Dining Room Conversation

「……Oh?」

Not having anything to do, I lied down on the bed and probably fell asleep before I knew it. Multiple people……Two, huh. Two people's worth of footsteps were captured in my ears and awoken up my consciousness.
*Kon kon, kon kon* (Knock knock, knock knock)
When the footsteps stopped in front of the door, a conservative knock sounded four times.
「Tto, ……Come in.」
I put on the 『Darkness Executioner』 overcoat that I took off when I lied down.
「Please excuse me. 『Darkness Executioner』-sama. The preparations for the evening meal have been made. Her Majesty is waiting in the dining hall.」
When the door opened, two maid-sans entered the room and lowered their heads. One of them was the one that guided me to the room, Helena-san.
……Still, how should I say this……I wonder if they could stop with that 『Darkness Executioner』-sama thing. I'll die from shame.
「I, I got it.」
When I answered with a low voice so as to have my emotions not understood as much as possible, I got up from the bed that I was sitting on and left the room.
「I shall lead you there.」
Helena-san walked in front of me and guided the way.
When I went and followed her, the other maid went into the room that I had been led into.
「She is the bed-maker maid.」
The guiding Helena-san answered. Heeh, a bed-maker is that, right? The person that fixes things like the bed's wrinkles. Didn't they only do that in the mornings in places like hotels? ……Huh? Now that I think about it, did I ask that to Helena-san?
「『Darkness Executioner』-sama, it is because you were looking like you were curious about it.」
Ahh, now I see, now I……Huh?
「The dining hall is on the first floor.」
……Well, whatever.
I followed Helena-san who was walking without half of her body going up and down at all.
◇

「Mu, so you've come.」
When the dining hall door was opened, Sylvia was already seated in her chair.
Having changed into a sky-blue dress, since it seemed that Sylvia had put on a bit of make-up, she was normally beautiful but that polished her even more, making her fascinatingly beautiful.
Though, since it's embarra.s.sing, I won't say that out loud.
No, let's put that aside for now. Right now, the role imposed on me is――
「Kiki, you have finally come, my master.」
To figure out how to react to this bloodsucking little girl that was elegantly drinking wine.
Do I safely make a tsukkomi? No, my pride as a performer won't allow that. Is this where I just go along with it? No no, this is where I should make a raging tsukkomi after making a falling reaction joke and……――

「Why are you here, Paimon?」
I just safely made a tsukkomi. Properly thinking about it, I'm not a performer after all.
「Can you not tell just from looking? I am drinking wine. Ahh, this aroma, how it goes down the throat……Luscious! This is quite luscious, Princess Knight!」
Paimon was making an expression of ecstasy with wine in one hand. We were strangely not playing conversation catch.[1]
「I was surprised, Yuu. To think that you had made a master and servant contract with a True Ancestor Vampire.」
「Eh? Ahh, yup. Pretty much.」
It's because Paimon the adult version was an boing-chan that was to my liking, is something that I won't say even if my mouth were to be ripped open!
「Well, let us leave the talk for later. Yuu, sit where you like.」
「Roger that.」
I sat down in the chair that was near Sylvia who was sitting in the seat of honor. Opposite of me was the wine drinking Paimon.
「Now then, let us have our meal.」
When I sat down in my chair, Sylvia rang the bell that she had on hand.
When it rang with a *chirin chirin* sound that was pleasant to the ear, the dining hall door opened, several maid-sans entered and headed to the table.
In their hands were tableware and food served on plates, and it was all laid out.
「Is the True Ancestor Princess fine with just wine?」
When Sylvia asked that as if to make a confirmation, Paimon made a small nod.
「Kiki, to do something as free myself from my master's wishes and drink blood, my pride would not allow it.」
When her emptied gla.s.s was refilled with wine by a maid-san, she once again took a sip of that wine, and softened her expression.
「Yuu……Come to think of it, you didn't drink wine.」
「Not just wine, but alcohol in general.」
Because I was still a minor, wasn't the reason, but I just couldn't understand the merits or demerits of alcohol.
「Ah, I just remember from mentioning alcohol. I met with Gilley-ossan, over in Lizwadia. He had opened an inn.」
I remembered that I got drunk and got a hangover. Dammit, the next time I meet him, I'll get even with him.
「Hou, so Gilley was in Lizwadia.」
「Yeah. Also, in Be Io, I met with Jean, and in Nordyord, I met with Fiona. 」
I took it upon myself to not mention the thing with Zephyr.
「I see……Everyone, it is great to hear that they are doing well.」
Sylvia made a whole faced smile looking like she was feeling nostalgic. Most likely, three years ago, after I left, since Sylvia had become Empress, she probably no longer had the chance to meet them. It looked like she was relieved to know that the companions that we overcame danger with in order to defeat the Demon Lord were all in good health.
「Have you all never gathered together?」
「Fiona often sends me letters but……」
「They're nothing but guys that go at their own pace after all. Jean especially.」
「Fufufu, indeed.」
Maybe because they had finished setting the table while I was talking with Sylvia, the maid-sans bowed and left the dining hall.
「Your current journey, how is it?」
「How you ask……Well, I'm having fun with it.」
Though, I do get dragged into some troublesome stuff over and over again.
「They aren't to the same extent as before, but they're lively.」
「Your companions?」
「Yeah. There is this girl that is a Sister (nun) and fires Magic Guns, a therianthrope that is like a ninja, and then this Vampire Princess.」
「That is quite the strong line up.」
Now that I mention it, the guys from three years ago were also strong to the point that they wouldn't lose or fall behind anyone.
「Also, right now, I'm also together with those Three Stooge Pirates.」
「Three Stooge Pirates? ……Ahh, those people that called themselves the 『Black Rose Pirates』. ……They are criminals, aren't they?」
To be able to remember with just a little bit of thought, it must be a difference in our memory ability. Sylvia looked at me with reproachful eyes. Does it seem like I became an accomplice to a crime to her?
「We only got them to give a ride on their airs.h.i.+p. It was for transportation.」
「……Fufu, I see. They all seem to be quite pleasant companions. They should be lively. And what are those companions doing now? Are you in the middle of acting separately?」
「Yeah, Kuon is going to partic.i.p.ate in the tournament and said that she would go and do those procedures, and Bernadette said she had some kind of business and――」
Just as I started talking about that, I remembered something that I had completely forgotten about.
「Sylvia, what time is it right now.」
「Nn? It's already past the evening hour but……」
c.r.a.p, this is bad!
「I totally forgot that we were supposed to meet up!」

A few hours later, having reached the rendezvous spot, I was made to listen to all of Kuon's complaints.

Translator’s Notes:
[1] He means that their conversation wasn't connecting.