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Iris and the First Lieutenant’s excitement over the card game inspired Mira, who soon enough was fighting out her own matches.

She had built a summoner deck in her own style, which she was quite proud of when playing.

But as the matches played out, she was constantly utterly defeated, to the point that it was not even worth it to keep track of the matches. And not just when playing against Iris, as even the First Lieutenant blew her out of the water.

“There’s nothing I can do…”
“Knowing where to place your summoned units is really important!”

Mira watched the table in horror, while Iris tried to offer some advice. Playing a summoner deck involved a lot of intricacies.

Their afternoon continued like that, with Mira’s disastrous game sense being made painfully aware, until Alma arrived to prepare dinner. They also ate together, while discussing the tournament from the morning.

As it turned out, Nirvana’s player had won all of his matches.

“Ohh I know I can trust Iris’ opinion. Please play against me next time too, First Lieutenant!”
“I’ll gladly accept meow!”

It did not take long for the conversation to derail into the matches Iris and the First Lieutenant played.

He had lost all of them, but considering it was his first time playing and some had been really close matches, Alma became interested in witnessing that herself, leading to an agreement to play in the future.

But Mira’s games were not even worth mentioning, despite starting playing at the same time.

Some time after eating, Esmeralda arrived to drag Alma away. Then Mira and Iris sat in front of the TV and watched the live events for the night.

As Iris explained, they would have various music performances from singers famous all across the world, as well as a band that had exploded in popularity called Maiden Hollow.

“They’re so cool!”
“This is making my heart beat really fast meow!”
“To think that rock and pop would have permeated so deep already…”

The style of music being played was a far cry from Mira’s expectations, when considering she was in a different world.

At least the fact that it was all played on classic instruments gave it a novel feeling.

It was still a strange feeling to see how much her own culture had invaded this world, but seeing the remaining traces native to this world still tinging it into a slightly different type of rock was interesting.

***

The exciting night performance came to an end at nine.

During dinner, Alma had asked Iris to do some work as the oracle that night as well, so she went to her work room. They wanted to check how August had reacted to the change in bodyguards, and feed him a bit more information.

While that happened, Mira hurried to take a bath.

There were plenty of summons already deployed, and the First Lieutenant was nearby as well, so Mira did not have to worry about Iris’ safety. Not to mention that the whole place was already really secure.

“I wonder what’s happening over there…”

What had Jorg and Ira Muerte done with the information they gathered? How would they approach Iris next? Had Alma’s plan been a success? And what would Mira have to do when fighting them? There were many possibilities to consider.

At the same time, there were plenty of things she wanted to experiment with as well.

“We’re finally taking a bath together!”

A cheerful voice broke through Mira’s thoughts, as Iris rushed into the bathroom having finished her oracle work. It was only a quick check this time, so it was over much faster than the previous time.

“…Wait what?!”

Mira had been sprawled in the water, having completely lost track of time. The moment she turned around, she jumped back seeing Iris completely naked.

The only thing in her mind now was fear, already anticipating the reaction of Alma, Esmeralda, Noin, and everyone else who knew her true identity. Especially considering how much they sheltered and protected Iris.

She knew she was in danger.

Iris had no way of knowing any of that, her emotions a complete opposite as she was delighted over the chance to take a bath together with someone else.

The First Lieutenant was also there, also oblivious to Mira’s fears, as he happily exclaimed, “Please allow me to scrub your back!”

“…Ah, I’m sorry, I was just about to get out. You two have fun.”

Driven by fear, Mira stood up while rejecting Iris. That instantly erased the light from Iris’ eyes, as she looked down in disappointment. Without pushing the matter any further, she just sighed, “That’s too bad…”

Hearing that filled Mira with immense guilt. And then…

“Please, I insist meow. Stay and allow me to scrub your back!”

The First Lieutenant would not give up so easily, as he held out a towel and his sign which read, ‘Our professional services free for a limited time!’ He was brimming with confidence, even if there was no indication of what kind of professional he was.

“…Hmm. Alright, if you insist so much. I guess it’s not too bad to have a bath together from time to time.”

Debating about it for a moment, Mira decided to prioritize Iris’ happiness, so she accepted the First Lieutenant’s proposal and sat back in the water. Mira in the future would deal with the consequences.

Iris instantly smiled again, and they shared a relaxing and slightly boisterous bath time. The First Lieutenant also made sure to keep his word, showcasing his skills as he scrubbed both Mira and Iris’ backs.

Most of their conversation was centered around the things they saw on TV, and the card game.

The last matches to close out the card game tournament would also be played the next day, so Iris pleaded with them to watch it together, and the First lieutenant immediately replied, “I would never miss such an impeowtant event!”

“Hmm, that sounds like it could be fun.”

Now that she had a bit of experience playing, Mira was also increasingly curious to see how the game looked at the higher levels.

***

In a certain mansion somewhere in the continent, deep in a secret room past a concealed entrance. A lone man sat in front of a device, glancing at his wristwatch. There were mere seconds left before the hands overlapped for midnight.

‘…And it’s time. Ignaz, are you there?’

A voice rang out from the device the instant it was midnight. It was a cold and calculating voice.

“Yes, Garroba. I’m here. Let’s get started.”

The response came, a more carefree voice, even if it was devoid of any grace.

‘Good, I’ve been looking into—’