Synopsis of the last chapter:
Dark clouds are hanging over Mikihiko’s future .
Will he be able to survive this harsh fate……!
“For reference, could you tell me how they’ve felt so far?” (Katō)
“Good idea . First, I tried a sword like what milord uses, but I found it quite difficult to fight while being cautious of the blade’s path¹ . Though not impossible, it dost weaken quite a bit . ” (Gerbera)
“So swords are out . ” (Katō)
“I also tried axes, but the feel for them was rather lacking . Currently, I art trying out spears . They look to be a lost cause as well . In fact, I feel like I might be better off breaking the trees somewhere and spinning them around instead . ” (Gerbera)
“I’ll say this just in case, but it isn’t like trees will just be growing wherever once we leave this forest, you know?” (Katō)
“I can carry one around then . ” (Gerbera)
“……Ah, jeez . I don’t even know where to begin retorting . ” (Katō)
After that kind of conversation, the search for my weapon resumed .
Katō-dono first got into the car along with Kei .
“There’s quite a lot here . Heehh . I kinda feel like I’m looking at a manga or something . ” (Katō)
“You think so? But, I think there are many things that aren’t weapons in your world . For example . Regrettably, there are no shuriken-whatsits used by the Ninjas that have lived in the darkness of the world since time immemorial . ” (Kei)
“……Who did you hear that from? Ah, nevermind . You don’t have to reply . I know who . ” (Katō)
“Umm?” (Kei)
“Hmm, I’m sure he joked about it to entertain you . ……But, you don’t, huh? That might be one method…” (Katō)
“What are you talking about?” (Kei)
“Nevermind . It’s nothing . For now, let’s search what’s in here . ” (Katō)
——Katō-dono, who should have been watching over Rose-dono’s training originally, had apparently come here knowing this would be a difficult task .
As quick-witted as ever, you could say .
Though, it seemed even she hadn’t been able to predict that she would run into the other transferees when she returned .
“Was the timing good or perhaps bad, I wonder . ” (Gerbera)
“I think it was good . ” (Katō)
Katō-dono replied from within the car parked next to me .
“They’re looking down on you guys like that, so it’s easy for me to turn them down without worsening our relationship since I am in the same position as them for now” (Katō)
The sound of hard objecting clanging together rang out alongside Katō-dono’s voice .
Next to Kei, who was taking out things inside the car at random, Katō-dono was hunting for weapons . Incidentally, Silane had already returned to milord and Mikihiko .
“Besides, even if I do create ill will between us, the brunt of it will be towards me and not Majimsenpai . ” (Katō)
“Art that a good thing?” (Gerbera)
“It’s a good thing . I have no fighting power and therefore cannot do much for Senpai . If I don’t do this much, he won’t know why I’m on his side . ” (Katō)
I turned to look at the car, but unfortunately, I could not see her from here .
Instead, I saw Kei getting out from the car, weapons in her arms .
I put the weapon I had in hand—neither a spear or an axe—on the ground .
Kei, having collected several weapons including that one, put the next weapon in its place .
“If I could at least awaken to my power as a transferee, then the story would be different . ” (Katō)
“Your ‘cheat ability’, yes? Lily-dono has been saying something similar . ” (Gerbera)
“Yes . The other day, I consulted Lily-san about it . ‘Why can’t I handle my cheat ability’ . ” (Katō)
“In reality, it seems impossible?” (Gerbera)
“……I wonder . I’ve been thinking about a lot . ” (Katō)
She returned a pondering voice .
“Lily-san is only mimicking Mizushimsenpai . She isn’t a transferee itself . So, she won’t wake up to her ability, or so she thinks . ‘I’m a fake, so I can’t do what the real can’……her thinking that isn’t impossible . ” (Katō)
Advertisement“Not impossible?” (Gerbera)
“That is Lily-san’s complex . It seems she has overcome her anxiety about her someday not being able to stay by Majimsenpai’s side . As far as her inferiority complex goes, it’s not something that will disappear overnight . ” (Katō)
“Hrmm . Inferiority complex?” (Gerbera)
I wasn’t sure what Katō-dono was saying .
If you asked me, I had a strong impression that Lily-dono was watching over everyone as the older sister .
I couldn’t imagine she was worrying over her own problems .
But, maybe that was just because of her constant efforts .
“Lily-san’s idea has a certain persuasive power to it . Sure, Lily-san’s mimicry cannot avoid the degradation of ability . What’s more, Mizushimsenpai died before her cheat ability manifested, so there is no cheat ability to reproduce in the first place . ” (Katō)
“Certainly, that does sound plausible . ” (Gerbera)
“But……” (Katō)
The continuous clanging sounds paused .
“The degradation in Lily-san’s mimicry is normally not『cannot do』, but『can do albeit incompletely』 . And, the very quality of ‘able to be a cheat holder’ should have existed in Mizushimsenpai—a transferee . ” (Katō)
“Umm……what thee mean to say art that『Lily-dono should be able to mimic the very quality of ‘manifesting a cheat ability’』? If that art true, then the reason Lily-dono cannot manifest her ability lies elsewhere . ” (Gerbera)
“I think there exists that kind of possibility . See . I’m might not be Lily-san, but even I, a transferee, have not awakened to my ability, you know?” (Katō)
“Now that thee mention it……those boys from before art in the same situation . I art not aware of if everyone has the same reason, but having said that, art it not a bit rash to decide it art due to her mimicry that Lily-dono cannot manifest her ability?” (Gerbera)
“You have a point . It’s not too late to give up, even after plenty of consideration……” (Katō)
As her speculation deepened, Katō-dono’s words gradually changed into her speaking to herself .
“The powers of us transferees are influenced by our wishes . So, if there was never a wish welling up from the bottom of their hearts to begin with, or if there is a wish but the emotion is weak, the ability won’t manifest, I think . ” (Katō)
I reminisced about milord .
There was a time where he, too, had no ability .
No one other than Lily-dono knew about that time, but as far as I heard, milord had apparently met her in an extremely terrible condition .
That was precisely why milord woke up to his ability .
On the other hand, milord would not have awakened to『his ability to lead monsters』otherwise .
When I thought about it like that, I had mixed feelings .
His unhappiness was, in a sense, tied to our happiness .
Be that as it may, milord would not want me to think about it like that .
So, I stopped thinking . The past unhappiness was unhappiness . The current happiness was happiness . As a result, milord was there and I was here . That was all that mattered . I knew milord thought so, too .
“I lack a wish strong enough to awaken my ability . Maybe this is the case for the majority of the transferees . But, maybe that doesn’t necessarily apply to everyone . ” (Katō)
Alone, Katō-dono was sinking into a lake of thoughts .
Her tone was serious; it was clear she was thinking about it seriously .
That wasn’t all . She was forming baseless suspicions about many things .
There was something in her that just made her do so .
“Now that I think about it, cheat abilities themselves still have parts to them yet to be properly understood . I wonder why us transferees have something like this . No, that feels a bit off the mark——” (Katō)
“Hey, Katō-dono . ” (Gerbera)
“——Hm? Ah, yes? What is it?” (Katō)
When I called out to her, she returned a voice as though she’d just come to her senses .
What should I do? I was at a loss .
I had a small question in my chest . But, I did not know whether or not I could voice it .
Well, I guess it’s fine, I concluded such because it was Katō-dono I was talking to .
It was also stupid to focus so hard on this and that when the person I was talking to was several times smarter than me . I decided to ask about what I was thinking as is .
“Dost thee not intend to push down milord?” (Gerbera)
A *clatter* rang out .
Quite the loud sound . Katō-dono had apparently knocked over a weapon she was searching for . “Are you okay, Katō-san!”, Kei’s panicked voice rang out .
I was also concerned, but Katō-dono immediately gave a reply in a groan, “……I’m all right . ”
Mhm, I sniffed .
“Be careful when handling armor, Katō-dono . Did you hurt yourself?” (Gerbera)
“Why did you say that!” (Katō)
Katō-dono got out from the car . She was red down to her neck .
“Gerbersan? Just what did you say……” (Kei)
“Hmm . Did I say something strange?” (Gerbera)
Hmmm, I tilted my head .
“I want to push down milord . Dost thee not feel the same?” (Gerbera)
“That’s too frank!” (Katō)
“Thee art getting too flustered . I’ve thought about it for a while now, but when it comes to milord, art not thou too fragile?” (Gerbera)
“Ergh……” (Katō)
Katō-dono faltered, her words clogging up .
Behind her was Kei, who was holding her reddened cheeks with both hands . “An adult conversation” she muttered, quickly drawing back .
Once again, Katō-dono and I came face to face .
It was quite rare to have a situation where I was calm and Katō-dono was flustered .
Harbouring this strange emotion, I tilted my head .
“But the real problem is, I believe milord will not see thee in that way unless thee push him down or something . ” (Gerbera)
“……You may play innocent, but you sure can say some unexpectedly sharp things, Gerbersan . ” (Katō)
“In this case, sharpness art irrelevant, no? I art connected to milord by the path, so I can tell by looking . And, I don’t intend to convey the passion thou stare at him with to my other sisters . ” (Gerbera)
As far as I saw, milord did not view Katō-dono as a partner .
Of course, milord was a bit dense, but he wasn’t unfeeling . He did seem to think something was off, if a little .
However, it did not look like he would arrive at the answer .
But why?
What then came to mind was Katō-dono’s figure from earlier, disgusted from being in contact with a man .
“Of course, it art only natural . Milord would never imagine a person that weakens like that from just speaking to a man would want to push him down . ” (Gerbera)
“Pardon me, Gerbersan . Can you please stop speaking in your own words?” (Katō)
“To take it to the extreme, it art『like that』 . I, at least, dost not want to be pushed down by any man other than milord . Should it remain like this, milord will stray even farther from the answer . If thee art honest, the choices in which the brutality of man art shown, even if the tiniest bit, will disappear from thy mind . The act in itself of seeing him as the opposite sex might very well be taboo . ” (Gerbera)
I sighed .
“This art something thee know all-too-well even without me telling thee . ” (Gerbera)
I was still a little scared of this girl even now . She had taken me—the White Arachne—down .
It was because she was like that that she was trying to figure out how much I knew .
“So, let me ask thee . Art this fine for thee? Thou share the same feelings as I . ” (Gerbera)
I asked her directly .
Katō-dono sighed as if she was accepting it .
“……The same feelings, you say? I’ll say this now, I don’t want to push him down like you do . ” (Katō)
Her lips formed a bittersweet smile .
“But, I never thought you were aware of my feelings . ” (Katō)
“As I have said, I do not plan on losing to my other sisters in staring at milord . However, thee art quite something thyself . ” (Gerbera)
We were staring at the same thing . Not noticing would be for the best .
Once noticed, however, it would be strange to not doubt it .
“Why dost thee not convey the feelings in thy chest? Thee were the one to once stand before me . Surely it art not because thee are shy . ” (Gerbera)
“But, that is why . ” (Katō)
“……What?” (Gerbera)
My eyebrows raised at her words, spoken with the bittersweet smile still on her face .
Such was a natural reaction . The image inside my head of her was that of a『monster』void of fear .
But, she didn’t look like that standing before me now .
Perhaps, I was mistaken?
No, that was different . Back when I met her, she was definitely a dreadful monster .
There existed someone who returned the monstrous Katō-dono back to how she was originally .
Katō-dono smiled at me as I convinced myself of such .
“I’d given up on everything . I lost everything, had nothing, and therefore could do nothing . I feared nothing . That was why, back then, I could do it . Because I was like that, I could be of use to Senpai . ……And yet, Rose-san told me to not give up . ” (Katō)
Katō-dono took a long breath .
A troubled yet happy-looking feeling leaked into her smile .
“After that, I became scared to do anything . ” (Katō)
“So thee say, but it looked like thee were acting the same as before . ” (Gerbera)
“Fufu . Yep . Contradicting, isn’t it?” (Katō)
Nodding at my point-out, Katō-dono gently shut her eyes .
“But, I guess it can’t be helped . Thanks to Rose-san, I was able to tell Senpai『You saved me』and『Thank you』 . If I made him happy, would I be happy? If I could earn his trust, would I be fortunate? I’ll keep on doing my best, I thought . ” (Katō)
Floating a thin smile, Katō-dono touched her chest as if to confirm the feeling of what was there .
“A person’s heart truly is beyond their control . I want to give up on everything, yet once I decide to not give up for once, greed comes out . So……” (Katō)
“I see . ” (Gerbera)
That was the driving force which moved this cowardly girl .
I let loose an understanding sigh .
……Then, she should convey her feelings quickly, yet… I thought, but that would surely be an impossibility .
She was scared, after all .
She feared losing what she had obtained at long last by moving forward, so she hesitated taking a step forward; it would take time for her to muster her courage .
Yet, she didn’t stop moving .
The doll girl who had once before pulled her hand was now guiding her, and though slowly, she was moving forward .
At an irritatingly slow speed if you asked me, but moving forward nevertheless .
If such was the case, then she really was scary .
She was so very weak in both mind and body, yet she was strong .
It was something I could never hope to understand .
Her smile suddenly vanished as I thought how admirable that was .
“I fully understand . Thee art that . ” (Gerbera)
What was her existence like? Thinking back, I nodded once .
“A coward only when it comes to milord . ” (Gerbera)
Her eyebrows jolted, and she stared fixedly at me .
“……You seem to be very informed about that expression . ” (Katō)
“I heard it from Mikihiko-dono . ” (Gerbera)
“That man……” (Katō)
Exhausted, Katō-dono pointed a bitter expression .
“Whatever . Because I am like this, there are sure to be things I can help Senpai with . ……So, how about we do this?” (Katō)
“Hmm?” (Gerbera)
“Earlier, I got out when I knocked it over . So, could you help me with it?” (Katō)
I agilely took the heavy-looking weapon Katō-dono was holding with both hands as she descended from the car .
“What art this?” (Gerbera)
It was neither a sword or a spear .
A large lump of metal was attached to the end of a rod about the length of an arm .
Firm-looking protrusions were on the lump of metal which, in a sense, gave it a more dangerous air than a sword .
“This is a mace . ” (Katō)
Rushing over, Kei gave an explanation .
“It’s a weapon that strikes the opponent with the pommel at the end . In Viskum, one of the Three Eastern Countries, it is often used because there are many monsters that cannot be pierced by blades . ” (Kei)
“Rose-san has only made weapons with blades so far . Haven’t you also had the idea of a blunt weapon, Gerbersan? How is it? I think it’s better than breaking off a nearby tree and using it as a makeshift club . ” (Katō)
“Certainly . At least I dost not have to worry about the blade’s path . ” (Gerbera)
While I nodded to Katō-dono’s query, my heart had been half-stolen by the weapon in my hand .
Maybe with this…… .
I took some distance from Katō-dono and Kei, and brandished the mace .
“SHAAAAAA!”
Putting power into the hand holding it, I swung without reservations .
The stricken air burst open the area as a strong gale .
Feedback came to me .
Reflexively, a smug smile formed on my face .
This is good . I must become familiar with it .
Above all, the structure was simplistic . Though, it was interesting that it had a contrivance unlike a mere rod .
By utilizing the weight of the pommel, its natural centrifugal force could be used as a weapon . Even from just swinging it, I could expect a certain level of power . Of course, mastering it as a martial art would be another story .
“If I had to point out an issue, it would be that it’s way too light . ” (Gerbera)
For humans, this might have been fine . For me, however, it was a bit unsatisfactory .
“So, it being more heavy would be for the better . I want it to be longer, too . Perhaps I should consult with Rose-dono about that . ” (Gerbera)
Pleasant feelings danced in my chest .
A smile naturally formed on my face .
“Kuku~ . I art looking forward to it . ” (Gerbera)
“Um, Gerbersan?” (Katō)
“……What might it be, Katō-dono? And right when I art finally feeling good, too…” (Gerbera)
When I turned my face, dissatisfied, Katō-dono was there, frowning .
She spoke, pointing her finger .
“Isn’t that mace kinda bent in the handle?” (Katō)
“……Oh . ” (Gerbera)
A dumbfounded voice leaked from my mouth .
Flustered, I looked down at the mace, now bent from me getting swept up in the moment .
After this, it was bent way too much due to me putting too much power into trying to fix it in my panic; I agonized as I reported it to milord and apologized together .
In the end, my weapon remained unsettled . That fact hurt to look at .
However, I believe I managed to grab hold of a plan .
Perhaps I should consult with Rose-dono about the rest? Katō-dono seemed to have thought of something as well, and was apparently moving to do it .
Even though it was just one weapon, it was quite difficult . I sighed .
When I later asked Rose-dono “in any case, something hard and heavy”, she was very confused, but that is a story for another time .
Chapter end
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