192: Talking about teaching someone something, huh?

I handed Eva the same kind of communication magic device I have, and took back the old one.

"With this new one, unlike before, you can request mental resonance—centered on sight and hearing—from someone who's holding the magic device ring. Once you confirm their consent, your senses are shared."

I showed Eva the appropriate magical formula as I taught her the communication method.

"Unlike before, the one using this higher-tier device has to expend magic power, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah. Fast learner."

Eva leaned in, peering at the papers spread across the table—those covered in theory and magical formulas. She was unconsciously moving closer to me.

I was sitting, pointing at diagrams. Couldn’t move now. Standing up right this second would look weird.

"When connecting to multiple people at once, one person provides the visuals and audio, and everyone shares the conversation through language-based thought. The enchantment formula for that is this one, and this one."

"Huh. Makes sense. With multiple people, sharing visuals with each other’s eyes is impossible, huh."

I pointed at the formula, and Eva’s face leaned in again, drawn to my gesture. We were so close I could feel her breath.

"Ah, ah. There’s a way to fake it, but the magic consumption is brutal."

"So you’re using this enchantment formula, then?"

Eva pointed at the one written farthest away from her, right across from me.

Which meant her body pressed even closer to mine.

"O-oh. Y-yeah. That’s right."

"Huh. This one really spikes the magic consumption, doesn’t it?"

"Ooooh, y-yeah."

Eva leaned forward sharply, her upper body stretching across the table, blocking my view in front of her with small, nervous movements.

So, right in front of me, her... chest is bouncing.

Weird. I’m trying to look away, but it’s like I’m cursed—can’t tear my eyes off it!

“Then, if we combine this spell formula… Craft?”

Eva leans in, curious, her face peering over my shoulder. My whole body’s acting weird—her chest’s practically touching my nose, and I’m frozen, sweating.

“Y-You okay…? Ahh!”

She finally notices her own position and jerks back, flustered.

“W-Wait! You’re too close! Too close!”

“W-Whoa! I didn’t move! You’re the one who came in!”

Her face burns red as she fumbles to cover her chest. It’s… sexy… no, no—dramatic… no, actually, kind of hilarious.

I snapped back at her then, but honestly—ask any man out there.

You hear me?

Even if it’s the truth, when a man stumbles into a woman’s embarrassing moment, he’s gotta apologize!

Even if it’s not his fault!

I should’ve learned that from Persia’s shower incident, but here I am—making the same damn mistake again.

“S-so just step back or give a warning, why not!?”

“I-It’s just… this position’s the best for explaining…”

“Stand up! Use a stick or something, why not!?”

Huh… yeah, I guess that’s true!

I never thought of that!

“You’re a little too careless around men, you know!”

“I’ve never been one to skip on self-defense around men!”

“Then it’s like you’re only letting your guard down with me and Raidock!”

“…Eh?”

“…Eh?”

My words froze Eva in place, her face turning crimson.

…Eh… what?

“…Craft-san.”

“Y-Yes?”

Eva glared at me hard. Her face was crimson, all the way to her ears.

“P-Please explain seriously! 'Sky Burst!'”

“Gyahhhhhhh!”

I’d taken a few solid hits from wind magic, but overall I managed to finish my explanation without too much trouble.

Tch... well.

◆

“Craft-sama.”

I was in my alchemy chamber at home, working on research to reduce mana consumption from the enlarged teleportation gate, when Kyle showed up.

Maina and Persia were with him.

The guard knights were waiting in the hallway, I guess.

“What’s up, Kyle?”

“Yes. Could you keep Maina and Persia here at the manor for a while?”

“Both of them?”

“Yes. We’ve got you, Javir, and Ryuuko here.”

“Ah, so you want to keep the guards together.”

“Yes. Could you do that for me?”

Maina’s eyes were glowing oddly as she looked up at me.

No real reason to refuse. My manor’s been guarded by the Holy Knights alongside Kyle’s anyway—safe enough.

But then, someone starts worrying.

“Won’t that leave Kyle alone? No Alphard around either.”

“I’ll be staying in the castle’s rooms for a while.”

“Ahh, I see.”

In Goldendown, there’s no safer place than the castle.

“Then why not bring Maina along too?”

“If she’d be a bother to her brother, I’ll do it. If she’s upset about living in the same castle as Zaid… well, it’s up to you.”

So it’s my call.

“Fine. Plenty of rooms free anyway.”

Lord Kyle’s manor and mine are built almost exactly the same. Plenty of rooms, high rank—no problem at all with Maina staying here.

Lyuuko’s already here as a maid. If Maina’s coming, she’ll bring her own personal attendant too.

“Thank you… Maina, brother’s busy. You shouldn’t bother him, okay?”

“Mm. It’s fine.”

Maina nods firmly.

She’s been speaking more lately. Good sign.

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Kyle leads the holy knight straight into the castle, muttering to himself as he goes.

Of course, I don’t know that.

“Lyuuko isn’t a person to be protected—she’s one of the guards, really. Still, Raidock and Jitarou both said it’d be more fun not to tell brother until he figures it out himself…”

Kyle chuckles, like a kid with a secret.

Leifan’s still not quite getting it, huh. The report from Ryuko about the clan members caught trying to break into your brother’s manor—somehow they’ve mistaken it for a capture by holy knights or adventurers.

Kyle had learned by now that the same report could be interpreted differently depending on who read it.

“Wondering when the two of them will figure it out. Pretty entertaining, really.”

Chuckling to himself, Kyle vanished into the castle.

Anyway, once I gave Maina and Persia permission to stay, their luggage—along with that of their personal maids—was carried into the manor.

Thanks to Ryuko’s orders, the rooms were ready in no time.

“Maina, make yourself at home. I’ve got work to do, so feel free to roam. If you’re unsure, just ask Ryuko.”

He knows more than me, that’s for sure!

"Persia, I’m counting on you to look after Maina."

"Need you to tell me? I’ll guard her with my very life!"

Persia declared with a bite, but Maina muttered quietly.

"Persia… you’re stiff…"

"…Huh!? Maina-sama!?"

"Haha! Even Maina’s saying it now! Relax your shoulders, Persia! You’re too tight!"

"W-What?! A guardian must always keep their guard up—"

"That’s what ‘stiff’ means! At least loosen up while we’re in this house!"

The holy knights are guarding the estate outside, Persia. You’ve got to be a little more flexible.

Even Maina’s giving you grief now.

"Nuugh... nuugh..."

"Ah well. Back to work."

I returned to the alchemy room and resumed my research.

"...Um, Maina? That’s not a chair, you know?"

Maina was on my lap for some reason.

Huffing through her nose, acting oddly pleased.

Well, whatever. I’ll just keep her away when I’m handling dangerous reagents.

And so I resumed my research.

With Maina happily perched on my lap.

From the next day on, Maina came straight home after school and climbed onto my lap again.

The Kendall siblings complained, but I didn’t care.

“Maina won’t play with me, it’s so boring!”

Yeah, well.

And from this day forward, the footage Alphard had seen started being shared with us, under Kyle’s orders.

Evacuation preparations were probably ready. Everyone who wore a ring—except Maina, Shururu, and Plum—was allowed to know the details.

Plum’s just a guild employee. Naturally excluded.

…Wait.

Aren’t I a guild employee too?

No, I’m Kyle’s older brother. That’s fine. Leifan’s the guildmaster anyway.

Jitarou’s… Jitarou. Can’t help it.

Anyway, thanks to daily mental resonance sharing, we finally started to understand the state of the war between the Mizoho Shrine Nation and the monsters.