Magical Explorer Chapter 3

Prologue 3

Hanamura Marino is a character that appears several times before the protagonist. Though she is not deeply involved with them she is always moving behind the scene.

“You seem to already know about me, huh. That would make the talk easier. If you have the time then let's find some place to talk.”

I gave a small nod and we move to the nearby Cafe I recommended.

“What's wrong”

Maybe because I peaked at her face many times, she asked while tilting her head.

I can't really say “Because a character from an Eroge suddenly appeared in front of my eyes” or “I can't believe that you are already pa.s.sed your twenties.” I mean, I can't believe that an Obsan in an Eroge could be such a beauty, this is bad she is too much of a beauty.

It was like my eyes were sucked in by a vacuum, so when I am looking at her I ended up becoming conscious.

“No, I just can't believe that there's a celebrity of the magical world right in front of me…….”

I answered her with an appropriate response. If this is the same as the game then she is certainly a celebrity.

“Ara ara, please don't mind that sort of thing. Moreover, I would like you to be more casual from now on.”

Ha?

I tilted my head, not understanding what she was trying to say. Then she narrowed her eyes and made a serious look.

“Takioto Kousuke-kun.”

“Y, YES.”

Her voice suddenly turned sharp. My voice got involuntarily higher because of her change in att.i.tude.

“I will be straight. I will have you become my child.”

“Ha?”

Eh, what did she said just now?

“You will become my child.”

………………………………………

“Ha? Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !?”

What was that? I don't understand what she meant. Why is this kind of super development is happening to me?

“I am sorry I didn't consult you first, but your custody has already been transferred over to me.”

She already got my custody?! No, wait a minute, just what is this exactly? Certainly, it would be bad for me if I wasn't taken in by someone. But it is that Hanamura Marino you know? That's the witch of Tsukuyomi, you know !? The witch that rumored to have crushed an S rank monster solo, you know!?.  The same witch that even though she is already approached her 40s but still possessed those baby-smooth skin and look like a student no matter how you look at her you know!!

“I will be in you care.”

“Pl, please treat me well?”

After that she gave her condolences to the Takioto family. The one inside is not really Takioto Kousuke but me though, so I don't really understand such feelings.

Later I heard from her that she is actually a relative from my mother's side. Moreover, it seems like she's my mother's cousin and that my grandfather from my mother's side would become my guardian at first but my mother left a will which stated that Marino-san would become my guardian instead. Seem like my school and living expenses will be paid by Marino-san.

“I will have you live in my house as well, are you okay packing your luggage by yourself?”

“At your…….house? Eh, not at the school dorm!?”

I reflexively retort.

Tsukuyomi Magic Academy is a magic education inst.i.tution funded by the country. The ability of the enrolled students are all above average, it is a gathering of elites from all across the country with some coming to attend from abroad. An elite school that you would question how could Takioto Kousuke attend it in the first place.

And because there are foreign students attending, the academy come equipped with a dorm. In the game, Takioto Kousuke lived in that dorm and met the protagonist who lived in the room next door.

“Of course, We are becoming a family after all. Our house is also close to the academy. Moreover, I want to deepen the bond in our family so I thought that we all should live together”

Well, even if you say it like that……….I'm a little confused here. What exactly is going on?

I don't even know why I have become Takioto Kousuke or this heavy talk that was not even included in the game and now I somehow ended up living together with this beautiful magician?

Why is this Eroge-like development happening to me?

No,  if this world is the same as the game then it's truly a world of Eroge huh.

But I am in a supporting role, a decoration or so to say. Even if I did something it should be pretty much be inconsequential to the game development.

Wait, now is not the time to care about something like that, did she said that I should come live with her? But in her house there's……….

"But If I remember correctly your are living with your daughter, right? Is she okay with that……..?”

Hanamura Marino's daughter is a teacher and a professor at the academy, She is an important character who will teach essential skills to the protagonist. In the setting it seem she has taken over her deceased father's research or something like that. Speaking of which, if Marino-san is mother's cousin then, Marino-san's daughter is my cousin too.

“And….”

When I tried to continue, Marino-san raised her hand and stop me.

“Certainly, I am currently living with my daughter. But I properly got her approval. You don't have to worry about it.”

Even if you told me that……. If I don't live at the dorm then the protagonist shouldn't be able to progress through various events. I feel like that will end up causing a lot of trouble, right?

When I was thinking that, Marino-san lowered her head a little bit.

“Right……..it hasn't been long since they pa.s.sed away, I know you need some time to sort out your feelings. I will give you some time to consider it. But I want you to know that we will always welcome you as a member of our family.”

Seem like there's some misunderstanding, did she tried to cheer me up?. I actually was hesitating because a different reason though, I couldn't come up with another reason anyway. Let her misunderstand it without correcting her might be better.

“Yes, sorry.”

“It's fine. Well, have you eaten yet?”

“Umm, not yet.”

Probably.

When I said that Marino-san smiled and nodded.

“Then let's find something to eat and you don't have to worry about the money.”

With that said she stood up, call the waiter then pay the price for two cups of coffee. I immediately took out my wallet to pay my share but Marino-san stopped me.

“No, something like that……I can pay for it myself.”

When I said that, she astonis.h.i.+ngly sigh.

“You see, Kousuke-kun. You might think that you have a lot of money from your inheritance but you still haven't received it yet right? It will eventually come down to me and would be handed over to you later, but that is still in the future, you know?”

I involuntarily nodded. Certainly I have no money at all.

“I'm sorry, I will have to rely on you then.”

I said that and lower my head but then she lift my head up.

“Wrong, not like that. You and I are family right? So….?”

“Umm….Thank you, Marino,..-san?”

When I said that, she smiled.

“Right, don't treat me like a stranger okay?”

She said that as we leave the cafe, then I was taken to a fancy looking restaurant. 

After that we have a luxurious meal that I had never eaten before while I discussing about my future with Marino-san. 

“The dorm will be opened one week before the entrance ceremony so if you count today then it will be available in 2 weeks so you still have 2 weeks to decide. I want you to choose whether you want to live in my house or the dorm by then."

“Yes.”

“Beside the matter of living together , I want you to at least visit our house once. I want to introduce you to my daughter too.”

Well, of course. I will at least have to greet her daughter “Hanamura Hatsumi” once.

“Ah, what time would be…………..Umm, when should I go?(Informal tone)"

She sullenly stared at me for a bit when I used Keigo(TLN: Formal language) without thinking.

“It would depend on you. I don't mind taking you there now, but it seems you still haven't finish your preparation, right?  Oh yes, whether you choose to live in the dorm or our house, send your luggage to our house first, okay?”

“Eh, Why?”

“Ara, wasn't your house planned for demolition by the city?”
“—–!?”

I'm speechless, after he lost his parents now his house is getting demolished too?  Isn't he too miserable? Won't their memories be erased just like that? Looking at his circ.u.mstance alone, he is already on the level of a protagonist from a tragedy play.

“Umm, I'm sorry about that. I will try to bring their mementos to my house as much as possible.”

Seem like Marino-san mistook my astonishment as my despair. But even If you worried so much about me I didn't even receive that much shock, you know? It's more like I was sympathizing with Takioto Kousuke myself.

Well, right now I am Takioto Kousuke, so it can't be helped if I am sympathized with his circ.u.mstance.

“Don't worry, it's alright. I already accepted it. Well then, I better send you my luggage, right……?”

“Yeah, I will pay for the transfer once it arrives at my house. I have a contractor I'm acquaintance with, so once you packed your thing give me a call, okay?”

Once she said that I suddenly remember.

“Come to think of it I still don't know how to contact you……I don't have a phone too.”

When I was confirming whether I am really Takioto Kousuke, I looked for his phone but unfortunately I couldn't find it. In the game he always use the school terminal to exchange information with the protagonist after all. I thought that he has one though.

“I forgot, come to think of it you haven't had one since one year ago, right?”

A year ago, around the time when his parents died? I don't know his reason but something must have happened.

“Let's buy you a phone after this.”

“Ah, Don't worry about it, I don't really need one.”

Marino wants to buy a phone for me immediately, but I don't particularly want one right now. It would cost money and I don't really have friends in this world. I would probably use internet instead anyway, there's something like a tablet back at the house so there should be no problem.

In the worst case I could use an e-mail and with the right app I could even make a call.

When I was about to tell her, she lowered her brows and look at me like she is looking at something pitiful..

“Sorry, I should have known that you still have your trauma from hearing your parents getting killed over the phone."

“——!?”

Just how much did Takioto Kosuke suffered? I cannot find a word for him anymore. I'm begging you, please Takioto kousuke-kun don't bully me anymore than this. 

Come to think of it, there was a scene where the protagonist tried to call Takioto Kousuke with his phone too. In the game he said he was sleeping, but to think that it was actually a trauma!! Moreover, his parents were killed by demons? I thought that he just overreacted against those demons in the game. 

Thinking back, the material book that come with the first limited edition of Majiero did mentioned the characters setting, the female character setting were well-made but there's only basic info about the male characters. 

Well, of course. It's an Eroge after all.

“But it would surely make a different if you can contact someone when something happened, if possible I want you to carry one. If something happens then I will rush over to you immediately.”

Her feeling is heavy. Rather if your life is this painful how could you be such a frivolous b.a.s.t.a.r.d at school? Nothing is going to surprise me anymore, maybe this guy was already broken by the time he got to the academy.

Thinking about it now, I thought this guy sometime make a harsh comment in the game, if his life was actually like this then it can't be helped, huh. 

But for now…….

“Eeto, will you go buy it with me? the smartphone………”

Marino-san looking at my face with an extremely concerned face then, 

“If it's still hard for you then you don't have to, you know?”

Is what she said to me. But I don't really find buying a phone that traumatic though…..

We immediately went to buy a smartphone after our meal. Then I was able to witness the frozen expression on my new mother's face when I asked for the most expensive one in the store.