After finishing breakfast, it was already past eight o'clock.
After staying at home for a while, Eriri took Frieren and Keika Kiyotaki out.
Today was the weekend, so Keika didn't need to take leave from school like yesterday.
As for Ginko Sora, she stayed at home, preparing to receive shogi lessons from Kousuke Kiyotaki.
Machi Kugui hadn't called Keika yet, so it was still unclear whether she would fulfill her promise to become an apprentice.
However, Keika wasn't worried about being suddenly visited. After all, there were still people at home.
More importantly, in her view, waiting for Machi to come over was far less important than accompanying Eriri to handle today's matter.
Eriri's purpose for going out today wasn't for fun—it was to purchase a house near the Kiyotaki residence to serve as the group's base in this world.
The purchasing process wasn't any different from before: first, legally exchanging gold for a large sum of cash, and then using the cash to contact the owner of the property she wanted.
The whole process was very simple. Since Eriri offered a price much higher than the market value, even though the owner originally had no intention to sell, they quickly became eager to close the deal.
Thus, after just over two hours, Eriri successfully purchased a detached house less than a hundred meters from the Kiyotaki home.
The reason for choosing this location wasn't only its proximity, but also because the property came with a fairly spacious yard.
Then came the renovation process. Eriri was already experienced in such matters, so she didn't need to think much about it. Soon, the old detached house was replaced by a luxurious villa with unique architectural flair.
"All right, that's the last part done."
Looking at the villa before her, Eriri nodded in satisfaction.
Frieren and Keika stood at the front gate, carefully examining the villa's design.
Having seen the villas where Eriri and the others lived in the Saekano world, Frieren wasn't particularly surprised—this level of luxury couldn't compare to those.
However, Keika was quite amazed. Though she had visited the homes of nobles and wealthy families before, those estates, while large, didn't match this villa's beauty or craftsmanship.
"This house changed completely in an instant. The neighbors must be shocked!" Keika said curiously.
Eriri smiled slightly at her remark and began explaining.
"Don't worry. There's a barrier around the villa. In the eyes of others, nothing has changed—it still looks exactly like the original house."
"I see!" Keika nodded in understanding. Eriri continued speaking.
"Also, this barrier prevents outsiders from entering. Only those recognized by it can step into the yard."
After that, her tone shifted slightly.
"Oh, by the way, Keika, if you ever want to move out, you can come live here anytime. You can bring Ginko along too."
"The main gate is also connected to a World Gate. You'll be able to travel freely to the Saekano world or other members' worlds whenever you like."
"And since you like Aoi-nee's cooking so much, you can always go over at mealtime to 'borrow' a meal."
"Ugh... you're making it really tempting!"
Keika imagined the wonderful life she could have living here, and her face unconsciously showed a look of eager anticipation.
However, remembering her father waiting at home, she reluctantly refused the enticing offer.
"I'll think about it later. For now, I don't plan to move out—my dad still needs me to take care of him."
Seeing the reluctant look on Keika's face, Eriri smiled warmly and patted her shoulder.
"Even if you don't move in, you can still come here to use the World Gate. It's only a few dozen meters away—just like visiting a neighbor."
"Oh right, I almost forgot about that!"
Keika lightly tapped her right fist against her open left palm, her face showing a look of realization.
"All right, enough talking. Let me show you around inside the villa!"
Eriri gave her an amused look, then led her and Frieren toward the interior of the house.
...
The villa's furniture and appliances had all been created simultaneously during Eriri's renovation process.
Moreover, all the appliances were the latest models from the Saekano world, decades ahead of this world's technology.
Just the 300-inch giant screen television in the living room alone left Keika in awe, not to mention the virtual reality gaming equipment she had only ever seen in her memory projections.
After wandering around the villa, Eriri brought Keika and Frieren to sit on the sofa in the living room.
At that moment, the massive TV in front of them was playing a show from the Saekano world.
"So, Keika," Eriri said with a gentle smile, leaning back against the soft sofa, "after touring the villa, how do you feel? Do you have the urge to move in yet?"
"To be honest, I really do!" Keika nodded earnestly. It wasn't just an urge—she didn't even want to leave now.
Suddenly, her gaze drifted past Eriri to Frieren sitting on her other side. With curiosity, she asked:
"Frieren-nee, is the base that Eriri built in your world like this too?"
"That's right," Frieren nodded. "Although the exterior design is a bit different, the facilities inside are almost the same. I've been living there for several months now."
Although Eriri had established a World Gate in Frieren's world, she hadn't yet taken the time to visit it.
Perhaps once she had some free time, she would go there to enjoy a proper stay.
"I see. No wonder you looked so calm when you saw this place."
"So then," Frieren asked with mild curiosity, "are you planning to move in?"
"I'll have to think about it carefully."
This time, Keika didn't refuse outright like before. Clearly, her heart was already leaning toward this villa.
Seeing Keika's thoughtful expression, Eriri decided to add a little fuel to the fire.
"Keika, did you forget something?"
"Huh? What is it?" Keika blinked curiously.
"It won't be long before your father takes Yaichi Kuzuryuu as his disciple. When that happens, why not let him stay with your dad in the old house while you and Ginko move here? Wouldn't that be perfect?"
"Hmm... that actually makes sense."
Keika recalled the memory projections she had seen of her future. In about two weeks, Yaichi Kuzuryuu would indeed be brought home by her father.
Originally, she wouldn't have minded sharing a roof with a six-year-old boy. However, after seeing the future from a god's-eye view, she knew he was a little pervert who liked older girls even as a child.
Now, she preferred to keep her distance from Yaichi Kuzuryuu, so moving into the villa with Ginko sounded like a perfect idea.
Just as Keika silently made her decision, the sudden sound of a phone ringing came from her pocket.
Hearing the familiar ringtone, she immediately realized someone was calling her. Quickly, she pulled out her phone from her pocket.
"Eriri-nee, I'm going to take this call."
After saying that, she flipped open her phone.
It was a popular flip phone model, with limited functionality—far inferior to the full-screen smartphones of the Saekano world.
Seeing the unfamiliar number on the display, Keika didn't hesitate and answered the call right in front of Eriri and Frieren.
"Hello!"
"Yes, this is Keika Kiyotaki speaking. Who is this?"
...
"Hello, I'm Machi Kugui's mother."
At the Kansai Shogi Association, a tall and elegant woman was seated on a sofa in the third-floor reception room, holding a flip phone as she spoke on a call.
Sitting quietly beside her was Machi Kugui, who had previously played a match against Ginko Sora.
The woman bore a striking resemblance to Machi—she was her biological mother and the wife of the current head of the Kyoto-based Kugui family.
After returning home yesterday, Machi had immediately sought out her parents and recounted everything that had happened after she met Eriri and the others that afternoon.
She also made sure to emphasize her intention to apprentice under Keika Kiyotaki.
When her parents learned Keika's age and that she wasn't even a professional female shogi player, they strongly objected to the idea—despite knowing that her father was a professional 8-dan player.
However, Machi's attitude was unwavering. She was completely determined to take Keika as her teacher, leaving her parents utterly helpless.
But since she was their beloved daughter, after some deliberation, they decided to personally visit Keika Kiyotaki with their daughter to assess the situation before making a final decision.
Originally, both husband and wife had planned to accompany Machi together, but just before departure, her father received an urgent, unavoidable call. As a result, Machi's mother went alone with her daughter to pay the visit.
Before leaving Kyoto, they hadn't called ahead to notify Keika. Only after arriving at the Kansai Shogi Association did they decide to make the call.
"Excuse me, are you at home right now? I'd like to bring Machi over to visit you."
"Yes, it's regarding the apprenticeship matter. As for the details, may we discuss them in person?"
"We're at the Shogi Association now. According to the address, we should arrive at your home in about ten minutes."
"All right, see you soon."
After hanging up the phone, Mrs. Kugui reached over and gently patted Machi's small head with a faintly helpless smile.
"All right, I've made the appointment with Miss Kiyotaki. Let's go to her house now."
"Mm! Thank you, Mama!"
Machi hugged her mother's arm tightly, her adorable face full of expectation, silently hoping that Eriri would still be with Keika when they arrived.
After saying goodbye to the association staff, Mrs. Kugui took Machi with her as they left the building and got into a black Toyota Century, heading toward the Kiyotaki residence in Nodamachi.
Since Machi wasn't traveling alone this time, there was no need to coordinate flights; Mrs. Kugui was personally driving.
Following the car's navigation system, she soon parked right in front of the Kiyotaki home—barely ten minutes after leaving the association.
...
Inside the Kiyotaki residence's reception room, Eriri, Frieren, and Keika were sitting together chatting casually.
Even Kousuke Kiyotaki and Ginko Sora were present in the room, though Kousuke was still guiding Ginko through a shogi lesson.
After receiving Mrs. Kugui's call, Eriri and the others had left the villa and returned to the Kiyotaki home.
With less than a hundred meters separating the two properties, it had taken them no more than five minutes on foot.
Just then, as Keika was speaking, Eriri suddenly looked up, her gaze turning toward the front door.
"Keika, let's pause the conversation for now. Machi and her mother have arrived—you can go open the door for them."
"Oh, they're pretty punctual."
With a lighthearted remark, Keika stood up from the tatami floor and walked straight toward the front entrance.
Not far away, Kousuke Kiyotaki, having heard Eriri's words, also stopped his instruction and began waiting for the guests to arrive.
The reception room was located on the first floor, close to the entrance. Within seconds, Keika reached the door.
Just as she was about to turn the handle, the doorbell rang.
Her hand didn't pause. The next second, the door opened—and before her stood two figures, one tall and one small.
—
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