NOVEL NEXT Ch38 - Let's Find Allies
Chapter 38: Let’s Find Allies
Despite growing rapidly after eating so much, the sudden growth seemed to have taken a toll on Mothra’s body. According to Lily, it looked tired, so Hamal was currently using his [Sound Sleep] skill to force it into a much-needed nap.
Meanwhile, everyone else sat on a large sofa, sipping herbal tea and seriously discussing their strategy. Leading the discussion was their master, Rena.
“Alice, can you tell us more about the harassment you’ve experienced?”
“Yes… Let’s see, I first felt like someone was watching me about two weeks after Grandpa passed away. You know the large window in the garden space of the mansion? I looked down towards the gate from there and saw three men dressed as adventurers staring at the mansion. They were just glaring at the time, but after that, I started seeing adults loitering around the mansion every day. I’ve seen about ten different people in total. It’s like they’re on a rotating shift, with about three of them glaring at the mansion from near the gate during the day. I had a lot of preserved food in stock, and I tried not to go outside as much as possible, so there’s been no direct contact so far. The guards patrol at night, so I hadn’t seen any suspicious individuals until last night… Last night was the first time they kicked the mansion walls. It was very loud, so I think they might have used some kind of skill…?”
Alice sighed dejectedly after describing the thugs’ behavior. Rena and the others looked at her sympathetically.
Two weeks after her grandfather’s death was apparently when the inheritance procedures were completed. After that, she received complaint letters from her sons, and after replying to them, the strange adults began to appear and glare at her. Rena told her it must have been scary, and Alice gave a sad smile.
Despite the young girl sending carefully worded, considerate letters to her sons, their replies made no mention of mourning their father’s death and focused solely on the inheritance.
Rena frowned and began to think, resting her chin on her finger.
“It seems certain that your sons hired adventurers to harass you… Did the number of adventurers gradually increase?”
“Yes. It seems like the hired adventurers coordinated with each other and took turns watching the mansion. Only about three appear at a time, but they would greet other adventurers when leaving and switching shifts, so I think they know each other… The mansion is watched for about five hours a day. It doesn’t feel like they’re hiring individuals on a daily basis, but rather that the number of people under long-term contracts is gradually increasing…”
“I see. Then we need to put a stop to this before they escalate things… Right now, while they’re still just observing you, is our chance. Let’s provoke them and lure them out before they gather their forces, and then trap them with our plan!”
“Whoa…! That’s aggressive, Rena.”
Patricia stared at the usually quiet girl in surprise. Rena, the subject of their surprise, smiled wryly.
“If we leisurely wait for them to make a move, there’s a higher chance we’ll be the ones caught in a trap. I think we need to use an unconventional strategy and catch them off guard. We have to be wary of the adult adventurers’ strength… Since we’re dealing with people with much more life experience than us, we can’t afford to play it safe.”
“That’s true. I’m not good at strategizing, but… I’m confident in my strength and guts, so leave that to me!”
“Mmm, that’s a difficult statement to respond to… Um, I’ll be counting on the latter part.”
“Yeah!”
“Ahaha, your conversations are so funny. …Thank you so much.”
“Leave it to us!”
Rena and Patricia are fired up!
“Hehehe, leave it to us!”
The monsters are also fired up!
The general direction of the plan seemed to be set. Rena and her companions would soon take action, and when their opponents panicked and revealed themselves, they would strike. However, they would limit their retaliation to just scaring them to avoid damaging Buyer Alice’s reputation. The goal wasn’t to hurt their opponents but to make them give up on the mansion and Alice. Keeping this in mind, they would work out the details of their plan.
First, they would strengthen Mothra, who would be Alice’s bodyguard. Rena hoped to level it up and, if possible, have it class-change and grow into a demon. Another reason was that Mothra, in its monster form, couldn’t talk to anyone but its master and familiar, which seemed very inconvenient. Considering its potential to become a giant butterfly, she wanted it to acquire humanoid form as soon as possible.
Next, they considered finding allies for their plan. Rena had someone in mind. When she suggested asking Lulu, the incubus owner of ♡Inn♡, for help, Patricia agreed. Lulu was a reliable older sister figure to Patricia, a high-level support mage, and known for her discretion. Incubi, often conversing with important figures, were apparently skilled at acting and adapting to their company. Rena’s prank operation would require several, if not dozens, of collaborators. Patricia suggested asking Lulu to introduce them to some trustworthy individuals.
Alice offered to cover the expenses for the operation with her inheritance. She insisted that she had plenty of money as long as she didn’t splurge and that she couldn’t stand by and do nothing when it concerned her. Though hesitant to accept money from a child, the older girls figured they would do the same in Alice’s position and accepted her offer. Alice even offered to pay them a separate fee, but they declined, instead asking for the right to stay at her mansion anytime. A few days later, a fun sleepover was held with the girls and their familiars, which was, shall we say, quite lively.
…Now, for those who have read this far, can you predict what kind of prank will unfold?
Neo Mothra, strengthened by its master with the [Rare Class Change] trait.
Patricia, the flower creator.
The incubus and her associates as allies.
A large sum of money at their disposal.
And above all… the mastermind behind the operation, Rena!
This was definitely going to be dangerous. It was hard to imagine it ending peacefully.
…It seemed that Lady Luck had already begun her preparations. It would be quite a spectacle to see what kind of prank the sons would fall victim to. Exciting times were ahead.
Let’s consult with the incubus!
Rena, Lily, and Hamal walked briskly through the night streets, wary of being followed. The slimes were staying at Alice’s mansion as guards. Patricia and Mothra were also at the mansion tonight, but since the girl had just changed jobs to a florist and Mothra was only level 1, they might not be able to handle the thugs if they attacked, so Rena had increased the security. It went without saying that Patricia and Mothra were strong, but Rena was very protective of her friends.
“…Nn! It’s still so easy to spot!”
“So sparkly~”
“…Yeah…you’re right…”
Returning to their home base, ♡Inn♡, Rena involuntarily took a step back at the sight of the gaudy, shocking pink neon lights and, once again, hesitated momentarily before entering.
Upon entering their room, Rena immediately rang the incubus call bell for Lulu. “Is it an emergency?” Lulu asked, appearing in a hurry. Rena politely apologized for summoning her in such a manner. She couldn’t discuss the prank operation in front of other guests.
Inside the soundproof room, Rena explained that her friend Alice was being targeted by thugs and that Patricia’s flowerbed had been vandalized in connection with this. She then outlined her prank operation and asked Lulu to help with the setup to lure them out.
Lulu frowned while listening to the adventurers’ misdeeds, but as Rena described the prank, her expression turned to one of stunned disbelief, and finally, she burst into laughter, clutching her stomach. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
Rena’s plan was incredibly amusing and, at the same time, easy to imagine causing significant damage to their targets. The incubus, with her overly active imagination, was practically injuring herself from laughter. Wiping away her tears, she spoke in a cheerful voice.
“Fufufufu…! That’s hilarious! It’s perfect, Rena♡ Let me join in on such a fun event! I’m so excited. I’ll gather the other participants. Leave it to me. Let’s see, you want pairs of adult men and women who look noble, right? Ufufu, I have plenty of people in mind♡”
“Thank you…! It’s very reassuring to have your help, Lulu. Um… on the day of the party at the mansion, I’m planning to have several carriages come to this inn. I also want to call a costume shop… Would that be alright?”
“No problem. The entrance hall of ♡Inn♡ is spacious, and we have spare rooms.”
“That’s a relief! Alice will contact a rental dress shop she knows, so could you have everyone choose dresses and tuxedos from the selection they bring on the day? Please have them arrive at the mansion in formal wear and carriages. The Stuart family will cover the expenses; I’ve already arranged it.”
“My! So we just have to dress up and attend? Is it a dance party?”
“No. It’s a grilled tiger meat party. The goal is to make her sons think Alice might get a guardian and make them panic. It’s fine if you just act the part when entering and leaving the mansion.”
A formal gathering at a mansion in a high-class residential area at night, only to find a barbecue party… It was so Rena! The incubus burst into laughter again. They had to wait a while for her to calm down.
“Pfft! That’s a win-win situation! There will be so many people who want to participate… I can’t decide who to invite. It would be rude to just enjoy the food, so I’ll bring some vegetables and sweets as a contribution.”
“Eh?”
“Yay! Sweets!?”
“Fufu, you seem happy. Since it’s a party, I’ll make a soufflé cake using the finest cheese. It’ll be so delicious, your cheeks will fall off♡”
“Yay!!”
“H-Hey, you two are too excited! Sorry, Lulu.”
“Rena looks very happy too♡ You have a huge grin on your face.”
“I apologize…!”
Rena and her familiars were too honest about their feelings. They seemed to be overjoyed at the thought of Lulu’s exquisite soufflé cake. They had lovely smiles.
What Rena wanted from Lulu and her companions was, as she said, a “performance to lure out the opponents.”
The sons were harassing Alice to get their hands on her inheritance. They planned to break her spirit before she could pass the commerce exam and have the inheritance transferred to her name. However, what would happen if Alice suddenly had an influential adult as her guardian? She would be deemed capable of managing the mansion, even as a child, and the inheritance could be transferred to her before the exam. The sons wouldn’t stand for that. They would panic and take action. That’s why they needed to act like “noble adults gathering at Alice’s mansion.”
It was a risky approach, but it was much better than waiting for their opponents to prepare. The small, novice adventurer said this with a determined expression, and Lulu smiled wryly, stroking her glossy black hair.
“…Don’t carry such a heavy burden alone. You can rely on me more! Just like you want to help Alice, I want to help you, Rena. If there’s anything else I can do, don’t hesitate to ask. Fufu, I’m quite strong, you know. Don’t push yourself too hard. Both you and Patricia are precious little sisters to me.”
“…!”
Rena’s eyes widened, and she stared at Lulu, speechless. After a moment, her shoulders trembled slightly before she broke into a bright smile.
“…Thank you. Can I ask for your help again?”
“Of course.”
Lulu chuckled, poked Rena’s cheek, and said, “Let’s discuss the details tomorrow,” before leaving the room. She gave the familiars a meaningful wink.
The door closed quietly. Hamal and Lily stared at Rena, who, meeting their gaze, burst into tears. She had probably been putting on a brave face for everyone, trying to keep her spirits up. Hamal transformed into his larger form and sat on the bed, while Lily stretched out her arms, beckoning Rena. As Rena buried her face in the fluff, the fairy gently stroked her head with her tiny hand.
“…I’m scared.”
“Yes.”
The familiars responded softly to their master’s faint words. Rena rubbed her tear-stained cheek against the fluff.
“…Because we’re dealing with adult adventurers and powerful people. I don’t know what they’ll do, and I’m really scared… But I’m Alice’s friend. And her older sister. And I have some power. So… I have to protect her. I have to try my best… I will. I can’t be kind to everyone in this world, but that’s why I want to cherish the friends I’ve made.”
“…Yes, you’re right. Let’s do our best to make the prank a success!”
“I’ll accompany you, Rena-sama. Bonds are important, aren’t they? Oh, does that mean our bond with you is precious, Rena-sama?”
“…Exactly! And vice versa?”
“!”
“We’ll spoil our precious, precious Master~!”
…That night, Rena cried and cried, as if washing away her fear. Lily and Hamal comforted her, enveloping her in fluff and spoiling her endlessly.
The next day, she woke up with a clear and cheerful expression. “Let’s do our best today! Thank you always!” she said with a bright smile, her voice full of energy. They were all there for each other.
Waving to the kind incubus older sister sitting sexily at the counter, Rena energetically ran out of ♡Inn♡.