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Now then, after we finished the trial, I walked to where Mitsuki and the others were with a smug face and…

“I don’t know if I should be praising you or be baffled.” (Mitsuki)

Mitsuki told me this and I felt like a lot of things have ended here with the Hisame House Visit Event over, but I will at least give a bit of an explanation here. 

I stored the flying Gouging Vajra into the Cooler Box, but this of course requires you to have several conditions set beforehand. 

First, no matter how much of a monkey fest the system of Nekomimi Neko is, you can’t store an item that someone has equipped. 

The reason I could store the Gouging Vajra here was because Asahi went out of his way to use the throwing skill. 

In Nekomimi Neko, when you throw a weapon and that weapon separates from you, they are no longer equipped. 

Or more like, getting a thrown equipped item is something that I did often in the game. 

A number of katana type items that normally wouldn’t drop, you would have to get them by catching them when the monsters throw them or it will be impossible to get which was a lot of pain for me. 

However, catching the Gouging Vajra normally would be difficult…you could even say it is impossible in system terms. 

It is impossible to grab a spear flying super fast with your bare hands to begin with, and if you do manage to, the power would be too high to pin it down, and even if you do manage to pin down the spear for a moment, it would be completely pointless since it will continue aiming for your head because of its certain-hit attribute. 

What comes into play here would be the Cooler Box that freezes time, but because the Cooler Box is set at the right side of your waist, this wasn’t a realistic way to deal with this. 

There’s a variety of limitations because of the event, and guiding the Gouging Vajra to your right side of the waist accurately when it is flying at high speed towards your head is something that even veteran Nekomimi Neko players couldn’t do. 

But the story is different with this world where storage restrictions are gone. 

On the contrary, you know where it will be flying to, and you can’t change it once you enter the preliminary motions, so you just have to do the simple job of matching those and wait it out with Cooler Box in place.

I was slightly slow there, but you could say I succeeded in this experiment with flying colors. 

Of course, theory and practice, and whether you can actually do it are different issues. 

Things went exactly as I imagined, so that’s fine and all, but if I had missed anything, there’s a really high chance I would be dead right now, so it can’t be helped that I got nervous, right? 

Also, the way of using the Gouging Vajra. It seems like Mitsuki was also worried by this, and she asked me while we were in the middle of going back to the city. 

“So, can you use that spear?” (Mitsuki)

“Huh? No, that’s impossible.” (Souma)

I easily answered that. 

“Eh…?” (Mitsuki)

Mitsuki’s expression stiffened and her cat ears froze to match that, but this is the obvious conclusion here. 

Gouging Vajra is an heirloom of the Hisame family, and an exclusive item of the family head Asahi, so it is probably impossible for me, Ringo, and even Mitsuki to use it. 

And before all that, I did something close to stealing here, so there’s even the chance that it has the stolen tag. 

Ah, no, I actually managed to easily confirm if that’s the case. 

The Hisame family and their related parties won’t have their affection change from murder, but it will go down with theft. 

I checked it out with the clumsy maid-san, and it seems like the affection didn’t go down, but there’s the off-chance that it did, so I can’t just show it to others so willy-nilly. 

Well, more importantly than any of that…

“In the first place, I stored it while it was still aiming for me, so I think it will fly out aiming for me.” (Souma)

There’s the issue that I might die instantly the moment I take it out. 

“In other words, that spear is…” (Mitsuki)

“Yeah, I definitely cannot use it like this.” (Souma)

When I said this firmly again, Mitsuki looked at me as if wanting to say ‘then why did you take it?’.

Her cat ears were also doing their best to show anger by shaking which is a bit cute. 

I wanted to watch these rare cat ear movements, but I was beginning to feel a bit bad, so I followed up. 

“No, I said ‘like this’, right? Of course, I have an idea as to how to change this.” (Souma)

“…Another evil scheme of yours? What kind of nonsensical thing do you plan to do this time around?” (Mitsuki)

I frowned a bit at the vexing words of Mitsuki and answered in an obscure way. 

“Well, just leave it to the laundering skills of a Nekomimi Neko player.” (Souma)

“Launde-what?” (Mitsuki)

Hearing a word she isn’t used to hearing, Mtisuki tilted her head and her cat ears bent as if going ‘fueh?’.

I said it all self-important there, but this is the same as the Cooler Box.

I think I might be able to do it in this world, but if it is exactly as in the game, it is a technique I won’t be able to use, so in order to not become a liar, I tried to obscure the specifics here. 

Also, most importantly, there’s a problem I have to tidy up no matter what. 

“…? Is something the matter?” (Mitsuki)

Mitsuki who is walking at the side of Ringo.

It is about her relationship with her. 

First, let me say this once again so there’s no misunderstandings. The Hisame House Visit Event is one of the requirements to marry Mitsuki, but it is by no means the marriage event itself. 

In gaming terms, it would simply be one of the many chain events, and for a comparison with reality, it would simply be that I got the ‘permission of the parents to marry her’, and it has nothing to do with the desire of the person herself to marry. 

Mitsuki is a character that requires special conditions in order to trigger the marriage event, and you can’t marry her simply by increasing her affection meter. 

No, there might be an internal cap in the affection meter, and it simply gets uncapped after you do the event. 

Anyways, there’s at least 2 that are absolutely necessary in order to marry Mitsuki. 

If we go by the normal flow of events in the game, after one of the necessary events for marriage, the Hisame House Visit Event, you will be able to freely have Mitsuki as your companion, and at the same time, a number of events that raise her affection will be unlocked. 

You have to do those events while journeying together with her, and by increasing her affection meter, the last necessary event for marriage will appear: The Illusory Gem Ring. 

Mitsuki will tell you ‘there’s a place I want to go to’ and then you will head to a sentimental place of hers: the Illusory Stone Cave. There, you will use the Illusory Gem that you get there to make an exclusive marriage ring for Mitsuki, and if you propose to her with that ring, the marriage will take place. 

Even when I could get Mitsuki as a companion, I mainly played solo. I did all the unlocked events of Mitsuki, borrowed her strength at important points, and after taking a long time, I reached all the way to triggering the Illusory Gem Ring event. 

But as I said countless times already, I had no intention of marrying her, so I didn’t do the event and just ignored it. 

In other words, as long as I don’t go to this Illusory Gem Cave, I can avoid it, so there’s no problem. 

The problem is whether we will act together with Mitsuki from here on. 

And whether Mitsuki herself wants to come with us. 

I face Ringo again for now. 

“Hey, Ringo, if—” (Souma)

“…I don’t mind.” (Ringo)

Is the ‘you won’t know until you try’ referring to this? 

Ringo answered with this before I could ask. 

There was the incident with Ringo before, so I can grow overconfident here, but I think it is safe to assume that she has taken my intention into consideration here.

I thought Mitsuki and Ringo would not mesh well, but it seems like they have gotten along better thanks to the Hisame family trial. 

(Then, what’s left is between me and Mitsuki, huh.) (Souma)

What would it be…for me? 

I am honestly not that into the idea of making Mitsuki my companion. 

But it is not the same as before when I definitely didn’t want to be together with her. 

After that joint struggle in the trials with Mitsuki, my feelings towards Mitsuki have certainly changed just like with Ringo. 

Mitsuki’s way of thinking is like that of the Hisame family, or more like, the way of thinking of a battle-junkie, but she is dutiful and passionate, and her cat ears are cute. 

There’s no doubt she is reliable, so I feel like a lot of things in our journey would be made easier if she were to become a companion.

As for me personally, it would be one more ally. I won’t say it would be the same no matter how many are added, but it is true that my resistance in making comrades has decreased.

Also, if it is Mitsuki, I may become deadweight for her, but she wouldn’t become deadweight for me. 

You could say someone like Mitsuki would be important as a bodyguard for Ringo. 

I feel like my anxieties would increase, but her cat ears are cute, so they might serve to heal me in my journey. 

(…Right…) (Souma)

It really might be an option to have the cat ears -I mean, have Mitsuki become a companion. 

I reached that decision. 

That’s why…

“Hey, Mitsuki, if you are fine with it, do you want to act together with us for a while?” (Souma)

That’s why the final decision will come to what Mitsuki wants. 

In gaming terms, this is where she would become my companion, but there’s apparently a chance that she won’t become a companion if you do too many antagonistic things to Mitsuki in the House Visit Event and her affection isn’t enough. 

Because Ringo was involved in the event as well, I couldn’t properly do the romcom events of Mitsuki, and her reaction to the completion of the trial was also questionable. 

There’s enough possibility for her to refuse here. 

Also, it is not like I am sure of it, but it feels like the affection meter in this world is affected more by the emotions of the person themself than the game system. 

If that wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t have been able to get so close to Ina and the Clumsy Maid that fast. 

Also, even without the event factor, when I look back at my relationship with Mitsuki…I might be quite the piece of crap…

In my first meeting with her, I begged for my life by challenging her to a match. 

I won that match by using underhanded means. 

The next time I met her, I won by exploiting a bug at the subjugation contest. 

When we had a direct duel, I attacked her with the wet see-through sexual harrassment. 

In the family trial, I stole their heirloom without fighting. 

…I wonder why…

When I line them up like that, it is mysterious how I feel as if there are no points about me for her to like.

As if validating this, Mitsuki’s eyes opened wide, and then, after moving her cat ears busily, she fell into thought. 

After a long silence, she said.

“…Are you…telling me to become your companion?” (Mitsuki)

“Yeah.” (Souma)

“Then, there’s one condition.” (Mitsuki)

I was a bit flustered at this development that wasn’t in the game. 

In other words, should I interpret this as ‘the affection isn’t enough for her to become my comrade without any conditions, but she has enough to become my comrade’?

“Please tell me.” (Souma)

I asked with the intention to fulfill it as long as it is not quite the impossible request. 

She showed a beautiful wry smile at my attitude. 

“It is not anything big. There’s simply a place I would like to stop by in the middle of the journey, so I simply want you to come with me at that time.” (Mitsuki)

What. Is it just that? 

“Yeah, that’s oka—” (Souma)

I was about to consent when…

(No, wait a moment.) (Souma)

I grinded to a halt right before I did. 

I take a glance at Mitsuki. 

She seems expressionless as if she isn’t looking over here, but when I look at her cat ears, they are stiffened upright. 

This is the sign of extreme nervousness from the cat ears! 

“O-Of course, I will listen to your wishes in the middle of the journey too, but you have to be clear about what place it is. If not, I can’t just agree so easily.” (Souma)

I instinctively felt danger and hurriedly made an excuse. 

When I did, Mitsuki’s expression didn’t change, but her cat ears clearly withered. 

But they eventually came back and she proposed this.

“…I see. Then, I will accompany you as a temporary member for now. And then, let’s do my request after checking it out.” (Mitsuki)

“R-Right, that sounds good. You are fine with that too, right, Ringo?” (Souma)

I hurriedly turned around to ask this and Ringo also nodded.

“Then, I look forward to working with you for now.” (Souma)

I stretched out my hand and Mitsuki immediately held it. 

“Yes, same here.” (Mitsuki)

Mitsuki and I exchange a tight handshake…

And my hand got numb because the grip strength of Mitsuki was too strong. 

While we were having that talk, the city of Rihiter finally came to sight. 

Seeing the light of the city, I finally felt that I was back. 

Farewell to the days when I was continuously exposed to life threatening danger by those crazy trials. 

I decide to take it easy once I return to the mansion. 

The first thing that came to sight was the monolith at the corner of the city. 

Then, a number of merchants were chatting there. 

It seems like they noticed us and I bowed, then…

“Eeh?!” 

The moment the merchants saw my face, they hurriedly ran into the city. 

“W-Why?” (Souma)

I check my surroundings, but there’s no one taking out their weapons, and it is not like they are making hostile gestures. 

And yet, that was quite the rude reaction. 

I feel like it should be fine for me to be angry here, but I wonder why…I have a really bad feeling about this. 

That became more remarkable the closer we got to the city. 

The people who saw me would run away at once, or would whisper between each other without making eye-contact. 

The gatekeepers of the city would point here and would hurriedly run off as if they were going to go call someone. 

My doubts changed to certainty. 

There’s no doubt. 

It is almost the same reaction as when you kill a disciple of the Hisame dojo. 

My affection with influences has lowered.

(Why? What did I do wrong?) (Souma)

Is it because of that Last Trial? 

Or maybe because Ringo and Mitsuki interfered? 

I was half dumbfounded while I turned the gears in my head, and my sleeve was pulled.

“…That, look.” (Ringo)

When I turned in that direction, Ringo was pointing at the bulletin board close to the Monolith. 

“Wa?!” 

Seeing that, I was shocked. 

The paper posted there had my face drawn real big. 

“Aah, I see. So the reaction before was because of this, huh. You are now famous in one go.” (Mitsuki)

What was written there in really big words was ‘Wanted’.

• Chapter 83: Rebel

“[Invisibility]!” (Souma)

I took out the Wakizashi with my empty left hand, and activated the Stealth type skill, [Invisibility].

This is the higher rank version of [Hide]. It has the effect of completely hiding yourself from lower leveled enemies. 

Fortunately, the surroundings are dark too. 

That should help hide me.

But…

“…Something…changed?” (Ringo)

“Seems to be a hiding skill. It is totally visible for us though.” (Mitsuki)

It has absolutely no effect against people with the same or higher level, so not only Mitsuki, it is completely pointless on Ringo too. 

That’s a bit sad. 

The difference with Hide is that, when you use skills and spells in this state, deal damage or receive damage, you will be taken out of it. 

Ah, also, the effect doesn’t have substance, so I obviously can’t use it for defense.

However, this shows absolute performance on normal citizens, so it works just fine for this situation. 

My level has also increased since the subjugation contest. 

If I stumble upon Alex, Raiden, or people like that, it would be impossible, but it shouldn’t be seen through by a normal adventurer.

“I am thinking of entering the city and gathering information.” (Souma)

I do think I heard that, in the game, if you kill a soldier, the Influence Affection of the city and castle will decrease drastically, and you will get a wanted poster at the bulletin board as a slight aside.  

You normally reset at those times, so it is vexing that I have no information about it. 

However, having a wanted poster is not a normal situation at all. 

I doubt the theft incident of the Hisame household would push the situation to this extent. 

No, not being able to brush off that possibility is what makes this Nekomimi Neko though.

“Then, let’s go.” (Souma)

Ringo nodded without a word and Mitsuki walked at once. 

No matter what happens, I doubt it will turn into anything dangerous with these two with me. 

I crossed the city gates as if hiding behind the back of Mitsuki while all nervous. 

This may be after the sun has gone down, but there’s a lot of people around and lights are abundant.

(No, they are a bit more noisy than usual?) (Souma)

Or more like, I get the feeling I am gathering attention.

At first, I thought it was because Mitsuki and Ringo are pretty, but this isn’t that kind of gaze. 

There’s even people that, after looking my way and getting shocked, would check twice to see if they saw right.

(Did my Invisibility run out?!) (Souma)

I can’t check the status screen in this world, so I have no means to confirm if my abilities are still in effect. 

I got flustered, but it doesn’t seem like that’s what’s going on here. 

Rather than saying they have found a wanted person, it is more like they are experiencing a paranormal activity…

I tilted my head at this mysterious situation and Mitsuki suddenly spoke. 

“Just to ask here, but your skill is something to hide your presence, right?” (Mitsuki)

“Eh? Yeah.” (Souma)

“Then, Does it mean that that is also a part of you?” (Mitsuki)

Being told this, I look at my right arm. 

*Grin*

My eyes met with the smiling Bear-san.

(Crap!) (Souma)

It was so natural that I forgot, but now that she mentions it, I was hugging the bear on my right arm. 

I can only erase myself and my possessions. 

There’s no doubt it looks as if a bear plushie is floating around on its own.

It is a horror story worthy of creating a new urban legend. 

No wonder people made a double-take here. 

I give the Bear-san, with new-found suspicion that its level might actually be higher than mine, to Ringo and hurry ahead.

(This time around, it should be okay.) (Souma)

The amount of gazes directed here clearly decreased after I gave the bear to Ringo.

Or more like, there’s none now. 

Invisibility is certainly working here. 

The cityscape is changing into one I am used to seeing. 

At the time when we were about to get to the greengrocer Oba-chan…

“Aah, the criminal Onii-chan!!” 

A voice I am familiar with and didn’t want to hear rang from my back.

I think ‘no way’ while turning around.

“Hey hey, can I throw stones at you? Can I?” 

The one standing there was a girl with an innocent face. 

The mob character that’s probably the most famous in Nekomimi Neko, Poison-tan. 

When I glanced at my side, Mitsuki’s cat ears were standing upright as if saying ‘this girl…!’.

Now that I think about it, Poison-tan easily saw through my Invisibility, so it is already certain that she is higher level than me. 

No wonder Mitsuki would be on guard here. 

As for Ringo, she is spacing out without a reaction at all. 

No emotions are shown in that expressionless face of hers, but when I look closer, I could see that she seemed a bit sleepy here. 

…Yeah, it is going to be night soon after all. 

“Uhm, can you not throw stones at me?” (Souma)

When I said this carefully, Poison-tan snorted. 

“Eh? Ah, sorry, criminal Onii-chan. If I were to throw a stone to the weak Onii-chan, you would die immediately, right? Sorry for not noticing.” (Poison)

“I-It is okay. As long as you noticed…” (Souma)

I desperately endured my anger and answered with that. 

The trick of interacting with Poison-tan is to ward off her words. 

“I see. That’s boring~.” (Poison)

Saying this, Poison-tan threw the rock she had in her hand at some point in time into the trash can. 

The trash can was destroyed. 

Fear coursed through my body. 

The outrageous power of the rock thrown by Poison-tan made me think about readying my Cooler Box. 

How to say it, her specs are as crazy as always. 

“And so, what are you doing at a place like this, criminal Onii-chan? Preparations for a disgusting dark ritual with your black skulls?” (Poison)

I return to my senses with the words of Poison-tan. 

“Ah, no, that’s not it…” (Souma)

“Could it be underage kidnapping? Officer, this guy—” (Poison)

“No, as I said, that’s not it!” (Souma)

The talk isn’t progressing with Poison-tan.

Even without the wanted issue, if I make a mistake here, I will get apprehended as an actual criminal instantly. 

“But that’s impressive, Onii-chan. I see you in a new light now.” (Poison)

“See me in a new light?” (Souma)

I wonder why, when Poison-tan praises me, it gives me a really bad feeling.

“What do you mean by that?” (Souma)

When I asked this nervously, Poison-tan easily said with a gentle face.

“…Because Onii-chan picked a fight with the nation, right?” (Poison)

Picked a fight with the nation? 

I got confused here. 

It is not about theft? 

Or is it because I left skulls at the plaza? 

No, that alone wouldn’t be considered picking a fight with the nation.

“I don’t remember doing that though…” (Souma)

When I said that, Poison-tan made a shocked face.

“Eh? But the adults are saying that you cooped up in your strange mansion, invited the kingdom’s knights, threw them out after having them experience things that are too fearsome to even speak of, and completely overturned the nation, you know?” (Poison)

“What’s with that?!” (Souma)

There’s a limit to not remembering something. 

I haven’t stayed cooped in my residence, and I have not invited the knights to my mansion either. 

In the first place, I have been living at the Hisame Dojo these past 3 days. 

It is physically impossible for me to do anything to the kingdom’s knights…

“Now that you mention it, it is noisy at the mansion.” (Mitsuki)

However, Mitsuki muttered this as if cutting off those thoughts of mine.

Her cat ears are certainly facing the mansion.

(The mansion, huh…) (Souma)

I advertised it that much at the skull incident, so it wouldn’t be strange at all for them to have secured the mansion if they know where I live. 

No, I have been treated as a criminal since the skull incident, so it wouldn’t be strange for them to forcefully enter the mansion in order to confirm whether I am truly inside.

In that case, just what would happen…?

“Sorry, I remembered I had something to do! Mitsuki, Ringo, we are going to the mansion!!” (Souma)

I ran off with a bad feeling looming behind me. 

We are already close to the Nekomimi Mansion. 

I will simply go check the state of things for a bit and confirm if there’s no abnormalities.

I was thinking that while running through the night city, turning at the last corner and…

“…Achaaa.” (Souma)

I ended up falling down on my knees at the sight there.

 —The big mansion we were living in -the Nekomimi Mansion- has been surrounded by a bunch of knights. 

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