"But Shirone, if you’re really planning to do sothing on the island, there’s one problem."
"Huh? What problem?"
"Actually, for this vacation, I planned a paired trip."
"A paired trip? You an, guy and girl, guy and girl, like that?"
"Yeah. My partner is supposed to join here. I should have told you earlier, but I didn’t expect you to say you wanted to investigate ruins."
Shirone looked up at the dark ceiling.
A paired trip... That ant he needed a partner as well.
"Alright. I’ll bring soone."
Rian turned his head in surprise.
The Shirone he knew was a hopeless case when it ca to girls, soone who would blush just from seeing the face of the witch back ho. Finding a partner was supposed to be the biggest hurdle, so he had held back from saying anything. Yet, against all expectations, Shirone accepted without hesitation.
"Wait... Are you popular with girls?"
"Huh? No, it’s not like that. But I do have soone I can ask. Actually, I’ve been thinking about it for a while. If you hadn’t suggested it, I would have asked first."
"Oh?"
Rian’s eyes sparkled with interest.
He didn’t know what Shirone ant exactly, but it implied there was a girl he had in mind.
"Hah! Our little witch back ho is going to be disappointed."
"Reina? Why would she be?"
Of course, he liked her, but he never thought she would see him as a man.
"Heh, never mind. Anyway, now I’m really curious. Who is she? Is she pretty?"
"Yeah. She’s pretty, but... I’m not sure if she’ll co with . She might just refuse outright."
"No way. You have to bring her no matter what. Go ask her tomorrow and make sure she says yes. In the anti, I’ll head ho and get ready."
Shirone hesitated to answer.
If Rian had a partner, then he would definitely need one as well. But to be honest, he wasn’t sure about this at all.
Judging by his usual experiences, there was a very high chance he’d be turned down.
’I don’t know. I’ll just have to try.’
Worries weighed down on his mind, but at the sa ti, there was excitent.
This was his first real trip, and he was going with a friend. Not to ntion, Galliant Island was a world-famous tourist destination with a unique southern charm.
’What kind of place will it be?’
Shirone lay awake deep into the night, unable to sleep.
The next day, Shirone parted ways with Rian at the entrance to the noble district.
Since they were leaving tomorrow, he had to convince Amy today no matter what.
Not knowing his way around, he asked for directions multiple tis before finally arriving at Amy’s house.
What he found was a mansion so beautiful that it was hard to believe it had been built simply for residential convenience.
’So this is the main house of the Karmis family.’
Though he and Amy spoke casually at school, now that he was actually here, the thought of entering her ho made him nervous. The guards at the gate eyed him suspiciously, making him even more tense.
"Uh, hello?"
"What brings you here?"
The guard’s hand moved to his sword.
It was an unusual reaction, but it happened before he could even think. That was how much Shirone’s aura had grown—enough to instinctively overwhelm others.
"Is Amy here?"
The guard’s expression stiffened.
They knew Amy was admired by many young n, but it was almost unheard of for soone to co all the way to the main house.
"May I ask who you are?"
"My na is Shirone. I’m a friend of Amy’s from the magic academy."
The unsure guard glanced at his superior, who looked unimpressed.
’Hah, a friend, huh?’
It was rare, but in his twenty years at the Karmis estate, this wasn’t the first ti.
’Sigh, it starts again the mont vacation begins.’
Still, there were no orders forbidding outsiders from visiting, so he had to report it.
"Go check."
At his superior’s nod, the guard rode off toward the mansion.
Shirone waited anxiously.
anwhile, the superior kept glancing at him.
Handso and with a decent personality, he seed fine enough, but there was no way he’d be allowed inside.
So many had been turned away before. Even a distant royal relative had once left without seeing Amy’s face.
A few minutes later, the guard returned in a hurry.
The superior could tell the outco just from his dumbfounded face.
This was when gatekeepers had it the hardest.
If a noble got angry, there was no choice but to take the slap and endure it.
To protect his subordinate, the superior made up an excuse.
"So? I heard there’s sothing urgent that needs to be handled today?"
"Uh... She said to bring him inside."
"Hmm, I see. Of course, she must be— Wait, what?!"
The superior blinked, certain he had misheard.
The reporting guard looked equally bewildered.
"Um, Lady Amy asked for him to be brought in."
"Oh, so she’s ho. That’s a relief."
Shirone sighed in relief.
If Amy had been out, there would’ve been no way for a commoner like him to wait inside.
Monts later, a carriage arrived at the gate.
An elderly man with a gentle deanor stepped down, leaning on a cane.
The guards imdiately straightened up. It was Adel, the Karmis family’s chief steward.
Shirone turned to the guards. "Can I go in now?"
"Ah, yes! Welco to the Karmis estate!"
The superior hastily saluted, though he still didn’t understand what was happening.
Granting entry was one thing, but for Adel himself to co out to greet him?
The chief steward only t guests of political importance.
’Who is this kid? If he’s Amy’s friend, he can’t be Lord Karmis’ guest... Is there so special event today? No, I haven’t heard anything.’
Adel approached Shirone with a kind smile. For soone who managed such a grand estate, he carried a surprisingly warm deanor.
"Welco to the Karmis residence. I am Adel, the chief steward."
"Hello. I’m Shirone."
"I see. Forgive for asking, but before I escort you inside, I need to confirm sothing."
"Ah, what is it?"
"I must verify your identity. Are you truly Shirone?"
"...What?"
"Lady Amy gave a specific order. If it’s Shirone, bring him inside. I interpret that as: Only Shirone may enter. Therefore, you must provide proof that you are indeed Shirone."
"Uh... I am Shirone, but how exactly am I supposed to prove that?"
Adel’s gentle expression remained, but a strange pressure weighed on Shirone.
His breath shortened. His heart pounded.
’This... This is so kind of technique.’
The guards watched sympathetically.
Adel’s infamous "Pressing" had begun.
Reviews
All reviews (0)