Chapter 729: Gods Growth ④ (1/2)

I decided to go to the bar in the basement of the house to ask Anima for advice, and to hang around and chat with her. On the way, Anima asked me with a curious look on her face.

[……Master. I've been meaning to ask this for a while now…… Why is there a bar in the basement of the mansion?]

[……Eh?]

[If you want to drink alcohol, I don't think you would really need a bar……]

I knew that someone would point it out at some point, but it seems like the time has finally come huh. Why is there a bar in the basement of the mansion…… No, well, is there any other answer other than this being Alice's joke?

[Ahh, no! Of course, I understand that Master has deep thoughts, but it's just that this shallow me couldn't guess your intentions……]

I see, it seems that Anima thought that I had some grand idea in mind when I built this bar, but as the Chief Retainer, she thought that she should know about this, so she shamelessly asked this question.

……No, I don't know the reason either, you know!?

[……Errr, no, the bar was created by Alice on her own initiative, so it's not like I have any idea why that bar was made either.]

[I see, so that's how it is huh…… If Alice-dono made it, although I have no idea why, it means that this bar is necessary!]

[………………..]

I've been thinking about this from time to time for a while now, but I feel like Anima has an absurdly high evaluation of Alice. I wonder why? I thought she was a competent person who was hiding in the guise of an idiot, but she really is more like a competent idiot……

[…..It seems like Anima highly evaluates Alice a lot huh.]

[Of course! Becoming like Alice-dono is my goal!]

[……I- Is that so?]

[Yes! Her overwhelming combat power, her intelligence that makes it seem like she's able to see the future, her charisma that can command a large army, and her endless loyalty as she supports Master behind the scenes! Alice definitely is the ideal for us retainers. She's a very high peak we need to tread, but I hope that I could reach it one day.]

She has an extremely high evaluation of her…… Speaking of which, Anima hasn't been around when Alice was fooling around, has she?

She has seen her in the battle against Sigma and the decisive battle in the God Realm, and if I recall, Anima seemed to feel inferior to Alice back then, so perhaps, all these factors combined made her have a high evaluation for her.

As I was thinking about this, Alice, still not showing herself, spoke to me in a voice small enough that only I could hear.

[……This was also unexpected for Alice-chan…… If she talks about me as if I was some sort of idol she admires, it's going to be hard for me to fool around in front of Anima-san in the future.]

[Don't you dare shatter Anima's dreams, okay……]

[……I'll do my best.]

After exchanging such conversation, I looked at Anima and she was clenching her fists. The way she looked like she was trying to do her best made her seem more childish than she looked, and she looked kind of cute.

[……Anima, you don't have to mimic her personality, okay? Rather, please don't mimic her personality.]

[Eh? Ah, yes?]

[Alright, let's go then.]

[Understood?]

Anima followed me while curiously tilting her head, but this is something that I need to remind her. It's great if she wants to be competent like Alice, but if her personality also becomes similar to hers, I think I would have stomach aches like Lilia-san.