The morning light shone on my closed eyes.
In my morning daze, I feel someone's weight on top of me.
Is it Olivia? I thought for an instant, but it was too light for Olivia.
Then who……? I thought, but I still couldn't think properly.
It's fine whoever it is, I should wake her up with a kiss first in the morningーー
「Ow!」
Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain, as if my head was about to break.
The pain wasn't coming from outside but from the inside.
The intense pain made my mind clear instantly.
「Good morning〜, Otou-san〜」
A different thing made my mind clear.
It was Hikari who was on top of me.
Just like as she usually does, the world's cutest Hikari is lying on top of me.
「What's happened, Otou-san? Sleepy〜?」
「N-No, I'm fine」
An uncomfortable sweat ran on my back.
The thing that I was about to do gave me cold sweat.
『You should be grateful of me』
I heard Eleanor's exasperated voice.
It was a bit too shocking, but she really saved me there.
While saying thanks to Eleanor, I looked at Hikari once again.
Hikari is showing her innocent and lovely smile as she sat on me, and as I expected OliviaーーChibi Dragon was beside her.
「She returned to Chibi Dragon huh」
「Un. I'm sorry, Otou-san. Hikari didn't do her best, so O-chan can't spend the first hour of the morning……」
「Don't mind it, Hikari. You should just grow at your own pace」
I reached out my hand and patted Hikari's head.
Feeling her head nodded, Hikari got rid of her sad expression and smiled.
Hikari, she's really the cutest in the world.
「Ah! Right. O-chan has a message」
「Message?」
「Myu〜, myuu〜」
Chibi Dragon cried.
A message although she's right there, huh.
「It was fun yesterday」
「That's the first self-declaration I heard from her!」
『This damn dragon, what is she making Hikari say』
「Myu〜, myuu〜」
「That tickles〜, O-chan. Un, you're welcome」
Hikari and Chibi Dragon started to bond with each other while they're in top of me.
Just watching my beloved daughter and her buddy play makes me feel warm inside.
It was a wonderful sight that made me feel that today will be a good day.
I enveloped myself with my camouflage aura, and warped to Ainon's church with Hikari in her Demon Sword form.
As soon as I arrived, I almost bumped into someone making me dodge in a hurry.
Looking around, there seems to be a commotion inside the church. The believers seem to be agitated, and scrambling around.
Within all of them, Caroline seemed to be praying without a care at all.
It was already a familiar sight. The others didn't look bothered by it as well.
The scrambling believers and the calm Caroline. Only the space around her seemed to be a different place.
However, what is happening? I thought. So I listened to the conversations of the believers around me.
「How did it go? Did you find her?」
「No, she wasn't in the south of the town」
「How about you?」
「She also wasn't in the place we caught her before」
「Damn……where in the world did she go?」
『It looks like someone disappeared』
『Who is it? Carol-oneechan is over there, so……』
We were full of questions, but we immediately found out.
「Anyways, let's search for her. It is an oracle given by Solon-sama to Caroline-sama. We cannot leave that person that Caroline-sama saved alone」
「Yeah」
「Alright!」
I could tell myself that my eyebrow twitched.
What they're talking about……don't tell me……
『It seems that woman named Sybil has run away』
『Ehhhh?!』
I continued to listen to the believers' conversations for a while.
It looks like Sybil went missing.
After bringing her back to town, Sybil who was sheltered by the church disappeared as soon as she woke up.
On top of that, it wasn't only for once. They're saying that it's the second time now.
She's the woman that was saved after receiving an oracle from god, so the believers are desperately searching for her.
I silently left the church.
After taking enough distance where Caroline won't hear me, I removed my camouflage aura.
「Why is she running away?」
『Who knows. More importantly, what now?』
「Let's search for her. I can't leave her alone like this」
『But how?』
「That, I only need to heighten my hearing」
『Ne〜, ne〜, Otou-san. Maybe Hikari can tell』
「What do you mean, Hikari」
『O-chan told me〜. She said that "it's easier to trace her using my magic powers"』
「Olivia's magic powers?」
"What does she mean?", I looked at Hikari in her Demon Sword form.
Hikari is a Demon Sword and Olivia, her familiar, is currently inside her.
『Un. O-chan said that there should be remnant magic powers when we found Sybil-oneechan. Hikari thinks she knows how to use it if it's O-chan's magic powers』
「Is that so?」
I looked at Eleanor this time.
『Umu. She should be able to. Not to mention magic powers, as long as she gets more familiar with her, Hikari should be able to tell even what she's saying. I can hear even now that Sandros is cursing at me』
"Kuku", Eleanor laughed.
I see. They're related in that way huh, the Demon Sword and its familiar.
Hmm, huh?
Something's just bothering me with that now……
『Ne〜, ne〜, Otou-san. Can Hikari search now?』
I was about to give it a thought, but my thoughts were interrupted by Hikari's voice.
Hearing Hikari asking for something makes me want to grant it whatever it is, and even more since it's something needed to be done.
『This doting parent』
I completely ignored Eleanor's teasing and placed my hand on Hikari's hilt.
「I'm counting on you, Hikari」
『Un! Mumumumu〜……』
Hikari braced her self and after a while.
『I found her〜!』
Hikari exclaimed. She sounded so cute.
「You know where she is?」
『Un! I'll teach Otou-san where okay〜』
「Teach me……? Ohh, whereabouts are appearing inside my head」
『Get it〜?』
「It's perfect. Good job Hikari」
『Ehehe〜……』
I stroked Hikari's hilt and walked to the place that was directly sent to my head.
From the crowded streets, I entered the back alley and took many turns.
I found Sybil there.
She seems to be completely exhausted. She was sitting on the ground while resting her back on a building's wall.
「You're here」
「Ah……!」
Sybil quickly stood up and tried to run.
She clearly looked unwell, her steps unsteady as if she would collapse anytime.
I caught up to her just by simply walking and grabbed her arm.
「Let go, please let goーー」
「Calm down. I'm not from the church」
「ーーeh?」
「I won't bring you back to them, so don't worry」
「……You're lying. Why would someone who isn't from the church knows about me and them」
That's reasonable.
「That isーー」
「I heard a voice over here!」
「It's a woman's voice!」
Sybil swallowed her breath while her body stiffened.
The instant when I was about to make up an excuse that would make her convinced, it looks like those guys from the church found this place.
It's fine handing her over to them, but……that way, she would just run away.
「Yosh」
I released my camouflage aura and enveloped myself along with Sybil.
「W-We need to leave……let go of my hand, please」
「It's okay」
「It's not okay. The people from the church areーーahh!」
Sybil raised a scream-like voice.
It's because the church's believers appeared from the corner.
"We're found", she looked down in resignation while her body got even tenser.
「She's not here」
「I heard her voice over here. She might've escaped through there」
The believers said and ran away passing in front of us.
「……huh?」
Sybil was surprised. She looked like she can't understand what just happened.
「W-What just happened?」
「I hid our appearance using something like magic」
「Magic……」
We sat down together in the back alley while enveloped by my camouflage aura.
I made Sybil sit down first because she really looks like she'll collapse anytime.
「Uhm……thank you, very much」
「It's nothing. More importantly, why are you running away from the church?」
「……it's not like I'm running away from them」
After staring at me for a while, Sybil said. Did she think that she could trust me even for a little?
「But, I really need to return as soon as possible」
「Return?」
「Yes, everyone is waiting for me. I need to go back to where the children are and teach them」
「It's not something to hurryーー」
「It is! The time during their childhood is more important than after when they grow up. I cannot waste time for those children who wish to learn!」
Sybil exclaimed.
It's not like I can't understand what she's saying, but……
「Rather than that, why are you doing it by yourself? I heard that you are using your own wealth to do that」
「……it's that」
「That?」
What does she mean?
「My situation, it's started to go around in rumors right」
「Ahh, rather than rumor's it'sーー」
「I know, I know that this isn't something that can be done by an individual. I've been wanting to ask Her Majesty the Queen about it a few years now, but I would be rejected by her aides, unable to borrow Her Majesty the Queen's ears」
『It should be the time when those eunuchs were around』
「I see, you were completely obstructed by them huh」
「Yes, that's why I can only do it myself. And now that there are rumors about this weird person using her wealth to teach in villagers, that rumor might someday reach Her Majesty the Queen's ears, it might be better than using the orthodox method」
「I see」
「If someday, Her Majesty could lend her ear……」
「I'll make her」
「Eh?」
Sybil was surprised. I stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder while she looked at me questioningly.
I opened my Different Dimension Warehouse, took out my Warp Feather, and warped to the palace in Meteora.
Instantly, from the dirty back alley, we arrived at a luxurious room almost equal to paradise on earth.
It's the queen's room.
「T-This place is?」
「Hey〜, Rica」
「Eh?」
Sybil was surprised once again. I just left her there and headed to the center of the room where Rica is sitting with a table in front of her.
She was looking through papers stacked up in front of her, looking like she's in the middle of a decision.
「You came」
「I did. I brought her with me while I'm at it」
I pointed at Sybil who looked dumbfounded.
Rica stood up and walked towards Sybil.
「You are?」
「M-Me?! Ahh!!」
Sybil screamed and quickly stood up.
She hurriedly fixed her posture and named herself to Rica.
「I am Sybil Crass. T-There is something I wish Her Majesty the Queen to listen to」
「Is that so」
Rica looked at Sybil. She then looked at me, then returned her eyes to Sybil again.
「Although I do not understand what is going on, you are someone brought to me by Lord Yuuki. I shall bear listen to you」
「I-It is my greatest honor!」
Sybil quickly bowed her head.
After she finished bowing, Sybil's face as she looked at me was full of gratitude.
「She got me」
『Hoe〜?』
『The way she did it is really befitting of the master of the Rose Garden』
Eleanor laughed mischievously.
Rica expected that this would happen, doing it in a way that Sybil would direct her thankfulness to me.
Rica, the master of the Rose Garden.
A woman who made her own harem, doing many things to make it as mine.
- -