NOVEL NEXT Chapter 127
“Confirmation of target’s death: cause identified as myocardial infarction.”
“…I see.”
The next morning, KAEDE relayed the news of Alex Bern’s assassination with a calm, detached demeanor, as though simply reading off a report. Though I hadn’t taken any direct action myself, the fact that I’d ultimately authorized the decision weighed heavily on me, stirring a deep sense of guilt.
(I really was too naïve, wasn’t I?)
I’d lived in this fantastical world of Asphial far longer than Saioji, who’d only recently arrived as a transmigrant. While I’d drifted along on the surface, blissfully ignorant of the darker depths, Saioji had come to understand Asphial’s harsher realities in just a few short years.
“Master needn’t bear any guilt. You didn’t personally lift a finger against him, and given what the mastermind did, this was the right course of action.”
While Minato had mentioned that KAEDE wasn’t yet equipped to fully comprehend human emotions, she seemed to understand my remorse and offered me these comforting words. And indeed, the man we’d killed, Alex Bern, was undoubtedly deserving of punishment, even if “deserving of death” felt a bit extreme.
Not only had he plotted to assassinate me, but KAEDE’s investigation revealed that he had frequently abducted women he fancied, using local thugs to forcefully take them. He’d leveraged his trading firm’s influence to ruin their families and then forced them into submission under the guise of debt repayment.
The number of women who’d suffered due to him likely exceeded what could be counted on both hands. In all likelihood, more people would celebrate his death than mourn it.
“Is something wrong, Aria?”
After reporting Bern’s death to Saioji, she, noticing I looked unwell, kindly suggested I take the rest of the day off. When I arrived home around midday, Aria was there to greet me, intently peering into my eyes.
“…No, nothing’s wrong.”
“?”
Giving me a vaguely cryptic response, Aria broke her gaze and strode back toward the living room.
“Where’s Eurua?”
“She’s out shopping. She said we’re having curry tonight.”
Ah, curry… Right, she did mention a grocery run this morning. I’d been so preoccupied with KAEDE’s report that it had completely slipped my mind until now.
“I guess you’re adjusting to city life pretty well by now, huh?”
“Unlike Eurua, I can’t disguise myself because of this hair, you know. But it’s a lot more fun than being cooped up in the forest.”
Unlike KAEDE, our other housemate, Eurua, possesses decent enough disguise skills to venture out in public undetected. Using her beautiful, long green hair and cloak, she’s able to cleverly hide her elf-like, pointed ears, even using makeup to make herself appear plain while she goes about the city. Still, she rarely stays out for long; unless she has errands to run, she mostly stays home. It seems I missed her this time.
“Ah, welcome back, Sir Allen.”
An hour or so later, I was dusting off some pottery I’d purchased from the future world while KAEDE played “CrossWorld” with Aria in the living room. Then Eurua arrived home, her hands full of groceries, which she deftly placed in the refrigerator, dividing them into vegetables, meat, and so on.
“KAEDE is too strong! How are you that good on your first try?!”
“I’ve already gathered all available information on CrossWorld. Under the Version 1.01 regulations, I’m able to utilize the most effective deck build and strategy, so this outcome was inevitable.”
“Why does that even make sense?” Aria said, momentarily acting more like a child as she flailed her arms and legs on the living room sofa in protest. KAEDE just gave her calm analysis of the match, her face completely impassive.
Though I was initially uncertain how they’d get along, Aria and KAEDE seemed to have developed a good relationship.
“Thanks for helping out.”
“Oh, it’s no trouble. I had nothing else to do.”
I helped Eurua unpack her groceries. Aria had already mentioned that tonight’s dinner was going to be curry. She prefers mild curry rice, while Eurua likes hers with spicy curry and naan bread on the side. Both have taken quite a liking to Japanese-style curry, to the point where we now have it at least once a week.
“Your homeland’s cuisine is so rich, Sir Allen.”
While Aria and KAEDE enjoyed a card game in the living room, Eurua and I chatted about Japanese cuisine in the kitchen. Both Aria and Eurua like curry, but if they had to pick, Aria’s favorite is sushi, while Eurua’s is oden. While it’s no surprise for Aria, Eurua’s pick is a bit more unusual—but she explained she especially loves the simmered daikon and boiled eggs.
“Maybe I should give up trading and just open a restaurant instead?”
“That might not be a bad idea. Both Aria and I can cook, and it would be a good opportunity for Aria to gain some social experience.”
Ever since I started working as a trader, there hasn’t been a shortage of things to deal with, and just yesterday, I nearly got killed by one of my own competitors. I couldn’t help but let some of that fatigue show through.
Whether she was aware of this or not, Eurua seemed quite positive about my suggestion, offering her wholehearted agreement.
“With the way things are now, showing off an elf like you or Aria might not be the wisest course… But it could actually be a good idea.”
“I’m fine with either choice. But before we branch out, we should probably tend to the rose, since its harvest time is approaching.”
Eurua was referring to the magical rose that led to our meeting. I regularly disperse magic around the rose planted in the garden a few times a day, but Eurua, who knows far more about plants, has been overseeing its care. Recently, Aria has also started helping with the rose’s cultivation, and their combined efforts have made this batch much better than the previous one.
Between dealing with Nias, connecting with the people of the Empire, and the recent attack, I’d nearly forgotten that the rose we planted was due for harvest. Once it’s harvested, the whole Cainrese Kingdom, including the capital, will soon be blanketed by winter’s chill, and we won’t be able to grow magic roses for several months.
…Well, if we were in Japan, we could still grow them even in winter, but with CrossWorld starting to pick up, I’d rather keep an eye on both the future world and Asphial during the colder months.