“If we get hit directly by a typhoon, Her Highness Ludi might not come.”
I went to bed with that thought in mind, but unfortunately, it was a bright, sunny day today.
I open the window to let some fresh air in.
The spring breeze drifting through the glass is a bit chilly—perfect for waking up.
I immediately changed clothes and headed out for my morning run.
I decided to run the trail near the waterfall.
I thought about it when I was being shown around the city, but the urban routes have too much traffic and too many traffic lights.
The forest, however, is private property with barely any people.
I can keep running without being interrupted.
“…Haa, haa, fuu, fuu, haa, haa, fuu, fuu.”
Originally, Takioto Kousuke was in good physical shape.
However, I feel like my physical strength is actively increasing, probably thanks to my daily runs.
All that matters now is learning how to use my power efficiently and whether or not I can keep moving when I’m exhausted.
After all, I never know when monsters will attack while I’m exploring a Dungeon.
When I reached the waterfall on my running route, Mizumori Yukine was there, swinging her naginata.
As always, she looked dignified, beautiful, and in a way, fiercely intense.
I observed her forms for a while, then turned my back to her.
Keeping her image in my mind, I started sprinting toward my destination, trying to channel my motivation after seeing her.
I ran for about an hour and then headed home.
I went straight for the bathroom, but of course, knocking on the door first is strictly mandatory.
Only a complete idiot with no capacity to learn, or an eroge protagonist who peeps in the bath way too often, would forget that.
After getting out of the bath, I walked down the chilly hallway to the dining room.
“Good morning, Kousuke-kun.”
“Good morning, Marino-san.”
In the kitchen, Marino-san—who could easily pass for a teenager—was making breakfast while wearing a cute apron.
“Kousuke-kun always wakes up early.
I wish Hatsumi would follow your example.”
“In my case, it’s just for my run.
Hatsumi-nee-san is on her day off, so there’s no problem with her sleeping in, right?”
When Marino-san suddenly stopped her hands, she turned to face me.
“Hatsumi-nee-san?”
Oh.
I nod.
“She told me yesterday to call her that…”
I replied, and she chuckled softly, saying, “I see… Fufu,” before lowering her gaze to her hands and continuing to cook.
“Sorry, but could you go wake up Hatsumi?
That girl sleeps way too much.”
“Eh, is it okay for me to go?”
“It’s fine, you’re her little brother.
If you go into her room and shake her, she’ll get right up.”
Marino-san waved her hand while laughing.
I headed to Hatsumi-nee-san’s room, wondering if it was really okay.
“Hatsumi-nee-san?
Are you awake?”
I knocked on the door and called out, but there was no response.
I called out again.
“Hatsumi-nee-san?”
I knocked again.
Still no reaction.
Marino-san said I could go in, so I timidly opened the door.
Hatsumi-nee-san’s room was almost exactly like mine.
There were very few personal belongings, probably because she kept her luggage in another room, and it looked incredibly spacious because it was so tidy.
“Nee-san.
Huh, Hatsumi-nee-san?”
I approached the large white bed and looked down at her face.
Her eyes were closed, and I could see her long eyelashes.
Perhaps because she was almost always indoors, I found myself staring at her pale, charming neck.
I swallowed my saliva.
Slowly, I reached out to Hatsumi-nee-san, who showed no signs of waking up.
“Hatsumi-nee-san.”
I put my hand on her shoulder and shook her lightly.
But there was no sign she was going to wake up.
This time, I shook her body a bit harder.
“N-nnn…”
Her thin lips moved slightly, and her body began to stir.
Then, her eyes slowly fluttered open.
“Good morning, Nee-san.”
“…Good morning.”
She sat up, pushing off the duvet, and stretched.
Along with that movement, her plump breasts were heavily accentuated.
Is she the type who doesn’t wear a bra to sleep?
The emphasized cleavage definitely didn’t look like it had a bra underneath.
Nee-san was still sleepy, but she touched her clothes as if suddenly remembering something.
(This is bad.)
The moment I caught a glimpse of her beautiful navel, I spun around, turning my back to her.
“W-well, I’m heading to the kitchen!”
Saying that, I practically fled the room.
Apparently, she really isn’t good in the mornings.
With all that happening, it was inevitable that I couldn’t think of any countermeasures for today.
And just calming my heart down enough to think clearly was going to take way too much time.
Right before my eyes stood the person I had seen countless times through a monitor, to whom my “little brother” down below owed a massive debt.
Her Imperial Highness, Ludivine Marie Ange De La Trefke.
Beside her stood a beautiful woman with a wonderfully bouncy backside, standing at the ready with a metal sword.
I don’t know why she’s armed.
Did she come to judge me or something?
In that case, plenty of reasons come to mind.
“Hello, Marino-sama, Hatsumi-sama, and Kousuke-sama.”
Ludi said this and stared at me.
I returned the formal greeting I was using for the first time, saying hello.
My voice probably came out sounding weird.
“I believe I have already been introduced by Marino-sama, but once again.
My name is Ludivine Marie Ange De La Trefke.
And this is my maid.
Her name is…”
“My name is Claris.”
A maid?
A maid in armor carrying a sword?
The concept of a housemaid might be vastly different between this world and Japan.
“How polite of you.
My name is Takioto Kousuke.”
After introducing myself, it was time to think about doing dogeza.
“Takioto-sama, thank you very much for your help on this occasion.”
It was Ludi who bowed her head first.
Claris bowed at the exact same time.
I hurriedly bowed my head in return, so I was distracted for a moment.
“P-please, raise your heads.
I didn’t do anything special; on the contrary, I’m the one who should be apologizing.”
“No, you saved our lives.
You don’t need to apologize for that.
That was an accident, wasn’t it?”
Ludi said with an icy smile, and for some reason, Claris-san placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.
Why are you putting your hand on your sword?
Are you angry?
It looks like you’re telling me not to bring up the subject.
However, if I make a single mistake in my response, it feels like they’ll kill me on the spot.
“I-is that so?
But let me apologize just in case.
I am terribly sorry.”
And I bowed deeply.
“Please, lift your face.
Okay, I accept your apology.
Therefore, let’s not talk about that anymore.
More importantly…”
“About our future course of action, right?”
Then, Marino-san interrupted the conversation.
Ludi wants to say we should forget about that topic once and for all, right?
I won’t bring it up, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget those sensations.
“Yes, first I must report.
This time, those behind me are… a faction from our country affiliated with the Evil God Cult.”
Hatsumi-san’s body reacted sharply when she heard “Evil God.” She glanced at me sideways.
Ludi continued speaking.
“As soon as I enter the school, I think they might start attacking me in secret.
However…”
“You can’t say for sure, can you?
One of them escaped, after all.”
Marino-san spoke up for Ludi.
Their expectations, to tell the truth, are correct.
If the future developments are the same as in the game, Ludi and the others will be targeted by the Evil God Cult.
That should be the trigger for the protagonist and Ludi to grow close quickly.
“I managed to obtain some information about the Evil God Cult from my country’s intelligence officers and from those who were captured.
It also contains some incredible information.”
“Uh, can I participate in this conversation?
Somehow, the story has become highly classified, so it’s better to think about security when discussing this.”
Its confidentiality is at the national level.
That’s why the main characters of MagiEx shouldn’t have received any information until they got directly involved with the Evil God Cult.
That being the case, is it really okay for me to hear this?
“I am terribly sorry, but…”
Claris-san continued speaking instead of Ludi, who seemed unable to say it.
“Actually, the Hanamura clan was already originally a target of the Evil God Cult.
And it is highly likely that Takioto-sama, being part of the Hanamura clan by virtue of helping Ludivine-sama, has been recognized as one of the targets that must be eliminated immediately.”
“Heeeh… Ha?”
Wait, what did you just say?
Recognized?
“Thus, His Majesty the Emperor has resolved to tell everything to Takioto-sama, who has now become one of the involved parties.”
“S-so that’s how it is.”
Ludi and the protagonist were supposed to be the targets in MagiEx.
Why did it end up being me who became the target!?
“I am terribly sorry…”
Ludi apologized, seeing me shocked.
“W-well, because I’m part of the Hanamura family, they probably already had their eyes on me anyway, and I really don’t mind it that much, so don’t worry.”
“Umm, it’s not about whether you mind it or not, but you still need to be careful, considering what will happen from now on.”
Yes.
That’s exactly what Ludi said.
If you’re being targeted, you need to be careful.
“You’re right…”
“I think Kousuke-sama also understands the situation.
So… Claris.”
“Ha!”
Claris saluted.
No matter how you look at it, you’re not a maid, but a knight, aren’t you?
Claris-san took a leather envelope from a bag with various rustic decorations and presented it to Marino-san.
The envelope was tightly bound with a dark blue string.
When Marino-san channeled magic power into her hands, an emblem themed around a clover emerged.
Oh, I’ve seen this in the game.
The crest of the Trefke royal family.
When Marino-san passed magic power through the envelope, the string unraveled.
From there, the paper slid out on its own.
When I stepped behind Marino-san along with Hatsumi-nee-san, I peeked at the paper.
By the way, it was written in a long, tedious, and annoying way, but he actually had very little to say.
1st: My youngest daughter is cute.
2nd: Thank you for saving Ludi.
3rd: There might be spies in the school.
It’s just a possibility, but be careful.
4th: My youngest daughter is cute and a genius, I want to marry her off.
There are way too many things in this that make me want to scream.
But what I should check for now is:
“(With an Emperor like this) is your country going to be okay?”
“…You could say he is quite skilled when it comes to politics.”
When I saw Claris-san answering with a bitter face, I felt deep sympathy.
Ludi’s face of total misunderstanding was probably because she was raised the exact same way.
When you enter her route, there’s an event where His Majesty comes to the school, and there’s no doubt she is incredibly spoiled by her father.
“Spies in the school, huh…”
Marino-san was looking at the letter with a bitter expression.
Unfortunately, there really are spies.
“For now, I think it’s best to keep this in mind.
They are the ones responsible for the terrorism at the Hanamura family hotel.”
I said, and Marino-san murmured, “That’s true.”
“Then Father has a suggestion.
I’m sure Marino-sama must already be somewhat aware…”
Ludi said and looked at Claris.
Claris nodded and began to speak.
“We of the Trefke Empire expect that the people who will be particularly targeted at the school are Ludivine-sama and Takioto-sama.”
Ludi will certainly be the target.
There were some minor events in the game, and as they were resolved, the devotees would take increasingly larger actions.
How nostalgic.
Taking hostages and threatening them was just the beginning; there were some who used Summoning magic, which was forbidden for being too dangerous, and there was even a lunatic who suddenly summoned a Dungeon in the middle of the city.
That was a bit troublesome because Ludi and her friends got separated… I have to prepare for that event later.
Well, the Evil God Cult event only starts after entering the school and being able to challenge dungeons, so I don’t need to prepare just yet.
“…Therefore, we have to protect Ludivine-sama and Takioto-sama.”
When Claris-san said this, Marino-san nodded, agreeing she was right.
Considering their abilities as mages, the mother, Marino-san, and her daughter are less likely to be targets than us, and on the contrary, are more likely to be the ones doing the killing if attacked.
“That’s why that suggestion, right…”
After saying that, Marino-san nodded with a gentle face.
But I don’t know what this suggestion is.
“What on earth do you mean by a suggestion?”
“Yes, I was asked if I could let Ludi and her escort stay here at the house.
Hatsumi and I are here, and in case of an emergency, we can fight.”
Certainly, if you’re under the protection of someone as strong as Marino-san, I feel like the fear of being attacked will be greatly reduced, and if you put them together for protection, the cost of security will also be… Wait a minute, put them together?
Living together?
LIVING TOGETHER!?
“Eeh!
L-living together!?”
A-are you idiots!?
What the hell are they thinking?
It’s obvious that it can’t happen, no matter how you think about it.
Living together with a girl of a similar age, such an idiotic development, even in an eroge there’s no such— …Forgive me, that is actually a very common development in an eroge.
N-no, absolutely not.
First of all, there is a man full of erotic thoughts in this house!
There is a gentleman who bought two eroges a month.
Her chastity is in danger, even if the danger of the Evil God Cult is suppressed.
And wait, in the game the emperor spoiled his daughters, right?
When the emperor became aware that Ludivine was dating the protagonist in Ludi’s route, he got seriously pissed and dispatched a group of magic knights.
He allowed her to live together?
It’s a miracle.
“I am against it.
I cannot tolerate people I don’t know living in my house.”
Hatsumi-nee-san, who had been silent until now, finally opened her mouth.
That’s it, tell them!
“Therefore, I would like to have only Claris, who knows Hatsumi-san, as a resident.
Father decided that Claris would be enough as an escort if Marino-sama and Hatsumi-sama are together.
That way, he doesn’t need to send many people, it’s safe, there are only good things for everyone this way.”
Nee-san knows Claris-san?
… I wanted her to refuse, but it seems it’s going to be difficult.
“In that case… It’s fine.”
I knew it… To tell the truth, I want to obediently allow it.
On the contrary, I want to live together even if I have to do dogeza.
Although she wasn’t officially recognized in Japan for some reason, Ludi was my fiancée.
She was one of my dozens of fiancées.
I won’t deny that I always want to be by her side, if I can.
But, as I thought, in the eyes of society this is just not good!
“Kousuke-kun.”
Being called, I turned my gaze to Marino-san.
She looked at me with a serious expression, patted her chest, and winked with a smile, as if to say, Leave it to me.
That’s right, Marino-san is here.
She is a decent adult and a mother who raised Hatsumi-san well.
Men and women around this age who are not relatives shouldn’t be under the same roof.
She must understand this physical danger and the dangerous public gaze!
“It’s okay.
I understand what Kousuke-kun wants to say.”
After all, she is a modest and sensible adult you can trust.
Please tell them!
“Fufu… Preparation for the welcome party, right?
♪”
That’s right.
When a new person living with us appears, it’s a welcome party to get along first!
…Huh!?
Isn’t that weird?
When I was looking stunned at Marino-san, I got a pat on my shoulder.
Looking back, there was Nee-san with her usual expression.
However, although it’s the usual expression, I wonder why it somehow looks confident.
“I understand Kousuke’s worries.
Leave it to your Nee-chan.”
Hatsumi-nee-san raised her thumb.
Are you a savior?!
At this moment, her affection points inside my heart totally maxed out.
There’s no doubt I’ll give an instant OK as soon as you confess to me.
No, even if this current case didn’t exist, I would have given an OK immediately.
Alright, Nee-san, I’m counting on you.
Tell them clearly!
Looking at Nee-san, who puffed out her broad chest and said, “I know a shop where the cakes are delicious.”
THAT WAS NOT IT!