窓から漏れた灯りの中に人影が揺れるテラスを撫でるように、夜風が真夏の熱気をかき混ぜて吹き抜けていった。
　人影が優雅に演じる影絵芝居そのままに、窓一つ隔てた向こうでは淡いシャンデリアの明かりの下、煌びやかに着飾った大人達がワイングラスなんかを片手に「お上品な」会話を交わす。
　自分の家の方が遥かに広いだろうに、何が楽しくて顔を綻ばせているのかいまいち理解できない人、人、人でごった返す、一流ホテル内のイベントホール。
　丸テーブルの上の、きっと聞いた事も無いような高級食材が使われているであろう料理の山々を適当に取り分けつつ、和やかな時間が過ぎていく。
　その一角で、壁際のソファに座ったっきり、セレブの世界に紛れ込んでいる自分が激しく場違いな気がして身動き一つできないランと、その傍らに立ち、初めて屋敷から外に出た緊張で長身を目一杯縮こまらせているキュイ。初々しく二人揃って仲良くガタガタ震えているのを、隣に座るアイーナと周囲の大人達がにこやかに見守っていた。

　ドタバタと準備に奔走し、満を持して迎えた社交パーティー当日。ミフィとピンクちゃんの見立てで選ばれた、鮮やかなスカイブルーの映えるドレスと一級品のジュエリーで彩られたランは、パーティー会場で注目の的だった。派手さで言えば周囲の大人達の方が目に五月蠅いくらいで、ランが特別に目立っている訳ではない。ランが注目を浴びているのは、滅多に姿を見せないシュトラヘルツ家当主に今まで公表もされなかった妹が居た事、その妹が姉に勝るとも劣らない美貌を持ち、本日このパーティーにおいて社交界にデビューを飾ったという事による。連れているメイド共々初々しいその姿が、大人達の目には実に微笑ましく映っている、ただそれだけで、ランの明らかに不自然な素性と正体を訝しむ者も、人外の特徴を色濃く残すキュイに騒ぐ者も居なかった。
　スイーパーズ支部を兼任するホテルで行われているこのパーティーは、ただの社交パーティーではない。招待されているのは国連退魔機構に出資している財界人を初め、セレブと称される者達の中でも固有異能を継承する一族や人外の存在、実力に見合う戦果による報酬で財を築き上げた能力者達だ。平たく言えば社交パーティーというのは建前で、情報交換を行い横の繋がりを深め、超常的な世界に身を置く者同士がお互いに気兼ねなく本来の自分を曝け出せる息抜きの場、いわば親睦会に近い。
　異能の人間と人外の者という連中が、それこそダース単位で溢れ返っている場だ、人間とそうでないものを見分ける「目」を持つ者達にはランが人間ではない事を一目で見抜かれていたし、単眼巨人だからとキュイを奇異の目で見る者も居なかった。人間がモンスターの孤児を家族として迎え入れたりするのはよくある事で、人間社会に溶け込もうとするモンスターがメイドの資格を取るのは今や常識、つまりランとキュイは特別視されるほど珍しい存在ではなかったのだ。
「小お嬢様、美味しそうなステーキデスよ～、オニキュー！ほら、あーんして下さい」
　本来は見習いながらラン専属のメイドであるキュイが活動停止してしまった為、ピンクちゃんが料理を運び、やはり固まったまま動かないランに手ずから食べさせていた。コルの補佐という事で連れてこられたピンクちゃんだったが、そのコルは警備員に交じってホテル内を巡回している。建物自体が結界能力を有するスイーパーズ支部をパーティ会場とし、自分達よりも実力が上の能力者とモンスターを出席者に含むとはいえ、出資者の集うパーティという性質上、襲撃に備え厳重な警戒態勢が敷かれているが、警備に当たる者達を須く相応の実力者で揃えるのは難しく、ＶＫの要請でスイーパーズとしては中級上位のランクに位置するコルに警備を担当させる事となったのだ。そんな訳でピンクちゃんがコルの代わりにランの護衛を、ついでに動けないキュイの代わりも務めている。
　ランはピンクちゃんの手で口元に運ばれる料理を、頭が真っ白になっているのか嫌がる素振りも見せず、言われるままに口にした。旨味の凝縮された肉汁とコクのある濃厚なステーキソースが絶妙に絡み合った上質な肉の風味と味わいが、ふわりとした柔らかな食感と共に口内に広がっていき、その美味しさに心なしかランの目元がふにゃりと垂れる。
（うは、なんだか雛に餌あげてるみた～い♪やっぱり小お嬢様は可愛いなぁ～♪）
　時折、フェイントを交えてランが嫌いなグリンピースを食べさせると、ちょっぴり泣きそうな顔になるのがまた可愛い。それでもしっかり噛んで飲み込んでいるのがいじらしくて堪らなかった。
　その様子を横目でチラチラを伺いつつ、ミフィを伴いホール内を歩き回ろうとしていたエルザは、久し振りに人前に顔を見せたという事で旧知の者達にひっきりなしに話しかけられ、足止めされていた。
「これまた、しばらく見ない間にお美しくなられたようだ。お母様も歳を感じさせない程に若々しくお美しかったが、まるで生き写しのように瓜二つだよ。生きておいでであれば、今の君を見てさぞお喜びになっただろうに」
「祖母も母を生んですぐ、亡くなったと聞き及んでおります…シュトラヘルツの女は短命なのでしょうね。きっと私も…」
「何を弱気な！君は、若くして亡くなったセレンさんの分まで生きてるんだ、それがせめてもの親孝行というものだよ。それに妹さんの事もある。彼女の為にも君は簡単には死ねない、いや、死んではいけないんだ。姉妹で助け合って、幸せにならなくては」
「…そう、ですね…こうも後ろ向きでは、お母様に叱られてしまいますものね」
「そう、それで良い。では後ほど、また」
「ええ。有難う御座います、おじ様」
　その場を離れる男の背中に余所行き口調で礼を述べると、「ンな訳ゃあるかい」と心の中でペロリと舌を出す。誰もエルザの母親がエルザ自身だという事を知らず、口々に母親に似てきたと褒めるが、当人なのだからそっくりなのは当たり前である。
　今のエルザの立場は、若くしてこの世を去った先代当主の娘、エルザとなっている。早くに親を亡くし少女である内に当主を継いだ、アイーナと（表向き）同い年の二十代前半とうら若く、見目麗しい女性ともなれば、下心の有無はともかく、枯れたというにはまだ早い中年男性が余計な世話を焼きたがるのも無理はない。娘や孫のように大事に思ってくれたり、何かと便宜を図ってくれる彼等に感謝こそすれ迷惑に感じる事はないものの、エルザにしてみれば実際には彼等の方が息子や孫どころか子孫のように思える若者なのだから、猫を被り年下として接しなければならず、ともすれば長命者の顔が覗きそうになるのを堪えるのは、苦痛以外の何物でもない。場合によっては「お嬢様」の仮面をかなぐり捨てて、ワンパンくれてやろうかと思う事もあるくらいだ。できる限り外部との接触を避けてきたのはその所為である。
　頃合いを見計らって母から娘に代替わりを演じてきた自作自演の一族、代々の当主は例外なく薄命、次期当主はハイスクール入学まで決して顔を見せる事はなく、先代の死から次期当主が姿を見せるまで、実に十年余を要するシュトラヘルツ家の奇妙な交代劇。十年という、人の記憶を曖昧に、かつ美化するのに最適な時間を置く事で、先代と当代が同一人物という事実をうやむやにする、これが長きに渡ってエルザが周囲を欺いてきた手法であった。遥か過去には魔法で容姿そのものを変えるという手も使ったが、何かのきっかけで強力な解呪を使われると魔法が解けてしまう事もある為、早い段階で断念していた。疲れるし。

ちなみに、エルザの母こと先代当主を演じていた頃のエルザは、セレン・シュトラヘルツを名乗っていた。勿論、弟子兼娘の雪恋の名である。それを千年振りに再会した雪恋に告げた時は、それまで処刑されて死んだものと思っていた師兼養母が生きていた事を喜んでいた雪恋に、これでもかっ！というくらい心底嫌な顔をされたりして、ちょっぴりショックだったのは今では良い？思い出だ。
　ともあれ、パーティーが始まってからというもの次から次へと声を掛けてくる代々付き合いのある富豪達に、表面上は笑顔で対応しながらも、内心では辟易している。更にもうひとつ、今日に限っては煩わしさすら感じていた。
（ええい、何故こうも話しかけてくる小僧共が後を絶たぬ！これではリュート・カーマインに会いに行けぬではないか…！）
　”発明卿”ノリス・カーマインの孫、リュート・カーマイン。パーティー直前まで調べ上げた彼の素性は、祖父の遺した研究施設を利用している事から良からぬ噂が付き纏ってはいるが、カーマイン家が国連退魔機構への出資、オカルト技術の寄与を行っている背景には彼の意向が色濃く見え、少なくとも良からぬ企みを抱いている素振りは無い。評判を拾い上げていくと「研究者気質の変わり者」という意見が多くを占める中、「霊体に有効な能力以外でも対応できる方法の研究に積極的に取り組んでいる」とも期待されており、事実、現在スイーパーズで採用されている対霊装備や除霊法具の約三割が彼の発案で開発されたものだ（あとの七割は破魔札や護符、霊剣等の法具、除霊薬、聖水、清めの塩等、古くから伝わるもの）。
　調べれば調べるほど彼の経歴はとにかく研究一辺倒で、研究以外の事には一切関心が無いように思えてならない。しかし、それを素直に信じられるほど彼を知らないし、一度芽吹いた疑いの芽はそうそう枯れるものではない。結局エルザは、リュート・カーマインという人物を「良い」か「悪い」かのどちらに置いて見るべきかを判断しあぐね、今日という日を迎えているのだ。
　勿論、過去にも似たような者が居なかった訳でもなかった。純粋な知的好奇心に突き動かされていた者も居れば、根底に暗い情熱を灯し野心を抱える者も居た、人類の輝かしき未来を目指す者、自分の将来に栄光を掴まんとする者、そのどれも、人付き合いに明るい者から孤独を好む者、時勢に関心を示す者示さない者、時代の流行に乗る者と時代に置いていかれる者、人畜無害な者犠牲を厭わない者まで、程度の差はあれど千差万別だった。そこから腹の中に何を抱えているかなど判別できよう筈もなく、一概にこれと断言できる前例も要素も何も無い。何より、表向きの顔などいくらでも作れる、それは他ならぬエルザ自身が実証している事だった。好意的な評判の裏にどんな顔が隠れているか分かったものではない。
（やはり本人に直接会わなければ何とも判断できぬ。とはいえ、会うまでにどれだけの障害があるやら…これまでこういう場からバックレ続けてたツケが、まさかこんな形で回ってこようとは…）
　ぼやきたいが口に出してぼやく訳にもいかず、また足止めされては敵わないと早足で目当ての人物を探す。逃げ場を失った鬱憤は最早、例えるなら溶けて程良い弾力になってきた食べかけのたまごアイスの如き危うさで、爆発寸前である。
「お嬢、辛抱するんだ。事を急いては仕損じるというだろう、気持ちは解るが落ち着いて、冷静にな」
「あら、私はとても落ち着いているわよ？変なミフィね」
　長い付き合いでエルザの些細な変化を感じ取れるようになっているミフィは、凄味のある笑顔を向けられて内心嘆息した。怒気が透けて見える笑顔の何処が落ち着いているというのか。
「やあ、こんばんわ」
　そしてまた背後から声を掛けられ、遂に怒りがゲージを振り切ったエルザは、殺意の滲む器用な愛想笑いで振り向き、そこに居た人物を見て言葉に詰まった。
「うん、うん。エルザ君、ゴースト集団消失事件を担当しているんだってね、経過はどうかな。たしかキミは中級魔術師だったね、対霊魔術は修得しているのかい、もし使えないのであればボクの発明品を役立て給え、ボクが自信を持って世に送り出した傑作達だよ、うん、うん」
　中年というにはまだ若く、青年というにも年を食った男は、笑うでもなく淡々と、けれど何処か楽しげな雰囲気を漂わせて、話しかけていた。一見しただけで仕立てが良いと判る高級なスーツを着ているのに、何故か上から白衣を重ね着し、栄養が足りているのか心配になる細い顔に分厚いレンズの黒縁メガネをかけ、整えてはあるようだが隠し切れないボサボサの髪、きちんと身なりを整えれば悪くない顔立ちだろうに、どう見ても周囲から浮いている野暮ったい風体。

The sillouettes of people coming from the light coming from the windows gently swayed on the terrace, and the night breeze mixed with the heat of summer.
The sillouettes were elegantly enacting a shadow play, and each window had a separate chandelier lighting it, and the elegantly dressed adults, holding a wine glass in one hand, were discussing about "elegant things".
Her own house was much bigger than that, so she couldn't understand what was making that crowd of p, p, people smile so much in this event hall of a 5 star hotel.
Atop the round tables, there were piles of food, probably made of high class ingredients that she never even heard of. They passed the time peacefully as they picked at the food. In one corner, sitting on a sofa against the wall, was Ran, who felt like she was thrown into the world of celebrities and felt totally out of place and couldn't move a muscle. Standing next to her, nervous and stressed about being the first time out of the mansion, was Cuey, who was trying to hunch over as best as she could to hide her height. Both of them were quivering as though they were on the same wavelength. Aiina, who was sitting next to them, and the adults around them, smiled as they watched over them.

It was the day of the social party, that they had been bustling to prepare and waited for. Mifi and Pink-chan had been chosen as attendants, and with a bright sky blue dress and her expensive jewelery, Ran was at the party, being observed. In terms of flashiness, the adults around her were even more gaudy, and Ran didn't particularly stand out. What was making Ran draw attention was the announcement that the head of the Schtlehertz family, who didn't appear too often, had a younger sister, and that the younger sister was even more beautiful than the older sister, and that this party would be her social debut. The maids who were accompanying her, in the eyes of the adults, looked nice, but that was it. There wasn't anyone who doubted Ran's clearly unnatural history and true identity, or were surprised by Cuey's non-human traits.
This party, which was being held at the hotel that also served as the Sweeper's branch office, was not a normal social party. Those who were invited were people who financed the U.N. anti-demon organization, and celebrities whose families had certain supernatural abilities or non-humans, and those whose combat abilities allowed them to rich. To put it simply, this was a social party in name only, and was more like a social gathering where they could find out and exchange information about the supernatural world with others like them and be their true selves.
There were dozens of these humans with supernatural abilities and non-humans here. For those with the "eyes" to distinguish between humans and non-humans, it was obvious that Ran was a non-human at a glance. No one looked Cuey oddly because she was a single-eyed giant. Humans often took orphaned monsters into their family, and in human companies, it was common for monsters to be maids there, so Ran and Cuey weren't seen as anything especially unusual.
"Little mistress, that steak looks delicious~, it's meat! Here, go aaahh."
Cuey, who was attending Ran while still being a trainee, had her normal routine stopped, so Pink-chan brought the food and fed it to Ran, who was still rigid and not moving. Pink-chan was brought along to assist Col, but Col was with security, patroling the hotel. The building had a barrier, since the party was at the Sweepers branch office, and since there were people with more powerful abilities and monsters here, and it was a party full of investors, there was hightened security in case of an attack. However, it was difficult to find enough people powerful enough as suitable defenders, so at VK's request, Col, who was considered mid-rank by the Sweepers, was given command over the defense. And so, Pink-chan took Col's place as Ran's escort, and also attended her in place of Cuey, who was frozen.
Pink-chan brought the food to Ran's mouth. Maybe her mind was blank or she unconsciously hated it, but she did as she was told and ate it. The great flavor of the juices of the meat and the rich steak sauce went very well together with the high quality meat. The flavor of it, along with the tender texture spread throughout her mouth, and the deliciousness made Ran's eyes go lax.
(Whoa, it's just like feeding a baby chick~ The little mistress sure is cute~)
Sometimes, doing it as a feint, she fed her the green peas that Ran hated. When she did this, she made a slightly sad expression, which was also cute. But she would still chew and swallow it, and she couldn't withstand her cuteness.
Watching this with sidelong glances, Elza was walking around the hall with Mifi. It had been such a long time since she had appeared here that her old acquaintances kept on stopping and talking to her.
"And, in the short time that I haven't seen you, you've grown more beautiful. Your mother also never seemed to suffer the effects of age, and looked young and beautiful, and you're the spitting image of her. If she were alive, I'm sure she would be glad to see you now."
"I've heard that my grandmother also passed away right after giving birth to my mother... The Schtlehertz women seem to have short life spans. And I'm sure I also..."
"What's with that weak will! You'll live long enough for Seren-san's portion, since she died when she was young. That's the least you can do as your filial piety. And then there's your younger sister. For her sake, you simply can't die. No, you must not die. Sisters must help each other, and be happy."
"...Yes, I suppose. Mother used to scold me about this pessimism."
"Yes, that's good. Well then, see you later."
"Yeah. Thank you very much, ojisama."
As she gave a polite thanks to the man's back as he left, in her mind, she thought "as if that's possible" and stuck out her tongue. No one knew that Elza's mother was Elza herself. Everyone praised her in how she looked like her mother, but since they're the same person, it's only natural that they would look the same.
Elza's current position was that of the daughter of the former family head, who departed from this world at a young age. With both of her parents already dead, she had become the current family head. She was young, the same age as Aiina (officially), in her early 20s, and had become a beautiful woman. Maybe they had ulterior motives, but already, middle aged men were unnecessarily meddling into her business. It wasn't pointless. They thought of her as a precious daughter or granddaughter, and she thanked those who accomodated her, so they didn't think it was a bother. And in reality, they had sons or grandsons who were young, so she had to put on an act of being young and answer to them. Trying to suppress her long-lived side so it wouldn't appear caused nothing but pain. Depending on the situation, she would sometimes think she could discard her mask as "mistress" and give one punch. This was the reason she avoided contact with the outside as much as possible.
At the appropriate time, she would switch from acting as the mother to the daughter. As a result, each generation's head of family had a short life, and the next family head would never be seen until she entered high school. The time from the previous generation's death until the next generation's appearance required over 10 years, so it was an odd shift in the acting for the Schtlehertz family. In 10 years, people's memories would become hazy, and by using the time when they become beautiful, the fact that the previous and current generations were the same person would be unclear. Elza had used this trick to fool those around her for a long time. A long time ago, she had also used magic to change her appearance, but at some point, a powerful dispel spell was used, and her magic was cancelled, so she abandoned that quick method. Also it was tiring.

By the way, when Elza was playing the part of the previous head, Elza's mother, she called herself Seren Schtlehertz. Of course, her apprentice and daughter's name is Seren. When she first saw Seren again after centuries, Seren, who thought her master and adoptive mother had been executed and died, was so happy that she was alive. However, when she told her this, she said but this!? and made a face of utter disgust. It was a slight shock, but now it's a nice? memory.
In any case, ever since the party started, she was talked to, one after another, by the wealthy that she had known for generations. And while she was smiling on the surface, in her heart, she was bored. And there was also a feeling of annoying for today.
(Ehh, why are all these neverending youngsters talking to me! I came here because I have to meet Ryuuto Carmine...!)
Ryuuto Carmine, the grandson of the "Lord Inventor" Norris Carmine. She had been investigating his history right up until the party. He was using the research facility that his grandfather left to him, so there were some bad rumors about him, but the Carmine family was financing the U.N. Anti-Demon organization, and he had a background of a strong tendency towards doing good with occult practices, so at the least, he didn't have any signs of evil plans. He had a reputation of being "a weird researcher type", and had good leads on "proactively researching into ways to interact with ghostly bodies aside from special abilities". In reality, about 30% of the anti-spirit equipment and exorcism tools that the Sweepers were currently using developed from his proposals. (The other 70% were exorcism charms or talismans, tools like spirits swords, exorcism drugs, holy water, purification salt, and other ancient things).
The more she investigated his past, the more she thought that his research was all focused one one thing, and that he had absolutely no interest in anything except his research. However, she honestly didn't know him, and the blossom of doubt never withered away. In the end, Elza had no idea whether she should view this man, Ryuuto Carmine, as "good" or "evil". And today she was going to meet him.
Of course, it's not like there weren't other people in the past who were like him. There were those who were stimulated purely by their intellectual curiosity, those who had an ambition fueled by a burning, dark passion, those who aimed for a bright future for humanity, and those who grabbed glory for their own prospects. From cheerful people who loved to be with others, to people who like solitude, from those who were in tune with the times, to those who weren't, from those who went with the fads of the times, to those who stayed rooted in time, from those who wouldn't hurt a fly, to those who reveled from their victims. There were as many different types of people as there were grains of sand. So she wasn't able to determine what he held in his heart, and there was no prescedent or forerunner or anything. Most importantly, one's own public persona can be manufactured. There was no better proof than Elza herself. She had no idea what was hidden beneath that likeable reputation.
(Like I thought, I can't make a judgement unless I directly meet the person himself. However, how many of these obstacles will there be until I meet him... The price of this is having to keep acting like this until then...)
Although she wanted to complain, she didn't actually say it, and without letting anyone stop her, she quickly searched for her target. Her anger at having no escape was already as dangerous as a melted and soft tamago ice cream that was about to explode.
"Mistress, please be patient. If you try to rush it, you will most likely fail. I understand how you feel, but calm down and keep your composure."
"Oh, but I am perfectly calm. You're weird Mifi."
Mifi, who had been with Elza for a long time, could sense a slight change. She gave a strange smile and sighed in her mind. Seeing right through her anger, she wondered what part of that smile was calm.
"Hey, good evening."
And then, a voice called out to her from behind, and with her anger gauge finally breaking, Elza turned around, giving a fake smile full of killing intent. There, she saw a person who made her speechless.
"Yea, yea. Elza-kun, you're in charge of the incident about all the ghosts disappearing, right, are you having any progress? I think you're a mid-level mage, so do you know any anti-spirit magic, if you can't use any, then my inventions might be of some use, so please, I have confidence in them and they're my masterpieces, yea, yea."
Rather than middle aged, he was young, and rather than a boy, he had some years under his belt. The man, although he wasn't smiling, gave off a enjoyable atmosphere, and was talking to her. At first glance, although he was wearing an obviously high quality, well made suit, for some reason, he had a lab coat on over it, and wore black framed glasses with thick lens, and had a thin face that made you worry if he was getting well enough. Although he tried fix it, he couldn't hide his unruly hair, and if he tried to fix himself up, he probably wouldn't look too bad. No matter how you looked at him, his atmosphere and appearance was shoddy.