Editing Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 11 Third Period (section)

===Part 8===

When Himekawa was immersing herself in the aftertaste of her victory, there was a knocking sound from the door and a voice came from the other side of the sliding screen.

「Excuse me. The preparation for dinner is finished, is it fine for us to start serving it?」

Himekawa turned her face to the direction of the entrance.

「Yes! Please do!」

The sliding screen was opened. The waitress lowered her head while doing seiza before bringing in the food. Himekawa and the others put away the playing cards in a hurry.

The dinner was a banquet in a style where each food was brought in one by one.

Perhaps Sylvia was unable to restrain her expectation, because both her hands were moving restlessly.

「This is the first time Sylvia will have a genuine Japanese style dinner desu. Sylvia is excited desu.」

First was the appetizers. Fried manganji, eel with shredded dried plum dressing, snow crab, and boiled urui in bonito-flavored soy sauce, such foods were lined up. (TN: Manganji and urui are vegetables in Japanese.)

「My? They are using Kyoto vegetables here……moreover there is conger eel too. This looks like Kyoto cooking.」

Himekawa who looked happy for some reason reached out for a chopstick.

「Aa, come to think of it, Hayuru came from Kyoto wasn’t it?」

Yurishia picked at the eel while asking.

「Yes. My home was nearby the Shimogamo shrine, but right now it moved to Kyoto float.」

「Hee, isn’t that great. Like that you can return home easily.」

「……That’s envious desu.」

Sylvia whispered that in a small volume. She was smiling like usual, but Himekawa felt something that caught her attention from her voice.

「Sylvia-chan came from London right?」

「Yes. Sylvia’s home was near Paddington station desu.」

Yurishia reflexively spoke about what she was reminded of after hearing that station name.

「Is that Paddington of Paddington bear?」

Sylvia answered with a reaaally bright smile.

「That’s right desu! That’s why, Sylvia loves bear-san desu♡ There is also the statue of Paddington bear in Paddington station you know desu.」

However, her bright expression vanished right away.

「But……Sylvia doesn’t know what happen to Sylvia’s family right now desu.」

Both Himekawa and Yurishia spontaneously looked down.

They knew that London was also greatly damaged with the appearance of Entrances. However, they didn’t know anything at all more than that.

Yurishia spoke with a bright voice as though to blow away the gloomy atmosphere.

「It’s fine! Surely they are alive somewhere.」

「Tha-, that’s right! There is no doubt that it’s like that! Isn’t that right, Aine-san?」

「Ye……yes. I guess.」

Although Aine nodded with a smile, for some reason her reply was inarticulate.

Sylvia narrowed her damp eyes and directed them a happy looking smile.

「Everyone, thank you very much desu. Sylvia also thinks so desu! Surely there is no doubt that they are safe desu!」

Yurishia jokingly smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

「Even I don’t know how my family is doing. I think that they have moved to a Megafloat……but, they are in West USA so they must be somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. Even if we wander aimlessly in the Pacific Ocean, perhaps we won’t meet with that Megafloat.」

Next, everyone’s gaze was naturally moving towards Aine.

「……」

However Aine kept her silence. Her gaze fell to the floor with her face sweating.

「I……」

「Aine?」

She was gripping her chopstick tightly and she looked like she was greatly troubled.

「Aine-san……」

Aine couldn’t remember clearly why she was in Ataraxia. She didn’t feel any question about her being here, and she didn’t really feel that it was strange which was excessively puzzling.

──’If I remember right I was together with Grace……no, that wasn’t it. I was called to Nayuta lab……and then I reunited with Grace after so long in the academy……was it?’

Seeing Aine who kept silent, the three wondered whether they had brought up a topic that mustn’t be touched and they felt panicked.

「E, err, Aine──」

At that time, the room’s sliding screen opened.

「We have brought the next dishes.」

Yurishia, Himekawa, and Sylvia instantly exchanged gazes.

「Lo, look, we need to eat quickly! The next dishes came already!」

「Uwaa, this is bad desu. Sylvia will hurry and eat desu! Aine-san too, hurry desu!」

「That’s right! If, if you don’t eat then I’ll have all the manganji you know? Ah, next is soup. Clear broth soup of tofu skin, it looks delicious♪」

「Everyone……」

Aine lifted up her face and began to eat the appetizer in hurry.

「Good grief, I cannot be careless and show any openings to you all. I’m eating properly, so don’t snatch my portion.」

‘The usual Aine returned’──The three was a bit relieved seeing that.