Chapter 22: I Joined a Party Full of Drama Queens

"Come in, don’t be shy. Welcome to my workshop, brave adventurers."

Guided by a white-haired girl, we made our way through the city and were led to a detached house.

The place we arrived at was a stone-built Western-style mansion, with bizarre magic circles drawn all over the walls—it looked exactly like what you'd expect from a mage's residence.

"Whoa, pretty fancy place. Just to be sure—you don’t live here alone, do you?"

"No, I live with my father."

"Got it."

"My father is also a researcher. Sort of. If you’re interested in his research, I could put in a word for you."

With that, Yuri fell silent.

…Hmm. For some reason, she didn’t mention her mother. Maybe it’s better not to bring it up.

"Thanks, that’d be great. So, what exactly are you researching, Yuri?"

"I’m glad you asked. I’m working on faithfully recreating a noble form of ancient divination magic. My fortune-telling work is just one part of that research."

Apparently, Karl also sensed it was better not to mention her mother. He gently shifted the conversation to something Yuri seemed more comfortable talking about.

"Divination magic, huh… Wait, does that mean what you told me about some big misfortune coming my way is actually true?"

"Yes, it’s highly likely."

Yuri toyed with her short white hair, but her eyes shimmered with a hint of dissatisfaction.

"But it’s not guaranteed. The future I saw is only ‘the most likely outcome as of now.’ It’s not absolute. So it’s quite common for yesterday’s reading to differ from today’s."

"Huh… ‘Most likely future,’ huh."

"That’s the limit of modern astromancy. We, diviners, don’t foresee the future—we merely predict it. And that’s exactly what frustrates me."

She gave a self-deprecating smile as she spoke about her magic.

"If you see a cat and a mouse fighting, and you can guess the cat will win… how valuable is that kind of magic, really? You could figure that out yourself."

"Hmm, I get what you’re saying. Kinda."

"But what if, against all odds, the mouse did defeat the cat? Only by foreseeing that kind of improbable result can we prepare meaningful countermeasures. My research is about turning prediction into true foresight."

I see. That actually makes a lot of sense.

The explanation was a bit technical, but I got the gist of it: she wants to make fortune magic more reliable.

Now that I think about it, my tutor once said divination magic basically comes down to probability theory.

"That’s why I want you guys to cooperate with my research."

"What do you need us to do?"

"Oh, nothing too major. I just want you to live your lives according to my instructions for a few days."

…Huh? That sounds like a big ask to me?

"Each morning, I’ll do a reading specifically for you. Then, I want you to take certain actions based on that reading."

"Like what?"

"For example, let’s say the reading shows Karl will trip and fall that day. Then I’d tell him, ‘Watch your step today,’ and we’d observe whether he still falls or not."

The white-haired girl grew serious and looked at us intently.

"If my new theory on divination magic is correct, Karl will fall, no matter how much I warn him. That would mean it’s true foresight—not just probability."

"Yeah, I see the logic."

"So I want you to deliberately go against my readings for a while. Then report back to me whether they come true or not."

"…Heh? That actually sounds kind of fun. So basically, we’re supposed to mess with your predictions however we can, right?"

Hmm. If that’s all, then it’s not too much to ask.

"I’m sorry, though—we’re a bit tight on money, so I can’t pay you for your cooperation. But in exchange, I’ll offer whatever knowledge and connections I have. How about that?"

"That’d be great. We came here to learn anyway."

"Saving on tuition sounds like a win to me. Also, would it be okay if we stayed here during the research?"

"While you're participating in my research, you may use this house as your residence. There are only three guest rooms, so you’ll have to share."

Oh, she’s even letting us stay here?

"It’s easier than making you come to my place first thing every morning."

"That’s a huge help."

"Just so you know, we don’t have a housekeeper or maids here. You’ll have to cook and do laundry yourselves."

"Of course, that’s fine."

And just like that, we struck a deal with Yuri.

She’d provide us with lodging and knowledge. In return, we’d help with her research for a while.

"So, what’s the plan for tomorrow?"

"I’m not much use in a fight. Let me handle cooking and laundry instead."

"Sounds good. Master takes care of that stuff, and the rest of us can explore the town a bit, yeah?"

Master, the professional when it came to things like cooking, stepped up to handle that side of things.

That was a relief. I could cook too, but there’s no way I could match him.

"Can we just go wherever we want during the day?"

"Aside from going against my morning readings, I won’t ask anything else of you. You’re free to spend your days however you wish."

"Then let’s make tomorrow a free activity day. Everyone, go out and gather what info you can."

And so, thanks to Yuri’s generosity, we secured ourselves a base of operations.

"It’s getting late. Just for tonight, I’ll cook for everyone, so sit tight."

"Wow, thanks! You can cook?"

"Believe it or not, I’ve been trained for marriage. My plan is to marry a nobleman who values my knowledge and magical talent. Let me know if you have anyone in mind."

"You’re already thinking that far ahead at your age?"

…So she’s aiming to become a noble’s concubine. Since nobility often avoid marrying commoners officially due to weak magical lineage, I’ve heard they frequently keep talented commoners as concubines.

If she’s a skilled scholar, that’s not a bad strategy at all.

"If you’re serious about it, I could reach out on your behalf. Our family receives more marriage proposals than we can count."

"That’d be a huge help."

"Though, maybe wait until you’re a little older."

I’ll play nice here. Introducing a capable scholar to a noble we’re on good terms with could benefit my family too.

"…Can I read the books here?"

"The books in my house? Sure, as long as you don’t damage them."

"…Okay."

Lev stared quietly at the bookshelf. Looks like something caught her eye.

"Alright then, let’s stay here tonight and start gathering info from the books. Got any about hero legends?"

"Hmm, my dad’s bookshelf might have some novels like that. I haven’t read them myself, so I don’t know exactly where."

"Could you get us in touch with a scholar who specializes in that kind of thing?"

"Uhh… I’ll try asking a few people I know. But for that kind of topic, it might be better to talk to one of my father’s contacts."

Yuri frowned slightly as she listened to us talk.

Looks like she doesn’t know much about hero legends herself.

"Well, I’ll talk to my dad about it. You guys go ahead and read whatever books you like."

"Thanks. Actually, we still haven’t met your father yet, have we?"

"Don’t worry about that. You’re my guests. There’s no need to meet him."

"That doesn’t seem right… I mean, he lives here too, doesn’t he?"

"Well, yeah, but… My dad’s, um, kind of an oddball. It’s probably better if you don’t meet him…"

When her father was brought up, Yuri looked away and averted her gaze.

"An oddball?"

"How do I put it… My dad’s main research paper is something like ‘Ancient Magic Tricks for Party Gags.’ The academic community thinks he’s a total weirdo…"

"If you see him as a friend, he’s amusing—but as family, he’s the type who’s just a nuisance."

“‘Nuisance’ doesn’t even cover it... When I first brought in a submission, I got rejected at the gate just because they heard my dad’s name.”

Yuri’s eyes had that faint lifeless glaze when she spoke about her father. She must’ve had a rough time with him.

“He’s not a bad person, just... incredibly troublesome. If you don’t want to get hit by magic that comes out of his ass, best to avoid him entirely.”

“That sounds terrifying.”

Yeah, definitely not someone I want to meet.

“Father stays out late, so please settle into the guest room before he returns. If you could be asleep by then, that would help me immensely.”

“Alright, got it.”

With what was practically a plea from Yuri, we were promptly shown to the guest room. The room assignments were me and Sakura, Lev and Maika, and the rest of the guys together.

The dinner she made was genuinely delicious, and we were full... but later that night, some cheerful man’s singing echoed throughout the house, keeping us up a bit. I guess I’ll have to let that slide.

“You know I told you we have guests!!”

“It is because we have guests that I must sing! La-la-la-LA-LAA!”

“Please, I’m begging you! Keep this up and I’ll have no choice but to disown you!”

At least Yuri seemed to be properly angry about it.

---

…The next morning.

“It’s fine to come out now. I’ve already kicked my father out.”

“Kicked him out?”

“I truly apologize. I promise that kind of debauchery won’t happen again. He just got overly excited from having guests over for the first time in a while.”

As morning sunlight streamed through the manor’s windows, a weary-faced Yuri came knocking to wake us.

Seems like last night really wore her out.

“I’ve sent him off to his lab. Sorry, but you’ll need to wait a bit for the scholar who’s familiar with the Heroic Legends. I didn’t get a chance to talk with my father about it yesterday.”

“Oh, no problem. That’s understandable.”

Yeah, figures. They were practically at each other’s throats last night.

“Anyway, I’ll now do today’s reading for you. After that, feel free to spend the day however you like.”

“Alright. Where should we go?”

“Come to the living room. I’ve prepared a simple breakfast.”

“Sure thing.”

Let’s try to be nice to her.

Seeing the young Yuri looking so drained, I couldn’t help but think that.

“Hmm... Hmmmmmm, this is...”

While we ate breakfast,

Yuri was peering into the crystal ball on the table with a deeply troubled look.

“I see... Hmm. Hmmm.”

“What’s with all the grumbling, Yuri?”

Her face had turned deadly serious, a sharp contrast to earlier. As someone who sees others’ futures, she probably sees the world from a unique perspective.

“Yes, I see... Sorry, everyone. I don’t have any tasks for you today based on the reading. Spend the day as you wish.”

“Huh? Wasn’t this all supposed to be an experiment to get your reading, then try not to follow it?”

“Today, it’s better if you do nothing. That’s all. You’re dismissed.”

With that, she quietly got up from her seat.

“Then, if you’ll excuse me. May your day be full of blessings.”

Almost like she was running away from something, Yuri briskly left the room.

Though maybe it was just my imagination, it seemed like her cheeks were slightly flushed as she glanced toward Karl on her way out.

“…She’s gone, huh.”

Now that Yuri was gone and we’d been given free rein, the question was—what do we do next?

“We haven’t gotten that lead on the scholar who knows about the Heroic Legends yet, so there’s not much for us to do.”

“…Apparently, the library’s available at least.”

Honestly, we didn’t have much of a plan.

“Oh yeah—Karl, did you get any info from the goddess about Aldebaran?”

“Nah, she didn’t appear in my dreams last night. Maybe she’s busy.”

“I see.”

So it’s not like Karl can see the goddess in his dreams every night.

“Well, it’s only our second day in Yowin. We haven’t done any sightseeing either. Might as well enjoy ourselves today.”

“Indeed.”

With that, Karl’s words effectively declared today an off day.

Considering we’d just come off a long journey, it wasn’t a bad idea to take a break.

“Alright then, let’s take it easy today.”

“…Yeah.”

However, Karl had no way of knowing—

—that simple decision would be the gateway to hell.

---

“Hm? A sparring match? Sure thing, Irine.”

“Fufu, I look forward to it.”

I decided to spend this unexpected day off training, and invited Karl to join me.

Up until now, I’d mostly relied on Lev-chan for close combat training, but I’d never actually sparred with this guy before.

“Please, allow me to experience the power of the chosen Hero firsthand.”

“Okay, see you later then.”

“I shall be waiting eagerly.”

I’ve always wanted to get a feel for what a Hero’s physical abilities are really like.

Besides, Karl usually spends time with the other girls in the party, so I’ve hardly had any alone time with him. This seemed like a perfect chance to close that distance.

“Well then, I’ll be waiting in the clearing just outside the gate we used to enter Yowin.”

“Got it. I’ll be there.”

Heh… hehehe. I’m fired up already.

I’ve never had much of a “man-to-man” moment with Karl before. Now’s the time to make it clear to him that I’m his rival in this party.

When it comes to person-to-person combat, Karl only really shines with his anti-demon sword techniques—he’s probably not that strong otherwise. I should have at least a decent shot at winning.

“Oh, right—Irine…”

“Well then, until this afternoon! I’ll be counting on you!”

“Huh? Ah—…”

I thought Karl was about to say something, but I didn’t bother sticking around. I took off running.

Alright then! Time to prep for a glorious clash of muscles and spirit! Now, where did I stash that bikini armor…?

Fuhaha!!

—

And so.

While I was giddy with excitement over what felt like a duel-date with Karl...

—

“…Karl? Weren’t you supposed to spend the whole day with me?”

“…You said we’d go get something sweet together. Karl…”

I underestimated Karl.

I had no idea his cluelessness skill was this powerful.

“You were the one who invited me out shopping, weren’t you? So, what’s going on here?”

“Karl-san, you promised me a combat training session, didn’t you?”

At the agreed time, at the agreed place—a clearing on the outskirts of town.

There stood four girls, all glaring daggers at a single man.

“Wait, uh, I thought I’d have enough time for everyone…”

“So, you ended up making plans with all four of us? At the same time? At the same place?”

“Well, I mean, I just kinda… messed up the scheduling, I guess…”

I was sure I’d get to spend the whole day throwing punches with Karl.

But this guy… this guy made date-like promises with every single girl in the party.

“……”

“Eh? Wait, huh? Why is everyone so mad?”

I mean, I’m not mad, but… Maika and Lev-chan? Yeah, they’re definitely pissed.

They’re both completely decked out in their date outfits. Like, went all-in on the fashion.

“Huh, now that you mention it… Maika, Lev—you two look really cute today.”

Is this guy okay?

---

“I’m sorry, Karl-kun, but I’m a researcher. And as such, I simply can’t resist the pull of intellectual curiosity.”

“…young lady Yuri. What exactly is going on here?”

“Come on, you’d be curious too, right? I saw the future—Karl being confronted by every girl in the party. Once I saw that, I just had to witness it for myself. So, I didn’t warn him. As a researcher, I was simply following my calling.”

“…Sigh.”

And from the shadows, a little girl and an old man were peeking out, watching the whole thing with flared nostrils and eager eyes.