Chapter 10: End of the Day

“By the way, Onii-chan. Is there anything like telepathy in magic?”

Yuna suddenly asked me that out of the blue.

“Hm? Yeah, there is.”

Mental transmission exists as a basic form of magic. The conversation I’m currently having with Alicia in my head is an applied version of that.

“Then, with that magic, couldn’t I talk to Alicia-san too?”

“Well, it would be convenient if that worked, but…”

『No, that’s not possible. In my current state, I can’t move either my body or my magic power.』

“Seems like it’s not possible. Alicia can’t use magic in her current condition.”

“…Can’t you use your magic to relay your telepathy with Alicia-san to me?”

『What do you think, Alicia?』

『Hmm… with that method, it might be possible.』

“…Alright, let me give it a try.”

I tweaked the telepathy spell formula a bit and added another recipient. Then, if I set it up so I can specify each conversation partner individually…

『Heeey, can you hear me—?』

“Whoa!? I heard a voice in my head! It’s the same voice as Onii-chan’s, but this cuteness—it’s definitely Alicia-san!”

『C-Cute…? That’s…』

『As long as you talk like you’re speaking in your mind, we can have a conversation via telepathy.』

『Test, test… oh my, this is handy.』

“It only works while I’m maintaining the spell. But it’s not a heavy load, so I can keep it active at all times without a problem.”

『Thanks to Yuna-san, I’m able to talk now! I’m so happy!』

『I’m happy I can talk to Alicia-san too!』

“If I switch the line, I can have one-on-one conversations with anyone I choose. I can only make one line at a time, so if I’m talking to someone individually, I can’t talk to others at the same time—but I can set it up so everyone’s connected.”

“When the two of us are talking, Onii-chan can’t hear what we’re saying, right?”

“I’ve set it so the contents don’t reach me. I figured there might be things you want to talk about without me hearing.”

“I’m going to trust you on that… If you even think about eavesdropping, I’ll genuinely despise you.”

“Got it, got it. Just trust me.”

“Then, is it okay if I talk with Alicia-san for a while?”

“Sure.”

After that, the two of them seemed to be chatting for a bit.

“Onii-chan, can you switch the line so it connects me, Alicia-san, and Mama?”

“I can, but… what, I’m just being left out now?”

“There’s something we need to confirm about your body. So please?”

“…Alright, fine.”

『I’m sorry, Ikuto-san.』

“It’s fine. I’ll just go watch the rest of that anime.”

“…If you’re feeling lonely, want me to hug you from behind?”

Yeah, you just want an excuse to hug Alicia.

“No thanks.”

With that, I picked up the DVD remote.

…Now then, what episode did I fall asleep during again?

After a while, the conversation ended, and I brushed my teeth and headed back to my room on the second floor.

It wasn’t even midnight yet, but ever since living in the other world, Alicia and I had gotten used to taking turns resting once the sun went down, so I was already pretty sleepy.

Too tired to bother turning on the lights, I dove straight into bed.

Lying face down, I went over the hectic events of the day in my mind.

The final battle with the Demon King ended in a draw, and I returned from the other world—only to find myself in Alicia’s body. I somehow made it back home, reunited with my family, and then… saw Alicia’s naked body in the bath…

“No matter how you look at it, way too many events packed into one day…”

I let out a deep sigh as I reflected again on just how much had happened. A wave of fatigue swept over me.

“Yawn… yeah, that really wore me out.”

Just as I surrendered to the sleepiness and began to close my eyes, a voice echoed in my head.

『Ikuto-san, thank you for everything today.』

It was Alicia’s voice—already so familiar after just a single day.

“Mm, Alicia…”

『Sorry for calling out when you’re sleepy. But I really wanted to thank you before the day ended… truly, thank you.』

“It’s totally fine. You did great too, Alicia. So, how was it? My family. Kinda lively, right?”

『Yes, they were all so warm and wonderful. I could tell just how much they care about you…』

I remembered how Alicia once said, with a laugh, that she had been taken from her parents as a child and raised as a shrine maiden—so she never really knew what a real family was like.

“…Like my mom said earlier, Alicia’s already pretty much family now. I mean, we’re going to be together until the day we die, right? So please don’t hesitate to rely on us for anything. Everyone really cares about you.”

『…Yes. I was so happy that everyone accepted me… I’ll never forget it.』

Alicia had completed her duty and lost everything—then came to Japan. That’s why I hope my family can become her new home.

“…Alright then, I’m gonna sleep now.”

『Good night, Ikuto-san.』

“…Yeah. Good night, Alicia.”

With those final words, I closed my eyes.

Dad, who’s been working overseas, should be back tomorrow.

Sounds like we’re going shopping before that, so tomorrow’s shaping up to be busy too.