Mediator Oshiras Listens to Emi's Story and Finally Loses It and Screams

“Emi-san.”

Mediator Oshiras spoke to the girl sitting to his left, taking the utmost care to keep his voice as gentle and soft as possible, as he always did to avoid frightening children.

“............”

Until then, the girl had gone on eating her Mekena Sandwiches, wholly indifferent to the adults' conversation unfolding around her, but she responded properly when spoken to.

Turning around with her cheeks puffed out with Mekena Sandwich, the girl stared intently at Oshiras.

Deep black eyes, from which no emotion could be read, were directed at Oshiras.

Receiving that gaze, Oshiras flinched slightly.

Why?

Was it because of a prejudice against black hair and black eyes that he couldn't quite shake off?

Or was it because of her beauty, which remained entirely untarnished despite her cheeks being puffed out?

In the end, probably, it was both.

And more than that.

Because there was pressure in that girl's gaze.

At this moment, Oshiras could not put into words or understand the true nature of that “pressure.”

It was, so to speak, a manifestation of the strength of her will.

A way of being that she defined for herself, shaped by the life she had lived until now.

Oshiras was overwhelmed by that unwavering sense of self.

“What?”

Puzzled that Oshiras had spoken to her and then said nothing more, Emi prompted him to go on.

“A, ah, sorry. Um, Emi-san. I would like to hear your opinion as well......”

Back to his senses, Oshiras began the conversation, stumbling over his words.

“First, this discussion is to decide who will have custody of you...... that is, who will become your new guardian. You understand that, yes?”

“Eh, really?”

With all that commotion going on around her, this kid hadn't heard a word of the conversation so far......

Hearing those words, Oshiras moved past exasperation and found himself somewhat impressed.

......Or rather.

“Emi-san...... what were you told when you were brought to this place today?”

“They said if I sat here, I'd get Mekena Sandwiches.”

Oshiras glanced at Arcus.

Arcus quickly looked away.

Next, Oshiras glanced at Lairine.

Lairine was smiling eerily......

Oshiras quickly looked away.

“Well, anyway, that is the situation. At this point, both Arcus-san and Lairine-san over there have come forward as your guardians, as your new parents. This discussion is to decide, Emi-san, which of them you should become the daughter of.”

Oshiras explained the current situation once more for Emi, who hadn't been listening.

She was a child.

Children often couldn't take things in the first time.

Oshiras did not mind explaining things repeatedly.

“I don't need them. Parents.”

And after Oshiras's explanation, those were the words that leaked from Emi's mouth.

Oshiras froze, in spite of himself.

And...... the Parirot couple, who had been listening in silence until now, did as well.

“Heeey! You shouldn't go saying things like that, y'heeear!”

On the other hand, Arcus reacted to those words immediately.

“Family, y'knooow, it's warm, and happy, and it's definitely better to have one! Suuure, Emi-chan, maybe you don't have any good memories of your parents, but......”

As he spoke, Arcus shot a glare at Rana.

Rana kept her head down.

“Then your uncle, y'knooow, is gonna make lots of fun memories with you from now on! Riiight, Emi-chan! Let's be family, you and your uncle!”

Arcus sprang to his feet, planted both hands on the table, leaned forward, and pleaded with Emi.

In response, Emi did not budge an inch.

Expressionlessly, without a hint of emotion, she said:

“I don't want to.”

“Whyyy!?”

His armor going gashaaan!, Arcus's hands slid out from under him and he went sprawling!

When he jerked his face up with a gabari, there were even faint tears pooling in his eyes.

“Of course, there are reasons.”

Popping the last scrap of Mekena Sandwich left on her plate into her mouth, Emi went on, still chewing.

“First, I hate your face.”

His face......

After all that shouting and fussing, the reason for the rejection was his face......

Oshiras didn't particularly like Arcus as a person, but he thought this development was simply too cruel......

It was painful to watch......

“And above all, you're weak.”

“Aaaah?”

Until now, Arcus had been speaking to Emi as a “kind uncle,” but at this one remark, he turned nasty.

“Listen heeere, Emi-chan...... your uncle may not look it, but he's a special-grade adventurer, see. He's pretty strong, see.”

“Weak. Weaker than me.”

Arcus was smiling.

But it was a strained smile.

His voice was low and trembling slightly.

Paying no mind to Arcus's state, Emi continued.

“The most important condition for becoming my parent. That is......”

It was declared clearly, without hesitation.

“To be stronger than me!”

Oshiras was stunned.

She would only accept a parent who was strong?

What kind of family of fighting demons is that?

To Oshiras, born into a perfectly ordinary family in a perfectly ordinary farming village and raised in peace, it was a kind of family he had no way of understanding.

But!

“Gu...... guhaha, guhahahaha! Then, y'knooow, Emi-chan! If you and me fight and I wiiin! You'll accept me as your parent, is that iiit!?”

That condition, it seemed, sat rather well with this man called Arcus!

Laughing fiercely, he stood up with a gachari and began to release a powerful 【Intimidation】 toward Emi!

“Aaah? You wanna go, old man, huh?”

In response, Emi began to release her own 【Intimidation】 too, refusing to be outdone!

Both of them, completely spoiling for a fight......!

“Ufufu, ufufufufu!”

The crazy woman was also releasing 【Intimidation】 for some reason!

For some reason!

Now, inside the conference room, the three of them were clashing with 【Intimidation】, and a bizarre atmosphere was beginning to brew.

The table and windows shook even though there was no earthquake, and hair fluttered even though there was no wind!

The Parirot couple huddled together, hugging each other and shaking, and Oshiras's face turned pale!

“Heyyy, Mediator-saaan.”

“Y, yeees!”

In that atmosphere, called on by the cra...... by Lairine, Oshiras answered in a squeaky voice in spite of himself.

“So, since that's how it iiis, why don't we do this? ‘Fight Emi-chan, and if you win, you get to be her guardian,’ how about it? Couldn't you draw up the documents that way for us, pleeease? Don't you think it's a good idea? What does everyone thiiink?”

Lairine looked around the room.

“Bring it ooon!!”

“There's no way I'd lose to an old man like this.”

Arcus and Emi, who were glaring at each other, apparently had no objections.

The Parirot couple were just shaking and didn't utter a single complaint.

Confirming this, Lairine...... smirked!

“Then, since that means everyone's in favor, this discussion is ooover!”

As she said this, Lairine walked toward the large window of the room, her heels clicking kotsu, kotsu.

And then, she flung it wide open!

Byuu!

The cold winter wind blew in from outside all at once, sweeping away the stagnant air in the room!

“You'll sign the documents after the match, okaaay......”

Her magnificent waist-length blonde hair streaming in the wind, Lairine jerked a thumb outside and shouted!

“COME ON! TAKE IT OUTSIDE!!”

““UOOOOOH!!!””

In response, the two hyped-up idiots went leaping out of the window, pyonpyon!

A little after the two, Lairine also jumped out.

......Even though this is the third floor!!

“““............”””

Mediator Oshiras and the Parirot couple, left behind, were simply silent.

In the now completely silent room, only the sound of the winter wind blowing in through the open window echoed hollowly.

“............”

Amidst this, Mediator Oshiras stood up in silence.

Slowly, he approached the window, placed his hand on the frame, and then......

“OH, JUST DO WHATEVER YOU WAAAAAAANT!!!”

After screaming that, he slammed the window shut, pishari.

Arc 14, middle part 1, done.