Alice Tale in Phantasmagoria

movements seem to follow that precisely.
Good smell……
I try closing my eyes and enjoying just the smell.
The water being used is soft water isn’t it, I can tell as much as that sort of thing because the smell is being presented directly before my face.
Mu～～～～?

「Rinal!」
「Kusu, that is correct, ojousama.」
「Right～?」
「Fufu, hai.」

Rinal flavour tea is it, seems tasty.
Somehow I’ve ended up thoroughly loving black tea.

「Thank you.」
「That should be this side.
Because the matter of being able to serve at ojousama’s side is, my happiness.」
「U, un……」

There’s something embarrassing, with her upfrontly coming to express something like affection at me like this isn’t there.
Taking the cup she prepared with both of my hands, I tried slowly bringing it to my mouth.
It’s fine even without blowing on it, an exquisite temperature.
A slightly sweet rinal flavour and, a slight bitter flavour that seems to support it.
I try fleetingly looking up at Ilya.
The morning light from the window has become a halo and, causes Ilya’s blond hair to shine.
Dragon princess, I heard as such.
I suppose that girl originally, wasn’t in the sort of position where she would act as my maid.

「How is it?」

Receiving my gaze, Ilya tilted her head.

「……Is Ilya, a princess-sama?」
「Maa? Who would such a thing?」

This is a bolt from the blue, the Ilya holding her hand to her cheek as if to say that is, unreadable as always.
There was this sort of thing before as well wassn’t there.

「Since, ancient dragons are……」
「Even given that, whether I am a princess or whatever is a separate problem.」

The earth dragon old man was respectful toward the Ilya who is an ancient dragon though wassn’t he.

「Furthermore there are plenty of princess-samas around ojousama.
Surely I am an insufficient being for someone like me to be chosen.」

She is the Ilya who’s strict with herself and, kind toward others.
No……maybe she’s kind to me.
There are times when I get the sense that the maid-sans are afraid of her so, she might be strict with work.
Maa, I understand that this child isn’t a child who would impose unreasonable strictness though.
Putting my cup down, I tried taking hold of the diamond that had been left on my desk this time.
The magic item taking in light to sparkle like a kaleidescope is beautiful to its limits.

「It will finally be the night of the full moon tonight won’t it.」
「Hai, it will be the night when ojousama is most filled with magic power won’t it.」

It’s a mysterious event that, the world’s strongest magic power is on the night when the twin moons are full.
The full moon is when werewolves～ and such, it causes various things to be said doessn’t it?
And so as this night is itself that time, it’s also the day when I’ll finally go through with my job change.
Emplacing my image upon the diamond, every world’s mana is gathered and sublimated by using that as an intermediary.
Beyond putting a fearsome burden on the body, you won’t become anything if a mistake is made in the image.

「Normally I’d be excited but, I’m scared about whether I’ll really be able to change jobs today……and Ilya’s life hangs in the balance……」

Ilya came to envelop, the hand holding the diamond with both her hands.
Those are slender and beautiful fingers.

「That’s right ojousama, my life hangs in the balance.
Please take that to heart and change jobs.」

I unintentionally let out a laugh at, Ilya’s voice like a mischievous child that’s somewhat of a specialty of hers.

「Eh～? I’m kinnda losing my motivation～being told that in such a manner.」
「Maa? You’re a contrarian aren’t you, ojousama.
Does my life not matter then? Was my matter, playing around then?」
「Eeーi, you’re being persistent.
You mistake my kindness for affection, will you not let goー」
「Aah, could you wait……sob sob sob.」

The shriveled seeming Ilya sat down.
One hand is doing a crying mimicry but, the other hand is grasping my own.

「As expected of ojousama.
A person who does not forget humour whenever or wherever.」
「Ilya you, idioot.」
「Fufu, I have no excuse.」
「Since, I absolutely won’t let go……okay.」

Putting in an intent that was just as the words implied, strongly, I strongly held Ilya’s hand.

「……Hai, ojousama.」

She’s always smiling but, the smile of that time’s Ilya was already, something that remained in my memory a little.

◇■◇■◇

The third mark past midnight when even plants sleep.
The two moons that seem to get along well and can be seen in the sky when looking up from the mansion’s wide lawn, express completely round faces.
They revolve as if the large crimson moon is being chased by a blue moon that’s one size smaller.
Purple moonlight from the crimson light and blue light mixing together illuminates the entire body and, give the world of night a phantasmagoric hue.

「Fuu……」

It’s okay, I’m a capable child.
Setting the diamond at my feet, the stone that took in the purple light began releasing a phosphorescent light――I drew a magic system at the center.
Image, image is important.
What do I want to become?
A great magician who won’t lose to anyone.
An ultimate magician who protects everything like Till.
What is that?
It’s too vague.
Till’s job is『Sage』.
Sage.
Something like sage doesn’t suit me……
But hiding an extremely mystical power, I would be happy to become a special job suited to the me who managed to come here from another world.

「――tsu」

Gleaming, the phosphorescent light trapped my body in a burning sensation.
With a pain like static electricity, I felt it was almost like an illusion.
Somehow, the diamond might’ve reacted, to a『I want to become this』sort of image.
The light became increasingly strong.
I knew the air was being saturated in magic power.

――And then, that image was interrupted by a thunderous noise and the approaching sound of a warning bell that could be heard from town.

「What!?」

The western part of town is strangely bright.
It’s not purple moonlight but, an ominous madder red luminance.

「――Ojousama, just now a message came from the person who struck the alarm.
The enemy is in the sky――it’s an air raid.」

It’s not the case that the national border has been broken, this is the sort of matter of coming a moment sooner by air is it!
There’s no way I can ignore it……but, if I flee now the job change will……Ilya will……
Without intending it our gazes, clearly met.
She smiled.

「Let’s go.
I have no memory of serving a master who would turn her back here and pretend not to have seen what she’s seen.」

I suppose that uncharacteristically, the Ilya who chose strict words is admonishing me.
Security guards and royal guards, still remain in this principality capital.
But……to do nothing even though I was able to is……

「Nn……Let’s clean this up quickly master.
There was worth in going out of our way to come here from the royal capital.」

Aim looked up to the western sky while carrying her bow and arrows on her shoulder.
Time is time but, the girl who had lived as an assassin does not have a softened air.
She’s gazing at the sky with deep attentiveness and eyes that always seem listless irregardless of the time.

「Wyvern, and……something strange is flying.」

That’s right if it’s Aim then……!

「Aim, can you clean up all the enemies in the sky?」
「It’s easy if there’s enough arrows.
They’re targets.」

Aim’s weapon is Trick Shooter.
Saira made it, a magic item that can convert magic power into arrows.
If it’s the current me――!

「Aim, go ahead with me!」
「Roger.」

Perhaps she guessed what I want to do, Aim came and held onto my waist.

「Ilya will direct the maids to undertake the evacuation and protection of the citizenry.」
「Yes, my, lady.」

Information kept coming in from the maid-sans during this time.
It seems that forces that were carried in from the sky are being inserted on the surface.

「Oneechan, I leave the surface battle to you.」
「Understood.」

This person always ends up standing on the firing line of the furthest forward line……

「Don’t make such a face Alice, feed me your hand made food for once in a while when I return okay.」
「I’ll go all out for it!」
「Fufu, then I’m heading out.」

Urging her horse on, Shion-san went out from the mansion.
The 5 people Ilya chose out went with Shion-san as her PT.

「Then, this side is also going Aim.」
「Affirmative.」

We jumped out into a sky with a luminance that wouldn’t be expected in the night――