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Afterward, I told everyone—now properly dressed, albeit still in dancer outfits—how I had acquired the magic called “Mind’s Eye.”
Even President Kelkel seemed lost in thought, tilting her head from side to side.
“Hmm, the possibility isn’t zero… but I suspect you’ll deny it, Franz-san.”
“What on earth do you mean?”
“You mean the theory that you actually learned that magic sometime in the past.”
“Ah—well, that would make sense, but it’s impossible… My parents aren’t Black Mages. They’re not magic users at all.”
My father is an accountant; my mother was the daughter of an antiquarian bookseller and worked as a clerk. They apparently met when my father stopped by the shop.
Unbelievably, my father actually wrote down his intention to court her on a piece of paper and handed it to her—polite, old-fashioned, and perfectly emblematic of his stiff-necked character.
“But if you didn’t learn it, an ordinary person wouldn’t suddenly be able to use it. It’s so specialized even I probably couldn’t.”
I haven’t heard that mysterious voice since, and there haven’t been any malfunctions, so I suppose it’s fine.
We boarded N’ndaro N’rudo the turtle once more and returned to the Lightstone shore. The sun was nearing the horizon, and the beach was mostly deserted.
The President and Farphistanya-senpai would stay at an inn in Lightstone. As for Mary, since we’re living together I decided I’d tell my father we share the company dormitory to make it easier.
We also said our goodbyes to Sanson-sou-senpai.
“Thank you so much for today, Senpai! It was my first time landing on an uninhabited island; it’ll be a great memory!”
I bowed politely. This company really is full of wonderful people.
“A great memory, you say… so… you mean you enjoyed the superb view…”
Sanson-sou-senpai said bashfully.
“No! I didn’t mean it in that way at all!”
“Hehehe, I’m joking. I’m glad I met a junior with some backbone.”
Her smile favored cuteness over gallantry.
“If I’d had even one colleague like you, I might’ve stayed at that Blue Magic company—but then I wouldn’t have met everyone here, so I guess that wouldn’t do.”
I thought she was incredibly cool.
This is how a proper company should be: admiring your seniors and aiming to improve.
If all your seniors have zero motivation and radiate a ‘just phone it in’ aura, you either conform and get stained by it, or rebel and become a nuisance—either way, it’s a painful struggle.
Her reptilian tail swished behind her like a separate creature; beastmen really do move their tails, a sure sign of positive emotion.
“Let me know next time you come back home. Let’s grab a meal together.”
“Thank you! Ah—but if my father hears that, he might think I’m hitting on a beautiful female colleague…”
“Hahaha, flattery won’t get you anywhere. There are plenty of people like me out there.”
Ah—I don’t think so. If girls flocked to her at mixers, she must be something special…
“Franz, we’re going to the beach hut—was it?—to change. We’ll head there now.”
Mary called to me. If she came to my house still in a dancer outfit, I’d have no plausible explanation.
“Yeah, it’d be a problem if my father saw you like th—”
“Oh! Franz! Is that you, Franz?!” a deep, gravelly voice called, and my heart skipped a beat.
My father, Corta, stood there—he must have been wandering the shore after work, but that didn’t matter now.
He’d arrived right when everyone was still in their dancer outfits…
My father’s expression changed—or rather, vanished entirely.
“Hey, Franz. Just who… are these women?”
No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t call the President or my senior strangers, and since I planned to have Cerulia and Mary stay over, a careless lie would only invite contradictions.
“They’re my colleagues from work…”
My father’s face turned red, and he let out a strangled sound: “Fugaaaaaaah!!!!”
If we’d been a minute later, everyone would’ve gone to change…
If he started shouting here, things would get awkward—at least wait until we’re back at the house to explode!
“Franz, you… a guy like you… h-how… how could you…”
“There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation! My familiar is a succubus—she was lending clothes to anyone without swimsuits! In the Black Magic industry, having a familiar is normal, and I’m working hard!”
I hadn’t done anything shameful—looking at them naked wasn’t intentional, so I was innocent.
The President stepped in to cover me. “Are you his father? Franz-san is doing a wonderful job—he seems to have quite the aptitude for Black Magic.” Thank you! Please, everyone, use your combined strength to stop my father’s eruption!
“That’s right. Franz is a good man. If anything, he’s the exact opposite of a frivolous person.”
“My junior is fundamentally serious. He’ll put his life on the line to help others.”
Oh—Mary and Farphistanya-senpai joined the fray. That helps!
However, my father’s face only reddened. Was he about to blow? Was the girls’ backup having the opposite effect?
“Franz! You… you… you… YOU ARE SUCH AN ENVIABLE BASTARD!!!!!”
My father roared.
It was an explosion of pure emotion.
Well, I suppose I couldn’t blame him for saying he was envious.
“Wait… that’s not right! Father, what’s wrong with you?! Why did you say you’re envious?!”
My father was supposed to be a total stiff; I pressed him for an answer.
“Could it be that your mind is being controlled by a mage?! Is that it?!”
“No, Franz! Your father… your father… was just a closet pervert all along!!!!!”
Father… at least try to remain someone your son can respect…
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