[User] “Welcome home.” Mel ran up to Rae and gave her a warm hug. Her chest, which was voluptuous enough to make Rae doubt they were related at all, pressed up against Rae's face.

[Assistant] “I-I’m suffocating.”

[User] “Oh, sorry.”

[Assistant] “Might you be Rae’s older sister…?”

[User] “Oh my, sister? You’re quite the flatterer, aren’t you?” Mel put her hand to her cheek, blushing, and swayed. “This is my…”

[Assistant] “I’m Rae’s mother, you adorable thing.”

[User] “Really?” Claire said. “Not your sibling, then?”

[Assistant] Yes—this was my mother, Mel Taylor. She definitely didn’t look like she could possibly have a daughter my age. We were often mistaken for sisters.

[User] “Now, now. That’s enough flattery. Rae, are you going to introduce me to your friend?” My mother finally came back down to earth.

[Assistant] “This is Claire François. She is the only daughter of Dole François, Minister of Finance, and she is my employer.”

[User] “Please, call me Claire. It’s very nice to meet you.”

[Assistant] My mother’s mouth was agape at this for a moment, but then she smiled and said, “Thank you for taking such good care of my daughter. I hope your relationship may continue.”

[User] “Uh, Rae. What were you talking about before? Your mother is wonderful,” Claire whispered, accusingly.

[Assistant] “Well, she may look harmless, but…”

[User] “But?”

[Assistant] “Miss Claire, where is your jacket?”

[User] “Huh?”

[Assistant] “Oh, I’m sorry. I do that…” My mother said, holding Claire’s jacket.

[User] “Hey! What on earth? !”

[Assistant] “My mother has the bad habit of undressing people that she likes.”

[User] “So it was true? !” Claire grabbed her jacket from my mother and took a step back as if she was afraid for her safety. “I-I’m sorry. You just have such an ideal figure, I wanted to take your measurements…”

[Assistant] “And what does that have to do with undressing me? !”

[User] “My mother acts on instinct. Apparently, she isn’t even consciously aware of what she’s doing until it’s done.”

[Assistant] “That’s not something you can do unconsciously!” Claire cried.

[User] “What’s all the commotion?” A giant of a man—over six feet tall—appeared.

[Assistant] “Oh, honey, Rae is home. And she brought the cutest girl with her,” my mother explained.

[User] My father turned his penetrating gaze to us.

[Assistant] “I’m home, Dad.”

[User] “N-nice to meet you.” I was used to him, but Claire looked a little frightened. As his daughter, I’d be the first to admit my dad had a scary face. But—

[Assistant] “It is most lovely to meet you, Miss Claire. My name is Van Taylor, and this is my clothing store. Thank you for taking such good care of my daughter,” my father said, showing her the utmost respect.

[User] “You know who I am?”

[Assistant] “You are the most famous young lady in this country after the royal family. Of course I know who you are.”

[User] “Is that so? Please, there’s no need to be so formal.”

[Assistant] “Dad, I was hoping to have Miss Claire stay here a few days. Is that all right?”

[User] “Well, well, well. She is more than welcome.


[User] "Right, honey?"

[Assistant] "We can’t possibly expect her to put up with such humble conditions…"

[User] Dad was reluctant. "Please don’t feel the need to indulge me. As your guest, I will be grateful for whatever you have to offer.”

[Assistant] Claire surprised me with her gracious words. “Oh my, my, my. What a modest and humble aristocrat. Please, you are more than welcome to request some indulgences."

[User] Mom was even more smitten with Claire than before.

[Assistant] “But…we don’t have a room?”

[User] “I can stay in the same room as Rae."

[Assistant] “But where would you sleep…?”

[User] “We can bring a cot in from the main house. Miss Claire can use Rae’s bed and Rae can sleep on the cot."

[Assistant] “Or we could sleep in the same bed!”

[User] “Oh my, my, my? Do you two have that sort of relationship?”

[Assistant] “Yes.”

[User] “No, we do not! I mean, if we must sleep in the same bed, that’s fine, but—” What was going on with Claire? She was being unusually meek and mild.

[Assistant] “I’ll bring the cot…”

[User] "Yes, please. And let’s close the store for the day. Oh, make sure you work up an appetite for dinner!” My parents went off to prepare for Claire’s stay. Or so I thought, until—

[Assistant] “Darling, how could you act like that after Rae finally brought home a sweetheart for us to meet? !”

[User] “Honey, have you lost your mind? That’s the daughter of the François family…” Their conversation in the back room was entirely audible to us, but I pretended not to hear. Claire had a complicated look on her face.


[Assistant] To escape the awkwardness, I showed her to my room, carrying the bag with her clothes and other items as we headed up the stairs.

[User] My bedroom was even smaller than the dorm rooms at school. It was simple, about ten by ten feet wide, and had a bed, desk, and one dresser. As a commoner, even having my own room meant I had it better than most. It would have been different if I had any siblings. I put the bag on the floor and let out a sigh.

[Assistant] “So this is your room, Rae?”

[User] “It’s pretty bare, huh?”

[Assistant] “Well, yes. But there’s something comforting about it.” Claire sat on the bed and looked around. I took the chair from the desk and sat down as well.

[User] “Your parents are interesting.”

[Assistant] “I get that a lot.”

[User] “Especially your mother. I see where you get it from.”

[Assistant] “I get that a lot,” I said again. My father was reserved, but he had plenty of common sense, while my mother couldn’t really be said to have any. Not to mention the thing with the clothes… Honestly, though, the strangest thing about my mother was that everyone liked her despite her oddities.

[User] “Are you sure you’re okay staying here? There is an inn nearby, you know?”

[Assistant] “This is fine."


[User] “But…” I looked at her quizzically. “We’re imposing on your family.”

[Assistant] “Well, yes,” I said honestly.

[User] “Still, my mom’s sure to whip up a feast for us tonight.”

[Assistant] “Sh-she will?”

[User] “Just relax, Miss Claire. I’ll unpack our bags.”

[Assistant] I’d brought Claire out here so she could get away from the mansion. If she spent her reprieve worrying, that defeated the purpose.

[User] “Yes…I’ll do that,” Claire said and then lay down on the bed as if she were exhausted. She was soon breathing deeply. I thought to myself, Does that mean…you’re starting to trust me? My spirits soared at the sight of Claire’s defenseless, sleeping face in my bed. I joyfully started unpacking.


[Assistant] “Now then, in celebration of Miss Claire visiting our home… Cheers!”

[User] “Cheers!”

[Assistant] “Cheers…” "Thank you so very much.”

[User] Rae's Family raise their glasses—filled with fruit juice—and began their evening meal.

[Assistant] “Miss Claire, please eat as much as you’d like.” My mother, bursting with joy at the opportunity to entertain such a cute guest, encouraged Claire to partake.

[User] “Y-yes…”

[Assistant] “Now, now, no pressure. If you don’t like something, you don’t need to eat it."

[User] “Oh no, I would love to.” She extended her fork to the herb-grilled chicken and daintily lifted a piece to her mouth.

[Assistant] “…It’s delicious.” Her smile was perfect, but I knew it was fake.

[User] “Miss Claire, please, you must try this soup. We made a proper consommé today!”

[Assistant] “Thank you very much.” Claire kept her perfect smile painted on her face as she took a spoonful of soup and then praised it.

[User] “Oh my, my, my…? You’ve barely touched your plate?”

[Assistant] “No, Mom. Miss Claire always eats small portions. Miss Claire, would you like some fruit? It’s freshly picked and tastes really good.”

[User] “Oh yes, please. Thank you, Rae.”

[Assistant] Somehow, we got through the rest of the meal. I told my parents all about the Academy over some after-dinner tea, starting with the time Claire and I went in the haunted house at the school festival.

[User] “Miss Claire was so frightened!”

[Assistant] “I-I was not!”

[User] Claire denied.


[User] “So Miss Claire is afraid of ghosts?” My mother laughed as if she found the story heartwarming.

[Assistant] “In that case, you should probably stay away from the beach."

[User] “Why?” I had been looking forward to swimming in the ocean.

[Assistant] “It seems that undead have been spotted along the coast lately…”

[User] “It’s really been a problem for the fishermen.” According to my parents, undead had been haunting the coast for about a week now. There weren’t many, and the neighborhood watch were currently keeping them at bay, but it was starting to get out of hand.

[Assistant] “In that case, we’ll destroy them.”

[User] “Well, well! But it’s so dangerous…and besides, I thought you were afraid of ghosts, Miss Claire?”

[Assistant] “The undead are monsters. Not ghosts. We can go to the coast first thing tomorrow. Right, Rae?”

[User] “Fine by me. Let’s take our bathing suits too. We can start your swimming lesson—”

[Assistant] “Shhh! Shhh!” Claire interrupted me, flustered.

[User] “Oh my, my, my? Miss Claire, do you have trouble swimming?”

[Assistant] “N-no, of course not. I am able swim; I simply wish to improve. That’s all.”

[User] “Why, that’s wonderful. Rae grew up by the water, so she should be able to give you some pointers. Rae, make sure you teach her well.”

[Assistant] “Yes.” It seemed like Claire wanted my mom to like her…but maybe I was imagining it.

[User] “It’s getting late. Miss Claire, you should rest,” my father said, looking at the wall clock.

[Assistant] “My, my, my. Time flies when you’re having fun.”

[User] “Yes. I’ll have a bath and then go to bed.”

[Assistant] “Umm…”

[User] “I’m sorry, Miss Claire. We don’t have a bath here.” Peasants didn’t bathe daily. We wiped our bodies down with wet cloths and went to the bathhouse once every few weeks.

[Assistant] “Oh… I see. I understand.”

[User] “I brought soap, so I’ll wipe you down in the bedroom.” Such was the awkward atmosphere in which we ended Claire’s welcome party.


[Assistant] "I really am fortunate,” she said quietly, almost to herself, as I gave her a sponge bath in my bedroom.

[User] “You didn’t like the food, did you?”

[Assistant] “I am so sorry, Rae… I didn’t realize it would be this different.” Peasant food had a far weaker flavor. It would have tasted exceptionally bland to Claire, who was accustomed to the ample use of spices and abundant condiments in aristocrat food.

[User] “It’s not just the food." Claire continued. "Not taking a bath…” There was a bath at the Academy, so she’d never had to confront her privilege in that matter. She seemed to be wrestling with the realization that the things she took for granted in her daily life were actually luxuries.

[Assistant] “Well, peasants don’t live like aristocrats,” I said, wiping Claire down.

[User] “I knew that. But I didn’t understand it. The Commoner Movement…”

[Assistant] “Yes?”

[User] "I thought their demands were silly."


[User] "But—"

[Assistant] "But?"

[User] "If our standards of living really are this different, then I understand why people might resent aristocrats." Claire said, her eyes downcast.

[Assistant] I put the wet towel on the water basin and started to help Claire into her pajamas, saying, “Miss Claire, you are a powerful aristocrat, right?”

[User] “Yes, I am.”

[Assistant] “In that case, why don’t you change the world?”

[User] “Change…the world?”

[Assistant] “Change the world in a way that makes the lives of peasants even just a little bit easier. That shouldn’t be an impossible task for you, Miss Claire.”

[User] “That…but…” Claire’s eyes lit up with understanding and then dimmed as she realized it wouldn’t be so simple a task.

[Assistant] “It wouldn’t be easy, of course. And I don’t believe it’s something you’re obligated to do. But if it’s something you want to do…”

[User] “Something…I want to do?”

[Assistant] “Yes. If it is your wish, then I will do everything in my power to help you.” I said, buttoning the front of her pajamas. Claire was speechless. She looked both happy and nervous.

[User] “You really are brazen, for a commoner.”

[Assistant] “What do you expect from your maid?” The fact that she was insulting me meant that she was feeling a bit better.

[User] “Hmm…”

[Assistant] “Now, let’s sleep. We’ll go to the sea tomorrow.” I said, turning off the light.

[User] “Yes, that’s right…” But Claire made no move to get in the bed.

[Assistant] “What’s wrong?”

[User] “This bed is pretty big, isn’t it?” she said, but it wasn’t. Even the bunk beds in the school dormitories were bigger.

[Assistant] “Is it?”

[User] “It is! So…”

[Assistant] “So?”

[User] “So… Ugh!” Claire was having a moment.

[Assistant] “You can sleep here with me.”

[User] “There won’t be much room, though?”

[Assistant] “It’s fine!” Claire grabbed my arm and shoved me on the bed, then lay down too.

[User] “Good night!”

[Assistant] “Good night…Miss Claire.” Could this be…Claire showing affection for me? I didn’t want to get my hopes up and start imagining things. No use overthinking it. I decided to get some sleep, switching my thoughts over to the sight of Claire in a swimsuit tomorrow.


[User] “Okay, Miss Claire. First put your face in the water.”

[Assistant] “You better not let go! You hear me? !” Claire’s expression was pathetic, and her words just childish.

[User] We were at a beach near my house. The sand was pure white and the water emerald green as far as the eye could see; not a sight you could easily find in 21st-century Japan. We were in the middle of Claire’s first swimming lesson. I started by assessing her level and discovered she couldn’t even put her face in the water. On my instruction, Claire screwed up her courage at length, as if preparing to jump off a building, then finally touched her face to the water.

[Assistant] “Blah!” She lifted her head in less than three seconds. “How’s that?!”


[User] “I did it, I put my face in the water!”

[Assistant] "Yes, you did. Now let’s try it for about ten seconds.”

[User] “What?! You’re going to make me do such advanced moves on my first day? !”

[Assistant] “That’s…not advanced.” I was starting to realize she wasn’t going to be swimming today. We were both in our bathing suits. Claire looked like a supermodel in her bright red bikini and white wrap. This world was theoretically supposed to resemble medieval Europe, so the presence of such modern swimsuits was a clear giveaway that it had been developed by Japanese people in the 21st century. The game developers would probably have been swamped by player complaints if the characters had showed up in historically accurate swimwear. Actually, Revolution had been designed for a female audience, so more design work had been put into the male swimsuits than the female ones. Of course, there were no boys here, making that irrelevant.

[User] “Let’s try for ten seconds.”

[Assistant] “Hmgh… Fine. I, Claire François, have mastered countless skills before and I shall do so again.” Claire talked herself up as she went through her tragic but brave preparations again before finally putting her face in the water.

[User] “Blah! How many seconds was that? !”

[Assistant] “Five.”

[User] “Ergh…this is hard. I never imagined humans were capable of such things…”

[Assistant] “Most people can do it, you know? !” I never imagined Claire would have this much trouble with water. I wondered if it was because her attribute was fire?

[User] “I wish to take a break.”

[Assistant] “What?! All you’ve done is put your face in the water twice!”

[User] “And that was plenty. If I am already able to put my face in the water for five seconds, soon enough I’ll be able to swim.”

[Assistant] “You will not!”

[User] "Rae! Miss Claire! I brought you lunch.” We looked up to see my mom waving at us with one hand and holding a basket in the other. In her swimsuit. She was wearing a black one-piece suit. It had two white stripes on the side. In other words, it was a typical school-issued swimsuit. A woman, in her late thirties, wearing a school-issued swimsuit. Worst of all, she was rocking it.

[Assistant] “Perfect timing. We were just taking a break,” Claire said as she wiped herself dry with the towel I handed her.

[User] “Oh, I see. How many meters did you make it to? You’re so talented, Miss Claire, I’m sure you could swim one hundred meters with ease,” my mother said with an innocent smile. She meant well. She wasn’t doing it on purpose.

[Assistant] “Oh, well…just about.” Liar!

[User] "Heh heh. I thought so. Oh, here is your lunch. I tried making some sandwiches,” my mother said, taking a cloth out of the basket to show us sandwiches and a thermos.

[Assistant] “Thank you very much,” Claire said sweetly, but her expression was stiff.

[User] “It’s okay, Miss Claire,” I whispered in her ear. She looked back, questioningly.


[User] “The sandwiches have things I suggested, like mayonnaise and mustard.” Mayonnaise wasn’t that hard to make, and even commoners had access to the ingredients.

[Assistant] “Yes, I followed Rae’s instructions! Please try it.” Mom said, holding a sandwich out to Claire.

[User] Claire looked concerned but hesitantly took a bite. "It’s delicious!”

[Assistant] “Well, well, well. That’s a relief. This mayonnaise thing really is delicious.”

[User] “Rae, is it popular in the capital?”

[Assistant] “Yeah. It was first introduced by a restaurant called Broumet. Apparently, all the aristocrats are eating it.”

[User] “Is that right? You must be taking Rae to some fancy places, Miss Claire.”

[Assistant] “Yup.” I wasn’t about to tell them I was the one who’d introduced mayonnaise to this world.

[User] “Really?”

[Assistant] “Anyway, Miss Claire, you’re just lovely today. Is this swimsuit also the fashion in the capital?”

[User] “I had it tailored just for me. This fabric wrapped around my waist is called a pareo, and they’ve been quite popular this year.”

[Assistant] “Oh… How wonderful.”

[User] “Mom, settle down. We don’t need you activating your bad habit right now.”

[Assistant] Claire snapped to attention and moved back from my mother. “I know that… Rae, you’re such a bully. And while we’re at it, your swimsuit is…uh…”

[User] “Mom, don’t sigh like that.” Embarrassingly, my swimsuit had also been issued by the school.

[Assistant] “You’re right about the swimsuit, but more to the point, your mother’s figure is so…so unlike yours.”

[User] “Don’t say that." Mom chided. “She’s still young.” I don’t know if it was because I was the main character in a game aimed at young women, but my figure was profoundly average. I mean, it wasn’t bad. It was fit enough, and slender, but I looked utterly plain in comparison to Claire’s more mature figure and my mom’s voluptuous curves.

[Assistant] “I’m still growing. I’ll get bigger.”

[User] “Give it all you’ve got.”

[Assistant] “Don’t give me that pitying look—hey, wait a minute…”

[User] Something was happening while we goofed around. Clouds sailed over the sun, and a chill filled the air. Before we knew it, we were surrounded by swirling fog coming in off the sea. Was this…magic?

[Assistant] “Rae! Look!”

[User] She was pointing at the silhouette of a tattered ship, looming through the fog.

[Assistant] “Is that…a ghost ship…?”


[User] The ghost ship’s appearance threw the entire town into an uproar. The local lord proclaimed a state of emergency, and would have sent a runner to request military aid, but—

[Assistant] “We’re trapped.”

[User] Claire complained, and she was right. The fog blanketing the outskirts of the town had us all penned in.

[Assistant] “This fog is magical in nature.”

[User] Misha said, calmly analyzing the situation. She, along with everyone in the town with the ability to fight, had come to the courtyard of the local lord’s mansion in order to discuss what could and couldn’t be done.


[User] "We need someone to step up and take charge. How about you, Miss Claire?"

[Assistant] "There has to be someone more qualified than my young, inexperienced self. And he isn’t about to let me tell him what to do." Claire pointed at the person emerging from the mansion.

[User] "Everyone, thank you for gathering here. Let me begin by expressing my gratitude." Dole’s voice dripped with condescension, but he also sounded supremely confident.

[Assistant] "I am Dole François, Minister of Finance of the Bauer Kingdom. Due to the extraordinary circumstances, the local lord has requested that I take command. I assume no one has any objections."

[User] "We have nothing to fear from a few undead. We have only to destroy them." Dole declared. "B-but, can we really defeat monsters that can conjure such a fog to imprison us…?" someone asked uneasily.

[Assistant] "You are right to be concerned. But do not worry. We have more than enough firepower at hand. Claire, Rae, Misha, come up here."

[User] Claire is caught off guard, but does as she was told.

[Assistant] Rae is caught off guard, but does as she was told.

[User] Misha is caught off guard, but does as she was told.

[Assistant] "These girls are star students of the Royal Academy. They outshine their peers when it comes to wielding magic."

[User] "Allow me to introduce them to you. First, this is Misha Jur. She had high aptitude in the wind attribute. In a mock battle at the Academy, she used her impressive skills to drive Prince Rod into a corner."

[Assistant] Misha bowed, keeping her cool, despite being suddenly put on the spot in front of a crowd.

[User] "Next is Rae Taylor. She is an earth and water dual-caster. Furthermore, both her attributes are ultra-high aptitude. She is one of the Academy’s most powerful mages."

[Assistant] I suspected he had an ulterior motive for heaping such praise on me. I bowed smoothly, reading the room.

[User] "Finally, this is my daughter, Claire François. Rather than explain Claire’s capabilities…it might be better to just have her show you. Claire, a tenth should do."

[Assistant] "Understood." Everyone’s eyes were on Claire, waiting with bated breath.

[User] Claire slowly raised both arms. Four François family crests appeared above her head.

[Assistant] "Light!" Four heat rays burst from the crests at Claire’s command and zeroed in on a large, decorative boulder in the corner of the yard.

[User] "Look! It’s turned to dust!"

[Assistant] "A-amazing… With power like that, the ghost ship could be smashed to kindling!" "He said that’s only a tenth of her power… We’re saved!"


[User] Calling that only a tenth of her ability was a pretty big bluff, though. I was pretty sure Claire had put everything she had in those beams just now. She and Dole were certainly doing this to assuage everyone’s fears, and they’d worked in unison with no prior discussion too. They were on the same wavelength.

[Assistant] “You see, you have no reason to fear. We will restore peace to the town with our own hands.” Dole’s words were greeted with loud cheers. Playing a crowd like this was second nature to a politician like him.

[User] “Now, the Adventurers’ Guild will be in charge of strategy. Everyone, do as they say.” With that, Dole went back inside the mansion.

[Assistant] “As one would expect of Master Dole.”

[User] “He really is a politician through and through.”

[Assistant] “My father only cares about making himself look good.” But she looked happy, nonetheless. Though their relationship was fraught, Claire respected Dole.

[User] “Aren’t you happy, Claire?”

[Assistant] “About what, Rae?” Claire looked at me vacantly.

[User] “At this rate, everyone is going to be looking at you to save them. I thought you were afraid of ghosts?”

[Assistant] “Oh…” It seemed Claire had forgotten.

[User] “I-I-I’m j-j-just fine! And the undead are not ghosts!”

[Assistant] “You don’t have to pretend with the two of us. If everyone sees you grow flustered when we’re actually in combat, it’ll affect their morale.” I pressed Claire.

[User] “That’s right.” Misha nodded in agreement.

[Assistant] “What should I do…?”

[User] “Maybe we should work on our own, away from the others?”

[Assistant] “In that case, we should notify the Guild right away—before they devise a strategy that includes us.”


[User] And so, we went to talk to the head of the Adventurers’ Guild.

[Assistant] Louie chuckled when he heard what we came to say. “Ah, so you have an unexpected weakness.”

[User] “Can we make this work or not?”

[Assistant] “To be honest, the three of you are in a league of your own when it comes to your combat abilities. Even if I teamed you up with the rest of these guys, they’d have a hard time keeping up. I was actually hoping you might go off on your own.” Adventurers were a free-spirited sort who had little regard for status or social niceties; Louie spoke casually, even when addressing Claire. Claire understood this, of course, and she didn’t raise an eyebrow at his lack of formality.

[User] “Based on my experience, I’m guessing that ghost ship answers to something bigger. How about we clean up the riffraff and you three go after the big boss?”

[Assistant] “That sounds like the only solution.”

[User] “Ah, but—” Louie started again, a bit apprehensively. “Do you think you can help us out a bit, just to start? If you could use that spell again, even just for the first charge, it would sure boost these guys’ morale.”

[Assistant] “Just…just at first, right?”

[User] “Yeah. Can you?


[User] “We can come up with something else if not.”

[Assistant] “No… It’s fine. I’ll do it.”

[User] “Great. Then you can leave the rest to us.” Louie said, and he returned to talking strategy with the rest of the guild.

[Assistant] “We’re with you,” I told Claire.

[User] “I’m sure it will be fine.”

[Assistant] “We will support you.” Misha agreed.

[User] “Yes, please…” Claire had a dark look on her face. She somehow managed to make even that look cute.


[Assistant] The fighting force we’d mustered, which numbered thirty people in total, split up into smaller boats and rowed toward the ghost ship. We hadn’t yet encountered any foes, but we were on high alert as we came dangerously close to the ship. Just as I thought that—

[User] “They’re coming!” an adventurer in the first boat called out.

[Assistant] I strained my eyes to pierce the fog and saw bird-like monsters flying toward us. There looked to be about ten.

[User] “Miss Claire! You’re up!” Louie called out.

[Assistant] “Mm, understood.” she responded.

[User] Since the monsters were still far away, we couldn’t make them out clearly. Perhaps that helped, because Claire didn’t look all that scared.

[Assistant] “Light!” The heat rays struck the flock of birds, incinerating most of them.

[User] “That didn’t get them all.” Louie clicked his tongue.

[Assistant] “Leave it to me.” Misha said. A high-pitched sound cut through the air, and the rest of the bird monsters fell.

[User] “That many monsters in a single instant…”

[Assistant] “W-we can do this!” Our overwhelming victory in this first skirmish raised everyone’s spirits.

[User] Louie gave us a thumbs-up to show his appreciation.

[Assistant] We fought a few more monsters on the way to the ghost ship but made it through without a single casualty.

[User] “Here comes the real battle.” Louie said after confirming that the entire team had boarded the ghost ship. “Just as we discussed. Groups A to E, clear the way. The girls and I will take the captain’s cabin.”

[Assistant] The other guys rapidly dispersed to take up their positions in accordance with Louie’s command. He was an experienced adventurer and a good leader, as evinced by his ability to give precise, efficient orders. We had barely set foot on the upper deck when we were confronted by ten undead in the form of shambling skeletons.

[User] “Don’t hold back!” Louie ordered. “We have the advantage in numbers! Surround them and take them down!”

[Assistant] And so the battle to take back the ship began.


[User] It took us two hours to fight our way through to the captain’s cabin, and everyone was exhausted by the time we got there. Louie was keeping me, Misha, and Claire back as trump cards, directing us to conserve our offensive magic and protect the rest of the team instead. The undead were weak, but there were a lot of them, and the team was tiring. Many of the men were wounded and flagging.

[Assistant] “Commander, it’s the captain’s cabin!” Their faces lit up, however, when they heard those words from the adventurer scouting ahead.


[User] "Okay. The four of us will go in. The rest of you, secure the perimeter and keep the monsters off us."

[Assistant] "Roger that." With Louie leading the way, Claire, Misha, and I ducked into the captain’s quarters

[User] "Wait a second…" The room was empty. I’d been expecting to face some kind of mini-boss, and the anticlimax left me deflated.

[Assistant] "Maybe we’re in the wrong room?"

[User] "No. This is the right one." Louie was adamant. He pulled out a magic scroll.

[Assistant] "I’ll set up a barrier."

[User] "But there’s nothing here?" Misha said, looking around the room.

[Assistant] "Not yet. I need to summon the boss, first." The moment I heard that, I jumped in front of Claire. Misha armed herself with her wand and took up a combat stance.

[User] "It’s you…"

[Assistant] "You girls are so sweet. Trusting everything I say just ’cause I’m an adventurer." Louie chuckled as he walked toward the back of the room.

[User] "Louie—this is you? You’re the enemy?" Claire gasped.

[Assistant] "Enemy? Yes, I suppose I’m an enemy," Louie said, holding out his left hand. On his finger was a ring I recognized.

[User] "The magical tool to raise the dead!" I swore.

[Assistant] "You know what this is? I suppose you understand what’s happening here, then."

[User] "There are no corpses here for you to raise."

[Assistant] "I’m about to make one." Louie pulled a perfume bottle from his inside pocket. It was filled with a transparent liquid.

[User] "With this—the newest blend of cantarella."

[Assistant] "What?! You’re a Nur Empire assassin? !"

[User] "Yes, I am. Please forgive me," Louie said, actually sounding genuinely apologetic.

[Assistant] "A bit arrogant to share that with us, isn’t it?"

[User] "Maybe. But we all have our debts to pay." He really did sound like he regretted this. However…

[Assistant] "This ghost ship, it’s yours?"

[User] "For now. Let’s say I’m borrowing it from some Bauer aristocrats." In other words, we weren’t Louie’s first victims. He had passed the point of forgiveness.

[Assistant] "Now that we know you have poison, we will respond appropriately."

[User] "Are you saying…you know the antidote?" Louie laughed.

[Assistant] "I told you, this is the newest kind of cantarella. Magic doesn’t work on anyone it infects, which means your detoxifying magic is useless too."

[User] "Then we just need to avoid being poisoned." Claire replied aggressively. Louie didn’t stop laughing.

[Assistant] "No one said I was going to use this on you."

[User] "What? !" Claire’s surprise was genuine. Louie opened the lid of the cantarella and emptied the bottle in one gulp.

[Assistant] "Ugh?! Hngh…!"

[User] "Suicide…?" Misha was the first of us to grasp what was happening.

[Assistant] "No—he’s turning himself into an undead!"

[User] "What? !"

[Assistant] "Cure him with your magic!"

[User] "No! The cantarella is already working!"

[Assistant] "Monster…" Louie’s skin stretched and tore as he writhed on the floor, exposing reddish black muscles, which began to swell. His young man’s body bulged, warped, and expanded until he was massive, like an ogre.

[User] "Let’s run!" Claire yelled.


[User] "You can’t." Louie said, in a voice that was decidedly not human. "The magic scroll he used…" The barrier had been meant to trap us. "Now, be good little girls and let me kill you."

[Assistant] "No, thank you!" Claire launched a fire spear. It struck Louie directly—and had no effect.

[User] "I see… The poison nullifies all magic, not just detoxifying magic." Misha said with analytical calm. "So the reason you had us hold back was to wear down all the men who can fight physically?"

[Assistant] "Now you’re starting to get it."

[User] I demanded. Brute strength was not our forte. Without our magic, we were at a severe disadvantage, and there was no one left to rescue us. The looks on Misha and Claire’s faces matched my thoughts—this was bad.

[Assistant] "What are the people outside doing? !" Claire demanded.

[User] "There are still monsters out there. And maybe they can’t come in through this barrier." Misha answered, still calm.

[Assistant] "Give up. If you don’t resist, I’ll give you an easy death." Louie stood, drawing a massive bastard sword.

[User] "I have an idea." I said to Claire and Misha. "Miss Claire, please use some low-level spells to hold him back a bit. Even if it doesn’t hurt him, enough force might knock him back."

[Assistant] "Understood." It seemed she trusted me enough to not ask for more. Claire switched from shooting fire spears to raining down fire bombs, filling the cabin with the sound of explosions.

[User] "Misha, please use your magic to scan the rest of the ship for enemies."

[Assistant] "Do you think we’re about to be ambushed?" A rare hint of despair showed on Misha’s face.

[User] "Nope. I want you to search the entire ship, other than this room. Find me a spot with very few foes."

[Assistant] "Why—"

[User] "I don’t have time to explain. Trust me."

[Assistant] "Okay."

[User] "Claire and I will buy time." I said, conjuring some water bombs to throw at Louie.

[Assistant] "Your attacks are futile…" he said.

[User] "You think that’s going to make us give up? !" Claire narrowly dodged the tip of Louie’s blade, catching his ankle with her foot as she passed him. He fell, clearly still unused to his newly swollen, cumbersome undead form.

[Assistant] "Miss Claire, be careful!" Claire was certainly the most capable of us in terms of physical combat, but she still wasn’t able to keep up with Louie.

[User] "But if we don’t end this now, he’s just going to wear us down!"

[Assistant] "It’s going to be okay. I know how to get us out of this."

[User] "I can trust you, right?"

[Assistant] "Of course!" As I nodded to Claire, we rained down a storm of mingled fire and water bombs on Louie.

[User] "I’ve finished my search. The room with the fewest monsters is the third one from the stern."

[Assistant] "Thanks, Misha." She was fast. "Now help Claire hold him back. I need to do something. Buy me time."

[User] "Okay."

[Assistant] This was it. "My body is for Miss Claire." I started chanting somberly.


[User] “My blood is for Miss Claire. Every beat of my glass heart is for Miss Claire. Miss Claire, Miss Claire.”

[Assistant] “What in the world are you doing?!”

[User] “Miss Claire, please concentrate!”

[Assistant] “What are you playing at?” Louie said inquisitively, plodding forward through Misha and Claire’s attacks.

[User] I had no intention of answering him. The spell I was chanting sounded strange to others, but I concentrated only on what I needed to do. A loud rumble rose somewhere far away. The ship swayed violently.

[Assistant] “What is that…?”

[User] “Miss Claire, don’t stop!” But that moment of hesitation had been enough. Louie closed in on Claire and swung his sword at her. Without thinking, I stopped chanting and hit him with water bombs. “Miss Claire!” I was too late—but she didn’t need my help. Something repelled the sword and turned its tip aside. Claire seized that chance to regroup and resume her barrage of fire bombs, driving Louie back once more to give herself space. I was so anxious I thought my heart might stop, but I went back to work. The sound grew louder and the swaying more violent. And then—the door burst off its hinges. A torrent of seawater surged in, carrying with it a flood of swords.

[Assistant] “Misha, Miss Claire! Use your magic to stab Louie with those swords!” There was no reply, but they both worked fast. Instantly switching from bombs to propulsion, Claire used explosions and Misha used wind to drive the swords carried in by the water at Louie. I joined them. “Unlimited Claireworks!”

[User] Louie desperately tried to ward off the swords, but there were too many. He collapsed on the ground, run through from every side. As we watched, his tattered body began to shrink back to human size. “I…lost…?” There was no sadness in his voice, just pure disbelief.

[Assistant] “But how?”

[User] “I have no obligation to answer.” I wanted to get out of here immediately.

[Assistant] “I want to know too. What happened?”

[User] “Me too…”

[Assistant] “This room was sealed off by a barrier, but it wasn’t being cast by anyone. It came from a scroll, which meant it could only last so long.” That’s why I’d had us rain down a barrage of magic bombs under the pretense of holding off Louie. In actuality, we had worn down the barrier. “Misha, I had to scout for a spot free of enemies because that’s where the swords would be.”

[User] “Are these silver weapons?”

[Assistant] “Yes.” Silver was extremely effective against the undead. The creatures on this ship had unconsciously given it a wide berth, which was why I’d had her scan for a place free of them. “How did you know those swords were on the ship?”

[User] “Remember what we heard in town? A ship full of aristocrats who came here for the Undead Sending went missing.” And Louie said himself who he had “borrowed” this ship from.


[User] “I just manipulated the seawater with my water magic to bring the silver weapons here."

[Assistant] “I see.” Louie smiled as if he had been freed from something. “I’m in no position to make demands, but I have a favor to ask of you.”

[User] “I refuse. Let’s go, Miss Claire, Misha.”

[Assistant] “We will listen to your request. Speak.”

[User] “Miss Claire…”

[Assistant] “He tried to kill the person he loves. He must have had his reasons.”

[User] “Thank you. Please, I ask only that you take care of my mother. She’s sick.”

[Assistant] “Did the Nur Empire use that against you? Why didn’t you pay for her treatment by honorable means?”

[User] “I spent all our savings to take her to a doctor in the capital. He said she has a growth in her stomach. The magic potion she’d need to save her costs even more than the doctor’s fee. Even if I took on nothing but dangerous, high-paying requests, it would take me a year of adventuring to earn enough. She didn’t have the time. I swallowed my pride and begged everyone I knew for help, but even with their donations, I only had half of what I needed for the potion.” With every word, blood flecked from his lips.

[Assistant] “Are you satisfied? You said we would listen, and we did. Now, let’s go. This ship is going to sink.”

[User] “But…”

[Assistant] “Miss Claire, Rae is right. We need to go.” Misha said in a calm voice.

[User] “Very well.” She turned to Louie. “I, Claire of House François, swear that I will take care of your mother. Now please rest.”

[Assistant] “Thank you. Ahhh, I wonder if they’ll forgive my debt…” Those were Louie’s last words.


[User] The entire time, Claire didn’t say a single word. Several days after our battle on the ghost ship, Claire and I visited Louie’s home. The reason, of course, was that Claire had requested we do so.

[Assistant] “Why, Rae, it’s been a while.” Louie’s mother, Ophelia, greeted us with a gentle smile. “I apologize for not getting up. I’m not feeling terribly well. It’s nothing serious, but…” She broke into a coughing fit.

[User] “Please, don’t worry yourself. You should rest.”

[Assistant] “My, who is this young lady? Is she your friend, Rae?”

[User] “I am, ma’am. My name is Claire. And I’m Louie’s friend too.” Claire said to Ophelia with a smile kinder than any she’d even given me.

[Assistant] “Oh, Louie too? I haven’t seen his face since the last time he brought me my medication.


[User] "How is he doing?" Claire froze at those words.

[Assistant] "Louie…has passed away."

[User] "No… Please say it’s not true…" Ophelia’s face didn’t change at first, as if she couldn’t comprehend what she’d just heard. But Claire’s somber expression seemed to drive the words home.

[Assistant] "Why… How did he die?"

[User] "Louie…" Claire started, but seemed to think better of it and stopped. She tilted her head down in thought.

[Assistant] "Louie died trying to take down the ghost ship that was threatening the town. He died protecting his friends." That was the official version of events we were going with. I’d been dead set against it, but Claire had stubbornly insisted.

[User] "Louie was very brave. If it weren’t for him, this town would have suffered great loss." Claire said, taking Ophelia’s hand.

[Assistant] "He’s the hero who saved this town."

[User] Ophelia was speechless for some time after hearing Claire’s words. Eventually, she found her voice again and said, "I…see. Every little thing made him cry when he was little. I never thought he would grow up to do such a thing…" A smile crept onto her face. Perhaps it was partly prompted by pride in her son. But the main reason for her smile was—

[Assistant] "Still…I wish he had stayed a crying child, if it meant he would have come back home to me…" With nothing left to say, Ophelia wept.


[User] "Poverty…really is a terrible thing." Claire said abruptly. We were back in my room, preparing for bed.

[Assistant] "Miss Claire?"

[User] "I had no idea what it really meant to be poor." Claire said with a brooding expression.

[Assistant] This didn’t seem to be the time to tease her, so I sat down next to her instead. "It’s not just having less money, is it? It means you might be forced to do terrible things to save someone important to you."

[User] "Not always. But it’s true that the poor have fewer options than the more fortunate."

[Assistant] I tried to be gentle, giving her space to organize her thoughts. "What Louie did was unforgivable."

[User] "But denouncing him misses the point."

[Assistant] "The point?" I could tell Claire was trying to articulate something.

[User] "Poverty is evil. And our politicians are neglecting those citizens who live in this wicked condition. In other words, the flaw lies in the system itself."

[Assistant] "That might be a bit extreme…" I tried to reel Claire in a bit—her language was beginning to make me anxious. "You’re right, poverty is terrible, and I can’t say the government of this country isn’t responsible for the current state of things. But politics isn’t solely a matter of beautiful ideas. You know that better than anyone, don’t you?"

[User] "Of course I do. But—"

[Assistant] "But?" When I prompted her to continue, she thought for a moment and then said,

[User] "Isn’t that just running away from the ideal and using the difficulty of reality as an excuse? What’s wrong with aiming for something good?"

[Assistant] I resolved to protect this precious person forever.


[User] "I think you should do what you believe in. Like I told you before, I will support you in whatever you want to do." Rae said, taking Claire’s hand.

[Assistant] "Rae…"

[User] "Miss Claire, I respect your noble heart. I will protect your aspirations to not run from reality. Please, make use of me."

[Assistant] "Thank you, Rae." Claire said with a smile.

[User] But I couldn’t look her directly in the eye as I change the subject to distract her. “Do you remember when Louie almost cut you with his sword?” I was talking about near the end of the battle, when Claire had been distracted by the sound of flowing water I created.

[Assistant] "Yes. I was careless."

[User] "But Louie’s sword didn’t make it to you. How did you block it?"

[Assistant] "I’m not sure, but I think this is the reason." Claire said, fingering an object on her chest.

[User] "Oh, that…"

[Assistant] "Yes, it’s the amulet you gave me at the Academy Festival."

[User] I had forgotten all about it. "It’s cracked."

[Assistant] "Perhaps it was a sacrifice charm."

[User] In other words, Claire supposed that the amulet was a kind of magical item that could protect the wearer from danger, if only once. "To think it had such an effect…"

[Assistant] "Of course I’m only speculating, but I can’t think of what else might have done it." Claire laughed nervously and carefully returned the amulet to where it hung under her clothes.

[User] "Ah—but then it was false advertising to call it a real good luck charm. Although, I suppose it did save you in the end."

[Assistant] "What? Oh, yes! That’s right!" Claire’s reaction to my words was strange for a moment.

[User] "Miss Claire?"

[Assistant] "It’s nothing. Come now, it is far past time to sleep! Good night!" Claire said, jumping right into bed, alone.

[User] What was going on with her? "Miss Claire, are you hiding something?"

[Assistant] "I am hiding nothing, and it’s nothing, and why must you be so dense about this of all things?!" Claire was babbling, trying to shut me up.

[User] I gave up and got in the bed with her. "By the way, Miss Claire?"

[Assistant] "What is it?"

[User] "Are you romantically content?"

[Assistant] "Go to sleep!" She turned off the light, keeping me from being able to see clearly—but I thought her cheeks looked just a little red.


[User] “MISSS CLAAAIRE!” Rae came up behind Claire, who was reading a book at her expensive wooden desk, and draped herself over her.

[Assistant] “Argh… Rae, you’re heavy.” She felt soft and smelled so nice.

[User] "What are you reading? Umm… Overview of the Bauer Kingdom Government System?”

[Assistant] “It’s a book about the political and social systems in this kingdom.”

[User] “That sounds complicated.” We were in the room Claire and her roommate shared in the Academy dormitory. Her roommate hadn’t returned to the capital yet, so it was just the two of us. There were still a few days before school started again, but Claire had insisted on returning so she could ask the history and political science instructors at the Academy for some reading recommendations. She’d had her nose buried in heavy tomes ever since the incident in Euclid during our vacation. Summer was coming to an end, but it was still sweltering. I was cooling the air around Claire to a comfortable temperature using my water magic. “Miss Claire, how about taking a break?”

[Assistant] “I’m almost done reading this. I’ll be with you in a moment.” The events in Euclid had shaken Claire. Ever since, she had thrown herself into the study of economic disparity in the Bauer Kingdom and how those disparities might be addressed. I was a little disappointed that she had less time to spend with me, but I didn’t want to get in the way of her newfound conscience. Doing something about the gulf between the rich and poor in this kingdom was in line with my objectives—not that I was going to explain that any time soon. “Miss Claire, I’ll be right back. I’m going to prepare some tea and snacks.” She didn’t answer, just waved her hand without even looking my way. She wasn’t giving me the cold shoulder—this was just how comfortable she was around me, now. At least, that was what I told myself as I left Claire’s room and headed toward the dorm kitchen.


[User] I’d baked some madeleines and was about to take them up to Claire’s room when, oddly enough, Yu turned up. “Oh, Rae. You’re back.”

[Assistant] “Oh, Rae. You’re back.”

[User] "Master Yu… Hello.”

[Assistant] “What was it like to be back home?”

[User] “Unremarkable.”

[Assistant] “I see… What’s that?” Yu asked, noticing the madeleines.

[User] “Just some cookies. I thought I would make them for Miss Claire.”

[Assistant] “They look good. Can I have one?”

[User] “You cannot.”

[Assistant] “Ha ha, yeah, I guess not. They’re for your beloved Claire, after all.” Despite the fact that I was a commoner refusing the royal family, Yu was cheerful. As usual, I couldn’t read his true thoughts at all. “Claire has really been studying hard of late, hasn’t she?”

[User] “Claire has always been a serious student.”

[Assistant] “More than usual since the holidays, though.


[User] "Did something happen?"

[Assistant] "No, not really."

[User] Claire thinks to herself that Claire's insistence on painting Louie as Euclid's hero had buried the truth of their experiences. There wasn’t really anything I could say, even if I’d wanted to.

[Assistant] Yu studies the servant, but then his smile widened. "Servants really have it tough too, don’t they? Incidentally, if she wants to learn about peasant poverty, the Church might be able to help her out.”

[User] "Huh?!"

[Assistant] "Don’t look at me like that." Yu says chuckling. I hadn’t realized it, but my expression had gone grim. “I don’t know what went on during your vacation, but some of the Academy instructors are concerned. They’re wondering if Claire has developed an interest in the Commoner Movement.”

[User] Servant thinks to himself: Now that he mentioned it—that was an inevitable reaction to a dyed-in-the-wool aristocrat like Claire suddenly showing interest in social systems and poverty in the peasant class.

[Assistant] “I’m not worried, of course. Claire was born to the nobility.” But Yu didn’t stop there. “I don’t believe this country can survive much longer on the path it’s taking. I’d be delighted to discover Claire shares my views on some of our present problems.”

[User] "Wouldn’t the real problem be you calling it a problem, Master Yu?”

[Assistant] “Ha ha… That may be true. Please, don’t tell anyone I said that. Say only that I think it would be beneficial for Claire to seek out the Church. And I’m not just saying that because of my mother.”

[User] "What does that—hey!”

[Assistant] “This is my fee for the advice. Mmm…delicious.” Yu stuffed one of the madeleines in his mouth and winked playfully at me.

[User] Servant thinks to himself I really didn’t care for him at all.


[Assistant] "Yu said that?”

[User] Servant got back to the room, Claire was still engrossed in her book, so I demanded she take a teatime break. I thought she would say no, but she surprisingly wrapped up her studying without fuss. It was love!

[Assistant] "The Church…” Claire said thoughtfully as she put her teacup to her lips.

[User] “I don’t think it’s a bad idea. Subsisting on recurring donations from aristocrats and income-proportional costs for medical treatment are both typical forms of wealth redistribution. I think there’s something to gain from learning from them.”

[Assistant] “That’s true…” Claire said, returning her cup to her saucer and picking up a madeleine. “To be honest, I have to say any path to the resolution of poverty led by the political institution of this kingdom would be grim. The royals and the nobility are the very deeply embedded systems siphoning wealth from the people, after all.”

[User] Servant nodded, urging her to continue.

[Assistant] “However, it isn’t as though the aristocracy use this wealth solely for their own benefit; they conduct politics on behalf of their people, stimulate the economies of their territories, and protect them from enemy nations. But…”

[User] "But?”

[Assistant] “Still water grows stagnant.


[User] "There is corruption at work in this kingdom." Similar thoughts had driven the king to introduce his reforms. "I won’t go so far as to say all the royals and nobles have forgotten that their purpose is to protect the people they rule over, but many see commoners only as a source of revenue—and the people can tell."

[Assistant] Claire groaned, adding that she learned this particular piece of information in a book written by a teacher outside of the Academy. “The more I learn, the more convinced I become that this country as it presently operates is simply unsustainable.”

[User] “So what will you do about it, Miss Claire?”

[Assistant] “Rae?” Claire opened her eyes wide in surprise.

[User] “You can’t change the past. This ignorance may be the sin of all aristocrats, but… Now that you know, what will you do? You come from a family with position and authority. If you change, then other aristocrats may change too.” So I said…but I was mostly trying to embolden Claire. People didn’t change easily, let alone entire societies. I knew how the game ended, which meant I knew exactly how difficult Claire’s struggle was. But still—

[Assistant] “I know that much.” Claire tossed the rest of her remaining madeleine in her mouth, chewed carefully, and then washed it down with tea. It wasn’t very becoming behavior for an aristocrat. “You really are cheeky for a maid, Rae.”

[User] “I’m very sorry. I love you.” I would always prefer flirting with Claire to these painful discussions—so long as she wasn’t in immediate danger, I couldn’t help prioritizing her.

[Assistant] “Ugh! I’m going to the Church. Go ahead of me and let them know I’m coming.”

[User] “Understood.”


[Assistant] Claire and I stepped through the exquisitely carved gate. The lit lamps inside the building highlighted the historical architecture of the inner walls, evoking a sense of spirituality I didn’t often feel. We were in the Bauer Cathedral, head temple of the Spiritual Church. The Church was the dominant religion in this world, and the cathedral was appropriately magnificent. Not as grand as the palace, of course, but much larger than the François manor. "Well, now that we’re here, who can we ask about things?"

[User] “If we ask the reception, she’ll fetch the person in charge.” That was what I had been told when I announced Claire’s visit. But—

[Assistant] “That only gets you what the Church wants you to hear. I want the truth.” And with that, she passed right by the reception and headed deeper into the cathedral.

[User] I rushed to catch up with her. “I’m sure they have plenty of classified documents, but I don’t think they’ll just let you pick them up and look at them.”

[Assistant] “I don’t need documents. I can talk to people. Oh, excuse me—” Passing the entrance to what was probably a hall of worship, Claire approached a nun who was in prayer.

[User] “Wh-what is it? !” The nun startled like a frightened squirrel at suddenly being spoken to.


[User] She was a slender young girl, wearing a black wimple that all but hid her silver hair and red eyes. "I have some questions about this church. Do you have some time?"

[Assistant] "Oh uh… This is the hour for prayers." The girl said, clearly implying we should ask someone else.

[User] "Then I’ll wait until you are finished." Claire was oblivious. She’d been acting so righteous lately that I’d forgotten she was an arrogant villainess too.

[Assistant] "Uh, umm…well…"

[User] "What is it?" Claire had a fierce stare and an overpowering presence.

[Assistant] "Oh! I-I’m sorry…"

[User] "You haven’t done anything wrong."

[Assistant] "I-I’m sorry."

[User] "Again. In any case, I shall be waiting for you to finish."

[Assistant] "O-oh, yes…" The nun shot her eyes over to me for a moment, as if crying for help, but she returned to her prayer after I shook my head. There was silence. The nun looked completely in her element while praying. The fear she’d shown moments ago was gone, and instead, she looked like an ecclesiastical painting. Upon closer inspection, she had an attractive figure and pretty face. She seemed younger than Claire and me, but there was something about her that felt off.

[User] "What are you gawking at?" Claire said.

[Assistant] "I wasn’t gawk—oh! Are you jelly, Miss Claire?!"

[User] "What are you talking about?! I am not jelly! What is jelly?!"

[Assistant] "Be quiet in the prayer hall, mollusks." The young girl scolded us.

[User] "Huh?" Claire and I couldn’t believe our ears.

[Assistant] "Oh! Th-that… I’m sorry! Lilly sometimes says thing she shouldn’t…" So her name was Lilly, and she wasn’t entirely as meek as she seemed. Oh no. I had a soft spot for cute girls with a shy stutter.

[User] "Lilly?" said Claire. "I believe I’ve heard that name before… In any case, are you done praying now?"

[Assistant] "Y-yes… I apologize for making you wait." Lilly said, straightening her posture.

[User] "I wish to ask you about the Church. Will you speak to me?"

[Assistant] "Th-the Church? It might be better if you speak to the public relations manager at reception…"

[User] "I don’t wish to hear what the Church tells everyone. I want to know the truth about everything that happens here. Including the problems."

[Assistant] "Oh, oh…?" Lilly looked puzzled.

[User] "Miss Claire desires to address the issue of peasant poverty." I said.

[Assistant] "P-poverty…?"

[User] "Yes. She was hoping the Church might facilitate those efforts."

[Assistant] "I-I see. There is certainly some truth to that. I-I would like to help you, but—" She turned her head and looked at me hard. "I-I’ve seen you somewhere before, yes?"

[User] "I was actually just thinking that I’d seen you before, Lilly." But I couldn’t for the life of me recall where.

[Assistant] "Not the most original pickup line, now is it?" Claire piped in.

[User] "N-no! I had n-no intention of—"

[Assistant] "That’s right. I only have eyes for you, Miss Claire. Oh, Miss Claire, are you jelly? This time I think you really are jelly."

[User] "I am not jelly!"


[User] "I don’t even know what language that word came from, but stop it!”

[Assistant] “I said to be quiet in the hall of worship, senile eggplants!” Lilly barked.

[User] Claire fell stone silent.

[Assistant] So did I.

[User] “Oh, no, no… I’m so sorry…” Lilly’s insults were so bizarre that it was hard to believe they were accidental, but she sounded genuinely contrite. An elderly man approached us.

[Assistant] “Is something wrong, Miss Lilly?”

[User] “Oh, Bishop Rhona. These people wish to know more about the Church, so I was going to speak to them.”

[Assistant] “Miss Lilly, you needn’t bother with such mundane tasks.”

[User] “B-but she is a noble… It’s not every day that the daughter of the Minister of Finance wants to talk to me.” It seemed my hunch was right. Lilly held some sort of position in this church. “I haven’t introduced myself yet, but m-my full name is Lilly Lilium. I am daughter of the Bauer Kingdom chancellor, Salas Lilium, and I serve as cardinal at the Spiritual Church,” she said with an awkward laugh. “Pl-please, allow me to tell you what you wish to know. The Church—”

[Assistant] “You can skip the establishment of the Church. I am well versed in history.”

[User] “I-I see,” Lilly replied. “Then I will move on to our guiding principles.” According to Lilly, the Church believed all people were equal in the eyes of the spirits. It sought the blessings and benefits of the spirits and prayed that be shared among all people. “There are noble families in the B-Bauer Kingdom, but there is no social status in the eyes of the spirits.”

[Assistant] “And yet the disparity between rich and poor is very real,” Claire pointed out.

[User] “Y-yes. That is why the Church is attempting to redistribute some of that wealth.” The Church had two main sources of income. One was donations from aristocrats, which it attempted to redistribute to the poor as charity. The other was the clinic, which asked people to pay according to what they could afford.

[Assistant] “So, the Church depends on the royal family and nobility to survive?”

[User] “N-no, that’s not the case. The Church also owns land throughout the country, and even does some business,” Lilly explained, adding that it was actually involved in a wide range of activities such as collecting taxes on its land, and dairy and crop farming. “Th-this allows the Church to maintain a certain degree of independence from the ruling powers of each country, which enables our goals to be fulfilled.”

[Assistant] “I see…” Claire nodded as she listened intently.

[User] “Do you take donations from commoners?” I asked.

[Assistant] “Of course. But such donations are generally minor, and the greater ones are usually from prosperous merchants.”

[User] “So, they don’t contribute much to the Church?”

[Assistant] “N-no, quite the opposite. The most important thing we receive from commoners is their faith. Faith is vital. It is what makes the Church a real church.”

[User] “Is faith really that important?


[User] “I’m an atheist, so I don’t really get it.”

[Assistant] “Huh?!”. Lilly was speechless at my modern Japanese sensibilities.

[User] “Rae, that was terribly rude. Apologize.”

[Assistant] “I’m very sorry.”

[User] “N-no. I think I understand what you’re trying to say. There are communities in the lands owned by the Church where nonbelievers live. There are people there who say the same sorts of things as you, Rae.” Lilly continued,

[Assistant] “B-but religion is real. Religion gives power to people who would not have had any, otherwise. To put it in a way that someone unfamiliar with religion might understand… Well, it is a well-scripted fairy tale that has been cultivated over the course of history.”

[User] “Cardinal Lilly,” said Bishop Rhona, “if the Pope heard what you just said, she would faint.”

[Assistant] “Y-yes, you’re right. Sorry!” She was correct, though. Religion depended on things that couldn’t be verified, but that belief, and history, also gave it real power. And that power was supported by the faith of the people.

[User] “I-I think that religion can also provide a system of values,” Lilly said.

[Assistant] “A system of values?”

[User] “W-well, I mean, what to value and what not to value. How to express the relationship between things with and without value.”

[Assistant] I’d read somewhere that Japanese people tended to think of religion as a “foreign” thing. But religion could interact closely with daily life and serve as a set of guiding principles for how to live that life—like doctrines against eating pork, for instance.

[User] “I’ve always thought religion shows people how to live better,” Claire said.

[Assistant] “Hmmm,”.

[User] The problem was when people’s ideas of what constituted “better” came into conflict—but this world seemed relatively free of such religious wars or disputes, so I decided not to get into it.

[Assistant] “Let’s get to the point,” Claire said.

[User] “How does the Church feel about the poverty in Bauer? I see it as a path to eroding faith in the aristocracy and fomenting corruption in its ranks.”

[Assistant] “I-I don’t know much about such complicated things, but I think you are correct. However, I do not think this will last for long.”

[User] “You mean…?”

[Assistant] “Prince Yu said as much. The aristocrats will soon fall.”

[User] Claire paled at Lilly’s words.

[Assistant] “What does he mean by that?”

[User] “I-I am unsure of the details. B-but Prince Yu seems to think that the development of magical tools will usher in an era where an individual’s skill will speak louder than their lineage. He said that when it comes to that, the nobles won’t be able to stand up to the commoners who outnumber them…”

[Assistant] This was, more or less, what Yu had said to us when the Commoner Movement was picking up momentum at the Academy. At the time, Claire’s only reaction had been pure denial, but now she could no longer abjure the truth of his words.

[User] “I don’t believe the nobles will simply stand by and see their titles abolished,” Claire said.

[Assistant] “O-of course, there will likely be resistance.


[User] "But I do not think they can withstand the tide of history."

[Assistant] "In that case, how can the aristocracy be abolished?"

[User] "Th-there are many countries who have already done so. For example, a country called Phrance in the west."

[Assistant] "How did they…?"

[User] Lilly paused for a moment. "Th-there was a revolution."

[Assistant] "A revolution?"

[User] "Th-there was an uprising of the peasant class, and they tore down the nobility by force. In other words, it was a civil war between the new powers and the old."

[Assistant] "Are you saying there will be a civil war…?" The blood drained from Claire’s face.

[User] "I-I don’t think that will necessarily happen in the Bauer Kingdom. But looking at the tides around the world, I think the time when a minority of elite hold all the wealth is coming to an end."

[Assistant] In Claire’s eyes, meek, delicate Lilly probably looked like an oracle delivering a prophecy of death.

[User] "After a revolution, what happens to the former nobles?"

[Assistant] "It depends on the country, but most are reduced to being citizens of the same status as the commoners. Some are executed."

[User] "Miss Claire!" Rae rushed to support Claire as she tottered.

[Assistant] "I-I’m fine. Just a bit dizzy."

[User] "Let’s stop here for today. It’s too much information to take in at once."

[Assistant] "I-I think so too." Lilly looked guilty to see her words so shock another person.

[User] "Yes. This is plenty for today. Cardinal Lilly, may I come speak to you again?"

[Assistant] "Yes. If an aristocrat like you is willing to come talk to me, then I will do my best to make time as well."

[User] "Thank you very much."

[Assistant] We thanked Lilly and the Bishop, and left the Cathedral.


[User] The carriage ride home was very quiet.

[Assistant] "Rae… About what the Cardinal said. What did you think?"

[User] "It was complicated…and I’m hungry."

[Assistant] "You’re doing it again. I know your results from the Academy aptitude test. I know you aren’t as ridiculous as you pretend to be." Claire sighed. "I wanted to learn how the Church worked, but the conversation went in a direction I didn’t expect. Especially about the revolution… To think something so savage could occur."

[User] Savagery was subjective, of course. Some might consider the behavior of the royals and nobles far more barbaric.

[Assistant] "I wonder if we nobles are fated to disappear…"

[User] "Even if you were no longer an aristocrat, I would still protect you, Miss Claire."

[Assistant] "But she said that nobles were being executed…"

[User] "That depends on the revolution. If you assist the revolutionaries, they may have reason to be grateful."

[Assistant] "Are you telling me to betray my people?!"

[User] “‘Traitor’ makes it sound like a bad thing. Think of it as being an ally to the common folk."

[Assistant] "I am an aristocrat!"

[User] "Didn’t you say you want to abolish poverty? What are you willing to give up for that cause?"

[Assistant] Claire stopped short, a complicated look on her face.


[User] “Miss Claire, you received a great deal of new information all at once today. This isn’t something you can solve with ease. Let’s set it aside for tonight, eat, and get some rest.”

[Assistant] “Yes…you’re right…” Even so, Claire remained deep in thought for the rest of the ride back.

[User] I wondered if she would be able to sleep that night. Still, all said and done, today had gone pretty well. Now Claire understood the concept of a revolution. And she understood she had the option to stand on the side of the people. A revolution…was coming. This much was certain. I knew that from my knowledge of the game. But I wouldn’t let things turn out the way they did there. I would never let Claire be executed. Miss Claire, I will protect you no matter what. I swore this in my heart to Claire, who still had her head against the window of the carriage, deep in thought.


[Assistant] After that, we visited Cardinal Lilly daily for some time. While Claire heard many things that shocked her, it seemed to me like she was seeking out an ideal society. For my part, I indirectly provided her an overview of Japan’s democracy to help develop her understanding. During one of these discussions, I left to visit the ladies’ room when we took a tea break. On my way back, I overheard something unpleasant.

[User] “Miss Lilly is meeting with the daughter of the Minister of Finance now?”

[Assistant] “I know… It’s disgusting.” Two nuns, who’d probably been ordered to fetch tea, were talking about Lilly behind her back.

[User] I hadn’t planned on eavesdropping, but I couldn’t help but keep listening.

[Assistant] “It must be true that Lilly is a homosexual, then.”

[User] “How immoral…and while engaged to Prince Yu too.”

[Assistant] It was then that I remembered where I had seen Lilly before. She was the character betrothed to Yu. It had taken me this long to remember because she didn’t even appear in the game, just the character reference guide, which never even gave her a name. Her description in the guide said she had a secret. Was that secret her sexual orientation?

[User] “She’s only cardinal because her father is the chancellor, despite her perverted inclinations.”

[Assistant] “Apparently there’s more. Some expect her to be the next pope.”

[User] “What a stain on the Church that would be.”

[Assistant] “Isn’t that a little arbitrary?” The filth the nuns had been whispering a minute ago was suddenly all swept away, replaced by expressions of demure devotion.

[User] “And who are you?”

[Assistant] “I am Miss Claire’s servant. And, with absolute frankness, is same-sex love really such a terrible thing?”

[User] “Ummm…” One grew evasive.

[Assistant] “At the very least, I don’t think it natural.”


[User] The one who’d avoided answering me signaled the other to stop, but apparently, she’d decided this was the hill she would die on. Nuns had a certain amount of status and power in this world. More than commoners, at the very least. Even the daughters of nobles sometimes became nuns. There was no reason for this woman to fear a mere maid. "Natural? What do you mean by that?”

[Assistant] “Think about it. Same-sex partners can’t produce children—it’s a relationship that bears no fruit.”

[User] “If birthing children is a condition of legitimate love, then heterosexual couples who are unable to conceive must not be valid either.”

[Assistant] “Well…”

[User] “And if being natural is desirable, should you refuse medical treatment when you’re sick? Medical science defies the course of nature in every instance of its use.” The nun probably didn’t expect me to debate her like this. She grew red in the face and started tripping on her words. “Such sophistry…”

[Assistant] “Please, tell me specifically which part of what I said was sophism. Otherwise, I’ll take your dispute as nothing more than an emotional argument.”

[User] “It doesn’t matter what sort of glib answers you come up with. Homosexuality is not normal, and it is practiced only by a heretical few!”

[Assistant] So she had switched to the numbers argument. “I’ll accept that there are fewer homosexuals than heterosexuals. But what does that prove? What is wrong with a number being smaller?”

[User] “It’s proof that it’s not normal!”

[Assistant] “All right, so a higher number means something is ‘normal’? But you haven’t yet explained why the ‘abnormal’ smaller number ought to be considered bad.”

[User] “Well…because…”

[Assistant] “Do you think happening to belong to a majority means you have the right to attack someone in a minority?”

[User] “Argh… Never mind your logic! This—this heresy, it’s disgusting!”

[Assistant] “And there it is. Pure physiological disgust. You can’t understand it, and you don’t want to understand it, so you simply attack it.”

[User] “And what’s wrong with that? !”

[Assistant] “But wouldn’t your own Church object to such rank discrimination? I thought you taught equality under the spirits. Are you sure these values of yours aren’t in violation of the Church’s teachings?” The nun stopped short, the color draining from her face. “I don’t want to refute or show you contempt.”

[User] “I only want you to be freed from your bias against homosexuality. There was silence."

[Assistant] “I won’t even ask you to understand, then. But can’t you at least respect them?”

[User] “Are you a homosexual too?” she asked, some of the hostility leaving her voice. This nun wasn’t a bad person. As I’ve said before, hers was the prevailing opinion in this world. All she did was give it voice.

[Assistant] “Yes.”

[User] “I…I cannot acknowledge this yet. But I believe I understand what you want to say. I will think on it. When—if I devise a rebuttal, then perhaps we might debate again.”

[Assistant] “Thank you very much."


[User] "That’s enough.” She turned and left with the nun who had been standing by, trembling. Whew. I’d been gone much longer than I planned and gotten involved in a complicated discussion to boot. I needed a Claire refill, and fast. I was going to hug her so hard once I got back to her. But when I turned, Lilly was right there, behind me. She didn’t say anything, just stood there, dumbfounded. And jewel-like tears dropped from her eyes.

[Assistant] “Wh-what happened, Miss Lilly? !”

[User] “Much…”

[Assistant] “What?”

[User] “Th-thank you…very much…” Lilly sobbed, wrapping her arms around me.

[Assistant] Confused, I hugged her back. She was about two heads shorter than me, and her dainty body was surprisingly light. I had wanted a cheering dose of Claire, but, well, Lilly smelled nice too.

[User] “I always thought my feelings were a crime…but you…” Lilly was crying her heart out. Well, it seemed like those nuns hadn’t just been spouting rumors—I had no doubt now that Lilly was queer. "No one has ever affirmed m-my feelings before… It was so cool, the way you said exactly what you think, Rae…” Lilly looked up at me with her tear-stained face. She was really cute. Remember, you have Claire…

[Assistant] “I-I think I might be in love with you, Rae,” Lilly said.

[User] Just then, there was a sound behind Lilly. Oh no. Claire stood there, arms folded, incandescently livid.


[Assistant] “Here, Rae. Say ahhh?” Lilly had latched on to me, trying to get me to drink from her cup.

[User] “Cardinal Lilly, that is improper,” my beloved Claire reprimanded as she tilted her own cup elegantly to her lips. Calm as Claire seemed on the outside, I knew the cup she kept putting to her lips had been empty for a while now.

[Assistant] “I-I’m sorry. But I’ve found the person of my dreams. I will marry Rae!”

[User] “You can’t marry someone of the same sex in this kingdom.”

[Assistant] “I-In that case we’ll just be lovers.”

[User] “That won’t do either now, will it?” Claire said. I thought I saw a vein popping on her temple. She set her cup down with an uncharacteristic rattling sound.

[Assistant] “Are you jelly, Miss Claire? !”

[User] I gasped.

[Assistant] “I am not jelly! And you, Lilly—what about your engagement to Yu?”

[User] “O-our engagement was decided by our parents. It has nothing to do with our feelings.”

[Assistant] “But that’s what marriage is, isn’t it?”

[User] Marriage in the Bauer Kingdom was pretty different from the way marriage operated in modern Japan. In this kingdom, it was primarily an alliance between houses, and while that might have been partially the case in Japan’s past, nowadays we did things pretty differently.

[Assistant] “I-I would rather have love than marriage. In that way, Rae is perfect.”

[User] There was a sharp sound as Claire’s teacup hit the desk.

[Assistant] “Oh my, this cup was cracked. The handle came off. Will you please get me a new one?”

[User] “Y-yes. But…that’s strange.


[User] "This cup is brand new…” It was pretty obvious what had happened, given that cup’s handle was partly melted.

[Assistant] If Miss Claire was losing control of her magic, this was bad. I needed to firmly and clearly turn down Lilly. "Miss Lilly, my heart already belongs to another."

[User] "What?! Is that true?"

[Assistant] "Yes. I have already devoted my entire life to Miss Claire."

[User] When I did, Claire lifted her chin with a proud look on her face. She was so cute.

[Assistant] "Miss Claire, is that true?"

[User] "I have no such intentions, but this person is free to think whatever she likes." Claire said with a confidence that partially stemmed from hiding her embarrassment and partially from already being the winner.

[Assistant] "O-oh I see! In that case, I still have a chance!"

[User] "O-oh? Umm…"

[Assistant] "If Rae’s love is still unrequited, I will win her over."

[User] "No, I mean I—"

[Assistant] "I-It’s fine!" Lilly insisted. "I heard that women are better off with people who love them, rather than people whom they love!"

[User] Claire and I both put our heads in our hands at Lilly’s sudden increase in intensity. When we first met her, we’d thought her a timid, meek little creature, but we now knew that she had an aggressive, impulsive side too.

[Assistant] "Also…Master Yu likes someone else, not m-me." She said almost under her breath.

[User] I sensed a hint of loneliness in that utterance.

[Assistant] "And who would that be?"

[User] "I-I don’t know. But he told me that there is someone he has liked for a long time."

[Assistant] I suspected it was probably Misha. Despite the desires of the game’s design, I hadn’t approached Yu, so the only likely candidate was her. They were childhood friends, after all, and he’d said, “for a long time,” so it made sense.

[User] "Rae, what can I do to make you fall in love with me?"

[Assistant] "I can’t. I only have eyes for Miss Claire."

[User] "N-no! I won’t give up. This is…the first time I’ve felt this way. I-I finally know love." Lilly said, looking at me as if she were dreaming.

[Assistant] I wasn’t sure how to react. "First loves never last."

[User] "Th-then Rae’s love for Claire won’t last either, right…?"

[Assistant] "No, because it isn’t my first love."

[User] "Huh? !"

[Assistant] "Huh? !"

[User] The two of them looked at each other. "Rae, you’ve been in love with someone other than me?" Claire asked in a brittle tone.

[Assistant] "Ahhh. Uh…well, yes."

[User] "Oh, really. Hmmm."

[Assistant] "What was your first love like, Rae?"

[User] "I’m not giving you any ideas, Miss Lilly."

[Assistant] "I want to hear too." Claire said firmly.

[User] "It’s really not an interesting story. There was a girl that I was close to, and I liked her, but she turned me down."

[Assistant] "I-I want to know more!" Lilly exclaimed.

[User] "Stop grumbling and tell us everything."

[Assistant] Ugh… It wasn’t a very pleasant story. "I’m telling you, it’s really boring. Are you sure you want to hear?"

[User] "Yes, please." Lilly begged.


[User] “Hurry up with it." Claire demanded.

[Assistant] “Ah…fine. It happened when I was in junior high…”

[User] “Now remember, this guy’s a complete and total nerd. I wanted to say, ‘don’t make me laugh’ when he asked me to go out with him, but really, it wasn’t funny at all.”

[Assistant] “Don’t say that, Misaki. He must have been doing his best.”

[User] “Aww, you’re so sweet, Kosaki. To even have sympathy for a mega-nerd like that…”

[Assistant] “Th-that’s not true… Rei, you agree, right?”

[User] Rei turned around when she heard her name. A girl with short hair, dyed brown, and another with a black, medium-length bob were looking at her. They were in a classroom at Yurigaoka Academy Junior High.

[Assistant] “Rei?”

[User] “It’s nothing. Well…Misaki has all the guys chasing her, so she has really high standards." Rei finally said.

[Assistant] “That’s true.” Kosaki nodded furiously in agreement.

[User] “I wonder. I mean, nerds like that think all girls are two-dimensional.”

[Assistant] “Y-you’re being judgmental, Misaki.”

[User] “But it’s true. My older brother had a bunch of manga that he let me read. It was bad.”

[Assistant] “Anyway, some girls are nerds too. They read those…what are they called? Boys’ Love manga? The ones where guys are doing it with other guys? Gross.”


[User] But the way she flipped her hair, the color of her lip gloss, her bashful expression—every little thing she did made my heart flutter. I wasn’t completely clueless. I’d read about lesbians in yuri manga, and I recognized myself in them. At that time, though, I still thought there was something wrong with the way I felt, and so I did my best to hide my feelings. Being an outlier at school made you a target, and more than anything I didn’t want Misaki to find out what I was really thinking.

[Assistant] “Someone like her?” Misaki pointed to another girl, who had naturally curly hair and wore glasses. “Katano is always drawing, isn’t she? Stuff like that nasty manga.”

[User] “That’s not true.”

[Assistant] “Kosaki, why would you defend someone like that?” Misaki retorted in a voice much louder than the one Kosaki had used. Katano must have heard them, but she continued quietly concentrating on her drawing. “What do you think, Rei? Isn’t it gross?”

[User] “Hmmm… I don’t really know much about that stuff.”

[Assistant] “Right? It’s impossible to understand. It’s so sick.” I’d tried to give a neutral response, but Misaki had twisted it into affirmation. I wondered what Katano thought of me. When I glanced up at her, she was looking my way, and our eyes met. Flustered, I looked away.

[User] “What is it, Katano? You have something to say?” Misaki said threateningly, noticing Katano looking at us.

[Assistant] “Not really…” Katano replied meekly, then went back to her drawing.

[User] “What’s up with her? Creepy.”

[Assistant] “Misaki! Jeez… Sorry, Katano.”

[User] Guilt welled up in my chest, But I couldn’t go explaining to Misaki what I’d really meant to say, not now. I’d just be giving her ammo to use against both Katano and myself.

[Assistant] “This is exactly why I hate nerds. They can never read the room.” She kept going, ranting about all nerds, including Katano.

[User] I thought she was going too far, but I didn’t dare protest. I was too afraid of being cast out of the fragile social network of our class. Even the littlest thing could get you ostracized. Still, I envied Katano. She could say what she wanted without worrying about upsetting the balance. She had strength that I didn’t. I was jealous of how she seemed not to fear solitude. If I could be like her, then Kosaki and I could— I shook my head to chase away the dangerous thought I almost had.

[Assistant] “What is it Rei?” Kosaki tilted her head, looking at me.

[User] “Nothing, nothing.” I laughed to throw her off. It’s like they say, right? Young girls who are as close as we are sometimes feel something similar to romantic love. When I get older, I’m sure I’ll like boys just like everyone else. I’m not abnormal. I was young and afraid. But people can’t stay children forever, and it wasn’t long before I learned that the hard way.


[User] "Hey! Ohashi," the male teacher called to me after class one day.

[Assistant] "Yes?" I stopped packing up my things and walked toward his desk.

[User] "Sorry, but can you take these printouts to Katano’s house?" He handed me a stack of papers. The top one was for parent-teacher conferences. "She’s home with the flu. If she doesn’t get this printout in time, her parents may not be able to come.”

[Assistant] "Why me?"

[User] "You live closest to her house. There’s the address." I started to notice the class watching this conversation with curiosity. "Can’t you just take pictures and email them? Ask someone who knows her."

[Assistant] "Well, I don’t know her email address. If you know someone who does have it, you’re welcome to ask them to do it. Thanks," the teacher said, getting up to leave.

[User] "Hey, wait…" But he was gone. I shrugged and resumed getting ready to go home, a sinking feeling in my stomach.

[Assistant] "What a disaster. You can’t go to that mega-nerd’s house."

[User] "Misaki, don’t call her that."

[Assistant] "Ha ha ha… Well, it can’t be helped. See you at school tomorrow," I said awkwardly. I hurried through saying goodbye to the Saki-Saki Combo and left the school.


[User] I dropped my stuff at home and then picked up the bundle of printouts to take to Katano’s house. I took some deep breaths in front of the door. For some reason, I was extremely nervous when I rang the doorbell.

[Assistant] "Yes?" said a voice over the intercom.

[User] "I’m Ohashi, a classmate of Shiko. I came to deliver the printouts we got while Shiko was absent."

[Assistant] "Oh, thank you. Please come in." The front door unlocked itself.

[User] I’d planned to hand off the printouts and leave, but flustered by Katano’s mom’s invitation, I couldn’t just stand there gaping. I went inside. "Hello," I said. "It’s nice to meet you."

[Assistant] "Come in, come in. I’m so glad to see Shiko does have such a good friend!"

[User] "No, I—" What was I planning to say? That I wasn’t actually her friend? I stopped myself mid-sentence and instead decided to do what I’d come for. "Here are the printouts. Parent-teacher conferences are coming up, so the teacher asked that you please work out the schedule."

[Assistant] "Thank you. I’m sorry, but will you take them to Shiko’s room? I can’t take my eyes off the stove right now."

[User] "Oh… I don’t know where her room is…" I said confused.

[Assistant] "On the second floor, in the back." I couldn’t escape.


[Assistant] Katano’s room was the epitome of nerd rooms. There were anime posters on the wall and rows of manga on bookshelves. A glass display case was filled with figurines and other kinds of merch that I’d never even known existed. I caught myself. Glancing over, I saw Katano sleeping soundly in her bed. I didn’t want her to wake up while I stared at the wonders of her room. This was my chance. The room might have been overflowing with anime merchandise, but the space around her desk was clean and neat. When I went to set down the bundle of printouts, I accidently moved the computer mouse, waking up the computer from sleep mode.

[User] "This is…a manga?" The image that appeared on the screen was that of two naked girls, looking into each other’s eyes. I’d heard people were drawing manga on computers lately. The illustration was what fascinated me. One of the girls looked shy and had a bob cut, while the other was tall, with an open, honest expression. Even though they were both naked, strangely, I didn’t find the picture vulgar at all. In fact, it was drawn with a delicate touch that made it beautiful.

[Assistant] "I used Kosaki and you as the models." I heard a barely audible voice

[User] I flipped around to see Katano sitting up in bed in her pajamas, looking at me. "Oh…no… Ah…I…!" I was utterly confused.

[Assistant] "It’s okay. You came to bring me


[User] “What are you talking about?”

[Assistant] “You don’t have to hide it. I told you, I’m into yuri. I don’t have any problems with that sort of thing.” The matter-of-fact way she said that scared me.

[User] “No…not me! I’m not some kind of weirdo!” I desperately tried to deny it.

[Assistant] “Weirdo? Is it weird? Isn’t anyone free to like whomever they like?” Katano stayed very calm, even though I was getting worked up. I was too dumbfounded to string together a sentence in reply.

[User] Ignoring me, Katano took some books from her shelf and put them in a bag with a picture of an anime character on it. “Try reading these, if you want.”

[Assistant] I looked down. The book on top looked like a novel. There was a drawing of a beautiful young girl on the cover.

[User] “I’m sure it will help you relax.”

[Assistant] For some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse. Maybe, deep down, I wanted someone to affirm what I was feeling. Whatever the reason, I accepted the books.

[User] “Let me know what you think after you read it.” Katano said and then crawled back into her bed. Her breathing was heavy with sleep again in a minute. Still dazed, all I could do was leave and go back downstairs.

[Assistant] “Oh? Are you leaving already? You’re welcome to stay for dinner.” Katano’s mom offered.

[User] “No… I think my mom is making me something.”

[Assistant] “Oh? Well, next time, then.”

[User] “Yes. Goodbye.” I left Katano’s house. That night I read the books Katano loaned me. And then— My world changed forever.


[User] A few days later, I was in bed with a cool compress on my forehead, reading the book Katano had loaned me for the umpteenth time. My fever was gone, but my father was a worrywart who insisted that I rest, so I had nothing else to do. Then the door opened unexpectedly.

[Assistant] “Rei, you have a visitor.”

[User] “Mom, knock next time.”

[Assistant] “I did knock. You just didn’t notice.”

[User] Must have been too absorbed in my book.

[Assistant] “What should I do? Do you want her to come up? She said her name is Katano.”

[User] I was quiet. I’d assumed it was Misaki or Kosaki, and…to be honest, I was a little afraid of seeing Katano. There was something mysterious about her. But I did really want to thank her for the book. "Just for a bit."

[Assistant] “Okay.” Mom says, going back out.

[User] Soon after, someone knocked on the door three times. "Come in."

[Assistant] “Hello. Oh, you look better than I expected.” Katano says, dropping her bag onto the floor. "This is…a pretty plain room, isn’t it?”

[User] “Don’t look at it. I already know.” I didn’t like feminine furnishings, at least not at the time. I liked cute things, but I was so big and awkward that I never felt like they really suited me. Maybe I would get some more, now. “The novel was good.”

[Assistant] “Isn’t it? What part did you like?”

[User] We chatted for a while, discussing each of the characters and what we liked about them, and commenting on our favorite highlight scenes. It was the first time I’d ever talked this passionately about a book to anyone. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

[Assistant] “It looks like you’ve treated more than just your influenza.”

[User] “Yeah… Maybe I can face my own sexuality now.” The series was still ongoing, so we didn’t know what the main character would ultimately choose. Unlike her, I had never been strongly possessed of any particular faith, and so I had no intention to keep denying my own feelings. “It’s all thanks to you, Katano. I am really grateful.”

[Assistant] “Then call me Shiko. It’s unfair if I’m the only one using a given name.”

[User] “You’re right. Thank you, Shiko.”

[Assistant] “You’re welcome.”

[User] In a way, I felt like Shiko was my Hijiri. Like Hijiri did for the main character in Between Prayer and Love, Shiko showed me a path forward when I was struggling with my queerness. Calling her by her given name felt right. I was bursting with newfound confidence, sure that I would never lie to myself again.


[User] "Hey, Kosaki. It’s really rare to get the flu during this season, isn’t it?" Misaki said in a loud voice, looking in my direction.

[Assistant] "Y-yes…" Kosaki sounded uncomfortable, but she was looking my way too.

[User] "Hey, didn’t someone else get the flu recently too?"

[Assistant] "W-well, yes."

[User] "Hmmm…how suspicious." Misaki said, her voice dripping with venom.

[Assistant] "Maybe they did something to transfer it?" The entire classroom broke into laughter.

[User] "No…!" I cried. "I haven’t done anything like that!"

[Assistant] "Why are you freaking out, Rei? Who said we’re talking about you?"

[User] "Shiko said this would happen." I stammered. "That you’d get the wrong—"

[Assistant] "Shiko? Are you calling that nerd by her first name now? You must really like her."

[User] "N-no! That’s not true!"

[Assistant] "Then what? Why are you two such pals all of a sudden?"

[User] "I just…got some advice from her…"

[Assistant] "Advice? About what? How to be good in bed?" Crude laughter sounded all around me in the classroom. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes.


[User] "How can you be this stupid? What are you, some kind of monkey?" A sharp, clever voice cut through the laughter. Katano stood up at her desk, looking over at us.

[Assistant] "What is it, Katano? Something wrong?"

[User] "You’re being absurd. You’re so pathetic, you make me sick. How old do you think you are? Did your body grow up while your brain stayed in kindergarten?" Shiko pulled no punches.

[Assistant] (Speechless, caught off guard by such ferocity from someone who was normally so meek.)

[User] "Anyway, Rei has someone she likes. And it’s not me. If you were really her friend, you’d know that."

[Assistant] "What do you know about it?!"

[User] "Oh, whatever. Just stop trying to drag me into your little kindergarten games. I’m not going to stoop to your level."

[Assistant] "You!" It looked like Misaki and Shiko might come to blows any moment.

[User] "Stop! Will you just stop?! I hate this." Kosaki cried. "Misaki… I hate it when anyone in our class fights…and I hate it most of all when you fight with someone…" She burst into tears, rendering everyone in the classroom silent.

[Assistant] (Looked at Kosaki in amazement.)

[User] "Tsk… Fine. C’mon, stop crying. Sorry, everyone." Misaki clicked her tongue and hugged Kosaki.

[Assistant] (Realizing that things had settled down, at least for the moment, I breathed a sigh of relief. Shiko had already returned to her own seat and was reading a book. She sure could switch gears fast.)

[User] I wonder if this is the end of my peaceful days.


[User] Just as I expected, I was snubbed by Misaki’s group from the next day forward. Even though I had feared being alone so much, now that it had actually happened, it wasn’t so bad. In fact, it was refreshing to not have to keep up the charade of superficial relationships. Okay, it made things hard when it came time to pick partners for gym class or the school trip, but overall, my life was less complicated now. I started partnering with Shiko a lot during gym class. We weren’t always the odd ones out in the exact same way, but we wound up together a lot. I used to go straight home after school, but now I started visiting her manga club and talking about manga with the other members too. My relationship with the Saki-Saki combo remained fraught. Misaki openly avoided me, but Kosaki and I occasionally studied in the library together. Even so, Kosaki was concerned about what Misaki thought, so she wouldn’t speak to me out in the open much anymore. The only contact we had was in the library. I allowed myself to admit that I enjoyed these monthly “dates” with the person I liked (even if I knew only I thought of them that way). One other thing changed. I decided I wanted to create something, probably thanks to Shiko’s influence, so I started writing fanfiction. Drawing really challenged me, but the written word just worked for my brain. I found it relaxing, despite my complete lack of skill. Shiko and her manga club buddies were huge nerds who had plenty of great manga, games, and anime to recommend. I read, watched, and played them all, then wrote fanfiction about the characters I liked.

[Assistant] “Yeah, I think it’s good. It’s pretty rough, but really passionate.”

[User] “Yeah. It’s got this really fresh feel to it.”

[Assistant] “You should watch these sentence structures a bit, though.”

[User] “I see…” I was back at the manga club, and its members were reading my latest work. This was back in the days before the “Cool Japan” campaign, and otaku interests were still niche rather than mainstream. Most people had the same scornful opinion of fannishness that Misaki did. I considered myself lucky to have found such kindred spirits, let alone people who would read my terrible first drafts and give me honest feedback.

[Assistant] “Hey, Rei, have you read the latest Prayer-Love?” Shiko asked. This was the shortened nickname fans used for the series she’d loaned me.

[User] “Not yet. I was going to buy it on the way home.”

[Assistant] “I see. You should prepare yourself. Something big happens.”

[User] “What? Oh, I want to know!” I was looking forward to reading it, but Shiko’s expression was dark.

[Assistant] “Is it bad?”

[User] “I won’t spoil it for you. Just read it.”


[User] "I wonder if this means she’s going to end up with Hijiri…?" I said. Much as the book had moved me, I wasn’t a fan of this new twist in the tale. I didn’t know what to do with the gloom that consumed me. The Rei of the past would have had no way to express her frustration, but luckily, I had the perfect hobby now. I would write fanfiction where Shoko lived.

[Assistant] "If I were the author, this is what I would write." I said, and I stayed at my computer late into night, completely absorbed in the version of the story as I retold it.


[User] "You really did it…"

[Assistant] "I think your story works super well, Rei."

[User] "I think I like the original better, but yours made me cry a little too." The next day, the manga club read my fanfic and gave me their thoughts.

[Assistant] "What did you think, Shiko?" I was grateful to hear their thoughts, but I wanted to hear Shiko’s opinion most of all.

[User] "I…I like both, but I think I prefer the original too."

[Assistant] "I see…"

[User] "I’m sorry. It’s not that I dislike yours."

[Assistant] "Yeah, I know. Thank you for reading it." I was just grateful that she’d read it and given me her honest opinion.

[User] "Shiko, do you ship the heroine with Hijiri?"

[Assistant] "Yeah, that’s why I’m not as upset by what happened in the latest volume. You were rooting for her to end up with Shoko, right?"

[User] "Yeah…" I said, slumping my shoulders in disappointment.

[Assistant] "I’m sorry." Shiko gave me a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

[User] "I don’t like what happened in the latest book, but it helped me realize something."

[Assistant] "I see. So you’re going to do it?"

[User] "Yeah."


[User] "I want to tell Kosaki I like her." Rei thinks to herself about her fanfic and how she wants to express her love before it's too late. The latest Prayer-Love had taught her that. She didn’t think Kosaki would die anytime soon, of course, but one of us might transfer schools, or we might go our separate ways after we graduated. She might even start seeing someone else. Rei needed to tell her how she felt so she wouldn’t end up like the main character in Prayer-Love.

[Assistant] “It’s about time.” The manga club members encouraged her.

[User] “You’re really going to do it?”

[Assistant] “Good luck!”

[User] “When are you going to do it?”

[Assistant] “Maybe tomorrow. We’re staying after school to work in the library.”

[User] “I see. You can do this, Rei.”


[Assistant] "I like you, Kosaki. Would you go out with me?" Rei chose a moment when they were alone in the library after school to finally tell Kosaki that she liked her. She couldn’t think of anything but the same old tired lines, so she just came out with it.

[User] “Huh? Wha?! What? !”

[Assistant] “Huh? You like me… You mean not as a friend?”

[User] “Yeah. In a romantic way.”

[Assistant] “So, it’s true you like girls?”

[User] “I don’t know if I only like girls. But I like you.” I couldn’t back down now. "Don’t you have fun when you’re with me?"

[Assistant] “I’m not saying I don’t!”

[User] “Do you hate me?”

[Assistant] “No, I don’t hate you. But…”

[User] “Don’t you think we’re on the same wavelength?”

[Assistant] “Well, maybe, but…”

[User] “I think…I need some time. Do I have to answer right now?”

[Assistant] “No, not at all. I’d much prefer you take your time rather than say no right now. Please think about it.”

[User] “Yeah. Thank you.”

[Assistant] “No, thank you. I’m sorry for catching you off guard.” We smiled at each other. "Were you surprised?"

[User] “How could I not be?