Ch.4545. Yes, It’s All True.

“Ha, ha. Hahaha… HAHAHA!! That’s your answer?”

“Yeah, why? I’m serious.”

“You’re saying that what you just said is truly sincere?”

“Look me straight in the eyes. Do I look like I’m lying?”

True to her words, there wasn’t a hint of deception in her eyes or expression.

Hah, I was expecting at least an answer like ‘for Arin’s sake.’

Ha, haah.

“So that’s your answer? You captured Ellis for that reason?”

“Well, it was necessary. Now that it’s over, I’ll send her back to her original school.”

When Blanc mentioned sending her back to school, Ellis looked at me with disapproval.

Then, she spoke to Blanc.

“No! Please don’t separate me from Vine! Even though I just heard that answer… Vine is my only family… Please don’t separate us…”

“Ellis…?”

“Vine, you don’t want to be separated from me either, right?”

“Of course not. But… wouldn’t it be better than getting involved with magical girls in a place like this? If the Association allows it, I can go visit you there.”

“No, I don’t want that… I don’t want to be separated from you anymore. That day, when I left headquarters, I was so scared, so terrified. Afraid I’d never see you again. You know? I’ve been enduring all this time, having given up. I thought living a new life, repaying your sacrifice, was all I could do. But now that I’ve seen with my own eyes that you’re alive… how can I leave? I can’t. Okay? Lady Blanc, please. Please?”

“Haah… really… what are we going to do then?”

“As long as I can be by your side, I’d be happy even as a magical girl’s slave.”

“Ellis, really… haah… Blanc, would you please help me just this once?”

“It’s been a long time since you asked for my help, Vine.”

“Haha… I’m sorry to ask this right after hearing what you just said…”

“Well, we have plenty of empty rooms. It’s fine. But there shouldn’t be anyone who would object to me letting you in, right?”

Upon hearing Blanc’s positive response, Ellis finally seemed relieved and hugged me happily.

Of course, there was one person who couldn’t just stand by watching this scene.

While I was struggling to breathe from Ellis’s sudden embrace, patting her back and surrendering, Arin quietly expressed her opposition.

“I object! How can you let such a villain into a magical girl dormitory? Who knows what terrible things she might do to our Vine! She might have other secrets! With those secrets, she could…”

“No, I won’t do anything like that! I’ve already given everything to Lady Blanc! If I misbehave, I’m already a dead person, easier to kill than those mayflies flying around, so why would I? And why would I do anything that would separate me from Vine? As long as Vine is by my side, I’d be happy even locked up in Marina!”

“How can I believe what you say!”

Haha… they’re quite noisy, more than I expected.

I can feel their fight intensifying as they both emit magical power from their bodies.

That magical power fills the entire room, then rushes over me…

“Cough, cough! Kheuk, kheum… both of you, calm down…”

“Ah, Vine!”

“Vine unnie!”

My body is already weakened, and receiving such emotionally charged magical power is a bit tough…

“Please… calm down. Arin. Ellis, calm down too. Okay?”

“Vine unnie… why have you become so weak…”

“Haha… I guess this is what happens when you lie down for too long. Now, have you calmed down?”

“Yes… b-but, we don’t know what that strange woman might do…”

“Haha… I’ve known Ellis for a long time. And that contract magic Blanc holds is more potent than you think, Arin. Did you know that when such a contract is made with a monster, one can know all of the monster’s thoughts?”

“What…?”

“So, if Blanc wanted to, she could know every corner of our poor Ellis’s mind. Even her subconscious.”

After telling Arin this, Blanc looked at me with a surprised expression and asked.

“T-that function exists too?”

“It’s contract magic, isn’t it? Haah, I’ve just barely come to terms with entrusting Ellis to you, and you’re telling me you didn’t know that?”

“No, how do you know about that…?”

“If you focus along the connected threads of magic, you should be able to hear… haah, can’t you just release her?”

“Release her… hmm… let’s wait and see. Unlike you, Vine, I can’t trust Ellis yet.”

“What?”

“I tried that mind-reading thing you just told me about.”

Ellis rushes toward Blanc, trying to stop her from speaking.

What kind of thoughts could she have had that would make her rush at Blanc like that?

“Ellis was thinking about you, Vine… mmph! Mmph!”

“Lady Blanc, I’m sorry! Please don’t say it! Forgive my rudeness! Please, this can’t happen! I’ll stop you even if it costs me my life!”

“Mmph! Ellis! Get off!”

“Y-yes, ma’am!”

Ellis backed away, following Blanc’s command.

As expected, the contract magic…

“So the contract magic really works… So why did you say you can’t release her?”

“Well, Ellis’s inner thoughts are quite lewd.”

“Lewd?”

“You see…”

“No! Please! Please, Lady Blanc! I’ll do anything you ask! Anything at all, just please don’t tell Vine about that…!”

Hmm, what could it be that Ellis is so desperate to hide?

“Blanc, won’t you tell me? Seeing Ellis’s reaction makes me even more curious.”

“You might be shocked. It was a bit shocking to me.”

“Perhaps she was planning to escape from this magical girl den with me?”

“Hmm, no… it was something more instinctual. With you and…”

“No! Please!! Stop!! Kyaaak!!!”

Ow… my ears…

“Ellis, what were you thinking to react like this…”

“Absolutely not! If you hear it, Vine, you’ll definitely hate me. So no!”

“Haah… Blanc, is it really that serious?”

“Hmm, no? I don’t think so…”

“Then why… is Ellis screaming so desperately…”

“She was just thinking about you. With some… lewd content too. Well.”

“Ah, I see.”

I glared at Ellis, who was looking at me, and continued speaking to Blanc.

Ellis was already prostrate on the floor in despair with just that small bit of truth.

It seems she was having thoughts more lewd than I imagined.

Look at her checking my reaction while I glare at her.

Hah, she’s always been good at sensing gazes.

She’s really good at reading the room.

The way she keeps glancing at me is really…

She has the same expression as when she was caught doing something wrong in the past, before getting scolded.

“Hmm, in that case, it’s better for you to keep holding her leash…”

She needs a bit of scolding to come to her senses.

“Eh? Eh? Vine? Weren’t you on my side…?”

“I am on your side. I want you to be happier.”

“Right? So we don’t need this inhumane and coercive contract, right?”

“For that, we need a safety measure, don’t we?”

“No no no no no Vine let’s think about this we really…”

“Ellis, shush.”

Blanc used the contract magic’s command authority to quiet Ellis.

Yes, perhaps it’s better for Ellis to stay like this for her own safety.

Rather, if it’s for protecting Ellis, if the person holding the leash is Blanc.

“Blanc, can you please take good care of that contract magic leash?”

Yes, if it’s Blanc.

Well, yes. If Blanc trusts me.

I should trust Blanc too.

What I’m entrusting is the life of my precious person, everything, but still.

Well, haha… it’s strange that I can’t trust Blanc.

I’m already having a lot of influence on her.

And she’s having a lot of influence on me too.

Besides, she went to great lengths to find the well-hidden Ellis just to wake me up.

And that answer from earlier.

That alone gives me enough reason to trust her.

Haha… yes. That’s right.

I’m just a defeated villain.

Yet a magical girl trusts me.

Haha…

“Blanc, please take good care of Ellis.”

“W-wait. Vine! You’re really…!”

“Ellis. If you want to be with me, you’ll have to get along with the magical girls we live with, right?”

“Vine…”

“And… hmm, Blanc. What kind of work should Ellis do?”

“That’s for you to decide, as her senior.”

“Oh, so Ellis is being employed too?”

“For now, that’s how it should be. Well, officially she’ll be contracting with the Association.”

“The Association…? I don’t remember making any contract with the Association…”

“Well, there are various circumstances.”

Hearing this conversation, Ellis asked me.

“Employment…? Vine, what does that mean?”

“Oh right. I forgot to tell you even though I said I would. I’m currently working and living at a magical girl dormitory.”

“…What?”

Yes, this is the reaction I expected.

I’m glad I could create such a stunned reaction from Ellis.

“I’m living with magical girls.”

“W-wait. Living together?”

“Yes, helping them with various things.”

“Helping magical girls…? Really? Magical girls? Why?”

“Well, it’s a really long story. I’ll tell you later. Like at headquarters.”

“Ah, right…! N-no! What are you saying!”

“The Arin here, Blanc, the redhead… we all live together.”

“No, wait, is everything I’m hearing true? You’re not still sick, are you? Let me check… no fever, and your magical power is somewhat…”

“Ellis.”

“It’s all true.”