Several days had passed since the incident with Lisa. Nozomu had returned to an everyday life that had not changed at all, yet he still had no clear answer regarding what had happened that day at Bull Head Inn.
Even so, even if Nozomu himself remained standing still, time continued to move forward without any regard for him, and he had no choice but to return to his daily routine. In a certain sense that might have been a good thing. Amid the noise of everyday life, both Nozomu and Lisa were able to distract themselves at least a little from the problems they carried.
It was lunch break in the academy's courtyard. There, Nozomu and Mars were eating the lunches they had bought from the school store while talking about Somia's birthday party that was already right around the corner.
"Still, today is Somia-chan's birthday, huh. From what Irisdina-san said, the party is supposed to be after school."
"Y-yeah. Seems that way…"
But something about Mars seemed off. He had been strangely restless since morning. During the morning classes he had even been called out several times by the teacher giving the lecture.
"…? What's wrong with you? You're acting weird."
"I-it's fine. I-I'll be back to normal by after school…"
"Is that so? Well, if you say so. Come to think of it, what about Ena-chan? It feels a little bad for just us to go to the party…"
"I-it'll be fine. Sh-she wasn't invited in the first place. It would be bad for someone who wasn't invited to just show up…"
"Yeah, you're right…"
What Mars said was correct. Ena had not been invited to the party, so it was normal for her not to attend, but Nozomu still found the strangely tense Mars concerning. He would learn the reason for that after school, when they went to Irisdina-san's house to attend the party.
The northern district of Arcazam. This was where the political institutions of the academy city existed and where the city's political administration was carried out. At the same time, the residences of the people who performed that administration were also built in this district, and among them stood the mansion of the Francilt family. Yet its size was incomparable to the other mansions built in the district. Its grounds were more than twice as large as those of the other residences, and a fence more than three times a person's height surrounded the property. The mansion itself was also large enough that the residents of a small village could probably stay overnight without issue. Incidentally, the master of this mansion was apparently Irisdina, the next head of the Francilt family. The mansion itself had been constructed when her enrollment at Solminati Academy was decided. Preparing an entire mansion for a daughter's move was something ordinary people could never even imagine.
After classes ended, Nozomu and the others arrived in front of the main gate of Irisdina's mansion, which was serving as the party venue, but they were simply overwhelmed by its sheer size.
"......It's huge."
"...Yeah."
"...…This is the place, right?"
"...Yeah."
"It really is a big mansion. Big brother, please don't do anything weird again."
Standing before a luxurious mansion that ordinary people would never have any connection to, Nozomu and Mars were staring blankly, but a familiar voice from nearby brought them back to reality.
"…By the way, Mars. Didn't you say Ena-chan wasn't participating?"
"Ugh!"
Standing beside Nozomu and the others was Ena, who was not supposed to be participating in the party. When Nozomu directed his question at Mars, Mars looked away awkwardly. Perhaps unable to bear watching her older brother any longer, Ena began explaining the situation.
"Please don't misunderstand, Nozomu-san. I didn't come here to participate in the party."
"Eh, then what for?"
"To apologize to the person my big brother got involved with the other day. I can't trust him to do it alone…"
Apparently Ena had come along so Mars could apologize to Tima-san, the person he had gotten involved with previously. Mars himself was holding his head in his hands. That must have been the reason his behavior had been strange at school.
"Mars… you…"
Nozomu let out a voice that mixed exasperation. Having his little sister come along as an escort for an apology was pathetic beyond words.
"That's not it! What are you thinking! She just followed me on her own!!"
"What are you talking about! If it was just you, you'd say something weird again and make things worse!"
"Give it a rest already! Are you my mother or something!!"
"H-hey, both of you…"
The siblings were bickering as usual. Naturally the two of them were drawing the attention of the people passing by. Nozomu was, to put it bluntly, embarrassed. He called out to them several times, but the two themselves were absorbed in their verbal battle and did not notice. Raising their voices in front of such a large mansion was of course going to stand out, but Nozomu already understood that stopping this sibling fight was impossible, so he ignored the two of them and started walking toward the gate.
When Nozomu approached the gate it opened, and a maid who appeared to work at this mansion emerged from inside.
"Excuse me. We would prefer that you not make a disturbance in front of this mansion."
"Ah, I'm sorry. We were invited to Somia-cha… Somiliana-san's birthday party today."
"You are… the guests?"
The maid looked at Nozomu and the others with clear suspicion. They were wearing the Solminati Academy uniform, but because of the disturbance still happening behind them, they looked thoroughly suspicious in the maid's eyes. Incidentally, the reason they were in uniform was that neither Nozomu nor Mars owned any formal clothes suitable for attending the birthday party of a young lady from a distinguished family, even if it was only among close people.
"…I am terribly sorry, but I cannot allow suspicious individuals like yourselves into the mansion— 'Yo, Nozomu-kun, you came.' O-ojou-sama!!"
From behind the maid who had been gently trying to send Nozomu and the others away appeared the host of the party, Irisdina. Behind her was her close friend Tima as well.
"They are my friends. It's fine to let them through. I'll guide them myself, so please return to your duties."
"Y-yes."
"Ah, thank you, Irisdina-san."
The maid left in a flustered manner, and Nozomu, who had thought they were about to be turned away, felt relieved.
"Fufu, I can't very well turn away the guests we ourselves invited at the front gate. …By the way, how long are those two going to keep at it?"
Wearing a smile that captivated everyone on her refined face, Irisdina answered Nozomu. Yet she still seemed concerned about the siblings behind them. The two were still continuing their argument without noticing this side at all. They had not even noticed that a crowd of people had gathered around them.
"Those two are… Heeey!! We're going inside already! How long are you going to keep that up!!"
""...Eh?""
When Nozomu raised his voice and called them, it finally reached them this time. The two let out foolish sounds and looked this way, then finally seemed to realize their own disgraceful behavior and hurriedly came over.
"Nozomu! If you noticed, you should've said something!"
"That's right, Nozomu-san! That was so embarrassing!"
"......Ehh."
Faced with such unreasonable complaints, Nozomu could only hold his head. Irisdina and the others watched the three of them with amused expressions.
"Fufufu. You look like you're having fun. But Nozomu-kun, if you don't mind, could you introduce that girl?"
Irisdina's gaze was directed at Ena, who was standing beside Nozomu and the others.
"Ah, come to think of it, this is the first time you've met Ena-chan."
"Well then. You may have heard already, but I'm Irisdina Francilt. Nice to meet you."
"Y-yes! I-I'm Ena Dickens."
Pressed by Irisdina's atmosphere, Ena introduced herself in a tense manner. Next, Tima, who had been standing behind Irisdina, also introduced herself.
"Fufu, Tima Lime. Nice to meet you, Ena-chan."
"A-ah, so you are Tima-san. I am terribly sorry for the trouble my foolish older brother caused you the other day."
When Ena realized that the person in front of her was the one Mars had gotten involved with, she bowed her head deeply in apology. Tima looked a little taken aback by that.
"I-it's fine. You don't need to worry about it…"
"No, I really can't just leave it at that… More importantly, big brother, you apologize too! You're the one who was in the wrong to begin with!!"
"I already told you! Are you my mother or something! You're making it harder for me to talk!"
"What! You wouldn't be able to apologize properly if it was just you! That's exactly why we should apologize first!"
"That's what I'm saying is extra!! It's having the opposite effect!!"
"H-hold on, both of you! Fighting at someone's house, and during a birthday party no less, is a bad idea!!"
"Pfft, ahahahahaha."
Nozomu somehow managed to stop the two who were about to start fighting again, but he was surprised by Irisdina's laughter as she watched them. The Irisdina Nozomu had seen until now had always been dignified and unwavering, yet that transcendent atmosphere had made her feel somehow like a different kind of human from them. But the girl laughing in front of him now had none of that transcendence. She was simply a girl of the same age as them.
Seeing Irisdina like that, Mars and Ena forgot the argument they had just been having and stared blankly, while Tima behind them also looked at the black-haired girl in surprise.
"Fufu, sorry. You two get along so well. …That's right. Ena-chan, was it? If you'd like, would you join my little sister's party?"
"Eh. B-but… I've never attended a party at a place like this, and besides…"
Ena was quite hesitant. She had originally come only as an escort for her older brother, so she seemed to feel conflicted about participating in the party as is. But Irisdina did not seem to mind and said it was fine.
"There's no need to be so formal. This is a party only among family and close people, so it's informal. Besides, I think my little sister will be happier with more people."
"Well… since the host is saying so, I think it's fine."
"…Understood. If I won't be in the way, please allow me to participate."
Nozomu agreed with her opinion as well, so Ena apparently decided it would be bad to keep refusing and chose to participate.
When they arrived at the party venue there were various people, but most of them seemed to be people who worked at this mansion. The party itself appeared to be a standing buffet style. Various dishes were lined up on the tables in the venue, and it was clear at a glance that each one had been carefully prepared by a chef. The guest of honor, Somia, was in the center, surrounded by children of the same age wearing Ecross uniforms. They were probably her classmates from school.
When Irisdina went to Somia's side, Somia noticed her older sister and dove into her chest. Irisdina gently caught the diving Somia.
An older sister lifting her little sister with a smile like a goddess, and a little sister clinging to her older sister with a full, beaming smile. The scene was so gentle that natural smiles appeared on the faces of the people around them as well, and the party venue was wrapped in a warm atmosphere.
"Thank you for coming to celebrate the birthday of my precious little sister. Today I want everyone to forget their usual duties and sense of propriety and thoroughly enjoy themselves."
With Irisdina's greeting the party began, and everyone started enjoying themselves as they pleased.
Nozomu had been savoring the food together with Mars and the others while watching the state of the venue. Crowds had formed around Irisdina, Somia, and Tima, and everyone was talking happily.
Somia had been talking with her classmates, but when she noticed Nozomu and the others she waved her hand widely and came over.
"Good evening! Nozomu-san."
"Good evening, Somia-chan. Happy birthday."
"Yo."
"Thank you very much. Thank you for coming today!"
Somia answered energetically. She seemed truly happy, even more full of energy than usual.
"Nozomu-san. Who is that person over there?"
Somia directed her gaze at Ena, who was standing next to Mars, and asked.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Ena, the younger sister of Mars Dickens. Today I received an invitation from Irisdina-san and was allowed to participate. It's a pleasure to meet you, Somiliana-san."
"Ah, Somia is fine. I'd be happier if you called me that too, so please don't worry about it!"
"Got it. Nice to meet you, Somia-chan."
"Yes!"
After that the two began talking about that with smiles. From the introductions and the way they were acting now, they seemed to be getting along quite well. What the two were talking about right now was their older siblings. Perhaps because both of them had older family members, the conversation was lively. Ena was talking about how much trouble her older brother had caused her, while Somia was covering for the thoroughly insulted Mars. Mars protested against his little sister who was thoroughly putting him down, and his sister talked back. Just as another major verbal battle was about to begin, Somia stepped in to stop them, and Tima, who had come over after hearing the disturbance, joined in as well.
Nozomu was watching that scene from a short distance away when Irisdina approached him.
"Yo, Nozomu-kun. Are you enjoying yourself?"
"Yes, opportunities like this don't come often. More importantly, is it okay not to stop that?"
"It's fine. Mars-kun and the others seem to be like that all the time, and Somia looks like she's enjoying it. Tima seems to be having a bit of a hard time, but it's fine once in a while."
She was watching the disturbance with an amused chuckle. That appearance was age-appropriate, different from the dignified figure she showed at the academy, yet it was a smile that was very captivating.
"Kh!"
"…? Is something wrong?"
"N-no. It's nothing!"
"…Is that so?"
Nozomu felt embarrassed at having been watching her smile like that and ended up looking away. Irisdina pressed closer to the strangely acting Nozomu, which only made Nozomu's heart race even more.
"Come to think of it, I haven't thanked you yet."
"Thanked me?"
Nozomu tilted his head at Irisdina's words. He could not understand why she would be thanking him.
"Our mother passed away giving birth to Somia. That's why I tried to become a mother to Somia… but as expected, she still longs for her real mother, and whenever her birthday approached she would look a little sad."
At her monologue Nozomu also listened seriously to her story. He had not known that their mother had passed away.
"But this time it's different. I think it's thanks to meeting all of you. Even at the mansion Somia often talked about you. She said she met a strange older brother."
"Is… that so."
When he looked toward Somia, she was flusteredly trying to stop the fighting Mars and Ena. It looked difficult, but there was no unpleasant atmosphere about it, and it was somehow heartwarming.
"Please stop already! Onee-sama! Nozomu-san! Stop acting all warm and fuzzy over there and do something about this!!"
At Somia's voice Nozomu and Irisdina exchanged glances and chuckled.
"Well then. Our princess is calling, so shall we go?"
"Yes, for now I'll stop Mars."
The two nodded at each other and ran into the disturbance.
At the main gate of the Francilt residence, an elderly gentleman in a butler's uniform stood. When he rang the gate's doorbell, the maid who had earlier admonished Nozomu and the others appeared.
"Yes, who is it?"
"I apologize for the late hour. I have business with the master of this mansion. Would it be possible to request an audience?"
"I am sorry. Today a party is being held to celebrate the birthday of the master's younger sister, so no one can be received. If you have business, I will convey it to the master later, so would you please forgive us?"
The master of this mansion was Irisdina. Looking at the elderly gentleman, the maid noted that his appearance was proper and his speech was polite, yet something felt off. She tried asking about the matter, but the elderly gentleman said it had to be spoken of in person and would not yield at all.
The elderly gentleman repeatedly asked the maid to allow him to meet the master of the mansion, but the maid continued to gently refuse, saying it was the master's order.
"Fuu, it cannot be helped…"
Eventually the elderly gentleman sighed, straightened the collar of his butler's uniform, and snapped the fingers of his right hand. At that moment strength suddenly left the maid's body and she collapsed on the spot.
"I apologize. This too is by order of my master."
The elderly gentleman caught the collapsing maid, gently leaned her back against the gate, then quickly traced his right fingers through the air. In that instant a massive magic circle appeared at the elderly gentleman's feet, and enormous magical power enveloped the entire mansion.
Enjoyable time passed, and the party itself came to an end, so the people who had participated either headed home or began cleaning up the venue. However, Nozomu and the others still remained in the venue, waiting for Somia and the others. For them, the birthday party was not yet over.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone!"
Somia ran over to Nozomu and the others. Behind her were Irisdina and the others as well.
The reason Nozomu and the others had remained was to give Somia their present. During the party the other people had given their presents, but Nozomu and the others had not had the chance.
Incidentally, the cause was the major fight between Mars and Ena. Because Nozomu had been acting as the stopper for the two of them the entire time the party was going on after their big disturbance, they had missed the opportunity to give the present.
Somia looked at them with sparkling eyes. Those eyes were urging Nozomu with "hurry, hurry." At that sight he chuckled and was about to take out the present. But the next moment the door of the party venue opened with a click, and from the entrance an elderly gentleman stepped forward. The elderly gentleman was dressed in a black butler's uniform, his silver hair tied back, and he wore a monocle over his red eyes. When Irisdina saw that person she furrowed her brows. Neither Irisdina nor Nozomu and the others had seen such a person at this party. He was clearly an outsider.
"Who are you? You do not appear to be someone invited to today's party."
"I sincerely apologize for the rude manner in which I have intruded. In truth, I have a message from my master for the master of this mansion… I am late in introducing myself. I am Lugat, a butler in service to the Uajalt family of the Dizart Empire. Am I correct in assuming that the master of this mansion is Irisdina-sama and that this is Somiliana-sama?"
Irisdina questioned the elderly gentleman in a hard voice. Without breaking the smile on his lips, he bowed deeply in a perfect butler's greeting, the ideal form of courtesy from a servant.
"The Dizart Empire… if I recall, the northwestern part of the continent…"
Nozomu's mouth spun the name of that country as if muttering.
"…Indeed, I am the master of this mansion, Irisdina Francilt, and this child is my younger sister Somiliana… but what business brings you here, Lugat-dono?"
"My purpose is to have the treasured item 'Furnace of Spirit Flame' that was previously lent to the Francilt family returned."
"Furnace of Spirit Flame?"
Irisdina tilted her head at the unfamiliar words. Apparently she knew nothing about that treasured item.
"Yes. This is a treasured item that can take in the soul of another and make that power one's own. Originally it belonged to the Uajalt family that I serve. …Looking at it, it appears that it has currently fused with Somiliana-sama's soul. I will have it returned."
"Wha!!"
Everyone present doubted their own ears. According to Lugat's story, the Furnace of Spirit Flame was fused with Somia's soul. And he was saying he would have it returned.
"Well then, I shall fulfill the contract."
"W-wait!!"
Irisdina, who still did not understand the situation at all, called out to stop Lugat, but in that instant an immeasurable amount of magical power enveloped the entire mansion