Jingle—
A slightly jarring telephone ringtone cut through the dim lighting.
This was a classically decorated cafe. A petite maid, standing behind the counter, walked over to the phone.
A few seconds later, the receiver was lifted by a pale, delicate hand.
"Meow-llo, this is Ahnenerbe."
Root, gripping the receiver that seemed a bit too large for her tiny hands, held it to her ear.
"...We don't serve Mapo Tofu here, meow. This shop deals in Mystic Eyes and curry. Besides..." Her voice dropped to a gritted whisper as she clenched the receiver, "The shop isn't even open to the public right now. If you want food, just get over here! Arcueid, you must be so bored."
She'd lost count of how many calls like this she'd received.
Root let out a sigh, exasperated by Arcueid's childishness.
Just as she was about to hang up, however—
"If there's no Mapo Tofu, I'll make you meow like a kitten." The Princess's laughter-laced voice drifted through the receiver.
"...Master, when will you arrive?"
"My, who knows? I'm with Natsuki-chan right now."
"...Understood."
Click. The call ended.
Root, her calm eyes betraying a flicker of panic, looked beseechingly towards Nagisa Akatsuki.
"My shrine maiden, do you know how to make Mapo Tofu?"
Nagisa, who had been excitedly fiddling with the hem of her maid apron, looked up. "Chinese food?... I can do that~"
"...I'm counting on you, meow."
"Okay~"
With a swish of her skirt, the lively girl bounded towards the kitchen.
--+--
On the other end, Arcueid happily put the receiver down.
This is what pets are for.
Arcueid leaned back comfortably into the recliner, the aroma of black tea in the air further lifting her spirits.
"...If you're bored, come help me with these documents." Natsuki Minamiya, seated within a small mountain of paperwork, paused her weary writing.
"Minamiya-sensei, this batch is finished." Kanon Kanase presented a stack of processed documents.
"Thanks, Kanon." Natsuki massaged her temples, a headache brewing. "...Who was in charge of the affairs for the Mystic Eye Collection train again?"
"The person handling the Mystic Eye Collection Train affairs…"
Arcueid looked up in thought.
--+--
On the train, a stern-looking Neco-Arc sat with her legs crossed, reviewing documents.
As if sensing a gaze from beyond, she meowed and looked up abruptly.
Comic relief characters are truly overpowered.
Arcueid nodded to herself and summoned a Neco-Arc right beside her.
The two pairs of eyes met. The newly arrived Neco-Arc gave a knowing nod, pulled out a smartphone, and began tapping rapidly on the screen.
A few seconds later, a Neco-Arc with jets of fire shooting from its feet flew up to the window.
"...Why didn't you bring this out sooner?"
Natsuki let out a resigned sigh as she watched the Neco-Arc deftly begin tackling the paperwork.
She picked up the cup of black tea from her desk and took a slow sip.
The warm liquid soothed the day's fatigue.
"I just wanted you to experience it a little."
Arcueid skipped over to Kanon, took the documents the girl was working on, and placed them into the paws of the administrative Neco-Arc.
With a gentle pull, she guided Kanon to her feet and led her over to Natsuki.
"Let's go, it's time for dinner." The orange hues of the setting sun illuminated Arcueid's smiling face as she thrust a hand forward. "Destination—Ahnenerbe."
--+--
"Meowmeowmeow~"
Root squirmed and wriggled on Arcueid's lap, trying to escape the unbearably pleasant tingling in her ears and tail.
Even though Nagisa had started cooking immediately, they were no match for the spatial leap of the 'Witch of the Void.'
Kanon watched the mewling Root intently, the anticipation in her eyes almost tangible.
Noting the girl's hopeful gaze, Arcueid chuckled and placed the now-panting Root into her hands.
The sensitive spots were assaulted once more, but this felt entirely different.
"Mmmeww~ So good…"
Root purred contentedly, curling up in Kanon's arms.
"That's quite the skilled technique," Arcueid remarked softly.
"I usually take care of the cats at the monastery," Kanon said, her eyes curving into happy crescents as her hands moved with increasing gentleness. "I can teach you, if you'd like, Onee-san."
"Sure thing."
"Food's ready~!" Nagisa's voice interrupted their conversation. She emerged carrying dishes, followed by a whole line of Neco-Arcs.
"Coming~!"
The round table in the cafe hall was laden with an assortment of dishes.
Avrora eyed the dark, fizzing liquid in her glass—ice-cold cola—with deep suspicion.
A few seconds later, she cautiously picked up the glass and took a sip. Her eyes flew wide open.
"A supreme delicacy! Is this nectar descended upon the earth?"
Her eyes swimming from the carbonation's stimulation, Avrora downed the entire glass in one go and let out a cute hiccup.
"Cola! Divine!"
Under Avrora's expectant gaze, Arcueid refilled her glass to the brim.
"Kanon, come on, sit, sit, sit! Eat as much as you want!"
Nagisa beckoned to Kanon, who seemed a little ill at ease. Although Kanon had been here for a while now, she still wasn't completely used to it.
So pitiful.
Nagisa looked at her former classmate with compassion.
It must be because her family situation is bad, and she suffered domestic violence—that was the reason Arcueid had given her.
"Then let's celebrate Kanon's escape, and the official opening of Ahnenerbe~!"
Nagisa's cheerful voice officially commenced the evening's feast.
"This salad is my pride and joy! The dressing is a house special, with walnuts, peanuts, and sesame seeds. Over here is the cafe's curry, that's Nagisa's special Mapo Tofu, and the dual-flavor pasta will be ready soon too."
"Ooooh!" Avrora immediately picked up her chopsticks, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Th... thank you."
Perhaps infected by Nagisa's enthusiasm, a faint smile also appeared on Kanon's lips.
"You're welcome~ Starting now, we're classmates again in the same class."
Hmm?
Arcueid looked up blankly.
As Nagisa's homeroom teacher, how could she not know about this?
"You didn't read the documents I left in your room, did you?" Natsuki, now seated at the table, shot her an unsurprised glance. "And you didn't read the school notification either, right?"
"...There were things like that?"
"Of course. Besides Kanon, there's one more person transferring to your class."
"Who is it?"
Ding-ding-ding—!
The words on Natsuki's lips were interrupted by the bell at the entrance.
Ahnenerbe was divided into two main sections: the outer area for Mystic Eye affairs, and the inner cafe, which was temporarily closed to the public.
Yet now, a guest had arrived at this closed cafe.
The atmosphere instantly grew quiet. Everyone turned simultaneously to see a girl in a familiar uniform standing at the entrance.
Her shoulder-length black hair swayed slightly as the girl, carrying a guitar case, stepped into the private cafe with feigned nonchalance.
Perhaps startled by the sudden silence, she hunched her shoulders slightly and stiffly took a seat at a table not far away.
Her solitary figure stood in stark contrast to the lively group around Arcueid.
The girl raised a menu, her eyes secretly glancing towards their table.
Seeming to realize she was the center of their collective gaze, her eyes flitted back to the menu in a fluster.
"There, it's her."
Natsuki's unfinished sentence hung in the air.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.