Welcome, Host

After narrowly escaping from Aogasaki’s wicked sword, I scurried to my home.

By the time I finished both dinner and my homework, it was around eight pm. At that moment, the doorbell rang.

“…Is she here?”

I closed the manga magazine I was reading in the living room and got up.

Mion, who had been sipping tea, suddenly put down her teacup on the table. Kiki, who was lying down and watching TV, quickly got up.

…Needless to say, the visitor would be Yukimiya. Of course, these two were also told that she would live with us.

As a result, the heron apostle cleaned the corridor ahead with a cloth while the Hokkaido wolf apostle strangely cleaned up her monster figures.

“Honestly, I’m reluctant to go through with this…we’ll be living together with another one of the four gods again.”

“There’s nothing we can do. I owe Yukimiya since she healed my fracture.”

I took the two complaining girls and quickly headed towards the entrance.

(If I had to say, Yukimiya’s probably the one most reluctant about this. She’s the one who’ll be living with a man and three other people…and two ‘Evil Spirits’ as well…)

To prevent Yukimiya from shirking, I had the “Evil Spirits” withdraw for the time being. I wanted to relieve at least a bit of her tension when she arrives. However…

“Good evenin’, Ichirou! Thanks for lettin’ us stay!”

Tao was the one who arrived at the entrance. It’s obvious from her tone of voice, but even before that, from the cloth she wore around her neck.

Seeing that, Mion and Kiki behind me quickly kneeled down.

“Welcome, Tao. Please come in.”

“Our house might be small and unclean.”

In response, Tao said “No formalities, please,” and made a slight bow.

Jyuri then stepped in. She carried a large, wheeled suitcase.

Perhaps she brought Yukimiya’s luggage. Judging from her dissatisfied face, it’s probably the “Shrine Maiden of Life’s” belongings, and not Tao’s.

“Ichirou, I’m home. Yukimiya covered the taxi fare…and she’s also prepared living expense accommodations for the meantime.”

Huh, living expenses…Yukimiya paid attention to our needs, like usual. The “Blood-kin of Eternal Darkness” should follow her example.

I returned to the living room with Tao and decided to chat with her, but something happened before I could.

“Well then, I oughta withdraw now. So talk with Shiori.”

In response to Tao’s words, the three princesses all said “Huh?” in unison.

“You’re switching with Yukimiya? We didn’t properly accommodate you yet…”

“That’s right. I, Jyuri, would also not like to get involved with that small-chested girl…”

“I want Earl Tao to always be in the house.”

In response to them, Tao shook her head.

…I’ve recently reached the point where I can tell Yukimiya and Tao apart just by looking at the face. When Tao’s out, she has a somewhat “childish” facial expression. I also feel like there are spirals on her cheeks.

“I’m tired, so I only wanted to give my greetin’. It’ll bother Shiori if I’m out for too long.”

“……”

“Even when I’m not out, I can still hear ya’ll. So that’s that!”

Shortly after Tao raised a hand, Yukimiya suddenly had a look of surprise.

She looked around at Mion, Jyuri, Kiki, and me before eventually straightening her back. It seems that she’s figured out the situation.

“W, well then, I’ll be in your care for a while…”

Yukimiya silently bowed while pressing her fingers onto the floor. It’s fine to have manners, but this feels like some kind of marriage arrangement. I don’t want to have anyone adopt the Kobayashi family name.

“Yukimiya, you don’t need to be so nervous. Just think about the rabbit hut in your house and relax.”

“S, sure. Umm…Tao told me about last night in our diary. Hinomori and the others rushed in to attack, and the three princesses protected her. Afterwards, Sebastian sent me home…it was easy to understand after seeing the drawings.”

Again with the drawings? That saves the trouble of having to explain the situation, but I regret that she now knows about the three princesses living here.

I pondered about whether I should start by explaining that matter.

Thereupon, Yukimiya spoke to the three princesses once more.

“Mion, Jyuri, Kiki. Thank you for what you did at the cemetery. I’ll return the favor someday…”

“Don’t worry about it. We were taking care of Tao, not you.”

The sidetailed girl gave the typical tsundere response.

After slightly bowing to Mion once more, Yukimiya turned around and fidgeted for some reason.

It seemed that she wanted to ask something, but was hesitant. If it’s about the restroom, then it’s just outside the hallway, but should I be the one telling her that?

“Um, you see…there’s something I’d like to confirm now that I’m here. Is it alright if I ask?”

“What is it?”

“I heard that you all have trouble with your home and were forced to live here. Though──you have separate rooms from Kobayashi, right? You don’t all sleep in the same room, right?”

The one who answered that question wasn’t Mion, but the blonde beauty.

“Don’t worry. We all have separate rooms. On the second floor, there are three rooms aside from Ichirou’s, and you’re free to use them.”

Though that makes it sound like we live in a rich home, the rooms on the second floor are all small. They’re only bigger than a storeroom. The largest room, my room, takes up just six tatami mats.

Yukimiya’s facial expression had hints of relief. Why did that matter to her?

“I see, that’s a relief──”

“Though, I do crawl into his room at night. I slip into Ichirou’s bed nearly every day. Actually, this has nothing to do with you, does it?”

“C, crawling into his bed!?”

The king cobra apostle showed an ominous grin towards the “Shrine Maiden of Life,” whose eyes widened. She then walked up and clung onto me. She made a sinister face.

“Ichirou is the vessel of my lord, Taotie. It is our duty to handle his sexual desire. With my proud I-cup, it’s particularly my responsibility.”

“W, wha…?!”

“Ichirou is terribly fierce in bed. Have you ever seen him like that?”

“G, guh…!”

“He’s especially violent with my back. Have you ever taken him for a test ride?”

“Test ride?!”

“Swinging up and down, left and right like a rodeo machine…it’s a bit of a shriek-inducing attraction. I call such movements the Restless Saga──”

“Y, y, you’re indecent, Kobayashi! How shameless!”

Yukimiya, turning bright red, stood up in agitation.

At the same time, there was a noise in the garden.

Worried that it was an enemy attack, I quickly opened the curtains to check. Thereupon…I found that the trees and weeds in the garden all rustled at once. There was no wind though. It was powerful.

(Could this be Yukimiya’s supernatural ability?!)

In addition to her healing abilities, she has a special technique called “Tree Binding Execution” which involves manipulating vegetation. However, Tao’s awakening temporarily disabled her abilities.

The shaking vegetation is definitely the work of Yukimiya.

In other words…her powers returned?!

“Yukimiya! Look at the garden! That’s your──”

“Kobayashi! Please explain yourself!”

Yukimiya shouted at the same time I did. When I looked at her, I found that she was glaring at me while her shoulders were trembling.

“The three princesses living with you is bad enough, but have you…been engaging in inappropriate conduct with Jyuri?!”

“Wait, Yukimiya, your supernatural abilities!”

“So you really do like large chests, don’t you?! Are you part of the major league?!”

“Hey, the vegetation, look!”

“I never though you’d be having intercourse with the school nurse! Even McGwire would be shocked!”

Mark McGwire. A former hitter in the MLB. Though he was part of the major league, I don’t know whether he likes large breasts. I don’t want to look it up either.

“I will not allow illicit relationships! I don’t want to see such a saga!”

“No, listen to me! They’re shaking! You’re making them shake!”

“Mine are not big enough to shake! Unfortunate, isn’t it?!”

“I’m not talking about your chest! I’m saying that your supernatural abilities are…ack!”

Before I could finish my sentence, Yukimiya unleashed a straight right punch. I saw stars and got a nosebleed. Wouldn’t it normally be a slap? There are a lot of people who hate violent heroines!

“Hey Jyuri, don’t overdo it. Can’t you see he’s bleeding?”

“Jyuri doesn’t like the butler Renie either. She’s the Yukimiya Group’s natural enemy.”

…Thereafter, I was somehow able to clear up the misunderstanding and Yukimiya cooled down.

“I, I’m sorry, Kobayashi. I didn’t know it was a joke. I fell for the snake woman’s cunning trick…is your nosebleed alright?”

The “Shrine Maiden of Life” gave an apology while gently holding her palm over my nose.

She made quick use of the healing abilities she regained. All for this.

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