"I accidentally dropped my snacks on the road earlier. It was all because those people kept chasing me..."
Shouldn't you blame yourself for crazily explaining so much on behalf of your sister and provoking public outrage?
Koizumi ranted inwardly, but he wasn't so socially inept that he would blurt it out.
At that moment, Kurome noticed Koizumi's astonished expression, and her cheeks flushed.
Having such an embarrassing side of herself seen by a man she had just met left Kurome feeling rather embarrassed.
However, Kurome quickly recovered and hurriedly looked toward Mamin and the others.
"..." Mamin and the others stared speechlessly at Kurome. After living together for so long, how could they not understand what she meant? Remusu, however, hurriedly waved her hands.
"I can't cook, so don't get any ideas. If you want someone to cook, find Mamin and Gin."
Being able to say she couldn't cook so matter-of-factly was quite something for Remusu.
"Yeah, yeah... I get it..." Seeing Kurome's gaze, Mamin could only nod helplessly.
It couldn't be helped. Kurome could eat far too much, so Mamin and Gin could only go along with her wishes.
"Um... do you need any help?" Koizumi hurriedly asked.
He had somehow been invited to eat at their home, and he would feel bad if he didn't help out at all.
"How could we let you? You're a guest. No matter what, we can't have a guest help with the cooking."
Mamin hurriedly said, while Kurome, Gin, and Remusu all nodded in agreement.
Koizumi shook his head and quickly said that since he had come over for dinner, he would feel bad if he didn't help with something.
After all, Koizumi considered himself and Kurome to have only just met. Being invited over for a meal already felt a little excessive.
Unable to persuade him otherwise, Gin and Mamin had no choice but to agree. What shocked them both was that when Koizumi first entered the kitchen, he seemed extremely unfamiliar with cooking. Yet after getting used to the utensils, he handled them like an experienced chef. The ingredients were no different from usual, but the dishes he made gave off an enticing fragrance, leaving Gin and Mamin utterly stunned.
It wasn't just them. Koizumi himself was somewhat surprised, because he didn't remember ever cooking before.
Then again, he didn't remember anything about his past, so forgetting whether he had cooked before was only natural.
Perhaps his former self had encountered such things before, which was why cooking felt faintly familiar to him.
"You're amazing... Did you cook often before, Mr. Koizumi?"
Smelling the aroma, Mamin couldn't help asking.
Gin also looked at Koizumi with a curious expression.
"Perhaps..." Koizumi smiled faintly and said nothing more.
He couldn't exactly tell them that he had once lost his memories, so he could only give such an ambiguous answer.
"Wow..."
A group of little gluttons drawn in by the aroma ran into the kitchen, especially Kurome.
It was said that Kurome only loved snacks like cookies, but a foodie was still a foodie. Even if it wasn't cookies, as long as it was delicious, Kurome would still enjoy eating it.
Seeing Kurome's greedy expression, Koizumi and the others exchanged looks and smiled knowingly.
The Rejected Girls
At the dining table, Kurome ate with great enthusiasm. She had to admit that today's meal was better than any she had eaten before.
Saying that was rather disrespectful to Mamin and Gin, since they had always been the ones cooking for her.
"Mmm... delicious..." Kurome mumbled while eating.
"Idiot, don't choke yourself..." Gin rolled her eyes at her and smacked Kurome on the head.
"Mmph... Don't hit my head. It'll make me stupid..." Kurome complained.
"You were already stupid..." Mamin couldn't help saying. "If it weren't for Mr. Koizumi, you'd probably be getting stuck in your own stubborn thoughts again..."
Kurome was immediately left speechless. Indeed, she knew she tended to get trapped in a dead end.
If Koizumi hadn't talked her around this time, she probably would have been like the ordinary citizens and assumed her sister was wrong, drawing a line between herself and her sister without even asking what had happened.
Listening to their conversation, Koizumi felt a warmth rise within him. For some reason, when he had first arrived in this world with Reimu and Hata no Kokoro, the world had seemed peaceful, yet a heavy atmosphere had hung among the people. But now, looking at Kurome and the others, Koizumi felt a faint warmth in his heart.
It felt completely different from before. It seemed one couldn't judge everything by appearances alone.
"By the way, how did you all meet?" Koizumi looked at Kurome and the others curiously.
Kurome and the others fell silent, then exchanged glances.
After the silence, Remusu was the first to smile and speak.
"It's not like it's something we can't talk about. We just weren't selected, right? There's nothing wrong with saying it."
As she spoke, Remusu looked at Kurome and the others, who all nodded.
"We originally went to take part in the Imperial Assassination Squad selection, but the Imperial Assassination Squad only had seven spots in its elite group, and we weren't selected. Kurome's sister, Akame, happened to rank seventh, so although Kurome wasn't selected, she got this large house because of Akame. The rest of us were able to move in too."
Mamin smiled faintly. For her, having such a peaceful life was enough.
A trace of unwillingness appeared on Gin's face. "I thought I could make it into the elite group of seven. I was just a little short."
Gin's words made Koizumi look at her. Had she ranked highly?
Remusu hurriedly explained, "Gin ranked tenth among the assassins, Kurome ranked eighth, and Mamin and I ranked much lower. Actually, if Kurome and Gin had stayed in the assassination squad, they might have made it into the elite group."
Koizumi nodded in understanding. That was true. If they had remained in the assassination squad, they might really have had a chance to join the elite group. It seemed Gin was quite a hardworking girl.
But then again, the Imperial Assassination Squad—I had heard that its selection process was extremely strict and brutal, with many casualties. Yet judging from them, why did they seem...
"What was your selection process like?" Koizumi asked.
"We competed against one another, and the winners stayed while the losers were eliminated. But the matches stopped short of causing serious injury. The instructors were strict, but if someone was injured, there were dedicated people responsible for treating them. I heard that if someone suffered especially severe injuries during a mission, the Empire would even provide compensation. That's why many people liked staying there."
Koizumi paused slightly, an unreadable glint flickering in his eyes. It seemed this Empire treated its own people quite well.
After that, Koizumi didn't ask anything else and focused on eating.
The atmosphere at the dining table was harmonious, with bursts of laughter sounding from time to time. The warmth between Kurome and the others was unmistakable.
For once, a trace of loneliness surfaced in Koizumi's heart. To be honest, he simply couldn't fit in.
What they shared was the warm atmosphere of something called "family." Unfortunately, no matter what, he couldn't become part of it. Koizumi ultimately wasn't from this world. According to Yakumo Yukari, once the world was corrected, the people, events, and things he had encountered in this world would all forget him. Aside from Heroic Spirits who might be summoned by the world remembering him, everyone else would forget him and everything he had done. Nothing he did would be rewarded.
No, it couldn't be said that there was no reward. After all, he could recover his memories during this journey.
For Koizumi, recovering his memories was the most important thing right now.
But why, when he knew they wouldn't remember him, did he still feel waves of loneliness?
Looking at familiar faces, only for them to have no memory of him at all...
Whenever he thought of that, Koizumi felt as though he couldn't breathe. Was it really better not to place the people and things here too deeply in his heart? The more he cared, the more deeply he would be hurt when the time came to grieve.
Even with Reimu and the others, they had never properly sat down together, chatting and laughing over a meal like this.
Looking at the bowl of rice in his hands, complicated emotions suddenly filled Koizumi's heart.
As if she had noticed him, Kurome gently bumped Koizumi's chest with her elbow.
"What is it?" Kurome's movement was light, but obvious enough to immediately draw Koizumi's attention.
"Mmm... Will you come again next time? To eat at my place?" Kurome looked at Koizumi expectantly.
Although he knew she probably only cared about the food he made, Koizumi still couldn't help feeling delighted.
Perhaps Koizumi still couldn't recover his past memories for now, but being able to create new memories worth cherishing was something to be happy about. Having memories to look back on was better than having none at all.
Besides, Koizumi didn't mind making new friends.
Even if he might never see this new friend again after he left.
But if he did nothing because he was always afraid of the pain of parting, then he would definitely regret it in the end.
"Of course, if you don't mind having me here." Koizumi smiled faintly.
Kurome's eyes immediately lit up. Mamin and Gin also seemed somewhat expectant. As for Remusu—
"Then why not just live here, Koizumi, and be our cook!"
The moment Remusu finished speaking, Kurome's little face reddened. Mamin couldn't help covering her forehead, while Gin was even more direct.
With a chop of her hand, Gin struck Remusu. Remusu immediately clutched her head with tears in her eyes. She was rather cute, though.
Even Koizumi couldn't help showing an awkward expression.
"Idiot, can't you think before you speak?!" Gin immediately scolded her.
Koizumi was a man, after all, while everyone living here was female. A man suddenly moving into a house shared by four women was wrong no matter how one looked at it. Even if they were confident in their own strength, they couldn't just let a man move in so casually.
Koizumi understood that as well, which was why an awkward expression appeared on his face.
Lady Aerya the Noble
Koizumi stretched and surveyed the streets as evening approached. The common people were still running their shops, living relaxed and comfortable lives. That made Koizumi feel rather happy.
People were creatures influenced by their surroundings. For example, when the weather was gloomy, one's mood would become gloomy as well. When the weather was bright, one's mood would improve considerably.
Koizumi was exactly the sort of person affected by his surroundings. Seeing such a harmonious scene, he felt inexplicably calm.
But then again, where were Reimu and Hata no Kokoro? He couldn't find them no matter what.
He had originally planned to use a Command Seal to summon them, but then he had suddenly encountered Kurome, and he truly couldn't stop worrying about her.
"What a hassle." A trace of helplessness appeared on Koizumi's face.
Then, Koizumi's gaze fell on the Command Seal on his hand. Perhaps he should find a secluded corner and use the Command Seal to summon them.
With that thought in mind, Koizumi looked around, seemingly searching for a corner where no one passed by.
Using a Command Seal to summon a Servant would easily attract attention, so it was best not to be noticed if possible.
Also, he could actually go find Seryu, but if possible, Koizumi didn't want to trouble her.
Just as Koizumi was looking around, a pleasant voice sounded behind him.
"Excuse me, have you encountered some difficulty?" Koizumi turned around and saw a blonde girl standing behind him with a gentle smile on her face. She looked very cute.
Behind the girl, who seemed to be a noble, stood two people who looked like guards, further emphasizing her status.
Behind the two guards followed a man and a woman. Their clothing was out of place compared with the three before them, and also somewhat different from that of the ordinary citizens of the Imperial Capital. It was clear they were probably from outside the city.
"I'm wondering how to find my friends. Is something wrong?"
Koizumi tried to be as polite as possible.
The girl before him smiled faintly and replied.
"My name is Aerya. Those two are also looking for friends in the Imperial Capital. Since it's getting late, why don't you stay at my home for the night and slowly look for your friends tomorrow? I can help as well."
Koizumi frowned slightly, hesitation flickering in his eyes.
It wasn't that Koizumi was unwilling. If someone was willing to help, he would naturally be grateful.
Reimu and Hata no Kokoro's sudden disappearance was too strange. If their contract had not still been there, Koizumi would have assumed they had been attacked. Since the contract remained, it meant there was no problem on Reimu's side.
What puzzled Koizumi was that if there was no problem, why couldn't he find them?
"Would that be all right?" Koizumi hesitated. Relying on others' help wasn't his habit, especially not the help of a woman. Although he had relied on Reimu and the others in battles within the Singularities, Koizumi wasn't someone without self-awareness. Finding people was something he could handle himself.
"There's nothing wrong with it." The noble girl named Aerya spoke as she glanced at the man and woman behind her, then smiled softly. "They came to find their friends too, but since it's getting late, they can only rest at my home. I often help travelers who have just arrived in the Imperial Capital. Besides, it's late. Although the Imperial Capital is very peaceful, anyone wandering at night will be arrested by the security force. Wandering at night is strictly forbidden—that's an Imperial rule."
The Imperial Capital was very peaceful? Didn't Seryu say there was an assassination organization called Night Raid?
A trace of doubt flashed through Koizumi's eyes, but he didn't dwell on it. Perhaps Aerya was talking about the citizens inside the Imperial Capital.
Besides, Seryu had said that Night Raid was extremely rampant. People wandering around at night would probably run into them by accident.
The Empire had likely established this rule for the sake of the Imperial Capital's citizens. Compared to that, the Empire didn't seem so bad. But if the Empire wasn't so bad, why had Akame betrayed it?
Without realizing it, Koizumi's thoughts had drifted to Akame, who had betrayed the Empire.
"So, what do you think?" Aerya slowly asked, seemingly patient.
"Since you've put it that way, miss, then I'll gratefully accept." Koizumi replied with a faint smile.
It was hard to refuse her goodwill. She was a woman, after all, and rejecting her so directly wouldn't be very appropriate.
But then again, it was almost night... Why did everything around him seem to have changed after just one night's sleep?
Aerya smiled faintly and said nothing more.
At the same time, the man and woman behind Aerya and the two guards hurriedly stepped forward.
Before you continue