Counting changed to December 31st.

Cathia’s Arc: 15 => 14 Chapters left (This Arc and next Arc)

Mile’s turn.  39 chapters (This Arc and next Arc)

Taru: 5 chapters

Arge: 30 Chapters (2 Arcs)

Mira: 5 chapters

For Reader who has fallen to the Dark Site.

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Cathia Chapter 5-5: Flowers dedicated to the night sky

 

 

As usual, we let the monster-specialized collectors handle the collection of the Earth-Dragon.
In the end, we were able to return to Cyrus before the evening.

 

『Well then, what would you do after this?』(Lior?)

『The Requiem Festival is tomorrow night, isn’t it? Until then, I think it’s okay to act freely… What will you do? 』(Cathia)

『Ah, I want to buy my art supplies』(Fina)

『I’ll come to the information department. I should report as soon as possible』(Niel)

『I’ll meet an old acquaintance… how about you, Cathia?』(Lior)

 

Do all three of them have errands?
Only one person will be free.

 

『I don’t have anything to do』(Cathia)

『I will ask you to report to Rumia then. She is someone who confirmed directly』(Lior)

『I understand』(Cathia)

 

Then, to the magical school.
It’s a path I’ve taken once so I won’t get lost.

 

 

******************************

 

 

『Cathia?』(Rumia)

 

When I knocked and entered the director’s office, Rumia-san responded without raising her face.
She is writing on paper.
She looks busy.

 

『The earth dragon subjugation was done without any problem』(Cathia)

『Umu. Thank you on behalf of the city people. What’s about the others?』(Rumia)

『Everyone seems to have errands.』(Cathia)

『Is that so…? Does that mean you are free?』(Rumia)

 

Finally, Rumia-san raised her face.
Her line of sight is looking straight at me.

 

『Yes, I don’t have anything to do』(Cathia)

『Then help me with my work! I’m counting on you!』(Rumia)

『Eh? Yes? But my magical knowledge level low, you know? 』(Cathia)

 

What Rumia-san puts together is a new theory of magic involving spirits.
I don’t think I can help with it.

 

『No need for knowledge. You can do simple chores such as collecting documents! I’m busy and this pile of documents is going to fall at this rate!』(Rumia)

『What’s about the other staff members…?』(Cathia)

『Everyone has to get involved in demonstration experiments… there’s not enough manpower! No good, Cathia?』(Rumia)

 

…Is there any reason to refuse her?
I feel bad when she asked so far.

 

『No, it ’s okay. As you can see, I have free time』(Cathia)

『I owe you once!
Start working now. Keep the documents over there in numerical order.
There is a number in the upper right corner.
Can you read the numbers?』(Rumia)

『I can read and write without any problem, it’s okay』(Cathia)

 

The literacy rate in this country is around 60%.
Anyone can learn if they are interested.

 

『I’m counting on you』(Rumia)

 

That said, I start focusing on a bunch of documents.
After that, I helped until night and went back to the inn.
I was asked to help the next day as well, so I went straight to the director’s office early in the morning.

 

『Mumu… Magical efficiency depends on the location, not just the environment… The number of spirits…』(Rumia)

 

She is writing while whispering.
Did she keep working from yesterday?
Rumia-san said that she wanted to finish her work by the night of the requiem.

She compiles documents and reads out the reported data.

 

『Correlation between the number of spirits and the magic power poured, yes, something like this…』(Rumia)

『Uhm, Rumia-san? 』(Cathia)

 

Both her hands and mouth stopped.
I wonder what happens?

 

『What’s this………………..?! Why did I have such a thought……….?!』(Rumia)

(T.N: imaging you spend an all-night and when you are about to finish, you spot a wrong code)

 

Eh!?

 

『Even though I know it still works…!
Somehow it’s still usable!
Something might come out… but…!
OH, GEEEEEEEZZ…!』(Rumia)

『Wait, Rumia-san, calm down! The documents are flying!』(Cathia)

『Zee, zee… Cathia… Let’s take a break for now…』(Rumia)

『Ye… yes. I’ll be brewing tea now』(Cathia)

 

Then I went out of the director’s office.

I was surprised.
Rumia-san was the type that frustrated…
I need something to calm her down.
The room with hot water is… nearby, over there.

As I went inside, there was a teapot, a kettle and a pot of water in the bowl.
The tea leaves are… these are dry herbs.

 

『I wonder if I can brew herbal tea deliciously』(Cathia)

 

Pour water into the kettle and place it on the fire magic.
Ignite and wait for boiling.

After it boiled, I poured it in a teapot and warm the pot.
When the temperature is appropriate, throw away the hot water inside.

And the dry herbs … Is this Elder-flower?
Put an appropriate amount in the pot tea strainer.

Boiled again, then pour unboiled hot water in.
Wait for 3 minutes to complete.

 

『 Sorry to keep you waiting. (Omatase~ shimashita~)』(Cathia)

『Muh, it’s a good scent…』(Rumia)

 

A refreshing fragrance similar to “Muscat” drifts in the room.

 

『here you go』(Cathia)

『Fuu~… zuzu~…, delicious! It has a different scent from the ones brewed by our staff. Waa~, I calm down』(Rumia)

『The village near my hometown is the herb producing area… I often brewed for Grandfather.
Ah, by the way, this herb gets sweet when it cools and you can enjoy it twice』(Cathia)

『Mu…, is that so… OH!』(Rumia)

『How is it?』(Cathia)

『Umu! It’s interesting because it’s different in one way. But when I relax, I have the shoulder pain…』(Rumia)

 

Rumia-san moves her shoulders slowly and stretches.

 

『Are you stiff? Do you want to have some massage?』(Cathia)

『Mu? Did you do it to Tim too?』(Rumia)

『Yes, that’s right. What do you do?』(Cathia)

『Okay, I’m counting on you』(Rumia)

 

Rumia-san’s shoulder was “Punipuni” (squishy)
Her body is really of a little girl, her stiff shoulders should be healed soon.

So, don’t touch/press too hard, loosen with moderate force to improve blood circulation.

 

『Ah, it feels so good… I’m getting sleepy…』(Rumia)

 

Half of her body is losing power.
She is going to sleep.

 

『It’s okay to sleep. I wake you up in about an hour』(Cathia)

『~nmu… but there’s still work…』(Rumia)

『If you don’t take a reasonable break, your efficiency will decline, you know… Rumia-san?』(Cathia)

『……』(Rumia)

 

Oh, she fell asleep.
What should I do?

Uwa, her body is light.
Well then, should I get her a pillow… hm?

When I tried to get up, my clothes are being pulled by something.
When I looked closely…

『Rumia-san’s hand …』(Cathia)

 

She grabbed the edge of my clothes, held on it, and didn’t let go.
When I tried to remove it gently.

 

『Naa! …… Mu ……』(Rumia)

 

She was upset… like a child!
No, she might look like that but this person is 80 years old…

Well, it can not be helped.

 

『Heave-ho (Yoisho~ tto~)』(Cathia)

 

I put Rumia-san’s head on my thigh.
I never thought I would be on the side of a lap pillow…
I have a relatively well-trained thigh, but isn’t this hard?

 

『Suu~…』(Rumia)

 

She got deep sleep.
Apparently, it looks like she likes it.
It’s a relief.

However, she is a strange person.
She has both the aspect of a loli and the thought, knowledge of an elder.

Well, I don’t even know if I’m a man or a woman myself, so what can I say.

 

『…Okaa-san (mother)…』(Rumia)

 

Sleep talking…
…No, wait a moment.

I’m not that old!
Chest! Is it about my breasts?
Is my motherhood overflowing!?

 

『…Otou-san (Father)?……』(Rumia)

 

Why is that questionable?
Rumia-san knows that my content is a man.
But calling me Otou-san (Father) is… No, but… no.

Well.
It can’t be helped when she is sleep-talking.

 

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After a while, Rumia-san woke up shortly before an hour passed.
She woke up with a hazy face, and finally woke up after looking around.

 

『Nuo! What time is it now?』(Rumia)

『Good morning Rumia-san. It’s less than an hour after sleeping.』(Cathia)

『Mu… sorry for the bother. Are your feet numb?』(Rumia)

『No, it’s okay.
Because you slept silently and drooling』(Cathia)

『What!?
Don’t say it. Absolutely don’t tell anyone!
If they know about this, I will lose all respect from other magic officiers』(Rumia)

『Eh, are you “free”? Do you want to report to the information department?』(Cathia)

『Idiot (Baka~ tare~!)! Were you listening to what I just said!?』(Rumia)

 

Iyaa (how nice). Her sleeping face was cute.
I enjoyed it.
If you don’t think about age, she is just a beautiful elf loli.

After that, Rumia-san, whose head was refreshed, desperately wrote the documents.

 

 

『We are on time!』(Rumia)

 

We managed to get to the venue at the fireworks launch time.
It’s already night.
Rumia-san guided me to the so-called Noble seat.
It’s the best position to see fireworks just before the river.

 

『The three of you, so you already came?』(Rumia)

 

Lior-san, Neil-san, and Fina-san had already arrived.

 

『It was hard because Lior-san got lost soon…』(Fina)

『Ain’t it fine because I arrived properly… No, I was bad. Sorry』(Lior)

 

This place is different, but if you look around, the place crowded with people.
Ryol-san is easy to find because he is so tall that he is difficult to blend in.

 

『Since we knew the place in advance, I guess we would meet up eventually. Did you both work to the last minute? 』(Fina)

 

I took a glance at Rumia-san.
Her face naturally meltdown with a sense of accomplishment at work.

 

『Yes, we have managed to finish it』(Cathia)

『Umu-umu, I guess I wouldn’t be in time without Cathia』(Rumia)

『Oh, did both of you get along suddenly? 』(Fina)

 

Fina-san tilts her head.
Surely we might get closer after staying together for a day and a little.

 

『Haha… to be more clear, it was the “scene of carnage”…』(Lior)

『It’s like you’ve overcome the dead area together.』(Niel)

(T.N: Battle maniacs)

 

It was a tremendous amount of work.
I was so tired but it was not as much as Rumia-san.

Five of us line up and sit on the bank where the grass is carefully cut.

 

『It’s unusual. For Rumia to get along with you so quickly. As expected, you are really strang』(Lior)

 

An unexpected word from Ryol-san.
I didn’t feel like that.

 

『No, I feel relaxed if I stay with her. I can’t take my eyes off her』(Rumia)

 

Rumia-san starts focusing her eyes up on me. (Rumia is shorter = loli)
… Why did you start at me so much?

 

『Ah, I understand you. Somehow staying beside Cathia-chan will calm you down』(Fina)

『Cathia-san’s morality』(Niel)

『That killing blow from before… Somehow my body is getting tingling every time I think about it』(Lior)

『Kukuku… I react the same as when I was praised by Tim』(Rumia)

 

No, just forgive me already.

 

『Oh, it ’s started』(Fina)

 

The tip of the firework pointed by Fina-san rises while leaving a single trace.

 

Don! Para~para~para~ (Firework SFX)

 

Large flowers bloom in the night sky and disappear while scattering many petals.
It’s different from what I thought.
It’s a very familiar thing that isn’t flashy with the magic of this world.
The fireworks were exactly the same as my previous world’s fireworks.
The scenery in memory overlaps with the fireworks you are seeing.

 

『Are you crying?』(Rumia)

『–Eh?』(Cathia)

 

Unexpectedly, Rumia-san tells me so.
Certainly, my cheeks are wet …
Fina-san and others aren’t aware.
They focus on fireworks.

 

『 Does it look similar? Fireworks in the world where you were』(Rumia)

『……』(Cathia)

 

There have been many times I recalled my previous life.

However, the reflection of memory with vision is stronger than I thought.
The scene comes out clearly.
Fireworks I saw with my family, the fireworks I saw with my friends, and fireworks I went to see many times because I was persistently invited by my cousin.
The memories of those who can’t meet anymore will disappear as the fireworks rise.
It blooms and scatters.

 

『In this world, unnatural technological innovations sometimes occur… these fireworks may have been left by a stranger like you』(Rumia)

 

Have these people returned to their world?
Or did they end here without being able to return?
How did they feel in this world if they couldn’t go home?

 

『I understand how the feeling of being left behind is. Many people have seen it over and over again, and I’m sure it will continue to be so. Well then…』(Rumia)

 

Rumia-san gently wipes the tears in my eyes.
A soft, delicate hand, but it’s a small hand with many scratches.

 

『The side that left and the side was left behind are both lonely…』(Rumia)

 

The fireworks that night blurred with tears and didn’t look good.

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