NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 116
“Welcome back~!”
As soon as I teleported into the empty room of my house in the capital, where I had set the Moon Gate’s coordinates, I heard Aria’s voice from the living room, having sensed my presence.
“Currently confirming location…”
“This is a completely different world, so I doubt you’ll find any information.”
KAEDE, who had followed me through the Moon Gate, stood there with her mouth slightly agape, staring blankly into space while communicating with something or someone.
In a matter of seconds, KAEDE’s somewhat vacant expression disappeared. She blinked once, signaling that her location check was complete.
“Confirmed. This is a place that doesn’t exist in the Sakura Empire’s database. Raising alert level.”
“It’s fine, this is my home.”
As she was about to raise her alert level, I quickly explained where we were.
“For now, I’ll go ahead and explain things in the living room. Could you wait in this room until then?”
“My apologies. I have detected two unidentified lifeforms 8.92 and 9.66 meters from this room. I cannot leave Master’s side until safety is guaranteed.”
“….”
Those lifeforms KAEDE referred to were undoubtedly Aria, who had just called out to me, and Eurua, who was likely with her.
Since neither of them knew each other, the explanation was bound to get complicated.
I intended to explain the situation to my housemates, Eurua and Aria, first, but KAEDE wouldn’t allow it due to safety concerns.
(This is going to be such a pain…)
“Alright, fine. Just come along, then.”
“Thank you.”
With that, KAEDE naturally moved ahead of me and carefully observed the positions of Aria and Eurua through the wall.
“Just so you know, those two are my housemates. It’s fine to be cautious, but please don’t attack them first, okay?”
“Understood. I will do my best.”
Do her best? I wished she could give me a clearer assurance, but from the living room, I began to feel an overwhelming aura.
“…There’s some strange presence, Allen. Are you okay?”
It was like a scene from a manga, with a looming sense of tension practically pouring out from the living room.
“I-I’m fine!! I’ll explain everything, so please just wait!”
If a fight were to break out between an elven royal and a futuristic super-weapon here in my house in the capital, there was a real chance the entire capital could be destroyed.
Feeling a growing sense of panic at the sudden danger, I shouted to reassure Aria, who was bracing herself in the living room.
…This was going to be a long night.
—
“Uh, so… this is KAEDE, a woman created by advanced science. She’s kind of like a golem? Since she’s not a living being, she can pass through the Moon Gate I mentioned earlier.”
“The golems we know do not take the form of such a beautiful young woman, nor do they lack the magical energy they are supposed to possess.”
“I have detected an increase in unknown energy from the individual in front. Raising alert level to yellow.”
In what had become a “family meeting,” KAEDE and I sat side by side at the table in the living room, while Eurua and Aria sat across from us.
Eurua, my other housemate, seemed relatively unfazed, calmly observing the situation. However, Aria and KAEDE, seated opposite each other, clearly recognized each other as potential threats. Aria’s adorable face had contorted into a frightening expression.
“I’m not asking you to be best friends, but could you not treat each other as enemies?”
“Indeed, Aria-sama.”
Just as I was trying to figure out how to calm them both down, Eurua chimed in with some backup.
“You come from a world without magic, yes? It may seem odd to you, but it’s not good to rely solely on your special sight.”
Eurua was referring to Aria’s special eyes, which allowed her to see deeper levels of magical energy, a unique ability. Apparently, Aria had been using those eyes to try and assess KAEDE’s nature.
“You’ve always judged people based on that sight of yours, haven’t you? While the quality of one’s magical energy is important, I’ve told you time and again that if you focus only on that, you’ll miss the truly important things…”
Eurua spoke to Aria in a gentle, motherly tone, her words causing Aria’s expression to shift to one of embarrassment.
“KAEDE is supposed to be my bodyguard. While she looks as mature as Eurua, she’s still like a newborn. I’d appreciate it if you could keep that in mind.”
“I-I understand… You don’t have to lecture me like that.”
The conversation was naturally shifting toward Aria, who was the one displaying open hostility.
While I felt a little bad for Aria, her standing down was the quickest way to diffuse the tension in the room.
At the very least, KAEDE wouldn’t make the first move unless something extreme happened, as Minato had assured me. So, for now, it was Aria who needed to yield to ease this awkward situation.