Volume 4 Chapter 109: The One Who Knows the Truth

After borrowing a shower, some clothes, and enjoying a warm glass of milk at Lion’s Den, I thanked Gulf-san and returned to White Road with a firm decision in my heart. Gulf-san had even taken my pouch and other items, saying, “I’ll deodorize these for you,” so now I was left wearing nothing but a simple, slightly oversized shirt and trousers. The only thing I carried was dear Mar-chan, safely tucked into my pocket.

Although I hadn’t explained my situation, Gulf-san went out of his way to help me. I appreciated it, but I couldn’t help wondering if it was really necessary to go that far. We’re not wild animals or anything… or so I told him. Gulf-san, however, just replied, “If you were beasts, I wouldn’t even bother this much.” Now I was really curious about how he viewed the women around me.

“I’m home…”

Unlocking the door, I stepped into the quiet store. Nothing had changed since last night—the My Garden was still sitting on the table. For now, I should go inside and check on everyone. Hopefully, no fights broke out while I was gone…

I sat on the sofa, uncorked the bottle, and entered the My Garden.

“Huh?”

As always, I felt that strange, floating sensation, and when I opened my eyes, a surprised sound slipped out.

Inside the My Garden, six tents were scattered about.

While I stood there, bewildered by the scene, Fiona emerged from one of the tents. She must have sensed my return through the effects of Ail Lover. Her eyes sparkled, and she beamed a blooming smile as she rushed toward me with tremendous enthusiasm.

“Senpai!”

“Fiona, stop!”

“Senpai?!”

Seeing no sign of her stopping, I raised a hand to halt her. Fiona froze, looking shocked. I thought the distance was perfectly reasonable, but it seemed to have hurt her feelings. The world works in mysterious ways.

“Why…? Senpai…”

“A-ah…”

I averted my gaze from her tear-filled eyes, scratching the back of my head.

It was hard to say, even though it was such an obvious thing.

“From now on, I’d like you to keep a bit more distance from me.”

“Huh…? A-ah…”

Sorry, I phrased that poorly.

I realized this as I watched Fiona crumble to her knees with a blank expression, like a lifeless mask.

“Um, that’s not what I—”

“So, you’re saying you’ve always found me a bother, right, Noil?”

No, that’s not it!

Noel had appeared behind me without me noticing, her cheerful smile beaming. Strange—I was focused on Fiona, but I didn’t sense her approach at all.

“You’ve finally managed to say it, huh? Good job, Noil.”

That’s… not what’s happening here.

I had no idea why Noel looked so triumphant, and before I could say anything, she reached her hand toward me.

“Noil, whose clothes are those—”

“They’re Gulf-san’s!”

I jumped back and quickly explained.

“…Eh?”

“Oh, no, it’s not like that…”

Noel’s expression suddenly turned blank.

“…Why? Why are you avoiding me, Noil? Did I do something wrong? Am I not good enough? No, that can’t be it. After all, you can’t live without me, right? So… why? Tell me why you’re avoiding me.”

“I-I’m sorry!”

I was truly sorry—so sorry.

Sure, my reaction was over the top, but Noel was terrifying right now. I wasn’t asking for forgiveness; I just wanted her to go back to being her usual self.

“I didn’t ask for an apology. I asked why. So, why?”

Noel tilted her head slightly, a cute gesture completely at odds with her icy, expressionless face. A shiver ran down my spine. If I didn’t do something quickly, I had a bad feeling things would spiral out of control.

“Well, um, it’s—”

“So, basically, Noil doesn’t want anyone but me to touch him, right?”

“Congratulations, Master.”

No, that’s not it!

Before I could explain, Elle and Sophie emerged from their tent, adding fuel to the fire.

Elle stroked Sophie’s head while giving me a blissful smile.

“I’m so happy, Noil. Come here. The setting’s not ideal, but let’s love each other right now.”

“Are you half-asleep or something?”

Elle spread her arms wide, but my words made her pause, rubbing her chin as though deep in thought. I had no idea what she was deliberating, but Sophie whispered something into her ear. Elle nodded in agreement and patted Sophie’s head again.

“Ah, so you want me to come to you instead?”

“If you come closer, I’ll run. I’ll run as fast as I can.”

I warned her as she took a step forward. How was she this energetic so early in the morning? And what kind of advice did Sophie give her? Don’t flash me a peace sign like you’ve achieved something!

“You can’t escape from me. Body or soul.”

“Then… I’ll start hating you.”

“Wha—?!”

I didn’t mean it, of course. But I had to stop her somehow before she did something reckless.

Elle froze, wide-eyed, and staggered back in shock. Sophie quickly moved to support her.

At that moment, six colored lights burst out from another tent, flying toward me.

Seeing the strawberry blonde and pale purple lights heading straight for me, I spread my arms wide.

“Release!”

Before anything else could happen, I released the Sextet members from their bindings to the My Garden.

Magis-chan and Hunter-chan, who had been speeding toward me, were sucked back into me as a result.

Seeing this, the others seemed to understand and returned to me in turn.

“Thank you.”

A golden light entered my body—right around my crotch, no less. Surely, that was just a coincidence. Yeah, it had to be.

“Hmm… what’s all the noise… Oh, Onii-chan…”

“……Ah.”

As the members of the Sextet returned to me, Tesea and Sierra emerged from another tent, rubbing their eyes. Sierra, as usual, wasn’t a morning person. With her eyes still shut and her head nodding sleepily, she let Tesea lead her by the hand.

Although she seemed determined to wake up, Sierra swayed as she tried to stand, eventually leaning against Tesea for support. Tesea gently stroked her head with a smile of pure affection.

“Good morning… everyone… didn’t fight, you know…”

“Ah, right.”

It seemed Tesea wasn’t much of a morning person either. She spoke in a drowsy tone, her sleepy smile completely missing its mark.

“Milis… made tents… for us…”

“……Uh…”

The two leaned against each other and slowly sank to the ground, where they began snoring softly again.

What an oddly soothing scene. I could have watched forever—but now wasn’t the time.

“Noil, hey? I’m still waiting for an answer.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Noil-sama, Master’s body temperature is dropping. Please hurry and correct this.”

“Ah, yes.”

Noel, her expression still devoid of emotion, pressed me for an answer. Meanwhile, Sophie, supporting the frozen Elle, looked at me with pleading eyes.

In a panic, I tried to explain—

“What’s with all this racket?”

—Only for yet another voice to cut in.

This time, it was the Manager, stepping out of her tent while rubbing her eyes.

“Hm?”

She tilted her head, noticing something. Her gaze landed on Fiona, who I realized had somehow ended up sprawled on the ground.

“Fiona’s not breathing.”

“F-FIOONAAAA!!”

Hearing the Manager’s words, I bolted toward Fiona in a panic.

After the Chaos

“Hmm, so you want to maintain an appropriate distance?”

“Ah, yes.”

After reviving Fiona and leaving the My Garden, we were now sitting down to talk in the White Road. Across from me on the sofa sat the Manager, Noel, and Fiona. Behind their sofa, Elle and Sophie stood quietly.

On either side of me were Tesea, now fully awake, and Sierra, who was still half-asleep, resting her head on my shoulder.

According to Tesea, there hadn’t been any fights last night. As soon as I left, everyone went to sleep in tents prepared by the Manager. If my absence brought this much peace, maybe I should just disappear for good.

Apparently, the tents were more luxurious than anything in White Road and provided a comfortable rest. It turned out that the supplies I had prepared were completely unnecessary.

Seriously, maybe I should just vanish.

“So, you’d like to live alone?”

“Ah, yes.”

The Manager crossed her legs as she spoke.

What I’d proposed to everyone was the idea of valuing personal space and maintaining proper boundaries. Looking back, things had been utterly chaotic up until now. After last night’s incident with Mina, I’d come to fully appreciate the importance of boundaries.

For now, I thought it best to move out of White Road. I wasn’t quitting, but living somewhere else seemed like a good idea. The current situation was simply too intense. With my weak will, I couldn’t trust myself not to make mistakes.

I didn’t have much money, but as long as I didn’t demand luxury, I could manage the bare minimum.

…But now that I think about it, why am I even asking for permission to live alone?

“I’m against this. Instead of living alone, you should live with me.”

What? That made no sense.

Fiona, her expression deadly serious, said it with complete conviction. Did she not understand the concept of maintaining proper distance?

“I support the idea. The sooner you leave here, the better. After that, I’ll take care of everything.”

I don’t understand.

Elle was looking smug, but did she really grasp what maintaining proper distance meant?

“I think it’s a good idea. My house in Calisa Village should still be intact, so anytime works for me.”

I don’t understand.

Noel was all smiles, but I had no idea what she was talking about anymore.

“Well, if it’s living alone, why not just do it here in White Road?”

I don’t understand.

The Manager, arms folded, seemed to have misunderstood the very concept of living alone.

How was I supposed to live alone in the White Road? Was this some kind of riddle?

“You can just live inside your My Garden.”

“Aah…! Now I get it!”

Tilting my head in confusion, I found myself clapping in realization at the Manager’s words.

So that’s what she meant… Sorry, Manager—I was starting to wonder if you had lost your mind.

It was true: if I made the inside of My Garden my living space, I could be in the White Road yet still live alone. It wouldn’t cost any money, and I could let the members of the Sextet out anytime.

On top of that, nobody could enter without my permission. I wouldn’t wake up in the middle of the night to find Noel silently staring at me, or end up in a fight with Fiona, or have Sierra suddenly join in—all those scenarios would vanish.

From my perspective, it was practical, even ideal—possibly the perfect living environment.

The only concern was—

“But… is that okay?”

After all, My Garden was a rare divine tool. Using something like that just because I wanted to live alone… Well, it was selfish.

But you know what? Fine. Call it selfish if you want.

“Not a problem. Didn’t I say from the start that this job came with room and board?”

The Manager smiled like it was the most natural thing in the world. If that was the case, I’d take her up on her offer, though I felt a little guilty.

“…Thank you.”

“I don’t want you going off somewhere else, Noil.”

“So, that leaves one remaining issue.”

“Hm?”

“Where do we put this My Garden?”

“In my room.”

Well, right now, it was basically Sierra and Tesea’s room, so that’s probably how it’d be.

Just when I thought I could manage living alone in peace, Elle and Fiona decided to say something odd.

“Obviously, it’s going in my room, right?”

Noel chimed in immediately, but “obviously” made no sense to me.

“No, it’s only natural that it goes in my room.”

“Only natural” also made no sense.

“My room is another valid option.”

No, it’s not.

“Anywhere is fine. After all, I’ll be spending time inside with Noil from now on.”

Ah, so she really hadn’t understood the concept of living alone.

“…Well, we’ll discuss this later. More importantly…”

Though there should be nothing to discuss, Fiona glared at Sierra—who was still half-asleep and leaning against me.

“That’s not what I’d call an appropriate distance.”

“But Sierra’s my little sister…”

“…Heh.”

“So you’re… content with that arrangement, Sierra…?”

Sierra gave a triumphant little laugh, even in her drowsy state. Tesea sighed in mild exasperation and murmured, “Well, that’s healthy for siblings…” Then, as though realizing something, she suddenly touched her right ear.

“Alice!”

With a delighted shout, she perked up.

It seemed the earring she wore had just connected her to Alice. Everyone in the room glanced Tesea’s way, but she paid no mind, too absorbed in chatting with Alice.

From what I heard, she also got in touch with Alice last night and filled her in about the Sextet’s vessels.

Even among divine tools, it was surprising that a magic device could connect to someone inside. The sound quality might not be great, but that earring was more valuable than I’d thought.

While I was lost in thought, I suddenly felt someone’s gaze. When I looked, Sophie—who had been silent this whole time—was staring right at me.

“Eeeh! That’s gero-kasu for sure!”

Wait a second.

Did Tesea just casually say something outrageous?

H-Hey, wait.

“…Is something wrong?”

Worried about Tesea, I decided to ask Sophie instead.

“I’ve been wondering…”

“Yeah?”

“Why did Noil-sama suddenly start talking about maintaining an appropriate distance?”

I instantly regretted asking.

“Ah, I’ve been curious about that too.”

“Was there some sort of incident? Something last night that made you rethink your behavior?”

I could feel the gazes shift from Tesea to me.

Of course, I couldn’t tell the truth. It was a matter of Mina’s reputation, and above all, I couldn’t even imagine what would happen if that incident became known. Still, I wasn’t caught off guard. I had already prepared a response for this exact scenario—a justification that was nearly a lie but not technically one.

“…Yesterday, after everything, I went fishing. That’s right… I went to catch a Nickerbenbe.”

It wasn’t a lie. I did go fishing.

“A Nickerbenbe…?”

“It’s a legendary fish.”

I explained to Sophie, who tilted her head, and continued.

“Well, some things happened, and I didn’t catch it.”

Again, not a lie.

Many things had indeed happened, and I failed to catch the Nickerbenbe.

“I’ve tried to catch it several times before, but it’s never worked. Maybe… it’s sensitive to the scent of women. Sierra and Tesea are my sisters, so that’s unavoidable to some extent, but…”

…This isn’t a lie either, is it?

The Nickerbenbe’s habits are a mystery. I can’t rule out that possibility.

I deliberately stopped mid-sentence, keeping a cool expression, waiting for Sophie or someone else to interpret my vague words and say what I needed them to.

“Ah, I see. You’re trying to minimize contact with unrelated women to increase your chances, aren’t you?”

“It’s a tough opponent, after all.”

Just as planned, Sophie interpreted it in the way I’d hoped.

Of course, I had no such thoughts whatsoever.

So instead of confirming, I responded with a calm smile and a vague remark.

“You’re even wearing Gulf-sama’s clothes for that reason, then?”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to catch it.”

I didn’t tell a single lie. The real reason was completely different, but I never said this was the reason. All I did was say something that sounded plausible.

Though everyone seemed somewhat dissatisfied, that didn’t matter. Whether they were convinced or not, as long as they thought this was the reason, I’d won.

It was a dirty tactic, sure. But I didn’t lie.

Even if Sierra asked, I’d be fine.

Well, she was currently fast asleep, her head resting comfortably on my shoulder, her breathing soft and steady.

And so, I somehow managed to get through the situation.

“Hmm? Oh, okay, got it! I’ll hand it over.”

Just as I let out a sigh of relief, Tesea, who had been talking to Alice, suddenly removed her earring and handed it to me with a smile.

“Alice says she’s on her way here and wants to talk to you for a bit.”

“Eh…?”

Why did I have a bad feeling about this?

I’d just barely escaped that precarious situation with a genius move, and now this?

Still, refusing now would probably make things worse later when I inevitably saw her. Reluctantly, I accepted the earring and put it on my left ear.

“…Alright, I’m here.”

I spoke cautiously.

“Kuhehe…!”

The distinct sound of her laughter immediately reached my ear—

“Well, well, you filthy servant. Had fun last night, didn’t you…?”

It was then that I realized I hadn’t escaped anything at all.