Real, Really surprising. Izayoi-san looks very good with spectacles."
"……Nn? Even if you say it out of courtesy, I don't have any presents for you."
"No, it's true, Kuro Usagi really thinks that way! Compared to your normal look, you seem more matured…… and more knowledgeable, having a cool handsome look!"
Kuro Usagi hurriedly gesticulated her arms as she said it.
[Hmm?] Izayoi lifted his head from his book and shifted his gaze upwards. If it were the normal him, one or two retorts, three to four teasing or statements of over excessive self-consciousness taking the form of words, but it was such a pity that he was suffering from a sleep deprivation today.
Under Izayoi's gaze, it was only then did Kuro Usagi realize how embarrassing her words must have sounded. Blushing red to the tips of her rabbit ears, she twitched her ears nervously.
Lifting his sleepy head, Izayoi gave a yawn before getting up to stretch his body.
"Well, if you praise me that much, how can I not feel happy?"
"R….Really?"
"Of course. Oh and would you happen to know what time it is outside?"
"The sun has started to set a while ago."
"Oh. Then, the hunting event should be ending about now. I will be finding Lily to talk about tonight's matters before meeting up with Oujosama and Kasukabe. That Chibi-sama will also be finalizing the Alliance creation."
"Eh?" Kuro Usagi gave a gasp of surprise. Izayoi also looked at her in surprise.
"What, you haven't heard of our prospective alliance with [Six Scars]?"
"When, When was that!"
"Around todays ago. Initially, I went to approach Uncle Garol[3] for a small talk, but my question was postponed. [Six Scars] was in the midst of a change of leadership, so he hoped that we would bring the request for an Alliance after the transfer of leadership is finalized and discuss our futures with the newly appointed leader."
"So that's how it is." Kuro Usagi nodded uneasily.
---After the previous battle with the huge dragon, [No Name] has obtained the rights to move up to the sixth level and have their lands and facilities returned to them. However, the conditions to rise up to the sixth level required the [emblem] to be hung from the door of the Community's perimeter. And this condition could not be cleared at the present moment since [No Name]'s emblem and "Name" were stolen by the Demon Lord."
Hence, they thought of creating an "Alliance Flag"------the proof of a Community being part of an Alliance to fill up the current inadequacy.
"Having heard stories of our long standing relations with the Community of [Six Scars], I would think that it would go well. As long as Chibi-sama doesn't screw up, it won't be a problem."
"Rea, Really?"
Her rabbit ears drooped in unease. If it were [Six Scars]'s Garol, half the negotiations would be in the bag without any outrageous demands from the other party. But to let a Community without name to meet with a newly appointed leader that have none of the past relations and a stranger to them, who knows whether the person would try to pick on them?
Izayoi only gave a tired yawn in response.
"No worries. Unless you do not have any confidence in Chibi-sama?"
"No. That's not it! But for them to choose this time to hand the leadership to the next generation….. it would mean that the negotiations would be the biggest job for the new leader. If the new leader is one who wants to build a name for themselves fast, the other party might try to resort to any means necessary."
"Nn. Your words sound reasonable too."
"So, Izayoi-san should go and help Jin-sama come up with some strategies….."
---*Pak! * Kuro Usagi's head was flicked once.
Though the strength wasn't much, the suddenness of the action caused Kuro Usagi to rub her forehead and stop talking.
Izayoi squinted at her with a sleepy face. "Kuro Usagi, relax and don't worry. Chibi-sama's negotiation will------Will Definitely Be A Success." He concluded with life returning to his eyes that seemed so trance-like earlier.
His conviction was that strong that it sounded like the declaration of a fact. Seeing that confidence, Kuro Usagi couldn't help but swallow the words that came to the edge of her mouth.
Whenever Izayoi used that kind of tone, it meant that he already arrived at a definite answer in his heart. His words were credible…. But the thought of the target of trust being Jin, Kuro Usagi felt uneasy.
Izayoi was getting tired of her lack of confidence, but he smiled in understanding. Reaching out his hand, he flicked twice more.
"Actually, I'm not unable to follow Kuro Usagi's sense of worry. After all, to believe in the one that you have always seen to be a little brother is definitely going to be quite a bother."
*Pak! Pak! *
"However, you should place your confidence in him for this once. This may be the first biggest task for the other party, but the same can be said for our Chibi-sama. Under the same circumstances, wouldn't it be an unnecessary worry?"
"Y… Yeah."
*Pak! Pak! Pak! *
"Moreover, I've already looked through Chibi-sama's negotiation strategy. Since he has prepared that "Trump Card", there's no way that he will lose. You just have to leave it to him."
*Pak, Pak, Pak, PakPakPakPakPak!*
"I… I got it, I got it already! So---- stop it! Quick, stop it, Izayoi-san!"
---*Pak!* The total number of times that Kuro Usagi's forehead got flicked was fifteen.
Drawing a sharp intake of breath after unleashing the fifteenth attack, Izayoi stared at Kuro Usagi with a face full of amazement. Following that, his eyes lit up with a glow that seemed to have found enlightenment as he said:
"…… [Highborn of Little Garden (Deko)]."[4]
"Annoying---------!"
*Whoosh!* A satisfying sound echoed in the library of [Underwood].
Hearing the sound of Kuro Usagi's smack that blew Izayoi away, Kouryuu hurriedly shouted
"Hey, what happened? That sounded like an explosion just now."
"It… It's nothing!"
Kuro Usagi quickly hid her favorite paper fan.
Izayoi tilted his head towards the voice and asked in a softer voice.
"Who's that? I don't seem to recognize this voice."
"He's a guest of the [Draco Greif] Alliance, Kouryuu-san. He's still waiting for us on the gondola. We should hurry up and go now."
As soon as she finished her words, she grabbed his collar. And just like that, Izayoi was dragged out of the library where he scrunched his brows upon seeing Kouryuu.
"…… What an insincere smile."
" Oi!"
"Keke. That's how people describe me all the time. Even my sister would use the words 'suspicious and or something's fishy' to poke fun at me."[5]
Kouryuu hugged his sides as he laughed out loud. Looks like he already knew of this problem and was treating it like nothing as he rowed the oars of the gondola.
Watching the carefree Kouryuu who was smoking his pipe while rowing the boat, Izayoi asked out of curiosity:
" ……You aren't allowed to join the Games of the Harvest Festival?"
"Of course not. I'm just a wanderer. Just one who flows with the waves as I wander aimlessly around Little Garden."[6]
"Oh really? Then that's too bad. Judging by your strength, there should be quite a number of people trying to recruit you to their side, right?"
[Eh?] Kuro Usagi couldn't help but let out that sound when she heard her thoughts being voiced out by Izayoi's words. However, Kouryuu only gave a wry smile while shaking his head.
"Haha. You are really overstating my worth. There's no Community that would want to have me, a guy who couldn't even protect his own home emblem."[7]
Kouryuu laughed it off and took a breath from his pipe.
Izayoi frowned while Kuro Usagi hurriedly covered her mouth in reflex.
" …. So it's like that. My bad."
"No problem. Garol even said that I'm a 'floating withered log', right in my face too."
"Well said. Seeing that you lack the domineering aura, that kind of description fits you."
Izayoi laughed loudly while Kouryuu only showed a wry smile.
Though Kuro Usagi felt troubled, but she cast her eyes down in understanding.
[So it was true…… He wasn't hiding his domineering aura but it was because he didn't have the domineering aura……]
'Floating withered log' refers to how one having his dreams shattered or stripped away from his essence, decides to wander around the world aimlessly. How Kouryuu had lost his Community was not known to her, but she could see that the emotional scar was one that would not be easily healed.
Izayoi tried to change the topic by asking Kuro Usagi:
"Oh right! Kuro Usagi, where were you dragged to this time?"
"Ah……It's a long story. We went to the South, headquarters of "Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven"------"
---*KUWANGpank!* The gondola started to rock violently.