Chapter 21

“An alliance? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Hosotani-san knitted her brows.

“Just like it sounds.”

Before Hosotani-san, who wore a skeptical expression, I continued speaking.

“I can’t use the spell to detect killers. So if I were targeted by a killer, unless I had incredible luck, I’d almost certainly be killed first.”

“…”

Hosotani-san—the very person who had tried and failed to kill me—sealed her lips.

“That’s where you come in, Hosotani-san. I want you to tell me the appearance and location of any killers you detect.”

That way, I’d be able to steer clear of danger.

“Hmph, so an alliance means that. And what will Onitsuka-kun do for me in return?”

“I’ll spare your life and let you live.”

“Haa?! That makes no sense, are you kidding me?!”

“You shouldn’t talk back to me, you know. I can use a death spell, so all I have to do is chant the spell while picturing the face and name of the person I want to kill, and I can easily wipe them out.”

Of course, no such spell actually existed.

All I could use were healing, antidote, and evil detection spells.

“W-What is that, are you threatening me?!”

Yet Hosotani-san, completely unaware of that fact, couldn’t hide her panic.

“You said you wouldn’t kill me, that you’d forgive me!”

“That’s why I won’t kill you as long as you listen to what I say.”

“T-That’s cowardly!”

Even I thought it was cowardly, but this was for survival. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

“What’ll it be? Will you form an alliance with me?”

“Ugh…”

Glarling at me, Hosotani-san bit her lower lip with a resentful look.

“Come on, make your choice.”

“……F-Fine, alright already, whatever!”

Figuring that desperate times called for desperate measures to survive as well, Hosotani-san grudgingly accepted my proposal.

Then, for whatever reason, Hosotani-san grabbed the mug in front of her,

Gulp, gulp, gulp…

And downed the tea inside, which was surely already cold, in a single breath.

Then,

“Refill!”

She slammed the mug down against the table.

“Didn’t you just say something about poison a minute ago?”

“If you could kill me just by visualizing it, you wouldn’t bother trying to slip me poison, would you? Just give me a refill already!”

“Yes, yes.”

Glancing sideways at Hosotani-san, who seemed strangely resigned, I scolded myself inwardly for pushing her a bit too hard.

“Um… Hosotani-san, we’re done talking, so would you mind going home now?”

“No way.”

That made five times she had demanded a tea refill.

The clock hands had ticked past nine in the evening, so I tried to get Hosotani-san to leave, but she showed absolutely no signs of heading out.

“You have a date after this, right? You’re going to be late.”

“I don’t care~.”

Hosotani-san rolled around on the carpet as if she were completely drunk.

“It’s Onitsuka-kun’s fault~.”

“Don’t act all sulky. I’m not going to threaten you anymore, so seriously, please go home.”

“That’s what you say, but you’re gonna kill me anyway~.”

Hosotani-san pointed at me with a slight lisp. Her face was flushed pink.

Was this person actually completely wasted?

“…Wait, what? This tea, does it have alcohol in it?!”

While putting away the empty box of tea bags, the words [3% Alcohol] caught my eye.

“Whoa, you’ve got to be kidding me…”

To think it was alcohol-infused tea…

“Ufufu~.”

Looking over, Hosotani-san had rolled herself up in the carpet like a bagworm.

And she was trying to munch on the carpet.

“Hey, what are you doing? That’s filthy.”

Having completely lost any shred of reason due to her low tolerance for alcohol,

“Come on, stop eating that. Open your mouth.”

“No way!!”

“Hold on, don’t scream so loud!”

“Nom, nom…”

“Don’t bite my hand—”

“Guh…”

“Don’t fall asleep on me!”

Unable to simply throw Hosotani-san—who had completely regressed into a toddler-like state—out onto the street, I had no choice but to let her stay over for the night.