192-Sleeping witch




 After parting with Emilia, I communicated to Melhayes about her via thought transmission.
 I'm sure he'll make arrangements for her to be transferred to the Brave Academy right away.

 But we have more time than I expected.

 I thought I would be able to take a bit more bite out of it, but inexplicably, I became very persistent. I guess that's how hard our days were until today, huh?

"Anos

 I turn around and see Misha standing there.
 She's holding a basket in her hand.

'Breakfast.'

 Saying this, Misha held out the basket with both hands.

'I made you lunch.'

"Ho. Well, thank you for that. Thanks for the help.

 Smiling happily, Misha shook her head from side to side.

'Do you want to go to Delzogade?'

I've got to go, but I left a little early today.

 I think to myself as I stow the basket inside the magic circle.

'Hmm. I've got an idea. Let's go to Misha's house.

 Blinking her eyes, Misha nodded her head slightly.

'When was the last time we spoke? You said you were going to go wake up Sasha. I've put it off for some reason, but it's just the right time.

 Misha nodded his head and reached for me.

'Sasha would be delighted.'

 Taking a small hand, she used .
 The vision in front of me turned completely white, and then a different view appeared.

 A large room. The ceiling was high and there were several ornate pillars.
 Red-tinted curtains rustled in the breeze, and sunlight poured in through the windows.

 They dazzled a large canopied bed, but the figure sleeping there made no move to get up.
 Sasha, wearing a peach-colored negligee and her hair untied, was sleeping peacefully and comfortably.

'You're completely asleep,'

"Sleep twice.

 Misha points to the window.

'Hmm. So you left the window open and then went back to sleep.

 Curtly Misha nodded.

'Maybe I'll sleep three times.'

 I walk over to Sasha and sit down on the bed.

'Sasha,'

 I call out to her, but she's not as responsive as she should be.
 It's strange, because at this rate, she makes it on time every time without being late.

 I put my hand on her head and give her a light shake.

'You better get up now, or you're going to rock the whole house. Or I'll shake the whole house.

 When I say it with magic in my words, Sasha opens her eyes wistfully.

''........Misha? Is it morning already...?

 Sasha says in a vague tone.
 'You're still sleepwalking around, mistaking me for Misha.

'Have you forgotten your lord's face?'

 Absent-mindedly, Sasha is looking at me.
 However, her eyes are somehow unfocused.

''My lord is........Anos.......? My Demon King.

That's right. That's your Demon King. I'm here to wake you up.

Huh...? 

 He was still sleepy and fluffy in his tone.

'I told you before. I came all the way down here to wake you up. It's about time you woke up.

"...Oh, it's a dream...

 I didn't listen to you.

I didn't dream it. Wake up.

"...even in my dreams, Anos is so curt...

 Grabbing the sheets, Sasha turns away from me in a raggedy way.

"Sasha,

I need to sleep.

 I reach out my hand and Sasha grabs it and tries to drag me to the bed.

...

I've told you before. Don't think I'm going to let you sleep in front of me.

...hmmm...

 Sasha says in a spoiled voice like a spoiled child.

''........just because it's a dream, Anos would never, ever do that to me....

 I don't know what I'm talking about.
 I thought it was getting up by the minute, but it doesn't look like it.

"Don't be too crappy.

If you want me to listen to you, you're going to have to stick to what you said...

 Sasha turns over to us again.
 The sheets are disheveled, revealing a thin negligee.

'What do you expect me to do to protect you?

You said you wouldn't let me sleep...

 Sasha says, sulking.

''........it's a dream, you can hold me, at least for a minute.......''

Hmm. You're a hard man to blame.

 I reach out to Sasha.
 Then I touch her body.



 Sasha laughs happily.

'Oh,'

 そのまま軽くサーシャを持ち上げた。

「……きゃっ……!」

 両手でサーシャを抱き抱え、ベッドから下りる。

「どうだ? 抱いてやったぞ。まったく、一人で起きる上がることもできぬとは。幼子のようなことを言うものだな」

 視界の端に見えたミーシャが、小刻みに首を左右に振っていた。

 なにか違ったか、と思った瞬間、ミーシャははっとしたように、今度は小刻みにこくこくとうなずき始めた。

 どうやら間違ってはいないようだな。

「……あれ……アノス……?」

 俺の腕の中にいるサーシャが瞬きをして、じっとその目を俺に向けた。
 ぼーっとしていた視線が次第にしっかりしてくると、彼女は言葉をこぼした。

「……今の? あ、あれ……? だって……夢……? だけど、なんでアノスが……ここにいるの……?」

 動転したように、サーシャが言う。

「以前に約束しただろう。起こしに来てやったぞ」

「……え、あ……そうなの……あ、ありがとう……」

 未だ頭に疑問を浮かべた様子で、サーシャがお礼を口にする。

「ところで、あの……アノス……ちょっと聞いてもいいかしら……?」

 怖ず怖ずとサーシャが尋ねる。

「なんだ?」

「その……わたし、なにか、変なこと言ってた……かしら……?」

 意図がつかめずにいると、サーシャはすぐに言葉を続けた。

「……ゆっ、夢なんだけどっ……夢なんだけどねっ。そう、へ、変な夢を見てて、それで……おかしなこと言ってなかったかと……思ったんだけど?」

「まあ、わけのわからぬことを色々と口にしてはいたが、抱いてやるまで起きぬと駄々をこねたのでな。こうして起こしてやったというわけだ」

 サーシャはほっとしたような表情を見せた後、首を捻った。

「……というか、なんで抱いてって聞いて、抱っこしてほしいと思うのよ……子供じゃないんだから……」

 なんの気なしにそうぼやいた瞬間、サーシャは口を大きく開き、危機的状況にでも陥ったような顔をした。
 まるで墓穴を掘ったと言わんばかりである。

「すべて寝言とは思わなかったのでな。てっきり起こして欲しいものとばかり思ったが、まさか、夢とは」

「そ、そう。そうなのよっ。夢、夢だわ、夢。まあ、別にそんなことはどうでもいいんだけどね、どうでも。ところで――」

「なんの夢を見ていたのだ?」

 サーシャが絶句した。

「……え、えーと……その……」

「ずいぶんと良い夢だったのだろう。なかなか幸せそうな顔をしていた」

 サーシャは顔を真っ赤にし、そっぽを向くように視線をそらす。

「……う、うん……良い夢だったわ……」

「俺の名を呼んでいたが、俺も出てきたのか?」

 サーシャがぎゅっと俺の袖をつかむ。

「……出てきた……」

What are you doing here?

What did you say?

 Surprised, Sasha raises her voice.

'What's up?'

''It's nothing....

 If you stare at her, you'll see how distressed she looks.

Hmm. You've been prying. There are things you don't want to say. I don't have to ask.

'Oh....'

 When I try to put Sasha down, she squeezes my sleeve as if she doesn't want to.

 In a thin voice she says

'....hold me...'

Hmm?

Well, I got a hug. Anos gave me a hug.

 I laughed cheerfully when I heard that.
 I stroked her head, ruffling her untied golden hair.

"You're an unwanted stubborn one, aren't you? You're still a child, aren't you?

Oh, shut up. Come on, it's okay.

 Sasha hugged me tightly.
 Misha, who was looking at it, giggles.

"God. 'Oh, come on, Misha,'

I'm glad Sasha is happy.

 After being told that, Sasha makes a bum face.

"Haha. As usual, I don't know which one is my sister.

Sasha is the big sister.

 Sasha muttered with a reluctant expression.

'Then I wish Misha was a little more sisterly,'

 Misha nods her head.

'What would you like?'

Whatever it takes to make you look sloppier than I am.

 Misha froze in place, as if in trouble.
 But eventually, as if on notice, she said.

'I'm not sloppy about being your sister.

You're a Tonchi?

 It was a sharp tweak.

'Enough,'

 I let her down to the floor as Sasha pedaled through the air with her feet.
 She draws a magic circle around her feet. Each time it went up above her head, the negligee changed into the black clothes of the Demon King Academy.

 In an instant, Sasha finished changing in an instant.

''I'm in trouble.''

 And Misha looks up at me.
 I guess she's worried about being told she's not acting like a sister.

Well, I hope you don't mind me saying so.

"...I'm curious...

So why don't you try being selfish once in a while?

Selfish?

It will make you feel like a little sister.

 Misha stared and thought, then said to Sasha.

'I miss you.'

What's going on with you all of a sudden?

 Sasha moves closer to Misha, looking concerned.

'It's just that Anos can't make it to class.

'Oh....'

 Sasha's voice trails off as she realizes.

''........Yeah, that's right....... That's true, but to begin with, even the Demon King of Tyranny has already completely spread to Dirheid, so if you take a class, it's only going to be a big mess.

...hmmm....

I miss him a little bit, but that's okay.

 As she said this, Sasha casually held hands with Misha.

'Poor Anos too,'

Pity?

 Sasha looked at me curiously.

'But you've already fulfilled your part in proving that you're a tyrannical demon king, and Anos doesn't really want to take classes, does he?

 Sasha asks.

'Not really. There's not much point in taking the class, though. But that boring class is not so bad, by the way. There's you guys.

 Sasha's face breaks out in happiness.

''..........? Then it can't be all good now that you've been recognized as a real demon king...

 Misha nodded a little sadly.

'What? Don't be so depressed. I have a lot of things to prepare for. It's all good today.

'What? Uh ... wait a minute. What are you talking about?

 They stare at me with curious faces.

''Of course, it's about me attending the Demon King Academy again.

Huh!

 With an expression of such recklessness, Sasha raised her voice loudly.