Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 282: A Date? (Celestine Arc) ⑥
“Well, this is how it ends, huh. I’m just glad we could subdue it without destroying anything.”
Looking down at the motionless golem, Rest let out a small sigh.
He had used Presence Detection at the beginning and already realized that the golem only had a faint magic aura. Most likely, it had been left inactive for so long that its magic power had almost run dry.
“If it had been at full strength, we might’ve had no choice but to destroy it…”
The idea of destroying a golem worth ten thousand gold coins—roughly ten billion yen—was enough to send shivers down his spine. Even if it wasn’t his own money, he’d rather avoid such a thing if possible.
“Are you alright, Rest?”
Celestine asked.
“Yeah, no problem.”
With the battle over, Celestine stepped forward.
“It really was a high-grade combat golem. But why would something like that be stored in a basement?”
“We’ll find out if we look around… Light Orbs.”
Rest summoned several glowing orbs to illuminate the spacious room.
Then—it became visible. What had been hidden in the darkness was a truly shocking sight.
“Wha—!”
“This is…!”
Rest and Celestine gasped in unison.
What the room contained was… an overwhelming collection of BL (Boys’ Love) illustrations.
All four walls were adorned with paintings depicting entangled male figures in intimate scenes. On the table lay novels of the same genre, as well as hand-drawn manga that appeared to be original works. There were even plaster statues of multiple naked men in intricate poses.
“T-This… This is what the combat golem was guarding?!”
A golem worth ten billion yen had been installed to protect this? The absurd luxury of it all begged disbelief.
(Come to think of it… weren’t there similar illustrations at the beach villa…?)
Could it be—or rather, without a doubt—Shoko Sanada, the woman who once lived here, had been a fujoshi (a BL fangirl).
The mansion’s ground floor had landscape paintings full of fond memories, but the hidden basement housed her cherished BL collection.
“What a futile effort… Well, I mean, everyone’s entitled to their hobbies…”
People are free to enjoy what they like. Whether it’s BL or anything else, one should be free to appreciate it.
Still, Rest couldn’t help feeling a deep sense of fatigue. He had been dragged into something so unexpected, he didn’t even know how to process it.
“Well, whatever… Doesn’t look like there’s anything else here. Let’s head back, Lady Celestine.”
“…………”
“Lady Celestine?”
Rest called out, but Celestine didn’t respond. Had the shock of the BL artifacts rendered her catatonic?
“…I see. So things like that exist too.”
But upon closer inspection, Celestine didn’t look stunned. She was deep in thought.
“Not merely relationships between men of similar age, but also intergenerational ones… A young man and a middle-aged man old enough to be his father. And the use of knight uniforms, or restricting the roles by profession to add realism and fuel the viewer’s imagination… Her Majesty the Queen Dowager truly had a fearsome level of insight.”
“…………”
What was this?
Rest was just as shocked, but Celestine seemed to be… oddly accepting of what she saw.
(Wait… Did those illustrations at the villa awaken something in her…?)
“Lady Celestine…?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was just lost in thought.”
“I-I see…”
“I’m sorry for dragging you into such a troublesome situation today. I’ll be sure to make it up to you another time.”
And so, their “date”—if it could be called that—with Celestine came to an end.
It had turned into what one might call a cultured date centered around “art appreciation,” but in the end, it left Rest with a vague and lingering sense of confusion in his heart.