Saikyou Mahoushi no Inton Keikaku (LN) - Volume 16 - Chapter SS

Bonus Short Story

It’s Okay Even If You Can’t Do It

It was noon on an average day off. There were plenty of students in the Second Magical Institute’s girls’ dorm, even during weekends. Nobody went home for the weekend. And even if they wanted to go elsewhere, they could only go out into the city.

Since so many students were earnest, they didn’t skip out on their training. If anything, on days without lectures, droves of students headed for the training grounds. However, Tesfia and Alice properly took the day off.

They took lessons during the day and trained with Alus afterwards. With this day off, they realized how long they’d been at it.

Naturally, they didn’t forget about their mana control training. They’d wrapped it up early in the morning and were now leisurely spending time in their room.

“With the training over in the morning, are you going to do anything, Fia?” Alice, having changed into loungewear and sipping tea, asked.

Whenever they had nothing to do, they often asked each other about their plans.

“Hmm, uhm, what are you going to do?” Even after thinking, Tesfia was at a loss for a quick answer and asked Alice back.

“Since I have the time, I want to get through all of my laundry.”

“I see. Hmm, maybe I should do some housework too...”

As a woman, maybe Tesfia could do some housework on her day off...but by the time she got off her backside, she’d find that Alice had already skillfully done it all. She looked over the room and found that Alice had cleaned every nook and cranny at some point.

They shared a room, but Alice handled everything quickly. So quickly, in fact, that she was done before Tesfia even noticed.

“I feel like you’re showing me our difference in quality as women,” said Tesfia.

“If that’s what you think, you could at least clean up the pajamas you throw all over the floor,” Alice said with an elegant smile, impeccably groomed from head to toe.

Tesfia cranked her neck and found that her scattered pajamas had been left neatly folded on top of her bed. Even the bed had been made.

While she wasn’t a bride-in-training, Tesfia wouldn’t even be able to call herself a woman at this rate.

“I’ll help too! I can’t let this slide,” she said.

Alice looked at Tesfia with a soft, pitying look. “After I just cleaned?”

“Why do you make it sound like I’ll make more of a mess?”

“Because I don’t want to clean twice over. How about tomorrow? You can just start tomorrow,” offered Alice. “Those who don’t act today won’t act tomorrow, Alice. Stop getting in the way of my growth. In fact, you should teach me!”

Tesfia huffed with determination and tied up her hair. Being motivated was fine, but that kind of motivation typically led to more work for Alice. Alice’s day off was at risk of being eaten up by cleaning up after Tesfia’s secondary disaster.

“Then how about I teach you how to make tea today? Although it would probably be better if you had one of your maids teach you. But since you’re so motivated, I’ll teach you what I know.”

In the kitchen, Alice would be able to clean up quickly.

“That’s true, I should learn to make it myself at some point.” Tesfia nodded. She was nobility and part of one of Alpha’s three great noble families at that. She’d never made her own tea.

“That said, you are the daughter of the Fable family, so can’t you leave all those things to the maids?” asked Alice.

“I can’t! Al’s going to give me a hard time every time something happens! Noble or not, I should at least be able to do basic housework.”

Alice nodded in understanding. Alus’s laboratory tended to be a mess, and even with Loki there, there was no end to the cleaning. It was a mess from one end of the room to the other. When she was training, Alice would often help Loki clean up.

Tesfia would try to help as well but would quickly be pushed away.

Now it depended on what level of skill Tesfia was after. Housewife skills weren’t gained overnight. Loki had likely learned what she knew through daily work, and Alice had had to live on her own, so she’d learned out of necessity. But she’d never felt that it was hard and actually rather liked it.

“Say, Fia, how much is a noble expected to do? Just so you know, Feli is an exception,” said Alice.

If Alice didn’t press the point, Tesfia would dream of becoming the best in the Institute within a day. But since she was showing so much enthusiasm, Alice figured she could start with what she could do and work from there.

It was hard to tell if Tesfia was being serious or not as she looked off into the distance and appeared to be thinking of something.

“I don’t know. I wouldn’t say that it’s absolutely necessary, but...it’s embarrassing not being able to do anything.”

Ah, so you thought it was embarrassing, Fia, thought Alice. It had become normal for Alice to look after Tesfia since they’d started living in the dorm together, and she was spoiling her in that sense.

Alice realized that she needed to reflect on the matter. “Ah! Then how about we look at how another noble girl does it? We can look at their room and use it as reference.”

“Hmm, well fine, but whose room are we going to look at?” Tesfia frowned dubiously while Alice smiled.

“Lilisha’s!”

“Huh?” Tesfia felt something foreboding, and her frown turned deeper.

“Don’t think you Lilisha would be perfect? You’re both nobles, and you’re both girls,” said Alice.

“Fine, but I don’t think she can do anything. That kind of lady is no good. She definitely thinks that nobles don’t do chores. At least I’m trying to acquire some housework skills! My growth as a woman—no, as a person—is remarkable!”

Tesfia one-sidedly concluded that Lilisha was no good and incapable of any housework, and due to their rivalry, that’s what she wished was true.

Anyone could do a bare minimum of housework. Tesfia told herself that and put on a bold front while Alice pushed her out of the room.

“Come on. Let’s just go. Also, this is our first time meeting Lilisha on a day off, so why not take a peek,” said Alice.

A short moment later, Lilisha answered the door, peeking through the gap. “What?”

It was a natural response to rude people who came over without any warning, but at least she was in her room.

“Hello, Lilisha. Could you show us your room? We wanted to see what the room of a noble looks like,” Alice said, purposefully not mentioning how slovenly Tesfia was.

But for some reason, Tesfia took it too far. “Come on, we won’t mind no matter how dirty it is. And we can bear it, even if it stinks.”

“This girl...” said Lilisha with a sigh. “It’s fine, but there’s nothing to see in my room. Also, don’t lump me in with you!”

Lilisha invited Alice and Tesfia in with unexpected ease. And like she’d said, her room really was barren. It had the bare amount of furniture and practically nothing in the way of personal belongings.

“Just take a seat wherever you like, and just so you know, I only have tea to serve.”

“Okaaay” the two answered in sync, waiting to see what kind of skills she had.

Lilisha headed for the kitchen and returned with tea before long—or rather, abnormally quickly. When Tesfia and Alice looked into the cup they both fell silent. Lilisha had called it “tea,” but they felt it was distinctly different from the hot drink they’d imagined.

“Th-Thank you, Lilisha.” Alice took a sip...and found that it didn’t taste like anything.

Yeah, this is just water.

She glanced over at Tesfia who was dumbstruck for a moment before relief washed over her. It was a relief that this was what other noble ladies were like.

“Ahh, this calms me right down. This uselessness really lightens my heart,” said Tesfia.

It must have been like gourmet water for Tesfia to be able to drink it with such satisfaction. Alice wanted to say something about her low aspirations, but had more important things on her mind.

Are you sure you’re fine with this? Is this the kind of girliness you want...? she thought. Alice felt anguished, but she still made sure to finish what she was served.

Meanwhile, the air beside her was uneasy.

“What way of talking is that when someone went out of their way to serve you tea?! No wonder the head of the Fable family is so troubled,” said Lilisha.

“Why are you acting so high and mighty when all you did was serve water?” asked Tesfia.

“Huh? Sorry but I don’t have any tea to suit a stupid tongue.”

As the two began yet another argument, Alice stared at the bottom of her emptied cup. She could see what appeared to be remnants of tea leaves. So it hadn’t just been tap water.

“Jeez, you two are fine the way you are.” Alice felt like she’d never understand noble sensibilities. Rather, nothing really mattered anymore. “Lilisha, I’m helping myself to a refill. Also, that tea was only mostly water.”

Alice headed to the kitchen to make proper tea, but Lilisha stiffened up.

“Alice, give me some proper tea too,” Tesfia casually said.

But Lilisha shot right up and ran into the kitchen. “Sorry, Ms. Alice, but can you teach me how to make tea?”

“Hmm, well. You’re practically serving water, so okay.”

“Ah, wait up, Alice. Teach me first!” Tesfia shouted.

And so Alice taught the two of them how to make tea in Lilisha’s room. Unfortunately, the results weren’t worth the effort that Alice put in.

Both of them are supposed to be good at studying too... 

As a result, Alice’s day off ended with her being exhausted.