The Death Witch Comes to Visit
Simon stared down at her, his mind blank.
……N-Nephthys?
"Ah! I want some! Give me some!"
Nephthys scampered over and clambered onto Simon's chair with a happy little whimper, eyes sparkling as she swallowed a mouthwatering gulp of drool.
"Kyaaaa! Who is she?"
"She's so, so cute!"
Meilin and Camibarez shrieked at the sight of her, fussing over the girl in a flurry.
Nephthys tilted her head, blinking her innocent eyes wide and guileless.
Don't tell me they don't recognize her?
Simon thrust out his arms in a panic.
"W-wait a second, guys!"
"Do you want some snacks?"
"Yeah!"
The moment Nephthys nodded eagerly, Meilin stroked her head with an expression that said she might die of cuteness overload. Camibarez quickly turned to Dick.
"It's okay to feed her, right, Dick?"
"Huh? Uh, um……"
"Yaaay!"
The moment permission was granted, Nephthys pounced on the pile of snacks and started stuffing them into her mouth.
Her two fluffy cheeks puffed up round and springy. She smiled with pure bliss.
"Delishus!"
"KYAAAAAA!"
"Want this one too?"
Meilin unwrapped a cookie and held it out. Nephthys opened her mouth wide and took an enormous bite.
"Nom nom!"
"She ate it!"
"Me too! Let me try too!"
……This situation is heading straight for disaster.
Simon spoke up in desperation.
"Hold on, everyone! This person is……!"
"You're so cute~ What's your name?"
At Camibarez's kind question, the girl who was busily cramming food into her mouth broke into a beaming smile.
"Yeah! I'm Nephthys!"
"Giggle giggle!"
"Adorable!"
……They don't believe her at all!
Most people on the continent who weren't affiliated with Kizen had no idea that the three-hundred-year-old Nephthys was actually a tiny little girl.
And it made sense. She hadn't made a public appearance in decades, operating solely from behind the name of Kizen, and whenever she did have to show herself, she took a form other than that of a young girl.
Above all, the sheer weight and terror carried by those four syllables—Nephthys—had spawned countless imaginings and wild speculation.
The people of the continent pictured Nephthys as some horrifying witch, something beyond human, hovering somewhere between man and monster.
Granted, word had gotten around that Nephthys took the form of a little girl, but Meilin and Camibarez weren't harboring the slightest suspicion at the moment.
The very thought that Nephthys could appear here simply hadn't crossed their minds.
What—what do I do?
Simon felt like a man staring at a time bomb seconds from detonation.
Meanwhile, Dick—with his razor-sharp instincts for information—had apparently already pieced together the situation, and was quietly turning away from the girls and relocating to a different seat.
Dick! Do something! Anything!
Simon tried to communicate through frantic glances and gestures.
But Dick wasn't looking at him. He sat down stiff-faced, as far away from the girls as he could get.
"……Dick?"
Camibarez finally turned to look at him. He was kneeling rigidly upright on his chair, his face frozen.
"Why are you suddenly kneeling over there?"
"N-nothing! I've been sitting like this my whole life!"
Dick managed, sweat pouring down his face.
Even if he'd wanted to explain, Nephthys kept shooting him pointed little glances from time to time, sealing his lips shut.
"Is it tasty?"
Meilin was showing a side of herself she hadn't in ages—like any ordinary girl her age.
When she ruffled Nephthys's hair, the girl giggled happily.
"Yeah! Yummy!"
"Ahhhh, my heart can't take it……"
"I've never seen such a pretty little girl!"
Having devoured her fill of snacks and now patting her bulging little belly, Nephthys hopped down from the chair. Then she sprinted over to Simon's side, grabbed his hand, and said:
"Simon! Come with me for a moment?"
"……Ah, of course."
The two of them stepped outside the lecture hall.
Simon hastened to speak.
"Lady Nephthys, please let me apologize on their behalf! They just didn't recognize you……"
"Hehe, it's fine! This happens all the time, who cares! The snacks were tasty, too."
she said with a laugh. Then her footsteps stopped, and she stared straight into Simon's eyes. Simon halted as well, waiting for her to speak.
"Hmm."
A crooked smile curled across her face.
"So you've finally gotten your hands on your army. Simon."
"……!!"
Simon's heart lurched. Then she was back to her childish, smiling self, grabbing his hand again.
"This isn't really the place for a conversation. Shall we move somewhere else?"
"Huh?"
Still holding Simon's hand, Nephthys leapt into the air.
In an instant, Simon felt both legs leave the ground—a weightless lurch, as if he were leaping across dimensions.
When he opened his eyes, they were somewhere else entirely.
Where are we now?
It was someone's bedroom.
The wallpaper blended cream and pink in soft harmony, frilled curtains framed the windows, and the shelves displayed adorable stuffed animals and charming little knickknacks. A lovely fragrance hung in the air.
No way.
Simon turned his head toward the girl whose appearance matched this room better than anyone's possibly could.
"I didn't realize you had this kind of taste, Lady Nephthys—"
"This isn't my room, silly."
"Pardon?"
Just then, there came a rustling sound of blankets dragging from behind him. Simon whirled around, nearly jumping out of his skin.
There stood a beautiful girl with listless red eyes and long black hair, still damp with sleep, hanging loose around her shoulders.
"L-Lorraine!"
Simon's face flushed bright red.
Lorraine was wearing comfortable home shorts, and nothing but her underwear on top.
Covering herself with both arms, she regarded Nephthys with a completely blank expression.
"Mom."
"Yes!"
"Teleporting a boy into my room? That's just asking for trouble on purpose, isn't it?"
"Whatever are you talking about!"
Nephthys planted her hands on her hips and declared with pride.
"I had something to say to both of you at once, that's why we're here!"
"Haah."
After a long, deep sigh, Lorraine's red eyes flashed dangerously.
"You're always like this, Mom."
"Hmph, look who's talking!"
Nephthys bounced on her feet.
"You overslept again, and it's exam season, isn't it? Simon's over here personally gathering his group members and running study sessions!"
"I'll handle my own affairs, thank you."
"You do realize the professors keep dropping hints about you these days, right?"
"Some stupid attendance record has nothing to do with my actual skills!"
A murderous atmosphere bloomed between mother and daughter.
Judging by the content alone, it was a classic quarrel between a nagging mother and her rebellious daughter—but step back another pace, and it looked every bit like a spat between sisters.
……I want to go back to my dorm.
Trapped in the middle of the most terrifying mother-daughter battle in the world, Simon pressed himself against the wall, face drained of color.
"Hurry up and finish, Mom. Oh, and Simon?"
"Ah, yes?"
"Could you stop darting your eyes away like that?"
Simon swallowed tears of despair. It's not like I'm staring because I want to.
Lorraine rose from the bed, pulled an arbitrary coat off its hanger, and draped it over herself. Only then could Simon actually look at her properly.
"Now then, Simon? Let's talk about what you reported."
Nephthys plopped herself down onto a nearby chair.
"Reported, my lady?"
"Yeah! About the spy who infiltrated Kizen."
So Lorraine told her.
Simon waited tensely for her next words.
"I've already assigned the investigation to a few trustworthy confidants. We're finding clues, little by little."
"Ah, that's a relief."
"But I came to see you because I need to warn you of danger."
Nephthys continued in a grave voice.
"That traitor appears to know who you really are."
Simon felt his stomach drop. Nephthys went on slowly.
"Remember the Cyclops assessment? That particular Cyclops your group faced was unusually strong—not because of drugs or curse side effects from its capture, but because someone deliberately interfered with it."
"……!"
Nephthys smiled sweetly.
"And I'm sure I don't need to explain what that interference was meant to accomplish, do I?"
……Faking an accidental death.
Simon swallowed hard.
"Simon."
This time, it was Lorraine who spoke.
"You said you met that person in the Forbidden Forest, which means the spy is far more likely to be here at the school than at Kizen headquarters. If you stay, your life could be under threat again and again."
"Mm-hm, exactly."
Nephthys smiled with her eyes and crossed her arms.
"Our Lorraine worries about you an awful lot, you know!"
"Mom!!"
"Anyway—have you truly decided against accepting Kizen's protective measures?"
"……"
Simon's mouth pressed into a firm line.
"If you're worried about being expelled from Kizen, I could put you on retained status like your roommate Kajan. You'd go back home until the incident is resolved, and start the year over again next year."
"……I'm truly grateful for your concern, but my answer hasn't changed."
Simon lifted his head slowly.
"I believe my life as it stands is worth the risk. Please let me remain at school. I'm tracking down clues in my own way—I'll be of help."
Lorraine bit her lip hard, her expression conflicted, while Nephthys nodded without hesitation.
"Honestly, I expected exactly that answer! You are Richard's son, after all."
She drew a silver necklace out of a pocket dimension. As Simon wondered what it could be, she motioned for him to lower himself.
Simon quickly knelt on one knee, and Nephthys rose on tiptoe to fasten the necklace around his neck with her own hands.
"What is this?"
"An artifact."
she said.
"Troubling things keep happening across the continent lately, so I can't devote myself entirely to watching over you. That's why I'm giving you this. The power held within this necklace will protect you."
Simon swallowed as he beheld the resplendent light flowing from the necklace.
It wasn't hard to guess that it was worth more than anything else he owned—probably many times over.
"If this artifact ever warns you of danger, you drop everything you're doing and get away from that location immediately. Understood?"
"Yes. I'll keep it firmly in mind."
"And one more thing."
Nephthys turned her head toward Lorraine.
"You keep an eye on our Simon too, hmm?"
"……I already do, Mom."
Lorraine replied with a sulky pout. Just then, Nephthys leapt up onto the bed.
"Up you get! Come on, up up up!"
"O-ow!"
"Simon."
Tugging on Lorraine's arm, Nephthys looked back at him.
"I'll send you both back to your study session, so take this little brat with you! Such a lazybones!"
"Mom!"
Lorraine cried out, flustered.
"Why would I go there?"
"Hmph! If I don't do something like this, you'll never set foot outside the house!"
"You said a study session! If I tag along, I'll just make things awkward—and I'd be a burden to Simon's friends, too!"
Lorraine shouted as she wrenched her arm free with all her strength. Nephthys flopped backward onto the bed.
Sniffle.
Suddenly, tears began welling up in the girl's eyes.
"Hic. Sob! WAAAAAH! My own daughter does nothing but give her mother grief every single daaay! Dummy! Dummy! Lorraine's a big dummyyy!"
Flailing her arms and legs as she wailed, Nephthys was the picture of a toddler throwing a full-blown tantrum.
Simon could only glance back and forth helplessly, while Lorraine—perhaps feeling a touch guilty—pressed a hand to her forehead and heaved a deep sigh.
"……Haah. Fine. I'll go."
"There we go! Simon, our Lorraine is in your hands!"
The tears stopped as abruptly as they'd started, and Nephthys hopped down from the bed. Simon was a little taken aback by the flawless about-face, but Lorraine, apparently well used to it, grumbled under her breath as she opened the closet.
"Once you're both ready, come on out!"
Humming a tune, Nephthys left the room. Lorraine pulled her school uniform out of the closet.
"Sorry about that. I'll just sit in quietly for an hour or so and then head back."
"No, no. Another member for the study group? We couldn't be happier."
Lorraine suddenly froze mid-motion and stared fixedly at Simon's face.
"……Wh-what? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Are you planning to watch me change my clothes, too?"
At those words, Simon's face flared crimson and he bolted out the door in a panic.
* * *
And so, a short while later—
Lorraine joined Group 7's study session.
"……"
"……"
Meilin, Camibarez, and Dick recognized the famous Lorraine at once, and the blood drained from their faces.
An awkward silence hung over the lecture hall where the five of them now sat facing one another. Only their eyes moved, darting furtively this way and that.
Meilin stared hard at Simon's face, as if demanding an explanation, while Dick found himself wishing he had about ten hearts in his chest.
First Nephthys, and now Lorraine?!
"This is Lorraine, from Class L."
Simon, meanwhile, introduced her with an air of perfect casualness.
"She'd like to join us for today's study session, if that's all right with everyone."
All three of them nodded quickly. Whether it was all right or not, it absolutely had to be.
Lorraine swept an expressionless gaze across the room and spoke in her calm, measured voice.