Ch.112[Chapter 112] Epilogue VS Epilogue

“…and that’s what happened.”

Sir Dominic picked up his phone and explained the day’s events to the person on the other end.

[“Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness! This is 100% a sign she likes you!”]

On the other end of the line, Sir Dominica was making a fuss.

[“Do you have clothes ready to wear when you go out? Makeup? An eyepatch to wear at the crucial moment?”]

Sir Dominica continued bombarding Sir Dominic with questions.

She was chattering so much that Sir Dominic was getting tired of it.

“What is there to prepare? I’ll just go out as usual—”

[Oh, for heaven’s sake. Do you know nothing about a woman’s heart?]

Sir Dominic thought it was about time to cut off this talkative version of himself.

At this rate, he would be exhausted before even meeting Hime tomorrow.

Sir Dominic cleverly turned the tables by asking Sir Dominica a question.

“Didn’t something happen between you and Lord Tsuki as well?”

Sir Dominic’s masterstroke was based on his guess that if he had received an apology from Hime, Sir Dominica must have received one from Tsuki.

And the strike seemed to hit home, as Sir Dominica suddenly fell silent.

“Perhaps… did she come to apologize?”

Sir Dominic asked again.

There was a gasp from the other end of the line, followed by Sir Dominica’s awkward voice.

[“Well. I. Wonder. About. That?”]

“I knew it.”

Sir Dominic was convinced by Sir Dominica’s reaction.

Being another version of himself, Sir Dominic knew that Sir Dominica’s reactions would be identical to his own.

Sir Dominica seemed to realize this too and let out a deep sigh.

[“A woman’s heart is truly unfathomable.”]

Sir Dominica blurted out something absurd.

She was a woman herself, so why on earth would she say she couldn’t understand a woman’s heart?

Nevertheless, Sir Dominic held his breath and listened attentively to Sir Dominica.

If he interrupted now, he might never hear the rest—that’s what he thought.

[“Tsuki came to apologize. Well, there was an incident where she fainted at the sight of a cowboy hat, but she managed to complete her apology without much trouble.”]

After saying this, Sir Dominica was silent for a moment before asking Sir Dominic in a genuinely confused tone.

[“Say, Sir Dominic. Is it natural for women to touch each other all over?”]

“Why are you asking me that?”

Sir Dominic made a bewildered face.

[“Well, according to Tsuki, this level of skinship is normal, but I don’t know if that’s really true.”]

Why on earth are you asking me this? Sir Dominic thought.

[“Do… women… touch each other’s breasts and such?”]

Sir Dominic smacked his forehead at this outrageous conversation.

Did Sir Dominica not understand boundaries?

As a knight devoted to chivalry, Sir Dominic found this sexual conversation quite distasteful.

But in truth, it wasn’t unreasonable for Sir Dominica to think this way.

She was a knight, but before that, she had been a battle nun—a nun’s body.

The regulations of the convent, which emphasized purity, were beyond strict and harsh regarding lust. Having been accustomed to such regulations since childhood, Sir Dominica thought that physical contact was only for carrying enemies on her back or grabbing someone by the collar to punch them between the eyes.

There had been those who looked at her lustfully on the battlefield, but such contact was of the unpleasant kind, and she had crushed them with force, making affectionate skinship even more awkward for her.

Sir Dominic pondered for a moment.

Should he give her some advice on this matter, even if it was inadequate, or should he just let it go?

This was a serious matter for Sir Dominica, and Sir Dominic’s chivalry urged him not to withhold advice from her.

In the end, choosing duty over dismissal, Sir Dominic spoke.

“Well. It might have been when I was very young, but if you look at the example of Lucy from the mill, they even got into fistfights. That’s how she became friends with the village chief’s daughter, Beth.”

A surprisingly solid piece of advice!

Sir Dominica nodded at his counsel.

[“I see. So there are various forms of skinship.”]

“Are you still feeling awkward about it?”

Sir Dominica was silent on the other end of the line.

It wasn’t that she had nothing to say, but that she needed time to think.

[“I think so. Maybe Tsuki was just trying too hard to get close to me?”]

Sir Dominica’s mind became clear.

Yes. Tsuki must be trying to become friends with her again.

That’s why she attempted skinship.

Sir Dominica found Tsuki’s efforts admirable.

They had once had a misunderstanding that strained their relationship, but what older sister wouldn’t like a younger sister who was being so affectionate?

[“Next time she comes, I should eat with her and spar a bit. That would make us closer, right?”]

Sir Dominica brought out all the methods of becoming friends that she knew.

Of course, the problem was that all these methods were based on convent and knightly standards, but Sir Dominic didn’t stop her.

That’s because Sir Dominic, as a knight, also believed that was how people became friends.

[“Good. Now that my concern is resolved, let’s move on to another agenda. Let’s exchange information. What do you think?”]

“Hmm.”

Sir Dominic inwardly sighed with relief.

Fortunately, Sir Dominica seemed to have forgotten about teasing Sir Dominic, having resolved her own concerns.

“First, here—”

Late at night.

Thus, the information exchange between Sir Dominic and Sir Dominica continued.

…

On a night with a full moon, at Himetotzsaigo Castle.

“Sigh…”

For some reason, Hime couldn’t sleep and was taking a walk between the castle walls and the top of the skyscraper.

Stopping to rest on top of a flagpole, Hime looked up at the moon in the sky.

“A date…”

Yes.

Hime was thinking about tomorrow’s date with Sir Dominic.

A mysterious feeling filled her heart, making it flutter with each breath.

Of course, the “date” was Hime’s misunderstanding, but in truth, anyone would mistake it for a date.

The moon shone brightly in the center of the sky.

…

In the underground secret laboratory of the Black Company.

There was someone else who couldn’t sleep here too.

“…Was it a mistake for me to help?”

Dr. Banshee… no, Sir Dominic’s younger sister Remi, was biting her nails as she asked Code Back Zero.

“The probability of what you’re thinking is extremely low, Doctor. So it would be better if you calmed—”

“Reason says that.”

Remi interrupted Zero.

“But when it comes to emotions, it’s a different story. It’s like winning on the first try despite low odds, or failing repeatedly despite high odds until you succeed after doing something special.”

Remi’s words were disjointed, but she was explaining a kind of superstition.

Superstitions like rubbing a picture of someone special before enhancing equipment for better results, or playing a specific song at a specific timing for better gacha pulls.

“My brother is a klutz. And not just any klutz, but one who causes incidents. We can tell that from the information we have so far.”

Even without knowing the records from Feralant, considering the number of incidents Sir Dominic had caused in Gachaland, Remi’s words were close to the truth.

“And that woman called Hime. Now that I think about it…”

Remi shuddered.

As if sensing something ominous, she began biting her nails more vigorously and turned to Zero.

“She smells similar to my brother.”

“Correction requested. Sir Dominic and Miss Hime smell completely different.”

“No, not that smell. More like… the atmosphere.”

Remi thought about Hime.

Even accounting for her drunkenness, there was an overall clumsy impression.

It was a slightly different feeling from Sir Dominic, but definitely an atmosphere that seemed likely to bring about incidents.

Most people think that when inadequate people get together, they complement each other.

However, Remi was analyzing with the internal conviction that when a klutz meets another klutz, they create synergy.

Something will definitely happen tomorrow.

This analysis was the opposite of the thorough rationality she usually prided herself on.

Perhaps that’s why?

Remi looked at Zero and said:

“I’m going to follow my brother tomorrow. Let’s get ready.”

“Is that really necessary, Doctor?”

The android Zero objected to Remi’s words.

It wasn’t for ethical or other reasons.

“I’m on vacation tomorrow, Doctor.”

“Ah.”

That’s right.

In Gachaland, even androids get vacations.

The doctor let out a foolish sigh.

“I have no choice. I’ll have to go alone.”

Having decided this, Remi’s expression changed to a ghostly one as she began to formulate a plan.

This ghostly behavior was why she was called Dr. Banshee.

Watching her, android Zero tilted his head.

For some reason, Dr. Banshee’s atmosphere resembled that of her brother, Sir Dominic.

…

Finally, here was one more person who couldn’t sleep.

“Ugh. My goodness. What if she asks me to pay for what she ate because I left first…”

A member of the secret society John Shepherd Expedition, Brigadier General Joseph, was wandering the streets with his hands in his pockets.

The reason was clear.

Yesterday, he had left Hime alone at the bar and even fled without paying.

Showing some conscience, at least.

It was then that Brigadier General Joseph turned into an alley leading to the secret society’s hideout.

“Huh?”

Brigadier General Joseph felt an inexplicable chill in the alley.

“What on earth is happening…?”

Though fear rose in him in the dark alley, Brigadier General Joseph couldn’t contain his curiosity and slowly approached where the chill was coming from.

And Brigadier General Joseph saw the identity of something in the alley.

A scream echoed through the alley.