Manowa Chapter 146

◎ Shirodieh City, Special District, Louise Villa, Indoor Hot Spring, Morning

It was an early morning bath in Louise's villa. Kazane had requested that they enter the bath in the morning, so she and Louise did so. Yumika, Jinrai, and Naoki were doing early morning practice, and Tiara was bad with early mornings, so she passed.

Even though it was a hot spring, temperature adjustment could be done with Childstone power, so the hot water came out at a suitable temperature. Although it wasn't familiar to the general public, that kind of gimmick was often used in facilities for the wealthy. It wasn't like there were no complaints about such things only being used by the privileged classes, but without a stable method of power supply, it was inevitable that such things only spread among the wealthy.

「Smooth~, skin is smooth~」

As ever, a song with unknown meaning was coming out of Kazane's mouth. It seemed it became about bubbles while she was washing her body.

「You're skin really does look smooth like an egg.」

While saying so, Louise smoothly rose from the bath and tried to rub Kazane's arm.

「Hu~」

Kazane slipped away. While raising a strange voice.

「Hey. I just want to try rubbing it a little.」

「No way~. If I'm massaged by Louise-san I'll make an ahegao face, so I don't want you to touch me~.」

Kazane knew Louise's massage technique, so she was at maximum alert.

「Stingy.」

So saying, Louise dejectedly returned to the bath. Yuuko-nee wasn't here this time. This villa was originally for Louise's personal lodging, so the bath wasn't big enough for Yuuko-nee.

And now Kazane and Louise were soaking in one of the many hot springs surrounding Lake Shirodieh. This villa was built by one of Hyvern's nobles, and Kazane heard from Louise that others were built nearby until it eventually became the city of Shirodieh. The reason the nobles built villas next to each other was because of monsters. When building a single building outside of a city, attacks from monsters had to be factored in when considering the maintenance. It was possible to build a single building if someone was very wealthy, but usually a small town would be made.

「Come to think of it, I'm planning to shop with Tiara and Yumika, but Kazane is going to do something else today, right?」

「Yeah. I shopped enough yesterday, so today I will practice adjusting Crystallization by the lake.」

「Working hard is good, but try not to be too conspicuous. Since it will be troublesome here.」

The security in this town with many aristocrats was severe. With Louise, Tiara, and Mefirus she probably wouldn't be forced out of town, but caution was necessary.

「Roger.」

Louise was seriously worried, but the girl who was likely going to cause a problem lightly replied. That made Louise even more anxious.

Then Kazane left the bath, ate breakfast, and immediately jumped outside.

◎ Lake Shirodieh, Shirodieh City Area

「Skill・Crystallization」

Kazane was at the lakeshore and crystallized a 1/10th scale Kazane-chan statue created with Golem Maker.

Crystallization was a compound attribute magic. One part was the『Existence Fixation』Master used to protect his carriage horse, and with the magic techniques of this world, cancelling it was the best they could do, and reproducing it was currently impossible because it was too complex. Well, there was no problem with considering the rough『turn things into crystal』image as the true effect. It was difficult to determine what could be considered excessively boorish in a fantasy world, but right now Kazane was thinking about throwing it.

「Koiyaー」

And Kazane threw the Kazane-chan statue (Crystal processed).

It fell one meter ahead, and it was sturdy, without any signs of cracking. Its strength could be altered to a certain extent in the settings, but it was quite strong.

「It should be fine to weaken it for window use to reduce the Magic Power consumption.」

Kazane conducted strength experiments, transparency experiments, one-way mirror creation experiments, smoke vitrification experiments, and the like to measure the changes of the Crystallization settings. The cottage was currently too complicated, and the Magic Power consumption was intense. Therefore, it was necessary to adjust the cost for glass installation.

「Hey hey, that's wasteful, young lady.」

In the middle of her experiments (which only looked like a child throwing a crystal statue), a voice came from behind.

「Yesterday's person. Good morning.」

Naturally, with『Dog's Sense of Smell』Kazane grasped the identity of the approaching person. Kazane didn't know his name, but it was Lyle, who she met at a cafe yesterday.

「Good morning. That statue is sturdy. It doesn't seem damaged at all.」

「Well, since it's my statue.」

It was unknown what that had to do with it being unbroken.

「It's true. This is the young lady's appearance, isn't it?」

However, Lyle was more interested in the fact that the crystal statue had Kazane's appearance. Kazane spoke from the side while Lyle was looking at the statue.

「Ah, it's wearing pants under the skirt, so you can't see any underwear.」

「I don't need to hear that!」

Lyle shouted after Kazane's quip. It was true that he was curious about what was under the skirt, but that was the nature of a man. It couldn't be helped. He wasn't a lolicon. Really, he wasn't a lolicon.

「Also, I'm wearing the same thing, so don't peek.」

「I won't peek!」

After the statue's clothing was pointed out, it was true that he was curious about what the real person was wearing. Although it was only slight, it was the first time in this story that a man looked at Kazane's lower abdomen with a sexually meaningful gaze.

By the way, Kazane's Plasma Pants were leopard print tight pants, so it seemed like Kazane's small butt line should have still been clearly visible.

「More importantly, is it fine for you to be here alone? You're a well off young lady, right?」

It was obvious that Lyle was forcefully changing the subject, but it was true that he was thinking that. Even though this city had good public order, Lyle thought that it would be dangerous for a royal (supposed) girl to be at the lakefront alone. Naturally, Kazane tilted her head without knowing the meaning. Kazane had lived in a house, but it was a basic middle-class family home bought with a mortgage. Yumika had lived in a condominium with a similar family background. She had no idea why Lyle thought she was a well off young lady.

(Well off young lady? ...... Do I exude that kind of character? No way, have I acquired the atmosphere of high society from being with Tiara?)

Kazane was forgetting who she was, but of course that hadn't happened, so there was no need to worry about it. And while watching the shocked Kazane, Lyle thought (we were wrong after all) and asked about the perfume from yesterday.

「Nevermind. The perfume we received from you yesterday was expensive, so my younger sister was a bit shocked. We thought you were royalty or a noble lady if you could give that away without batting an eyelid.」

「Ah, I see now.」

Kazane was a little dejected. She realized she wasn't exuding a high class aura.

「Although I said it yesterday, that was a gift, so don't worry about it. I wasn't going to use it anyway. Also, I'm not a well off lady, I'm an adventurer, so I earn a living myself.」

「Is that so?」

After those words, Lyle was surprised and looked at Kazane, and although she wasn't armed, everything she was wearing except the cloak certainly gave off the feeling of being well used. Although adventurers had various circumstances. Sometimes parents let their children travel with and assist them. It was common for such children to stretch and saying they were「Earning a living themself,」so Lyle thought Kazane was in that category.

「Well, if you're an adventurer, shouldn't you need more money? Wouldn't it have been better to sell it?」

「I can't sell a gift. I wasn't going to use it anyway, so giving it to a maiden in love seemed the best way to use it.」

「Is that how it is?」

「That's how it is.」

Although Lyle didn't really understand Kazane's thinking, he understood that Kazane's social position was closer to them than a noble lady. Since that was the case, Lyle offered a suggestion to Kazane.

「Well then, can we treat you to lunch today as thanks for that perfume? My sister asked me to buy the ingredients, so I'm on my way back.」

「I see. So you're inviting me to your house, then after eating a tasty lunch, you'll "eat" a tasty me.」

「"Eat"? I said my younger sister would be there, didn't I!」

Lyle reproachfully raised his voice. He thought the same thing yesterday, but children really were precocious these days. Still, since Lyle was the same age as Naoki, he was 17, two years older than Kazane.

「No, that would still be fine.」

「No no, it's just treating you to free food.」

Lyle sighed at the nonchalantly speaking Kazane. She was a difficult girl to understand. By the way, Kazane was thinking (if this was my original world, I would be able to call the police to arrest him).

People's character would become known among fellow adventurers, so there was a sense of community. Adventurers of all ages would be in parties together and it would become stronger, but from the beginning Kazane hadn't joined other parties, so that sense of community wasn't very strong for her.  That was the difference between her and Lyle's thoughts.

「Ah. That reminds me, I never heard your name. I am Lyle.」

「Ho, Lyle.......」

「What is it?」

「It's nothing, my name is Kazane. Please treat me well.」

Kazane replied with a nonchalant expression.

◎ Shirodieh City, Barnes Family Villa

「This is our villa.」

While saying that, Lyle opened the door and went inside.

(Oh, it was practically right in front of our eyes)

Kazane thought while looking at Louise's villa... rather than villa, compared to the Barnes family villa it should be called a mansion. Then she went inside.

「I'm back, Emily. I'm with a guest.」

「Hey brother, eh? A guest?」

Emily was strangely panicked as she emerged from deeper inside, but after Lyle's words she looked at Kazane behind him and said「Yesterday's child, isn't it?」Emily was two years younger than Lyle, so she was the same age as Kazane.

「Hello.」

Kazane raised her hand and greeted Emily.

「Ah, hello. Umm, thank you for yesterday, but why are you here?」

Emily was still strangely agitated as she returned her greeting, and that would be the time to ask the reason, but Kazane's reply was immediate.

「Seduced.」

「Brother!?」

「I didn'tーー!」

The younger sister shifted her gaze to criticize her older brother, and he shouted. However, whatever his intention, this situation could be read as picking up a woman.

「Hey, brother, joking like that is dangerous right now.」

「I'm not doing a joke, and what do you mean it's dangerous right now?」

Lyle tilted his head at those words. But with『Dog's Sense of Smell』Kazane had noticed another person inside. Her impression was that it was a man around 30 or 40. That smell resembled the grandfather who was always with her.

(Is that Jinrai-san's son?)

Kazane had heard Lyle and Emily's name from Naoki before. After Lyle gave his name earlier, she had a rough guess, but there being another person was unexpected. Because she heard from Naoki that they should be working as a pair after he left them.

「I thought you would be working seriously as an adventurer, but picking up women? In addition, such a small child?」

With thudding steps, a man with a heavy atmosphere appeared from deeper inside. That face with stubborn features looked very similar to Jinrai. Jinrai's son, Lyle's father, General Jiraid Barnes of the Hyvern army was there.

Name: Yuihama Kazane

Occupation: Magic Swordswoman

Title: Ogre Killer, Dragon Slayer, High Beast Summoner

Equipment: Staff 『White Blaze』, Two Handed Sword『Black Fang』, Adhesion Sword『Gum』, Spell Dagger, Dragonscale Breastplate, Drake Gauntlets, Silver Sheep Clothes, Sylphyn Skirt, Plasma Pants, Dragon Ogre Greaves, Indestructible Cloak, Mysterious Pouch, Crimson Saint Coffin, Heroic Spirit Summoning Ring, Circlet of Wisdom, Aim Bracelet, Magic Accumulator, White Magic Accumulator

Level : 30

Health: 107

Magic Power: 181+420

Strength: 52+10

Agility: 43+4

Endurance: 29

Wisdom : 57

Dexterity : 38

Spell : 『Fly』 『Torch』 『Fire』 『Heal』『Firestorm』『Healer Ray』『High Heal』

Skill : 『Warrior's Memory』 『Night Vision』 『Crushing Blow』 『Dog's Sense of Smell』 『Golem Maker: Lv3』 『Rush』 『Fire Principle: Third Chapter』 『Healing Principle: Fourth Chapter』 『Air Jump: Lv2』 『Killing Leg: Lv2』 『Fear Voice』 『Invisible』 『Tiger Eye』 『Wall Walking』 『Intuition』 『Cheat Death』 『Nimble』『Charge』『Material Shield』『Information Link』『Optical Camouflage』『Dash』『Bloodsucking Blade』『Dragonization』『Regenerate』『Soul Breaking Blade』『Stealthy Placement』『Thunder Chariot』『Sturdy Teeth』『Crystallization』

Kazane:「It was like I was picked up.」

Yumika:「Are you happy?」

Kazane:「A little.......」

Chapter end