spit out some strange lie.
If that child says that she's the disciple of the Demonic Flame then, isn't that how it is?
Having said that, I'm utterly unable to think that Till would tell a pointless lie.
Does Demonic Flame not exist?
Does she?
Which is it?

「――Ojousama, is the church over there?」
「Ah…… sorry.」

Correcting Ilya's path, I returned from the world of concerns.
Within the falling rain, I left my residence to go meet Rin-chan.
Though we promised the day before, Rin-chan is planned to come and stay over today.
Alongside Ilya, bringing an umbrella we walked along a small pedestrian path.
As expected refraining from going outside due to the rainfall it seems there are many traveling by carriage, people walking with umbrellas are spa.r.s.e.

「Ilya, what do you think about Till?」
「What, in what way?」

She tilted her small head wonderingly.
Come to think of it, when Ilya first met her, she seemed to hide from Till.
Why?

「U～n, simply, I guess I'd like to hear the things you feel.」
「That's it is it. Teacher-sama is, I think totally likable―― As of now.」
「As of now? As expected, was there something you weren't good with?」
「Is it to say not being good with…… I was caught up in my preconceptions. At first.」
「Preconceptions……」

To begin with when I first met, who was she?
From where did it start from……

「My current feelings are as conveyed. Premised on that, about how teacher-sama was called in the past, do you know?」
「Witch of Ice and Snow?」

Shaking, Ilya shook her head sideways.

「――Dragon killing Ice and Snow.」
「――――」

Dragon killing?
Unintentionally I looked at Ilya.

「That one, totally hated dragons…… or so it was said. After all, this is just hearsay and rumors.」
「Ilya…… nothing has been done to you, has it?」
「Fufu, that it shouldn't be that teacher-sama would do something like that, ojousama should know that better than anyone.」
「Un.」

At the least, that is the Till I know.

「Furthermore, if she does intend to do something, wouldn't ojousama be totally unable to fight back.」
「U…… I, I'm not always going to stay this weak!」
「Ojousama and Eclair-sama, digging you out of the snow was really hard.」
「Even though I wanted to forget that past!」

And furthermore to have also injured Eclair's honor.
Don't mind, Eclair!
But is it like that…… Though I noticed that Till could immediately give aid to Ilya, might that have been complicated in a variety of places?
And before that……

「Ilya is…… because I'll help.」
「――Hai, ojousama.」

Shyly, her face couldn't be seen clearly.
In the somehow soothing city in falling rain, as such the two walked on.

――A while later, in the middle of the pa.s.sage, my eye caught a girl without an umbrella looking up to the sky.

Seeing that color of hair for the first time, without intending it my eye was captivated.
The first one besides me――――I saw silver hair.

「――Do you, see something?」

Becoming curious, I called out while approaching her.
Thinking that it would be cra.s.s to impede the girl's vision, I didn't offer an umbrella.

「……Rain.」

What was that?
Asked whether she saw anything, rain, is it?
Is this philosophy?
This girl who can't be seen as anything but about age ten, is she testing me right now?

「Yes――When rain falls use an umbrella.」

How's that.

「Goodbye.」

The girl replied unmoved, and as such walked away within the light rain.
……

「……Ilya, I then, did I make some sort of mistake?」
「It's fine, ojousama. You're operating normally.」

Just what meaning, is that……
Please stop making face that says, thanks for the meal ojousama.

「Ah, umbrella!」

There wasn't time to offer it over.
Turning around, perhaps her body walked relatively fast but her form couldn't be seen.
Silver hair that stretched to her shoulders, a red eyed girl.
……Nn?
Something, is pulling isn't it.
The child just now, it's not wrong that this is my first time seeing that child, something…… is pulling isn't it.

「U～～n, magic power?」
「That one's, magic power is nil.」
「Eh, you can tell?」

That surprised me.

「Yes, the radiance from when I first saw ojousama wasn't there.」

When I first met Ilya, come to think of it I saw something didn't I.
That was, something like that was it.

「Skill?」
「Yes, magic power perception. But that is, something all but a small portion of humans can't use so, regarding my own true form there's no need for worry too much about it.」

Fearing a disease with low infectivity there's no need to panic, something like that is it.
If Ilya says as such, it should be as such.
But it's like that, her magic power being nil, I probably simply over thought it.

――Though there's also, this feeling in my gut won't calm down.

「Des.h.i.+～～～」
「Watto.」

Soon after we arrived at the church, Rin-chan noticed me and ignoring the rain, came charging in.
I received the a.s.saulting Rin-chan.
But with my unreliable defense, just how long will I able to receive this girl's charges……

「Good effort, Rin-chan. Did you get plenty of studying done?」
「Un! Rin, did her best! So reward!」

Cuute～～.
It makes me want to coddle her unconditionally, how troublesome.
Petting her head, she smiled like a flower in bloom.
From here until the week's end, Rin-chan will be given a vacation.
This day is, the spirit moon, a week long wind's day.
I remember the twelve moons and seven days.
Saying that, I realized that I understand the words in this other world and my translations are somehow cut.
For example I understand rinal as apple, and when I say something about apples to someone they hear rinal.
Mysterious isn't itー.

「Ah, Aim, bye bye!」

She waved her hand at Aim who had come to see Rin-chan off.

「Nn, take care.」

Waving back expressionlessly, it's like her.
Like this she's extremely popular with children.
Ma, seeing through people's kindness is their specialty, children.
But Aim is it……
I suppose that's how it is.

「Aim, there's a small matter I'd like to ask of you.」
「Master, what is it?」
「Identifying the person targeting someone, can you do that?」
「It's not something that can't be done. My perception is exemplary.」

It would be that way, certainly it does seem she has an unfair skill after all.
Clairvoyance.
This might actually be her specialty.

「Then, Eclair――」
「I refuse.」

「……」

I knew it.

「One gold coin.」
「I am indebted to master. It can't be helped.」

In a sense, she's easy to depend on.
After discussing the particulars a little, we left the church.

Come to think of it, we haven't exchanged the item drop from the labyrinth.
I took the black magic stone out of the leather bag and looked at it.

「This, I wonder how much it's worth?」

Finis.h.i.+ng the meal, Rin-chan entered the bath, I'm also studying in the library room until it's time to sleep.

「Alice-san, this is amazing nya. This is a very high value item so, it will surely sell well!」

Saira's eyes sparkled as she's studying as well.
Lately, studying together with Saira at night has become like a daily routine.

「Is that so? Everyone will be surprised, can't it be said that that's not something that comes out of that labyrinth every time.」

That's good, not being stabbed.
But if it's worth such a high amount, after it's been properly exchanged I need to give everyone a bonus.
Though of course I'll straightforwardly hand out money, besides that I want to do something.
For once everyone accomplished this together after all.

「A relaxation trip, might be good.」
「A trip is it?」
「Un, of course Saira will also come won't you?」
「Ha, hai! Somehow it seems really enjoyable nya……!」

As expected trips are, enjoyable aren't they.
Because adventurer is a free work, it's a good day for it when an idea first comes up.
If we bring Eclair and Aim together with us, that unseen adversary might also come with us.
If we also catch his tail that might be two birds with one stone.
But vacation spots around the royal capital in the other world, I pretty much don't know any.

「Where would be good?」
「Umm…… If it's okay, we could go see Wilmington nya.」
「Saira……」

Wilmington Princ.i.p.ality is it.
Saira surely, wants to personally give flowers in that country doesn't she……

「Because that country also has a hot spring, I think everyone will surely enjoy it!」

Hot spring?

「There's a, hot spring?」
「Hai desu!」

Hot spring……?

「Eh? Hot spring?」
「And with everyone entering together, it will surely be fun nya.」
「Everyone, together?」

Huh?
Do I, use the men's bath?
Or is it, the women's bath?

「Alice-san's back, I'll wash it nya!」
「Ah, haha…… Maybe, I should ask that of you.」

Women's bath is it……
Ma, that's how it is isn't it……
It's okay, I should also have thoroughly become a girl!
Un.

……Is that what the problem was?