Eco!
Hm!
Good, good, good, good!　Good, good, good!
"Squeal!

　A 'Congratulations on the acquisition of Kongo' party is being held modestly at the First Test Mansion.

　It's currently five o'clock in the evening. The reason for the early start is to coincide with Eco's bedtime.

　As soon as I made a toast, I called for Eco and sat her on my lap and fondled her as if I was going to give her a good night's sleep. Eco is smiling like an ape, as she does.

"Eco, what do you want to eat?
Aji!
A horse mackerel.
Yes!
It's right there. Eat up.
Eat!

　Maybe it's because she's a cat, but Eco's favorite food is fish.

　She especially loves horse mackerel, and for a while she only ate horse mackerel. When I was circling around Proline, there was a time when I ate horse mackerel for dinner for two weeks in a row.

Oiichii!

　They say it's the best. That's good, that's good.

　Eco is gobbling up the aji sashimi neatly arranged on a big plate. She took three pieces at once and ate them. Normally I would have warned her, but tonight I'm going to give her a break.

　After all, today is the day of the birth of "Eco Leaflet Kongo". The star of the show today is this little cat-beast girl.


'Hey Sylvia, have you seen your eco-daddy here?
"Sho-dono was watching the game from the general spectator's seat along with Kapito-dono. Apparently, as soon as Eco won Kongo, he was so moved that he went back to the hotel alone.
Sounds like your dad.
...... Oh, don't remind me. I didn't know that your father, who had been drinking, would be like that.

　Ah, ...... I guess I might not like seeing my own father's pathetic appearance somehow.

'I hear Capito isn't coming?'
I have a message for your husband, saying that I'm here for your anniversary party.
Hey, come on, man, you're welcome.

　Or are you drinking with Ms. Shaw?　It's just a part of his personality.


!

Hey, what's up, Eco?

　Eco, who had finished all the aji and was quiet, suddenly stretched out with her ears pinned up as if she had an idea.

'Sendo, shall we go aji fishing?'
...... now?
Yeah. No?
All right, let's go.

　It's a good day to be thinking about it. It's my first revenge in six months.

　Right!　Eco guy, you've been practicing your shield for the last six months, holding back from going fishing.

　Dammit, you're a healthy guy.


　Oh no, what do I do, I'm going to let you catch it at any cost: .......

"Yukari.
Yes, sir.
Do you know where the owner of the fishing tackle shop Sanveye's or the girl who works there is?
Can I have fifteen minutes at ......?
I'd be scared to death of anything that could be done in such a short time, but do it anyway.

　When I asked Yukari for help, she said one word, "Luna," and called her name.

.............

　Immediately afterwards, swooshing silently, the one who only appeared from the window with her upper body was Luna, the maid who was always at Eve's side as an interpreter.

　Yukari gave Luna some instructions, and Luna disappeared while contacting someone via team-only communication.

'Please wait a moment,'

　Yukari, who seems to have finished instructing him with just two or three words, says nonchalantly.

　It's only fifteen minutes to find the two people who will be somewhere in this large royal capital. Finally, it's tremendous .......


　After that, we wait for ten minutes while helping Eco, who is happily getting ready to fish.

　Luna appears at the window again.

Sarah says the two members of the fishing tackle shop Sanbae are meeting with the head of the Daikoku school of fishery, Toukichirou, at a restaurant in the royal capital .......

　d*mn, I'm so glad they found me.

"You can make your mark on the ground, says Sarah.


　By the way, who is ...... Sarah?

'She was the maid who accompanied me when I went to the Metio dungeons to learn yarn manipulation.

　I looked at Yukari with a troubled look on my face and she didn't pause to tell me.

'Eve, Luna, and, uh, um,'

　A maid who's a pro at reconnaissance or something.

　I'm sure that she was once summoned to be a transferee, so she can certainly be a landmark.


I'll go catch some horse mackerel.
I'm going to go poke at it.

　All ready, Eco and I announced to everyone and summoned Anko.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of your time with us.

"Be careful, Sempai!

　Raz also gave me a fluttery wave with a saintly smile. I know what she means. Because it was raining on top of fishing at night, we had to be careful not to slip into the sea again, I guessed.

"Who's a slippery-slope performer?
'What's the rush?　You're too nervous!

　No. Seizure.
　But it's quicksilver, Raz. Well, Nervous ...... I see, that's the kind of tweak you can make. It's a good way to learn.


"Anko for me. I'll stay with Sarah in the meantime.

　I'm going to leave Eco at home for now. When he's spoken to and ready to go, I will summon him directly to the fishing grounds.

'As you wish, my Lord.

　Now, let's go to work.





"--What?　Hey, good to see you.

!


　...... I was surprised. I didn't think that Sarah's guy was a waitress at a restaurant. And I didn't know she was in the middle of serving.

　The place we moved to is apparently a private room in the back of the restaurant. Thanks to this, we were able to meet the three of you right away. Well, it's a good way to save time and effort.

"Cease, cease, cease, cease, ......!

　The fishing tackle shop lady turned into a sesame alien, pointing at me and shaking with a plop and shivering. It's been a while since I've seen an alien.

　Sarah, with a look of surprise at the sudden appearance of the second five titles, interrupted serving and left in a huff. It's a very natural behavior, not even an act, just an impatient waitress. If it was an inside spy, I'd start to distrust people.


I'm a little surprised at your sudden appearance. What happened to you, Second Five Crowns?
Toucchiro. I'm sorry, but I have no use for you. I'm looking forward to Kanbei's performance against Bishamon.
Ha, thank you. He'll be glad to hear it.

　For some reason, Toukichirou is in awe of the sweat of the waterfall.

　...... Ah, I see. I know most of the reasons. You've been communicating with Sanveye from the beginning, haven't you?　That's how you got me into the Tohachinochnochnochnochnochnochnochnochnochnochnochnochnochnochnochnochnochnochno, right?　I don't mind, but if you think you're in trouble if you're found out, I'll be grateful to let you keep it in your hand. Hence, I don't dare to pursue it now.

　But there is one thing that bothers me more than that. Yes, her name.

"That flippant lady from earlier. What's her name?
'Yes!　Nah, it's Nanako!
That's a good name.
'Wow!　Thank you!

　Oh, right, Nanako-san (tentative) ...... I'm Shichiro. That's odd.
　I'm getting kind of excited.

Okay, let's get straight to the point. I want to catch a horse mackerel. Let me catch it, please.
It's a good thing, of course it is.
'Oh!　You know your story, Mr. Sanveye.
So when are you gonna put it down?　If we did it after the title fight, maybe a week later?
Now.
...... Heh?

　Mr. Sanveye froze with his eyes.

'Could it be, like when you were just here, ......?'
Nanako-san is right.
'Yay!　Get 10 points!

　I'm still in the groove. But what I have on hand is orange juice. Nanako, you're sober and this is it: .......

I'll transfer to the fishing area. Don't worry, we'll make sure you get back here as well. How about this?
It's a bit of a nightmare, with the sun setting and the rain pouring down in torrents, so we won't be able to launch a boat, but I'm sorry, but ......
...... Right.

　No.

'S-Sir Second!　I will!　I'll show you the point of the levee!
'Nanako!　Don't be irresponsible!　If it's this rough, it's no good for fishing!
'Manager, it's okay, I'm confident!　I'll take care of the land (shore)!　If you're in the bay behind the wind, maybe some bait is building up, maybe some aji are escaping, and you can go!　In fact, if it's raining, the bait is sinking, so you should be able to focus on a deeper range for a short time!　I can handle the azzing with a heavy carro!
I can't!　And it's not safe!　What if something happens?
How about a jig-sabiki then?
You're a nasty piece of work!
Shit!　Manager unknown!　Stingy!
Say what you will, Mr. Paddle.

　An argument started between Sanbei-san and Nanako-san.

　There was a lot of jargon and I couldn't understand what they were saying, but I think it was kind of cool.
　He's trying to get us to catch a horse mackerel somehow, which is somehow cool.

"I can guarantee Nanako-san's safety. Then what?
Ugh, I can't wait to see ......
We can be swept away by the waves and summoned back to land in an instant. What do you think?
Gugu, gugu: ......
...... You've been working with Toukichirou on a monologue, and now you want my autograph.
I'm sorry!　Huh, all right, all right, just do what you want.
Sorry.

　It's a celebration of Eco's first title and I'm not going to give it up easily.

So, do you mind if I give you a tour?
Yes, you asked for it!　Come on in with a bang!

　When I asked in good faith, Nanako-san nodded with a big smile.

　Ok, well then, let's put in a communication to say the conversation is settled.


''By the way, Second-sama, you're also very good at tactics~''

　Nanako whispered something like that to me beside me as I opened the team-only communication.
　A glimpse of cleavage is visible and I can't help but stretch my nose.

'...... Not so much. Especially when it comes to love tactics.
'Yeah, I'm surprised. May I ask why?
It was over before I could play games.
'Whoosh!　This one's been taken.

　You interpreted it favorably, but ...... all the women I fell in love with, I just didn't have to play games or give a shit.

　Oops, in the meantime, I got a reply--


Aah!

'What?　How can I help you: ......?


　--Eco's guy, apparently, is having a blast hugging his fishing pole.


........................


　Well ............ it can't be helped.

　I guess the tension has been broken and I'm tired with a bang.

　...... Congratulations, Eco. I wanted to celebrate by going horse mackerel fishing with you, but I'll have to wait till next time.


"Nanako-san, I'm sorry, but--

　I'm very sorry to say that I had just gone through all that trouble to get Sanbei-san's permission, but that's when I opened my mouth to tell him that it was cancelled.


　From outside the private room, there was a "crash! and the loud sound of breaking dishes and "Sneeze! I heard a woman scream, "What's going on?

　I thought it was a drunk who had started to riot, but apparently not.

　Rather than confusion, it was more of a commotion. The atmosphere was very unusual.


I'm off.

　I walked out of the private room, curious.



　　* * * *



　The story goes back to a few minutes ago.

　This restaurant on the main street of the royal capital, Vinston, was a favorite haunt of mainly the wealthy.

　Such a high-class restaurant was visited by a slightly out-of-place guest.


'Oh, congratulations, super congratulations!'
'I didn't think Eco-san was a vigilante: ...... It's amazing.
'I'm sure Second-sama is petting you right now. I'm jealous.

　The Second Fan Club members. Aroma, the vice-president of the club, and several second-year students were holding a 'Congratulations to Eco-san' party at the restaurant. It was only thanks to Viscountess Aroma Vanilla that they were able to hold such an event at the restaurant, which was quite expensive for students.

　Eco and her former classmates had a lot on their minds after all this time.

'...... I'm ashamed of myself. How could I have turned a blind eye to such a healthy, upstanding girl being bullied?
'Oh no, it's hard to resist alone. The tormentors were in the majority back then.
We don't know each other very well. We haven't really been that close either.
Though we've been able to eradicate ...... since we were in the majority since we became like-minded.

　Their club had become such a huge organization that it was no exaggeration to say that they controlled the Royal School of Witchcraft and Wizardry behind the scenes.
　Hence, the students who had been bullying Eco received the punishment they deserved. Few people know what happened to them after that, but at least they were no longer able to stay in school.


'Well, whatever it is, today is a happy day. Isn't that good enough for you?

It's not like that.
No, no, no, no. No problem. No problem. I'll just say it.
'Master Second's is more colorful. Yours is simply a violent tone.

'Why do you get beaten up so much for imitating me for a minute!


　Whatever it was, they loved The Second, and they loved Eco.

　That's why they organized these events, congratulated them from the bottom of their hearts, and enjoyed talking nonsense with other like-minded people.

　Yes, they were having fun in the moment. They were happy in the moment.


　And then there are those who don't like it: ......


----.

Welcome to .......

　A silent, vacant-eyed woman, wearing a raincoat and hiding her face under a deeply covered hood, entered the store alone.

'Stand up,'
What?

　Without hesitation, the woman approached Aroma and grabbed her hand.

'You, what are you saying all of a sudden ......'
I told you to come!
!

　Gui, and ...... unusual force (・・・・) forcibly pulled her with an unusual force (・・・・), and Aroma was forced to take her away as she knocked over the table and chairs.

'Kyah!'

　Clank!　and a plate falls off the table and breaks, causing a commotion in the restaurant.


　It was raining outside. Aroma and the woman in the kappa were face to face as they stepped out onto the main street.

'Let go of my hand!'
I'm not going anywhere. Aroma Vanilla, you are to be held hostage. I do not have a veto.
"A hostage is ......?

　Aroma Vanilla is smart. Although she is a little, or rather quite directionless, she is well educated as a noblewoman. Hence, when I heard the word "hostage", I thought of it.

"...... is the target of the second-sama, right?　In the meantime, are you in extreme pursuit of Prince Tenmoza?
You know what I'm talking about. You're a hostage now.
Yes, ...... that's right. That's why you dared to take me away in public.
Brilliant. But it's too late for everything.
d*mn it ......!

　The woman in the kappa changed course from the rainy main street to a narrow alleyway, gripping Aroma's wrist bones with such force that they creaked.

'Shall we go as fast as we can to shake off your friends or not?
'You can do what you want, but it's just me, right?　Don't bring those girls into this.
I'll have to put you out of sight and beat you up pretty hard.
They may be students, but they're magicians. It's not so easy.
No problem. I have the blessing of the Prince.
You're a ...... fanatic.
'We're all in the same boat. No matter what happens, no matter how dirty you are, I want you to be the best, Prince. I know you do too, don't you?
I don't care. A second master is a second master. And the one we all love is not made to be moved by a hostage. I'm not worried about anything.

　When Aroma said this, the woman in the kappa opened her mouth hatefully after a moment of silence.


''I don't know what you believe so much in, but do you understand what's going on right now?''
You've been abducted.
You think I'll justify it?　Your friends are not helping at all. Even the knights can't come with this rain. That man you love is at home partying by now.
............
'Are you starting to get scared?　You're a hostage. You're the reason the second one's losing. Look at that. You started a fan club, and you're the vice president of a fan club, and you're the one who got us into this mess. Do you see the stupidity of this?
Yes, I'm sure your stupidity is well worth it.

　...... Inwardly, Aroma was terrified. I'm not sure what kind of horrible things they will do to me, because I can't even imagine what kind of terrible things they will do to me. It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you're not sure what you're going to be able to do anymore with someone who is off the hook to carry out such a noble crime as abduction. Therefore, they desperately try to shake off their fears with strong words.

　But at the same time, he also had a slight expectation.
　The second nerd, Aroma, had expected this. ''The eyes of the Firth Test's elite maids would be all over this royal capital, Vinston, and the eyes of the Firth Test's elite maids would be all over the place.

''--!
You have a bad mouth.

　The woman in a kappa punched Aroma in the cheek.
　Aroma cut her mouth and coughed out a small amount of blood at the same time as she coughed.

　Her STR was too high for a mere ''Prince Amiza fan woman''. Aroma's dimly felt expectation was transformed into a conviction. That even if she resisted in ways other than magic, she would be no match for this woman.


...... Now, it's about time for your friends to catch up with you. This is a good alley to intercept them, don't you think?
............

　A completely empty, dark, rainy alleyway.
　They stopped moving and waited for their 'friend' to catch up with them.

"What do you want?
'If I show you the pain, you won't be foolish enough to think of cheering for that man in preference to Master Prince, will you?　That's how you have to discipline an undisciplined animal.
Sanity ......?
"...... Everything's been a mess since that guy came out. He's a joke. Master Prince has to come first. He's the best. Always has been, always will be. You don't know what I'm feeling, what I'm going through, what I'm going through.
I don't want to understand, but ...... you think Prince Amiza can't win this war if you don't, so you don't want to be a hostage.
Shut up!
Gu ......!

　The woman in the kabane silenced Aroma with a knee kick to her abdomen.


　-- The man (...) appeared shortly afterwards.







'There are two (...) enemies. The woman in the alley progressing and the man on the roof (...). Over.
Hostages, swelling in the wrists, tremors. Over.
The man has detected your presence. I'll pull away. Over.
Copy that. Go down to the alley and meet us there. We'll cover you.
Yes, sir.

　A woman in a kappa moving with Aroma, followed by two shadows.
　They were a pair of maids, dressed in pitch black clothing.

　The maids were tracking Aroma and the others through the alleyway, communicating with each other via team-only communication.

　There were two enemies, a woman in a kappa and a man in a kappa. The only hostage is Aroma.

　The two maids thought it was a nonsensical job, but suddenly things changed.

　The man on the roof, the man with the kappa. This was a very powerful man.


' ...... something is not right. I don't know what the kappa man is trying to do.''
"When you're moving to match the kappa woman, you're either on the lookout or you can't ...... it's too bad, the visibility is too bad.

　The two maids joined up and continued their pursuit.

　That's when they sensed a presence behind them.

"Fan club in the rear, approaching.
Yes, sir. Contact him immediately and explain the situation.
"?　Please go to ...... Oh.

　From the rear of the maids, the students of the fan club who had been chasing Aroma approached them.

　The maids thought that since the enemy was more dangerous than they had imagined, they would tell them that they would respond with a first test from now on and evacuate the area.


　However, the maid confirms the presence of a certain man (...) who was chasing them from further back of the fan club, and the maid changes her plan drastically in an instant.


''Change of plan. Go up to the roof and be on the alert for the kappa man.
Copy that. This is going to be interesting.
I agree: ......!

　As they climbed onto the roof, the girls thought.


　Tomorrow is the Ten Amiza battle. Please don't let this rain cool you down.