Chapter 152: Meeting a Girl and a Priestess’s Crisis

"Then shall we go home."

I spoke to the woman sitting beside me.

"W-wait. One more match! Ne, it’s fine, right? Like this!"

I looked at the owner of the voice fed up.

That woman in underwear sat in the seat in front of me across a table with cards lined up and bowed her head to me.

On the table to my left two women’s clothes were placed.

Looking right the fully nude woman I spoke to a moment ago was looking proudly at the woman sitting in the chair bowing her head.

"You get like this because you’re greedy~."

The fully nude woman sitting to my right declared in a drawn-out yet angry-seeming voice.

No, I don’t think that’s something you should say.

In the first place you’re the cause, right? I started to say and barely swallowed it.

"Haa."

The Dules are worrying.

It does not look like they will let me go home until the very end.

The sun had already tilted and outside was red with sunset.

Only the magic light shining on the ceiling illuminated us three.

While answering Muriel’s worried voice echoing in my head I thought.

How did it come to this?

It all started on the way back from the castle when Sheena, Rosina’s daughter and Ji-Dule, called us to a stop.

...

"Hiroyuki-samaaa!"

"Nn?"

On the way back from the castle with Muriel and Sophia I felt someone call me.

When I turned around a girl was running this way waving her hand.

"Sheena...?"

"It seems so."

"I wonder what’s wrong."

I stopped and waited for Sheena running in a hurry.

"It’s rare for Sheena to hurry that much. What’s wrong?"

Sheena who normally calmly handles or cautions Rosina hurrying is rare.

Sheena who caught up hung her head in front of us, put her hands on her knees, and regulated her breathing.

"Haa, haa, I-I’m sorry, nku, haa, haa"

"It’s fine, take a deep breath for now."

Sheena took large deep breaths suu, haa, suu, haa.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I’m fine now. Thank you. More than that Mother is in trouble. For now could you come? Please."

Sheena knelt on the spot and prostrated.

"No, it’s fine, stand for now."

Regardless of the contents, being prostrated to by a girl who looks about ten years old is awkward, and above all looks bad.

While looking around I hurriedly stood Sheena up.

Sophia crossed her arms and stared hard at Sheena, but Muriel knelt and brushed the sand dust off Sheena’s knees.

"Um, etto..."

Sheena looked at me and Muriel alternately, confused, or rather fidgety.

Is she that hurried.

"Anyway let’s go see. I’ll hear the reason while running. Muriel and Sophia go home first."

Because she is hurrying it is better to rush quickly.

For that I should hold Sheena and run.

I thought to have Muriel and Sophia, who probably cannot keep up, go home first.

"However..."

Muriel looked at me worried.

Sophia also had a dissatisfied face.

"Ah, Muriel. You can talk with me by magic, right."

"Yes."

"Then if something happens I’ll call, so keep it connected."

"Yes, understood."

Muriel will probably be reassured with this.

"Sophia, I’ll leave Yanica to you. You can untie the rope soon."

I left Yanica, who was receiving punishment for stealing food, to Sophia.

...That one never learns.

"...Understood."

This one seemed reluctant, but well it should be fine.

"Then shall we go."

"Yes, sorry. Eh? Um, cho, uwah, uwaaaaaaa..."

I held Sheena who bowed her head and started running full speed on the road Sheena came.

"Around where?"

"Wah, wah, when we come to a turn, wah, I’ll tell you, wah, wah"

Sheena held under my arm seemed to navigate.

Then let’s ask the main point.

"So what happened to Rosina?"

"Ya, um, Mo-Mo-Mother is, toba, tobagu, ide, ida"

...Apparently she bit her tongue.

"...No, I’ll hear when we arrive."

"Zuibazemu... ah, gogo wo, idari ni..."

I turned left at the T-junction and went further straight.

"Ah, addchi ni... godchi ni... zogo, gogo, dezu"

I advanced the road as Sheena said and stopped in front of the building she pointed at.

It was a lonely private house that could even be called a ruined house.

I gently set Sheena down, leaned my back against the wall, and gently opened the door.

Looking inside fragments of broken furniture were scattered, and it did not look like people could live there.

However dust had not piled that much.

Camouflage perhaps.

As proof of that there were signs of people... about six.

"Is Rosina in here?"

"Yes, in here Mother is toba..."

"Who is it!"

Perhaps sensing our presence a man’s shout could be heard from inside.

"..."

"I’ve returned."

"!"

While I killed my presence Sheena stood straight and answered.

Oi oi oi...

I immediately grabbed Sheena’s arm and pulled, and whispered.

"What’s this?"

"Mother told me to bring Hiroyuki-sama back. The other side has already consented."

...My hasty conclusion?

When I stood Sheena conversely pulled my hand and I entered the building.

Surrounded by three men wearing swords I walked a dark corridor.

The three all seemed to have decent skill, but... well if something happens I can escape even protecting Sheena.

When we went to the far end one of the men knocked the door there.

"Ane-san, the young lady has come back."

"Let them in."

A woman’s voice from beyond the door.

When the men opened the door I narrowed my eyes at the overflowing light.

However immediately the state inside the room began to be seen.

In the center a table for about four was placed, and beyond it a woman in her mid-thirties wearing a dress sat.

On a small table to the right of the center table cloth that seemed clothes was piled.

And on this side of the table a familiar woman in underwear who was probably the owner of those clothes sat facing this way.

"Sheena~! Hiroyuki-kuun!"

That woman in underwear = Rosina stood and flew at me.

I immediately drew back and avoided.

Sheena beside me also drew back the opposite way and avoided.

Rosina who lost the catcher splendidly head-slid and fell face down on the floor.

"Mean! How mean! Not catching me in this appearance!"

She held a handkerchief from who knows where in her mouth and shed tears horo horo.

"It’s the usual."

"Ah, I know."

Sheena and I looked at Rosina and sighed.

"Are you Rosina’s lover?"

"I’m not."

The woman sitting beyond the table asked me something off the mark so I answered immediately.

"Hiroyuki-kuun, don’t pile on~."

Rosina called to me from behind in her usual drawn-out voice.

There are also men’s eyes, so for now I put my mantle on Rosina in underwear.

"As expected, Hiroyuki-kun~."

Saying that Rosina clung to me.

This time I’ll let her do as she likes.

"So how did it come to this?"

"That one~, she bullies me~."

She began crying shiku shiku out loud, no, began fake crying, Rosina.

"Nice to meet you. I am Lucia, colleague of that fallen priestess there. Pleased to meet you. Ah, I’m not a fallen priestess."

Ignoring Rosina the dress woman stood and greeted me.

"I’m Hiroyuki. Well, an acquaintance of this priestess-dono. Pleased to meet you."

I also walked to the front of the desk with Rosina hanging on my neck as is and shook hands across the desk with the dress woman = Lucia.

"So I want you to explain this situation."

The room door closed.

The ones in this room became four: me, Lucia, Rosina, and Sheena.

"That’s right. The talk is simple. I and this fallen priestess are just gambling. It’s just that we can’t pull out."

"What~, you’re telling me to go home in this appearance~? What if I’m attacked~."

Rosina puffed her cheeks looking angry.

Even if forced it looks cute.

There are people like that, possessors of natural charm.

"Then you called me to take this appearance of Rosina home?"

"No, to have you participate too."

Lucia looked at my eyes and said seriously.

"...Ha?"

Why me?

"Geez, this fallen priestess bet her body and heart and even her soul."

"And she lost?"

"Right. Those undergarments are my mercy."

"..."

I stared hard at Rosina.

"Tehe. Sorry~, Hiroyuki-kun~."

"...Haaaaaa."

I sighed a deep, that deep sigh as if my soul came out.

"Then sit there. You sit there."

As Lucia said I sat in the seat opposite Lucia, and Rosina sat to my right.

"Then I’ll start."

"Wait a moment. What are we doing from now?"

"Of course gambling."

"No, I understand that. That’s not it... ah, I thought maybe even I know it."

"...That’s right. Do you know numbered cards?"