Chapter 78 - 078: New Schedule

"Now there is no one who will mess up with our group anymore" Erika playing with her spoon talk cheerfully

"What do you mean, Erika-chan?" Mizuki stop eating and look at her friend

"Look, we have Tatsuya and Arthur as Public Moral Committee members, we also have Miyuki and Emilia as Students Council members, that course 1 student will not take us lightly like before"

"But you can't too happy like that, Erika"

"Why, Arthur?" Erika confused because she didn't know why Arthur tell her not too happy

"Mari-senpai said, she will teach you a lesson when she meets you again"

"What?! Why Mari-nee says something like that?!"

"I know she is a disciple in your clan and she takes it as you're the one who told me"

"Why you didn't tell her I didn't involve in this?"

"Why I need to say it? It seems will be interesting so I leave it be"

"You traitor!!!"

Looking at her hopeless face, Miyuki tries to console her with Emilia help.

"Erika, how can you acquaintance with Mari-senpai?"

"She is at first just like a normal disciple in my family dojo, but then someday we're meet and end up training together. In term of pure sword art, I was better than her, but she is helping me combine my sword art with personal speed magic. As you know her versatility in multiple magic and her ability to combine them to simultaneously chain multiple magics is amazing, so helping me who have bad technical skills is something I very grateful for" Erika has a rare gentle smile on her face make everyone who is first time quite shock "what the hell with all of your faces?!" And her temper is back.

"If I didn't wrong, there will be solicitations from the clubs for one week, do you have some club you had on your mind to participate?" Arthur wants to shift the conversation and bring a new topic

"I will look around first, maybe there is something that will make me interested, how about you Mizuki?"

"Maybe I will join the literature club?"

"Oh, well, why I can't feel surprised?"

The conversation change to the topic of club activity and what interests them. The party is over and everyone goes back to their home.

"Echidna, how about your health? Are you feeling better?" Emilia take a seat beside her and place her hand on top off Echidna's knee

"I'm feeling better now, but I can't go to the basement like usual so it makes me frustrate"

"Arthur didn't permit you?"

"No, there is a girl who comes here and says she wants to meet Abby for sword training and then they use a practice room in the basement"

"Girl?"

"Oh that must be Mari-senpai"

When Emilia confuse with the unknown guest, Arthur tells her who it was after he comes out of the kitchen with a bowl of porridge on his hand.

"You must consume your medicine, Echidna. But you must eat this first" Arthur wants to put the bowl on the table but Emilia takes it from his hand.

"Let me feeds her, here open your mouth and say aaahhn~"

"I can do it myself, what the meaning of this childish treatment"

"Just open your mouth and let Onee-San here feeds you" Emilia try to make a stern look and force Echidna to open her mouth

"I was older than you"

"But your body is just made recently so I was older than you, so you must call me Onee-san!"

"You just sleeping for a hundred years and your body didn't get old either!"

"If you didn't open your mouth I will make Arthur didn't let you open internet again" seeing how persistent she is, Emilia give her an ultimatum and make her concede

"There are no spirits rights here..."

Arthur have a smile on his face when he sees the interactions between Emilia and Echidna, at first Echidna adamantly refuses to ȧssociate with Emilia, but maybe because she has her friend again, her treatment to Emilia getting better gradually.

"Echidna, when your health is perfect please help me tailor magic that compatible with sword technique for Mari-senpai"

"If it was magic you can leave it to me, just tell her to meet me when she has the time... Aaahhn"

Arthur leave them and head to the basement, he can see Abby parry Mari's attack easily and point her where she is wrong and gives her advice to improve her sword art.

"Seeing girls wear maid uniform and full body suit fighting is good scene..." remembering the conversation between himself and Mari, Arthur decides to help her because she is similar with Emilia in some aspects "want to get acknowledgment from other people, right"

For him, who start to stay away from his friends and break up with his girlfriend because of his sickness, the concept of getting acknowledged by other people is nothing he cares about again after that. Life alone, reading a novel, playing a game, watching anime, surfing the internet, just living day to day on top of his bed with medicine as his daily snacks.

All of this is just past now, he has several friends now, and even if he and Emilia can't be said as a lover they also not just normal friend either. But that can't make him forget, there is still something that feels lost inside his heart.

'Let's treat it as the last connection for me to remember who am I before getting my second chance'

*spat*

Arthur wakes up from his remembrance because there is someone who flicks a finger on his forehead.

"Seeing you lost in your thoughts make me think you are an old man, there is something bothering you?"

"Nothing, but come to think of this, you didn't shy like when you're in the infirmary. You make me see a good view" Arthur nods his head and appreciate an offering in front of his eyes, black color full-body suit wet with sweat make it more clear drawing Mari's body line.

"If you didn't want to tell me, that's fine. Changing the topic with that kind excuse is not good, you know" Mari didn't bother with his comments and look at the basement "You have a very large basement here"

"Well, you remember someone with white hair in the living room? Her name is Echidna, she likes to experiment with magic, so I need this basement for her"

"She is your sister?" Mari remember Echidna feature and her white hair make her remember Arthur

"Something like that..." Arthur impossible to say she is his contract spirits, Arthur wave his hand and make the sweat on Mari's body disperse

"Oh, thanks. No wonder she makes me remember you when the first time I saw her"

"Oh, right. Can I bring her to the school when the recruitment event for club activity is held?" Arthur remembered his promise to Echidna when he brings her there this morning

"I usually will not agree but... I will try to ask Mayumi opinion first"

"Thank you for your help, Mari-senpai"

"This is nothing compared to your help. Well, it's very late already, I will go home now. Please tell Abby I'm very thankful for her advice"

"You need to take a bath first, and Abby is preparing dinner for you so please don't leave now"

"Well then, I will take your offer"

"You can ask Abby for the way to the bathroom!" Arthur suggestion is just answered with a wave of the hand by Mari.

After taking a bath and eat her dinner, Mari didn't immediately leave like her intention because Echidna says want to talk with her for better understanding of Mari's characteristics so she can make the magic that suitable for Mari.

Mari happily cooperated with Echidna demands because she has very high expectations for the magic that especially made for her.

"Speed, chemical, weakening enemies...You're more like an ȧssassin to me... well I need to experiment with my idea but... there is no way I can do it for now. I will inform you when it was ready"

"Thank you, Echidna-san"

"Echidna is enough. Arthur, she will go home now! You must escort her back to her house"

"There is no need, you didn't need to accompany me Arthur" Mari reject Echidna suggestion and want to stop Arthur who is walking to the door.

"You must see the time, Mari-senpai" Arthur point his chin to the clock at the wall where the time is eleven o'clock at night

"What?! How can I spend so much time here without knowing it? I will get scolded by my parents when I'm home" Mari make a dash to the door and Arthur just following her

"Make sure you meet with her parents and leave a good impression Arthur~!"

Arthur didn't bother himself to answer Echidna's tease and open the garage. There is no cabinet head to her home because it was nearly midnight, so Mari can't reject Arthur when he offers to drive her to home.

"Sorry for bothering you again, Arthur" Mari really didn't know what she needs to say except apologies to him

"It's fine, I can't let you going home alone at this hours"

There is an awkward silence along the way and Mari can't stay silent forever in this situation so she tries to search topic for conversation

"How about your life in Japan? Do you like it?"

"Well, I have several people who are always with me so I didn't feel uncomfortable with my current life"

"Hmm... How is your life before you move here?"

"How I said it... constant battle?"

"Huh?" Mari confused by Arthur answer, it was a very strange way to describe how he lived before moving to Japan

"There is a lot of conflict happening around Emilia and me, so when we're moving here we treat it as a vacation. Oh, which way?"

"Hm? Oh, to the right. My home is the one with sakura tree, yes right there"

Arthur and Mari come out of the car at the same time, and it makes Mari feel weird.

"Why you're come out too?"

"This will not be the last time you're coming to my house so I need to meet your parents and explain it clearly"

"Wha-"

"Mari, is that you?"

"Oh... our Mari bring a man to home"

"Father, mother! It's not like what you think!"

There is a couple at the door, and they're Mari's parents, Arthur introduce himself and explain why Mari comes home at this hours and tell them Mari will frequently visit his home for sword training and her parents know their daughter well, they know her dream, wish and ambition so they didn't forbid her coming to Arthur house for training even if it was for every day.

"How can we let you leave now? Come inside first"

"Thank you aunty, but this is not appropriate for me to become a guest at this hours, maybe I will take your offer another time"

Arthur rejects Mari's mother invitation and bids his farewell

"I didn't know our Mari who is very focused on her training will take a boy to home, a young one at that, mother must say your taste is very good"

"As I said it's not like that!!"

Arthur nearly hit his head when heard the conversation between Mari and her mother.

And just like that Mari intensive training with Abby and Arthur new schedule is starting from today.