Editing Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 6 (section)

===Part 2===


Evening came.

As Nekoyashiki and Adilisia busied themselves with counting out figures on an abacus, Itsuki went out onto the office's messy balcony.  Decorative plants were scattered about in a disorderly fashion, giving the place a feeling similar to a jungle. 

Incidentally, it seemed that the battle between Nekoyashiki and Adilisia was quite fierce.

"This is the set price we charge for each magician involved."

"That is outrageous!  The differences in ability between magicians are not generally taken into consideration.  At most, ''this much'' would be appropriate," Adilisia said to Nekoyashiki, who was clicking away the spheres on the abacus.

With a clack, Adilisia stuck her finger between the spheres.  Nekoyashiki hadn't thought that Adilisia could read an abacus.

"Th, then, three parts, one less than before!"

Clack!

"That is barely any change at all!  No matter how much we compromise, I will only pay this much."

Clack!  Clack!

"You aren't even compromising anything!  Do you realize how much value my cat skills hold?  And how much it costs to import Honami-san's mistletoe?"

Clack!  Clack!  Clack!

"If you are a magician, then economizing magical items is your own problem!  I charge for nothing more than what I bring into battle!"

Clack!  Clack!  Clack!  Clack!

Each of their fingers moved so quickly across the abacus that they left afterimages.

"...  W, wha--"

Just looking at them made Itsuki's stomach go sour, so he had left them to be on his own.

"What's wrong, president?"

When he turned around, Honami was there.

As Honami came out into the cool evening air, she had her staff with her, and her neck was tilted gently to the side.

"Er, I'm just taking a break."

"All you do is take breaks."

Tossing a sharp word at Itsuki, Honami sat down on the handrail of the balcony.

Her whole back was washed in the light of the evening sun.  Her white skin and pointed hat looked all the more pretty in the red light.

"But still... good work," Honami said with a smile.

"Ah... yeah."

At the unexpected words, Itsuki rubbed the head of his nose.

"And, by the way... sorry."

"Huh?"

"I thought that the offer was just for a regular <Night>.  I didn't think things would get that bad.  Sorry, president."

Closing the space between her knees, Honami pulled down the rim of her pointed hat with her hand.  Her face couldn't be seen.

Itsuki waved both of his hands back and forth.

"Ah, it's fine, its fine!  Everything ended alright in the end."

"Then that's good.  Thanks, president."

"Y, yeah."

Perhaps it was a fault that she was always angry at him, but Honami seemed bizarrely shy.  He could sense his cheeks warming up.

Suddenly, he felt as though he should ask something.

"...  Come to think of it, why did you come to <Astral>?"

"Why do you ask?" Honami replied in a gentle voice.

"Adilisia said you were an amazing genius.  She said you were invited by many other magical groups.  --No matter how you think of it, we're a small business, right?"

"We're?"

"Hm?"

Honami raised her staff and pointed at him.

"You said 'we're.'  So you've finally noticed that you're our president?"

"D, don't make fun of me!"

Honami smiled at Itsuki's reaction.

She let out a sigh.

"...  It's because you were here, Icchan."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Jumping down from the handrail, Honami extended her finger.

She touched Itsuki's eye patch.

"Does it still hurt?"

"Huh?  No, it doesn't usually anyway."

''Wait, what?  I don't think I ever told her about my eye hurting...''

As Itsuki thought, Honami ran her finger across the leather.

"President--Itsuki, you don't remember when you got your eye patch, do you?"

"Right, but it seems like some kind of bad stuff went down."

He had only fragments of memories remaining from the time he ran out of the <Ghost Mansion> in tears.  It shouldn't be impossible to remember since it was when he was little, but about a half year before and after the incident, his memories were vague for some reason.  One thing he remembered for sure was that he was in a hospital for a long time.

And then, there was another figure that appeared there.

"Itsuki!  This man is overcharging me!"

In a huff, Adilisia pointed her lips.  Such a face was so like her, and it made Itsuki, and even Honami, erupt with laughter.

"W, what is it?!"

"N, no, it's nothing.  I was just thinking, Adilisia-san, that way of doing things fits you."

"I do not think that is something I should take as a compliment," Adilisia answered, pouting.

"--President, we've decided on the contract conditions, so please stamp here," Nekoyashiki called out from the office.

"Ah, coming," Itsuki responded, hurrying over.

"..."

Looking at his back, Adilisia frowned in a troubled manner.

She turned to her side to face Honami.

"...  May I ask you something?"

"What?"

"That eye of his..."

"I think it's just what you're thinking."

At Honami's words, Adilisia let out a small breath, and said the name as if shuddering.


"... Glam Sight..."


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