III. A Lost Chapter and Organizing a Clutter

Fred

Modern Earth, 20xx+3

“Freeeeeeeed~~”

Ingrid had been noisy again.

“Hey Freeeeeeeed~~”

The noise was getting on my nerves already. How could someone produce such sound that could reap the eardrums of those who heard it? It was not like she’s a kid pulling out tantrum due to her parents not buying what she pointed at a certain store.

“Come on notice me Freeeeeeed~~”

It was a busy Sunday and my two assistants were out shopping for drawing supplies. The nearest manga supply store was on the city three stations away from our town. It was not a store you could just walk so I gave them transport fee (+ meal treat) which I could probably reimburse later. They will be out for a few hours. Having myself some free time, I observed that the studio was severely cluttered. I took initiative and started cleaning. That was when this witch suddenly entered and grabbed a few things to read while I’m cleaning. She immediately found a comfortable spot on the bed.

“Fred I’m hungry, let’s eat.”

“Can’t you see I’m preoccupied with how I’m going to clean this mess?”

“It was not like that a while ago. You were the one of pulled out everything from their storages. You just dug your own grave.”

“Sigh”

I never thought there were so much items that were stored at the cabinet already. I only planned to reorganize the items that were outside with the items inside of it. That led to the huge mess at the studio that made my problem worse. It seemed like my assistants and Ingrid had been hoarding items and storing them at my studio without my knowledge.

“You see… If you could help me clean up this mess before the two oddballs arrive, we can still have time to sneak out and eat.”

“Jeez you had been exploiting me for manpower for years already.”

Ingrid rolled back and forth at the bed and lazed around like there’s no tomorrow. I returned to cleaning and gave up every last ounce of hope that she would help me with the clutter.

“Oya~~ what’s this? Hmmmm.”

Even when not looking I knew she picked up something again that piqued her interest.

“Hmm, a draft sketch. And a whole bunch of pages. A chapter, maybe?”

Wait what is that?

Somehow I tried to remember what she were pertaining to. Out of all the items scattered throughout the studio I only found a small percentage of what was supposedly mine and manga related.

“Mae and Ria, the two ‘Takane no Hana’”

Oops.

The chapter was not really something I’m hiding from those three. I didn’t even remembered that I’ve stocked the draft chapter at the storage. It was something I drew a few days after Mae-SUF got turned down by old man. I somehow wanted to draw the chapter so I gave it a rough sketch. After my talk with Ingrid at the park lots of memories I never imagined I would remember flashed back on me. That included my last duel with Dax when asked of him of the position of General Orcas.

Dax led a lot of demi-humans during his reign as The Patron. Mae Militum Thelesmata remained as the lead of the diplomatic faction but we needed to keep her safety especially that she wasn’t really suited for battles. In a way Mae still was the leader of the ‘Diplomatic Faction’ that sided with the demons to continue the war but Dax was the one commanding the combatants together with the demon forces.

Quite ironic, huh

Dax had chosen Mae’s side. And Mae chose to side with the demons and aligned our goals together. It was the same logic I used when creating the progress for Mae’s character. The premonition I had led me to betting on whether Dax will be accepting the role of ‘General Orcas’. And to test that out I asked him to battle me out a few times while at the Ancient Ruins, and the final confrontation back at the demon palace.

I needed not to gauge out his strength but to check his determination to take on the role and serve under me. He was reluctant at first but eventually he decided to take on it and he proved his determination. Cutting the long story short, our final battle where he proved his determination was when we had our duel back at the royal palace some several decades ago, I really forgot when. He knew he was still going to lose, but even then, he gave it his all and did not throw out the match. It was truly a splendid battle that even moved Mae to tears.

“You really are something. I didn’t even know how eye-catching those pile of papers are for you that out of all the clutter here at the studio you’re eyes got glued only to it.”

“Well it had your scent.”

“Wha-what are you! A sniffing dog or something?”

“A vixen, perhaps. fufufu”

“Sigh… Well, nothing much I can do to force you to not read the chapter. It was unfinished anyways. The draft was rejected too.”

“Cut the crap and just let me read it.”

She rolled and lay upright while holding the papers upwards with her two hands.

But that was a deadly move.

Her breasts! Goddamn it! Her breasts!!

I could only try to look away but this enchantress told me not to. Her fit sleeveless shirt emphasized her body curves. The loose straps that supports the only clothing she had slid down her shoulders, showing her visible collarbone and atop those, two masses of what in this world they called ‘boobs’. Her wavy mid-long silky black hair sways down as she only supported her neck on the side of the bed. Her head was hanging quite a bit so there really was no mattress to support her hair. The wind that blew from the AC added a swaying effect to her hair.

I was mystified and enchanted. What might happen if I was still the Maou? Had this enchanting an effect on me? I could not bet on my capabilities on that one. It was far even stronger than the enchanting that Morgianna did. I felt that I really need to apologize to Yuusha once I got back at Mytherion.

I tried everything to avoid myself from being bewitched by this girl but she suddenly brings up deadly moves like it was only natural for her. I was just hanging on a thin thread connecting myself from Yuusha.

My stare was suddenly interrupted when she lowered the papers she’s holding.

I looked at her face embarrassed as I was caught in the act.

“Hmp! Fred you pervert.”

“Yeap, I’m a pervert and I was looking. But it was your fault for flaunting your masses of ‘boobs’ in front of me.”

“Bu-but I thought you weren’t looking!!”

“I was not looking, until you declared the title of what you’re reading.”

“Well… I could give you permission to look if you’ll just ask… and besides…”

She turned bright-red-embarrassed

“This thing are only to be done by married couples.”

Somehow a stare quickly escalated. I’m not sure how to answer this.

“Loving Yuusha… and staring at my ‘boobs’… are two different things… You can’t do that…”

I broke. My mind Broke. The deadly move was super effective. The shy-embarrassed Ingrid won. That night angels celebrated as finally, the former Maou of Mytherion that was sent towards Earth was finally close to biting the dust.

“A. B. C. D. E. F. G.”

I lost my sense of speech. I compared this scene to one of the games Kyrie was playing back at her unit, those ‘gal-games’ that simulates your romantic progression towards a good selection of girls and routes per game. Really a nonsense game if you were to ask me, but I’m not one to criticize too straightforward so I just kept it for myself.

“Fufufu!! I’m just joking Fred, I knew you don’t have any ulterior motives and was just concerned about how I dress but I only trust you so much that you are the only one I can show this side of me.”

“I… Uh… I guess.”

Shit I had ulterior motives!!!

“Say… come here and let me slap you so hard.”

“No! Spare me, you love me right?”

“Yes that’s correct but I really felt like slapping you today.”

I just gave a ‘Tee-hee’ then a bleh gesture and she answered with a sigh. I guessed that was a case closed.

“If you got nothing better to do than to fantasize my body you might as well finish what you’re cleaning already.”

She continued reading.

She’s mad, that I knew. I could make up with her after I finished cleaning. But I gave up all the hope that I would be able to finish that before Kyrie and Ara arrived back. So might as well enjoy myself resting, I came near Ingrid and sat beside the bed. I gave her hanging head a support from my right shoulder while I rested my head on her right shoulder too. I could only feel the heat of her body at the back of my neck as it contrasts with the coldness of the air around the room. We look like lovers but we’re really not.

Back to back I looked at the draft she was reading. It was still at the very first page if I remembered correctly. I didn’t shuffled the pages and left it in order after I finished sketching it. It was like she’s been waiting for me to come for us to read the whole chapter together. I really appreciate things like these that Ingrid does. She’s really trying hard to win me over. The world was full of uncertainties, who knows if she really wins me over at the end of my life’s story.

“I thought you’re going to clean up?”

“I thought you’re already halfway?”

Both of us giggled like kids. Then we read the chapter

Chapter XX

Mae and Ria, the two ‘Takane no Hana’

“And a new arc finally begins! Now that Ria and the others have graduated what awaits Mae, Ryuuji and the new Occult Club?”

Whack!!

Ingrid rolled the draft chapter and hit my head.

“Ouch! What are you doing?!”

“Hahahaha you’re funny! I never expected that. Quit letting out sudden jokes like that again, I almost did not caught my breath.”

“Fine, fine.”

It was quite a long chapter, nearly around fifty pages. I did a rough sketch of the sudden set of ideas that popped out my mind and did the dialogues too. I spent a whole night doing it without my assistants nor Ingrid’s knowledge. Though it was already a rejected draft. I really felt wasting a night just to create a chapter will help me clear out my mind and move on from Mae-SUF and Elrufus Dax’s story. It was an essential part to proceed with the next draft. Well it was a successful move.

“I knew it. Shirogane, Ria’s character was based on you when you’re still a Maou back at Mytherion. My hunch was right.”

“You may say that, I won’t agree nor deny though.”

”Wheeee~~ you’re trying to hide your embarrassment. No need to Fred, It’s just the two of us. By the way, it was not indicated what chapter this was. Where did you plan on putting this in any case Mae-SUF got serialized?”

“Maybe around forty-plus or so? T should end the first half where Ria and her senpais finally graduated.”

“You know most manga lose their popularity if you do those kinds of progressions, but we don’t know yet if the readers will like it. Hahaha, more like, we won’t know. It’s rejected by the way!”

“Uh quit burning me already. I already lost that one, and I was quite proud of the draft too. It really was a shame.”

“Fine, fine don’t sulk anymore and let me babysit you.”

Ingrid pinched my nose after her words.

Now going back, the chapter Ingrid and I read was inspired by that duel Elrufus Dax and I had back at Mytherion, the last one which determined whether Dax will be the rightful owner of the role of General Orcas.

Kurosawa, Mae and Shirogane, Ria. They were at that moment of the story, was not really on par with each other but at the end, Ria’s impression of Mae’s potential was right. Mae never went down without a fight, and set a new record which proved everything the Ria bet on her. That’s why at the end, she approved of the two’s relationship.

Talent, power, and popularity are almost absolute. But two individuals, keeping in check of each other, supporting themselves at times of hardships, could always overcome these barriers. The same goes for us four, living here at Ingrid’s apartment complex. Helping each other out, we will be able to produce a draft that Old man will surely approve.

“Fred this spot is really comfortable I don’t want to get up anymore.”

“You jest, we should start cleaning by now. At this moment Ara and Kyrie are probably on their way back.”

“Do you mean us? We’re already here. We just got back though…”

“Humu… Just to see the two of you flirting. Ara, I anticipated these two lovebirds doing their thing again while we’re gone, but this clutter is out of my prediction.”

“Wha—”

The bot of us were that surprised that we hit each other’s forehead as we tried to untangle ourselves from the position we’re currently at.

“Ouch ouch! No! No no no no no— you’re misunderstanding something Kyrie!! It was not like that!” –I tried to talk my way out of those judging eyes.

“No, no no! It’s okay, we both knew already.”

“This clutter. I was just trying to clean up our storages, then lots of stuff popped out, even those not related to drawing manga!”

Their eyes went dead blank. It seemed that I missed their point which was really critical at that situation. I looked at Ingrid whose covering her face with her palm due to embarrassment and lost hope.

“Eh?”

“Eh what? Don’t ‘Eh what?’ me. You missed something really important and it already killed the mood. Now I’m going to help you clean this mess and give you a nice beating later”

“Aneki! Please spare me!! Believe me I’ve been cleaning all day!!! I just took a rest and sat here with Ingrid! Not much time has passed since I took a break!! Spare me!!!”

Ara (Aneki) approached me and grabbed the back of my clothing and dragged me towards the clutter to help her clean. She turned towards Ingrid with an evil intent

“Laaaaandlaaaaadyyyyyyy~~ It’s time to do your share too, am I right?”

“Uh… Yes, give me a few moment.”

“Humu… Just call me here at my unit after you finished cleaning ‘kay?” –Kyrie was fast, slammed the door close and locked it. She escaped Ara (Aneki)’s cruel death sentence.

Ara just let her off with a sigh.

It was still a long day ahead.