Chapter 102: Relentlessly, Civil War in the Mansion
Translator: LynneSuzuran
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After Saryuu and the others finished moving to the bedroom, Kaya-san suddenly looked at my direction.
“And then, Seiren-sama, what about you?”
“Hmm, I wonder…”
“I will suggest you to wait here, but…”
At Kaya-san’s words, I understood. She was asking whether I’d like to wait here or go together with her.
…Now then, what should I do? But actually, there’s nothing to think of.
“Mikoto-san and the others are in the entrance hall, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then, in the worst case, after the barrier gets broken, they will directly come. The other party will know my whereabouts, so there’s no meaning for me to hide.”
I put my hand on the wall next to me and answered.
Surprisingly, I forgot about it, but the entrance hall was directly there at the other side of this wall. That was why, if they could get through there, I was as good as utterly stark naked. The other side targeted me, so when push comes to shove, it would be unbelievable if they don’t come to me.
I can just wait here and pray that everyone will win, but…
“…Well, well, certainly, that’s true, but…”
“Seiren-sama, you’re being reckless.”
Minoa-san showed a troubled face, and Oriza-san bitterly smiled. However, my feelings won’t change. Alica-san seemed to perceive it and only nodded with an astonished expression.
“…Understood. In exchange, please don’t go out front.”
“Yes. Sorry, no matter what I do, I will just bother you.”
“It should be me who should apologize for the inconvenience. In addition, it’s a servant’s duty after all.”
Alica-san said that and showed a gentler smile than usual. Kaya-san also slightly nodded as if she had already given up on it.
“That’s so, isn’t it? It would be easier to protect you in where we could see you.”
“Sorry, I’ll be relying on you.”
“Understood.”
Kaya slightly bowed, and in the next moment, she shifted her gaze to the door that connected us outside. Eh, what’s it?
“…”
Following Alica-san who stood up and pressed his index finger, everyone closed their mouths. Amidst all of it, Kaya-san and Minoa-san approached the door without making any footsteps.
Kaya-san touched the door knob. Minoa-san stood right in front of the door, lightly dropping her body balance and put herself on guard.
*Clink*
“Haa!”
Immediately after the door was opened, Minoa-san moved for a moment and sent out her right fist. A sound could be heard, and a male servant collapsed to the ground. I’ve ever seen him, but I have never really talked with him.
The servant whose body was stretched on the floor with a thud was facing us with white eyes. Aa-aah, this person just received a direct hit on his stomach, after all.
For Kaya-san and Minoa-san to knock him down without any needless dialogue, in other words, it was that kind of thing, huh?
“Whoa, there are still people who got affected other than Saryuu and the others.”
“There were people who helped out in transporting and setting up the tree, and they seemed to have been infected as well.”
As she was rolling the servant who collapsed with the jacket he was wearing, Minoa-san answered while slightly sighing. Aah I see, the evil spirit was similar to a cold, huh? In a sense, they were similar, and both of them could get worse, too.
Still, did this mean that the other servants may come and attack? Yuzuruha-san and the others were with Tou-san and the others, so I think that they would be all right.
After tossing the male servant into the linen room, Minoa-san gave out a signal and we quietly left the room. Beginning with Kaya-san, the maids encircled me in order to guard me, and we proceeded slowly. For the time being, it seemed that the male servant would be the last person to come here. Or rather, the entrance hall was bustling with sounds such as *Bang*! and *Thud*!
When I glanced to see the situation in the hall… Who-a!
The tree was right in the center as usual, but well, it was obvious that the branches were stretching just like tentacles. Then, they were swinging about in the narrow hall, and it felt like they were turning into long whips. On the floor, there were several servants, both boys and girls, all collapsed. We can’t thell whether it was due to them fighting with the tree or rather, getting manipulated by the tree.
Mikoto-san who turned her back on the surrounding and the stairs, also Kuon-sensei who was on the opposite side of the hall—they created a wall of light and locked the tree up. However, sometimes the branches broke through the wall and only their tips came out. The wall was quickly repaired, so they were cut off in the end, though.
I guess the tree was being violent before they created the wall of light. Despite me and Saryuu also helped out to tidy things up, things were considerably messy now. Re-a-lly-, once everything ends, we will have to tidy them up again.
“Let’s come down from the stairs in one go. After that, Seiren-sama should hurry to Mikoto-sama’s side.”
“OK. I’ll be leaving the rest, then, everyone.”
“We’ll do as you requested-.”
I nodded at Kaya-san’s instruction and sent a gaze to Oriza-san who was standing as the lead. From her two hands that were tightly clasped, the magic light was gently lit. Speaking of which, she was good at it, huh?
“Barrier-! Let’s go!”
Right agter Oriza-san jumped out from the corner of the stairs as she lifted her palms and shouted, a wall of light appeared from there. The tree branches flew off and hit the new barrier after they came out of the broken barrier, then they fell against the wall that was just beside the entrance door and they fell down.
During that moment, we went down the stairs as one group. As expected, we were able to do this much. Nah, after dinner ended, I was wearing low-heeled shoes, though.
“Mikoto-sama! We’ve returned!”
“Mikoto-san, Kuon-sensei, are you all right?!”
“S-Seiren-sama?!”
[Ooh, Seiren is safe. That’s good.]
Putting aside Kaya-san’s voice, as expected, Kuon-sensei seemed to be surprised to hear my voice. Mikoto-san answered like that as if it was something obvious, though. But at that time…
The sound of an explosion could be heard. At the same time, Mikoto-san’s shoulders flipped as the cut-off-pieces of her dress scattered and quickly disappeared. I see, she was after all my ancestor. Or rather, where did the attack just now come from?
[Anyway, why have you come here?] “Wherever I go, it won’t change the fact that I’m targeted, right? Mikoto-san also knows where my room is located in, right?”
Mikoto-san who paid no attention to her own injuries asked me. That was why I also answered without minding it.
Just across the wall that was on top of the stairs that we just walked down on. That was the location of my room.
[Well, that’s true.] “If that’s the case, I’ll be by the side of the people I can rely on. I might not be able to do anything, but I think that it might be safer for me this way.”
[Some nerve you have there. As expected of my descendant.]
About that, in what way is it? Nah, it’s definitely not about forcefully going to the place of a man 15 years older than you to get married to him, though.
While Mikoto-san and I spoke, the maids were scattered around to surround the tree. Oriza-san and Minoa-san stood with Kuon-sensei between them, meanwhile Alica-san and Kaya-san stood on my and Mikoto-san’s sides. The wall of light that the two created earlier was now considerably tattered, but one could tell when they took a closer look at the wall of light.
The tree that was located at the center twisted its shaft as if it was a monster of some sort, before speaking.
[You’ve come, young lass.] “S-shut up! Hurry, return to your home and sleep, if not… get lost!”
Nah, my real thoughts leaked out, yup. The tree was surprised for a moment and stopped, but I wonder why.
[Oh well, even if your expression showed up on the surface, it will end as long as we take over your body.] “Oh dear, you speak so well for someone who can’t even break through my and Mikoto-sama’s barrier.”
[What, destroy this wall and let the princess get hurt?]
Ah, did the evil spirit care about me, more or less? Aah no, it might be out of consideration on what they’re going to do with my body next, though. That’s not good, such kind of thing.
However, if they aren’t going to destroy the wall, then it’s going to be a match of endurance, huh? …Ah-.
“Mikoto-san, as expected, is it difficult to hang in there?”
[Well, truthfully speaking. However, I can still go on.]
At the same time of the sound similar to a balloon breaking could be heard, Mikoto-san’s hair was slightly cut off before it disappeared. From the edge of my vision, I could see some cut-off chenille yarn from the tree that fell underneath the handrail.
Ah- I understand, some sort of magical power was inserted into the ornament, assisting the wall of light. Then, as the ornament over there dropped, the wall’s power also weakened. And then, the recoil came to Mikoto-san.
Or rather, there was only one more qualified person to face the tree in our house.
“Kuon-sensei, what about Jigen-san?”
“My grandfather is outside. Strangely, the evil spirits seem to be motivated, so my grandfather is also going to make things merry.”
No, wait, Grandpa, what’s with making things merry? Could it be that this cheat magician is going to do things such as going on an all-out battle and enjoying it?
[…To think that my ally won’t come here, that gramps! It’d be better for him to just retire.] “He was retiring, though. But for Seiren-sama’s sake, he moved here, so…”
The branches swung about, trying to hit Kuon-sensei from the top of the wall. However, just right before that, Minoa-san jumped in and did a counterpunch from the side of the wall. It then intensely shone, perhaps the power was about the same… or rather, Minoa-san was awesome!
However, the evil tree spirit quickly howled.
[Then, I won’t go easy on you, too!]
*Gwang!*
Rather than noise, it was more similar to a shock wave, stirring within the evil spirit. As it fired and hit the wall of light, the wall of light was quickly torn to pieces. …wait, I can’t dodge it!
“Seiren-sama!”
However, Kaya-san and Alica-san stood in front of me. The whip and the tonfa were being spread there as if they were a big sheld as they shot off a shock wave which neatly sent the things resembling the wall of light’s fragments off.
I was fine, but the ones who weren’t all right were those two who created the walls.
“Kyaa!”
[Nuu!]
It was a much bigger recoil than when the ornament was destroyed. Kuon-sensei and Mikoto-san were sent flying at the same time, then they fell down on the floor.
“Mikoto-san!”
I rushed over to Mikoto-san in a fluster, but I can’t touch her, huh? That’s why, I can only see her.
The fluffy hair and the frilly gothic dress were both in tatters.
Aah damn it, why can’t I do anything?
[Now then, dear the helpless princess. As you swallow your helplessness, it’d be good for you to come here.]
At the other side of the maids’ backs, the tree—which was supposed to have no face—seemed to be smiling.