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The items Alice laid out were weird... each one looked dubious and completely incomprehensible in purpose. Yet Ryoji, amused and curious, still bought four or five of them in one go.
While he was enthusiastically examining his new "toys," Aoko quietly tugged Alice to the side.
"Alice… don't you think you're being a little too shady here?" Aoko whispered under her breath.
"Take that bottle for example... its production cost can't even be ten thousand, right?"
It was just a small medicine bottle. Even if she included the magecraft materials used during crafting, there was no way the total cost exceeded ten thousand yen. Charging fifty times that much for a one-time-use item? Outrageous.
Alice silently averted her eyes, looking a bit… guilty.
"Hey! Look me in the eyes when I'm talking to you!"
"…I'll give you a ten percent cut."
"…Deal!"
After pretending to think for a few seconds, Aoko gave a thumbs up.
In just one evening, Alice had earned several million yen merely by talking, and Aoko's ten percent share meant at least a few hundred thousand. For someone who had long stopped taking money from home, that was an enormous windfall.
What? Didn't they feel guilty for scamming someone that hard?
Ha! Why would they feel guilty about ripping off Ryoji?
Besides, it wasn't even his money!
The only one truly suffering was poor Nero's bank account.
Leaving the Estate
"You two heading out?"
After a while in the living room, both Aoko and Alice changed into heavy coats suited for night travel. Ryoji asked curiously.
"Yeah," Aoko replied, looping a gray plaid scarf around her neck. "There are only two anchor points left, so our patrol routes are much shorter now."
"You're… staying here?"
Alice, dressed in a classy British-style cloak and a black hat, tilted her head thoughtfully.
"There's a guest room on the second floor, but... "
"No, I should get home too."
Ryoji glanced at the old-fashioned clock on the wall and shook his head.
"I see."
Alice looked faintly disappointed.
If he'd agreed to stay, she could have charged him rent.
Normally she hated having anyone else stay in her mansion, but for money? She could tolerate it. Especially when the "guest" happened to be filthy rich.
"Alice, you've completely fallen into the money pit," Aoko muttered, seeing right through her.
Alice calmly looked away. As if you're any better.
The lights of the mansion went out, and the three of them stepped into the cool night air, walking together toward the slope leading downhill.
"I'll take the anchor in the forest outside town."
"Then I'll check the one in the city park."
"Call me if anything happens."
Ryoji waved at the two of them. At the fork in the road, they split... each heading in a different direction.
Ryoji's goal was simply to return home.
Once Alice and Aoko located Touko, he could join them later.
In truth, with Alice's strength, even facing Touko alone wasn't hopeless. Even if she'd lost a month's worth of magical oil thanks to Ryoji, she still had her Rose Hound and Bridge Giant familiars.
Combined with her other familiars... less powerful but highly versatile... Alice going all out was no joke. Even Ryoji himself would have to tread carefully against her.
So there was really nothing to worry about.
The Fatal Siren
"Even so… why do I still feel uneasy?"
As Ryoji walked back toward the residential area where his home was, he absentmindedly stroked the small gray starling perched on his hand.
The gray starling looked lifelike.
After forming a contract with it via the new Familiar Crest, Ryoji was able to share its vision... seeing what the bird saw... and could even use it to communicate with other magi. It was incredibly convenient.
With a firm motion, Ryoji tossed the gray starling into the sky. It circled overhead for a while, almost as if hesitating, before flapping its wings and flying off toward the direction of the city park.
Alice's side should be fine.
Compared to her, Aoko's combat power was slightly weaker... and she was also Touko's primary target. The chances of her running into danger were much higher. Better to have the starling keep an eye on her.
"Beep... boop... beep... boop... !"
Just as Ryoji was approaching the neighborhood, the wail of police sirens suddenly echoed in the distance before fading away.
"I'm home!"
"Big brother, you're back so late today!"
"The Student Council had an emergency meeting," Ryoji replied casually.
When he stepped through the Minamoto household gate, his mother and little sister were already waiting at the dinner table. Souji was clutching her stomach, looking absolutely famished.
The heartwarming scene made it impossible for Ryoji to say, "I already ate." So he simply sat down and began shoveling food into his mouth, stuffing himself until his belly was round and full.
"Oh right, Li... you should come home early these days!"
After dinner, Minamoto Yorimitsu spoke with a worried tone.
"Huh? What's with that all of a sudden?"
"You didn't see it since you came home late, but the entire Yamashita family down the street was murdered last night. Their bodies weren't discovered until this afternoon!"
"What?"
Ryoji froze in disbelief.
The Yamashitas lived in one of the corner houses of the residential area... just an ordinary family, with no Heroic Spirit members among them. Yet the entire family… slaughtered?
"Then that siren earlier... ?"
"Yeah, the police came to investigate, but apparently they didn't find much. Four people, gone… it's just horrible. I heard the bodies were in a terrible state…"
Souji shivered, hugging her arms as goosebumps ran down her skin. Her face was pale with fear.
No one expected a murder case to happen this close to home.
It was enough to make anyone's skin crawl... a stroke of bad luck, and it could have been their own family next.
"I understand. I'll come home earlier from now on." Ryoji nodded.
The crest was already in his possession, and he needed time for his body to adapt to it anyway. For now, adding more magecraft wasn't ideal.
His next step was to focus on something else... refining his control over magical power.
Then, suddenly... Ryoji's expression darkened.
"What's wrong, big brother? Your face looks scary…" Souji asked, startled by the sudden change.
"I'm going out for a bit!"
Ryoji abruptly stood up and strode toward the door.
"This late at night? Where are you going?" Yorimitsu called after him.
"I forgot something at school!"
But Ryoji didn't stop... his pace only quickened. Within moments, he had dashed out of the yard and vanished into the dark night.
"Honestly… what could be so important that he has to fetch it now?" Yorimitsu muttered, anxiety clouding her face as she stared after him.
BOOM!
Not long after, a thunderous explosion echoed from somewhere nearby, startling all the residents at once.
"What was that? Thunder?"
High above the night sky... Ryoji shot through the air like a bullet, the ground cracking under his feet as he launched himself upward with thunderous force. His body soared like an arrow loosed from its bowstring... Destination: the city's central park!
(End of Chapter)