Tensei Shite Inaka de Slowlife wo Okuritai - Chapter 567

Plan collapses

"Ahh, lounging around is the best. I don't want to take another step out of my room."

　If you go out for half a day, it's best to spend the remaining half day relaxing at home.

　Today I won't wander around the mansion any more, I'll have dinner here, and end the day by just lounging around.

　As I was tossing and turning in bed, making the perfect plan in my mind, I sensed two presences coming from the hallway.

"...Hmm? I sense the presence of Nord-tousan and Elna-kaaan."

　The familiar sound of footsteps, the rhythm of walking. I've heard it so many times that there's no mistaking it.

　It seems that the two presences are heading towards my room.

　There's no good reason for those two to show up together.

　I erased the traces of the bed and quietly slipped under it.

　Just as I stood there, having quietly disappeared, there was a knock on the door.

"Al, can I have a moment?"

"…………"

　Nord-tousan calls out to me, but of course it's not a good idea so I don't even reply.

"That's strange, isn't it? Usually I get some kind of stupid response like, 'No, it's not good.'"

"I agree"

　Please don't call my son's answer stupid.

　Even so, as expected of Mother Elna, she knows exactly what I would say.

　But I'm not going to be lenient this time.

　If you can't even find the person to talk to, then all your pointless business becomes pointless.

　I'll just hide like this until my business is over.

　I've decided not to take a single step out of this room today. If I decide not to take a step out, then I won't.

　With firm resolve, he decides to go undercover.

"...Maybe he's not there?"

　Nord-tousan let out that comment after there was no response to the knock.

"Maybe they're playing in Lady Lana's room or taking a walk around the grounds."

"No, I can assure you that's not the case."

"Why?"

"She's been out since the morning. Al is exhausted and has probably made plans to just laze around in his room for the rest of the day."

　She is tracing my thoughts perfectly. Mother Elna is scary.

"Is that so?"

"That's just the way she is."

　He has mixed feelings about treating people like that, but since that's the way it is, he can't say a word.

"That's why she should be in her room, so I'll go look for her."

　Along with Elna-kaaan's voice, the sound of the door opening was heard.

　While Nord-tousan stopped and looked around the room, Elna-kaaman headed towards the bed without any hesitation.

　It seems he is assuming his son's living area to be his bed.

　That's true, but I wish they would take into consideration the possibility that they might be sitting on a sofa or a chair.

　I hear the sound of Elna's mother flipping over the futon.

"...The futon is warm. He's definitely lurking nearby."

　Damn, normally I would use ice magic to erase the traces of body heat, but the opponent is Elna's mother. She can sense even the most minute magical powers, so there's no way to erase them with magic.

"Then let's search every corner of the room."

"It's okay. I just need to find something easier."

　I thought she would find it by intuition like Eleonora-san, but it seems Elna-kaasan has a secret plan.

　...What is it?

　I'm curious, but I can't stick my head out from under the bed. All I can do is stay still.

"Slime?"

"This is a slime that Al has been feeding and raising with great care. If Al is nearby, it will instinctively move towards its owner."

　Elna-kaasan said as she placed the slime on the floor.

　Suddenly, the slime seemed to notice me and started wriggling its amorphous body over to me.

　Idiot, don't come here.

　I move my hands as if to tell it to go away, but slimes do not have the intelligence to understand human will.

　As the slime crawls under the bed, Elna's mother peeks out.

"i got you"

"Wow, I was found."

"Hide and seek is over."

"……yes"

　I can't resist the smiling face of Elna-san.

　If I cause him any more trouble, he'll end up getting upset.

"Why were you hiding?"

　As I crawled out from under the bed, Nord-tousan asked me.

"Because I sensed some kind of trouble."

"That's very sharp. Just as I expected from my son."

"Elna, that's not something to be impressed with."

"So, what are you doing here at this time?"

"Al, you'll be joining the Misfeeds for dinner tonight."

"Huh? Why?"

　When a noble is staying with another family, it is customary for everyone to eat a meal together on the day of the introduction and when they are leaving. So I was surprised because I thought the next time we would all eat together would be just before we left.

"It seems that my eldest son, Lord Gideon, has finished his research at the academy."

　For a moment, I wondered if the Miss Feed family had an eldest son, but then I remembered meeting him briefly the night before yesterday.

"In other words, a dinner party for Gideon-sama, who I haven't met yet..."

"That's what it comes down to."

　In that case, it would have been fine for just Gideon to be present, but having a conversation with just the four of us about an arrogant man who seemed interested only in magic would have been hellish, so it would certainly have been easier if the whole family was there.

"Well, let's move to the dining room."

"That's it."

　It seems the ultimate lazy plan I had come up with quickly fell apart.