Chapter 136 - Chapter 135: The Forbidden Fruit Brought
The second day of the second week of the second month of fire.
About half a month has passed since Kistil-san and I started our new life together.
After protecting Kistil, I kept away from her family home, wary of her father.
I understand they are worried, but if I carelessly sent word via letter, I don't know what actions Mother or her younger brother might take. If the mother who was grieving suddenly became energetic, it might raise suspicion among those around us.
I decided to be ruthless with my heart and let Kistil's family endure it for now.
"Wouldn't that one be better?"
"This one is expensive. Besides, even with this much, we can't use it all."
After school ended, Mika and Kistil came out shopping together on the main street.
Kistil, who doesn't like going out alone, always goes shopping when she is with Mika.
Mika said nothing, thinking that once she calms down, she will be able to go out alone again.
"Oh? Mika-chan?"
Turning toward the voice, there stood a blue-haired female knight.
Trys was there, clutching a rather large wine barrel under her arm.
"Oh, it's Trys."
I bumped into Trys while she was shopping.
I see her at the Guild often, but meeting her outside is quite rare.
A few days ago, when I met Trys at the Guild, I asked her about the Church of Light's scriptures.
The difference between a lost child and the Son of God.
I wanted to ask about one of the questions that came up when I spoke with Ozendorwa before.
I thought if Trys had belonged to the Church, she might know something?
But the answer was "I don't know."
"I'm sorry. I don't know much about the finer details."
It seems that while she belonged to the Church, she was more interested in the sword, and only interested in the parts of the scriptures she liked.
"Those aiming to become deacons might know, but I wasn't really interested in the clergy that side..."
She said it with an apologetic expression.
Mika looked at the wine barrel Trys was holding.
"Shopping too, Trys?"
"Yes, I finished the errands for now, so I'm heading home."
Saying that, she readjusted her grip on the barrel.
"Why are you carrying a wine barrel? What about the Magic Bag?"
Did it break?
"Oh, this. If I slack off on organizing the bag, it gets full. Making the liquor store the last stop was a mistake. I never thought I'd have to carry something like this home..."
She said that with a bitter smile.
"............? Why not swap them?"
"Here? Are you going to take the contents out?"
Indeed, spreading luggage out on the ground to organize it is a bit much.
At that moment, Trys spoke to Kistil next to Mika.
"Nice to meet you. Are you an acquaintance of Mika-chan?"
"Yes, uh. A friend, Kistil."
"Yes, nice to meet you. I am Kistil."
Saying that, Kistil bowed her head firmly.
"She's quite a proper young lady. I am Trys."
Saying that, she smiled brightly.
"Kistil-san. Are you an adventurer too?"
"Huh!? N-no, I'm not!? I mean, really!?"
Kistil was flustered and panicked about something.
"Kistil isn't an adventurer. Kistil's specialty is cooking, after all."
"Oh... so you are good at cooking?"
"Um, Mika-kun..."
Kistil made a somewhat troubled face.
It seems she doesn't like being the topic of conversation much.
So, I decided to change the subject a little.
"If you're swapping things, shall I help? I have plenty of room."
If Mika puts the items Trys took out into the Magic Bag, there is no need to spread them on the ground.
So, put the heavy items and small things into Trys's Magic Bag first, and carry the light and easy-to-hold items by hand on the way back.
"Hahaha, thank you. But it's fine. It's not that far."
"Is Trys's house around here?"
"Yes, if you go down that road, it's right there."
Saying that, Trys pointed to the road leading into District 4.
Well, an adventurer's "right there" is unreliable.
Their sense of distance is too different from ordinary people.
"By the way, I also rented a house. Mine is relatively close too."
"Rented? Even though there are dorms at the Academy?"
Trys made a puzzled face.
"Ah... the dorms are troublesome in various ways. Like needing permission for overnight stays, having curfews, and so on."
"Oh, that would be the case."
While listening to Mika and Trys's conversation, Kistil looked somewhat uncomfortable.
Should I wrap up the conversation early?
"Well then, we are still in the middle of our errands."
"I see. Well then, see you later."
Exchanging greetings, we parted ways with Trys.
"That person is an adventurer too. She's quite skilled."
According to the information from Chirensta I heard before.
I've only seen her fighting against a Wraith, but her swordsmanship was quite good.
"I've received advice from her a few times too."
"Is that so? She was very beautiful."
"She is beautiful, but... she's scary, you know?"
She's the type who can say things like "cutting off Kaerya's arm" at the Adventurer Guild quite seriously.
"Really, if you say things like that, it's bad."
"Ahaha, yes."
Let's leave it at that.
"I'm home."
"I'm home."
When Kistil opened the front door, Fee jumped out.
"Now, now, don't come out, you."
Mika urged Fee to go inside quickly, mindful of the neighbors' eyes.
Well, there are bushes, so they probably won't see us right away.
"Oh? A letter?"
Kistil picked up a letter lying on the floor.
It seems it was slipped in through the gap between the front door and the floor.
"It seems to be a letter for Mika-kun. Looks like it's from the Guild again."
"It seems so."
Taking the letter from Kistil, I looked inside.
The usual wording starting with "Designated Request".
Below that, two numbers were lined up vertically.
Twenty-five and four.
(Maybe I should do the item curse removal this week...)
Looking at the two numbers, I thought such a thing.
The twenty-five refers to the number of designated requests for "curse removal" within the capital city.
The four is the number of cursed items held by the Guild.
Previously, the Adventurer Guild contacted me every time a designated request came in, but now I had them change it so that the guidance comes once a week, all at once.
When I changed the contact information, I consulted them saying that it would be troublesome if they contacted me too often, and that's how the current form came to be.
"Mika-kun, can you take out the luggage?"
"Yes, sorry. I'll take it out now."
While I was lost in thought, Kistil called out to me.
And so, I put out all the things we bought on the table.
Various foodstuffs.
Daily necessities.
And the large black and white cloth Kistil wanted, plus the thread of the same color.
I don't know what she will use it for, but it's rare for Kistil to want something, so I bought it.
"Thank you. Can dinner wait a little longer?"
"I don't mind. Well, I'll go sweat it out first."
"Yes. Please."
Asked by Kistil, I prepared the bath.
By the way, cleaning the bath is Kistil's duty.
Preparing the hot water is Mika's duty.
It is one of the few jobs Mika has in this house.
I went to my room to get my clothes.
Going to the changing room, I stripped naked and entered the bath.
"Limiter Off, Waterball."
Using thermal energy manipulation, I created a large amount of boiling water and gently dropped it into the cauldron.
With this, the job is complete.
Since Mika created the hot water, it can be easily re-boiled even if it cools down.
After that, it's just a normal wipe-down.
Before, I dropped the water into the cauldron all at once, and the water splashed everywhere, causing a huge mess.
Since the hot water splashed all over my naked body, I ended up using [Heal] with tears in my eyes.
Mika also fills the cauldron for storing water with Waterball.
Then, mixing the hot water and cold water in a bucket, I create the perfect temperature and wipe myself down.
"If this weren't a rented house, I could build a bathtub and have a proper bath."
Because of that, I am currently considering buying a home quite seriously.
I can create the amount of water needed for a bathtub in an instant.
If I do that, I can take a bath after three years.
I once took a bath standing up in Waterball hot water before, but honestly, the feeling was mediocre.
If it's a bath, I should properly set up the environment for a bath, after all.
"Well, I'm used to this method by now, so I don't want to go that far."
Originally, Kuhashi Ritsu was a shower person.
Since I always managed with just showers, I didn't have that much attachment to baths.
However, if there is an environment where I can enter, I think I could take a bath now?
The reason I was a shower person was because "filling the bath is troublesome."
Now that I can prepare hot water immediately whenever I feel like it, I could take a bath every day.
"......There are many things I want to do, but time and money are just not enough."
Whatever I do, funds are needed first.
Items that were easily obtained in a world of mass production are custom-made one-of-a-kind items here.
"I guess I just have to do it one by one."
Muttering that, Mika poured the hot water over himself.
■■■■■■
[Capital City Istora, Magic Academy, Girls' Dormitory]
In a certain student's room at the academy, where the lights-out time was approaching, several girls had gathered.
Charl held several sheets of paper, reading the content written on them earnestly.
Beside her, a girl watched Charl with bated breath.
And, also holding their breath, several other girls watched the two of them.
Charl looked up and let out a long sigh.
"......H-how is it?"
The girl beside Charl spoke timidly.
"......Wonderful......."
At Charl's muttered words, the girl's expression brightened up brightly.
"......Abandoning recent trends, deliberately returning to the origin......。......The mainstream path is indeed good......."
"That's right! That's right!"
"Indeed, Mika x Mesa gives a sense of security."
From earlier, a foul odor had been drifting through the room.
"Recently, Mika x Sute or Sute x Mika are popular, but I still feel Mika x Mesa this side fits better."
The girl beside Charl muttered, blushing slightly.
Recently, the genre popular among the fujoshi living in the girls' dormitory is the one where Mika and Stellan are defeated in a game of Buattre Heed.
How many fujoshi have been captivated by Mika's intellectual appearance while playing Buattre Heed?
Crossing her legs, moving pieces while enjoying conversation, combined with Mika's childish appearance, this sight tickles the hearts of the older ladies.
If you get to witness the moment she skillfully confuses her opponent and smiles mischievously, you feel like you are about to ascend to heaven.
"......One should trust one's instincts......。......Strike desire as it is......。......That is what befits creation......."
"Exactly!"
"As expected of the Honorary Advisor!"
Currently, the fujoshi rate in this girls' dormitory is nearly thirty percent.
Including the other girls' dormitory, fujoshi making up over twenty percent reside there.
Indeed, over sixty dormitory students threw themselves at the 'Forbidden Fruit' Charl brought.
In the suppressed life of dormitory living, the girls were starving for entertainment.
When it comes to entertainment, the standard is Koibana.
Someone looks cool, or they have this side to them, such very ordinary talk.
Among the boys who entered the academy last year, Mika is by far the most popular.
Despite his cute appearance like a little girl, he knocked down eight boys who challenged him.
This topic swept through the girls' dormitory in the blink of an eye.
It instantly captured the interest of girls starving for stimulation in their boring dorm life.
"So, what kind of person is Mika-kun?"
"What was he like when he was at a regional academy?"
Girls eager to hear from Rimliche, Cecilia, and Charl, who graduated from the academy in the Leventein territory, swarmed around.
Rimliche, who is somewhat shy and reserved, doesn't talk much. Her words are mostly harmless.
Cecilia is like, "What's so good about that guy?"
Charl is favorable toward Mika, and although her stories are somewhat fragmented, she enthusiastically revealed Mika's episodes.
Girls interested in Mika inevitably became friends with Charl.
And then, one day.
Charl brought out the 'Forbidden Fruit of Corruption'.
A fictional story episode of Mika written by herself.
Moreover, a story about Mika and his friend getting entangled.
Naturally, the majority of girls left, saying "That kind of thing is a bit..."
But, some girls became captives of the 'Forbidden Fruit' brought by Charl.
Among them, girls began to appear who tried to imitate Charl and picked up the pen themselves, thinking "Maybe I should try writing too."
Charl earnestly read those works, even if the writing was clumsy and the content unpolished.
It's fine if it doesn't come together perfectly.
There is no need to decorate it.
Just put your desire on the pen and strike it down.
Charl affirmed the most naked things that exposed one's inner self the most.
Through Charl's earnest guidance, several new writers were born.
They sharpened their skills against each other, and the content became increasingly extreme and radical.
And Charl became a charismatic figure called the "Honorary Advisor" by the girls who shared the same taste.
The current girls' dormitory can be classified into three categories in a way.
The Fujoshi Faction led by Charl.
The Fan Club who adore the real Mika.
And the general public who have no interest in either.
In the room filled with the stench of corruption, the girls bloom like Rafflesia flowers talking about Mika.
"I was really surprised back then. I thought Mika-sama might leave the dorm."
"When I heard they would keep the dorm room as is, I was truly relieved."
"But, you aren't going to the dorm at all now, are you?"
"Has the Honorary Advisor heard anything from Mika-sama?"
Charl's position as Honorary Advisor is not just for the merit of bringing the genre of 'Corruption' to the dormitory.
She possesses the privilege of eating lunch with Mika every day under the unity of the Leventein Group.
There won't be many information sources like that.
"......A woman's shadow......."
At Charl's muttered words, the girls were startled.
"R-really!?"
"Does Mika-sama have a girlfriend!?"
"A lie!?"
Shaken, some turned pale.
"For Mika-sama to have a girlfriend......."
"That Rimliche girl seemed a bit suspicious, but I don't want Mika-sama to get a girlfriend."
The girls whispered to each other in unison.
At that moment, a dark aura appeared behind Charl along with terrible anger.......or so it felt.
"......Is that all......."
At Charl's muttering that echoed from the bottom of the earth, the girls trembled.
"......If you cannot wish for Mika-kun's happiness......,......then......stop doing this......."
At Charl's words, the girls snapped out of it.
"......You can just go to the Fan Club......."
If you want the real Mika, not in the world of creation, you should make efforts to get the real Mika to look your way.
Those who cannot wish for the happiness of the real Mika character to whom they pour all their love have no qualification to use him as a subject in fantasy.
Because he is happy in reality, the fantasy flourishes.
He shines brighter in the world of fantasy.
Charl showed her disappointment, wondering if they didn't even understand such common sense.
"Y-you're sorry!"
"We apologize, Honorary Advisor!"
"I was wrong!"
The girls apologized in unison and bowed their heads.
By the way, all the girls in this room are two or three years older than Charl.
"......If you understand, that's fine......."
Seeing Charl calm her anger, the girls in the room sighed with relief.
But, Charl thought for a moment.
"......At the next general meeting, I should warn everyone......,......just in case......."
No girl should go out of control.
Only the world of fantasy should go out of control.
"But, this information should not leak to the Fan Club."
"Y-yes. We should keep our mouths shut after sharing the information among ourselves."
The Fan Club is only interested in the real Mika.
If they knew Mika had a girlfriend, what actions would they take?
"Th-therefore, let's quietly watch over Mika-sama's happiness."
At the words of one girl, everyone nodded.
But, at that moment, Charl smiled mischievously.
"......A story where......,......a happy-looking Mika-kun......,......is corrupted......,......would also be nice......."
Charl was corrupt to the end.