Translator: Reflet

  「What’s amazing about her?」


  She said so meekly that it could have been on purpose……Unlike Hera who made a gag face, Leticia asked him with such sincerity.

  Wanting to bring Hera into the equation for rescuing her best friend Youran, her earnestness was not to be underestimated.

  Taiyou thought he had best give an earnest answer.

  「Fundamentally, she can’t be seen by anyone other than us, nor can she be touched」


  「When you say anyone other than us you mean……you and, umm……」


  As if the crucial word were stuck in her throat, Leticia faltered. A hint of scarlet appeared on her graceful white face.

  Taiyou thought that her mannerism of shying her eyes away was cute.

  「Yeah, only those I’ve done it with」


  He thought that, but kept it to himself. While pretending to not notice, he firmly nodded and answered.

  「We can see her and touch her but……wait what? Could anyone other than me touch her?」


  Remembering that he had indeed never heard that, asking Hera.

  「They canー」


  Hera flew straight to where Leticia was, landing on her shoulders like a small bird.

  The wings on her back shut closed, and she was no longer floating in the air but riding completely on Leticia’s shoulders.

  「It’s true, ah really can」


  「Yes indeed, because you became able to touch meー. Although you can touch but not attack. Because Taiyou is the only one in this world who can kill me」


  「That right」


  「Apparently. Also……Right, she can detect your location, and can warp to where I am from anywhere, that much I can say」


  「……So, a spy」


  She said in a clear tone after making a pensive face.

  Thinking she was referring to the most advantageous way to make use of her ability, Taiyou agreed.

  「Yeah, that’s right」


  「That’s absurd, a spy that can’t be seen or stopped ain’t even fair. Ah can really get it when she called her yer joker. If she can warp too then ya can even use ‘er as a communication method to make interception impossible. Well ain’t dat something……」


  「Uuu」


  Suddenly, for whatever reason Hera who was riding on her shoulders began shaking.

  When Taiyou was wondering what the matter was, Hera rapidly flew to Leticia’s face, chewing it.

  Leticia fretted as if being bitten by a pet. Hera let out an exaggeratingly emotional voice.

  「Letii-chan-sama!」


  「Chan-sama?」


  「Might I, may I call you Master?」


  「What kind of nationality are you」


  「The only one who recognized me is Letii-chan」


  「Hey hey, you’re saying I haven’t?」


  「Taiyou-chan treats me slovenly, he’ll punch me, throw me, strip me, ogle me, you name it」


  「Don’t say such scandalous things! And the latter part is completely fabricated!」


  「Ya……had that sort of taste, eh」


  「That’s a false accusation! I like proper normal girls!」


  Taiyou desperately protested.

  「But but, Taiyou-chan’s loli ratio is currently two-thirds, right? If we estimate for later it’ll be three-fourths, you know?」


  「So you did have those tastes after all……」


  Leticia looked coldly at Taiyou.

  「Like I said, false accusations! Kohaku is an Eternal Little, Kazane is my classmate, and even Shirokiyami has good style, dammit」


  「So you did not deny that one?」


  「Huh?」


  Taiyou looked blankly. He wondered what she meant by saying “not deny”.

  「Well, I dun really care whether yer a lolicon, pedophile, trash digger, or whatever」


  「Like I said, false accusations!」


  「Ya know where dat gurl’s location is?」


  Ignoring the retorting Taiyou, Leticia turned and spoke to Hera.

  「Uhh, do you mean Youran’s location?」


  「Right」


  「I do know? Right now……ah, she is together with Aoba-chan」


  「They’re together?」


  Taiyou was astonished.

  「Yes indeed. It seems that Aoba is bothered, but Youran-chan is sort of……hmm, enjoying……it?」


  「Dat gurl’s probably plottin’ summat」


  Leticia said with a sigh.

  「Could ya jump to where dat gurl is real quick? Ah wat ya to give ‘er a word」


  「That is fineー、what should I tell her?」


  「Dun move, wait right dere」


  「That is all you wish to say?」


  Hera was puzzled.

  「Ya wanna see da cool side of yer master, don’t ya? Rather dan her escaping by her own strength, innit be better if I were da one to come ‘n gallantly rescue her?」


  「I see what you are saying」


  「Well den, I leave it to ya」


  「Yes indeed, I shall be back」


  Hera said, slipping through the wall and flying outside.

  After watching her leave, Leticia took a brief sigh.

  「Now ah can have a more serious conversation wit ya」


  「――! Then you purposefully had Hera go?」


  「Yeah」


  Shocked, for an instant, Taiyou thought she felt like an old acquaintance.

  However, that was but for an instant.

  「Dis ain’t da time to be verbally attackin’ lolicons」


  「For the last time, I’m not a freaking lolicon!!!」


  Taiyou retorted with more force than earlier.

  He was about to have to bear the cross that no man must bear, so this was the natural reaction.

  「Men who do a few deeds here ‘n dere look more developed, bein’ a lolicon ain’t a bad way to go」


  「I’m saying that’s not it」


  「Anyhoo, let’s talk ’bout dat gurl」


  「……You mean Youran?」


  Clearing his name was also important, but right now Youran and Aoba along with her were more important, so Taiyou had no choice but to back down.

  「Yup. Dat gurl’s a fool」


  「Fool?」


  「She’s a gurl who rushes to move on her own if left alone. Even now she’s probably tryin’ to escape with her own power」


  「You sure?」


  「In all probability, yeah. The Aoba gurl’s in trouble innit? She’ll prolly be manipulated into that gurl’s way of doin’ things」


  「Makes sense」


  「Dat gurl’s a fool, I wonder if she ever does anything that ain’t stupid from time ‘n time again」


  Leticia repeated the same word “fool”. Exasperation was mixed in abundantly in her tone.

  「What do you mean?」


  「Ya know dat gurl’s hobby?」


  「Hobby?」


  「Yes hobby, she’s a shinobi. Shi-No-Bi. Changing outfits ‘n exploring towns and dis earth ‘n whatnot is her hobby」


  Leticia said full of sarcasm

  「She’s in a position where she ain’t able to do dat, yet her disposition forces her to do everything by herself that she wants to do」


  「Yeah, it was the same when we first met」


  Nodding, Taiyou recounted his chance meeting with her.

  While being a noble personage, she had still plunged herself into enemy territory.

  「Innit? Dat gurl’s a fool. I bet she’s thinking even now dat girls ‘n da like who can’t escape with deir own power are outta fashion」


  「……Have you known her for a while?」


  「What’s dis all of a sudden? Welp……we known each other since before we were born」


  「Like in a previous life?」


  「Dis ain’t occult talk, I mean politics」


  「Politics?」


  He asked back tilting his head, wondering what she meant.

  「It was summat dat my dad ‘n dat gurl’s old man decided. If da next child born is da opposite sex den let’s marry ’em off- the usual」


  「That seriously happens?」


  「Sure does, dat’s why ah said we been knowin’ each other since birth. Although da only reason why we’re still taggin’ along wit eachoth’a is cuz we get along」


  「You must be close」


  「In our own way yeah」


  「So from your standpoint, she wouldn’t think that sort of thing……is for her」


  「It ain’t」


  Leticia said plainly.

  「It’s like Zhuge Liang steppin’ out into da front lines, in dat gurl’s case. She could just be honest with herself ‘n employ people」


  「Yui Shousetsu?」


  「Choukoudou. Pretty good for yer age」


  「And pretty good for you considering you’re a foreigner」


  「Cool if ah ask ya summat too?」


  「Yeah」


  「Ya kissed wit dat gurl didn’t ya」


  「……Yeah」


  Unlike earlier, Leticia had this time without hesitation put the word “kiss” to her mouth.

  What sort of difference was between the two? What caused this change in her mental state?

  He was curious, but he decided to go ahead and answer directly, until…


  「Ya in love wit her?」


  He could not immediately answer that next question.