The Neighborhood High School Girl, Miss Isezaki, Is the Great Saintess Returned from Another World~ And I, Suddenly Awakened as Her Exclusive Mana Supply Uncle, Travel Between Earth and Another World with Time-Space Magic~ - 217. The Isezaki Residence and the Maid

217. 217. 217. 217. The Isezaki Residence and the Maid

“Uncle, thank you for your hard work. Please, come inside.”  

“Welcome back, Matsunaga-sama!”  

When I visited the Isezaki residence, I was greeted by Isezaki-san and Colin. While removing my shoes at the entrance, I spoke to Colin.  

“Colin-chan, how did you find Japan? You went shopping, right?”  

“Yes! I was taken to a building called a shopping mall! I even rode on an escalator and an elevator, and Lady Isezaki bought me many souvenirs. I, um… Lady Isezaki, thank you again! It was so much fun!”  

“Not at all, you’re very welcome.”  

Isezaki-san returned Colin’s enthusiastic bow of gratitude with a gentle smile. It seemed they went to the usual shopping mall. Thankfully, Colin handled the “escalator challenge” I was worried about without any trouble.  

“That’s great to hear. …By the way, did you buy any clothes for Colin-chan?”  

Colin was still wearing the maid outfit from the other world. I had heard from Isezaki-san that they planned to shop for casual clothes for her.  

“Well, we had Colin-chan try on several outfits, but—”  

“I greatly appreciated their generosity, but I declined because my usual uniform is the most practical for movement! Considering my duties as a bodyguard, I cannot compromise on this! Hah! Take this!”  

With that declaration, Colin threw a straight punch and followed it with a roundhouse kick aimed at thin air. Her enthusiasm was great, but the whooshing sound of her attacks was unsettling for someone her size.  

“I… I see. Well, I guess this maid outfit might not stand out too much here on Earth?”  

“Yes! It seems to be mistaken for something called cosplay, a type of costume.”  

“Since Colin-chan wears it so naturally, it didn’t attract as much attention as I thought it would.”  

“Ah, I see now.”  

Now that they mentioned it, if you saw a child in a maid outfit, you might find it charming rather than think she was an actual maid. Perhaps it’s just barely acceptable.  

As we continued talking, I noticed something. Colin’s Japanese was starting to sound more like her usual speech from the other world. It seemed she had quickly picked up on the peculiarity of Aihara’s phrasing and adjusted accordingly. As expected of a child prodigy—her adaptability was astounding.  

We eventually reached the guest room, and Colin called out toward the sliding doors.  

“Madam, I’ve brought Matsunaga-sama!”  

“Alright, let him in.”  

…Ah, so it’s “Madam” after all. I suppose the landlady instructed her to call her that. Feeling the depth of the challenges in learning Japanese, I stepped into the guest room.  

◇◇◇

The TV in the guest room was left on, playing an anime about a futuristic cat-shaped robot. Apparently, Colin had been watching it while waiting for me. She glanced back at the screen with a longing expression before stepping out with Isezaki-san to prepare tea.  

Meanwhile, I found myself sitting across the table from Isezaki Haruna, the owner of this house and my landlady. She was wearing her usual black T-shirt, maintaining her signature rock-and-funky style.  

She took a sip from her teacup, then raised an intrigued eyebrow at me.  

“Hey, Matsunaga-kun. I heard from Seina that you delivered potions to the hospital. How did the business go?”  

“Well… they were pretty cautious, so almost no one accepted them. Only one person tried a potion.”  

“Haha, I see. So even young lady Rio couldn’t break through. Still, considering it’s a place full of stubborn old men and women, having even one person drink it is a win.”  

“That’s true. But I think if I hadn’t gone along, more people might have tried it. I feel like I messed up there.”  

“…Oh? For someone who says that, you don’t seem too down about it.”  

“Eh? Do I?”  

“Yes. Even I can tell that much. So, who was the kind soul who drank it?”  

“Souda Shuuji-san. He used to work for Juuzou-san’s company. Do you know him?”  

“Ah, Souda? Of course, I know him. I see… you’ve landed yourself quite a catch there.”  

“Really? If you say so, Landlady, I feel a bit more reassured.” 

“Well, you never know how things will play out, depending on the circumstances. But with you, Matsunaga-kun, I’m sure you’ll manage—”  

“Excuse me!”  

Suddenly, a voice interrupted us. Turning to look, I saw Colin trembling slightly as she carried a tray of tea. While Isezaki-san brought a plate of tea snacks.  

“Hey, girls. Why don’t you sit down, too?”  

“Yes, Madam!”  “Yes, Grandmother.”  

Colin plopped down next to me, while Isezaki-san sat on the opposite side. Ah, right. I needed to thank them first.  

“Landlady, it seems Colin-chan was in your care today… Thank you very much.”  

I bowed my head, and the landlady smirked in amusement.  

“No need for thanks. All I did was chat with her a bit. It felt like spending time with a great-grandchild—very enjoyable. …Well, if it were my real great-grandchild, they’d probably be even cuter. I wonder when that’ll happen.”  

“Haha, I wouldn’t worry about it. Isezaki-san is quite popular, so I’m sure marriage and great-grandchildren will come sooner than you think.”  

“Hmph. That would be nice… wouldn’t it, Seina?”  

“Yes, Grandmother… Heh.”  

For some reason, Isezaki-san replied with a frosty tone. Oh no, talking about marriage and grandchildren to a young woman was probably crossing the line. This might have been a misstep on my part.  

Fortunately, the landlady quickly shifted the conversation.  

“—Well, putting that aside, Colin’s staying in Japan for a while, right? You said she’s here as a bodyguard. What’s your plan for that?”  

“Uh, well… For now, it looks like she’ll accompany me whenever I go out. Not that I think I need it.”  

“It’s a generous offer from Princess Levia. Don’t be ungrateful—accept it graciously. You’ve got a bit of a laid-back and careless side, Matsunaga-kun. She might come in handy.”  

“Haha, maybe so…”  

“But what about Colin’s sleeping arrangements? She insists she has to stay at your house to properly guard you.”  

“Yeah, that’s the problem.”  

The plan, suggested by Isezaki-san, was for Colin to stay at the Isezaki residence. However, convincing her had proven difficult.  

“Nighttime is prime time for attacks! I cannot allow myself to be separated from the person I’m guarding during sleep!”  

That was her reasoning. Colin continued,  

“Moreover, Lady Levia has instructed me to ensure Lady Isezaki’s safety as well. Therefore, I propose that Lady Isezaki also stays at Matsunaga-sama’s residence!”  

“That’s an excellent idea, Colin-chan!”  

Even Isezaki-san leaned forward, agreeing enthusiastically with Colin’s suggestion. No, no, please spare me from this.  

“A young woman staying in my room in Japan. Even if it’s fine in another world, it is absolutely out of the question. Besides, that tiny room can’t fit three people.”  

“Haha, you’ve got some nerve saying that in front of the landlady.”  

“I-I’m sorry!”  

That was strike two for the day. 

“Still, Matsunaga-kun, Colin seems pretty set on this.”  

“Ugh… In that case, I’ll sleep on the floor, and Colin-chan can take the bed—”  

“I’m fine with the floor! I can even sleep standing if needed, so no worries!”  

“That would just make me feel worse…”  

I had to figure out a way to convince Colin. There had to be some way for her to guard me without being in the same room.  

As I fell silent, the guest room grew quiet. The only sound was the faint audio from the TV playing the futuristic cat-shaped robot anime.  

“Ah, I’ve got it!”  

If it worked, this idea could solve everything. I decided to try out a new spatial-time magic immediately.