Daybreak Rondo

by Yuri Kitayama

  Liselotte opened the carriage window. “What’s the matter?” she asked.

  “Amande has come into view. We will be arriving soon,” Aria reported, giving Liselotte only the necessary amount of information.

  Huh? W-We’re already here?! Liselotte’s expression froze over.

  “...Is something the matter, my lady?” Aria asked curiously.

  “N-No, it’s nothing. I was so immersed in conversation, I hadn’t realized how much time had passed,” Liselotte answered brightly, having regained her smile.

  In the end, I wasn’t able to speak to Sir Haruto at all because of the hero... she thought to herself. Hiroaki had dominated the entire conversation while they were moving. No matter what she spoke about, Hiroaki would immediately latch onto the topic and bring it in his own direction.

  “Thanks for the report.” Liselotte said to Aria, quietly closing the window.

  “Are we at Amande already?” Hiroaki paused the conversation to ask Liselotte.

  “Yes. It should be any moment now, so please get ready.” Liselotte repeated what she was told with a smile.

  “Hahaha. You say that, but we don’t have any belongings.” Hiroaki laughed cheerily.

  Liselotte returned his laugh with a forced one of her own before she made her move in the lull of conversation. “Incidentally, Sir Haruto, do you have any plans after this? If it is to your convenience, I would love to invite you to my estate...” She turned to Rio and asked.

  Rio frowned apologetically. “Please accept my apologies. I know it is rude to refuse the invitation of a noble, but unfortunately I have a rather urgent appointment to get to in Amande...” he said humbly.

  Liselotte also frowned apologetically. “N-No, it’s my fault for inviting you out of the blue... Then, would you be free to visit my estate on another day?” she offered instead.

  “Yes. If you are so willing, then it would be my pleasure.”

  Liselotte sighed in relief. “Then, it is decided. Thank you for going along with my whims,” she said happily.

  “No, I should be the one thanking you for the invitation,” Rio returned with a well-mannered bow.

  “Will you be staying in Amande for a while, Sir Haruto?”

  “Yes, that is my intention.”

  “And have you decided on your lodgings?”

  “No, the plan was to decide once I had met up with my company in Amande...”

  “In that case, allow me to welcome you to one of the inns under the Ricca Guild’s management,” Liselotte said. While she was more than happy to have him and his company stay at her estate together, this was the more courteous offer to make after he had refused once already. Being too pushy would just make her seem more rude.

  “I am grateful for your offer, but...” Rio hesitated in giving a clear answer. Considering it was an invitation, the accommodation was probably owned by Liselotte, and there was a high chance of it being a rather high class stay.

  “It’s the least I could do to show my gratitude. Won’t you please consider accepting? It would also make it much easier for me to send a messenger too,” Liselotte explained with a wry smile. Rio could have chosen to reject this proposal too, but after a moment of thought —

  “...I understand. I shall take you up on your offer, then. There will be three people, including me — two of which are women who don’t mind rooming together — if you could please take that into consideration,” he said respectfully, bowing his head. Now that he had told her he was staying in Amande, he couldn’t go and set up his stone house outside Amande anymore. Considering how this removed the hassle of searching for an inn, it seemed like a favorable trade off. Most importantly, having Liselotte aware of his location would also be beneficial.

  “Understood. I will make preparations accordingly.”

  “Thank you very much. I should be free at any time from tomorrow onward.”

  “I look forward to it,” Liselotte said, lowering her head respectfully.

  “I see you’ve been playing around, too, what with two ladies accompanying you. Nice.” Hiroaki grinned at Rio. After that, Hiroaki dominated the conversation once more, monopolizing the topics to his whim.

  Interlude: Let’s Make Uniforms!

  Meanwhile, far, far away in the village of the spirit folk...

  It was the middle of the day. Latifa and Sendo Aki were accompanied by their silver werewolf friend, Vera, as they returned to the house they were living together in. There, they found a group of four older girls gathered in the living room — Miharu, Sara, Orphia, and Alma.

  “We’re home!” Latifa and Aki called out enthusiastically as they returned.

  “Welcome home,” the older girls all replied to them warmly.

  “Huh?! What are you wearing, Orphia?!” Latifa spotted Orphia’s figure and beamed from ear to ear.

  “Fufu, the clothes from where Miharu lived before she came here,” Orphia replied, turning on the spot to show off her entire body. She had a beige blazer, a red ribbon at her chest, a knitted sweater, a plaid skirt, and black knee high stockings on. Orphia was wearing Miharu’s high school uniform from Japan.

  “Uwah...” Latifa’s eyes were sparkling with awe.

  Vera gazed at Orphia’s outfit curiously for a moment, before brightening up with a friendly smile. “Wow, you wouldn’t see those clothes anywhere in the village. But it’s really cute!” Beside her, Aki was also enchanted by the sight of Orphia in a school uniform. After a pause, she offered her opinion with a beaming smile.

  “Yeah, the uniform really suits you, Orphia!”

  “Ehehe, thank you.” Orphia thanked her with a smile.

  “...Uni... form?” Vera tilted her head.

  “The clothes that Orphia’s wearing. In the country we were from, older kids would go to school wearing the same clothes,” Aki immediately explained to Vera.

  “That’s nice! Hey, I want to try it too. Can I please wear it, Miharu?” The fox tail Latifa was so proud of swayed from side to side as she pleaded at Miharu.

  “Yes, of course.” Miharu giggled and agreed readily.

  “Hmm... But I think that size may be a little too big for Latifa?” Sara stared at Latifa’s body and commented her doubts.

  “Fufu. It was loose-fitting around Sara’s chest too, after all.” Alma said with a grin.

  “It was perfect height-wise! Unlike you, Alma!” Sara objected in embarrassment, but Alma brushed it off nonchalantly.

  “I am a dwarf, so I know I will be lacking in size in certain areas.”

  “Geez!” Sara pouted cutely. Miharu giggled in amusement at the exchange between the two of them.

  “Ah, then how about I lend you my uniform instead, Latifa?” Aki suggested.

  “Huh? You have a uniform too, Aki?” Latifa’s expression brightened at once.

  “Yup. I put it away in my room, so you can change there. Let’s go,” Aki said.

  “I’ll wait here in anticipation!” Vera remained in the living room with the older girls. Not long after, Latifa and Aki returned, and Latifa was wearing Aki’s school uniform.

  “...Ehehe, what do you think?” she asked with a smile, showing off her figure to the girls in the room. Aki’s uniform had a different design from Miharu’s, but it was also very cute.

  Vera’s eyes sparkled, and she was the first to speak up. “Wah! It suits you so well, Latifa!”

  “Ehehe, thank you,” Latifa said happily. She was still a primary school student when she lived in Japan as Endo Suzune, so she may have admired the school uniforms of middle school and high school students.

  “Yes, you look great in it. Make sure you show Haruto too,” Miharu said to Latifa with a smile.

  Latifa nodded happily. “Yup! But I’d want Onii-chan to see all of us in uniforms together, if possible. We should make them, just like we did with the swimsuits!”

  “Huh? These uniforms, for everyone? But unlike swimsuits, there isn’t much use for them...” Sara’s eyes widened in surprise.

&nbs
p; Yes, this was a different case to the swimsuits. While the uniforms were cute, their appearance was rather different to the general clothes of the spirit folk village, so wearing them as everyday wear would make them stand out. However, Orphia was on board with Latifa’s suggestion. “I think it’s a good idea. I’m sure it’ll be fun,” she said.

  “Yes, I agree. We’ll only be showing Haruto, but I don’t think it’s a bad idea.” Alma didn’t seem to be against it, either.

  “Don’t you want to show Onii-chan what you look like in a uniform too, Sara? I’m sure he’ll be surprised!” Latifa asked, her smile clearly seeing through Sara.

  “Ugh...” When Sara imagined herself wearing a uniform in front of Rio, her cheeks reddened. For some reason, she felt unreasonably embarrassed about it, possibly because it wasn’t her usual wear.

  Orphia giggled teasingly. “Fufu, if Sara isn’t into it, we could make it for ourselves and show Haruto without her.”

  “Wha — H-Hold it right there! I never said I wouldn’t! I’ll make it, I’ll make it too!” Sara said in a fluster.

  Latifa and Vera exchanged glances before giggling. “Fufufu...”

  “W-What are you two laughing at?” Sara asked the two of them in a voice squeaking with embarrassment.

  “Nothing!” they reacted innocently in sync.

  Miharu and Aki smiled while watching their exchange. “Ahaha!”

  “So that’s how it is, Miharu. Would you be willing to teach us how to sew once more?” Orphia asked.

  “Of course. I’d be happy to,” Miharu agreed easily.

  Latifa imagined all of them wearing uniforms and her face broke out into a happy smile. “Ehehe, I wonder if Onii-chan will be happy to see us.”

  “Yes, I’m sure he will! Rio really loves you, after all!” Vera declared firmly.

  “Yup, I know!” Latifa smiled with the most carefree smile. It was a face that knew fully that she was beloved by Rio.

  Latifa sure loves Haruto... Aki thought as she looked at Latifa, feeling a little homesick. She was remembering her stepbrother, Sendo Takahisa. While she didn’t express her affection as directly as Latifa, Aki was aware she also had an unnatural attachment to her brother. That was why when she saw Latifa wholeheartedly adoring Rio, she often ended up thinking about Takahisa. Perhaps she felt empathy in the way she also adored her own stepbrother.

  I wonder if Haruto’s noticed Latifa’s feelings?

  No, it wasn’t only Latifa — Sara, Orphia, and Alma had the same feelings, too. They were strongly aware of Rio’s presence as a person of the opposite sex.

  But Haruto’s surprisingly dull about these things. He seems like a very serious person, but does he have anyone he likes? Maybe someone from this group? Or perhaps Aishia?

  Aki looked at the girls around her as she pondered.

  Chapter 2: Arrival in Amande

  Rio, Liselotte’s party, and the others arrived in Amande. The carriage entered the city from the west gate and headed down the main street towards the city center, making its way to the northern district where Liselotte’s estate was located.

  “Thank you for accompanying me this far, Lady Liselotte.” Rio was dropped off at the square in the center of the city to make his way to the accommodation that was prepared for him.

  “It wasn’t a problem at all. I’ll send a messenger tomorrow morning, so please enjoy yourself for the rest of today. Aria, make sure you take care of Sir Haruto,” Liselotte said from where she was seeing Rio off outside the carriage.

  “Understood,” Aria replied, nodding her head respectfully. Liselotte boarded the carriage once more and headed for her estate and Aria began her task of leading Rio.

  “Allow me to show you the way, Sir Haruto. Please, follow me.”

  “Of course.” Rio started walking after Aria. A moment later, they arrived at the inn.

  “It’s over here.” The inn was located right in the square where the carriage had dropped them off. Being in the square at the center of the city, it was relatively close to Liselotte’s estate and was a highly desirable location.

  “Why, this is a most spectacular inn.” Rio looked up at the inn he was led to with wide eyes. The three-storey building was made of elegant stone and seemed to be newly constructed, as it still appeared as such. There was no mistaking that it was of a higher class compared to the other luxury inns in the area.

  “Thank you for the compliment. Please, come inside.” Aria bowed her head respectfully and approached the entrance of the building. Several employees were waiting on standby before the inn — They seemed to recognize Aria’s face, as they welcomed the two of them in without interruption.

  “Please have a seat over here and wait a moment, Sir Haruto.” Aria had Rio seat himself on a sofa in the lobby before heading to the front desk alone. Then, a female employee wearing a waitress outfit approached him.

  “Here you are, Sir Haruto,” The female employee said, placing a cup of tea down before the sofa. She must have heard his name from Aria. Then, not even a minute later, Aria returned.

  “Sir Haruto, preparations of your room have been completed. I shall lead you to it now, so please, follow me.”

  “Lead the way.” Rio stood up and bowed briefly before beginning to move. He was led to a room on the top floor of the building.

  “Would this room suit your liking? It has multiple bedrooms, so your company may stay in separate rooms from you if they so wish,” Aria explained once they arrived.

  Rio looked around the spacious room in awe. “Naturally, I would never find a fault with a room as wonderful as this...”

  The space allocated to the living room easily surpassed fifteen square meters, and there were multiple bedrooms on top of that. It was a pinch smaller than the stone house Rio owned, but it was undoubtedly the suite room.

  “If you are satisfied with this space, then you are free to stay here as long as you wish. It has been reserved for your use without limit. And there will be no need to worry about fees.” Aria bowed and spoke reverently. It was all rather lavish.

  “...I am much obliged.” Rio said apologetically, accepting Liselotte’s goodwill.

  ◇　◇　◇

  After Aria left the room, Rio sat down on the living room sofa and called out to Aishia through their telepathic connection. Aishia, can you hear me? For contract spirits like Aishia, it was possible to communicate with each other within a half kilometer radius.

  Yup, I hear you, Aishia responded immediately, making Rio smile.

  Thank goodness. Where are you right now? Since everything had happened so quickly, they had barely been able to communicate before parting, so Rio had feared he may have caused the two to worry.

  Having tea with Celia at a nearby café.

  Ahaha, I’m glad to hear that. They seemed to be having a more relaxing time than he expected, filling him with a sense of relief. However, that didn’t seem to be the case.

  Celia’s worried, so come here quickly.

  ...Got it. There are things I want to tell you two, so I’ll be right there. Rio quietly stood up from the sofa.

  ◇　◇　◇

  Rio left the key to his room with the front desk and headed outside to meet up with Aishia and Celia.

  Just keep going straight like that. We’re in a cafe named Ciel — we’re on the balcony on the second floor. Following Aishia’s directions, Rio arrived at the aforementioned cafe.

  “Welcome!” A pretty worker girl stood out front, welcoming Rio energetically.

  “My companions have arrived already. May I head inside?”

  “Of course. Go right ahead!” The girl agreed readily, leaving Rio to head up the staircase and towards the balcony. The balcony itself wasn’t very wide, having only enough room for one round table. Rio spotted Celia and Aishia sitting there right away.

  “He’s here,” Aishia said, immediately noticing Rio’s arrival.

  “Haruto!” Celia jumped up, running towards Rio worriedly.

  “Umm.
Sorry for the wait, Cecilia.” Rio smiled awkwardly, addressing Celia by her alias.

  “Was everything okay? Are you hurt anywhere?” Celia asked worriedly, feeling all over Rio’s body with searching hands. The two of them were standing at the entrance to the balcony, in plain view of the customers inside.

  “What’s this? The girl who was on the balcony is clinging to a man!”

  “Isn’t he handsome?”

  “The two that were sitting on the balcony seats were really cute, too.”

  And so on. The female customers having tea at the cafe gossiped, their attention on the three.

  “Ahaha, I’m not hurt at all, so please, don’t worry. It feels like everyone’s staring at us, so why don’t we sit down first?” Rio felt the gazes stabbing into his back from inside the store and suggested they sit down with a grimace.

  “Y-Yeah.” Celia became aware of the fact that she was clinging to Rio and blushed furiously. She turned on her heel and timidly returned to her seat.

  “Waitress, please bring me the cafe’s recommended tea.” Rio called out his order to the worker girl who had just come up the stairs to take his order, requesting an order of tea before going out on the balcony to sit next to Celia and Aishia.

  “I apologize for making you worry, but the battle ended without incident. Cecilia’s friend was also completely unharmed, so you need not worry about her either,” he said to Celia. From this seat, the customers inside the cafe shouldn’t have been able to hear him. They would continue using aliases just in case, but their conversation should be fine to hold as long as they kept an eye out for the waitress. Incidentally, the table they were seated at already had several scones that they must have ordered earlier. Celia didn’t seem to have much of an appetite, but Aishia was still chewing away eagerly, even now.

  “Y-Yeah. We were watching from above up until just before the battle ended...” Celia nodded hesitantly.

  “Then you should know that I am not injured, no?” Rio chuckled in amusement.

  “W-Watching you was nerve-racking! You may have been overwhelmingly strong, but the monsters you were facing were huge too!” Celia said, pouting her lips. Rio may have been overwhelming, but the sight of him crossing swords from head-on with such gigantic monsters was heartstopping. It was enough to make her worry that Rio was being hurt somewhere she couldn’t see with her naked eye.