As the sun dipped below the horizon, the warm glow of lanterns illuminated the halls of Sakurasou. Tonight was special—another welcome ceremony for new residents.
The dinner centerpiece? Mutton hotpot. But not just any hotpot—a dual-flavored nabe with both spicy and mild broths, allowing everyone to simmer their preferred mix of lamb, tofu, and crisp vegetables. The aroma filled the air, making even the most reserved of guests eager to dig in.
Tonight, three new residents joined their ranks—three stunningly beautiful girls: Sakurajima Mai, Frieren, and Fern.
What was peculiar, however, was that Mai Sakurajima's strange condition—her gradual erasure from existence—seemed to have been halted upon her arrival at Sakurasou. Everyone in the dorm could see her now. Nozomi couldn't help but glance at Fern, who was staring intently at Mai with an unreadable expression.
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Before any food was devoured, formalities had to be observed.
The three new residents took turns introducing themselves. Of course, some… adjustments had to be made.
To avoid unnecessary complications, Frieren and Fern claimed to be distant relatives of Hozuki Nozomi. Naturally, no mention was made of magic or alternate worlds.
Nozomi, ever the planner, discreetly snapped frontal photos of Frieren and Fern and sent them to Yukinoshita Haruno via his phone. A quick text accompanied the images:
"Onegai, can you help me arrange IDs for them?"
Haruno's response came almost immediately: "Leave it to me. I'll bring them by tomorrow."
Efficiency was never a problem with the Yukinoshita family, especially since they were eager to bring Nozomi into their inner circle. Providing him with a small favor like this was nothing to them.
As for Frieren's pointed ears—she concealed them with a simple illusion spell, ensuring no one would mistake her for anything other than human. However, maintaining such a spell passively drained her mana, so the moment she was back in her room, she dispelled it.
For now, her primary focus was conserving her magic while they figured out how to return to their world.
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Following the satisfying meal, everyone retired to their respective rooms.
But not before a certain someone was left pouting.
Shiina Mahiru sat in her room, arms crossed, cheeks puffed up in jealousy. Three beautiful girls had suddenly moved into Sakurasou—how could she not feel pressured? Worse still, Frieren and Fern had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, conveniently claiming to be Nozomi's long-lost relatives. Suspicious.
As she mulled over these thoughts, a familiar voice called from beyond the door.
"Mahiru, are you still awake?"
"Not yet," she replied instinctively.
"Can I come in?"
A moment of hesitation. Then, "Of course."
The door opened, and before she could react, Nozomi stepped in, swiftly closing it behind him.
"Hey!"
Without warning, he scooped her up into his arms and sat down on the bed with her nestled against him.
"Mahiru, did you miss me?" His voice was teasing, yet undeniably warm.
Mahiru's body stiffened for a moment before she gave in, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning into him.
"Just a little."
"How much is 'a little'?"
She hesitated before leaning in to plant a quick, shy kiss on his cheek.
For Nozomi, it wasn't enough.
With a smirk, he tightened his embrace, holding her even closer. "I know you have questions. Ask away. I promise I won't lie to you."
Mahiru's heart swelled at his words. The fact that he was willing to share everything with her, instead of keeping her in the dark, meant the world.
"Alright then. What's the deal with Sakurajima-senpai?"
Nozomi didn't bother hiding the truth. While he had wanted to keep Mahiru away from anything supernatural, she was already too involved. It was better she knew, just in case.
He explained everything—the mysterious phenomenon erasing Mai from existence, how normal people gradually forgot her, and how he seemed to be the only one unaffected.
Mahiru listened, wide-eyed. When he finished, she instinctively covered her mouth in disbelief.
"That's… that's insane! So you mean to tell me that before she came here, normal people couldn't even see her? And that if she left, she'd disappear again?"
Nozomi nodded.
"Then why aren't you affected? And why can we all see her now?"
A smirk tugged at his lips. "Because I'm special."
Mahiru shot him an exasperated look, but before she could retort, he leaned in and captured her lips in a brief but lingering kiss.
"You don't need to be scared. No matter what supernatural stuff we encounter, I'll protect you."
Mahiru's face flushed a deep shade of red.
This… this feeling of being protected… is this what it means to be loved?
She hesitated before whispering, "Okay… then let's talk about your 'distant relatives.'"
Nozomi chuckled. "They popped out of the treasure chest in my room."
Mahiru blinked, utterly lost. "…Excuse me?"
"My treasure chest is an heirloom. Three times a day, I can put an item inside, and when I open it again, it'll be replaced with something else—sometimes something valuable, sometimes something absurd. This time, I pulled two people out instead of items."
Mahiru rubbed her temples. "You're telling me… you have a magical gacha treasure chest?"
"Pretty much."
"And those two?"
"Frieren is an elf, and Fern is her apprentice. Both are magicians."
Mahiru stared blankly. "Elves? Magicians? Yeah, I must be dreaming."
Nozomi chuckled darkly.
"Does it matter if it's a dream or not? I've told you everything now, Mahiru... so you have to stay by my side."
"Hehe, so that's how it is. Now that I know your secret, you won't let me leave even if I want to, huh?"
"You're too cunning! You told me all this just to tie me to you!"
She pouted, her expression filled with feigned resentment, but her golden eyes sparkled with a deep, undeniable tenderness.
Her cuteness struck Nozomi like a critical hit, making his heartbeat quicken.
"Mahiru... tonight, I don't want you to sleep."
"No! I barely had enough energy to stay awake in class today! You... can't be too unreasonable."
"Then go to Sayu or Senpai for now."
"But I want to be with you... I miss you."
"You say that, but if I keep you up, your grades will drop, right?" he teased.
Mahiru blushed fiercely, puffing up her cheeks as she glared at him.
"Exactly! And whose fault would that be?!"
Even though she wanted to spend the night flirting with him, she knew she had to be responsible. If she was dozing off in class tomorrow, what would be the point?
"Fine, fine, I'll listen to you," Nozomi surrendered, raising his hands in defeat. "I wouldn't want my Mahiru to get scolded by the teacher."
Though he could have been more insistent, seeing Mahiru happy was more important.
...But that didn't mean he'd forget about Sayu and Senpai Misaki.
Later that night, he casually wandered into Sayu Ogiwara's room, scooped her up in his arms, and carried her to Misaki-senpai's room on the third floor.
It had been a while since he had a proper two-person show. Tonight was the perfect chance.
Also—
Maybe it was just his imagination, but Frieren-san's scent was unusually intoxicating tonight.
He felt a little more fired up than usual.
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The next morning—
Nozomi was greeted by an intense glare from Mai Sakurajima.
He was being stared at like an unwanted pest.
She was obviously upset about being disturbed last night.
Ignoring her sharp gaze, Nozomi casually asked, "Are you heading to school today? If you leave Sakurasou, there's a chance your... situation might return."
"Hmph. Of course, I'm going!"
Pretending to be invisible and attending class was better than doing nothing at all.
Mai refused to waste time.
Besides, she wasn't like Sayu Ogiwara, who could spend the whole day playing housekeeper here.
Sayu had already prepared breakfast—steamed buns, miso soup, and freshly brewed green tea. It was a menu Nozomi had taught her how to make.
Misaki Kamiigusa, always in a rush, grabbed a few steamed buns and dashed out of Sakurasou with boundless energy.
Considering the lesson Nozomi had given her last night, she should be feeling the aftereffects.
And yet, she acted like nothing happened.
Nozomi made a mental note to step up his game tomorrow night—
—just kidding.
He wasn't that cruel to girls.
It was precisely because he wasn't forceful that Misaki remained so lively and rosy-cheeked.
Meanwhile, Chihiro-sensei did something unexpected—she didn't drink any beer last night. Instead, she directed a rather unfriendly gaze toward Nozomi.
More and more beautiful girls were gathering in Sakurasou.
If he ever decided to settle down and marry, it was going to be a bloodbath.
She could already picture the chaos.
Maybe just bringing Shiroyama Koharu here wasn't enough.
Should she also invite her good friend, the perennially unlucky-in-love Hiratsuka Shizuka, to even the playing field?
Nozomi, blissfully unaware of Chihiro's matchmaking schemes, found himself being glared at again—this time by Fern.
Dark circles shadowed her eyes, as if she hadn't slept well.
Nozomi sighed inwardly.
In Fern's mind, he was probably nothing more than a "hopeless pervert."
But he had long since stopped pretending to be some pure, virtuous saint.
He was who he was.
Frieren, on the other hand, acted like nothing had happened. She greeted everyone with a lazy smile and happily enjoyed her steamed bun, looking completely at peace.
As an elf, Frieren had lived far longer than any human. Over the centuries, she had grown indifferent to the fleeting nature of human lives. Their joys, their sorrows, their struggles—all were but a momentary flicker in the grand span of her existence. It wasn't that she was heartless, but rather that she had learned to protect herself. If she became too attached, she would be left with nothing but the pain of loss.
When humans aged and passed away, Frieren remained, carrying their memories with her. It was easier to distance herself from understanding them too deeply. That way, she wouldn't have to bear the sorrow of watching them fade from the world while she continued on.
"Ohayou gozaimasu, Miss Frieren, and Miss Fern," Hozuki Nozomi greeted politely, his tone casual but respectful.
"Ohayou, Nozomi," Frieren responded with her usual composed demeanor.
Fern, however, snorted, crossing her arms. "Lady Frieren, please be cautious around this man! He's extremely dangerous for women."
Her cheeks puffed slightly in frustration. Two in one night! She barely got any sleep because of all the noise. Just thinking about it made her mood sour.
"Lady Frieiren, didn't you hear anything strange last night?" Fern asked, hoping for some validation of her suffering.
Frieren's face colored slightly, but she merely waved a hand dismissively. "I cast a soundproofing spell on myself. Fern, don't be so concerned. If anything, this only proves that Nozomi has excellent stamina."
Nozomi's face turned bright red. Being teased by an elf—one who had likely never been in such conversations before—left him momentarily speechless. How was he supposed to respond to that?
Fern, on the other hand, groaned in frustration. "Then why didn't you cast one on me too, Lady Frieren? Do you know how hard it was to sleep through all that?"
Nozomi coughed awkwardly and raised a hand. "Uh, well… I've heard that flowers can help absorb sound. Maybe placing some in your room would help?"
Frieren smiled, finding amusement in his weak attempt to change the subject. "We elves are naturally attuned to sound, so it's not entirely your fault, Fern. Besides, we should be grateful to Nozomi for offering us a place to stay."
Fern still seemed unconvinced, watching him with suspicion. Nozomi, however, ignored her gaze and turned to Frieiren.
"Miss Frieren, could you come to my room? There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Oh?" Frieren tilted her head curiously but nodded. "Alright."
Fern immediately tensed. "Wait, Lady Frieren, you mustn't go alone!" She hurried after them, convinced that Nozomi had ulterior motives.
However, Nozomi had no intention of doing anything improper. At least, not yet. Frieiren was a legendary elf magician, once part of a hero's party that defeated the Demon King. Trying to force anything on her was just asking for death.
Instead, he planned to win her over through sincerity.
Once inside his room, Nozomi booted up his computer and began explaining the concept of the Japanese writing system—kana, kanji, and their phonetic structures. He went over how modern humans communicated through technology, showing them the vast database of knowledge available at their fingertips.
Both Frieren and Fern, being magicians of extraordinary intellect, absorbed the information quickly. It didn't take long for them to grasp the basics of reading and navigating the system.
Satisfied with their progress, Nozomi left them to explore on their own while he went to check on Mashiro.
As soon as he was gone, Fern fidgeted slightly, her expression conflicted. "I… I think I misjudged him, Lady Frieren."
Frieren chuckled, gently patting Fern's head. "Don't worry, Fern. Nozomi doesn't seem like a bad person. If anything, he's quite kind."
Fern sighed. "I was just looking out for you."
"I know," Frieren reassured her. "But it's important to keep an open mind. Besides, this world is fascinating, don't you think? Even without magic, humans have created such convenient tools. In a way, their technology is another kind of sorcery."
Fern nodded, her initial wariness replaced by curiosity. "You're right… This world really is amazing!"
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Seems I was wrong{ Fern ｢フェルン Ferun?｣ is a young human mage, and she accompanies Frieren as her apprentice and party member. She is an orphaned war refugee originally from the Southern Lands, later adopted by Heiter and placed under Frieren's care after his death.
I'll correct it going forward.