Arc 9: Inheritance of Babylon.

Chapter 70: Decision and Message

「He-, Hey, what is the meaning of this!? 」

「Did we do something bad-degozaru!? 」

「… Bride, you said… 」

「Touya-san!? 」

The four stood up and leaned towards me. d.a.m.n it, I made a mistake with how I said it!

「Wai-, Wait a minute ! I meant “Now”. I meant I won’t marry “Now”! 」

When they heard my words, everyone suddenly stopped moving. Good, it looks like they heard what I said.

「”Now”? Then, eventually you will marry all of us? 」

「Of course. Unless you don’t want that, I will take all of you as my brides. 」

When I answer Elsie, everyone seemed to calm down and went back to the seat.

「I like all four of you equally and will keep my promise about taking you as my brides. But, it won’t be “Now”. As it is I am little by little or perhaps I should say, I cannot afford to marry all of you with me being drained」

「… What do you mean-degozaru?」

Puzzled, Yae asks me.

「In the end, I’m also still just half a man, you know. I’m no adult capable to the degree of being able to carry on my shoulder another person’s life, I also haven’t considered this deeply. That’s why I want to wait a bit longer. Until it becomes possible to accept all of you with full composure」

This is my selfishness. I want to make everyone happy. However, it is not enough. Various things are not. Resolution, courage, love, knowledge and various others.

My point is that I won’t let my selfishness run forever, I’m just asking them to give me some time until I become a man appropriate for them. If they cast me aside then that’s their choice. I will let them make that choice.

「… You know, those are very convenient words, aren’t they? But I understood what you wanted to say. 」

While breathing a sigh, Elsie uttered such words. Her face makes a look of shock. Truly, even if you are pressed for marriage, it doesn’t change in any way with good-for-nothing guy, who evades it. It is probably so. What I am doing is trying to s.n.a.t.c.h away their freedom with my circ.u.mstances. I believe that I’m a horrible man, if I say so myself.

「That’s unfair, you know. Are you not saying that you know we can’t do something like casting you aside? 」

I was glared at with scornful eyes. However, I am not overconfident to that extent. But I wanted to think that after the conversation, me being immediately casted aside won’t happen all the same.

「They say, the first to fall in love loses-degozaru」

While bitterly smiling, Yae claps Elsie’s shoulder. The clapped person herself is puffing out her cheeks with ‘Puuu’ and completely turns away.

「… Even if Onee-chan breaks up with Touya-san, I will wait forever. For Touya-san to make me a bride. 」

「Hey, I never said anything about breaking up, did I!? 」

Lindsey laughs at her older sister who was fl.u.s.tered. Thank goodness, that was a joke.

「I too don’t have any problem with it. Because everyone confirmed their feelings, it’s only going to grow. To love, until it becomes unbearable. 」

「I too will do my best to have to you like me even more. 」

I unintentionally smile at Yumina’s word. From now we are not just comrades, we are family, lovers, fiancées. I have to act even more reliably. And then, I have to grow so that I am able to propose to the girls by myself, after holding self-confidence even one day earlier.

「Then, with everyone becoming Touya-san’s fiancées, shall we line up one by one and receive a kiss from danna-sama? 」

「「「「Eeh!? 」」」」

Yumina claps her hands with a pon, Nice Idea! What is this girl saying!

(ED: Nice Idea = (ナイスアイディア) would have been read as Naisu Aidia. )

「Hey, is-, is-, isn’t it too early for that!? 」

「That, for-, for example, even if are betrothed, shouldn’t we socialize in moderation-degozaru…! 」

Elsie is blus.h.i.+ng while flailing her hands. Similarly Yae’s face became red too. I can understand Yae’s case, but unexpectedly it seems Elsie is a late bloomer too.

「But, I have already received it yesterday, you know? 」

「「tsu~!? 」」

Towards Yumina’s muttering, suddenly with frightening speed Elsie and Yae faces turned towards her! Well, I certainly did that, but…

「Me-, I have received it too… On-, on the forehead, that is. 」

「「tsu~!? 」」

When Lindsey timidly raised her hand, once again, surprised and with even more frightening speed Elsie and Yae’s faces turned towards her. Well, I certainly did that but!

「Th-, Then, then, then, U-, Us too, you have to do it for us too, you know! 」

「That… I want to do that, -degozaru… 」

What is with this development! Until a while ago, weren’t you talking about moderation in socialization! Those two faces were bright red but were directly fixed on me.

Kuu, there’s no escaping from this… Because I have already decided that I will accept them.

Reaching out my hands, I pull Elsie in close. For a moment her body trembled, but became meek shortly. Placing my hand on her cheek, I slowly draw my face closer…

「As-, As I thought, it is embarra.s.sing!! 」

「Kufuaa!? 」

Saying so, a certain kill thrusting attack which was released, gouged out the pit of my stomach. With this, I faint for the second time today because of her fist. I want an apology for every time this happened… I was thinking that in the corner of my mind as my consciousness left me.

「U…? 」

「Have you come to? 」

When I woke up, I was on my bed in my room. Before I knew it, evening already came. The lighted lamp was faintly glowing inside the room, and s.h.i.+suka, having wrapped her body in maid clothes, was sitting beside the bed on the chair.

「s.h.i.+suka…? What’s the matter, those clothes… 」

「I have borrowed them from Lapis-sama. If I am to serve the master, then this will be the uniform. 」

Which reminds me, since we came back I have left s.h.i.+suka to her own devices… It does not mean that I forgot about her, but these life influencing events have been happening in succession… Or perhaps I should say, isn’t the trigger for all of this is this girl?

「So, why are you in my room? 」

「I came for night visit 」

Screeching, I draw back to the edge of the bed. My head which was not thinking clearly, has woken up immediately. Chast.i.ty crisis!?

「It is a joke. Today there is no such intention. 」

What do you mean by today, just today! Truly, this girl is vicious!

「Today I came here hoping to talk for a little while. There is a message addressed to the master. 」

「Message…? Whose? 」

「Professor Regina Babylon」

From the genius professor of ancient times, who created s.h.i.+suka and Sky Garden? What is the meaning of this?

When s.h.i.+suka makes a gesture similar to measuring a pulse on her left wrist with her right hand, the left wrist’s inner part opens, and a cable attached to what looks like some sort of connector is pulled out.

「Wa」

When I see such a thing, I once again become aware that that girl is surely robogirl. s.h.i.+suka pulled it out and presented me the front part of the connector.

「Eh ? What am I to do with this? 」

「Who knows? The new master would understand, is what professor said」

Even if you put it like that. Unfortunately, I am only human and surely don’t have a part which looks like it can link with connector. Are you saying put it in my mouth… Is it that?

The shape of this connector… No way. Well, I can’t think of anything else besides that.

I take out the smartphone from breast pocket of the coat which was hanging on the wall, and plugged in the connector which s.h.i.+suka presented me. It fits.

Pipo, there’s a peculiar sound, a semitransparent gauge is displayed on the screen, and slightly fills in green. Before long the gauge becomes 100% green and the smartphone’s screen starts s.h.i.+ning.

「Wha-, what is this!? 」

When the light settled, somehow on the surface of the screen there was an approximately 15 centimeter human standing.

It was slightly semi-transparent, and indeed looks like a picture, however I was sure that my smartphone had no function capable of projecting a three-dimensional body.

A 15 centimeter reflection of a person was a woman in her twenties wearing a white robe and round spectacles, and holding in her mouth what looked like cigarette or something. Her precious blonde hair being long and unkempt had a feeling of being messy. Jacket and skirt under the white robe also were slovenly worn, that increased further the spur of indifference.

「It is Professor Regina Babylon. 」

「This person is…? 」

The face of the professor which was looking languid suddenly looked up and sinisterly laughed. Eh?

『Yo-yo, greetings. I am Regina Babylon. First of all, for taking care of the [Sky Garden] as well as s.h.i.+suka, I express my grat.i.tude. Thank you, Mr. [Mochizuki Touya]』

「… Eh? 」

What is the meaning of this? Why does this person, who lived nearly 5000 years ago, know my name?

If I try to think about it very carefully, why is this connector of the same type as my smartphone? It’s as if she knew about it entirely from the beginning…

『You understand it, you know. Your guess is quite right. It is also natural to be curious. Because you are [That sort of human]』

That sort of human, you say….. Does she know that I’m not a human from this world? Who the h.e.l.l is this professor…!?

『I am not going to answer your question. You should look for it carefully』

After saying that, the professor naturally rolled up her skirt. The black pantsu with lace jump into my vision.

『My favorite』

「I understand!! 」

I unintentionally threw away the smartphone on the futon. What is [this sort of human]! Arbitrarily calling me [this sort of human]! I don’t have any question about your pantsu in particular and I was not curious!

『Ha-ha-ha. A joke, it was a joke. A trifling playfulness. Do not pay any mind to it』

The image of professor on the futon is laughing with a grin. Meanwhile, she was rolling up her flickering skirt, and kept showing her pantsu to me. This professor, as I thought, definitely a weirdo!