Ch.106[Chapter 106] ??? VS Hime

Sir Dominic silently looked at Unryu Hime.

In truth, Sir Dominic had experienced this kind of situation a few times before.

To begin with, the knight profession belonged to the top 10% of high-level personnel.

Depending on the circumstances, it was a profession that came with money and honor.

Perhaps because of this, various women of different positions would approach promising knights.

But was the knight profession really full of dreams and romance?

Those who realized the reality of knighthood would quickly flash an awkward smile and run away.

Being a knight is a poor profession.

Some lucky ones gain wealth and honor, but they’re an extremely small minority.

Most knights had to spend more money on food and equipment maintenance than they earned.

Knights who also had horses needed to pay for hay, horse maintenance, and daily wages for stable hands.

It’s no wonder most mounted knights came from noble backgrounds.

Sir Dominic continued to stare at Hime.

[“Wait, had? Why is it past tense?”]

Dominica’s question could be heard through the receiver.

Sir Dominica was dying to see the situation Sir Dominic was currently in.

And something happened that would drive Sir Dominica even crazier.

“…I’ll withdraw this time, Sir Dominic.”

“Huh? Oh. That’s right. Today I just came to say hello.”

Hime realized Sir Dominic was looking at her, but she didn’t show it.

She wanted to say something to Sir Dominic, but suddenly remembered how he had thrown himself to save Alice.

Of course, this was a bug-like play caused by the game system, but Hime, already trapped in her own world, didn’t even think to question it.

“Let’s go, Brigadier General Joseph.”

“Yes. Oh, see you next time, Sir Dominic!”

He thought he heard a stomping sound.

Since Hime was a kunoichi, her footsteps wouldn’t be audible, so it must have been Brigadier General Joseph’s footsteps.

[“What? Tell me why it’s past tense before you go!”]

Sir Dominica shouted through the receiver like someone overly invested in a drama.

“What on earth is going on?”

Alice ran toward Sir Dominic, who was standing in a daze.

“I’m not sure…”

Sir Dominic was able to break free from his train of thought at Alice’s question.

Sir Dominic gazed once more in the direction where Hime had disappeared, then turned around.

There were still a few matters that needed to be handled.

“So.”

Sir Dominic picked up the receiver.

“What were you saying about Lord Tsuki?”

Sir Dominic turned the tables and asked Sir Dominica about what he had been curious about all along.

After all, Sir Dominic was also someone who couldn’t resist his curiosity.

…

Bar Old World Blues.

Since it was a bar the bartender ran as a hobby, there were usually few customers, but today a new guest had arrived.

Or rather, should we say guests?

The genius scientist Dr. Banshee sat directly in front of the bartender, sipping strawberry milk placed on a teddy bear coaster as always.

And she kept glancing at the two women who had newly arrived.

The two women were wearing black military uniforms, one with rabbit ears and the other with fox ears.

Were they beast-people? I heard beast-people are trendy these days.

Remi, Sir Dominic’s younger sister—not Dr. Banshee—had these idle thoughts as she sucked on the straw stuck in her strawberry milk.

As you might have guessed, the two women in military uniforms were none other than Unryu Hime and Brigadier General Joseph.

Several dozen minutes earlier, after leaving Sir Dominic’s house, Hime and Brigadier General Joseph walked down the street.

The secret society John Shepherd Expedition was so poor that they could only offer a homemade chocolate cookie and a banana milk to new recruits, so while Brigadier General Joseph had her reasons, Hime was simply walking because she felt like it.

Hime’s mind was in a very complicated state right now.

Should I have a drink? Hime thought.

Whenever her father had something to think about, he would have a strong drink.

Since her father was a wise man, there must have been a reason for that behavior.

With that thought, Hime suddenly spotted a bar that caught her eye and went in.

That was why the two of them were here at Bar Old World Blues.

Hime kept downing strong drinks in the most secluded corner of the bar.

The taste didn’t matter. She just wanted to get drunk.

“You know, Brigadier General Joseph.”

“Yes.”

Brigadier General Joseph, who couldn’t handle alcohol at all and was picking out only the sausages from the stir-fried sausage and vegetables, looked up at Hime with a start, as if caught doing something wrong.

“What is love?”

Hime’s face was already flushed red.

It wasn’t from embarrassment.

She was drunk.

“Love, huh.”

Joseph just added a perfunctory response to Hime’s words.

What was the point of giving advice to a drunk person?

This was one of life’s wisdoms she had learned while serving her superior.

After all, what a drunk person wants is agreement, not advice.

And as if that prediction had hit the mark, Hime continued.

“My father said that love must be won. That one must be like a fox.”

“But then someone else says all men are wolves, and some people say you should think seriously about dating…”

Hime hiccupped.

“Love is so difficult. I’ve tried to be a fox to win it, I’ve seriously thought about dating… But in the end, I have nothing to show for it.”

Hime thought of Sir Dominic.

Was this feeling really love?

Or was it just fondness for him?

If it was neither, then what exactly was this feeling?

What if this was love?

What if she had approached him sooner?

What if she had confessed sooner?

Would she still feel this heartache?

Hime began to sink deeper into the lake of her thoughts.

The strong alcohol made her senses dull and hazy, making her mind foggy.

Hime picked up her chopsticks and took a bite of the stir-fried sausage and vegetables.

Since Joseph had already eaten all the sausages, only vegetables remained.

“Maybe… for Sir Dominic, I was like the vegetables in this stir-fried sausage and vegetables dish? Nice to have, but not necessary—”

She’s drunk, Joseph thought with a deep sigh.

Hime was now so drunk that she was exhibiting the typical drunk person’s disconnect between thoughts and speech.

“Excuse me.”

It was then.

A woman with incredibly fluffy, long hair approached their table.

Her hair was so fluffy that Joseph was startled, momentarily mistaking her for a walking sheep.

“I heard you talking about someone I know.”

“Someone you know? …Oh. You mean Sir Dominic?”

Remi nodded.

“Come to think of it, you’re that person from before, aren’t you?”

Remi looked at Hime.

She remembered meeting her during the parallel world event.

“Sir Dominic is an idiot…”

Hime was now completely drunk and just rambling.

This won’t lead to any meaningful conversation. Remi sighed.

Instead of trying to engage in dialogue, Remi decided to just say what she came to say.

“You know, there’s one thing… no, with what you just said, two things wrong with your statement.”

Remi held up two fingers toward Hime and continued.

“One is that if stir-fried sausage and vegetables didn’t have vegetables, it would just be stir-fried sausages—”

This was an important point.

The name proudly includes ‘vegetables,’ doesn’t it?

Saying they’re dispensable was flawed logic.

“And my brother is not an idiot.”

Remi said, stuffing both hands into her gown pockets.

I see. Calling him ‘brother’ means she can’t tolerate family insults? Brigadier General Joseph’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Remi.

The fact that Sir Dominic had family was not well-known.

And that family member has great affection for her brother?

This information might be useful for the story someday.

Of course, this information would never be used.

“He’s not an idiot. He’s a seriously severe idiot.”

Brigadier General Joseph thought, “That’s more like it,” after hearing Remi’s next words.

Just ordinary siblings to anyone’s eyes.

Something between siblings… yes. She felt embarrassed for thinking there might be something more.

Of course, Brigadier General Joseph didn’t hear Remi quietly add, “But that’s why I like him.”

“That’s right.”

Hime grinned sloppily.

“A seriously severe idiot. It sounds childish somehow, but I like it.”

Hime pictured Sir Dominic’s face in her mind.

And in her imagination, she wrote “idiot” on Sir Dominic’s forehead, wrote “dummy” on his eyepatch, and started scribbling all over.

It was all imagination, but for Hime, this action was her struggle to forget Sir Dominic.

Perhaps Hime was still in love with Sir Dominic.

“A… seriously… severe… idiot…”

There was a thud as something hit the table.

Hime had completely passed out and her head hit the desk.

Remi was startled by Hime’s sudden collapse and looked at Brigadier General Joseph.

Brigadier General Joseph shrugged and prepared to leave.

The secret society was already poor, and Joseph had no money.

With the thought that Hime would manage somehow, Brigadier General Joseph disappeared outside.

Remi sat back down in front of the bartender and started sipping the rest of her strawberry milk—

While Hime remained with her head on the table, snoring loudly with her cheek pressed against the surface.