What on earth is happening?
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And so, the two of them ended up in a café drinking coffee.
"To be honest... I'm a bit lost," Jeanne said, sipping her black tea. "Amakusa Shirou Tokisada... he might be right. If there were a correct way to save the world without causing sacrifice..."
"Instead, me stopping him might be my own arrogance..."
"But I am a Heroic Spirit. Heroic Spirits must be the shadows of the world; they shouldn't actively reach out to humanity... but rather share their burdens."
Haruka Kasugano took a sip of his tea and immediately felt like he was drinking liquid misery. This stuff was practically undrinkable without milk or sugar. Why did so many people in anime and foreign media hype up black tea?
Wait, it's not the tea's fault. Chinese black tea is delicious; it's this low-quality stuff that's the problem. Clearly, only tea from its place of origin is good; these foreign imitations just don't cut it. Koreans even brainwash themselves daily about this... hilarious.
"It's nothing. You don't need to worry. Even though you were betrayed, you didn't hate them. That's why you saved me and gave me freedom. I feel like I live for this very reason!" Haruka Kasugano recited his lines.
"If you want, please use my body as much as you like!"
"Huh? Cough, cough, cough... Haruka Kasugano, watch your phrasing..." Jeanne was instantly mortified. Because of his words, people around them were staring, making her incredibly awkward.
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Meanwhile, Reika Rikudou and Jack were watching from a distance.
"Mommy, Hubby said I should show up while they're having tea. Should it be now?" Jack giggled.
Reika looked at the atmosphere between Haruka Kasugano and Jeanne, couldn't help but smile, and then held Jack back. "Don't be in a hurry. I think... it won't be too late to show up tomorrow," Reika laughed.
"Eh? But..." Jack was bewildered.
"Don't worry, Hubby won't blame us~!" Reika giggled and pulled Jack away.
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And so, Haruka Kasugano and Jeanne sat in the café until nightfall.
Strange... according to the timeline, Jack should have appeared long ago. Jeanne was getting a bit tired of waiting. She looked around and said, "Does Assassin not plan on coming out today? Should we head back?"
"Alright..." Haruka Kasugano was about to respond when he saw Reika Rikudou in a far corner giving him a thumbs-up. Then, she made a circle with the fingers of one hand and poked her index finger through it with the other.
Holy crap! What kind of signal are you sending me? Wait—so that's why you didn't show up?
Hehehe... Brilliant! I'll give you an extra reward in a few days!
"Ruler, do you think Assassin might only act at night? After all... don't magi have that whole secrecy thing? Maybe Assassin only comes out to kill at night based on that," Haruka Kasugano said, catching the hint.
"That... you mean... we're staying in Trifas tonight?" Jeanne was stunned. "I suppose... it's very likely Assassin acts at night..."
Her face immediately flushed deep red. "Haruka Kasugano... then... how are we going to spend the night?"
Heh... how else?
Haruka Kasugano, just like when he talked about "using his body," utilized his status as a "socially inexperienced homunculus" and put on a serious face.
"We check into a hotel, of course!"
Pfft...
Jeanne nearly choked. She kept looking left and right, terrified of being misunderstood. But she was helpless because she knew that as a homunculus, Haruka Kasugano was effectively a newborn. He definitely didn't know these social norms.
"Haruka Kasugano... it seems I'll have to teach you what words shouldn't be said in public!" Jeanne said awkwardly.
"That sentence just now?" Haruka Kasugano played dumb with a confused expression. "So we can say it in private?"
Pfft...
"No... it's not..." Jeanne's head was practically steaming. She didn't know how to explain, feeling that the more she tried, the messier it got.
She ended up walking with Haruka Kasugano through the night streets for a long time. As time passed, she felt that staying outside was becoming unreasonable and too conspicuous. Trifas was a small town with no nightlife; anyone walking around blatantly was clearly bait. Staying indoors would actually look more normal.
Just then, a patrolling policeman walked over and shooed them: "You two, get home! There have been murders at night recently; it's not safe!"
Left with no choice, Jeanne awkwardly said to Haruka Kasugano, "Um... well, let's go get a room then..."
Haruka Kasugano was inwardly ecstatic. "Okay, Ruler, you're tired too and need to rest!" he smiled, faking gentleness.
"Sigh..." Looking at Haruka Kasugano's "innocent" face, Jeanne felt like she was the one with the dirty mind.
They went to the nearest inn. "Owner, two rooms please," Jeanne called out.
"So sorry, we only have one room left. And it's a single bed!" the owner chuckled, even giving Haruka Kasugano a wink.
Oho, looks like the owner was bribed by Reika.
"How can this be... let's go look somewhere else!" Jeanne's face was bright red as she hurriedly pulled Haruka Kasugano out.
As it turned out, every inn they went to gave the exact same answer: only one room left, and it was a single bed. Jeanne was utterly baffled. Why was this happening? She stared at the calm Haruka Kasugano and her head began to steam again.
Did she... really have to stay in the same room as him?
With no other choice, she finally booked a room. The two of them squeezed into the tiny space.
"Haruka Kasugano, I'm a Heroic Spirit, I don't need to rest. You lie on the bed and... wait, why are there no chairs in this room?" Jeanne was floored. Reika had not only bribed the owners but had also removed every piece of furniture that wasn't the bed.
"Then you rest, I'll just stand!" Jeanne said, her face burning.
Haruka Kasugano smiled slightly and said with "pure innocence" once more: "Ruler, won't it look too fake if you stand? What if Assassin realizes?"
Crack! Jeanne's logic took a hit.
"That's true... then..." She looked at the narrow bed and instantly became a "Steam Girl."
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH—
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After a fierce mental struggle, Jeanne ended up squeezing into the same bed as Haruka Kasugano. However, she lay with her back directly toward him. Her mind was a mess, completely unable to think.
Haruka Kasugano, meanwhile, watched her back with a smirk. Her sexy back-line was fully visible. Her figure was plump and well-proportioned, her curves graceful, every rise and fall radiating feminine charm. Her delicate white skin was like curdled fat, glowing with an enchanting luster. Her golden hair fell like a waterfall across her back, brushing against her skin like poetry. Her scent lingered in the air, intoxicating and hard to resist.
Smelling Jeanne's fragrance, "Little Haruka Kasugano" couldn't help but perk up.
Jeanne, facing away from him, was in a state of chaos. Ahhh... why did it turn out like this... why am I so excited... Leticia... is this your emotion? Mmmm... I can't think.
At that moment, Jeanne suddenly felt something press against her backside.
"Haruka Kasugano, your weapon is touching me..."
Before Haruka Kasugano could react, Jeanne reached back and grabbed the object pressed against her "pomelos."
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Jeanne gripped the thing behind her with her small hand. At first, she tried to push it away, but the object seemed to spring back automatically. This piqued her interest.
So, instead of pushing, she gave it a little squeeze with her fingers to figure out what it was.
Eh... it's so firm...
What on earth is this? Is it the hilt of that white longsword Haruka Kasugano always carries? Why is he still wearing his sword while resting in bed?