Chapter 8 - You're Ange and I'm Dad
"Can I talk to you for a second?"
Since there was a bit of distance between us, I spoke with a slightly louder voice.
"What is it—?"
Angelica raised her tone in the same way.
I realized that at this volume, the neighbors might hear us, and I reflected on it. They might still be asleep, and it would be bad to wake them.
A cranky old man lives on the other side of the wall. Despite his age, his hearing doesn't seem to have declined much.
If I turn up the TV volume too high, he bangs on the wall to protest.
I wiped my hands with a towel, returned to the living room, and sat down next to Angelica. I told her we should speak in low voices because the neighbor gets annoyed, then returned to the conversation.
"If you can use the Perception skill, there's something I want to ask of you."
"Did you shave your beard? What a waste, it was fun because it was all prickly."
Are you even listening to me?
Also, why do you know how it feels? Did you touch it while I was sleeping?
While feeling various anxieties and suspicions, I continued the consultation.
"It's been nearly a week now. There's been a constant ghost scare around the apartment. Could you take a look for me?"
A female ghost dressed in white clothes appears. That was the most important topic in this apartment.
Regardless of the New Year or Coming-of-Age Day, the sight of residents making unseasonal ghost stories bloom was simply eerie.
"Is this world one where spiritual bodies walk around? If so, I'd like to request nightly co-sleeping and an escort to the toilet. I may not look it, but my horror tolerance is zero, absolutely zero."
"Rest assured. Originally, there are no ghosts or spirits here. In fact, it's a dimension where magic doesn't even exist."
"...What a lonely world, isn't it?"
"In exchange, mechanical engineering is advanced. Like the bidet you love so much."
"I-I don't love it. ...It's not bad, though."
Angelica blushed and fidgeted, rubbing her thighs together. Was she remembering it?
"But if it's a world where there are originally no ghosts, why bother investigating?"
"There's a possibility that was a mistake. Just in case, just in case."
I said that, but I don't seriously think there are ghosts or anything of the sort. I'm firmly in the 'it must be some kind of mistake' camp, and I just want to elevate that to the level of certainty.
I don't believe in groundless superstitions or the occult. Because of that, when I met Angelica yesterday, I actually thought she was the true identity of the ghost.
Ah, so it was this, I thought.
She must have been summoned to Japan several days ago and was hiding somewhere in the apartment. She must have been looking for an opening to infiltrate my room like that.
She has a personality that seems prone to making careless mistakes, so she probably got spotted occasionally. With her frilly fantasy outfit, it wouldn't be strange for her to be regarded as a mysterious foreign ghost.
Case closed.
Well, I was reasoning like that, but I missed the mark completely.
According to Angelica, she was summoned to Japan just before I returned home. In other words, she's only been in Japan for a little over ten hours. It's impossible for her to have been mistaken for a ghost since a week ago.
"Anyway. Will you do it for me? I've already thought of a reward."
"...A date?"
"Clothes."
I have to prepare women's clothes and underwear anyway. Regardless of her answer, they were items I had originally intended to buy.
Using that as a bargaining chip, I really am a jaded adult.
"Hmm... I don't mind, but can I say one thing before that?"
"What?"
"Isn't 'Angelica' a bit long?"
Angelica raised her index finger and made a face like she just said something very important. Perhaps she was excited by her own statement, as her cheeks were slightly red.
Even though she wasn't wearing makeup, her complexion was so good it looked like she had applied blush.
"...Is there something else I should call you?"
"Back when I was over there, I was called Angie or Ange."
"Then Ange it is."
"You didn't hesitate at all, did you?"
Because 'Angie' overlaps with a certain Hollywood actress. It sounds way too strong. It doesn't fit your image.
"Now I have a request from my side. Call me something that sounds like a guardian. You've slipped back to calling me Hero-sama."
"My apologies. To me, you are still the Hero-sama."
"I don't really like that title."
Because it only makes me remember bad things.
"...I understand. Father."
"Good girl, Ange."
Now that the naming issue was resolved, I had her use her skill immediately.
[Party member, Holy Maiden Angelica has activated the Perception skill]
[While the skill is in use, 3 MP will be consumed per second]
While skimming the window that appeared in my field of vision, I looked at Angelica.
The blonde-haired, blue-eyed Holy Maiden who had strayed into modern Japan quietly closed her eyes and began to walk. She went back and forth in the room, touching the walls and pressing her ear against them.
I think it was only about two or three minutes, but it was a quite interesting sight. Even a girl like her exudes a certain level of holiness when she closes her eyes with a serious face. This was a discovery.
As I was unintentionally fascinated, Angelica suddenly sat down in front of me and opened her eyes. I was stared at from directly in front.
Emerald green eyes framed by long eyelashes. They were somewhat inorganic, like a doll's. They were always slightly moist, possessing a light that bewitched men despite her being a maiden.
Since something like that suddenly came before my eyes, I found my heart thumping.
"...Father?"
"Ah, no. How was it?"
Angelica returned her expression from a doll to a human and said in a businesslike tone.
"Shouldn't we consider moving?"
Countless beads of sweat floated on the girl's forehead. Just what on earth did she find in this short time?
In response to my question, Angelica answered while rubbing her arms.
"There are swarms of things that are not human. I also felt a strong malice. ...At this rate, won't there be deaths soon?"