Shiinamachi Senpai Volume 3 Episode 2 Part B 1
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Translator: DarkHeartedAlchemist
【Episode 2 Part B: Real and Fake, Part 1】
Search Results for: Fake
• False thing made to resemble the real thing
• Imitation
• A facade
• Something similar to the real thing but decisively different
The conclusion of our separate interrogations was that there was no stranger in our midst. Well, I say interrogations but apparently all Shiki did was giving senpai weird advice and Fujisato molested Kuhoh as they were bathing together (I wish I could see that). As I thought, something like that was simply not enough to determine whether or not the enemy was really among us. But I guess it gave us some room to relax and settle down, so I guess the time we spend on it wasn’t exactly wasted.
「You know what is the most surprising thing in all of this? That Monjiro is still alive n’ kickin’. I was honestly expecting him to just drop dead at this point, for whatever reason, really.」
「Don’t go expecting people to die for whatever reason! God will smite you!」
I know that during my short time as Shiinamachi-senpai’s Knight I’ve gotten myself into such an abnormally high amount of life & death situations which ended up with me dying that me being dead can basically be turned into a meme at this point, but that doesn’t mean that I’m fine with making fun of me for it!
「Then I’ll just dodge whatever he’ll smite me with. And I don’t understand what are you getting angry about? I thought that by now dying was as natural for you as breathing.」
「Monjiro-senpai, are you sure you’re feeling all right? You’re not going to just drop dead on the spot here, are you?」
「But maybe him not biting the dust by now is a good omen?」
Fujisato said optimistically with a smile. Since she just got out of the bath her lovely skin was still flushed and giving off steam, and her pajamas were absolutely adorable. Next to her, Kuhoh was sporting her usual sleepover set, that is to say a simple t-shirt and shorts. While we’re on the subject, I’ve never once saw her wear 「girly」 pajamas, even when senpai offered to lend her some of her own. Maybe she was too embarrassed about being seen in one?
「It would be nice if that was the case, but I’m afraid that now he might end up doing exactly that simply out of spite. What a troublesome brother I have.」
Everyone laughed cheerfully at Aika’s joke. It was good but it lasted, but I’m afraid that our fun times need to come to an end now.
The blizzard outside showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. I don’t know if we’re operating on a time limit here, but I think it would be best not to test what’s going to happen to the clock tower if it goes on for too long. From now on, we are past the point of being laid back about this frigid situation. From now on, it’s all seriousness.
「By the way, I was thinking while we were having a bath…」
….. Am I a joke to you, Fujisato?
「…and a thought occurred to me. Would it be all right for me to share it with all of you?」
All right, I take that back.
「So like, what if the enemy has already achieved all that he set out to do?」
「Hmm? Care to elaborate?」
「Well, what I’m trying to say is that maybe the 「Legendary Knight」 was not here to begin with. Maybe he has achieved his goal but trapping us here in this blizzard.」
So essentially she wants to say that we can stop being so tense because the one who could pose a direct threat to our lives is not actually here?
「Think about it. Both Shiinamachi-senpai and I are locked in here with our respective Knights without any apparent means of escape. In other words, both 「Princess Kaguya」 and the 「Lord Killer」 are trapped in this detached space, unable to return to the outside world.」
「Hmm…」
「If this snowy landscape outside is indeed not a part of the normal world but some Barrier-type Boundary Field and we are trapped right in the middle of it unable to escape… what does that situation remind you of?」
「Ah… this is just like a 「Dangerous Day」! If it wasn’t, then killing a Lord should be impossible, just like the laws of the Nightkin dictate!」
Senpai was so amazed by her own discovery that she covered her mouth with her hands.
I see. So this must be what Yorugao meant by 「Supposedly he can even kill Lords on a 「Safe Day」!」
We are all trapped here like rats in a cage and we have no way of escaping this cage whatsoever. To put it a little bit different, we are sealed in here. By doing that, he essentially created a loophole that allowed him to “kill” Fujisato and Shiinamachi-senpai because even though they will not die, they also won’t be able to return to the outside world. And they will continue to exist in this sort of 「Limbo State」 as long as another one of their 「Dangerous Days」 won’t come. But the Knights are not Nightkin. They are human, and they can most certainly die. Also, Aika, who’s neither Lord nor a Knight is here with us as well. I glanced towards her to see if she was scared by the thought of being trapped in here until we all die, but she showed no fear. Quite the opposite, actually. She had her hand on her chin, which signaled that she was deep in thought now. She probably tries to put everything Fujisato just said together.
「What Fujisato-san said is indeed very convincing. If the culprit is indeed the 「Legendary Knight」 and he is able to 「kill Lords even if it’s not their 「Dangerous Day」」, then it can truly be said that things couldn’t have gone better for him when he, and I think putting it like that will be no exaggeration, killed two birds with one stone. First he sealed us inside the clock tower without any means of leaving it, and then he planted the seeds of doubt into us by mind-gaming us into thinking he was actually among us this entire time.」
「Right?」
She calmly listened to what Fujisato was saying, analyzed it and understood it. Just by looking at her profile from the side I was filled with admiration for how strong she actually was. I also realized that she is by no means just another ordinary girl. We were both born in the family of assassins, but out of the two of us I was supposed to be raised like one and Aika was supposed to enjoy a perfectly normal life while staying with our grandfather. That was how it was supposed to be, but I guess some of our family’s lineage must have rubbed off on her after all.
「Is something wrong, brother? You’re staring at my face so much that even I start to think it’s a little creepy.」
「N-No, not at all. I’m fine…」
「Could it be that Monjiro is secretly an extreme siscon?」
Shiki immediately took a jab at me from the side.
「Thank you for your insightful words, Shiki-san, but I am fully aware of my brother’s feelings towards me. I know that he always looks at me with the eyes that say 「Ahh, today my lovely Aika is just as cute as ever! I’m so glad to have her as my little sister!」, but just now I sensed something other than that in his gaze and that’s why I asked him if everything’s all right.」
「Aika, how in the world you knew about that?」
「Because I’m your sister and you are my brother. It’s only natural for siblings to love each other, am I right?」
Her smile when she said that was bright enough to leave me blind if I stared at it for too long. Maybe I failed to mention that before, but I find both Aika and Shiki to be similar in that one aspect: they always manage to find new ways to 1UP me when I least expect it. Looks like I can’t hide it from her anymore, huh?
「Uhm… aren’t you afraid, Aika? Out of all of us here you’re the only normal human, so I can’t even begin to imagine how stressful all of this must be for you.」
「Of course I am afraid. I feel so scared and anxious that my heart might explode in my chest if I won’t keep it in check. If we’re trapped here, the I will obviously be the first person to die. It would have been the same if the culprit was indeed among us, because he surely would see me as a threat to his plan.」
I see.
Aika is certainly a smart girl. She always was, as you’d expect of someone with the IQ level of over one hundred and eighty. Her petite figure might be misleading, but out of the two of us she’s the smart one. As long as she puts her mind into it and analyzes it properly, there’s no problem she can’t solve. But that’s exactly why she is so scared right now. We are supposed to protect her, yet here we are, unable to resolve the crisis we’re facing here and now, and she is already worrying about what might happen in the near future.
That is why she tries not to show it. She knows better than anyone else that panicking won’t do us any good right now and she tries not to be a burden to us.
Just how noble she can possibly be?
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