Laughter still spilled out from inside the tavern. Outside, the night had settled in thick and deep.
Moonlight poured down like water.
Bellies full, spirits warm, Haimer led his group northward along the broad central avenue.
A light night breeze rolled through, carrying off the last wisps of wine and food-smell, leaving the air crisp and clean.
On either side of the street, Magic Stone lamps breathed out a warm amber glow, stretching everyone's shadows out long and thin behind them.
At first, the surroundings were still lively — crowds milling about, taverns and shops still roaring even at this late hour.
Here and there a few drunken dwarves lurched along, arms around each other's shoulders, belting out songs in cheerfully wrong keys.
But as they walked on, the scenery began to quietly change.
The noise fell behind them. In its place settled a rare, unhurried stillness.
The road underfoot shifted too — from uneven cobblestone to smooth, flawless marble.
The lampposts grew more refined as well, trading rough wrought-iron for elegant carved pillars, their light softer and steadier.
The buildings on either side were something else entirely.
Gone were the cramped, jostling wooden structures. In their place stood stone villas, each one its own estate, set behind spacious gardens where neatly trimmed hedges and flowers in bloom were just visible in the lamplight.
A faint mingling of blossoms and fresh grass drifted on the air.
They had arrived in Orario's high-end residential district.
The people who lived here were, for the most part, guild masters and merchant lords of considerable wealth.
Class.
In that single moment, it presented itself before the group in the most direct, physical way imaginable.
"Whoa!" "This place looks amazing!"
Aihara Enju, draped across the great bear Kyoubou's back, craned her small head in every direction, eyes glittering with excitement. She grabbed the equally wide-eyed Kohina and dashed to the front of the group.
"Hurry, hurry!" "I can't wait to see our new home!"
The two children's bright laughter rang out across the quiet, upscale street, drawing sidelong glances from a pair of Ganesha Familia guards on patrol nearby.
But the moment those guards recognized Haimer — and then registered the massive black bear that was Kyoubou — they did not step forward to question anyone. Instead they gave a respectful bow and quietly retreated to the side of the road.
That small exchange was not lost on the Holy Emperor and Tendou Kisara, walking alongside Haimer.
Their reactions were considerably more composed than the two children's.
But composed did not mean unobserving.
Even without saying a word, both of them were quietly cataloguing everything around them — the layout of the buildings, the spacing of the lampposts, the direction of the drainage channels, even the quality of the armor on those guards and the precise angle of their bow.
And the Holy Emperor in particular, as the former supreme ruler of the Tokyo Area, had long since developed the habit of reading a district's level of governance and economic health from exactly these kinds of details.
The conclusions she was drawing quietly astonished her.
Every single thing around her spoke of something exceptional.
After all — even measured against the wealthy neighborhoods surrounding the Holy Residence she had once called home, this place held its own without flinching.
And there was something more — this utterly different architectural style, great blocks of stone stacked without a trace of steel or concrete, gave the whole district a weighty, antique, almost otherworldly character.
"Kami-sama," the Holy Emperor said softly, a note of quiet admiration in her voice. "It seems that even in a world teeming with gods, you are far from ordinary."
"To have carved out a foothold like this in a city where hierarchy is so plainly written into the stones themselves..." "You must have put a great deal of effort into building this."
"Effort?"
Haimer's steps faltered for just a moment. He heard the Holy Emperor's words — and let out a wry, helpless laugh.
"I wouldn't call it effort, exactly." "The house we're about to enter?" "Someone gave it to me as an apology gift."
"An apology gift?"
The Holy Emperor blinked, clearly not having expected that answer.
"Well, there were some... minor complications along the way," Haimer said, shrugging. "Suffice it to say, the right person happened to feel they owed me something."
He left it deliberately vague, not elaborating further.
As they spoke, the group arrived before a towering black wrought-iron gate.
It stood over three meters tall, lacquered entirely in black, its surface covered in elaborate, beautiful vine engravings. Iron though it was, it had been polished to a finish without a single rough edge, and in the moonlight it gleamed with a cold, quiet lustre.
Through the gaps in the bars, one could see the three-story stone main building beyond, standing silently in the moonlight.
It lacked the sweeping grandeur of the Holy Residence back home, but it had something else — the spacious, unhurried dignity of a manor.
White marble walls. A deep-blue glazed tile roof tapering to its peak. And a great arched oak front door that radiated a quiet, commanding presence.
"Here we are." "This is our Familia's home."
Haimer stopped, reached into his coat, and drew out a brass key of simple, old-fashioned design.
"Though..." As he slid the key into the lock, he turned his head toward the Holy Emperor beside him, a teasing note slipping into his voice.
"Compared to the splendid Holy Residence you used to live in, this place is probably quite a step down." "I hope it won't be too much of a hardship for the Holy Emperor."
"Only — I do at least hope that having everything under one roof might make up for the gap, even just a little."
"Kami-sama..." "Are you making fun of me?"
"Or are you saying..." "That in your eyes, I am the sort of woman who..."
"...who can't endure hardship, who only knows comfort, who would actually complain if her accommodations weren't up to standard? A pampered, spoiled creature like that?"
When she heard those words from her deity, the Holy Emperor felt a small, sharp sting somewhere in her chest.
Because yes — in her former world, she had been of high station, and her life had been one of privilege. She could not deny that.
But that didn't mean she had always been some sheltered ornament, blind to the suffering of ordinary people.
She had carried the burden of protecting the Tokyo Area. The weight she had borne was no lighter than anyone else's.
And moreover —
She had made her choice. She had left everything behind, resolved to follow this deity into a strange, unknown world.
She had come prepared to start from nothing. Prepared, if it came to it, to sleep on a tent floor and eat black bread every day.
So long as she could walk beside this deity. So long as she could find new meaning in this world. Material hardship meant nothing to her.
And yet here was this deity, speaking to her in that tone — that careful, concerned "I hope the young lady won't suffer" sort of tone.
It left her with the feeling of being underestimated.
And alongside that, an urgent, almost desperate need to not be misunderstood by him.
"I'm sorry, Holy Emperor." "That was careless of me."
Watching the girl's expression — genuinely hurt, genuinely earnest — Haimer let the teasing fall away from his face. His eyes softened.
"I know perfectly well what the Holy Emperor is made of." "Someone who could choose to walk a road full of thorns, for the sake of an ideal that countless others laughed at and refused to believe in—"
"How could that person ever be someone fragile?"
"I only wanted to joke a little. To help you relax." "Because—"
"Since the moment you arrived in this world, your shoulders have been held so tightly." "Like a bowstring drawn all the way back, always braced for something."
"But this place — from now on, this is your home. You don't need to stay tense here."
At those words —
He had seen right through her.
The faint, indignant puff in the Holy Emperor's cheeks deflated instantly.
What replaced it was a rush of warmth that bloomed all the way up to her face — a sudden, overwhelming shyness.
She glanced instinctively at her own shoulders.
Her body really had been somewhat stiff, hadn't it...
So that meant... had Kami-sama been watching her all along?
Even something as small as that — a subtle tension in her posture — he had noticed it...
Kami-sama really is so thoughtful...
And then the thought arrived, close behind: that she had, moments ago, actually let a small flash of temper show — had even turned that slightly sulky, petulant expression on the very deity who had only been looking out for her.
The Holy Emperor went red to the roots of her hair. She dropped her gaze in a sudden fluster, unable to meet Haimer's eyes.
She lifted one hand to brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear — a small, practiced gesture, just enough to hide the furious beating of her heart.
But even so.
The blush that crept up from the base of her neck, and that one unguarded flicker of something soft and unbearably lovely —
Those could not be hidden.
Especially not in the moonlight. A fleeting bloom — the kind that lasts only a heartbeat, and leaves you shaken for far longer.
"It seems this Holy Emperor really was someone remarkable."
Having overheard the exchange, Onigawara Rin walked behind them, quietly envious, clutching her beloved blade to her chest. She drifted over to Kikakujou Mary and lowered her voice to a murmur, as though afraid of disturbing the atmosphere ahead.
"I've had a feeling for a while now..." "The way Holy Emperor-san carries herself, the way she speaks — it's not ordinary." "But I didn't expect..."
"She really was the kind of important person who lives in an actual palace?"
Onigawara Rin's imagination was already filling in the details — golden halls, carriages, an extravagant life fit for royalty.
"Yeah." Kikakujou Mary murmured her agreement.
"That bearing of hers... even the finest noble families don't usually produce something like that."
The newcomers' pasts — what kind of world they had come from — were of course something Onigawara Rin, Kikakujou Mary, and the others were curious about.
Especially someone like the Holy Emperor, whose every movement seemed wrapped in an almost aristocratic glow. Who wouldn't want to know more?
Gossip, after all, is simply part of being a girl.
But —
Curious as they were — practically itching with it — they all caught sight of Hestia standing nearby, ears practically swiveling in their direction.
With a single wordless exchange of glances, the group quietly swallowed their questions back down.
Best leave it for now. Asking right at this moment probably isn't a great idea. There'll be another chance.
"Alright, alright!" "Stop standing around at the gate, everyone!" "Let's go in already!" "I'm about to drop from exhaustion!"
Hestia, clearly done watching Haimer and the Holy Emperor exchange any more of those looks, decided she had seen quite enough.
Something told her that if she didn't intervene, those two were going to end up holding hands right there on the doorstep. The sheer pinkness of the atmosphere had her crisis sense screaming.
And so Hestia announced herself loudly, stepped forward, and grabbed Haimer's arm, already pulling him toward the door — all dignity of a goddess thoroughly forgotten.
"And you, Haimer! You already put the key in — why aren't you turning it? Are you trying to leave everyone standing here in the cold wind all night?"
"Alright, alright, I heard you." Haimer answered, resigned, letting Hestia drag him along.
His wrist turned.
Click —
The bolt sprang free with a clean, bright sound.
Haimer reached out and pushed open the heavy black iron gate.
The hinges, well-maintained, made no ugly screech — only a low, muffled rumble as the gate swung slowly open on both sides.
"Please, come in." "Welcome home."
With that, Haimer made a gentle sweeping gesture of invitation, a quiet smile on his face.
Everyone filed through in a stream, crossing the carefully tended garden.
The path underfoot was laid with white river pebbles that pressed pleasantly — if slightly — against the soles of their shoes, giving each step a satisfying little crunch.
The garden lamps on either side cast a soft glow over the hedges and topiaries, shapes clipped into animals and curves and whichever fanciful forms the gardener had seen fit.
They arrived before the main building.
Haimer produced another key and unlocked the great, stately oak front door.
Creak —
As the final oak door swung slowly open, the interior of the manor revealed itself without reservation.
And in that moment — every single one of them held their breath.
A broad, brilliantly lit hall.
Several hundred square meters in area, at the very least.
The floor was laid with marble tiles, polished to a mirror sheen — every slab flawless, each one reflecting the great chandelier overhead: a massive Magic Stone fixture shaped like an inverted crystal lotus.
Dozens of high-purity light-attribute Magic Stones were set into the chandelier, pouring out a gentle, even radiance that flooded the entire hall as brightly as midday.
Not a single pillar interrupted the space.
This left the hall feeling extraordinarily open and unconfined.
At the very far end of the hall, straight ahead —
One could see, right through to the garden, the ancient laurel tree at its center, its branches full and sprawling.
In the moonlight, its leaves stirred gently, whispering softly, casting a shifting patchwork of silver across the ground.
Still. Beautiful. Carrying the faintest shimmer of something dreamlike, almost unreal.
Along the sides of the hall —
A set of European-style sofas upholstered in what was clearly the finest velvet, exuding comfort just from looking at them.
And a long, deep-red mahogany dining table that could seat dozens at once, set with elegant silver candelabras.
Tucked in the corner —
A fireplace built from marble. Unlit at the moment, but just looking at it was enough to conjure up the warmth of a winter evening — the pop and crackle of logs, the deep, settled contentment of sitting beside it.
"Whoa——!"
In that moment — whether it was the Holy Emperor, who had seen all manner of grand things, or Tendou Kisara, who had grown up in the austere simplicity of a dojo, or Aihara Enju and Hiruko Kohina, who had seen very little of the world at all — every single one of them let out a perfectly synchronized gasp of wonder.
"It's so beautiful!" "It's so big in here!" "Even bigger than it looked from outside!"
Aihara Enju and Hiruko Kohina cheered with delight, quickly slipping off their shoes. Then, on bare little feet as pale and soft as dumplings, they went pattering across the hall, the cool, smooth floor sending a novel sensation shooting up through their soles — so novel that they both promptly dropped and rolled across it several times, skirts flaring.
"And also..." "The temperature in here..." "It's completely different from outside."
The Holy Emperor stepped into the hall, and the comfortable warmth that washed over her stopped her in her tracks.
She looked around in quiet surprise.
Because outside, the night breeze had still carried a distinct chill — enough that she, in her off-shoulder gown, had been fighting the urge to hunch her shoulders against it.
But stepping inside was like crossing from deep autumn directly into warm spring in a single stride.
An even, utterly comfortable temperature wrapped around her from all sides.
Not stifling. Not cold. Not a trace of the dry, almost papery air that indoor heating so often produced in winter. The humidity in the air was perfect — not close and stuffy, not parching.
"Kami-sama," the Holy Emperor said, turning to Haimer with a look of genuine surprise. "Is there some kind of heating system in here?"
"Of course." "It's a Magic Stone circulating constant-temperature system."
Haimer pointed toward several ventilation openings set into the decorative moulding along the walls — so well disguised that you would never notice them unless you were specifically looking.
"This is one of Orario's Magical Crafts workshops' finest achievements, and one of the most valuable features of this house," he said. "It uses Magic Stones produced in the middle floors of the Dungeon as the heat source, with a magical circuit as the regulator."
"The heat is distributed evenly throughout every room through a complex web of magical circuits inscribed within the walls themselves." "Not only does it maintain a constant temperature around the clock — it also automatically adjusts the humidity in the air."
"Magic Stones..." "Magical circuits..."
The Holy Emperor repeated the two unfamiliar terms quietly, almost to herself, her eyes bright with wonder.
Because these were things that had only ever existed in the pages of fantasy novels.
And yet here they were — real, tangible, woven so cleverly into the fabric of everyday life.
The sheer impact of it — this magical craft and technology made real —
Hit her even harder than the architecture had.
And reminded her, once again, in the most vivid and concrete of ways —
This was no longer the world she had come from.
"Incredible..." Tendou Kisara breathed, unable to help herself.
As a former science student — even if her studies had been left to wither during the years she had spent consumed by revenge — this kind of energy application filled her with a fierce, undeniable curiosity.
"Alright, alright!" "There'll be plenty of time to explore later!" "Right now, the most important thing is —" "A bath! A bath!"
Hestia had already reached her limit of patience. She pointed eagerly down the corridor toward the large bath chamber deep in the first floor, eyes lit up like lanterns.
"A bath?!"
The word landed — and instantly had everyone's complete attention.
Not just Aihara Enju and Hiruko Kohina, who as children needed no encouragement whatsoever to get excited about water.
Even Tendou Kisara —
When she heard that word —
A faint light flickered through those normally cool, sharp eyes.
Because for girls — any girl —
After an exhausting day that had included crossing between worlds, walking through a strange city, and eating a very large meal — nothing on earth sounded more appealing than sinking into a deep, hot bath.
And besides —
She tugged absently at her collar.
That black sailor uniform.
It had been soaked through and dried and soaked again who knew how many times over the course of the day. It clung to her now, clammy and slightly stale — a damp, vaguely unpleasant sensation pressed against her skin.
For someone with a mild obsession with cleanliness, it was nothing short of torture.
And especially —
Since the day she had left the Tendou family estate.
It had been a very long time since she had allowed herself the luxury of just... lying in a full, deep bath. Not thinking about anything. Just soaking.
Back in that cramped, run-down apartment she'd been renting —
She had kept the hot water heater off as long as possible to save money, making do with quick showers that were over before she'd had the chance to actually relax.
But a proper bath...
That long-forgotten feeling of comfort...
Just the thought of it —
It was as though every pore on her body had already opened up in anticipation, clamouring for the embrace of hot water.
"So... Kami-sama, you really have a place to take a proper bath here?"
Tendou Kisara turned her head, looking at Haimer, something close to longing in her eyes.
"Of course." Haimer caught the expectant looks from Tendou Kisara and the others, and gave a warm nod. "If everyone is tired —"
"Then go to the large bath at the end of the corridor on the first floor." "It draws from a natural underground spring, heated by Magic Stones — hot water, twenty-four hours a day." "The bath is large enough for all of you at once."
"Go wash the weariness off. Change your mood."
"Once you've bathed and rested —" "You can go upstairs and choose your own rooms on the second floor."
"And then..." "At that point..."
Haimer paused, his gaze moving across the Holy Emperor and the others.
"There is one more indispensable step waiting for you."
"Indispensable step?"
The Holy Emperor looked puzzled.
"Bestowing God's Grace." "Only by receiving my Grace will you truly become my Familia in this world." "And moreover —" "This is also the ceremony that formally makes you adventurers."
"Kami-sama's Grace..."
At those words —
The Holy Emperor, Tendou Kisara, Aihara Enju, and Hiruko Kohina — each and every one of them — their expressions turned serious.
This was precisely why they had come here.
"Yes!" And so, as one, all of them answered together — voices full of anticipation.
But —
Just as the Holy Emperor and the others were about to head for the bath, a new and slightly awkward problem made itself known.
"About that..."
The Holy Emperor looked down at herself with some difficulty — at the white formal gown she was wearing.
It was a beautiful thing, and had once been a symbol of who she was. But after everything today had put her through —
The crossing between worlds. The long walk here.
The hem had picked up dust from the road, and there were even a few small oil stains from the meal — the kind you don't notice at the time and then deeply regret. Some of the fabric had been snagged and torn.
It looked, at this point, rather the worse for wear.
But more to the point —
"We... don't seem to have any change of clothes," the Holy Emperor admitted, with a slightly helpless expression.
Because the crossing had been so sudden.
Aside from what they'd had on them at the time, there had simply been no opportunity to pack anything.
They could hardly wash themselves clean and then put the dirty clothes back on, could they?
That would be a rather pointless bath.
Or — the alternative —
Come out wrapped in towels?
At that mental image —
Even Aihara Enju, who was normally fairly easygoing about such things, went pink — the tips of her ears going warm.
"Well... if it's alright with everyone..."
"You could borrow our clothes for the time being."
At that moment, Onigawara Rin raised her hand.
Looking a little bashful, she pointed at herself, then gestured to Kikakujou Mary, Nomura Satori, Inaba Tsukuyo, and the others beside her.
"When we first arrived, we'd brought a fair amount of new clothes with us." "Most of it has never even been worn — still has the tags on." "It's all been sitting in the wardrobe."
"Looking at Holy Emperor-san and Kisara-san's figures..." Onigawara Rin's eyes swept over the two of them, making a quick, appraising comparison.
"I think they're probably about the same as mine and Mary's and Satori's." "The style might be a bit different... but the sizing should work."
After all, they were all young women in full bloom. As long as the difference wasn't absurdly extreme, borrowing for a night was perfectly manageable.
"Really? You'd do that?" The Holy Emperor's eyes lit up like she'd spotted a lifeline.
"Of course, no problem at all," Onigawara Rin and the others said cheerfully.
"Thank you all so much!"
"Not at all, not at all!" "We're companions now — something this small isn't worth a second thought."
Onigawara Rin scratched her cheek a little self-consciously. Being thanked so earnestly by someone of such effortless, refined beauty — she genuinely wasn't sure how to handle it.
"Then... can I borrow yours?"
Tendou Kisara turned her head and looked at Amou Kirukiru — who had been standing quietly to one side, not saying a word.
Because, like it or not, she had to admit it.
Even though Amou Kirukiru had said nothing at all —
Of everyone present, only she and Amou Kirukiru shared practically the same build.
Both tall, both long-legged. Both generously proportioned up top.
Both had trained in martial arts their whole lives.
Their shoulder width and waist-to-hip ratio were nearly identical.
A perfect match, in other words.
"Hmph."
Amou Kirukiru's response was to flick a glance at Tendou Kisara, let out a short sound through her nose, and fold her arms, chin tilting up slightly.
She said nothing.
But she didn't shake her head either. Which was as good as a yes.
And so — the adults' problem was quickly resolved.
Which left the next question:
"What about our clothes?" Aihara Enju pointed to herself, then to the equally puzzled-looking Hiruko Kohina beside her.
Everyone's gaze dropped, as one, to those two small figures.
Right. Aihara Enju. And Hiruko Kohina.
Two girls of notably compact dimensions.
Neither of them topping about 140 centimeters.
Which meant, fairly obviously —
Whoever's clothes they tried to borrow, the result would be disastrous. Any adult-sized garment would swamp them completely.
They'd be swimming in fabric. It would look less like borrowing clothes and more like wearing a costume — probably trailing along the floor.
"My, my, then who on earth would these two little ones wear?" Nomura Satori blinked, the corner of her mouth curling into a delighted, cat-like smile.
She already knew the answer perfectly well. She was simply enjoying asking.
Because —
One beat later —
In a moment of perfect, wordless synchronization —
Almost every single person present — Haimer included —
Turned and fixed their gaze on a small figure who had been doing her very best to reduce her presence to zero and was edging toward a quiet escape.
That figure — slightly shorter even than Aihara Enju, someone who looked for all the world like an elementary school student despite actually being the oldest person in the room...
—One of the Supreme Five Swords.
— Hanasaka Warabi.
(WARABI HANASAKA)
What a tragedy.
Because truly — Hanasaka Warabi's figure was the absolute ideal for children's clothing modelling.
And so —
"!!!"
Suddenly finding herself pinned under the collective, deeply meaningful gaze of everyone in the room — a gaze that said of course it's her and who else could it possibly be — Hanasaka Warabi went completely rigid.
And when the reason sank in —
That already slightly childlike face of hers flushed scarlet, all the way to the tips of her ears.
____
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