"...So your place was a standalone house, huh?"
After carrying the luggage to Miranda's place, I was a bit surprised by the size of the estate.
While most students studying in the Academy City lived in apartments, she owned an entire house.
It wasn't out of the question for the children of wealthy nobles, but that was only a select few.
Miranda gave a wry smile and spoke with a hint of embarrassment.
"I am the eldest daughter, after all. I'm not much use to the family, but you know — appearances? That's why they bought a house like this. I wonder if they'll sell it to someone by the time I graduate?"
They probably couldn't very well have the eldest daughter of House Cerclie studying in the Academy City while living in an apartment.
The Fifth Generation spoke after hearing that.
"Reputation matters, I suppose. Actually, since they'll just sell it later anyway, maybe there's no point worrying about it? More importantly, Lyle — how are the Skills responding?"
Prompted by the cautious Fifth Generation, I quietly activated my Skills.
The Sixth Generation's Skills judged Miranda to be an ally.
Allies appeared in blue.
Neutral people — those with no particular feelings either way — showed up in yellow.
Those with hostile intent or Monsters were displayed in red.
Miranda didn't seem to harbor any hostility.
(Was I overthinking it?)
As I was thinking that, the Fifth Generation spoke up.
"Don't let your guard down. There might be a reason the servants keep quitting... Come on, let's get inside."
Clutching our luggage, I followed Miranda as she entered the estate first.
A single-family house with a yard, the building itself two stories tall.
Even from outside, you could tell there were plenty of rooms.
"It must be quite spacious for living alone."
When I said that, Miranda's expression clouded over for just a moment.
*(What's that about?)*
But she quickly put on a smile and shook her head.
"I have a younger sister. There are four of us sisters, but the youngest… her eyesight is poor. That's why I came here — I want to get her eyes healed."
Miranda had come to this academic city for her sister's sake.
It sounded like a heartwarming story, but the ancestors' reactions were the worst.
The Second Generation said:
"Nah, no way. An eldest daughter can't be doing stuff like that. And she's robed nobility, right? Normally she'd be married off."
The Third Generation was the same.
"Nice story and all, but I think she's putting her effort in the wrong place."
The Fourth Generation, choosing his words carefully:
"She seems like a good girl, but the parents who allowed this are the ones to blame. She's the precious eldest daughter, you know? She's pretty and pleasant — marry her off to a family that needs the connection."
The Fifth Generation was cold.
"The youngest sister's eyes are bad? Isn't this just sending her away from the family? The eldest daughter only followed along to look after her, and she's just spinning some convenient excuse. Well, she might genuinely believe it, though."
The Sixth Generation:
"…Well, it's a fine thing that she cares about her sister. Sisters getting along is a good sign."
Recalling that awkward exchange from before, I wondered if the Sixth Generation had been through various things between siblings himself.
Sympathizing, I listen to the Seventh Generation's opinion.
"It's not uncommon to distance oneself from a problematic child. In my time, there were various things behind tales of confinement or mysterious illnesses. Even a straightforward illness could spawn strange rumors, you know."
What a dry family.
I even feel a touch of admiration.
(What a good person this is.)
The dynamic of an older sister striving for her sake is a far cry from the relationship I have with my sister, Ceres.
(I'm a little envious. I could've used a sister like that. If I had one, things might've been... no, probably wouldn't have changed. It would just mean one more person turning cold.)
A monster who warps her very environment.
Even parents who were kind at first eventually stopped looking at me entirely.
"That's a nice story. I could've used a sister like that."
As I praise her, Miranda looks at me with interest.
"Oh! Could you be aiming for me already? Well, I'm not so sure I'm that great a sister, though. What about your siblings, Lyle?"
Wondering if my expression is adequately composed, I give a simple explanation.
"I have... one younger sister."
I can't tell if she's listening with understanding or just listening.
I can't judge, but my Skills show Miranda is still displayed in blue.
"Sisters are wonderful, aren't they! And they're cute!"
"Y-Yes."
Forcing myself to go along with the conversation, Miranda seemed to notice something and abruptly ended the topic.
Perhaps she saw through me.
I headed to the kitchen with her and set the ingredients we'd bought on the table.
Having looked around the manor up to this point, it was clearly well-maintained.
Aside from handrails installed everywhere, it was an ordinary manor.
"I heard there are no servants, but it's very clean."
"Ahaha... Well, it's only been two days since they quit."
Apparently, once those two days passed, things inevitably started piling up.
Buried under academy classes and assignments, housework inevitably fell by the wayside.
I had been thinking about asking why they left, but it felt too insensitive, so I held back.
"Still, with a place this big, cleaning must be quite a handful."
The house I'd previously lived in back in Darion had been kept spotless by Novem.
I hadn't really noticed it back then, but once Aria started living there, it suddenly became apparent just how much of a burden cleaning was.
Marveling at how amazing Novem was, I looked at this manor — more than twice the size of that one — with just two girls living in it.
I honestly thought it must be tough.
"Tell me about it. I only learned the bare basics of housework, so..."
Miranda seemed to be struggling with it too.
Just then —
"Big sister, do we have a guest?"
When I turned around, a young girl was standing there. She clung to the doorframe as she stood, and there was something off about her — her gaze was directed our way, yet at the same time it wasn't.
The Third Generation spoke up.
"That must be the youngest sister who can't see, right?"
She was still small, with pale purple hair. The waves in it reminded me of Miranda.
Her golden eyes were looking our way, but I couldn't tell if she was actually seeing — her gaze didn't seem to focus on anything. When she started groping her way toward us, Miranda rushed over in a panic.
"Shannon! I told you to stay in your room!"
"I'm sorry, big sister... But more importantly, we have a guest, don't we? Is it a man?"
Whether she'd picked it up from the conversation or simply from the atmosphere, she'd guessed right.
I decided to introduce myself. Partly to test Miranda, I gave both my first and last name.
I used my Skills to sense whether the other party held any hostility.
(How's it looking? Are they wary?)
"Nice to meet you, young lady. I'm Lyle Walt, a friend of Aria's. I just dropped by today while I was delivering some luggage."
I said that and, for good measure, flashed a smile.
The Fifth Generation and the Sixth Generation both reacted upon seeing the girl standing before us — Shannon Cerclie.
*"There she is again, quite the..."*
*"Blood will tell, as they say."*
I found it curious, but since I couldn't very well ask them to elaborate, I simply observed the two of them.
Shannon had been looking at me, and for just that moment, I somehow felt as though I was truly being seen.
"...Is that so. Thank you very much, Lyle. My name is Shannon Cerclie. I'm Miranda's younger sister. I'm sorry — my eyes don't work well, so I'm afraid this is all I can manage..."
As Shannon lowered her gaze, Miranda spoke up to her.
"I-It's fine, Shannon! Lyle doesn't mind about things like that."
She looked over at me as she said it, so I nodded.
"...Thank you very much."
I turned to her with a smile.
For just an instant, Shannon’s blue status display flickered from yellow to red before immediately turning blue again.
Miranda remained unchanged.
It was Shannon who had reacted to hearing the surname Walt.
While I was getting tea in the kitchen, Miranda returned after taking Shannon to her room, and I was able to ask her about Aramsass.
Mostly, she told me about the academy.
As a current student, she had a lot of interest in various things, and I got different information than what Clara had provided.
"The Seven Worthies of the academy? Are they really amazing people?"
When I asked about the "Seven Worthies of the academy," Miranda started giggling.
The term had come up in our earlier conversation, so I was curious, but apparently, they weren’t the kind of people I had imagined.
"They’re certainly amazing, but they’re not the kind of people you’re thinking of. They’re called the Seven Worthies in the sense of being the most outrageous troublemakers since the academy’s founding. Some have already passed away, and now there are only about three of them left? Some have retired, and only two remain at the academy."
It seemed they called the seven people who had made names for themselves as problem children since the academy started the Seven Worthies.
"So they’re just troublemakers?"
When I said that, Miranda said, "But you know."
"They’re genuinely brilliant. Maybe the academy had trouble with them *because* they were so brilliant. Many are first-rate as magic users, and their achievements are incredible… but, well, they were all rather, shall we say, unconventional?"
I supposed they were what you’d call geniuses.
People with different values from others, the type who weren’t easily understood.
"What were they like?"
"The one I know about is **Damian Vale**, who became a professor at a young age. The other one is now on the academic city’s council, so I’ve never even met them. Damian Vale… they call him ‘Damian the Puppeteer.’"
If he even had a title like "the Puppeteer," he might really have been something special.
I listened to the tale of this man.
"He's an oddball, but apparently quite brilliant. He supposedly created a unique magic called a 'Golem.' The Skill itself is apparently used to control that Golem, but in any case, he's incredibly dedicated to his research. He's a professor, so technically he's on the teaching side, but that didn't stop him from throwing himself into his work, and he apparently received disciplinary action from above multiple times for it. He's still giving lectures now, but he's famously known for showing zero motivation."
What a character.
Too competent to fire, yet a real headache.
"Wouldn't it be fine if he were just a regular researcher?"
"…When you become a professor, the research funding changes. That's probably why he aimed for the position… but his research is a bit extreme, so he can't exactly step down either. There's also the concern that he wouldn't get any budget otherwise."
What kind of research is he doing?
That's when I noticed a slight blush on Miranda's cheeks as she explained.
"Well… do you know what an automaton is? It's not something made with a Mana Tool, but rather a humanoid creation made using ancient technology — and it seems he intends to recreate one."
"He's not making it with Mana Tools? That's unusual these days… When I hear automaton, I'm thinking of a doll that moves on its own? Like with a wind-up key?"
What I pictured was a toy wound up with a key.
But Miranda said that wasn't quite right.
"That's where it gets a bit… well, it's the reason he's called a pervert, but what he wants to create is apparently a human being itself. According to him, he wants to 'create his ideal woman.'"
Even I was genuinely surprised by that.
I thought it was awfully honest of him to pursue his own desires, but maybe for a guy, it could be a dream come true.
However—
(Well, I have Novem, so I'm good.)
"He really is something else. Doesn't anyone around him try to stop him?"
"An automaton made with ancient technology, you know? The academic city seems to expect significant benefits if he succeeds in recreating one. Besides, he really is a genius, and the general consensus is that if even he can't do it, nobody else stands a chance. His passion is on another level. Everyone says he didn't earn his place among the Seven Worthies for nothing."
I understood well enough that he was someone I'd rather not get involved with.
"Still, when it comes to whether he'll actually succeed, even the higher-ups seem unable to make a call. That's probably why they let him keep his professor title without funding his research. Even without the passion, there are plenty of mages who want to learn Damian's magic, so he's actually quite popular."
(Alright, I'm definitely not taking on that man's request.)
I glanced at the clock in the room — it was already quite late. I shouldn't overstay my welcome, so I decided to head home.
"I've kept you long enough. I'll take my leave now."
"Oh, it's already this late? Sorry about that. It's been a while since I've had a conversation like this."
Miranda, who juggled attending the academy with looking after her sister and handling the housework at home.
It must be genuinely tough for her.
I wondered whether she couldn't bring servants from her family home, but it wasn't my place to ask, so I kept that thought to myself.
Still, I was a little concerned about Shannon, who had shown hostility toward me for just a moment.
When I stood up to leave with Miranda, she suddenly wore an expression as if something had just occurred to her.
"That's right!"
"…What is it?"
When I returned to the inn, I talked with Novem and Aria, who had gone around visiting real estate agents.
We decided to exchange stories about our day before settling in for a relaxing evening after dinner.
I told the two of them about Miranda's proposal.
"…Are you serious?"
Aria's expression was grave.
"I think doing as Lyle Walt wishes is for the best."
Seeing Novem smiling away, I remembered having lunch with Clara earlier.
(Damn it! It's all because the Fourth Generation said something like that — now I can't stop thinking about it.)
I wondered what Novem would think if she found out I had been having a meal with a girl.
I vaguely steered the conversation away from that topic and instead talked about the adventurer scene around here, based on what I'd heard from Miranda.
And the last topic that came up was—
"Miranda was dead serious. She said it'd be a relief if we were around. She's anxious about having only her little sister with her, and besides, if Aria came along, she'd already know Shannon and all that."
The proposal was this: if I hadn't found a place to live in Aramsass yet, would I like to come stay at the mansion?
Personally, I wondered whether it was really okay for a man like me to live there.
Still, even if the area was relatively safe, there were still dangers.
Having an extra pair of male hands around would be convenient for all sorts of things, Miranda had said.
What concerned me was Shannon's reaction, but the ones who supported the proposal were the Fifth Generation and the Sixth Generation.
Everyone else was against it.
After discussing it back and forth, things settled on leaving the decision to Novem and Aria.
"I'm a bit skeptical about it, honestly. It was Miranda and Shannon, right? Having a man like me move in feels off. But the rent would be cleaning and laundry for the mansion — basically, doing housework. Apparently I wouldn't even need to worry about it when I'm busy with work."
Being able to live in the mansion just by doing housework was a pretty sweet deal.
There seemed to be a room available too, and the only real expense would be food, I figured? Miranda had even offered to cover that, but I'd feel bad taking things that far.
Aria looked bewildered.
"Two of them? What happened to the servants!"
"I don't know. I mean, could I even ask? Like, 'Why did they quit?' She mentioned that quite a few had left, so I'm guessing there's some kind of problem, but…"
Looking at Miranda, she didn't exactly seem like someone with a problem.
But the one I was worried about was Shannon.
(…I'd like to think it's nothing, but)
Then Aria began to voice her approval.
"I-I'm in favor, I think. We'd save money..."
At Aria's sudden change of attitude, the Second Generation clicked his tongue in irritation.
*"She actually flipped on us."*
The Third Generation was laughing.
*"The Second Generation really does hate Aria, huh? Personally, I'm against it, but it seems like the Fifth and Sixth Generations have their own thoughts on this, so I think going along with the proposal wouldn't be the worst idea. Well, it's really up to Lyle."*
The Fourth Generation asked.
*"Third Generation, you'd be happy just as long as you can go to the library, wouldn't you?"*
The Fifth Generation spoke.
*"I'd like to see Lyle take Miranda's proposal, if possible. To me, those people are descendants too. And let me make one thing clear — they're your descendants as well."*
This time, the Seventh Generation was blunt.
*"She's a daughter of another house. You call them descendants and so on... Well, back in my day the families did maintain ties with one another, so I suppose it's better than nothing?"*
The Sixth Generation addressed me directly.
*"Lyle, I know there are some issues with my opinion, but I'd like you to accept this proposal. It doesn't look like House Walt has things under control, and there are things I'm curious about too."*
Things they're curious about — the Fifth and Sixth Generations still won't elaborate on that.
The fact remained, though, that moving into an estate rather than continuing to live at this inn would be a financial relief.
"What about Novem?"
When I asked, Novem considered for a moment before answering.
"You mean Miranda. Her sister is with her too, and she has vision difficulties... I should look into that. Understood. I'll try living together with them and make my judgment from there."
Something about Novem's response just didn't sit right with me.
"So what exactly are you going to judge?"
"Huh? Well, it's about whether they'd be suitable for Lord Lyle's harem plan, isn't it? You seem to have a thing for large chests, after all."
Aria reacted to Novem's misunderstanding.
Come to think of it, I only just found out I was being perceived as a fan of big breasts.
"You! You were still thinking about that, even after all this?! You said it had nothing to do with you, that you weren't interested!"
I hurried to clear up the misunderstanding.
Novem watched us with a quiet giggle, her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.
"No, that's not it! That is absolutely not it! Besides, Miranda was the one who proposed all of this, not me! Novem, say something, will you?!"
Novem tilted her head, pressing a hand to her cheek as she spoke.
"Hmm, yes. Based on my assessment, I'd say she passes. Congratulations, Lord Lyle."
I grabbed my head with both hands and screamed.
"IT'S NOT LIKE THAAT!!"
The Fourth Generation murmured in a low voice.
*'Novem-chan… you actually knew all along, didn't you?'*
I didn't want to believe that Novem was secretly a devious person, so I was reluctant to agree with the Fourth Generation's comment.
Novem is a good girl. She has to be!