After the rustling sounds from the bathroom, silence fell once again. Time stretched on, and Adam grew impatient.
"Isn't this taking too long?" He worried about Megumin's safety, "Could she have been attacked by an Evil Spirit?!"
Just as he was about to knock on the door, he heard her pleading in a low, fidgety voice.
"Um... I'm a bit nervous. Adam, could you sing a song?" Megumin's awkward request caught him off guard.
"Huh?" Adam's head suddenly felt heavy.
Young lady, do you realize how difficult your request is?
But it wasn't incomprehensible. She was a girl, after all. Even with a door between them, having a man present was embarrassing. This was a perfectly normal reaction.
"Alright, alright, I'll sing, I'll sing."
Despite Megumin's demanding nature, the considerate Adam began singing loudly, using his volume to mask her embarrassing situation.
Ah, look at all the lonely people!
Ah, look at all the lonely people!
Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been,
Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door,
All the lonely people,
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people,
Where do they all belong?
Father McKenzie writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear,
Look at him working, darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there,
All the lonely people,
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people,
Where do they all belong?
Ah, look at all the lonely people!
Ah, look at all the lonely people!
Eleanor Rigby, died in the church and was buried along with her name,
Father McKenzie, wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave,
All the lonely people,
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people,
Where do they all belong?
When the song ended, Megumin finally emerged from the bathroom, her face flushed.
"Um... may I ask the name of that song?"
"It's 'Eleanor Rigby'. A very well-known song where I come from." Adam replied, then casually asked, "So, how was it? Did you like it?"
"Yes, it was really good!" Megumin nodded enthusiastically, but then looked at him with puppy-dog eyes, "But you're not feeling lonely, are you?"
"No, you're the one who asked me to sing." He chuckled, ruffling her hair, "I'm a bit homesick, but nothing too serious."
Even as he tried to brush off the issue, Adam knew it would resurface in his mind. On a night , in a dark place, reminiscing about his past, he had chosen to sing one of his favorite songs.
"Alright, Megumin, what's your choice? Back to your room or come with me to exorcise Spirits?"
"I'll go with you!" Megumin blurted out without hesitation, "To be honest, I'm really scared. Earlier, in my room, dolls were harassing me. I tried to find Aqua, but she was busy exorcising Evil Spirits and couldn't help. Darkness eagerly joined her, leaving me all alone..."
Her voice trailed off, but her eyes shone brightly, silently pleading not to be left behind.
"Don't worry, I won't leave you alone." Adam reassured her, knowing he couldn't possibly abandon her in this state.
What if Megumin suffered a mental shock? He refrained from asking the insensitive question, 'Why didn't you find Kazuma?'. After all, as the team leader, he was far more reliable than that perverted high school boy!
Was that even a question? No, was comparing the two of them a bit insulting?
"Well then, shall we go?"
With her consent, Adam set off, Megumin close behind.
The two stayed very close. Megumin, silent, kept shrinking behind him, her face still showing obvious signs of fear, tightly clutching his clothes without letting go, following him step by step.
The scene resembled a frightened kitten hiding behind its owner, unwilling to be seen. At this moment, Megumin was incredibly docile, exuding a soft and cute aura. If those gentlemen with loli complexes saw this, wouldn't they cry out 'It should have been me!'?
Adam couldn't help but think, 'Is this really the same Megumin who's usually overflowing with chuunibyou and unrestrained?'
He was pleased to have a Megumin who wasn't causing trouble. This version of her wouldn't give random orders or interfere with his actions.
As they walked towards the stairs, numerous dolls blocked their path.
◈ Sun Breathing, First Form ⫸ Dance ◈
Adam drew his Sun Breathing Sword and, with one swift move, incinerated them all.
These low-level Evil Spirits didn't even require a second move. The Sun Breathing technique's inherent solar properties, akin to〘Holy Magic〙, were the natural enemy of the undead.
After navigating the mansion, they arrived at the first-floor hall. There, they encountered a pervert! No, I mean... Darkness.
Her behavior was truly outrageous and hard to watch.
"Darkness! What are you doing?" Megumin poked her head out from behind Adam, "Didn't you say you were going to help Aqua exorcise Spirits? Why are you here playing with dolls?!"
Seeing Darkness entangled with the dolls, Adam couldn't help but think of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Darkness, snapping out of her doll-induced trance, exclaimed, "No, it's not like that! I really am exorcising Spirits, I'm not lying!"
She raised a white banner, as if to prove her point. As a crusader, holding an exorcism banner did look the part — if you ignored her flushed face and disheveled clothes.
Adam stepped forward to deal with the Evil Spirits clinging to her.
At this moment, Megumin finally noticed Darkness's attire and shouted anxiously, "Darkness! Your clothes!"
"My clothes? What about them?" She looked down, puzzled.
Adam glanced over as well.
Darkness was drenched in sweat from her encounter with the dolls. Her thin nightgown clung to her body, accentuating her graceful curves. The sight was unintentionally alluring.
Even Adam, who prided himself on his self-control, couldn't help but look twice. He quickly composed himself, though, refusing to lose his composure.
Despite her cold and distant demeanor, Darkness was quite proper and mature in her conduct — much like a noble knight. Though she had her quirks, she was genuinely innocent.
Faced with this unexpected situation, the flustered woman didn't know how to react. She could only hug herself and crouch down, curling into a ball.
"Here, put this on." Adam said, taking off his coat and handing it to her, "I'll handle the exorcism. You go change your clothes."
"O-Okay. I'll leave it to you, Adam." She stammered, then fled to her room as if her life depended on it.
As she ran, her figure was impossible to ignore. The sight was captivating in its own way. Darkness always wore heavy armor, so few people ever saw her true form.
Megumin watched the retreating woman and murmured, "How nice~"
"What's nice?" Adam feigned ignorance.
"Hmph." Megumin snorted, offering no explanation.
"Megumin, this might be a good time to reconsider. Would you prefer to join Darkness, or continue exorcising Spirits with me?"
"Of course I'm staying with you! Are you trying to get rid of me?!"
Adam sighed, abandoning his idea of sending her to Darkness, "How could I ever do that?"
The pair pressed on with their Spirit-exorcising mission.
As dawn approached, they finally reunited with Aqua, who had been diligently working through the night.
{Exorcise Mansion's Evil Spirits} — Quest Complete!
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