Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 3 - Chapter 1

Games and the Lottery

Friday, July 10th

Entering July, summer slowly began to find its way into room 106 where Koutarou and the others lived. The crying cicadas could be heard coming from the trees planted along the road, and the strong sunlight came beaming through the window, raising the temperature. The temperature, however, was even higher inside with seven people crowding into the small six tatami mat room.

“Waaaaah! Blue Knight dieeeeed!”

“Well, if you recklessly keep pushing deep into the dungeon, it was bound to happen eventually.”

“Tell me, pleb! How do I save Blue Knight?!”

“Form a rescue party and get to where Blue Knight and the others died.”

“All right, I’ll give it a try! You stay here and give me advice when appropriate, pleb!”

“I got it, so just calm down a little. It’s just a game.”

“How could I calm down?! My Blue Knight just died, you know! Ahh, getting lazy and calling all the magicians Yurika backfired!”

“That’s a false accusation!”

Raising the temperature in the room even more was the worn-out console hooked up to the TV. Koutarou had gotten his parents to buy it for him when he was young, and even though it was now outdated, he had gotten so attached to it that he brought it with him to room 106. Ruth had found it while cleaning the wardrobe the other day, which is how it ended up where it currently was.

“You’ll need party members that’ll be useful right away for a rescue mission, so don’t bring advanced classes with you. You won’t need a thief either.”

“And what about the equipment?”

“It’s common for the rescue party to get stranded as well, so use the best equipment that you have available.”

“I see. Then let’s go!”

The one showing interest in the console was Theia, having come from a different planet. Initially she was timid about it, but as she picked up a controller she behaved just like a kid playing a game for the first time. And ever since, she had Koutarou accompany her as she went on adventures.

“But to think Theia would be interested in a game this old...”

Sanae was amazed by Theia’s behavior. Sanae gave her a dirty look as she watched her sit there, gripping the controller in excitement.

“Heehee. Her Highness does love competition, so she likes most games, but this one is special.”

“What do you mean?”

On the other hand, Ruth and Kiriha were warmly watching over her. The two of them were sitting down at the table drinking tea while observing Koutarou and Theia playing games.

“Actually, back when Her Highness was in school, her research theme was computer history. That’s why she has a special interest in early computers like this one.”

“A research theme... at that age?”

Shizuka looked surprised. Having nothing to do, she had come to room 106 and joined Ruth and Kiriha for some tea.

“The royalty of Forthorthe has always been encouraged to study liberal and military arts, so it’s tradition to finish their university research projects before starting their trial.”

“So you mean that’s a custom in Forthorthe...? I guess societal expectations are high, no matter where you go.”

Kiriha brought her teacup to her lips as she smiled wryly. She had her own opinions on the matter of customs, but chose to stay silent. Ruth didn’t seem notice the slight change in her expression.

“Hmm, being a princess sounds really rough...”

Shizuka also sipped on her tea as she admired Theia. In the warm room, the cold tea was especially refreshing.

“Out of the vast history of computers, Her Highness chose to focus on the history of games.”

What did it mean to use computers to play? That had been the starting point for Theia’s study, but her historical research gave her an insight into modern technology and allowed her to predict future developments. What had started with a commentary of a single game resulted in a thorough discussion of media theory. Her comprehensive research received high acclaim in the university.

“Forthorthe is rich with over two millennia of history, so even the oldest game still in existence is far more advanced than what you can find on this planet. That’s why these primitive Earth games are almost like a legendary treasure for Her Highness.”

“I see. So Theia-dono doesn’t just love games as a hobby; it’s also an academic interest.”

“Exactly.”

“Hahh... I’m glad I wasn’t born a princess.”

As Kiriha, Ruth, and Shizuka were chatting, Theia and Koutarou’s adventures continued onscreen.

“Hey, Tulip. Yurika B is about to die.”

“I don’t care. Just give up on her. I don’t have the potions to spare.”

“I guess that’s fine.”

“It’s not fine at all! Please heal her!”

“I refuse.”

“Whyyyyy?!”

Before anyone knew it, Yurika was tagging along with Theia and Koutarou on their adventure. The three of them were glued to the TV, fussing over what to do.

“And you too, Koutarou. You’re already a high school student. What are you doing...?”

Sanae acted amazed by the three of them, but she was really just unhappy that she was being left out. She wasn’t mature enough to speak up and join the group.

“I quite enjoy Her Highness and Satomi-sama getting along like this.”

“They’re both just kids, ugh...”

She wanted to join in, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to do it. Instead, she had been begrudgingly glaring at Koutarou’s back for quite a while with her cheeks puffed up. Despite what she was saying, Sanae was the most childish of them all.

“A magician without mana is useless, just like you.”

“She’ll be useful! Just stay at an inn and recover her mana, please! And I’m not useless either! I really am a magical girl!”

“A magical girl, right...”

As Yurika desperately tried to plead her case, Koutarou gave her an icy cold stare.

“Wh-What?”

“Why don’t you get a grip on reality already?”

Koutarou looked away from the TV and turned his attention to Yurika. Although she flinched at his cold look, she still desperately objected.

“That is the reality! I really am a magical girl!”

“It’s already July, but those ‘enemies’ you mentioned are nowhere to be seen.”

“They’ll come! They’ll definitely show up!”

Sensing something earnest in her frantic appeal, something crossed Koutarou’s mind.

“...Does this have anything to do with next month’s Comiha?”

He meant the Comic Heart Network, or Comiha for short. It was a manga expo that would be held next month, and it was the largest event in the world for cosplayers. Koutarou figured Yurika was getting so desperate because she and her cosplay friends would be having a showdown at the event.

“It has nothing to do with that! How does this always come back to cosplay?!”

“That’s because it’s cosplay no matter how you look at it,” Sanae butted in, but with a gentle look of sympathy this time.

“D-Don’t look at me with pity, please!”

“But I do pity you.”

“Well, just hold on, Sanae.”

“Koutarou?”

“Yurika, I understand why you can’t accept things like this, so let me make it perfectly clear.”

As he said that, Koutarou started shoving his hand into his clothes like he was searching for something.

“What? What are you doing?”

Interested, Theia tossed aside her controller and crawled over to the tea table.

“Ah, found them...”

Koutarou pulled two photos out from one of his pockets and put them on top of the table. The other six—Yurika, Sanae, Ruth, Theia, Shizuka, and Kiriha—all peeked at the photographs.

“Ah, it’s a picture of me!”

“And that girl. What was her name again?”

“That’s Sakuraba-sama, the girl who won at the sports festival.”

“The sports festival... All that comes to mind is the disgrace I suffered...”

“This photograph is well shot.”

“So what about these two photos, Koutarou?”

Koutarou pointed to the pictures of Yurika and Harumi and said, “Let’s just say that one of these two girls is a magical girl.”

“All right, and then?”

“I’m not pretending! I really am a magical girl!”

“Calm down. Just bear with me.”

“Uh, I can’t agree, but...”

Yurika couldn’t accept what Koutarou was saying, but she reluctantly withdrew. With her backing down, Koutarou continued.

“Let’s say one of them is a magical girl and the other one is a normal girl. With that in mind, I have a question for you all: Who do you think is the magical girl?”

Everyone but Yurika pointed at the same picture.

“This is the one you’d expect.”

“From personal data, I can tell she is mentally strong.”

“It feels like I’m admitting defeat, which is incredibly displeasing, but out of the two, it would have to be her.”

“I feel like this person has a mysterious aura about her.”

“I’m sorry, Nijino-san...”

The other five girls all pointed to Harumi’s photo without any hint of hesitation.

“Ugh...”

Instead, Yurika was the one hesitating.

“Th-This is unfair.”

If it was anyone else, Yurika would have picked herself immediately. But this was Harumi, someone she admired. Yurika couldn’t choose.

“I-I’d think sh-she would be the magical girl t-too...”

Yurika’s trembling finger slowly pointed at Harumi’s photograph. Like her hand, her voice was trembling. Her expression was unpleasantly distorted. Yurika had to admit it too. Even though she might not be able to use magic, Harumi was far more like a magical girl than she was. It broke her heart to do it, but Yurika pointed at Harumi’s picture instead of her own.

“Do you understand now, Yurika? Whether you have magic powers or not has nothing to do with it.”

“I know... Even I know that I’m not suited for this job...”

Yurika weakly stood herself up.

“If only the enemy would show up... If only you could see me fight... Then you’d believe me... Hurry up and attack, Darkness Rainbow... Hurry up and disturb the peace and save me... Waaah haa haa...”

Tears streamed down Yurika’s cheeks.

“I believe in love and courage...! What’s important are the bonds you make...”

Yurika started mumbling a song and disappeared into the wardrobe.

“I know this is a strange thing to say, but... Satomi-kun, couldn’t you just believe her?”

Hearing the sobbing from the wardrobe, Shizuka couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for her.

“You want me to believe her when she’s asking for the enemy to show up and cause trouble?”

In contrast to Shizuka, Sanae’s impression was deadpan.

“She does call herself a magical girl of love and courage, after all...”

If it were Harumi, she would never wish for enemies to appear. In the end, the real problem was Yurika’s personality. She just wasn’t acting like a heroine of justice.

“By the way, Koutarou...”

“Hmm?”

As Sanae called out to him, Koutarou looked up from the photographs on the tea table.

“Where’d you get those pictures?”

“Wh-What does it matter?!”

Koutarou hurriedly shoved the two photos back in his pocket.

“It does matter! You showed Yurika’s picture to the cosclub, but where’d you get Harumi’s photograph from? You pervert!”

“I-It’s nothing like that!”

“Then spit it out! When did you take that picture? You’ve never taken my picture before!”

Agitated, Sanae started choking Koutarou as per her usual.

“E-Even if I take a picture of you, it’ll just turn into a ghost photo!”

“I don’t care! This is humiliating!”

“S-Stop it, Sanae!”

“Take a picture of meeeee, damn iiiiit! In fact, just go on and say, ‘you’re so cute, Sanae! Let’s try a more daring pose!’ You know you want to!”

“D-Don’t get so full of yourself!”

In order to combat Sanae, Koutarou brought his right fist towards her face. Clenched inside of it was the usual “evil spirits begone” charm.

“Hah! Like I’ll fall for the same trick over and over again!”

However, Sanae bobbed her head back and forth like a boxer, dodging Koutarou’s fist.

“C-Curse youuu!”

Because he was being choked, Koutarou was moving much slower than normal. And since he’d used the charm to blow Sanae away several times before, she had finally learned her lesson.

“Oh my. You always get along so well, Satomi-kun, Sanae-chan.”

“You look just like siblings to me. As an only child, I’m quite envious.”

Shizuka and Ruth watched over the bickering two with smiles on their faces. Though Shizuka was strict about fighting in the room, she left them be. To her, this didn’t really count as fighting.

“Hmph, they’re both just the same mental age. They’re children,” Theia spat irritatedly.

She was unhappy too now. She picked up the controller again, but no longer had the same delighted expression as before.

“...I see. Things are getting quite complicated.”

Kiriha smiled as she shifted her gaze between Theia and Sanae. When it came to Koutarou, both girls would get really stubborn. Kiriha could clearly feel it.

“Nyahahaha! How dare you hurt a maiden’s feelings?! As punishment for your sin, I’ll choke you out!”

“A-As if I’d let you...!”

Bam!

“Ack!”

But in the end, Koutarou held the advantage. He wasn’t holding a charm in just his right hand—his left was armed as well. While distracted by his right fist, Sanae was easily blown away by his left—the one holding the charm with “family safety” embroidered on it with golden thread.

“Hah! Don’t expect me to always use the same trick, you fool.”

“D-Damn it... Using two is unfair... Ugh...”

Sanae collapsed onto the tatami mat with smoke rising from her head.

“Thank you, grandma!”

Koutarou paid her no mind. He was too busy celebrating his victory, shouting thanks to his grandmother who lived in the countryside.

“Well then, it’s about time to go shopping.”

As Shizuka watched Koutarou and Sanae finish playing, she drank the last of her tea and stood up. Since this was an everyday occurrence, she wasn’t worried about Sanae at all.

“Ah, I will go too! Let’s go together.”

Ruth also stood up, quickly grabbing Koutarou’s wallet next to the phone. Koutarou trusted her completely, so she was in charge of the budget for room 106.

“Are you going shopping, Landlord-san, Ruth-san?”

“Yes, the limited time sale at the supermarket by the station is about to begin.”

“I’ll do my best not to lose out to the neighborhood wives.”

Seeing Shizuka and Ruth smiling, Koutarou also got up.

“I’ll come and carry the bags. I’ve got nothing better to do.”

“W-Wait just a second, pleb! You’re choosing shopping over an adventure with your master?!”

Flustered, Theia shook her controller as she tried to stop Koutarou. However, he simply shook his head.

“Sorry, Tulip. We’ll continue when I get back. You can’t get by in life just on playing games.”

“Hmph...”

Theia looked up at Koutarou, dissatisfied. But it wasn’t her normal piercing stare. There was a different nuance to it.

“Are you sure, Satomi-sama? I could go on my own...”

Ruth was observant of her master’s behavior and tried to persuade Koutarou to stay behind.

“No can do. If my old man finds out I’m leaving all the housework to girls, I’ll get an earful.”

Koutarou trusted Ruth with the housekeeping, but he wasn’t going to let her do it all by herself.

“...”

Realizing that Koutarou wasn’t going to change his mind, Theia turned her back on him.

“That’s not what I meant...”

“Koutarou, are you going shopping?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll go too! I want to eat takoyaki!”

Ruth continued trying to persuade Koutarou, but things got more complicated after Sanae joined the conversation.

“Well, then, let’s go.”

“...Okay.”

“Takoyaki! Takoyaki!”

“Is food all you ever think about, Sanae?”

“It’s fine! I’m still a growing girl!”

“No, you’re already dead.”

With Shizuka in the lead, Koutarou and Sanae left room 106. Watching them go, Ruth called out to Theia, who was playing games by herself.

“I’ll be taking my leave for now, Your Highness.”

“...Yeah...”

Theia’s short answer made Ruth wonder what expression she was making right now, but it was impossible to tell with her back turned towards her.

Your Highness...

Ruth backed away and left room 106 with the others. That left only two girls in the six mat room now: Theia who was playing a game, and Kiriha who was pouring more cold tea into her cup.

For a while, only the sounds of Theia’s game could be heard in the room. But roughly ten minutes after Koutarou and the others had left, Kiriha opened her mouth.

“Are you fine with not going with them, Theia-dono?”

After hearing Kiriha’s question, Theia’s hands stopped moving.

“H-Hmph! Why should I have to do something like that? I’m busy playing games!”

“I see. Well, that’s fine...”

“It’s none of your business!”

Theia shouted at Kiriha to hide how shaken she was inside, and quickly returned to playing the game. Just like she said, she was doing her best to keep herself busy with the game. Her hands moved furiously on the controller.

However...

However, it didn’t look like Theia was enjoying her game to Kiriha.

“But to think Tulip loves games that much...”

“She’s just a kid.”

“There, there, Sanae-chan.”

Koutarou and the others were walking through the mall while talking about Theia. They had already finished shopping, and Koutarou was carrying most of their bags. They were now on their way to the edge of the mall in order to use the lottery ticket they had gotten at the supermarket checkout.

Until the merging of Kisshou City and Harukaze City, the local mall was practically a ghost town. But thanks to the newly constructed city hall and highway, it had regained much of its past liveliness. In order to entice new customers, the mall was in the middle of a lottery campaign.

“Her Highness’s love for games is largely due to her mother’s influence.”

“Theia’s... mother?”

“Yes. When Her Highness’s mother—the current empress, Her Majesty Elfaria—was still a student, her research theme was archeology. It was because of that that Her Highness took an interest in computers of the past and began her own studies.”

Inspired by her mother’s work at an early age, Theia spent a lot of time when she was young playing with computers. The history of computers and their technology was something that came up frequently in her mother’s writing, and Theia had a natural talent for using them. Her own research organically stemmed from there.

“But choosing games as her theme was just because of Theia-chan’s hobby, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Well, she does loves competition...”

Out of the vast history of computers, Theia had taken a special interest in game software. Being as hot-blooded as she was, it was a natural choice for her. Koutarou was the same in that regard, so he understood her passion.

“But that is also the reason for her uneasiness. Her Highness is truly a shy and gentle person.”

“...Huh?”

What Ruth said left Koutarou quite perplexed.

Shy and gentle? Theia?

To Koutarou, Theia seemed like an arrogant and selfish girl. But Ruth was claiming the opposite.

“With Forthorthe’s system for selecting successors being what it is, there’s been a power struggle within the royal families since ancient times. Even the legend of the Blue Knight was born of that power struggle.”

Ruth continued with a serious, almost grave expression on her face. Looking into her eyes, Koutarou believed she was telling the truth.

“Her Highness is the current empress’s only child. But as the seventh princess, she has many rivals.”

Being the empress’s child didn’t mean Theia was guaranteed to inherit throne. Where she was from, anyone born to any of the royal families was given an equal chance of becoming the heir. They just had to complete their trial before anyone else. Because of that, the royal families held a strong sense of rivalry with each other.

“On top of that, being a conservative and unable to compromise with the military, there are always suspicious rumors regarding Her Majesty Elfaria.”

“Her mother...”

“That is why Her Highness has always had to flaunt herself and her abilities since she was a child. It is to protect herself and her mother. She cannot afford to lose, whether it is in a game or in a fight.”

Since Ruth was the only one who had watched over Theia as she fought daily, her words carried great weight now.

If that’s true, she’s been defending everything she had using force...

Koutarou felt like he understood Theia a little better after listening to Ruth’s explanation.

“Her Highness probably named her personal warship the Blue Knight for the same reason. She probably wants to defend her mother, just like the Blue Knight of legend.”

“The Blue Knight, huh?”

That was the name Theia always called out to summon her weapons. Apparently that was the reason why.

I wonder if it would have been better to just stay at home and play games with her instead of going shopping...

That sudden thought entered Koutarou’s mind. He remembered that Theia had named the game’s hero Blue Knight too. However, the very next moment, he shook his head.

No, no! What am I thinking, being compassionate?! I need to chase her out! I can’t bother with her feelings! What am I doing getting along with her?!

As Koutarou puzzled over his own feelings, Ruth smiled at him. The evening sun lit up her face, giving her smile a warm and gentle impression.

“But Her Highness has changed a bit since she came to this planet. And from time to time, she behaves like a girl of her age should. This is all thanks to Satomi-sama.”

“M-Me?”

“Yes.”

Koutarou stared at her in wonder as Ruth smiled and nodded.

“You have no relationship with Forthorthe. Because of that, you have no reason to fight with her. There is no worry of an assassination attempt. Satomi-sama, you are the first person Her Highness has met that she can trust in that way.”

“Well, I don’t care about her status or position. But when it comes to room 106, there’s a conflict of interest.”

“Koutarou... Theia probably wants an opponent she can fight with.”

Sanae, who had been quiet up until now, finally spoke up. But for some reason, she was in a bad mood. After saying her piece, she sulkily looked away.

“I think it’s just as Sanae-sama said. Her Highness has never had an equal she could quarrel with before.”

“Someone she can fight with, huh? Well, in that case, I can kind of understand.”

In Koutarou’s case, it would be the difference between having Kenji in his life or not. Having an equal he could lock horns with helped him keep his zest for life.

“That’s why I want Satomi-sama to continue defending room 106.”

“Huh?”

“What?!”

The words out of Ruth’s mouth were beyond unexpected. Koutarou had been surprised by what she said before, but this completely flummoxed him. It didn’t even sound like something someone who was supposed to be Theia’s ally should be saying. But it wasn’t just Koutarou and Sanae—even Shizuka was surprised.

“Why is that, Ruth-san?”

Koutarou and Sanae’s jaws were on the floor, so instead Shizuka asked Ruth what was on everyone’s mind.

Ruth smiled a little and calmly explained herself, “Her Highness gaining control of room 106 would mean returning to Forthorthe. It would also mean returning to a life where she can never let her guard down. Before that, I want Her Highness to be able to live like a normal girl for a while.”

Those were not the words of Theia’s vassal, but of her childhood friend. It was what Ruth wished for from the bottom of her heart. Ruth wanted Theia to be happy more than she wanted her to become empress.

“Hmm, that’s quite the responsibility, Satomi-kun.” Shizuka smiled and patted Koutarou’s back. “If you lose, Theia will go home, so hang in there!”

“I had no intention of losing whatsoever. That room is mine.”

After learning Theia’s situation, the thought of giving in did cross Koutarou’s mind, but after hearing Ruth out, he felt the exact opposite.

It’s fine the way it is now! That room is mine!

As Ruth said, Koutarou holding out was best for Theia, so he had no reason to hesitate. Things were fine the way they were, and the end results would be better for everyone.

“Well said, Satomi-kun! As expected from a real man! I’ll support you from the shadows!”

“Heh heh heh! Bwahahaha! That’s right! What was I thinking? Even considering losing isn’t very manly of me!”

Koutarou was never good with complicated matters, but setting his heart on something gave him the motivation he needed.

“Please continue taking care of Her Highness, Satomi-sama.”

Ruth bowed deeply towards Koutarou. And when she raised her head again, there were traces of tears in her eyes. Her dewy eyes gleamed orange in the evening sun, leaving a profound impression on Koutarou. They were a symbol of her gratitude to Koutarou and her relief that her childhood friend would be able to spend some more time in peace.

“I-I’ll beat her to a pulp though.”

“Yes. Please do.”

She really is beautiful...

Koutarou unintentionally admired Ruth’s expression, her eyes, and her tears. Just the fact that she could smile like that now made Koutarou feel like he had made the right choice. It was a smile from the bottom of her heart.

“Koutarou... you...”

Sanae was the only one with a clouded expression among the group. That was because she could sense the change occurring in Koutarou.

Sanae had thought it was strange for a while now. Koutarou and Theia never played games together when they first met. But after the end of the sports festival where they’d had to flee Shizuka and Kenji together, they somehow ended up closer. Watching them on a daily basis, Sanae couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“Why am I... this...”

Sanae’s heart throbbed in pain. At first it was barely noticeable, but once she recognized it as pain, it had grown stronger each day. And now as she sensed Koutarou coming around, it felt like being stabbed in the heart with a knife.

From the day she first felt this pain, Sanae hated getting blown away by Koutarou’s charms. She felt she was being rejected every time he used them against her. It was like Koutarou only thought of her as an evil spirit in his room... even though she knew that was the fact of the matter.

“What does it matter if Koutarou thinks I’m just an evil spirit? I’ve chased out everyone else who thought like that up until now just the same!” Sanae mumbled to herself.

But no matter how many times she repeated the same thing, she didn’t feel any better.

“There it is over there. This way, Ruth-san.”

“Okay, Satomi-sama.”

When Koutarou and the others arrived at the lottery tent, it looked like there was no one other than the clerk in charge there. Thanks to that, there was no line.

“Hmm, it’s not the scratch kind, but the spinning kind.”

“Looks like there are prizes from first to fifth place.”

At the lottery tent was a wheel you would spin using a handle to get a marble to fall out. There were five colors of marble—gold, silver, copper, white, and red—each corresponding to a prize. Gold was first prize: tickets to a hot spring. Silver was second prize: an LCD TV. Copper was third prize: a bike. White was fourth prize: a set of canned fruits. And red was the consolation prize: pocket tissues.

“These prizes sure are luxurious for a lottery in a mall...”

“Welcome. Would you like to take it for a spin?”

The clerk in charge of the lottery was a laid-back man. In the flashy red happi1 he was wearing, it was a bit hard to take him seriously.

“Yeah, we would. But not me. This girl here... Go on, Ruth-san.”

“Eeek!”

Koutarou grabbed Ruth’s hand as she was curiously looking at the lottery prizes and pulled her in front of the lottery wheel.

“S-Satomi-sama?”

“Since we’re already here, why don’t you give a shot, Ruth-san? Unlike the rest of us, you don’t have a lot of chances at stuff like this.”

“U-Um...”

Getting volunteered and dragged over to the lottery like that startled Ruth. But what startled her even more was Koutarou grabbing her hand. Considering she’d just cried in front of him, Ruth was extra conscious of Koutarou, and she couldn’t stop herself from blushing.

“Is this young lady your girlfriend? I’m envious that you got yourself such a cute girl.”

“I know, right? I wouldn’t have any complaints if she were my girlfriend either.”

“I guess it’s not always so easy, huh?”

“Wahahaha, exactly!”

“Reality is harsh, isn’t it? Bwahahaha!”

Koutarou and the clerk were having a good laugh, but Ruth was in no position to do so. Being born in a noble family and growing up spending most of her time in a female exclusive officer’s school, Ruth was unused to men. This was the first time a man had grabbed her hand like that. Moreover, it was Koutarou who had done it, not someone she disliked.

“I... I...”

Ruth’s face turned red and she stiffened up just looking at him.

“Ruth-san? Is something wrong?”

Koutarou took a peek at Ruth’s face. Staring at each other while standing so close together flustered Ruth even more.

If I leaned forward... we’re close enough... to... k-kiss...

Ruth’s imagination ran wild. Just as she was seconds away from a meltdown, Shizuka freed her from Koutarou’s hand.

“Satomi-kun, can’t you tell Ruth-san is distressed?”

Ah...

Thanks to that, Ruth’s thoughts began to cool down.

“You can’t just casually grab a girl’s hand like that!”

“Ah, s-sorry... I’m just used to being like that with Mackenzie.”

“Th-The lottery... That’s right, I still have to spin the wheel!”

As Ruth cooled down, she realized how embarrassing the things she had been thinking were. Thinking about it all over again, she started to heat right back up.

“Lady, you’ve got enough tickets to spin three times.”

“O-Okay!”

Unable to think properly, Ruth spun the lottery wheel with all of her might. The spinning wheel was very similar to how she was feeling on the inside.

Normally, only one marble would come out at a time, but because it was moving so fast, three marbles dropped out all at once—gold, silver, and copper.

“Congratulaaatiooons! First prize, second prize, and third prize! It’s a hat trick!”

The clerk’s voice and the bell he was holding in his hand rang out across the mall. Perhaps as a reward for her usual good behavior, all three marbles were worth good prizes.

“U-Unbelievable! Is this what you call beginner’s luck?”

“A complete sweep of first through third prize?!”

“Ruth, you’re amazing!”

Koutarou, Shizuka, and Sanae all showered Ruth with compliments and applause for the remarkable feat.

“A-Again! I-I’m spinning three times!”

However, Ruth’s mind was still spinning, oblivious to the fact that the lottery was over.

After the commotion at the lottery died down and Koutarou and the gang had left the mall, the cashier from the supermarket hustled over to the lottery stand.

“Aniki, how’d it go?”

The cashier who had come running over was covered in sweat. He was plump and stout, and he was out of breath after having run just the short distance from the supermarket.

“Hey, Hachi! Rejoice! Everything went just according to plan!”

The clerk welcomed the cashier with a smile. The lottery clerk was the thinner of the two, but standing next to the fat cashier made him look even slimmer.

“So the tickets made their ways into their hands?”

“That’s right. Now all we have to do is wait for them to walk right into our trap!”

“That’s Aniki for you!”

The cashier and clerk seemed to know each other. They were apparently pleased at their succeess with something.

“Although, them taking the LCD TV and bike too was a miscalculation...”

“Whaaat?! They took those too?!”

“It was a miscalculation. The girl who was spinning had extraordinary luck.”

“I can’t believe it... That TV and bike were supposed to be ours after we were done with this fake lottery. Since it’s a fake lottery anyway, it would have been fine to just fill it with red marbles after you put the gold one in...”

“It’s all about believability! If there weren’t prizes lined up at a lottery, nobody would take it seriously!”

“I can’t watch TV with believability! And I can’t ride a bike with it either!”

“But who would’ve guessed they’d get the second and third prize too out of a hundred marbles...”

“I guess god really does smile on certain people...”

They looked at each other, lowering their heads and drooping their shoulders. However, the clerk quickly shook his head and pulled himself together, patting the cashier on the shoulder.

“Don’t lose heart, Hachi! This is nothing!”

“But Aniki! The TV! The bike!”

“Did you forget? Once ‘Operation: It’s the Beach, Yahoo! Snatch That Ghost!’ succeeds, we’ll be able to buy as many TVs and bikes as we want.”

“Th-That’s right! That’s why we did this fake lottery in the first place!”

“Just think of them as sacrifices for the greater good, Hachi! The die has already been cast!”

“You’re right! There’s no time to be depressed!”

It turns out the lottery was a setup created to hand over the hot spring tickets to Koutarou and the girls.

Having observed Koutarou and the others, the two men took up part-time jobs at the mall. Then they waited for them to come shopping and handed them the fake lottery tickets at the cash register. Finally, the lottery wheel had been rigged to give them first prize. It was all according to their plan to get them to go on a hot spring vacation without being suspicious.

“Keh heh heh... If she’s bound to the house, she’ll be left there all alone. And even if she can travel, we’ll have plenty of traps at the inn.”

“You’re such an evildoer, Aniki!”

Their goal was to capture Sanae. If she followed the others to the hot spring, they’d set out traps to catch her. And if she didn’t, they’d just capture her when nobody else was home. Either way, they’d be able to set the date and place, giving them a much better chance than just trying to capture her without a plan.

“Once we capture that stupidly stable and high density ghost, we can say good riddance to our life of poverty!”

“We’ll be able to graduate from exterminating small fry ghosts and join the big leagues!”

After they captured Sanae, they were going to sell her for a considerable sum.

“Hip hip hooray!”

They were ghost hunters, and professionals when it came to ghost extermination.

“Sorry for disturbing you when you’re celebrating, but I have some truly regrettable information to share.”

As Koutarou and the others were celebrating their lottery winnings upon returning home, Kiriha greeted them with a serious face.

“Kiriha-san?”

“Yurika collapsed.”

Entering room 106, they could indeed see Yurika collapsed in the middle of the room.

“Waaaaah, Y-Yurikaaaaa!”

Seeing Yurika on the floor with her eyes rolled back, Koutarou rushed into the inner room.

“She went into the wardrobe in this kind of heat, and it seems it was too much for her.”

Yurika had passed out because she’d shut herself in the wardrobe in the summer heat. Even though it was just the beginning of July, the constant strong sunlight shining into the room had turned it into a sauna.

“Is she an idiot? Anyone with half a brain would know that’s what would happen.”

“I wonder why Nijino-san didn’t come out despite the heat...”

Sanae was dumbfounded and Shizuka tilted her head in confusion. They had both completely forgotten that Yurika had shut herself into the wardrobe because she had gotten depressed.

“Hey, pull yourself together, Yurika!”

“S-Shatomi-shan...?”

As Koutarou shook her shoulders, Yurika opened her eyes. She was covered in sweat and her bangs were matted to her face, obscuring her vision. Koutarou reached out and brushed them aside.

“I-I’m shorry...”

“Why are you always this hopeless?”

“I-I’m fhine. Jusht leave me be. I’ll recover afhter a while.”

“As if I could do that!”

Koutarou laid Yurika back down and began preparations to nurse her back to health. He pulled out several towels from the wardrobe, put water and ice in a washing bowl, and grabbed a bottle of drinking water from the fridge. Yurika followed him with her eyes.

“Yurika, do you have a headache or anything like that?”

As Koutarou was washing Yurika’s face off with the cold, wet towel, he worriedly stared into her eyes.

“N-No, I’m fhine.”

“How about some water? Are you thirsty?”

“I’ll drink shome afhter a while...”

“I see... Then just rest for now, Yurika.”

“Yesh...”

Yurika couldn’t move her tongue properly, but her answer was clear. With that, Koutarou let out a sigh of relief.

For shome reashon, Shatomi-shan ish being nice...

Yurika wondered why as she smiled at Koutarou.

I can’t get him to believe in magic like alwaysh, but it fheelsh like he’sh treating me better than befhore... Ish it jusht me?

In reality, it wasn’t just Yurika’s imagination. It was the truth. Koutarou was certainly treating her better.

“Don’t do something stupid that would make Sakuraba-senpai worry.”

“Yesh... I undershtand...”

Koutarou had been treating Yurika differently ever since the sports festival. That was because she had unexpectedly made friends with Harumi.

If she had just been some noisy cosplayer, he would have left her be. But as Harumi’s friend, he couldn’t do that. That was because if something happened to Yurika, it would surely worry Harumi. So Koutarou put the magical girl business aside and treated Yurika as Harumi’s friend. Now he would take care of her when she collapsed or feed her if she got hungry. It wasn’t purely for Yurika’s sake, but as a result, he was treating her better.

“You really are...”

Koutarou picked up a nearby fan and tried to cool off Yurika.

“I’m shorry fhor making you washte your time on me...”

Yurika gave a weak smile as the cool breeze washed over her. Seeing that, Koutarou figured that she was okay. That was when Ruth approached.

“Is Yurika-sama all right?”

As proper as she was, Ruth worried over people like Yurika who practically seemed to self-destruct. She furrowed her brow and peered over at Yurika.

“I think she’s fine. She’s usually pretty tough.”

“Shorry fhor making you hworry...”

“No, I’m just glad you’re okay. We’d be unable to celebrate winning the lottery if you fell ill.”

Ruth smiled as she pulled out the tickets from her pocket.

“What’s that?”

As Ruth returned to the room, Theia put down her controller and came over to Yurika as well.

“Your Highness, when we went shopping, we got to play a lottery and we won tickets to a hot spring.”

“Lottery?”

Princess Theia had no idea what a lottery was and looked at Koutarou accordingly.

“It’s a campaign to increase sales at the supermarket. Customers have a chance of winning prizes.”

“Oh, I see...”

Ruth handed the tickets over to Theia, who examined them thoroughly.

“That’s right. Why don’t we all go to the hot spring together?” Ruth asked.

“Are you okay with us tagging along with you, Ruth-san?” Shizuka asked in return.

Ruth gave her a big nod.

“There are tickets for six, and Her Highness and myself only make two. Besides, vacations are more fun with more people, and we’re still not used to living on Earth.”

“You’re going to bring them with us?!”

Theia tore herself away from the tickets and stared at Ruth wide-eyed.

“Yes. I think it would be a great idea to leave our daily fights behind us and refresh for a while,” Ruth answered with a smile.

Theia stared at her for a while before looking at the rest of the people in the room. Ruth, Sanae, Shizuka, Yurika, Kiriha... And when she looked at Koutarou’s face, she slightly blushed and turned away.

“...Th-They’re your tickets. Do with them as you wish.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” said Ruth. She then turned to Koutarou and the others. “So how about it, everyone? Would you like to come with us to the hot spring?”

“In that case, I’ll gladly tag along!”

“Me too, me too! I want to jump into the hot spring!”

“I have no objections either. It’s been a while since I took a break.”

Shizuka, Sanae, and Kiriha all agreed right away.

“Ish it okay ifh I come too...?”

Still lying down, Yurika tentatively raised her hand. As she was shunned daily, she reflexively had to ask.

“It’s impossible, isn’t it? There are only six tickets,” Sanae said as she looked around the room and counted.

Sanae, Koutarou, Ruth, Theia, Shizuka, and Kiriha added up to six. There was no room for Yurika.

“No whaaay...”

Sanae’s answer brought tears to Yurika’s eyes.

“Sho you’re shaying magical girlsh can’t go to the hot springsh! Waaah...”

“In that case, I’ll stay behind. It can be a girls’ vacation.”

“S-Shatomi-shan, are you shure?!”

Surprised by Koutarou’s kind offer, Yurika sprang to her feet.

“I’ve alwaysh known you were a nice person shince we fhirsht met!”

Yurika’s eyes sparkled as she grabbed Koutarou’s hand and shook it.

“You sure are selfish...”

“Eeeehh?! Why can’t we just leave Yurika behind?”

“We can’t have that. Look carefully. It says there’s only one room. I can’t sleep in the same room as five girls.”

“He’s right. Satomi-kun. you sure are perceptive...”

On the ticket there was small writing stating that the six people would share one room.

“Hmm... May I say something?” Kiriha, who had been thinking the whole time, finally spoke up. “I see no problems going with the seven of us”

“But Kiriha-san, there are seven of us and only six tickets.”

“I know. Which is why only six of us will be customers: me, Koutarou, Theia-dono, Ruth, Shizuka, and Yurika. That adds up to six. No problems.”

“W-Wait a minute! What about me?”

“...I don’t think the inn can charge for a ghost.”

There were seven of them in the room, but only six of them needed tickets.

“Ahahahaha, th-that’s right! I’m a ghost. I completely forgot.”

“Isn’t that great, Satomi-sama? Now all of us can go.”

Ruth smiled at Koutarou, but he shook his head.

“Ruth-san, I really can’t go. You’re all young girls.”

“What does it matter? It won’t be much different from how we always are.”

“Yes, it will.”

Normally only Koutarou and Yurika slept in room 106. And since Yurika slept in the wardrobe, they practically weren’t in the same room.

“It’ll be fine, Satomi-kun. We’re just sharing a room.”

“Landlord-san, not you too!”

As the only two people with common sense were trying to convince Koutarou, he began to panic.

“Or do you think you’ll be able to do something indecent to any of us and survive, Satomi-kun?”

“Ugh...”

If Koutarou tried to pull something with Kiriha, Theia, Ruth, or Shizuka, he probably wouldn’t live to tell the tale. The ghost, Sanae, was out of the question. That left only the cosplayer, Yurika, but Koutarou didn’t want to do anything to her for several reasons. And even if he did, the other five would still beat him to a pulp.

“Th-That’s true, but...”

“See? Then it’s settled!”

Koutarou found himself unable to argue against Shizuka as she forcibly brought the discussion to a close.

“Ah, Landlord-san, wait!”

“Let’s enjoy our summer vacation at the beach and hot spring! I’m so glad I bought a new swimsuit the other day!”

Shizuka’s eyes sparkled. In her mind, she was already enjoying her summer vacation at the hot spring.

“Swimsuit? What do you mean?”

Ruth tilted her head in confusion. Kiriha began explaining while Shizuka was still in the middle of daydreaming.

“The inn is next to the beach. It’s barely a three minute walk from where we’ll be staying. It’s one of their selling points.”

“Swimming in the sea...”

Suddenly Ruth’s expression clouded over.

“What’s wrong, Ruth-san?”

“Satomi-sama... Ah, no, it’s nothing important. I just don’t have a swimsuit.”

“No problem! I have several swimsuits I’ve bought and never worn. I’ll give you those!” Shizuka piped up.

“I guess it won’t be an issue then.”

“Thank you very much, Shizuka-sama.”

With the problem solved, Ruth bowed to Shizuka. But for some reason, Ruth still looked disconcerted. Koutarou normally never picked up on such things, but this time it hit him.

I guess Ruth-san wanted her own swimsuit. She is a girl, after all...

And as an even rarer occurrence, Koutarou wanted to do something about it. He wanted to show his gratitude to Ruth, who helped him out daily. His understanding of the Forthorthe family situation also played a big part in that desire.

“Ruth-san, I’ll buy you a new swimsuit.”

With the low rent of 5,000 yen, Koutarou had some room for luxury. Buying Ruth a swimsuit wouldn’t be that big of a hit to his budget.

“Eh...”

Ruth stared at Koutarou, trying to decipher the meaning behind his words.

“I want to ogle over Ruth-san in a risqué swimsuit.”

“O-Ogle...?”

Ruth’s cheeks turned red instantly. Memories of fantasizing about kissing Koutarou at the mall came flooding back to her, and her embarrassment increased exponentially.

“What are you talking about?! Do you think you can just get away with saying something like that?”

“Of course! In fact, it’s my duty as a teenage boy!”

However, that was when Ruth noticed there was no desire in Koutarou’s eyes.

Satomi-sama... Are you saying these things on purpose, for my sake...?

As Ruth realized what was going on, her embarrassment vanished and was replaced by a feeling of happiness.

“I feel like you’ll all steal my points if I stare at you in swimsuits, but Ruth is different! I can stare at her all I want, like any normal teenage boy would!”

“U-Um... If you’re fine with my humble body...”

A little touched at the gesture, Ruth smiled. It was somewhat unusual for her, but she wanted to rely on Koutarou’s good will.

“Um... Please buy me a swimsuit...”

“Wait, whaaaaat?!”

Now Koutarou was the one who started to panic. What he’d been saying was practically sexual harassment in order to get Ruth to accept without feeling bad, but she showed no sign of disgust and simply accepted his offer.

“Heh, you have a surprisingly good side to you, Koutarou.”

“As expected from Satomi-kun, a true gentleman!”

Kiriha and Shizuka had both seen right through Koutarou. Kiriha was keenly perceptive, and Shizuka happened to remember the discussion before the lottery.

“I-I just—”

“It’s fine. We know you’re embarrassed! Ruth-san, let’s go shopping first thing tomorrow!”

“Oh, okay.”

Jeez... I’ll try to be more subtle next time...

Getting called out by Kiriha and Shizuka, Koutarou sighed internally. It was more embarrassing having been seen through.

“Ah, um...”

Then Koutarou noticed that Theia was fiddling with her fingers and staring at him.

“What is it, Tulip?”

Theia’s cheeks turned red and she barely managed to whisper, “U-Um... I don’t have... a s-swimsuit either...”

Ah, that’s right...

If Ruth didn’t have a swimsuit, of course Theia wouldn’t have one either.

“I see. That’s too bad.”

Just a few hours ago, that’s what Koutarou would have said. But now he held back.

Theia was looking at Koutarou bashfully. Noticing Theia’s behavior, Ruth looked at Koutarou expectantly too. But the killing blow was looking at the TV screen behind Theia. It was the character status menu in the game she was playing. One of the characters, “Yurika B,” had a single figure health bar and was out of mana. It was the same screen as before Koutarou and the others had gone shopping.

So Tulip hasn’t played since then...

Realizing that, Koutarou just couldn’t scorn her.

“I-In that case, if you can save Blue Knight by tomorrow, I’ll buy you one too.”

“Like a normal girl...” Ruth’s words from earlier echoed in Koutarou’s head.

“Wh-Why are you only discriminating against me?! You didn’t give Ruth a condition like that!”

“That’s because you’re always getting your way! Or are you not confident you can save Blue Knight? Hmm?”

But even so, bullying her was his way of hiding his embarrassment.

“Now you’ve done it! I’ll save Blue Knight right away and make you regret ever challenging me!”

But Theia might have been the same way. She excitedly turned back towards the TV and picked up the controller again.

Weird... Something’s wrong with me. Why did I say I’d buy Tulip a swimsuit...?

Staring at Theia’s diminutive back, Koutarou was puzzled by what just happened, but knew he needed to go through with it. That was because this was the first time Koutarou had truly seen Theia as a girl... even though he didn’t realize that.

“Satomi-sama... Your Highness...”

Watching over them, Ruth was moved to tears. If only these two really did become master and servant... Having always supported Theia, Ruth couldn’t help but hope.

“Wh-What a misshtake... Ifh I’d known it would come to thish, I woulda bought a shwimsuit.”

“...I won’t buy one for you, no matter what.”

“Auuuuugh, th-that’sh just unfair...”

“Pleb! Hurry up and get over here! Come and witness your master’s courage for yourself!”

“Just be honest and ask for help, jeez...”

Unaware of how Ruth felt, Koutarou and Theia sat themselves down in front of the TV, arguing as they continued playing the game.

“Oh, Goddess of Dawn, foundation of Forthorthe, please watch over Her Highness’s future...”

Watching over the two of them herself, Ruth was so overcome with emotion that it was all she could do for a while.

“...”

But she wasn’t the only one overwhelmed by her emotions. Sanae was equally disarmed, but for a very different reason.

Koutarou really is...

Sanae felt a great unease as she watched Koutarou, Theia, and Ruth. She felt like she had to do something, but she wasn’t sure what.

What is happening to me...?

So just like Ruth, she sat in silence as she watched over the others.