Sevens

The Seven Great of the City of Scholars

“... So you were living in a house?”

Having carried Miranda-san’s baggage all the way to her residence, I was slightly surprised upon seeing her estate.

Where it was normal for a majority of the students studying here to live in apartments, she resided in a detached house.

For a noble family with the funding, it wasn’t unthinkable, but that’s only a small portion of them.

Making a bitter smile, Miranda-san looked a little troubled.

“I mean, even like this, I’m the eldest daughter. I’m not being very useful to my House, but I guess you could call it honor? For that reason, they bought me a manor. By the time I’ve graduated, it’ll probably have been sold off to someone.”

Even when they allowed the Circry’s eldest to study in the city of scholars, they couldn’t have her living in a plain apartment.

Hearing that, the Fifth spoke.

『Well, honor is important in itself. And wait, if they were buying it, and they were going to sell it later, I doubt they had too much to worry about. More importantly, Lyle... how is the reaction from the Skill?』

The Fifth remained alert, and I quietly activated the Skill.

The Sixth’s Skill determined Miranda-san as an ally.

Allies were blue.

Irrelevant people, or those that didn’t think anything of me were yellow.

Those with hostility towards me or monsters were displayed as red.

It looks like Miranda-san didn’t hold any hostility.

(Was I overthinking it?)

As I thought that, the Fifth spoke.

『Don’t be negligent. There may be a reason that all of her employees quit... hey, go into the estate.』

Carrying the baggage, I followed Miranda-san, who entered first.

It was a house with a yard attached, and the building itself had two floors.

From the outside, I could tell that it had a large number of rooms.

“Is it not too wide to live in alone?”

As I said that, Miranda-san’s expression clouded for a moment.

(I wonder what the problem is.)

But she immediately smiled, and shook her head.

“I have a sister. Our place has four siblings, but the youngest daughter, well... her eyes are bad. I came here because I wanted to fix them.”

Miranda-san came to this city for her sister’s sake.

It may have sounded moving to me, but the ancestor’s opinions were the worst.

According to the Second...

『Eh~ atrocious. The Eldest daughter shouldn’t be doing something like that. What’s more, you’re an imperial noble, right? Go off and get married already.』

The Third was the same.

『It’s a nice story, but I think she has another motive.』

The Fourth was a little mindful of her.

『I think she’s a nice girl, but it’s her parents fault for allowing it. The all-important eldest, right? From her appearance, she’s a pretty, and sociable one, so go marry her off to a house you want connections with.』

The Fifth was cold.

『The youngest daughter has bad eyes? Then isn’t this just the family’s way of kicking her out? The eldest just tagged along to look after her, and she’s probably just arbitrarily giving a reason. Well, perhaps she’s actually serious, herself.』

The Sixth.

『... Well, it’s nice to care for your sister. It’s a good thing to get along with your sisters.』

Remembering our questionable conversation from last time, perhaps various things happened between him and his siblings.

While sympathizing with him a little, I heard the Seventh’s opinion.

『It isn’t rare for a family to distance a child with problems. In my time there were many a rumor about confinement, and deaths by ‘natural causes’. Though strange rumors do come out even if it really was natural.』

What a dry family.

I need to remember to be sympathetic myself.

(She’s a good person.)

Her composition to work hard for her younger sister was leagues away from my sister Celes.

(I’m a little jealous. I wanted a sister like this. If I had one, then a little different... no, I guess it wouldn’t change. It would just increase the number of people who were cold to me.)

A monster that can warp its environment.

Even my kind parents would never look at me at all.

“A touching story. I wish I had a sister like you.”

As I praised her, she started pushing me.

“Oh! So you’re already gunning for me? Well, I’m a bit doubtful over whether or not I’m that good of a sister. What about your siblings, Lyle-kun?”

I skillfully put on a front, but anxiety came over me as I gave a simplified explanation.

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“I have... one younger sister.”

I’m not sure if she asked knowing full well about it, or she simply wanted to ask.

I couldn’t determine anything like that, but the Skill continued to mark her out as blue.

“Nice, aren’t they; sisters! They’re cute!”

“R-right.”

As I forced myself to go along with the conversation, perhaps sensing something, she didn’t talk any further.

It’s possible she guessed the situation.

I followed her to the kitchen, and placed the foodstuff on the table.

From what I’d seen of the mansion so far, it was managed quite nicely.

Besides the fact that there were handrails leading everywhere, it was quite standard.

“I heard that you had no employees, but it’s quite clean.”

“Ahahah... it’s because they only quit two days ago.”

Meaning that once the days passed, she would have no choice but to clean it.

Once the academy’s classes and tasks came to an end, she would quietly do the housework.

I wanted to ask for the reason why they quit, but thinking that was going too far, I stopped.

“Still, with a dwelling this vast, it must be quite a trial to clean it.”

In the house I once lived in in Dalien, novem made sure the place was cleaned up nicely.

While I thought Novem was amazing, upon seeing a mansion several times the saze of that one with only two girls in it to...

I honestly thought it would be quite a trial.

“That’s right. But I did learn housework to an extent...”

It looks like Miranda-san has her troubles.

At that moment...

“Onee-sama, is there a guest?”

I turned around to find a girl standing there. She stood while clinging to the doorway, but I had a sense of discomfort trying to figure out whether her eyes were really resting on us, or not.

The Third spoke.

『Isn’t this the sightless younger sister?』

The girl, who was still quite small, had pale violet hair. The waves in it resembled Miranda-san’s.

Her golden eyes were looking in our direction, but because of her vision problems, I get the feeling they weren’t focused on us. She groped around in the air as she drew closer to us, but Miranda-san hurriedly ran over to her.

“Shannon! I told you to stay in your room.”

“I’m sorry, onee-sama... more importantly, is it a guest? A man at that?”

Perhaps from the conversation, or the atmosphere, she sensed it.

I tried introducing myself. To test Miranda-san, I also tried putting out my family name.

I kept the Skill up to see if she developed any hostility.

(What will happen? Will she raise her guard?)

“Pleasure meeting you, milady. I am Lyle Walt. An acquaintance of Aria. Today, I just helped carry baggage, and stopped by while I was at it.”

Saying that, I directed a smile, for argument’s sake.

The Fifth and Sixth reacted upon seeing the girl known as 【Shannon Circry】.

『Well that’s quite a...』

『I wonder if it’s that thing called blood.』

I found their reactions curions, but I wasn’t able to ask, so I continued to observe the sisters.

Shannon looked at me, and only there did I get a strange sense that I was actually being watched.

“... So that’s... how it is. Thank you very much, Lyle-san. I am Shannon Circry. Miranda one-sama’s younger sister. I’m sorry, but my eyes hold an impairment, so I can only give you this sort of treatment...”

Shannon cast down her eyes, and Miranda called to her.

“I-it’s fine, Shannon! Lyle-kun isn’t mindful of something like that.”

Saying that, she turned to me, so I nodded.

“... Thank you.”

When I said that, I directed a smile at her.

For only a moment, Shannon’s blue indicator symbol turned to yellow, and then to red, but it soon went blue once more.

Miranda-san didn’t change at all.

The one who reacted upon hearing the Walt house’s name was Shannon.

–

–

–

Having received tea in the kitchen, I waited for Miranda-san to return after dragging Shannon off to her room, and was able to ask about the city of Arumsaas.

What I heard from her was mainly about the campuses.

As a currently active student, perhaps she held different interests, but I was able to get different information from her than from Clara.

“The academy’s seven great? Are they amazing people?”

As I asked about the 『Academy’s Seven Great』, she started giggling to herself.

It had come out in her story, so I was curious, but it seems they weren’t what I was thinking of.

“They’re definitely amazing, but they’re not the type of people you may think them to be. They’re outrageous people from the academy’s history since the time it first opened. There are even people long dead among them, and I guess there around three left now? One of them retired, so I guess there’s only two left in the academy.”

From the start of the academy, the seven problem children who raised their names were known as the seven great, apparently.

“Are they simply problem children?”

As I said that, Miranda-san added on.

“They were normally quite prodigious. Perhaps its because they were so prodigious, that the academy was so troubled. Quite a few of them were first-rate magicians, and the achievements they left behind were amazing... it’s just that they didn’t have restraint in some areas.”

That thing called genius?

They probably had different senses of value than normal people, and were thus misunderstood.

“What sort of people were they?”

“The one I know of it the one who became a professor at a young age, 【Damien Valle】. The other one’s in the city of scholars’ congress, so I’ve never met them. Damian Valle... 『Damien the Doll User』.”

With a moniker like that, he may actually be an amazing person.

I tried asking about him.

“It’s a strange one, but he’s quite skilled, and his specialty is in the use of a magic called 【Golem】, I heard. His personal Skill is also based on the control of Golems, it seems, but anyways, he’s one with a passion towards his research. Since he’s a professor, he’s on the teaching side, but regardless of that, he immerses himself in his work, and he’s received punishment from the higher-ups several times. Now, he does do lectures, but he’s famous for showing no motivation in them.”

What a man.

He was proficient, but he knew no end in that, so he became quite a troublesome one.

“Then why didn’t he just become a normal researcher?”

“... As a professor, his research funds are completely different. That’s why he became one, it seems... but the contents of his research are just a little inhuman, so he couldn’t go about quitting the position himself. I mean, it’s considerable that he wouldn’t even get any funding otherwise.”

Just what sort of research is he doing?

As I thought that Miranda-san had her face a little flushed as she went into the explanations.

“Well... do you know about autonomous dolls? Not the ones made with Magic tools, but the existences close to humans that were made with an ancient technology. He plans on restoring them, it seems.”

“They weren’t created with magic tools? That’s quite rare in this time, or how should I put this... does autonomous dolls mean they’re dolls that move of their own accord? By something like clockwork?”

What I imagines was a to that circled around through clockwork.

But Miranda told me that was wrong.

“That’s a little... it’s one of the reason he’s known as a pervert, but what he wants to make are humans themselves. According to the man himself, he wants to『Make the Ideal Woman』. ”

Even I was shocked at that one.

While thinking he was a little too honest to his passions, I conceded that perhaps it was a dream-like scenario for a man.

It’s just that...

(Yeah, I’m fine with Novem.)

“What an amazing person. No one tries to stop him?”

“It’s an ancient autonomous doll, you know? If he succeeds in reproducing them, then it seems the city of scholars can expect quite some profit. In truth, the man is a genius, and if he cannot do it, then it will probably be impossible for times to come, apparently. His passion is nothing to laugh at. He’s not one of the seven great for show, is what everyone says.”

I understood he wasn’t someone I wanted to get involved with.

“It’s just that, the higher ups are reluctant to see if he’ll succeed or not. So he’s acting as a professor without the full funding. Even if they don’t have his passion, there are many who want to learn Damien’s magic, so he’s got some popularity.”

(Okay, let’s never take on any of that man’s requests.)

Looking at the clock in the room, I determined that I had long overstayed my welcome. I would feel bad if I imposed on her further, so I decided to return.

“I apologize for having you talk so long.I think I’ll take my leave here.”

“Ah, so it’s already this time. Sorry, it’s just been a while since I was able to talk like this.”

She attended school, and at hom, her sister, and the housework awaited her.

It was likely quite timeconsuming.

Can she not take servants from her home? I thought that, but it wasn’t a problem to stick myself into, so I didn’t say anything.

But I was curious at Shannon, who showed hostility for just a moment.

I stood from my seat alongside her, but she suddenly made an expression as if she had remembered something.

“Ah, right!”

“... What could be the matter?”

–

–

–

Having returned to the inn, I called out to Novem and Aria, who had been dropping by the real esate agencies.

Having finished dinner, before we were going to spend our time in leisure, I told both of them of today’s happenings.

I told them about Miranda-san’s proposal.

“... Are you serious about that?”

Aria’s expression was serious.

“I think doing as Lyle-sama wishes is for the best.”

Looking at Novem’s smile, I remembered the lunch I had with Clara.

(Dammit! It’s because the Fourth said something like that, that I can’t help but be conscious of it.)

If she learned hat I had eaten lunch with a girl, just what would Novem think?

I somehow avoid the topic, and presented the information about adventurers I got as part of the information I obtained from Miranda-san.

And the final topic I presented was...

“Miranda-san was serious. She said she would be thankful with us there, it seems. She was anxious with no one but her sister around, and if it was Aria, then she was already acquainted with Shannon, she said.”

Her proposal was that, if we hadn’t found a place to stay in Arumsaas yet, to come to the mansion.

From my point of view, I was unsure of whether or not I should take residence in there as a man.

Even if the public order was good, it was dangerous.

Miranda-san said it would be convenient to have a man around the house.

I was worried about what Shannon’s reaction was, but the ones who approved the matter were the Fifth and Sixth.

The rest were opposed.

As a result of our discussion, I was to leave the decision to Novem and Aria. That calmed them down.

“I’m a bit opposed to it. Miranda-san, and Shannon-chan, right? As a man, I think it would be strange for me to be living with them. It’s just that our rent would be the cleaning and laundry of the mansion, meaning we would be taking care of housework. Though she said not to mind it if we were busy.”

I’m thankful to be able to live there just by maintaining the place.

They did have rooms, and so our only real expense would be food, I guess? Miranda-san said she would cover that, but I was seriously reluctant to have her go that far.

Aria was perplexed.

“Just the two of them? What about their servants!”

“No idea. Do you think I could ask something like that? Why did everyone quit? She said that a number of them quit, so I think there’s some sort of problem, though...”

But looking at Miranda-san, I couldn’t see that there was anything like that.

The one that kept me wary was Shannon.

(... It couldn’t be that...)

Aria started voicing approval.

“I-I’m in agreement. We’ll have less monetary worries, and all...”

As her attitude suddenly changed, the Second clicked his tongue.

『This girl freaking changed her opinion at the drop of a hat.』

The Third laughed.

『You really hate Aria-chan, Second. While I‘m personally opposed, it looks like the Fifth and Sixth have something on their minds, so I think it would be fine to go along with it. Well, it all depends on Lyle, though.』

The Fourth was...

『You’re just fine as long as you can go to the library, aren’t you?』

The Fifth spoke.

『If possible, I would like you to go along with Miranda’s proposal. From my point of view, she’s also my descendant, and she’s more of a decent person than the others, I guess?』

The Sixth told me.

『Lyle, my words may seem like someone else’s problem to you, but I’d like you to take up her offer. It doesn’t look to me that the Walt House’s hand is at work there, but there’s something that’s been bothering me.』

This thing bothering them was something neither the Fifth or Sixth would put to mouth.

Rather than living at the inn, taking residence in the mansion was something I was grateful for, money-wise.

“What about you, Novem?”

When asked, she thought for a moment, before responding.

“Miranda-san, was it? Her sister is with her, but her eyes are impaired... I’ll have to confirm this. I understand. Let’s try living together so I can make my judgement.”

There was something about her response that caught me up.

“What sort of judgement is that?”

“Eh? As I was saying, to see if they’re fit to partake in Lyle-sama’s harem operation. I mean, it looks like you prefer larger breasts.”

On Novem’s misunderstanding, Aria reacted.

No wait, this is the first time I ever heard that I was thought of as a large-breast lover.

“You! You were still thinking of such things!? After saying you were unrelated, or had no interest or other things like that!”

I hurriedly rushed to correct the misunderstanding.

Novem continued to giggle to herself on the sidelines.

“W-wrong! That’s definitely wrong! In the first place, the one who proposed it was Miranda-san, and I didn’t have any input! Novem, why not say something about it!”

Putting her hand to her face, Novem tilted her head, and spoke.

“Let’s see, If they successfully pass through my discernment, then all will be good and well for you, Lyle-sama.”

I covered my face with both hands, and screamed out.

“WROOOOONNNNGGG!!”

Quietly, the Fourth muttered.

『Novem-chan... are you sure she isn’t doing this on purpose at this point?』

I didn’t want to believe that she was actually quite dark under that, so I couldn’t accept the Fourth’s opinion.

Novem is a good girl. She definitely is!