Chapter 186
Chapter 186
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 186
Chapter Title: Dancing with Alice - Interlude
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The so-called engagement commotion, which began with Sakuragi Renji’s sudden visit to see Alice.
What could have been a worst-case crisis for the Fixer Agency somehow reached a happy ending, with Alice staying in Nighthaven.
In the end, Renji’s will, which he had tried to force upon Alice without even asking her opinion, had been broken.
It was a situation that left no room for any lingering issues.
But I suppose it was impossible to continue enjoying the festival under these circumstances.
Raven apologized to Karen and me, explaining that it was probably best if we parted ways here.
After all, Alice, who had brought our group together today, was battered from her fight with Renji.
He must have decided it would be awkward to do anything more from this point.
“It’s okay. I’m worried about Alice, too. Please be sure to contact me when you get there.”
“Yes… Thank you for understanding.”
Karen, like Raven, was a respectable adult.
Rather than feeling disappointed about her rare weekend being cut short, she seemed more concerned about Alice's condition.
I’d had fun in the morning, too. I wasn’t upset about missing out on just a few hours.
After saying our goodbyes to Karen, we returned to the Fixer Agency.
Alice’s injuries were mostly scrapes on her skin or bruises from the impacts.
None were deep enough to warrant a hospital visit, so we planned to use the medical supplies at the agency.
“Ngh, I really can’t reach my back… Yuria, could you help me put this on?”
“…!”
“…Well, I’ll go get us something to drink.”
“Ahaha… Thank you.”
Perhaps even for people as close as family, seeing each other’s bare skin was still a little awkward.
As if being considerate of Alice, who had begun to slip out of her clothes, Raven naturally excused himself.
It seemed she wouldn’t have minded much if Raven had seen her, though.
But thinking it would be impolite to refuse a courtesy offered, she thanked him.
‘Alice’s figure is incredible, as always.’
As she loosened the thick kimono, Alice’s pale white back was revealed, clad only in her undergarments.
Her lean, muscular form was a testament to her power—the distinct curves of a woman's body etched with clearly defined muscle, not an ounce of fat in sight.
It was no wonder she could display such monstrous strength with a pure physique, devoid of mana.
For someone with a scrawny, childish body like mine, all I could do was look on in envy at her healthy frame.
Of course, that wasn’t the only thing I found incredible.
‘…Just how big do they have to be to stick out from the sides when I’m looking at her back?’
Man, her shoulders must get tired carrying those around all the time.
I thought quietly to myself, observing a sight that would make nine out of ten men gulp.
Well… remembering the future version of myself I glimpsed through the Tesseract, maybe I couldn't think of it as someone else's problem.
The thought made my heart grow complicated, and I felt the urge to let out a small sigh.
“Hnngh… Hehe, thanks, Yuria.”
“Mm.”
I placed a white patch on Alice’s slightly swollen back.
She winced for a moment before turning to thank me.
It wasn't a simple pain-relief patch but a healing stimulant actually favored by the military.
They said it could heal in half a day an injury that would normally take three.
With this, the wounds Alice sustained today would surely vanish without a trace in two days.
Of course, since it worked by forcibly accelerating the body's natural healing process, it stung quite a bit and brought on a wave of fatigue.
But even considering that, the fact that it drastically reduced recovery time was a truly innovative technology.
Things like this made me realize just how advanced the technology in this world was.
‘Then again, considering they can make an ordinary human capable of a vertical jump of several meters and turn them into superhumans who can stop cars with pure strength… this is probably just common sense.’
I guess humans aren’t to be underestimated, even if they can’t wield magic.
As I was thinking this to myself and cleaning up the patch wrappers scattered on the table…
Perhaps she had been thinking about something.
Alice, having straightened her disheveled kimono, looked at me and suddenly spoke.
“Yuria, you came with my father earlier, didn’t you?”
“…”
“Come to think of it, he was staring at you intently before he left… Did you two talk about something?”
I flinched.
The question, coming at a completely unexpected moment, made my shoulders tremble.
If I had anticipated it even slightly, I could have played it cool, but it had to be at this exact moment when I’d let my guard down.
Perhaps because of my flustered reaction, I instinctively shook my head and denied it…
As she fiddled with the collar of her kimono, she said with a faint smile.
“You’re lying.”
“…Mmph.”
“Now that I think about it, it’s not like my stubborn father to ask to see someone’s skills for no reason. I did think something was strange.”
In hindsight, it would have been stranger if she hadn’t noticed.
Raven and Karen had already gone ahead to her, while I had approached with Renji.
There hadn't been time to mention it earlier…
But thinking back on it now, the sense of unease from that gap was definitely there.
However, it was difficult for me to answer.
Setting aside the fact that I couldn't speak, I was at a loss as to how to explain the process.
‘How do I explain that I told Renji Alice wanted to stay in Nighthaven, and when he said it couldn’t be helped, I told him she was stronger than he imagined?’
So, I averted my gaze guiltily, breaking into a cold sweat.
I desperately wanted to brush it off with a noncommittal attitude, saying we hadn't talked about much.
But if she really wanted an answer, I had no choice.
With a sense of resignation, I steeled myself and looked at Alice with a somewhat serious expression.
Perhaps she could roughly guess my thoughts just from my actions.
She gazed at me for a moment, then let out a small sigh and strode over.
“…Right, you were the one who convinced my father, weren’t you? If that’s the case, I don’t feel the need to pry.”
“…”
“Thank you so much, Yuria.”
“…Mm-hmm.”
Does that mean she’s just going to let it go…?
As I cautiously looked up at Alice, she simply pulled me into a sudden embrace instead of answering.
Her body was warmer than usual.
It was probably from her fight with Renji. In winter, her body heat would have likely produced steam.
But perhaps because I felt a sudden sense of relief after being so mentally on edge…
My heart thumped in my chest, and my body relaxed comfortably into her arms.
“No matter what happens…”
As my mind grew hazy from her warmth, I thought I heard Alice mutter something to herself.
But I paid little mind to the voice that scattered before reaching my ears and gently closed my eyes.
Our hug continued until Raven knocked on the door.
It felt as if we had truly become a family.
*
Nighthaven’s Midnight Airport.
First class on a flight bound for Japan.
It was a lavish space, more akin to a luxurious hotel room than an airplane cabin.
A man, leaning back comfortably against the incredibly plush seat, gazed out the window and murmured.
“A brilliant city.”
The man was none other than Sakuragi Renji.
He had crossed the sea in a hurry the previous night for business in Nighthaven.
With Tempest’s recent departure, Nighthaven had been thrown into disarray.
As if not to miss the opportunity, all sorts of clandestine activities originating from countries around the world were taking place.
Renji, too, had come to Nighthaven to ride that wave…
And he had taken the opportunity to deal with matters concerning his daughter.
However, he had given up on his original goal of bringing Alice, whom he had left in Lily’s care, back to Japan.
The decisive reason for that lay in the palm of his right hand.
“I thought she was merely a cursed oni… Was I mistaken?”
On his palm, which was always protected by an immense amount of mana, was a fresh wound.
It was a mark left from his battle with Alice earlier.
It was a feat that even his sons, whom he had put forth as his successors, could not easily achieve.
His belief that he needed to bring Alice to Japan because she was weak had been shattered.
‘And that little white-haired girl, too…’
Moreover, his trip had yielded more than just the discovery of Alice’s hidden potential.
That little white-haired girl who had not backed down, even when faced with the giant that was Sakuragi Renji.
He was thoroughly impressed by the strength of spirit in the girl he had assumed was a mere human.
Furthermore, the special quality he had noticed when he touched her neck to heal her wound supported this thought.
“I look forward to what’s to come.”
Heh, heh, heh.
Renji let out a quiet laugh in the empty cabin.
It seemed as if he was simply enjoying the massive tide of fate that was about to unfold.
The world will soon be shaken to its core, with that child at its center.
It wasn't a vague premonition, but a private thought spoken with something closer to certainty.