Shiroe himself did not rate his abilities as a schemer that highly. This was because the win rate guided by his abilities was not high.

　To an outside observer, Shiroe's record of warfare would appear spectacular.

　For example, during the Tea Party of the Prodigal, he convinced individual players to form their own guilds, and he was able to capture a large scale battle (raid) in Hades-Breath at a very early stage, even on the Japanese server. His achievements have been highly praised by players who are familiar with the situation.
　The Tea Party of the Prodigal, where a relatively small group of players fought at the vanguard of some of the largest battles in server history, such as the Throne of Radamanthus and the Nine Prisons of Halos, is a legend of sorts.
　Those in the know are also aware that Shiroe was responsible for the events that led to the formation of the Round Table.

　However, that is only an outsider's view of his achievements.
　In a major operation, especially when the outcome of the battle can be influenced by advance information and laying the groundwork, the military strategist Shiroe's performance is certainly brilliant.
　However, from Shiroe's own point of view, they are only a part of the myriad of battles he has fought. There were countless battles that Shiroe had fought in that weren't large or for which prior research was meaningless, and if such battles were added to the statistics, wouldn't the win rate be that high?　He thinks so.

(Again, today, I think we're going to lose some wins, right?)
　I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not going to be the only one who can do that. But those hopes are often unfulfilled.

"I hope you're not getting fidgety, my lord.
'Yes. That's right, Shiroe-san. I'm finally good-looking!
"M
'What?　It's...cool...right?
My lord is my lord. I don't care about your appearance.

　But reality is heartless.
　The two girls sitting next to each other with themselves in between won't let it go.

　The one on your right is a girl with a slender, age-appropriate body and an air of cleverness. It was Minori, the Divinity Officer of the Horizon of Records.
　Today, she was wearing a more girlish style than usual, a long denim-type skirt and blouse with a pink-beige cardigan. She looked a bit ladylike, but it suited Minori, who is a caring person. Her black hair, which looked a deep chocolate color in the light, was still held in place with a black lace ribbon, which was also adorable.

　Sitting on the left is Shiroe's old friend. He is Akatsuki, a self-proclaimed burglar with a sense of loyalty I don't understand. Akatsuki's glossy black hair hangs down, and she stares at Shiroe with the same earnest, upturned gaze she always gives him.
　What is different from the usual is that the outfit is not all dark tones, but a wisteria-colored kosode and indigo hakama. Dressing like a schoolgirl suits Akatsuki, a beautiful, cat-like girl, too well.

　Akatsuki was an adorable girl who, if you asked 100 people, would say she was a beautiful girl, and speaking of Minori, this was another girl with a promising future. In this situation, you could say that they have flowers on their hands.

　However, Shiroe's expression, sandwiched between the two, is not excellent.
　It's not possible to explain exactly what or why, but the uncomfortable feeling is real.

　This is almost the center of the city of Akiba. Shiroe sits here at a special café built at a major intersection, at the request of the two girls, and to fulfill their request one hundred percent.

　After Akatsuki and Minori mentioned that they wanted to enjoy a free cake buffet, Shiroe did some research on the buffet. The cake buffet, as the name implies, is held multiple times. It would be possible to go with Akatsuki and Minori at different times.
　However, Shiroe herself felt uncomfortable about challenging the free event twice by herself. No matter how much of a festival it was, he would be like a child who ate all the free samples in the tasting corner.　Thinking that, Shiroe had a plan.

　If Akatsuki and Minori wanted to enjoy the cake, then the three of them could enter the competition together; since the quota is for the two of them to eat eight cakes, there would be no problem if the three of them ate 12 cakes.

　Fortunately, the guild master of the guild , the guild that presides over this cake buffet, had negotiated several times at the . As I recall, she was a craftswoman who got along quite well with Henrietta.
　When I went to ask for permission, Miss Kanako, the guild master of the , welcomed Shiroe with open arms. The smiling welcome is of course due to the fact that Shiroe is a member of the Roundtable, but it's no inconvenience to her either, so she doesn't hesitate to ask for permission.

　I would like to participate with two girls from the same guild, would you like to make a move with 12?　That's the story. It's not something to go around, but I don't need to hide it," she said. It was not something that needed to be disclosed, but Shiroe answered honestly that there was no need to hide anything. The Horizon of Record is a guild that considers itself to be very much at home.
　As a result, the extremely smiling guild master approved the three of us to participate in the contest. He couldn't help but feel trapped by the knowing smile on his face, but it was a question that he could ignore as much as he wanted for his own convenience. Thus, Shiroe was given the special right to have a cake buffet for the three of us.

　And so Shiroe and the three of them were waiting for their cake to arrive at the open cafe, but Shiroe's stomach was already starting to feel a slight stomach ache.

　As she hadn't even taken a bite yet, it wasn't likely to be heartburn from the cake.

　It was probably because Minori and Akatsuki, who weren't usually on bad terms with each other, were subtly tense and tense, pregnant with tension.
　The three of us can go eat together, so we should be relieved!　When he reported back with a telepathic report, Akatsuki, aside from Minori, responded with a subtle tone of voice. Shiroe couldn't quite understand that area, though she was sure there was some reason for the ninja's loyalty path.
　On the other hand, Minori, on the other hand, is in high spirits. He's been talking to Shiroe cheerfully since a while ago, and his spirited, positive attitude is surprisingly positive. Shiroe thinks it's cute that Minori, who is usually a hard worker, is looking forward to cake like that, like a middle schooler.
　However, Akatsuki is Akatsuki, and he's glancing at Shiroe while fiddling with his hakama, and he's also pulling out some very practical flying tools (kunai) from somewhere, so Shiroe has been having a hard time disciplining each of them for a while now.

　Looking around, there were about 20 groups of men and women sitting at their small tables, all smiling and talking.
　It's a cool October evening, after the rain, and the open cafe, lit by orange lamps, has a peaceful atmosphere. It's as if some "minstrel" is playing a song, an old fashioned song from the world of earth that blends in with the wind and is nostalgic to the ears.

　Shiroe wondered idly if the pair seated there were mostly couples.

　Five months had already passed since the Great Disaster occurred. It was true that this was a different world, but maybe it was enough time for strangers to evolve into lovers.
　In one part of my mind, I'm thinking, hey, how much fuss has it been five months now? There's no way I'm going to have time for this, this is an emergency!　But at the other end of the spectrum, I wondered if the love between the two young people would be ignited because it's such a thrilling and suspenseful world.　There are voices in the opposite direction.

　Shiroe herself is not very familiar with love and has never had a clear girlfriend.
　So, I can't give her the answer of "love is possible in such a case" or "no love", but that's a good thing, it's a matter for others. As long as both parties are happy, I have concluded that it's okay.
　Couples are a funny thing to watch, and as Shiroe, I don't dislike them. When they take care of you, it can be noisy, but as long as you watch them from a distance, it's good. So even at this time Shiroe was watching them in a daze.

''My lord. ''My lord.''
Oh, um. I'm sorry. What's up, Akatsuki?
　When I turned to Akatsuki, who was much more restless than usual today, she squirmed and said, "What's the matter with you, you're so smug and sloppy.
　On the other side, Minori said, "Yes, that's right. It's a spirited effort! He said. As for Shiroe, she didn't think she'd have any enthusiasm for the cake buffet, but her words were cut short by Minori's earnest expression when she tried to answer that.

　Minori herself seems to be sufficiently enthusiastic about it.
　The small gesture of a small gut pose in front of her chest is adorable, like some kind of character. She makes her dainty expression as earnest as she can, "Let's go for it! It's not so much the appearance of dignity as it is the impression of being taller than dignified, which makes Shiroe feel more smiling than being encouraged.
　It's a real mystery to me.

''Well.........''
Mmm.
Akatsuki, you look great in kimono.
　Minori cut me off as I was searching for words. It wouldn't be a ship of help, but as Shiroe, it was nice to get the topic out of the way.

'Sure, that's great. It's rare to see you in kimono, but what's up with you, Akatsuki?
Doesn't it look good on you?
　The two of them said in unison, "No, that's not true" at Akatsuki's expression of annoyance and yet bravado. The pale wisteria and bellflower-colored kimono with bellflower streaks was a subdued pattern, but it looked good on the petite Akatsuki as if it had been tailored for her. A beautiful young girl who is usually a quiet, animal-like girl, but when she wears a kimono like this, she looks exceptionally gorgeous.

You look great in kimono, Akatsuki," she said.
S....
Don't make it sound like a graduation ceremony.
"Uh.
　Shiroe is at a loss for words as Akatsuki beats her to the punch. Glaring at Shiroe, Akatsuki said, "I'll kick you, even if you're my lord. But when Shiroe and Minori said, "It really looks good on you," he finally changed his tune and forgave them.

Minori looks good in it, too.
　The junior high school girl smiled with a bashful smile.
　It seems that Isuzu had chosen that coordination. The expression on her face as she explained in detail about each of the blouses and cardigans, where she bought them, how much they cost, and what Isuzu told her when she chose them looked like she was enjoying herself. It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're going to do with it.

　Shiroe is finally relieved a little bit by such a situation.

(When a woman is involved, it's completely unreliable. )

　It was the same with the Prodigal's Tea Party. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for, but it's not a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　I'm not sure if it would be a big problem or not, but before I knew it, the problem became a blur or the problem itself didn't exist, which is a pretty pathetic result for a military strategist.

(Though 《She》 was the only difference.
　Shiroe recalls.
　She was the founder and the leader of the Tea Party of the Prodigal. The reason for the word "just in case" is that the Tea Party was a group of free people, and there were basically only those participants who could take care of themselves.
　To paraphrase Nyanta, "everyone knew what they had to do for their own comfort zone. So, in a normal sense, they didn't need a leader.
　But she was still the leader of the Prodigal Tea Party, and that's just because she was the most selfish person at the Prodigal Tea Party. In a sense, the Prodigal Tea Party was always pushed around by her.

The prodigal tea party has always been pushed around by her in a way. You're going to be able to find out what's going on in the world.

　Her] selfishness was world-wide, so Shiroe's performance was decreasing. There was no such thing as "ambiguous results" or "in vain", most of them were executed and crushed. We took all of our hopefuls on an expedition to a European server, but when we lost a quest item and couldn't get into the Aurora Zone, we were really tired. It wasn't for lack of trying that Shiroe would be a hardship.

　Compared to that, Akatsuki and Minori's requests were adorable. Shiroe wondered if she could make their wishes come true if she could keep going like this.



　◆



Wow, that looks good!
　Out of the corner of my eye where Minori was rolling her eyes, the serving had begun. A lovely shortcake was being brought to several tables, though not yet to Shiroe and the others. The colors of the strawberries are bright and splendid.

　The guild members of the "Dunsteria" were humble in saying that they couldn't possibly compare to the glamour of the original Earth's confectionery store, but I don't think that's true. It's not just the appearance, but also the sweet smell that spread through the air was appetizing.

''My lord, my lord. It's quite a sight to behold.''
It's beautiful, isn't it good!
　Sandwiched between the girls on either side of me who were frolicking, even as Shiroe, I felt a little bit excited. Perhaps it was because of the hectic day she'd had, but four of that level of cake seemed to be easy to flatten out. That would be the same for Minori and Akatsuki; all three of them had never doubted that they would be able to finish even a minuscule amount of food. Until this time.

　Waitresses in tailor-made costumes were serving the food, and most of the tables were lined with a variety of shortcakes. When it was time for Shiroe and the others to take their turn, the guildmaster appeared personally with a big smile on his face, holding a silver tray.

　On that tray was a whole cake on it. Strawberries, apricots, chocolates and cheese, blackcurrant yogurt and apple pie, and a slightly early Mont Blanc.

　Twelve cakes.
　But it was a dozen whole cakes.

?
　Minori had a curious look on her face. However, Akatsuki's expression was already drawn out.

''This is........''
　The guild master of the replied to Shiroe with a big smile as he asked her with a look in his eyes, ''It is a service from our guild.

''It is a service from our guild.
No, but it's too much.
We'd be very happy to oblige.
　A smile pushes me away and cake after cake is heaped on the small table. The first one is an apple pie. The circle that would form a familiar triangle if divided into eight equal parts is exactly the size of a whole.

　Eight of the cakes were the same as the other participants, but four of the cakes were special and had been added to the mix. The topped decorations include small male sugar candy dolls with two women on either side of them.

Shiroe-san.
"My lord,
　Of course, the two girls also had a drawn-out expression as they looked at the apple pie that was cut up in front of them. Of course, this apple pie looked delicious, and if it was about four of this size, Shiroe was confident that she could definitely eat it. If the two of them were girly and said "I'm full," she was prepared to take on one each and eat a total of six pies.
　She also told me that women feigning small appetites like that is mimicry, but Shiroe was too young to think that she was everything to a woman.

　Nevertheless, it's a hall size. You can simply say that the amount has increased eightfold. However, the round cake in front of me had a greater impact than the eight-fold increase in volume.

"Let's just eat one for now, shall we?
　The three of us started eating the pie with a haphazard statement from Shiroe that served no purpose other than to buy time. Delicious. The fresh sweetness of the apples used in abundance and the faint scent of cinnamon were pleasant. While tasting the moist and tender apples, they easily ate a slice of the pie.

　Just as Shiroe was expecting this, an apple pie was placed in front of her with only 5/8th of a slice left.
　The owner of the pie is Akatsuki.

Why?
I'm serving my lord.
I mean, you can't just serve, but it's the whole thing!
Oh. I'm sorry. I'm going to cut it up.

　That's not what I was talking about. And the moment I tried to control Minori, Minori had already stood up and started dexterously slicing up the apple pie with her knife as she got into her midsection. Every time Minori slid the knife with a serious expression on her face as she sat in the middle, her hair, which was held in place with a black ribbon, swayed around Shiroe's ears, and a faintly sweet fragrance stood out.

　Ah, so she's a girl, even in middle school. As I think about it, from all over the café, I hear the words, "Die. Lori forgive me. Go away. Stomach churning. I could hear mutterings like that.
　Akatsuki looks puzzled. If you slide your gaze to the side, you can see that the decorated cake has "You two are not fair" and "Lolicon mole (heart)" written on it in poorly written letters.

(Ahhhh?!)

　It was only at this point that Shiroe realized exactly what was going on.
　A minefield.
　That's the word that popped into my mind the moment I grasped it. Shiroe and the three of them were in a minefield of misunderstandings from their surroundings. Not to mention Shiroe's reputation, his two precious guild members are the subject of the same prejudice.

(Not good, this is getting even two of them involved. It's shameful that they're being treated like warlords for this.... Anyway, we have to stand out in this café, make no noise, minimize our wounds, retreat and regain our posture...)

　Shiroe's brain is spinning at high speed as he considers a remedial measure.
　I'm not sure how far the misunderstanding has spread, and we don't know where the starting point of this situation is, so even if we can grasp the situation, we can't get a grip on it. In that sense, Akatsuki held out his fork to Shiroe, who couldn't even shift into control battle mode.

'My lord, here.'

　At the end of it is a lovely apple pie cut into bite-sized pieces.

'Am I going to eat it, Deska?'
　You're going to force all the rest of it on Akatsuki, who nods his head and says　But when you stare at them with your dark-eyed eyes, you won't be able to say anything back. It's a good thing that you're not going to be able to find a way to make a good impression.
　It's a good thing that you're able to have a good time with them.

'Eat, lord.'
　It is offered to me, but it is a big problem from a Siloe point of view.

　It's an act of "ahhh" to be offered a fork to eat. The current seriousness of Akatsuki's bumbling face makes it clear that this is not something that originates from favoritism, but the people around him will not understand that.

　If this continues, he will be stigmatized as a loli.
　If you step on such a landmine, you may lose your lower half of your body, let alone one leg. Even the eyes of the people around me are painful. This is an open cafe, and since this is the first day of the festival, people on the street are staring at you.

See, it's spilling out.
　However, if you are forced to accept the slice that is flowing on the ground, you have no choice but to accept it. The image of giggles spilling out from around you and pointing fingers flashed through your mind, and Shiroe felt like she wanted to get in if there was a hole.

''Shiroe-san!''
　It's a good thing that you're not a fan of this kind of thing.

(No matter how much, both of you are too blind to the situation. Now is the time to retreat. What kind of person is this?

Is it good?
"Of course, my lord,
No, it's not even good enough. .... this isn't really at the level of that kind of talk, is it?
　But the two guys around them were also having an "ahhhh" moment. She had suspected this, but Shiroe was devastated to see the reality of the situation.
　It seems that the city of Akiba is more full of love than Shiroe had thought.

　It's not so much the giggling and whispering as it is the simple pleasantries of two people who have fallen in love.
　The reality is that you have to repeat small steps endlessly to move forward. The cake piled up in front of you is a perfect example of this.



　It is a symbol.



　It's not as if reality can be overcome by simply trying, so naturally Shiroe and the others failed. Unless your stomach is made of magic bags, it's impossible.

　The three of us tried our best, but we were still limited to 18 pieces, or two and a bit of whole cakes. Shiroe was in charge of nine of them, and frankly, I don't want to move anymore because I feel sick.

　After losing the battle of the cake buffet, the three of them had sluggishly made their way back to their guildhouse. Of course, since they couldn't finish the meal, there would be no more free food, so Shiroe had to pay for 12 whole cakes.

　In terms of time, it's probably about 8pm.
　Shiroe was relaxing on the terrace of the third floor of the Guild House. To be more accurate, her stomach was too heavy to move.
　Normally, I would have thought that after eating the cake, we could cool off the festivities and go for a leisurely stroll, but Minori and Akatsuki aside, Shiroe's was exhausted, as if the weight of the cake was directly on her guts. He was in no condition to take a walk and had to return to the guild house.

　According to the blackboard in the dining area, both Nyanta and Naotsugu are watching the festival. Isuzu and Rundel House have a sign that says "Wanko Walk". They must have gone on a date.
　Having confirmed this briefly, Shiroe came out to the terrace like this, and was lying alone on the cedarwood bench.
　I think it's safe to say that we are sinking.

　Anyway, this world is just the way it is, and Shiroe was a black star today.

(That's why you can't rely on the preliminary investigation, right?

　If you think about it, the guildmaster of the Dunsteria was smiling all over the place, and Shiroe suspected that he had already planned to greet them with a whole cake from then on.
　It's true that they were going to be challenged with flowers in each hand, but it's not like the three of them were in that kind of relationship. You can't go that far.

(What kind of calculation is that 12 holes for just going with Akatsuki and Minori? ........Oh, I see.)

　Shiroe recommended the cake buffet to Soujiro, which was a reminder to him. The open cafe is supposed to hold another free tasting (buffet) event tomorrow, too, at a different time. I'm sure my former classmate Soujiro, who is a harem, will enjoy the event.
　Speaking through telepathic communication, Soujiro seemed to be spending time at the festival with his guild members. Although the content of the conversation itself was inaudible, several feminine voices could be heard in the background of the conversation with Soujiro. As usual, Soujiro seems to be surrounded by a lot of flowers.
　Sawjirou repeatedly thanked Shiroe for her introduction to the Vikings. It's not that Shiroe doesn't feel a twinge of conscience in his honest attitude, but a good escort like himself was misunderstood as a two-timing and took a whole cake attack. I'm convinced that a genuine, genuine harem organizer should be treated accordingly.
　Turning off the telekinesis function, Shiroe, feeling a bit drained, rested her weight on the back of the bench and looked up to the heavens.

　The building where Shiroe and her team, the Horizon of Records, were hiding out had a unique feature. An ancient tree ran through the floor of the building to the roof. The ancient tree, with its branches spread wide atop the building, completely envelops the living space of Shiroe and the others within its treetops.
　Even from the terrace where Shiroe is now, I can see a row of green leaves swaying gently in the night breeze.

　Below, the main street is lit up with more lights than usual, perhaps for the festival. The sun had long since gone down, but thanks to the orange glow from the orange lights leaking from the many shops and the lanterns hanging from the streets, I was able to look down on the sidewalks covered in green moss and the branches of the trees with their ribbons draped over them.
　The Guildhouse at the Horizons of Record is also modestly decorated with green wreaths and orange ribbons. It was probably done by Minori and Touya, but it's a festive decoration.

(The guild hasn't been able to take care of things lately.

　Shiroe was thinking about that after finishing his telepathic conversation with Soujirou.
　Under normal circumstances, running a guild was the guildmaster's biggest role. Taking control of one's own guild, making accommodations for its members, planning and leading them in action plans, is the expected task of guild management.

　However, the Horizons of Record had circumstances that were somewhat different from those of other guilds.

　First and foremost was the number of members. The Horizons of Record currently has eight members. The standard party in the Elder Tail is six members. Therefore, if we tried to organize a party with eight guild members, two of them would inevitably be away from home.
　Also, the members of the Horizon of Records are divided into two levels, with a wide range of levels. Shiroe, Naotsugu, Nyanta, and Akatsuki are all at 90 levels, while Minori, Touya, Rundelhaus, and Isuzu are currently at 40 levels.
　Trying to organize a party in these two level bands is not easy.

　In a very normal guild, high level groups would often split up into high level groups and low level groups into low level groups. That was the natural course of events.
　However, the high-level group in the Record Horizon were all veterans who had been well taken care of. Using the Shihan System, all of them had no trouble adapting to the lower levels, so for now, their daily adventures were mainly in the lower levels.

　Also, from the point of view of leading, the personnel were in place.
　Nyanta was the ideal adult with the humor and patience needed to lead the low levels. He was able to perfectly perform the talismanic duties in a low-level adventure, which a guild master would normally take the lead in working, and he seemed to enjoy it as well.
　Naotugu also had that aptitude. He was considerably more goofy than Nyanta, and seemed better suited to leading a large group of people. Whenever there is a three-party expedition that brings in newcomers from the Crescent Moon Alliance, Naotsugu is often the one who is most admired by the other guild members.
　Akatsuki also had no trouble leading the newcomers, although he could be a bit glib and shy, but he had no trouble at all leading the newcomers. The newcomers would go out to hunt, kill their prey, and return. All the while, the newcomers never once see Akatsuki, but she enjoys leading them in her own way, such as watching them all the time and protecting them from high-level monsters - she enjoys leading them in her own way.

　In other words, the Recording Horizons had people who could perform tasks such as leading and planning hunts on behalf of the guildmasters in other guilds, which must be done by guild masters. That's why Shiroe was able to concentrate on the work of the Roundtable.

　However, while delegating the duties of a guild master may not be a hindrance from the perspective of day-to-day management, it does not mean that there are no problems in terms of human relations within the guild.
　If you recall, Shiroe is the one who spends the least amount of time with the newer members of the high level group. It's a good idea to have a good time with the guild house for dinner, of course, but Shiroe herself, especially from Rundel House and Isuzu, said, 'Our guild master is a lazy recluse, isn't he? I've been thinking about the need to do something about it.

(When it comes to the dignity of a guild master, Naotsugu and Team Leader Nyanta have lost to him.... It's not just that he's a harem master, it's that he's a harem commander. And he is in charge of the guild, not the harem.

　Shiroe feels subtly lonely. Of course, he couldn't do all the roles he was asked to do, and he had to do this because of the right people at the right time, but he felt that he needed to spend more time with the members of the Record Horizon.
　Maybe that was why Akatsuki and Minori had gone to the trouble of dragging Shiroe out, Shiroe thought.

(Maybe this festival is a good chance. As for the Roundtable...I can't leave it alone, but I'll cut it off there. (I need to make time to be with everyone.)

"My lord,
Huh!
　Thinking about such details, Shiroe is startled to the point of jumping up and down by the not-so-loud Akatsuki's voice that is called from up close.

''What's wrong?''　The "Akatsuki
I don't think so, but...
　The cool October night breeze rustles your cheeks and the slow sound of stringed instruments echoes from the city.

'I can hear the music,'
Yeah. Yeah. --Maybe it's the 7th Kodo, the 7th Marching Band. They said they were going to have a concert at night.
Okay.
　Akatsuki sat down on the bench and stretched out his legs. The low bench would allow the shorter Akatsuki to sit down and still be able to throw his legs out of the way. Shiroe asked Akatsuki, who was peeking his toes out of his austere indigo hakama and shaking his ankles slightly from side to side.

'It's kind of quiet, isn't it?'
I'm always quiet.
Yeah, but...
　Shiroe peered at Akatsuki.
　In the slight breeze that had reached a chilly temperature, Akatsuki stared into the distance with his usual unreadable expression of thought.

''My lord,''
Hmm?
'My lord..... The
Yes.
　Shiroe replies politely to Akatsuki's words. I know that my little friend is a man of few words, but he has a tendency to be very careful, so I didn't rush into it.

"You don't like cake?
....
　You're not good at this?　What, "You couldn't eat it because you're not good at it? I don't want to hear that in a context like that, but I ate nine of them. I thought Shiroe had done well enough, but was I mistaken?

Or was it no fun?
No, it's not. More importantly, I'm sorry. Was it the duel?　I couldn't get out.
That's all right. I'm not interested in that. What I was interested in was Minori.
Really?
　I don't know why Minori is interested in such things. The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that it's a good idea to be able to tell me if there's a need for it. Minori is fifteen years old, but she has a greater sense of responsibility and care than I do.

'But,'
Hmm?
Are you sure the cake is as good as it looks?

　Akatsuki, who turned back to Shiroe, stared at her intently. There was a sense of urgency for only a beautiful girl to stare at me, as if her striking black eyes were wet in her small face, yet she stared at me without conveying any temperature.

''I am..... I'm not here for the cake either.
"So.
....
'I can't carry on talking with my lord.
I don't know if that's true. It's just Akatsuki doesn't talk much.

　Akatsuki is not the type of person to talk much to begin with.
　Sometimes it's just the two of us and we can't carry on a conversation. In the beginning, it was stifling, and Shiroe would occasionally broach the subject without a care in the world, but now, he was getting comfortable with being silent like this. It was probably because Akatsuki often disappeared in her room as a personal guard while Shiroe was cleaning up her paperwork.

'That's not true. I have a lot to talk about.''
So, what do you have to offer?
Hmm?
It's a hot topic.
　Akatsuki fell silent, his mouth hanging in a heap.
　His gaze wanders to the right and then to the left.
　Maybe I'm in trouble. Have I done something wrong? When Shiroe begins to think like that, Akatsuki hesitates a lot before opening his mouth.

'This way, it'll be fun.'
　Akatsuki's oddly shaped mouth was rasping restlessly as he touched Shiroe's forehead with his slender white fingertips.

'Is that fun?'
　Akatsuki nods his head in agreement.
(I wonder if this is also Akatsuki-style master-slave roleplay........ It's really a misunderstanding. No, I don't watch historical dramas either, so I don't understand.

Okay.
　The wind blew loudly and the treetops sounded like a tidal wave, swaying in the dark of night. Greenery smells in the cool breeze and silence. Shiroe looks up at her forehead where Akatsuki has lightly touched her many times. Akatsuki is mindlessly stroking her forehead, her mouth in a crooked shape. I have no idea what the fun is, Shiroe thinks, but I guess it's no use asking.

'Is this right?'
This is your master's most important work.
Is that how it works?

　I've spent a lot of time with Akatsuki.
　The chaos after the Catastrophe, the battles, the journey to Susukino, the formation of the Round Table, the political drama at the ancient court of Eternal Ice and the dialogue with Li-Gun. And then there's the battle against Choshi and the revival of Rundel House.
　All of this was accompanied by Akatsuki without a single complaint. There were some battlefields that we would not have been able to get through if Akatsuki hadn't followed us.

　Shiroe remembered all of them, while continuing to be subjected to the lovely ravages of the dainty Japanese dressed girl.