Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Pajama Party (2)
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"Mm... Uuumm... Uuuuummm...!!!"
Tiona was agonizing intensely. Steam might as well have been rising from her head any second now.
"Miss, just pick either one."
"How can you treat such a grave matter so lightly!?"
A grave matter.
Specifically.
Which animal pajamas to wear: the rabbit or the bear?
"The bunny's so cute, but the honey bear too...!"
"Why call a bear 'honey bear'?"
"Because they love honey!"
Ah, right, it was honey-honey.
"Do you know a lot about bears, Arthur?"
"Not really."
All I knew was that they could turn into doors for safety, and they were losing their polar habitats these days. Meaning I knew nothing.
"I've run into them a few times in the woods."
"Gasp! They're cute, right!?"
"The cubs are."
And cubs are the most dangerous.
Because right next to the cub bear is a hysterical mother bear ready to charge at any moment, thinking, 'Did you just look at our baby funny!? I won't forgive you!!!'
"Uuuumm... Sooo..."
"...If you're really struggling, shall I choose for you?"
"You'll pick for me!?"
Tiona's eyes sparkled.
"I think the bear suits you better."
"You think the bear fits me more?"
"Hm, yes."
"Somehow it doesn't feel sincere."
"I must be sleepy too."
But truthfully, between bear and rabbit, the bear suited her better.
Tiona... in a rabbit?
Even for animal pajamas, a rabbit felt a bit...
"Then I'll take the rabbit."
Diana chose the rabbit.
"Ah."
"I just felt an incredibly insulting look."
"Must be your imagination."
"..."
Everyone went off to change for a bit, then returned.
Tiona came back first.
"Ta-da! How do I look!?"
"It suits you perfectly."
A teddy bear-like design with round bear ears on top of her head.
Tiona's vertical rolls poked out from both sides of the hood.
They usually loosened up by night, but she'd curled them tightly for the ball, so they were still holding strong.
Next came Cynthia in cat pajamas.
"Teacher, how do I look?"
"...Miss Cynthia suits it well too."
Cynthia hadn't chosen it; it was the last one left. But it actually fit her great.
The triangular cat ears synergized nicely with her shy, timid expression.
And finally.
"As for me."
"It suits you."
"Look me in the eye when you say it."
"...It suits you."
"I oughta just..."
Diana ground her teeth.
"No, really, it suits you."
"Be honest. You were thinking of some other outfit inspired by a rabbit, right? That's why when I said I'd wear the bunny... rabbit pajamas, you thought it didn't suit me?"
How'd she know? Mind reading?
"What other rabbit-inspired outfit?"
"That's..."
Diana shut her mouth.
"Whatever, let's play cards!"
"Sounds good! But how do you play card games?"
"Uh..."
"Um..."
No one here? Anyone ever played cards with friends?
...Nope.
It was pathetic.
In the end, I suggested a suitable game.
"How about Thief Catcher?"
"Thief!? Arthur, time to deploy!"
"It's the name of the game."
Simple rules, intuitive—perfect for a light late-night party game.
"First, playing cards go from 1 to 10, plus J, Q, K."
All four pairs of eyes focused on my fingertips.
I felt like a magician. Not magic, but actual stage magic.
"What's A?"
"A is 1. Called Ace. And there are four suits... We'll mix in this one too."
I showed the card makeup, added one Joker, and shuffled.
"Now divide the whole deck evenly, and dump any pairs you make into the center."
I demonstrated with my hand laid out flat.
Lea asked.
"What if you have three of the same number?"
"Dump two, keep one."
Whoosh, whoosh, shooosh. Paired cards gathered in the center.
Lea paused while dumping a pair of Aces.
"Ace... AA."
Diana bristled.
"What?"
"Nothing. Don't overreact."
So how'd these two ever get friendly? They even came to the ball together.
"And AA's too good for you anyway. AAA... no, AAAAA..."
"I'll kill you, Eperios, Lea...!"
"Don't fight."
Are they really friends?
Diana munched a cracker topped with ham, then chugged the fruit-flavored soda.
"Kaaah...!"
Weird. That should be non-alcoholic.
"Anyway... Once you've dumped all pairs, take one card from the person next to you in one direction. If it pairs, dump again."
Cynthia asked cautiously.
"S-So, the one left holding the Joker at the end loses?"
"Loses, yeah."
"Aha...!"
Cynthia's gaze flicked to the left end of her hand, then unnaturally back to center. It's over there, huh.
"Then..."
Cynthia offered her hand to the person next to her—Tiona.
"Just draw one?"
"Yes."
Tiona's fingertips slid from the left to right of Cynthia's hand.
Her brows furrowed, then relaxed.
"This one! Draw!"
"No need to declare it."
Especially not with those terms. As if cards existed since the dawn of time and would decide humanity's fate.
One round passed, and it was Tiona drawing from Cynthia again.
"This time... you're it!"
"Again, no need to declare."
This time she looked ready to pitch it as two versions of the game for double sales.
But Tiona's pick this time was a bust.
"Eek!!"
Tiona yelped outright at drawing the Joker, while Cynthia sighed in relief.
Tiona glanced around, then slotted the card dead center and offered to the next player, Lea.
"G-Go ahead...! Draw!"
"Hm..."
Lea wiggled her fingers left to right... then plucked the center Joker.
"Heh!?"
Tiona looked at me.
If I translated that gaze, it'd be something like:
- Arthur, my scheme worked! Heh heh heh heh, see? I'm this full of cunning strategy, aren't I!? Eheh heh heh heh!!!
No, no matter how you sliced it, Lea had let her win on purpose.
A few more rounds, and Tiona drew from Cynthia again.
"Kyak!?"
Tiona trembled as she held up the card.
"Wh-Why'd it come back...!"
She handled it like a cursed doll.
"Hiiik..."
Tiona offered her hand to Lea again.
Two cards left in her hand.
Lea acted like she'd grab the Joker again... then took another card.
"!!!!"
Tiona despaired.
Lea shook out her hand.
"Am I done?"
"Yes, first place."
"What now?"
"Miss Diana draws from Miss Tiona."
Diana flinched.
"Huh? Wait, then..."
One card left in Tiona's hand.
Diana took it with a sour-grapes face.
"Miss Tiona's second place."
"!!!!"
They say people don't get the greatest pleasure from steady wins, but from crashing down and climbing back up.
Gambling delivers that thrill most intensely, which is why it's addictive.
"Kyaaaaaaa!!"
Tiona jumped and roared in triumph.
Her bear pajamas' round ears and vertical rolls shook.
"Congratulations."
"Wooohyaaaaaaaa!!!"
Second place made her that happy?
Cynthia and Diana entered the most fun part of Thief Catcher: the battle for last place.
"Th-This one?"
"Ahem, ahem ahem...!"
"Or... this side?"
"Hiii!!"
"Hmph, you think I'd fall for such an obvious trick... Agh!"
Watching the four giggle and chatter happily, I went to the kitchen to restock the snacks and drinks, which were running low.
...And suddenly hit with crushing reality, leaning against the wall.
What the hell?
Why was I babysitting four girls who hadn't properly gone through puberty?
Hello? Aren't you all supposed to enroll in the Academy next year and save the world? Instead of this, when do we get sword mastery breakthroughs, top Magic Tower scouting, or historic saintess awakenings?
'...This is driving me insane for real.'
The truly maddening part... was that this was probably all my fault.
Cynthia had missed her awakening timing because of me.
Diana... not certain, but running into me that day seemed to change something in her worldview.
Whether it was 'my fault' was secondary; she was definitely influenced by my actions.
...But one person still uncertain remained.
I prepped new midnight snacks, brought them out, set them down, and sat next to Lea to ask.
"Miss Lea."
"Yeah?"
Late hour, relaxed vibe. Time for a deeper talk.
"Mind if I ask something out of the blue?"
"What?"
"...How'd you end up quitting the path of the sword?"
Lea gave a wry smile.
"How I quit the sword path... huh."
Lea looked at me.
Her sky-blue eyes pierced right through.
"Because of you?"