Chapter 32: #32 - The Plot Never Stops
I go to greet my guest.
Well, I do that after changing my clothes to the ones I was wearing at the Billiard mansion.
Maria told me he's in the same room where me and Jack talked with Apolonia.
I would love to say that I know what he's here for.
But I don't.
I can't even speculate, as I have had zero interactions with him.
At least with Apolonia, I knew that she wanted something from me, as she was following me and Jack.
But now?
I have nothing to work with.
Why is all of this happening today?
Not even a day has passed since my life-or-death battle and in the first 6 hours I summoned a rokakaka plant, got tested by Apolonia's parents, got knowledge about the prince and princess's involvement in their deaths, and helped Jack with his stand training...
These are all things that should've happened in a week, not a day.
Or at the very least three.
Damnit, I'm too far away from my slice-of-life saga.
I open the door to the reception room.
He is there, sitting with his hands clasped between his legs.
That's the Kurapika pose.
But he's not sitting alone, at his left, sitting close to the door from where I came in, is a short person, a woman by her breathing patterns.
Wait, what?
That was weirdly instinctive.
I didn't know I could do that.
Whatever, moving on.
Around the same height, but the boy is a bit taller.
While he is tense, almost waiting for something bad to happen, she is completely relaxing, eyes closed and sipping on her tea.
"You're here". She said.
I'm sorry, that could come off as condescending, in the way that you are thinking about everything being in your control, so forgive me if I come as offensive with what I'm about to say.
"The fuck you mean¨You're here¨"
This wasn't a question, but let's just leave it like that.
"Watch your words, boy" The black-haired boy exclaimed with an edge in his words.
"I was not speaking with you, but I'll lower myself down to talk with you if it's needed to continue the conversation".
He appears ready to kill me, standing up and closing in on me.
"Wait, wait, maybe I was too upfront, please let us explain what have we come here for"
Seeing as her power play isn't going to work, the girl takes off her hood and I notice that she's a bit older than me.
The boy goes to both of the windows to see if there may be someone watching-
This room is built on one of the edges of the mansion, so there aren't any.
"Hello, I'm sure you must have questions about us being here right?"
"Yes, the most important now being ¨Why haven't you left?¨"
I'm not going to be polite to someone who tries to gain the edge of the conversation with the first thing she says.
If I do, then she will go on the offensive again.
The girl has a smile on her face, seemingly unoffended by my words.
While the boy shifts his posture, becoming ready to attack me at any point she needs.
"Let me answer ¨Why are they both here?¨ first, then the most important, ok?"
"Do as you please"
"Alright, I'm sure that you recognize me, so let's skip that part, my vassal and I are here to recruit you into our cause"
"First, I don't recognize you, and second, I refuse"
I have no recollection of her, and with the hood covering her body, the only thing I know about her is that she's upper-mid class and has blond hair.
She has accessories so that's how I know she's upper-mid, at the very least.
And for the refusal, it's because I have no way of knowing what are they going to do, and I have a feeling they won't tell me unless I agree to join.
Even if I knew, there's a good chance it's something either reckless, or dangerous, and those are both a bother in my carefree life.
"What do you mean you don't recognize me?"
The girl focused on that, instead of the refusal.
"I mean what I said, I don't recognize you"
"Have a closer look at my face, you don't recognize these traits?"
"No, not really..."
"Are you serious? How many blonde-haired pretty girls that are 15 years old do you know?"
"Those are rather common, you know?"
"Not the point! Ughh, look at this now!"
She lets the hood fall off her completely, revealing her dress.
It looks fancy, really hard to move in, and with some hidden spaces to store knives.
"What is that supposed to do? I'm not someone who will suddenly stop down to see how detailed your dress is."
"Not that! Can't you recognize this dress".
Her face it's funny at this point.
"I really can't, who are you that you think those are all important to your identity?".
"Ughh, so it has come to this".
She groans and then mysteriously proclaims.
I think she's trying to set up the ambiance for this one thing.
"Let me present myself, I am Jane Emily Catherine of the United Kingdom soon to be Jane Sajonia-Coburgo y Gotha"
"Hah..."
Now that's funny.
Leaving aside the fact that she is a princess, her name is funny.
Why?
Well, her first name is fine, but the fact that she said ¨Soon to be Jane Sajonia-Coburgo y Gotha¨ is funny.
The only one allowed to use that name is the king and/or queen.
Nowadays, the only one with that name is the Queen Victoria Sajonia-Coburgo y Gotha.
The fact that she said she will soon use that name, means that she plans to become the queen of the United Kingdom.
Surpassing all of her brothers and sisters, becoming the sole owner of that title.
That is funny.
Furthermore, the fact that she, a princess, proclaims that she will ascend to the throne is not to be taken lightly.
Most of the ways that she attains that position are by violent means.
It's fine if she was to joke in her chambers, with a trusted maid, but to me?
It means that she will do anything to make me ¨One of her trusted people¨.
"Now, that's illuminating and all, but that doesn't answer why are the both of you in my house"
Suddenly, I'm not feeling safe anymore.
There's something I can try to make this more safe now...
"It doesn't answer because it didn't need to, as I already mentioned before, I am here so that I can recruit you into my trusted people"
"And as I said before, I'm not interested"
I turn to open the door for them.
But as I grab the handle, something stops me from opening the door.
There's a blur.
Pushing his hand to the door, I find the faint shade of a stand standing tall at my left side.
I turn to look at both of them.
She has her stand summoned, arms crossed standing behind her.
While I suppose that this is the black-haired boy's stand.
"I'm sure that I can interest you in a short time"
"What, you think that some stands can intimidate me?"
My eyes shine with a menacing glint.
But actually, they most certainly can.
One bad hit by a stand and it's ggs.
If by any chance, one of the both stands here has an A in strength stat.
Then I'm cooked.
Maybe I could react if I see it, but if all I see its a faint blur, then it's over for me.
So, I'm going to focus on my summon.
Jack, of course
"I'm not trying to intimidate you, we just want to talk"
"So much for talking..."
Keep on focusing...
"...but fine, I can have a chat with you two".
"Thanks for your time."
Focus more...
"Explain to me the overall of your cause"
"Sure, it's rather simple"
I'm getting there...
"Well, you see..."
Now!
"My lady!"
The black-haired boy was already reacting to the concentration of killing intent in me, but apparently, he didn't have experience handling it, as he reacted too slowly in getting to cover his master.
All of this intent isn't for intimidating.
It's a call for help.
I didn't direct this intent to the two of them, as they were already spooked by the presence of it.
The princess is tense, eyes wide, and sweating.
The boy is even more tense, as someone with experience in fighting, he knows this isn't achievable with just some stand and willpower.
Now, you might be asking to where did I direct all of this intent to?
The answer is knocking at the window right now.
"Yo"
There is my summon.
"I'm not late, right?"
Jack.
...
..
...
The killing intent was more of a message so that he would take notice of it and come to my aid.
"This is why you called me for? You could've handled it on your own."
"Yes, but it seems rather interesting"
We had a normal conversation as if he didn't just appear from a 4th-floor window.
The princess, seeing as how she lost the edge in the conversation, could only grit her teeth and brace for the worst.
"So, who are these two?"
"Try and guess."
"Alright, then."
"That's our classmate, you said something about keeping an eye on him"
He tensed when Jack mentioned that.
"And... IS THAT THE FUCKING PRINCESS!?"
Oh god, please don't tell me you're a fan or something.
Jack takes off his hood to see more clearly.
"Oh god."
"Yeah, that's her".
Oh yeah?
"So, what's up?"
I like how he never fails to deliver the joke.
But I kinda miss the shy Jack.
Whatever.
"They are both here to recruit us into something."
"Hmm."
"What you say?"
"Well, then...
"...We should listen properly, right?"
Let's mess with them
That's what I heard.
"Yes, we should".
But we, most definitely, won't.