Chapter II: A Daughter’s Lovesickness Is a Calamity Even an Archdemon Will Hyperventilate Over

“In that case, I’ll inherit the name of the Silver-Eyed King,” the boy with silver eyes said without hesitation.

I couldn’t understand him. No, I couldn’t believe him. After saying that, he hugged me with a truly apologetic expression on his face.

“...From here on out, I’m sure you’ll go through many painful and bitter experiences in the time you spend in this world, Ashy. And unfortunately, I won’t be able to stay by your side at such times. So...”

The boy would die before I did. It was perhaps possible for him to throw away his humanity and live eternally as an undead, but he didn’t choose that path. Even I couldn’t wish such a thing upon him. And though I understood that, the boy said something completely unexpected. I replied to him with a trembling voice, asking if he truly understood the meaning of what he said.

“Mmm... That’s why I’ll become the Silver-Eyed King. I don’t need a name on my gravestone. So long as the world speaks of the Silver-Eyed King, I’ll be right there with all of you. That’s the one and only thing I can leave behind for you, after all.”

This boy was a hero who’d saved the world. Even if it was a short time compared to me, he could’ve spent what was left of his life basking in the glory of his accomplishments. And yet, he said he would throw all of that away and inherit the name of the Silver-Eyed King.

“Let’s cook up a story together, Ashy. An adventure that anyone can get engrossed in. I mean, the Silver-Eyed King is a hero of legends, right? Oh, I know! How about hunting down an evil dragon? And then, you can have the role of the princess who needs to be saved.”

The boy spoke with the innocence of a child. I found myself incapable of responding right away. I knew if I tried to say anything, I would no longer be able to hold back my tears. That was why I did my best to smile and tell him that Orobas would be angry if he made a dragon the villain.

“Oops. Angering Orobas is kinda scary, huh? Okay, then let’s make Orobas my companion who fought by my side. I’ve actually fought while riding atop his back, so it isn’t exactly a lie, right? As for the evil dragon... Oh, how about Marbas?”

After that, we thought up many stories. We were both still young, so they were all silly and common stories. Nevertheless, those stories had our very lives poured into them.

“I hope you can forgive me for pushing everything onto you,” the boy said some time later, apologetic to the very end.

I shook my head, as unchanged by time as ever.

I had received plenty of love, I told him.

I had been left so many things, I told him.

And so, he didn’t need to worry anymore, I told him.

I didn’t know whether I’d managed to maintain a proper smile at the time. But even so, the boy touched my cheek and said, “Take care of Zagan and Lilith.”

Those were his last words.

◇

Alshiera woke up. She was inside the cave beneath Zagan’s castle. That was the space she had borrowed to maintain her Seraph Hunters and refine ammunition for them. And because she had been monopolizing this space lately, its owner spent much of his time away from the castle at Archdemon Palace instead.

“...Another dream.”

She had been having dreams of the past quite often recently. Alshiera touched her abdomen. It was still wet with a dark liquid. Death encroached upon her. However, she felt no fear. Instead, she simply recalled many nostalgic memories. She had continued to exist in this world as an undead for a thousand years. So, in a sense, her time spent in the world was akin to an extremely slow revolving lantern.

“If you live, you’ll surely...”

He was also one of the people who’d said such a thing to Alshiera. And she answered such a request with foolish honesty by ‘living’ for a thousand years. It was about time for her to rest. However... Alshiera made a bittersweet smile.

“I suppose it wasn’t all that bad.”

During those thousand years, Alshiera was in no way alone. She giggled as she reminisced over her past.

“Yes, you’re right. The same goes for you, doesn’t it? Azazel.”

I also managed to meet that girl once more... Alshiera realized that she was in no way alone. She had managed to fulfill her promise with the Silver-Eyed King. She had decided on a place to die. All that was left was to prepare and spend her remaining time in leisure.

When it came to the final hours of free time she had in her thousand years of life, she really had nothing to do. She had spent such a long time in this world that she had done everything she could think of. All that was left was to sit in the corner of a room and gaze absentmindedly as her family enjoyed themselves.

Perhaps that’s all there is to the final years of human life as well...

Although, she still looked like a child, unfortunately.

Two Seraph Hunters and empty ammunition casings rested atop the table in front of her. The bullets for these Seraph Hunters were specially made. Alshiera was the only one capable of creating them. And at most, she could make ten a day. So, in a month, she could maybe make a little over 300 bullets. Though, she couldn’t just spend every day sitting there making ammunition.

On that day, during Alshiere Imera, she had exhausted what little ammunition was left in Stern and Mond. In the time since then, she had been making bullets from scratch, which resulted in the creation of over a thousand shots.

Even when her body could no longer maintain itself, these Seraph Hunters would remain behind. If someone took them in their hands, they would surely be of use to Zagan.

“Just a thousand shots...” Alshiera mumbled with a sigh.

How long would such a small supply of bullets last in the fight against Azazel? Currently, Alshiera was the one who possessed the most power in the world. She was fully capable of slaughtering the thirteen Archdemons, even in her weakened state. And yet, it wasn’t enough.

She could only truly buy a little more time. Even though she went on and on about how this was her fight, she had no choice but to entrust it to Zagan in the end. Perhaps that was simply the limit of what a person could do on their own.

In any case, Alshiera was the dregs from a thousand years ago, a mirage. Only those who truly lived in the moment could make the necessary choice, not her.

It’s awfully irresponsible of me not to tell them anything despite that...

Alshiera let out another giggle.

“Yes, yes, I know. It’s just as you say, Azazel. But it’s inevitable now that Orobas is gone.”

Just then, footsteps resounded through the cave as someone walked down the staircase. A short while later, a small girl appeared before her.

“Welcome home, Alshiera.”

“I’m home, Foll.”

Alshiera’s relationship with this girl felt rather complicated. When they first met, Foll had despised her. Still, she was the daughter of Alshiera’s benefactor, Orobas, as well as the adopted daughter of the Silver-Eyed King’s son, Zagan...

Those were all facts, but it was difficult to say that they were sufficient to describe their relationship. If she had to choose just one word to describe it, however...

I suppose that would make us... friends?

She never thought she’d gain such a thing at her advanced age. Life truly was full of surprises.

“You’re back early today. Did something happen?” Foll asked.

It was late at night, around the hour when dinner was being prepared. It was also precisely the time when Nephy went to greet Zagan as he returned from Archdemon Palace.

And yet, she’s here to see me, not the Silver-Eyed King. That must mean she has something to say that she doesn’t want the two of them to hear.

Normally, Foll would’ve been out hugging her father at that hour. But on this particular day, Alshiera had returned to the castle earlier than usual. She often came back well into the night, since she spent the entire day hanging around the church, but not this time.

Alshiera shrugged her shoulders and replied, “I prodded right where it hurt most while talking to that girl, so I came running away back here.”

Foll nodded as if scrutinizing the true meaning behind her words, then steadily concluded, “You mean Nephteros?”

“Teehee. I wonder?”

It wasn’t something she had to hide, but it had become a habit of hers to evade questions. Foll had likely grown accustomed to that facet of Alshiera’s personality. The little girl carried over a chair and plopped herself down next to Alshiera.

“I heard my father’s name,” Foll said.

“Oh my, did that slip from my mouth?” Alshiera asked as she put her hand to her lips. Though it didn’t matter now that she had been heard. “Indeed. I was just feeling a little nostalgic.”

“I want to hear about my father.”

Even though she called Zagan her dad, Orobas was still Foll’s precious father. It was natural for her to want to hear more about him after hearing his name escape Alshiera’s lips, seeing that she was acquainted with the wise dragon.

“I don’t have any stories as interesting as what you’re hoping for, just so you know.”

“I still want to hear them.”

Foll was quite the stubborn girl.

Well, I can sympathize with the Silver-Eyed King’s desire to respond to such willfulness... That was why Alshiera decided to answer in a harmless manner.

“Let’s see... Every survivor from a thousand years ago had their own role to fulfill.”

“Is this about how you’re some kind of guard?”

“...Oh my.”

She wasn’t sure if Foll had figured it out on her own or Zagan had seen through her. Alshiera didn’t believe she had let it slip, but...

In any case, they were sure to arrive at the answer sooner or later... Having said that, it was nothing more than the past to both Alshiera and Orobas. The important part was what they would choose to do once they discovered the answer.

Alshiera nodded slightly before continuing by saying, “Precisely. I am, so to speak, a watchman. The words I speak are fairy tales. I am a bystander who doesn’t mingle with the present world.”

She wasn’t even an actress. She had no right to stand on a grand stage. Well, for a bystander, she felt like she had gotten quite heavily involved, but it was still within permissible limits. At the very least, she didn’t do anything to guide the actions of Zagan or the people around him.

After thinking for a moment, Alshiera returned to Foll’s original question and stated, “Orobas’ role was that of an evangelist. He was the one who was supposed to speak about what happened a thousand years ago.”

But he ended up dying in the battle last year.

We couldn’t afford to squander all of the power left in the world in that battle... That was why Marchosias, whose power was already waning, and the Archangels who were already beyond their prime, were the only ones to participate. The other Archdemons and the young Archangels who still had room to grow had to be preserved.

The Wise Dragon took action to fill in the gap in power, but even he was incapable of surviving the conflict. With Orobas lost, it was incredibly difficult for the people of this age to unravel the truth of what had happened a thousand years ago. That was why Alshiera was stuck with answering reluctantly.

Foll looked up at Alshiera, who was making a trouble expression, and asked, “Alshiera. Are you... mad at my father?”

“Me? Why would I be...?”

“I mean, he was supposed to help you, right?”

Alshiera started brushing the head of the rather innocent girl.

“Oh, I don’t know. Honestly, he’s aided me more than enough over these one thousand years. He truly was a splendid man.”

If she had one regret, it was that she was unable to repay his favor.

“Can I ask... what was my father to you?”

That was quite a sudden question.

“It’s somewhat difficult to explain... but I suppose he was something like my guardian?”

“Guardian?”

“Yes. Back then, there were many children without any living relatives. And there were just as many children who fought for the sake of petty revenge. Orobas was a teacher who showed all of us the proper way to fight. He was a parent who taught us the means to survive.”

“Oooh. What else?” Foll let out a sigh of admiration and leaned forward with sparkling eyes.

“Well, to put it simply, he was strict, I suppose. When I fought like I was trying to die, he grew angry at me. He had no intention of teaching me how to commit suicide, so that was perfectly reasonable, in hindsight.”

“I can’t even imagine him getting angry.”

Perhaps Orobas was nothing more than a taciturn parent in front of Foll.

“Is that so? In my memories, he often roared in such a loud voice that it felt like my heart would stop. Though, nowadays, my heart really has stopped.”

It was a vampire’s cynical joke, but Foll didn’t even chuckle. Perhaps she found it difficult to understand.

“He truly was quite the noisy worrywart. I honestly believed he hated me. But...”

“Did something happen?”

Seeing Foll so anxious to hear more, Alshiera answered in a reluctant tone, “...When I failed to save a precious friend, I was at a complete loss because I couldn’t even remember how to cry. He stood by my side and said it was okay now, since he was there with me. He said it was okay now, so I could go ahead and cry. And then, he gently brushed my head.”

Everyone revered Orobas as the great Wise Dragon. But to Alshiera, he was nothing but a naggy and kind old man. Back then, she’d never imagined she would be comforted by his daughter in the exact same way a thousand years later.

“...It’s okay. It’s okay now.”

Two months had passed since Foll hugged her while saying that.

Alshiera strained a smile and continued, “It’s not much of a story, I suppose.”

“That’s not true. I’m happy to hear more about my father.”

“...You truly are a good girl,” Alshiera replied, petting her head once more.

“What kind of place did you and my father live in?” Foll asked timidly.

“Oh my, you haven’t heard?”

Now that Alshiera thought of it, nobody had ever asked her, but she figured someone would’ve realized already. Foll cocked her head while Alshiera looked down at her as if this was somewhat unexpected.

“Archdemon Palace. We lived there with Marchosias a thousand years ago.”

It was nothing more than a cave at first, but they’d dragged buildings down from the surface to make it inhabitable. Being underground was convenient when hiding from seraphs, after all. That was the origin of Archdemon Palace.

The chair clattered as Foll stood... or rather, jumped to her feet.

“I wanna go see it.”

“Right now? It’s about time for dinner.”

“Mrrgh...”

Foll was one of the helpers who prepared the meals in Zagan’s castle. Alshiera was also responsible for housework, so she could at least fill in for her, but there was no way both of them could leave at such a time.

Foll drooped her shoulders in a crestfallen manner, looking positively depressed.

“Shall we go after dinner?” Alshiera suggested with a smile.

“I can’t stay up late at night. Zagan will get angry,” Foll answered. She was a strangely serious girl when it came to such matters... despite being a sorcerer.

“Then we can go tomorrow.”

“Mmm!”

“Is that all you wanted to ask?” Alshiera inquired with a charming smile.

“Huh?”

“Did you not have something to ask that you wanted to keep from the Silver-Eyed King and Lady Nephy?”

Foll likely forgot after hearing about Orobas. And so, Alshiera decided to prod her as a big freebie, seeing how she was such a good girl. However, she regretted it dearly the very next instant.

“...Right,” Foll said, scratching her cheek in embarrassment before speaking up with a completely serious expression on her face. “I want to hear about your love life.”

Thus, Alshiera’s new hardships began.

◇

“Hnnngh! What was that explosive accumulation of love power?!”

A fomorian sorcerer with twisted horns began making a fuss. Kuroka and Shax were currently in the mining town of Orycheio, located about a day’s ride by carriage to the west of Kianoides. It was officially under the influence of the church, but mining was overwhelmingly faster with sorcery.

As a result, a remarkable town was born where sorcerers and the church worked together. The large majority of miners were, in fact, sorcerers. Not only that, but there were also shops aimed at sorcerers lined with drugs, golems, tools, and even grimoires without showing a single hint of trying to hide it.

After Kuroka entered a desolate-looking bar within this mining town, she found the troubled granny shouting and making a fuss within. Seeing her, Kuroka put her hand to her brow, holding back a headache.

“Um, what are you doing here...?” she asked.

Gremory didn’t seem to hear her. The granny fell to her knees in a crestfallen manner. She was drawing a lot of attention, so Kuroka would’ve liked it if she stopped acting like that.

Enchantress Gremory, in sharp contrast to her absurd behavior, was Archdemon Zagan’s trusted retainer, placed at his side as his left hand. She normally went around looking like an old granny, but currently, she had the form of a beautiful woman. She took on such a form when she was being serious, but she didn’t look serious in the least.

Giving no heed to how she was being a nuisance to the other customers by making a fuss right in the middle of the bar, Gremory unsteadily rose to her feet. It was as if she couldn’t see her surroundings at all, such was her consternation.

When she was in this form, she was without a doubt a tremendous beauty—so long as she kept her mouth shut—so a hooligan-looking sorcerer at a nearby table stretched his hand out toward her butt.

“Gyah!”

The pervert’s body caved to the ground before his fingers could reach. It was as if he was crushed by an enormous hand.

This is the sorcery Zagan used back then against that chimera...?

Zagan had crushed that grotesque chimera that Bifrons had sent into town by lightly waving his hand. Gremory replicated that feat here without even making so much as a gesture. She simply pointed her gaze at the man.

She was quite the oddball, but she was the cream of the crop when it came to being a sorcerer. Even a non-sorcerer like Kuroka could tell this with ease. So, any sorcerer would be able to tell this granny—well, beautiful woman—was far beyond the norm.

“Those horns... That screwed up behavior... Crap, that’s Enchantress Gremory.”

“Fuck, what’s she doing here? Isn’t her stronghold in Kianoides?”

“Don’t make eye contact. You don’t know what she’ll do to you!”

“Noooo! I’ll be mistaken for a pervert if I’m seen so close to her!”

The surrounding customers didn’t really show awe for Gremory. It was more like they wanted nothing to do with her as they took their distance. The disappointed granny was still muttering something or other to herself.

“It’s coming from... It can’t be... My liege’s castle? This love power isn’t his. The only one there who could possibly possess so much love power... Ah! No! Lady Alshiera?!”

“Lady Alshiera?”

Kuroka inadvertently reacted at the mention of this name. Her voice seemed to bring Gremory back to her senses. The granny finally took a seat. The other customers at the table ran away in a panic.

“Ugh. Now that I think of it, that girl is basically a cluster of fetishes. There’s no way she doesn’t have any love stories of her own! I should’ve observed her more carefully. Why is everyone seething with love power while I’m not around?!”

She didn’t come back to her senses at all. Kuroka let out a sigh.

I wonder if Mister Shax can just get back here already...

Kuroka and Shax were in the middle of an investigation in this town. She didn’t know why this granny had come. Kuroka was getting information from the church, while Shax was getting information from sorcerers. That’s why they were acting separately from each other.

Just as the situation in the bar would imply, Orycheio was a town where sorcerers could throw their weight around. The church was nothing more than a public front, so there wasn’t much information to glean from them. That’s why Kuroka had finished getting everything she could already.

After coming back to the bar they had planned on rendezvousing at, she found this granny throwing up a fuss. She didn’t want to get involved with her now, so Kuroka took a seat at the counter further within the bar.

“I’ll have a glass of milk please.”

“...You know this is a bar, don’t you?”

Apparently, she had to order something alcoholic.

That stuff is so bitter I can never come to like it... She didn’t even know the names of any drinks. The bar was basically a gathering point for ruffians, so they didn’t have anything which resembled a menu either.

“Then please give me something easy to drink,” she said with no other choice.

She wondered whether there was any alcohol meant for beginners, but the bartender didn’t show any hesitation as he filled a tankard with some sort of golden liquid. The color resembled beer, but there were no bubbles. Was it some kind of distilled spirit? Kuroka unfortunately didn’t possess the knowledge to tell by sight. He then took out a big spoon and began pouring in a hearty amount of honey.

I don’t need that much honey...

She wanted to complain about being treated like a child, but perhaps this was simply the kind of drink it was. Kuroka decided to keep quiet and let the bartender mix away.

“...Here you go. A summer plum wine.”

Kuroka brought her face closer to the tankard he had set out in front of her. She took a sniff and was met with a peculiar scent which was both sweet and sour.

Ah, I feel like I’ve smelled this back home before... maybe?

She couldn’t identify where the scent was from, but she had multiple memories of smelling such an aroma before. It was nostalgic, causing the triangular ears atop her head to twitch about. She knew nothing about the quality of liquor, but she liked this smell. And just as she put the tankard to her lips to try some...

“Brandy for me!”

Gremory’s fit was apparently over. She sat down next to Kuroka without a single hint of restraint.

“...Um, did you need something from me?” Kuroka asked.

“Keehee, what a foolish question. There’s only one possible reason for me to come out here, don’t you agree?”

“Stalking?”

“The king’s errand...”

Kuroka was somewhat bewildered by her unexpectedly proper answer.

In that case, you should act a little more seriously... She did see this woman every now and then at Zagan’s castle, but Kuroka just couldn’t get used to her. Every time they met, the granny would say something or other about love power and make a fuss, much like she had done just moments ago. It would be unreasonable to ask Kuroka to get along with her.

Gremory gave her a deep nod. “Well, I don’t deny one of my goals is exactly as you say!”

“Could you please deny it?”

Kuroka waited for a tankard to be placed in front of Gremory before cutting to the chase.

“So, what do you need? Mister Shax is still out in town if you need him.”

“That’s it. Seriously. I thought that man had potential, but he let something so horrible happen. Leaving a lady all alone in a town like this is the same as asking for her to be abducted, don’t you agree?”

“Th-That’s...!” Kuroka suddenly raised her voice in a rough tone at the unexpected statement. “Because... I said it would be more efficient to split up and work separately...”

“Even so. No matter how skilled you are, you’re a rare species in a town of sorcerers.”

“Ah...”

A sorcerer wouldn’t even spare a glance for a tabaxi, but Kuroka was a rare species called a cait sith. Not only that, but she was also a four-ears. She had the protection of both the church and Archdemon Zagan, but it still didn’t change the fact that she was in a precarious position.

Did she maybe come to protect me?

Gremory’s eccentric behavior did in fact drive off any who would try to approach Kuroka. If this granny was actually worried about her, then she couldn’t complain about her oddities.

“I admit that my judgment was rather careless, but it’s not Mister Shax’s fault,” Kuroka timidly said.

“Hmph. I wonder about that,” Gremory replied, narrowing her eyes in irritation as she stared at Kuroka. “So, try telling me what he has done during these last three days.”

“He’s helped me out quite a bit. On the ride here, he hid my tails and such using his robe. And when I was shivering at night from the cold, he gave me his mantle. Also...”

“Hm! Hmmm! And?! And?!”

Gremory’s eyes glittered with a fiery blaze as blood dribbled out of her nose.

“Um...”

“Hrm?! Oh dear. It seems too much love power has accumulated here. No need to worry about me. Keep telling me of your lo... I mean, tell me more of what he did!”

“......”

It seemed she was being strung along nicely. Kuroka glared back at Gremory. But the old granny paid her criticisms no mind and brought her face even closer.

“So? He lent you his mantle? Let me hear more about that.”

“H-He just lent it to me! There was nothing untoward...”

“Nay! This is important! Does he walk around with a spare mantle! Nay! He doesn’t! That means he lent you the mantle he was wearing!”

“What’s wrong with that?! It was a little dirty, but it wasn’t that...”

“Hnnnngh! He wore it! I want to hear more about how you dangled the long sleeves going, ‘Hm, Mister Shax, this is a little big,’ or ‘It smells like you,’ and how he reacted!”

“Wh-Why do you know that?! Were you watching?!” Kuroka yelled as she shot to her feet.

Gremory was right down to the wording. Kuroka then suddenly realized she was drawing the attention of the other customers by shouting like this. Her cheeks flushed red as Gremory closed in for the finishing blow.

“Hmm? So, you really said that?”

“Ahhhhhh!”

Unable to take it anymore, Kuroka collapsed face-first onto the bar.

“Um, don’t get me wrong. I’m not making fun of you. I simply wanted to provide advice that such an approach is a valid way of cleverly accumulating love power which will work even on a dolt like that...”

Stop! Don’t act kindly all of a sudden!

Kuroka felt like crying while trembling on the bar when Gremory’s hand fell on her shoulder.

“Just let me say this... Nice love power. You’re beautiful.”

I really do hate sorcerers!

Even as she cursed Gremory in her mind, Kuroka had no energy left to speak aloud. Just around that time, Shax finally came back. He had a tall, lanky figure, but the way he hunched over made him appear strangely short. His reddish-brown hair was unkempt and he had quite a bit of stubble, giving this young man a rather unappealing outer appearance.

“...Hey, what’s all this fuss about?”

Kuroka had no energy to reply to him and remained sprawled on the counter.

“It’s nothing,” Gremory answered in an upbeat mood. “I simply asked her about your progress over the last few days. It truly was a delicacy, is about all I have to say on the matter.”

“Try not to pick on Kurosuke too much, Gremory. Even though she’s got a sword on her, she’s still a normal girl, ya know?”

“Hrk... Ugh,” Kuroka groaned as a terrible blow struck her heart.

Then please try and treat me like a girl on a more regular basis... But, huh? I guess he was treating me like a girl when he lent me his mantle, right? Huh?

Kuroka only just noticed this and felt her face turn bright red. She was glad it was hidden against the bar.

“Ooh... Lady Kuroka, your ears are bright red. Are you alright?” Gremory asked.

She wasn’t. Not at all.

“Leave it at that...” Shax cut in. “So? What’re you doing here? This is a little extravagant for a regular report.”

Exactly. Despite her behavior, this granny was still the left hand of the Archdemon. It had to be a big deal for her to personally take action. And yet, Gremory smiled like it wasn’t.

“It’s simple. Three days have gone by since you two left. My liege assumed it was about time for you to find something and require aid, so he commanded me to come.”

Kuroka and Shax were in the middle of tracking Shere Khan and Bifrons’ whereabouts. It had taken a full day to get here, so their actual investigation had gone on for two days now. That wasn’t much time, but because they were acting under the orders of the alliance between Chastille and Zagan, they managed to gather information much faster than expected. Orycheio being a town built on the collusion between the church and sorcerers was a major factor behind this. They were capable of exhaustively gathering information from both sides.

“...Our boss is as terrifying as usual, huh?” Shax said, ruffling his hair with a sigh.

“Keehee, he assesses you highly. How about gratefully accepting it?”

“Aah, by terrifying, I mean he’s got a full grasp of our situation even though he isn’t watching or anything. Why do you think he sent you over instead of your buddy Kimaris?”

Gremory looked at him curiously and replied, “You have a point. Kimaris would certainly have been faster as a messenger.”

Kuroka was also beginning to understand what Shax was getting at and joined the conversation, saying, “...It was best to hide our identities until we grasped the trail. But the sorcerers being prodded at when they believe they haven’t done anything wrong will surely try to get rid of outsiders soon.”

Back when she worked for the dark side of the church, she had used a similar method to lure out her targets. With that, Shax brushed Kuroka’s head as if praising her. His hand was big and warm, but his fingers were rough. She couldn’t really describe what she felt from it. It was somewhat like her agitation was beginning to calm down, much like a cat being groomed.

“In which case, the messenger that gets in contact with us should stand out as much as possible. The Enchantress is famous for being Zagan’s trusted retainer, and anyone dumb enough not to know that who picks a fight won’t be much of a hindrance,” Shax concluded.

This granny was in fact kicking up a fuss before even coming in contact with Kuroka. In other words, the fact that Kuroka was cooperating with someone directly related to Zagan was thrust before everyone’s faces. No sorcerer scraping up pocket change in a place like this would risk Zagan’s wrath by attacking her.

And yet, Gremory let out an astonished sigh. “How can you be so sharp and such a dolt at the same time?”

“The hell did I do to deserve that?”

Even as he grumbled, Shax brushed aside Gremory and sat in between her and Kuroka. He was serving as a wall while Kuroka recovered. He then picked up the tankard which was placed in front of her.

“Also, don’t make her drink this stuff. It’s too early for her.”

“...Mrgh.”

She was being treated like a child once more. Kuroka let out a groan in a minimal show of criticism, but it didn’t seem to get through to him. He just sat there with a curious look.

It was about time for the other customers to get tired of watching their group. The tumult of the bar was back to normal. Seeing this, Shax cut straight to the point.

“‘If we can’t follow the mana, follow the trail of goods.’ The boss’ read on this was spot on. Someone’s been buying up a selection of magical goods in large quantities over the last three months.”

Kuroka and Shax were searching for the whereabouts of two Archdemons. It was apparently impossible to trace them using sorcery. Especially considering Bifrons had already gone through something terrible after being traced, so there were even more countermeasures in place than usual. That’s how the stalemate had been maintained for several months. So, Zagan decided to track them using means other than sorcery.

“Sorcery isn’t capable of creating something out of nothing.”

Bifrons and Shere Khan had to stockpile catalysts and tools meant for sorcery worthy of two Archdemons. Depending on the circumstances, they could even have manufacturing facilities. In which case, this was much like a multi-year siege. However, though it was somewhat contradictory, it seemed they couldn’t operate for several continuous months without contacting the outside world.

Simple sorcery like physical reinforcement and conjuring attacks could be constructed using nothing but mana, but creating chimeras and homunculi required catalysts and drugs. Refining such necessities at one’s own expense not only required a tremendous amount of mana to maintain, but also required a facility about the size of a town. Getting such an operation to run smoothly required manpower, and such a workforce needed goods to be preserved as well. This was regardless of them being sorcerers or regular humans. All living beings required food and generated waste.

What’s more, the two of them weren’t waiting for the storm to pass with bated breath. They were preparing to take action... or had already taken action. In which case, they were definitely being resupplied from somewhere. That’s what Zagan was focusing on.

And with the conversation getting serious, Kuroka finally raised her head. “That’s an awfully un-sorcerer like idea for an Archdemon.”

“Aah, about that. The boss started a whole enterprise just to acquire that tapioca stuff, yeah? That’s where he got the idea from.”

What kind of face would Bifrons and Shere Khan make if they found out their plans were discovered because of a desire for tapioca? Even Kuroka felt a little sympathy for them.

“Seems they’re buying goods up from all over the place, but everything’s being transported using the church’s routes. Small shipments would be one thing, but they can’t rely on the public trade routes for transporting so much stuff.”

This was a bit of a flaw among sorcerers. For better or worse, they tended to work in complete isolation. That made it difficult for them to form working relationships with others. Not only that, but they also had a tendency to hide their craft, so they weren’t suited to the fields of commerce and negotiation. As such, the distribution of goods for necessities like water and food was dominated by the church. Even an Archdemon would have to rely on such routes.

“Hmm. What did they get?” Gremory asked, narrowing her eyes with interest.

“Elixir. It can be used as medicine, but its primary use is as preservation fluid for homunculi and the like.”

Elixir was developed by a sorcerer from ancient times called Hohenheim. He was the man who established the field of alchemy. It was said that homunculi were also his invention. The church taught that he was a heartless devil, of course. Strangely enough, they still used his abominable drug as medicine.

The reason for this was actually rather boring. Even the populace knew of the effects of elixir. So, no matter how much the church tried to restrict its distribution, smuggling and illicit production ran rampant... Not that there was a legal way to produce it, since it had to be created by sorcerers. It was impossible to get rid of the flow of goods. That was why they simply decided it was best for the church to treat it as merchandise instead of trying to deal with all the smuggling.

“Elixir? Now that you mention it, there were those failed homunculi wandering around during Alshiere Imera,” Gremory commented.

Kuroka’s mother was among those failures.

I decided back then that I would continue living with a smile. Even so, the image of her mother’s last moment didn’t vanish from the back of her mind. Kuroka unconsciously squeezed down on her arms when Shax placed his hand atop hers without saying a thing... She felt like she was able to calm down just a little from that.

“Elixir isn’t all that rare a thing itself,” Gremory said with a groan. “Does them buying it from several places mean they’ve predicted we would try to trace them in such a manner?”

“Not necessarily. I think the main reason is that nobody’s got a stockpile big enough for the amount they want,” Shax said as Gremory widened her eyes.

“They bought that much?”

“Yeah. It’s enough for them to make some ten thousand homunculi if they were so inclined. Well, it’d be pretty rough to prepare a facility to create so many of them, even for an Archdemon.”

“Ten thousand?”

Gremory was taken aback. Having said that, it wasn’t a simple matter to create and manipulate ten thousand homunculi. Furthermore, production on such a scale was problematic, just like Shax said. Elixir was used in the creation of homunculi, but it didn’t seem this was their goal.

Shax put his hands together behind his head and reclined in his chair. “The boss said Shere Khan is planning on making enemies of even more Archdemons and fighting them. I didn’t think it’d be the case back then, but seeing how much stuff he’s gathering, it might actually be true.”

Considering Shere Khan and Bifrons’ current situation, it was difficult to see this mass procurement of materials as some sort of distraction.

“I don’t think they’re making homunculi, but I’m pretty sure they’re starting to prepare some kind of army,” Shax added.

An Archdemon raising an army was unheard of. Zagan was considered abnormal for having a few dozen subordinates, so there was no way the church could digest the idea of an Archdemon gathering an army in the thousands.

Gremory sank into thought to get all this information lined up in her mind, then said, “If that is, in fact, true, it might not just be Shere Khan and Bifrons working together. They need at least one more Archdemon with sufficient mana to make use of... Oh, I get it.”

After hearing that, all three of them were left with headaches.

“That’s where Andrealphus came in, huh?”

“I bet so.”

“That would be appropriate to believe.”

One month had passed since Archdemon Andrealphus went missing. Zagan concluded that he was struck down when he went to kill Shere Khan.

That terrifying Archdemon lost...

Kuroka herself had witnessed Andrealphus wield the power to stop time and unleash the true strength of the Sacred Sword. It was practically foul play how strong he was. It was the first time she saw Zagan confront someone and end up shedding so much blood. What could have possibly happened for that man to be defeated?

Silence fell over the three of them for a while before Shax spoke up. “That’s how it is, so we’re thinking of obstructing the flow of goods.”

“Rejected. Your job is to find where Shere Khan and Bifrons are.”

“So you say, but we can’t just ignore this, right?” Kuroka added.

“Isn’t that why I was sent here?” Gremory replied in astonishment.

“Oh.”

Just how far ahead did he read this situation...?

Whenever Zagan was at the castle... or anywhere in Kianoides, he was always a pleasant man just fretting over Nephy. But he truly was terrifying when made an enemy of like this.

Gremory rose to her feet and said, “Good grief. I thought I’d get to return to the castle by nighttime, but it seems I’ll be running a little late.”

She cranked her shoulders around as Kuroka looked up at her with an awkwardly sincere gaze and mumbled, “...Um, be careful.”

“Keehee. You do your best too. I expect wonderfully rich love stories when I get back.”

“Do you think anything of the sort will actually happen?” Kuroka replied in a cold voice.

Even the granny made a grave expression over this before shooting a glare at Shax.

“Let me just confirm before I go. How are you handling your rooms here? I’m pretty sure it’s beyond you, but are you sharing a room with Lady Kuroka?”

“Gimme a break. Old Raphael would murder me if I did.”

Kuroka’s face twitched with a cramp.

I understand that, but ‘Gimme a break,’ is going too far, isn’t it?

It was true her adoptive father, Raphael, was a little too overprotective of her, but it sounded like he hated being by Kuroka’s side when he put it like that.

Gremory gave him a suspicious look. “Is that so? Didn’t you lend your mantle to the sleeping Lady Kuroka?”

“Uh, I mean, we couldn’t get an inn on the first day, so we didn’t exactly have a choice, so, well...”

And even as he broke down in a fluster, Shax steeled himself and said, “Just let me tell you this now. I haven’t fallen so far that I’d lay a hand on a kid like Kurosuke.”

Kuroka heard something snap in her head.

“God! Why do you always treat me like a child?!” Kuroka yelled as she suddenly slammed her hands on the counter and stood up.

She wasn’t going to allow him to say that he didn’t notice her feelings at all despite being so kind and protecting her. Even though he faintly noticed, he only ever said cruel things like this while pretending like he didn’t. It was unforgivable.

She didn’t really want to cry, but tears began to blur her vision. Kuroka looked like a mess before she even knew it. Seeing her face like that, even Shax was startled and lost his presence of mind.

“H-Hang on. You’ve got it wrong. That was just a figure of speech...”

“Y-You dolt! Apologize already! I didn’t do anything wrong here, just so you know!” Gremory shouted.

“You’re abandoning me?!”

He was cut off and cast away like a tumor at the final hour. Kuroka violently grabbed the tankard Shax had taken from her. A fair amount of liquid spilled because of the overenthusiastic action, but she didn’t care.

“I’m well past the age of being called a kid! I can drink wine too!”

“Ah, you idiot, that’s—!”

“This is bad!”

The two useless sorcerers tried to stop her, but Kuroka already had her lips to the tankard. About half of its contents had spilled out, so she really did end up gulping down all of its contents in one go. But Kuroka had forgotten she was cursed with terrible misfortune.

Huh...? It tastes... weird...

It was sweet because of the large amount of honey in it. But the sweetness differed from candy. The bartender had said something about plums, but there was no plum flavor to it. Did adults find this kind of thing tasty? She couldn’t really tell what it tasted like, but it wasn’t all that impressive.

“See...?” Kuroka’s vision warped as she tried to speak. “Hwuh...?”

The back of her mind was throbbing. No, it wasn’t just her mind. Her chest, her belly, her entire body was hot. Unable to stand anymore, she sank to the floor as Shax supported her back in a panic.

“Huuuh?!”

The moment he touched her, a chill ran down her spine... Or perhaps chill wasn’t the right expression. It was intense. Like lightning. Yet somewhat itchy. It made her want more. It was the first time she had ever felt this kind of sensation.

“What are you doing?! Puke it out!”

“Wry wad I... Mya...”

Kuroka wasn’t capable of just puking on command. She tried to complain, but her words came out in a slur.

Gremory scratched her head as she picked up the tankard. “What a blunder. I should’ve had it before she could.”

“No, it’s not your fault. I should’ve explained it to her properly.”

She was being treated like a child again, but she couldn’t object after ending up like this. She really was a child for being reduced to such a state after a single gulp of wine. And yet, Shax’s next words were somewhat different from what she was expecting.

“If you want to try some wine out, I’ll teach you next time. But this stuff is bad.”

“Mya...?”

“Summer plum wine is made of silver vine.”

Kuroka didn’t understand what he was saying.

Silver... vine...?

Kuroka at least knew that was something cats loved. There were many ways to prepare it, like wringing it out into a powder or having it as it was. It was said that cats would get intoxicated upon coming in contact with the stuff. The tabaxi and cait sith weren’t an exception. Now that she thought of it, they cultivated the plant back in her hometown. It was considered an indulgence for adults, though, so children were forbidden from approaching the silver vine plantations. Because of that, she never had any for herself.

“Uuh... Haaah... Haaah...”

The voice spilling from her lips was so strangely coquettish that Kuroka couldn’t believe it was her own. She was even finding it difficult to sit down now, so all she could do was cling to Shax. Her heart was beating like a hammer. Every rough breath she took sent a tingling through her head.

But the bigger problem was her underwear. She didn’t think she had wet herself, but she felt like she couldn’t stand up anymore. Was this really what they called intoxication? She looked up with tears still blurring her vision. In an unusual turn, she could see Shax bright red and faltering.

“U-U-U-Uh, c-c-c-calm down, Kurosuke.”

And unable to stand by and watch, Gremory stepped forth. and stated, “Haaah... You keep your mouth shut. Listen to me, Lady Kuroka. Calm down and listen.”

With that, she brought her face close to Kuroka’s human ear and whispered in a hushed voice, “Summer plum wine has a slightly curious taste to us, but in felines, it spurs on sexual excitation.”

Kuroka’s mind started to blank out.

Sexual... excitation...? Meaning, what? That’s what this weird feeling is?

Kuroka remained in a daze as Gremory slapped her shoulder.

“Well, how do I put it? Nobody can treat you like a child now, can they? Keeheehee.”

“Qawsdrfgtyf?!”

Kuroka let out an unintelligible scream before Gremory pushed Shax’s back.

“Farewell, then! I have the mission entrusted to me by my liege to accomplish, so I’ll be excusing myself here! Relay me a detailed report later!”

“Quit your yapping! The hell are we going to do about her?!”

“...We have rooms on the second floor,” the bartender cut in.

This type of bar usually had rooms to serve as an inn as well. Kuroka at least knew they were used for ‘those kinds’ of situations. Gremory was laughing as if she found this endlessly amusing. Shax looked completely shaken with his bright red face. The bartender was grimacing as if to tell them to take their lover’s quarrel elsewhere. All of this spun in circles around Kuroka as her vision gradually blacked out.

God! Whatever happens, happens!

With that, Kuroka let go of her consciousness.

◇

“I want to hear about your love life.”

Alshiera was confronted with an ordeal, just like Kuroka. Her thoughts hadn’t yet caught up with reality. She cocked her head at Foll, wondering what exactly a ‘love life’ was.

Love... life...? Is that some kind of fad amongst youngsters these days?

After spending a thousand years cooped up in Liucaon, she often found herself out of touch with modern vocabulary. Was this one such a case?

“What exactly do you mean?” Alshiera asked, unable to arrive at a proper conclusion after thinking about it.

“Stories about your experience with love. Information about people you fell in love with, basically.”

“Ooh, I see,” Alshiera replied with a nod. “Stories of my romances... Hwah?”

She let out a sound she hadn’t made in the last few centuries. In response, Foll nodded with a hopeful look in her eyes and stated, “Mmm. I want to know all about the kind of people you loved.”

“Heh... Hehehe... It’s impossible to wed the undead, you know? Besides, considering my appearance, do you really think any gentlemen out there would try to court me?”

An undead’s body was just a corpse. It was cold to the touch and couldn’t bear children. And so, any man who dared to approach her when she couldn’t return a proper embrace and had the appearance of a little girl had to have quite the twisted sexual disposition. Generally, that notion was all it took to skillfully dodge this question, but Foll had no intentions whatsoever of letting her get away with it.

“I know you had one.”

“...Oh, yes, I suppose you do.”

This girl was the one and only person who’d found out her secret.

Well, I didn’t want to answer in front of the Silver-Eyed King, so this is fine...

Alshiera hesitated for a bit, but eventually gave in and shot Foll a bitter smile.

“I assure you, I’ve never had such a relationship after becoming undead.”

She put on airs, but Foll showed no signs of being dissuaded by that fact.

“Why? A sorcerer could live with you.”

Upon hearing such a pure response, Alshiera brushed the little dragon’s head.

“Foll, the sorcerers around you are all quite abnormal.”

Sorcerers were, by nature, beings who only ever thought of themselves. Most of them were incapable of loving another. Having said that, though, it wasn’t odd for there to be a few eccentrics within thousands of years. Some had pitied her, and some had truly loved her. Denying their existence would have been far too arrogant, even for Alshiera.

“...But I suppose you’re right,” she said with a nostalgic nod. “There were, in fact, some who called out to me in such a manner.”

“I want to hear those stories.”

Foll didn’t really believe Alshiera would talk about her true love, but hearing at least something sounded good to her. Alshiera felt like she was getting strung along splendidly, but gave up and decided to talk about just one such story.

“Let’s see... How about the story of a ghost ship?”

“Ghost ship?”

“Yes. I suppose it’s been a few centuries now. There was once an incident in Liucaon’s coastal waters where sailors would go missing without any signs of conflict.

“Was a sorcerer to blame?” Foll asked curiously.

“Teehee. You mustn’t hurry to the conclusion.”

Alshiera placed her index finger to Foll’s lips and was struck by a sense of deja vu.

I often spoke with Lilith like this after she was left all alone.

It had only happened a few years ago, so it hadn’t been long enough for her to truly feel nostalgic over it, yet it felt like it was. Alshiera tucked away such sentimentality into the corner of her heart and continued her far older story.

“At the time, the then daughter of Neptunia had also gone missing, so they asked for my help finding her. I had nothing to do and was quite bored, so I decided to lend them a hand.”

“By Neptunia, you mean Selphy’s ancestors?” Foll asked as she stared back in wonder.

“Yes. Though, that girl has become quite the oddball, unlike them.”

Despite living in a den of sorcerers, she failed to read the moods of the people around her almost every single time. And yet, there were rare moments where she seemed strangely keen.

That part of her is just like him.

Her appearance and personality differed entirely, but she still had that part of her and her song in common with her ancestors. In a sense, that girl needed to be watched over the most attentively among those three childhood friends from the three royal families. However, that had nothing to do with the current story.

In an attempt to get back on track, Alshiera cleared out her throat and continued, “We couldn’t just abandon Neptunia’s daughter, so I ended up boarding that ghost ship. And let me tell you, I went through quite a lot of trouble just trying to locate it..”

As she listened to her story, Foll noticed a detail that confused her and asked, “Are vampires safe on the ocean?”

“Not most, no. And that’s part of the story.”

Vampires were the ultimate undead, but they also had many weaknesses. First, they were weak to sunlight. Those with insufficient strength would instantly turn to ash under it. They were also incapable of crossing flowing water, which meant the ocean was completely out of the question.

“I’m still classified as an ancient vampire, so I won’t turn to ash or anything. Still, boarding a boat makes me feel rather nauseous,” Alshiera said. Simply remembering it gave her a headache.

Seeing that reaction, Foll clapped her hands together as something dawned on her and said, “I’ve heard about this before. Some humans feel sick on the ocean because the boat’s swaying around.”

“Could you not confuse it with seasickness?”

“It sounds pretty similar to me.”

“......” Alshiera fell silent, losing confidence in her words after having that fact pointed out to her.

“W-Well, in any case, I somehow managed to find the boat, but after boarding it, I lost much of my strength.”

Having said that, she still had enough power to completely obliterate the entire boat, but her attentiveness had suffered. She had been hard-pressed to find the missing people, which placed enormous stress on her mind and body. In fact, her unsteady footsteps showed what a miserable state she had been in.

I’m sure he also saw me in such a light...

Alshiera didn’t proactively distance herself from others. Over a thousand years, she had chanced upon uncountable special meetings. And among all of them, that boy’s face still remained vividly clear in her memories.

“That’s where I met that boy.”

“Inside the boat, you mean? Was he a survivor?”

She was likely trying to question how that was possible. It was a natural reaction, really, so Alshiera let out a giggle.

“It just so happened to be the night of a storm. Perhaps it was the ghost ship itself that brought the storm, but as great misfortune would have it, I found a boy who had gotten thrown from his ship and was drifting in the sea.”

“You saved him?”

“Perhaps. But I must have been quite the nuisance from his perspective.”

Foll blinked in confusion at her words and said, “But you saved him?”

“He got picked out of the water and ended up in a ghost ship completely devoid of passengers. Don’t you think drifting about in the ocean would’ve been far better?”

Alshiera had picked him up because abandoning him would have sat poorly with her, but after doing so, she reflected over how it would’ve been better to simply send him a lifeboat. Foll didn’t seem fully satisfied by her answer, but urged her to continue.

“What was he like?”

“He was 15 or 16 years old. And I believe he was either in the middle of a long voyage or was some kind of stowaway, judging from his dirtied features. But his blue eyes were lovely. With a little polish, he had the making of a handsome man.”

“Hmm.”

Despite showing interest in love stories, Foll didn’t seem to have any particular interest in boys. Her reaction sounded indifferent, as if she simply wondered how girls her age felt about the matter. Alshiera couldn’t really make such a conjecture herself, seeing as she didn’t go through that sort of period herself.

Well, I’m sure things will get rather chaotic when this girl begins to show interest in the opposite sex.

Her father, that old man, and perhaps even her grandmother would surely become enraged. When it came to love, there was even the problem of whether or not the other party would be human or dragon. Most people assumed dragons were already extinct, and Foll might have been the last of her kind. Alshiera had many opinions on that matter as her friend, but decided to continue her current story.

“It was fine that I saved him and all, but I still had a duty to fulfill. And so, I went on to search for the missing crew of the ship and simply took the boy along with me.”

“Was he a normal human?”

“Indeed. From his view, he looked older than me. The way he tried his best to serve as my escort was rather adorable.”

“Male, but cute?”

“Even males have their cute parts.”

“I don’t get it. It’s better to be paired with a strong mate. Isn’t cute the opposite of strong?” Foll’s response sounded far more innocent than expected, which made Alshiera’s cheeks slacken.

“Teehee. Those are merely the sensibilities of a dragon. Tell me, was Lady Nephy attracted by the Silver-Eyed King’s strength when she chose him?”

“...Probably not.”

Alshiera patted the honest girl’s head.

“I’m glad you understand. What one finds dear within others differs depending on the individual. That’s why even the person in question has no idea how they feel when they’re in love. That’s just how it is.”

“...Love sounds really complicated,” Foll said with a grimace.

Alshiera shook her head as if to tell her that wasn’t the case at all and stated, “Not in the least. You could say it’s one of the simplest concepts in the world.”

“It doesn’t sound like it...”

“No, it’s simple... and thus unyielding. And sometimes, it can become a power strong enough to save or destroy the world. It’s the best and worst emotion people possess. Such is love.”

Alshiera had witnessed it for herself. The world being destroyed by love. The world being saved by love. That was why she still believed in it, even now. The ones who could save the world, who could change it, were those who lived in the present. It was something only those who lived and loved could accomplish.

Foll leaned back into her chair, seemingly worn out by thinking it over, and asked, “...So, what happened on the ghost ship?”

“Right. The culprit was another vampire who had grown arrogant after obtaining a peculiar item,” Alshiera continued with a sigh. “King Neptunia surely realized this. He had such a bad personality.”

There were no vampires who came anywhere close to Alshiera. Despite the entire ordeal, the end to the incident had come ever so swiftly.

“Did you save Selphy’s ancestor?”

“The dead cannot possibly steal the life of the living before my eyes.”

After bringing her story to an end there, Alshiera gave Foll’s head one more pat.

“You are still at the stage where you are in love with love.”

“Huh...? In love with love? I don’t get it.”

“You surely will one day.”

Alshiera felt certain that a tremendous uproar would take place when she did... Mostly due to those around Foll, of course.

After cleaning up the Seraph Hunters she had left on the table, Alshiera rose to her feet.

“Now then, that’s enough chatter for today. Isn’t it about time for dinner?”

“Mmm...”

Both of them had ended up slacking off from their duties. Raphael would scold them if they didn’t make up for it by cleaning up afterward.

Foll stared fixedly at Alshiera as she got up herself and asked one final question, “Next time, will you tell me about your true love?”

Alshiera’s eyes widened before she returned a bitter smile and responded, “...It’s a little hard for me to speak of such things.”

That was because it was a story that was far too large a part of her thousand years of life. And upon seeing Alshiera’s reaction, Foll’s eyes sparkled as if she was surprised, even though she’d finally seen what she wanted all along.

“I see... That’s the face people make when they’re in love.”

“Ah...!”

“Oh, you got redder.”

Like father, like daughter. These two poked her buttons all they wanted. Alshiera made a sour expression before recalling the conclusion she didn’t speak of to the story she just told. After that, they parted ways and never met again, which made her wonder how the boy lived and died.

I pray you had a bright life.

Thus, Alshiera reminisced over memories of the boy whose name she didn’t even know, back to her life 500 years ago.

◇

After dinner, Zagan sat atop his throne while pinching his brow.

This training is really getting to my eyes...

He had been training with Kimaris for an entire month. There was the physical damage he took from getting thrashed about much like on that day, but the larger strain came from trying to chase the Black Blade with his eyes. It felt like his optic nerves were in tatters.

Still, knowing of a weakness and leaving it be is the action of a fool.

Zagan’s defeat would be synonymous with the demise of a peaceful future for his family. He had to conquer his weakness and get stronger to protect them.

“You seem tired, my liege,” his butler, Raphael, said to him.

“It’s nothing serious... Do I really look that tired?”

“Hmm. You don’t appear so, since you usually look like this, but that gesture is one humans use when they’re tired.”

“...I see. I’ll be careful.”

Zagan had used sorcery to heal his fatigue, but he hadn’t paid enough attention to his mannerisms. It seemed his mind hadn’t kept pace with his intentions.

Nephy will scold me if she finds out what I’m doing.

It would be nonsense for the person who had told her to get some rest to be tired himself. Zagan reminded himself to get some proper sleep that night, then cast a gaze over to Raphael.

“So, what did you need?”

Raphael wasn’t one to drop by for no reason. In a rare showing, his expression clouded over. Anyone outside the castle would surely have mistaken his countenance as one of intense rage.

“Hmm. About that...”

Right when Raphael started to answer, a knock rang out from the throne room’s door.

I don’t know who it is, but I’ll have them save their questions for later.

But before Zagan could raise his voice, Raphael stepped to the side to open the way. It seemed he was fine with waiting.

“Enter,” Zagan said.

Orias walked into the throne room. Another rare visitor came to see him so late at night.

“...Did I catch you at a bad time?” she asked.

“No, it’s fine.”

Orias also seemed to be somewhat hesitant, since she shot a nervous glance over to Raphael. Her matter appeared to be something to discuss in private, but she didn’t want to ask Raphael to take his leave after he put off his own business for her. And as she ruminated over what to do, a swarm of bats came flapping into the throne room.

“...Alshiera?”

“Oh my, perhaps I should come back later?”

The bats crowded together and took on the form of a girl. Her heel came down on the ground with a tap as the vampire shamelessly gave him a curtsy. She then hugged her creepy-looking stuffed doll and looked up at the back of the throne.

“Although, it seems I’m not the only unwanted nuisance here.”

Her gaze fixed on the wriggling shadow of the throne.

“...Tch. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop or anything. Actually, who the hell would come here willingly?”

As Zagan had expected, Barbatos crawled out of the shadow. He had slovenly, long black hair, deep bags clouding his eyes, and a myriad of amulets hanging from his neck. It seemed he also had business with Zagan, or a report to make. And just then, heavy footsteps entered the room.

“Oh? It seems everyone has already gathered.”

Kimaris was the last to make his entrance. He stepped into the throne room, then pointed to the door behind him.

“Shall I close it?”

“...Uh, wait, what? You mean everyone’s here for the same thing?” Barbatos asked.

Orias shrugged her shoulders and answered, “Hmm. It seems so.”

Zagan leaned back into his throne and casually crossed his legs. He then looked over the people in his throne room one by one. The former Archangel and current butler of the castle, Raphael. One of the Archdemons and Nephy’s mother, the high elf Orias. The wielder of the Seraph Hunters and the strongest vampire, Alshiera. The former Archdemon candidate and the one and only sorcerer capable of exchanging blows with Zagan, Purgatory Barbatos. Another former Archdemon candidate and Zagan’s right-hand man, Black Blade Kimaris.

Setting aside Nephy and Foll, this was a gathering of the five greatest figures in Zagan’s camp. So, what had happened for all of them to gather with poor complexions? Zagan pushed his wariness to its limits as he questioned them.

“Let’s hear it. What happened?”

The five of them exchanged glances, checking on each other’s behavior, before Orias cut to the chase.

“Then excuse me, but I’ll go first. I had something I wanted to tell you aside from that case. Zagan, I’ve been in your care for quite a while, so I think it’s about time for me to leave.”

Those words had Zagan wide-eyed. Orias was, of course, a guest, not his subordinate. She also had her status as an Archdemon. She must’ve had her own circumstances, but Zagan didn’t expect her to say that at all.

“That’s rather sudden. Is there a problem?”

“There’s not really a problem, so to speak...” Orias hesitated to say any more. It seemed it was difficult to talk about here.

Zagan thought it over a bit before replying, “You are Nephy’s mother. I don’t mind if you consider this your castle, and I do plan on at least lending a hand if anything troubles you, just so you know.”

Orias stared back in wonder. She then put on a slightly bitter smile, shook her head, and said, “It’s nothing like that. I’ve been treated well by the people of this castle. There isn’t any trouble, either.”

“So, why? I thought things were going well with your daughters.”

“Yes, that’s the point,” Orias said with a sigh.

“What do you mean?”

Orias placed her hand to her chest and expressed herself as if weighed down by long years of anguish.

“My two daughters and my granddaughter are far too cute. I don’t think my heart can hold out any longer.”

Her shocking confession had the throne room astir. What was this Archdemon saying? There was even sweat running down Barbatos’ forehead as if he’d failed to understand the meaning of her words.

Zagan put his left hand over his face in great sorrow as he threw his right hand out, pointing at Orias with vigor. He then declared with all the majesty of an Archdemon... “I get it!”

“You do...?”

Unfortunately for Barbatos, he was the only one who remained confused. Raphael nodded deeply in agreement, Alshiera looked at them with a sympathetic gaze, and even Kimaris narrowed his eyes as if saying this was inevitable.

Zagan understood Orias’ feelings so well it hurt him, but that didn’t mean he was just going to see her off in peace. He shook his head to calm himself down before speaking once more.

“However, you must remain calm, Orias. I can sympathize deeply with your feelings, but try giving it some thought. Say you left for such reasons. What would Nephy, Foll, and Nephteros think after being left behind? They would all feel responsible, wondering if they had perhaps done something wrong.”

“Urgh... That’s... true. That would be problematic.”

“...Hey. Is this something two Archdemons should be seriously discussing?” Barbatos grumbled. However, nobody paid attention to him.

Orias looked up at the ceiling in grief and asked, “Zagan. You continue living on while continuously barraged by such shocks to your heart, don’t you?”

“Yeah. But do not fear. These palpitations come from joy. Happiness and pain are simply getting mixed up in your head. Your family isn’t something you should abandon simply because of that feeling.”

“...You truly are strong.”

“If I am, then it’s all thanks to Nephy. As such, you could say it is also thanks to you,” Zagan stated, his words filled with respect.

At that point, Barbatos began picking his nose as if to ask if this was going to continue much longer.

“I see... You’re right,” Orias said while shaking her head, giving in. “I’ll try hanging in there a while longer. Forgive me for making you listen to such a trifling complaint.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve had the same experience.”

Now that the Archdemons had confirmed their relationship, Barbatos cut to the chase.

“Are you done yet...? I’d like to get my business out of the way already.”

“Speak.”

Barbatos had something important enough to discuss that he’d bothered coming all the way here.

Well, I can more or less guess what it’s about.

After being urged on, Barbatos turned a somewhat angry gaze over to Alshiera.

“It’s that vampire over there. It’s a total pain to have her loitering around the church every day, understand?”

Alshiera hugged her stuffed doll up to hide her mouth, giggled in joy, and asked, “Teehee, I don’t think it’s something for a sorcerer to be troubled by, is it?”

“Nope, you’re a total pain. I mean... you’re totally directing your bloodthirst at that elf woman all the damn time, ain’t you?”

The room fell silent at that. Barbatos then ruffled his hair before continuing, “Thanks to that, the crybaby’s been on edge around the clock. See, she ends up even more of a mess after bracing herself for so long. And who the hell do you think has to support her through all that?”

Zagan didn’t care at all about the latter problem.

“Bragging about your love life...?” Alshiera asked dubiously, annoyed at the criticism he was pointing at her.

“H-HUUUH?! The hell do you mean, love life?!”

“Huh? Well...” Alshiera trailed off at that point and glanced over to Zagan for help. He averted his gaze in a troubled manner.

“Oh, well, um, how do I put this...? Keep that kind of talk between you and Chastille.”

“Zagan, the hell are you saying?! I-I-I-I’m not going steady with the crybaby or anything! That ain’t what I’m talking about!”

“...Are you aware you’re making the same face that bastard Shax makes?” Raphael said, his artificial arm letting out a creak.

“I’m not as dense as that asshole!”

Shax was basically a lost cause, since even Raphael regarded him as dense. Kuroka’s anguish came to mind. And standing next to Barbatos as he ranted and raved, Kimaris covered his face, unable to continue watching.

“It’s a good thing Miss Gremory is out on business.”

“Kimaris, I thought you were my ally?!”

“It’s alright. I am your ally. I’ll keep it a secret from Miss Gremory.”

“That ain’t my point!”

Honestly, Zagan did sympathize with him for being toyed like this, but the uproar would have been far greater if Gremory were around. Having said that, there was one thing Barbatos mentioned that he couldn’t laugh off as a joke.

“Tell me about that in more detail,” Orias cut in.

“Why’re you joining in on this crap?”

“...No, I mean what you said about my daughter.”

Barbatos fell silent from the awkwardness of it all. His hollow gaze, which burned a hole into the floor, made it seem like he was just asking to be killed already. Even Zagan felt pity for him after he received such treatment just for saying something somewhat serious. Still, Orias couldn’t let it off as a joke.

“Well, I suppose it’s better to ask the person in question directly.”

With that, she turned her azure eyes over to Alshiera. This was a matter involving the life of her daughter. It didn’t need to be said that an overwhelming amount of mana swelled up as she kept a sharp gaze on the vampire.

“Ugh...”

There was so much pressure that Barbatos and Kimaris, who weren’t even directly looking into her eyes, shrank back. Seeing that the two of them were reduced to such a state, the faint of heart would’ve likely died on the spot. And with such animosity pointed at her, Alshiera simply cocked her head as if enjoying a cool breeze.

“Oh my, how frightening. This frail little vampire is going to die from fear because an Archdemon is pointing such hostility at her.”

“...I don’t enjoy such jokes.”

The floor beneath Alshiera’s feet caved in. And yet, her dark dress didn’t show a single tear, putting on display how abnormal an existence she truly was. Although, at the rate they were going, the entire throne room would collapse.

“Leave it at that. Both of you.”

Orias’ mana was repelled with a light snap. And at the same time, Alshiera stumbled a step. Zagan had filled his words with mana and slammed it against the two women. Then, he glared at Alshiera.

“Can you not have a regular conversation without resorting to such worthless provocations, Alshiera?”

“Teehee. You’re misunderstanding things, my Silver-Eyed King. It was just a little jest...”

“You know it doesn’t come across as a joke at all, right? You should cut that out.”

“Wha—?!”

It really did seem to get through to her when he said that with a completely serious look on his face. Alshiera found herself at a complete loss for words.

“And you, Orias. She’s not going to do anything like kill Nephteros, so relax.”

“...On what basis can you make that claim?”

Her question seemed obvious. Zagan returned a nod and answered, “First, the reason she’s staying by Nephteros’ side is to finish off Azazel.”

“My Silver-Eyed King, could you please not speak that name so frivolously?”

“...You’re so obstinate.”

“This is a request.”

Zagan sighed upon hearing her sound uncharacteristically serious for once.

“Well, whatever. In short, her goal is to finish off something that might possess Nephteros. She isn’t targeting Nephteros herself.”

“I don’t believe that’s enough of a reason to assume she won’t kill Nephteros in the process, is it?”

“Won’t kill... Rather, she can’t kill her. She’s seemingly charged herself with a vow not to lay a hand on the living.”

Thus far, Alshiera had only killed the shadows Shere Khan had set on her and ‘Aristella.’ The Shadows were dead to begin with, while ‘Aristella’ was already in a state where one couldn’t say she was alive.

Alshiera scratched her head with a grimace. It seemed he’d hit the nail on the head. Orias was somewhat persuaded by her reaction, so her attitude softened to an extent.

“Regardless, it’s true that this girl is trying to finish off this enemy of hers. And frankly, I don’t believe there’s any guarantee she won’t end up having to choose to kill Nephteros in order to accomplish that goal.”

“I’m telling you that she won’t. She possessed the power to easily kill her, yet she didn’t. Instead, she saved her, losing her power in the process and getting stuck over here just to protect her.”

This fact had remained on Zagan’s mind for quite a while. Who was it that Nephteros had fought against, who was the culprit who had made Foll go berserk back in the underwater city of Atlastia? Nephteros had said that she felt like it was Alshiera, and that was precisely the case.

The only difference between her cognition and reality was that Alshiera hadn’t attacked Foll. It was Nephteros herself. Her consciousness at the time was likely fuzzy, however. She had seen the reality of Foll being attacked and had seen Alshiera facing off against her. Thus, she recognized the situation as Alshiera attacking Foll.

“If she had to kill her after that, she’d be far more likely to throw aside her shame and look for help.”

Alshiera couldn’t help but look at Zagan with a reproachful gaze when he started stating facts that he shouldn’t have known one after another.

“...Did you hear that from Foll?”

“Hmm, you told Foll? I simply arrived at that conclusion due to the circumstantial evidence.”

Judging from her reaction, he now understood why Foll had opened her heart to Alshiera faster than everyone else.

Orias’ eyes widened as if struck with a sudden impact, and she asked, “Is that wound one you received because you saved Nephteros?”

“Oh my, I’m not so shameless that I would blame my own mistakes on others.”

She didn’t deny it. After realizing that, Orias lowered her head deeply.

“I directed inappropriate suspicions toward my daughter’s benefactor. Please forgive me.”

“...It isn’t something you need to worry about.”

Seeing that the two of them had reconciled, Zagan felt secretly relieved. He didn’t say it to Orias, but there was, in fact, one situation where Alshiera would kill Nephteros. There was precedent with ‘Aristella,’ who had gone beyond saving. And there was a non-zero probability that Nephteros’ case would eventually become just as severe.

Plus, even if that doesn’t happen, Nephteros might not have much time left.

And the one who had the responsibility of protecting her foisted upon them was Chastille. That girl would undoubtedly protect Nephteros. She was capable of staving off at least one shot from the Seraph Hunters, which would only buy a single instant of extra time, but that was enough time for Zagan to arrive. Barbatos always remained within Chastille’s shadow, ready to call him at a moment’s notice, after all.

In any case, the room finally managed to calm down.

But this isn’t the real issue at hand, is it?

So, what had brought these five together here? Zagan waited for someone to speak while the five of them fell silent and observed each other. Even Raphael looked tense. After a little while, however, the butler was the first to talk.

“Hmm. I was the first to arrive, so I shall speak.”

“Let’s hear it. What happened?”

Raphael quietly got his breathing in order, then turned his gaze toward Zagan.

“My liege. Please remain calm and listen to me.”

Zagan never expected him to make such a request. His eyes widened as he raised his guard and nodded.

“Foll has begun to show an interest in love,” Raphael declared.

Zagan doubted his ears, but everyone gathered in the throne room, from Orias, to Alshiera, to Kimaris, and even Barbatos nodded with rather grave expressions on their faces. That made it clear he hadn’t misheard Raphael. The armrests of the throne burst like dried wood beneath Zagan’s grasp.

“WH-WH-WH-WH-WHAT?!”

The entire throne room... no, the entire castle rumbled. The barrier that had managed to contain the staredown between Zagan and Orias, two Archdemons, failed to withstand his rage, so a scream echoed through the halls.

“By human standards, Foll is ten! Are you saying some shameless knave is trying to court her?! Bring him before me right now! I’ll reduce him to mincemeat!”

Barbatos looked perplexed as he pondered over how it felt like he’d once made Zagan snap like this, then gave him a nod.

“I dunno if there’s an actual man involved, but it’s true. I think it was around noon? She dropped by the church to see the crybaby and asked about her love life. Thanks to that, she’s been stuck out of work mode this whole time.”

Zagan easily pictured her disastrous state.

“Upon returning, she also asked about the state of my romance with Miss Gremory. I ended up telling her the same story I told you,” Kimaris added in confirmation.

“My case happened just before noon. I was at a loss for how to reply and ended up being late for my duties in the kitchen,” Orias explained.

Would Orias’ love life have been mostly stories of Nephy’s father? Zagan felt somewhat interested in that himself, but he realized it wasn’t the time or place to pry.

And finally, Alshiera let out a sigh and said, “In other words, she went around questioning everyone around her who seemed to have fallen in love at some point.”

“Love? You?”

The very idea shocked Zagan to his core. And naturally, his reaction angered Alshiera.

“I used to be human once, you know? I’ve at least had one experience with love.”

“I can’t imagine it...”

“I’ll have you know that it was extremely passionate,” the vampire replied with a suspicious giggle.

Zagan looked back at her with a dubious gaze and asked, “So, did you tell Foll about it?”

“Huh?! No, that’s a little...” Alshiera muttered with a blush, trailing off. What kind of love could she have possibly experienced when she was reduced to such a pathetic state after being questioned about it?

Setting that aside, Zagan covered his face with both his hands and spoke, saying, “Impossible... Does this mean Foll has already fallen in love with someone?”

What pest had gotten attached to his daughter? The only ones who could have talked to her were his subordinates... or perhaps a citizen in Kianoides. If it happened to be someone like the three idiots, just killing them wouldn’t be enough.

In any case, he felt a need to locate this man and kill him. No, there was no need to even search. He simply had to erase all the pests who’d shown traces of approaching Foll, removing them entirely from the very face of the world. It didn’t matter whether or not they were sorcerers. Those who’d gotten mixed up with her just had to accept their fate and give up. It seemed like simple work, as long as Zagan put all his might into it, which was precisely the problem.

I’ll never forgive any lecher who approaches my daughter, but I can’t stand the idea of her hating me for killing them!

Alas, even though he felt enraged, he was still capable of calmly understanding the likely outcome of taking such a drastic measure. What was he to do? Why did he have to taste such anguish? He lamented over his great misfortune from the very bottom of his heart.

Alshiera refused to just stand by and keep watching, so she said, “Um, my Silver-Eyed King? It probably isn’t that serious, just so you know.”

“How exactly is this not a serious problem?! It feels like I’ve just learned that the world will end even if I kill Shere Khan!”

“Don’t you have Lady Nephy?”

“My bride and daughter are different!”

Sharing a happy life with Nephy was Zagan’s number one priority, while matters involving his daughter couldn’t be explained through logic. Zagan unleashed his mana in agitation as if to bring down the castle as Raphael, Orias, and Alshiera all nodded like he had a point.

“Sir Zagan! Please calm down! She means to say the little lady doesn’t necessarily have a particular partner in mind!”

“...R-Really? I won’t be pleased if you’re simply trying to comfort me.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen you so agitated...”

Zagan realized Kimaris was correct. That was the first time he’d encountered a problem he could do absolutely nothing about, which frustrated him to no end.

“Hah, way to throw a fit over something silly,” Barbatos said with a snort.

“...You’ll be spouting the same stuff within the next ten years.”

“H-Huuuh?! I haven’t even tried to have kids yet!”

Zagan wanted to question who exactly he’d imagined having children with, but he lacked the composure to do so. He realized a strange wheezing had escaped his mouth. He was hyperventilating. Zagan had to use sorcery to suppress his pulse. And after finally calming his mind by doing so, he raised his head.

“So, what do you mean when you say Foll hasn’t actually found a partner yet?”

“Essentially, she hasn’t fallen in love, but has instead become interested in the way you’re in love,” Alshiera answered.

“What do you...?”

“Foll has witnessed the way you and Lady Nephy rejoice over the most trivial things closer than anyone else. I think she probably wishes to know if other lovers are like that, and why they have such feelings,” Alshiera paused there and pinched her brow as she recalled something. “It felt more like she was observing me instead of taking in what I had to say...”

“...Oh, mmm... That’s, well, sorry.”

She had likely gone through something rather embarrassing. Well, Foll had certainly witnessed Zagan seating Nephy on his lap and rubbing cheeks well over twenty times. It would have been astounding if she didn’t show any interest after all that.

“Now that you mention it...” Raphael said with a nod. “She reacted somewhat incomprehensibly to my story. I honestly wasn’t sure if she had any interest in it.”

“...Oh? What did you tell her?”

“An old story from around twenty years ago. Our circumstances differed and we were quite far apart in age. Nothing interesting came of it, but I held feelings you could more or less call love.”

Huh? Seriously? I kind of want to hear more... Those words came all the way up to his throat, but Zagan somehow managed to swallow them back down. Asking about it would have made him no different from Gremory. It would have made him more of a failure as a human than he was already.

Once he calmed down, however, his curiosity piqued. And so, Zagan feigned composure and decided to ask anyway.

“Umm, do you mind if I ask who it was?”

After a short pause, Raphael responded curtly, “A woman named Himika.”

Zagan realized something from the name, which clearly originated from Liucaon.

Huh? Wait, when he calls her his daughter, does he actually mean it literally...? Zagan shook his head to clear such thoughts and calm himself down.

“Then allow me to confirm once more. Foll merely wished to hear love stories. She hasn’t yet found a partner or anything, correct?”

Some were certain and some were only half-convinced, but everyone nodded. Zagan felt relief from the bottom of his heart upon seeing that, so he smiled.

“I’m glad I don’t have to kill all my subordinates and the people in town.”

He’d almost hit a point of no return where he had no choice but to do it even though he knew he would regret it later.

“...It’s a good thing we managed to stop you, Sir Zagan.”

It felt like Kimaris seemed rather exasperated, but Zagan didn’t have the leisure to show any interest in that.

“But why’d she ask the crybaby, then?” Barbatos inquired with an unconvinced snort. “It doesn’t add up.”

Isn’t it because you two are the most amusing of the bunch? Zagan wasn’t the only one who had such a thought. In fact, everyone present pointed lukewarm gazes at Barbatos, but he didn’t seem to realize.

“Well, why do you think Foll turned to Chastille for advice?” Zagan asked, just to be sure.

“Huh? Uh, ‘cause it’s hard to ask a bunch of sorcerers, I guess?” he answered as if it were perfectly obvious.

Everyone looked at Barbatos dubiously. In any case, all those aside from him had gathered out of concern for Foll, which was good.

Zagan leaned back in his seat. The throne was crumbling to pieces, but he didn’t really care right now.

“I suppose the only choice, for now, is to pray there’s nothing more to it...”

“Wouldn’t her never finding anyone be a cause for concern?” Alshiera pointed out heartlessly.

“......”

Zagan once more curled up and put his hands to his head.

If the world is full of fools who are incapable of understanding the charm of my lovely daughter, then there’s no point in it existing... No! But...

Thus, Zagan began to seriously consider destroying the world.

“Oh yeah,” Barbatos suddenly cut in, “Why’d that little brat only start to show an interest in this crap now? Shouldn’t she be used to Zagan and that elf already?”

“Now that you mention it...”

It was a surprisingly sound point coming from Barbatos. Had something caused that change?

Kimaris grimaced as an unpleasant idea floated to the top of his mind. A second later, he replied, “...Now that I think of it, Miss Gremory isn’t here today, is she?”

“Yeah. I sent her over to Kuroka and Shax after breakfast.”

“...Meaning Foll came to me right after that,” Orias said, not really wanting to admit it.

The air in the throne room turned heavy.

“......”

That damn granny again!

Zagan and Nephy’s plans to flirt while Gremory was away had been completely seen through and she had stirred up Foll in an unnecessary way to mess with them.

Orias gravely bowed her head.

“I truly must apologize for my stupid disciple...”

“No, that has been Miss Gremory’s personality for as long as I’ve known her. I don’t believe it’s your fault, Miss Orias,” Kimaris chimed in apologetically.

“Yeah, I should’ve also given her a warning myself. Sorry,” Zagan added.

It seemed everyone involved with Gremory felt somewhat responsible. They now all lowered their heads to each other.

“I really am sorry for all the concern I’ve caused you,” Orias said to Kimaris.

“I’m used to it by now, so don’t be...” Kimaris’ tired voice gave a hint of his endless sorrow.

And just like that, the curtains fell on the first assembly of the Zagan family. Those were all the topics for the day. Everyone returned to their duties, leaving him alone in his throne room. He repaired his broken throne, then let out another sigh.

I’m tired. Just... tired.

How many times had he gotten riled up in such a short period of time? He had woken up feeling rather happy, yet events completely unrelated to his training had gotten him strangely tired.

I want another lap pillow from Nephy, just like that one time... And as such delusions came to mind, Zagan yielded himself to his drowsiness.