Chapter III: I Thought I Saw You in My Dream, but It Turned Out We Actually Met in Our Dreams and Couldn’t Cope With the Situation

“...pai... Sen... Senpai,” Nephy’s voice tickled his ears. A reserved hand brushed against his brow.

Zagan realized she was gently stroking his head. He opened his eyes and was met with a girl’s face, her white cheeks ever so slightly tinged red. Nephy wasn’t wearing her maid uniform, but was instead dressed in some sort of strange outfit that was present in last night’s dream. Sunlight poured through a large tree behind her as she sat against it.

Zagan took a look around. There was a building made of stone... or rather, some kind of quicklime-like material he had never seen before. He was apparently in an open space adjoined to the large structure.

There was a somewhat soft sensation against the back of his head. He remembered what this tranquility-inducing feeling was.

Nephy’s thighs... It’s been a while...

He had just been thinking of how he yearned to take a rest on her lap again.

“Huh? Wait, what?!”

He finally came to his senses and jumped up. And as he’d thought, Zagan was also wearing the same uniform he had on in that dream. Also, the white thighs peeking out from Nephy’s short skirt were dazzling.

Nephy covered her mouth in shame, looked up at Zagan, and said, “S-Sorry, Mas... Senpai. I didn’t mean to surprise you...”

“N-No! It’s fine! I’m the one who should be apologizing. It looks like I fell asleep without realizing it.”

“P-Please don’t worry. I also enjoyed watching your cute face as you... Hwah?!”

Zagan felt like he just heard something he couldn’t let pass, but the two of them were far too flustered when Nephy suddenly let out a yelp.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, no, my legs are just a little numb...”

It seemed he had slept on her lap for quite some time. He didn’t have any memories whatsoever of it, and yet, he strangely felt nothing out of place about it.

“A-Are you okay?” Zagan asked, holding out his hand in a fluster.

“Yes... Augh, this didn’t happen at all last time...”

“The throne room has sorcery cast on it to constantly soothe its occupants.”

“I see. That must be why I was fine with it,” Nephy muttered those words. Then, both of them cocked their heads.

“Last time...?”

“Throne room...?”

It felt like something wasn’t quite clicking to a terrifying degree, but also like that wasn’t the case... Even as he remained bewildered by this, Zagan had to help Nephy out.

“Stretch out your legs for now. The numbness should go away once your blood gets flowing... Can you manage?”

“I’ll try... Hyah?!”

“Wawawawa!”

Zagan tried to support Nephy as she moved her legs, but he didn’t ready himself enough due to the unrest in his heart. The two of them ended up falling over. Zagan fell face up with Nephy still in his arms. In other words, Nephy found herself mounting Zagan. Her pointy ears flushed red in the blink of an eye.

“Hwah! I’m so sorry, Senpai.”

“I-I-I-I-I-It’s fine. Are you hurt?”

Nephy tried to get off in a panic, but her legs were still numb. And so, she couldn’t move very well.

“D-Don’t push yourself, okay? Um, I’m fine... I don’t feel bad at all!”

Actually, it was already extremely soft and warm to begin with, so having Nephy glued to him and squirming about smashed Zagan’s sense of reason to pieces.

She eventually gave up and yielded her body over to Zagan’s chest as if all strength had left her.

“The teacher will scold us if she finds us like this.”

“Y-You can’t move, there’s no helping it. Besides, she’s not Raphael. Orias won’t get angry over this much.”

“Y-You’re right. She’s my mother, after all.”

“...Huh?”

The two of them cocked their heads once more. Was Orias Nephy’s mother and a teacher at this school? Raphael was a butler... and a teacher? No, how did that make any sense? Something was remarkably wrong, but Zagan couldn’t tell what.

“U-Um... Um, Senpai!” Nephy suddenly raised her voice.

“Hrm, what’s wrong?”

Nephy’s expression appeared tense, as if she had just realized some terrifying secret.

“Um... Why are you petting my head...?”

Zagan had decided there was no point in worrying about something he couldn’t figure out, so he had started petting Nephy’s head while she remained in his arms. Her lush white hair felt really soft and smooth as he ran his fingers through it. What’s more, a slightly sweet scent drifted over him.

Having something like that right in front of him and not petting it was hard to do, even for an Archdemon. Hence, he’d done it.

Zagan looked at her curiously with the most serious of expressions and said, “I can’t?”

“No, it’s not that you can’t... It’s just, um, embarrassing.”

“Don’t worry about it. Nobody’s watching.”

Probably...

Nephy seemed to give in to Zagan’s stubbornness and stopped putting up any resistance, letting him pet away. She then let out a small giggle upon recalling something.

“What’s up?”

“Heehee, not much. It just feels like it’s been a while...”

“Oh... You’re right. We’ve been so busy ever since Alshiere Imera... er, Christmas, was it?”

“Christmas, I think?”

“Hm...? Hang on. Christmas doesn’t really have anything to do with Alshiera, right...?”

What even was ‘Christmas’? Zagan had never heard the term before, but he felt like it was perfectly normal for him to know of it.

“......”

How many times had it been now? Even Zagan couldn’t continue to ignore the sense of discomfort that assailed him. Nephy also seemed to realize something and timidly opened her mouth.

“...Um, Senpai?”

“...What is it?”

Zagan kept himself alert as Nephy took a deep breath to calm herself down.

“...What does ‘Senpai’ even mean?”

Zagan and Nephy recomposed themselves and rose to their feet.

“So, you also found that strange?”

“Yes... But for some reason, it felt perfectly natural to refer to call you that.”

“Don’t worry about it. I only felt something was off a few moments ago.”

Besides, somehow, it felt really comforting to hear that from her mouth. He would’ve enjoyed hearing it all the time, honestly.

“Ummm, where exactly are we?” Nephy asked as she looked around timidly.

“I don’t know. We were trying to study or something, so it would be natural to assume it’s an institute of knowledge.”

Only the legitimate children of nobles gathered in such places, so Zagan had absolutely no relation to them. The church spearheaded many so-called schools, and there were even some in Kianoides. Zagan had never seen one himself, but that was what this place felt like.

Now that I think of it, Foll is about the age where she should attend one of these places... He had let it slip his mind, since it had nothing to do with sorcerers, but he wondered whether his daughter would be interested. She had started to show an interest in love too, so if she felt like it, then it was worth considering.

“Is our clothing related to that?” Nephy inquired, lifting the hem of her skirt.

“P-Probably.”

Seeing her lift such a short skirt made him think he would end up seeing even more than her thighs... but it was just out of view, which shook Zagan’s heart greatly.

“...Um, that’s a little, uh...”

Nephy realized how perilous her actions were upon seeing Zagan’s reaction. Her ears reddened right to their tips.

A moment later, Zagan took a deep breath to calm himself down as he nodded and checked Nephy’s outfit once more. Nephy’s cheeks flushed even more under his serious gaze.

“I-Is something the matter?”

“No, I was just thinking about how these clothes suit you, Nephy. It’s different from usual... and rather refreshing.”

“I-If you’re going to go that far, then I have to admit that your clothes are also dignified... and they suit you very well, Master Zagan.”

Both of them clasped their chests and writhed in agony, letting out ragged breaths.

“S-So, what’s going on? It feels a little different from an illusion,” Nephy said.

Zagan felt the grass beneath his feet and touched the large tree behind him. And in his last dream, he’d actually held that pen-like object. It probably wasn’t an illusion. Furthermore, the Nephy before his eyes wasn’t likely a fabrication. She was the real deal. She felt out of place being here as well, so Zagan’s sixth sense was convinced of that fact. And in that case...

“Hmm, this sensation is likely that of a dream.”

“A dream...?”

“Yeah. You don’t feel any suspicions toward most contradictions and inconsistencies within a dream. You can also touch things within them.”

When he had woken up in the morning, he’d identified it as a dream without any doubts.

Sensing something out of place means this has entered the stage of a so-called lucid dream, I suppose.

After coming into contact with Nephy and having it happen twice, he was fully capable of recognizing this as a dream. It was a different state from a normal dream, but not unpleasant.

Nephy cocked her head in thought. Her white hair smoothly spilled down onto her chest.

“In other words, this is my dream, but also your dream?”

“Yes. It means our dreams are somehow being connected.”

Being able to so clearly communicate with someone else within a dream was a strange sensation.

There’s pretty much only one person who could accomplish this... He had an idea who the culprit was, but didn’t know why they’d done it. Zagan thought it over for a bit, then laid himself down on the ground.

“Well, this is a rare chance to relax. We might as well make use of it.”

“Is that fine?”

“Yeah. You’ve been pretty worn out lately too, right? Let’s just take it easy.”

Zagan interpreted this as a service rather than an attack. As such, accepting it was his duty as a king.

“I’ll have to pick out some sort of reward for her later,” Zagan casually muttered to himself.

Upon hearing that, Nephy seemed to understand the situation as well.

“Heehee, it’d be nice if we could properly remember this after we wake up.”

“...Well, it is a dream.”

Even the best dreams and worst nightmares could be forgotten once a person woke up. They wouldn’t necessarily remember this one, even if it was a lucid dream. That thought had Zagan coming upon a sudden realization.

Isn’t anything possible within a dream...? Wouldn’t daring actions he normally would’ve been too embarrassed to try fair game? Weren’t all sorcerers self-centered villains who didn’t reflect on others?

All things considered, Zagan at least possessed as much carnal desire as the average man around his age. He’d entered a romantic relationship with this adorable girl, so there was no way he lacked a desire to touch her. Rather, he thought of nothing but Nephy around the clock. He was in a dream now, so he wanted to try touching her all over... and hugging her... and rubbing his cheeks against hers.

Thus, Zagan unleashed his very desires.

“......”

He remained still atop the grass and suddenly stretched out his arm. Not toward Nephy, but to his side.

“Th-This is...”

It was likely that most people who saw this wouldn’t understand the meaning behind it, but Nephy gulped as something dawned on her.

Nephy will understand! I think!

If Barbatos were present, he would likely shout, “Who the hell can tell, you dumbass!” Fortunately for Zagan and Nephy, they were the only ones in the dream. As for Nephy, she had completely stiffened up as if there was an extraordinary decision she had to make closing in on her.

Oh, I guess this is too unreasonable a demand, even for a dream...

He could no longer look her in the eyes and averted his gaze. Perhaps having interpreted that as him pressing her for a decision, Nephy gathered her resolve and nodded. She then laid down next to him. She then placed her slender neck down on top of the arm that Zagan had inexplicably stretched out.

It was a so-called arm pillow.

I got a lap pillow from her earlier, so fair’s fair! This was repayment, or thanks, in his mind, at least. He didn’t dare to do something that bold in reality, especially since the chance to make such an offer never came. Zagan usually slept in a seated posture on his throne. Plus, his heart wouldn’t be able to withstand doing something as shameless as crawling into Nephy’s bed in the middle of the night.

Hmph... So, even something like this is possible within a dream.

It was, in fact, something he had managed just once before. However, by the time morning came, they found themselves completely incapable of looking each other in the eyes. And here he was able to accomplish it so naturally—natural in his eyes, at least—and somehow withstand it. Zagan admired this fact as he snuck a glance over at Nephy.

“Ah!”

Nephy had also just turned to check on Zagan, bringing their gazes together.

“...H-Hehehehe...” he let out a limp laugh, unable to withstand it anymore. Seeing such a loose smile on her face was quite the rarity. Compounded with the fact that she was wearing different clothes from usual, Zagan’s pulse doubled in one beat.

“Master... Zagan.”

“Y-Yes?! What is it?”

“Oh, nothing. I just felt strangely happy and suddenly wanted to say your name...”

Her startling and meager coaxing might’ve brought Zagan’s heart to a momentary stop. That was just how tremendous an impact it had. His body trembled, but he was still an Archdemon. Thus, he resolutely opened his mouth to respond in kind.

“N-e-p-h-y.”

“Augh...”

He tried calling her name while savoring every last letter. Now it was Nephy’s turn to clasp her chest and bend backward.

Hnnngh! What’s with that embarrassed act?! Even I feel flustered now!

Nephy was terrifying for coming up with this so naturally, and endlessly endearing at that. All they had done was call each other’s names, yet they were both beaten down mercilessly by the act.

No! We have to talk about something or it’ll be a waste!

He was spurred on by the tension of having consciously created this situation.

“H-Hehehe! Being in a dream is, how do I put it... quite nice! There’s nobody to hinder us!” Zagan squeaked out in a cracked voice.

“R-Right!”

Nephy had also searched for some opportunity to distract her mind, which explained why she nodded exaggeratedly, her ears bright red to their very tips.

“But... it seems like you’re quite sweet on that girl, Master Zagan,” Nephy muttered curiously.

He could tell this was out of pure curiosity. Though, his keen senses helped him hear the slightest amount of envy in her voice. Zagan had absolutely no intention of treating that girl in such a way, so he ended up rather flustered.

“Huh? Is that so? I’m not trying to treat her any differently from my other subordinates...”

“That’s not true... How do I put this...? I feel like you treat her with about half the kindness you direct toward myself or Foll.”

“Do I spoil her that much?”

Zagan felt a disappointed gaze on him that seemed to say, “So you’re both aware that you’re stupidly sweet on each other...” but he paid it no mind.

“I mean, she’s a normal civilian and all. I just thought she’d accidentally die if I didn’t pay her some amount of consideration.”

It was also clear that she was even more of an emotional wreck than Chastille, so he took care not to stress her out too much. Nephy didn’t seem entirely convinced by this answer, though. She puffed out her cheeks and poked Zagan’s side with her finger repeatedly.

Stop! What’s with that adorable attack?! Are you trying to still my beating heart?!

He’d already faced one impact which seemed capable of sending him into cardiac arrest, so he wouldn’t be able to withstand a second. There wasn’t anything as severe as anger in her reaction, but even so, her meager jealousy, which could be misinterpreted as simple discontent, possessed an unexpectedly tremendous force behind it.

“That might be all you intend, Master Zagan, but in that case, you should be a little kinder to Selphy.”

“Oh, now that you mention it, she’s a civilian too...”

He didn’t really know what to say. That siren had such a tough spirit that he felt sure she wouldn’t die just because he treated her a little roughly. The one other girl from their group wasn’t exactly a civilian, but Zagan treated her kindly as well. In her case, he had a clear reason to, seeing as how she was Raphael’s daughter. That was likely why Nephy didn’t feel any envy in that regard.

Now that he thought of it, he didn’t have a reason to spoil that girl so much. When he’d first met her, he had taken a liking to the courage she displayed for speaking sharply to an Archdemon. But in that case, he should’ve just treated her like his other subordinates. He hadn’t given this reality any thought before, and now that it was thrust before him, Zagan pondered over it for a while before saying anything.

“I know this sounds odd... but it didn’t feel like that was my first time meeting her.”

He hadn’t thought about it until Nephy pointed it out, but that was how it felt when he tried putting his feelings into words. Nephy’s eyes widened in surprise, perhaps because his explanation was far too vague. And due to that, Zagan realized he hadn’t said enough, so he decided to clarify.

“Ummm... It’s kind of like I was looking at one of my alleyway siblings...”

“Oh, I see...” Nephy nodded, finally getting an explanation she understood.

“Now that I think about it, you showed a similar reaction to Lisette, didn’t you?”

Lisette was the little waif his childhood friend Stella had picked up. Zagan had only met her that one time, but he had acted remarkably kind to her, knowing that she was one of his little siblings from the streets.

“Did you have many siblings like her?” Nephy asked curiously.

“Well, we were all brats who acted haughty despite being weak. We knew we were truly powerless though, so even if we fought amongst ourselves, we lived shoulder to shoulder.”

There were, of course, those who were faint of heart or had better social dispositions, but all of them were children who lived off of trash after being betrayed and abandoned by someone. That was why, despite their individual differences, they all possessed a distrust toward those on the outside.

There hadn’t been many children who’d stayed by Zagan’s side because of his personality, but Marc and Stella had still found their way into his life. Thinking back on it now, he might have seen a little of his alleyway siblings in the way that girl had trembled while still speaking sharply to him.

After thinking for a while, Zagan then shifted his attention back to Nephy and said, “So, you really do worry about that kind of thing. Um, about me being kind to other girls, I mean.”

“Hyah?” Nephy finally realized what she was saying. She was red from the tips of her ears right down to her cheeks. “Umm, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to...”

“It doesn’t feel bad at all. I’d like you to do this once in a while. Umm, get jealous, I mean...”

Nephy covered her face, unable to take it anymore.

“Master Zagan, you bully...” she mumbled. But even so, she peeked out between the gaps of her fingers and timidly continued their conversation. “I just thought of this now, but perhaps you have met her before.”

Zagan looked up at the sky as he pondered her statement.

“...Is this about my father?”

The hero of Liucaon, the Silver-Eyed King, was apparently Zagan’s father. He might have encountered that girl, since she’d been born in that country.

“For as long as I remember, I simply picked up trash off the streets, so I don’t have such memories myself...”

“I see... I didn’t even know what a mother was when I first met mine...”

“Yeah. Even if I had met this father of mine once, I doubt I would recognize him,” Zagan stated that fact and nodded earnestly.

The sky suddenly clouded over as if to tell them to stop reminiscing over their tough lives, and droplets of water fell on their faces.

“...Hrm? Rain?”

“Oh no, the laundry—” Nephy sat up in a hurry, then came back to her senses. “Oh, right. This is a dream.”

They still had their memories up until the moment they had gone to sleep. The laundry for the day had surely already been taken in and folded properly. Nephy’s cheeks flushed as she gave her head a cute little knock.

Hnnngh! What’s with that adorable gesture?! Are you trying to make my heart rupture?!

Actually, he wanted to see even more of it, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to take it. His bride’s flustered behavior was endlessly cute. It honestly felt like it was going to send Zagan to heaven, but...

“Hyaaah!”

“Wh-Wh-Wh-What’s going on?!”

The rain suddenly started pouring like a waterfall. It felt like a giant bucket had been emptied overhead.

Zagan rose to his feet in a hurry and said, “Let’s get inside the building quickly, Ne...phy...”

“Yes, Master Zagan... Huh?”

Zagan was left completely dumbstruck. There was no school-like building there anymore. The tree Nephy had been sitting against, the grass beneath their feet, everything had disappeared. In their stead was a wet, wooden floor creaking away, torn sails, and a steering wheel rotating around wildly on its own.

Before they knew it, Zagan and Nephy found themselves aboard a ship in the middle of a storm.

◇

“Wh-What’s going on...?”

“Nephy, it’s dangerous out here. Let’s get inside the ship!”

The boat rocked greatly as waves washed over the deck. The wind was so cold that it didn’t feel like a dream at all. Getting swept away into the ocean seemed like a prevalent threat.

Even if this is just a dream, dying in spirit is the same as dying for real... Such sorcery existed. It was used to kill its target in their sleep and render them crippled. Even a fairly powerful sorcerer could be killed before being able to put up much resistance.

Zagan immediately unbuttoned his jacket, spread it out like a robe, and placed it over Nephy as he sheltered her in his arms and searched for the entrance. But where was the door leading into the ship?

The sky was covered by dark clouds, making it unclear whether it was day or night. Visibility was poor and a wrong step could have sent them tumbling into the ocean.

“This way!” a voice suddenly called to them from a short distance away. Zagan turned his attention toward it, spotting a light coming from a slight depression in the deck. He could see a small shadow beckoning him from within.

“Over there. Let’s go, Nephy.”

“Yes, Master Zagan.”

He didn’t know who it was, but they headed toward the figure anyway. They couldn’t run on the swaying deck and nearly fell over several times, but somehow, the two of them managed to stumble into the doorway.

“Teehee, it is good to see you unharmed.”

Nephy’s eyes shot open upon seeing a familiar face.

“Miss Alshiera?”

It appeared the vampire had beckoned them into the ship.

Oh yeah, she was apparently a succubus once...

Perhaps because they were in a dream, Alshiera wasn’t wearing her usual dress. Instead, she had a glamorous red kimono on, which was a variation of the Liucaon-native yukata he had seen before. Also, because they were on a boat, her face seemed even paler than usual.

I heard that the Night Clan isn’t good with flowing water... Is it because of that? Was that a weakness she couldn’t avoid, even in a dream? Alshiera didn’t seem to notice what was going through Zagan’s mind as she unfolded a golden fan and covered her mouth.

“That was quite the dangerous spot you found yourself in, Lord Zagan.”

Both Zagan and Nephy cocked their heads. But then, he nodded with understanding.

“Oh, Lilith. Sorry to trouble you.”

“H-How could you tell?”

She had forgotten she was putting on an act and let out a shocked voice while remaining in Alshiera’s form.

“Miss Alshiera only refers to Master Zagan as the Silver-Eyed King,” Nephy told her with a smile.

“She’s also far more impudent when she giggles.”

Furthermore, Lilith was about the only person around them who could visit people in their dreams. It was very likely that Alshiera had similar abilities, but so long as this wasn’t actually Alshiera, there was nobody else that fit the bill.

“Ugh...” ‘Alshiera’ groaned in despair and sank to the floor with her head in her hands. Combined with her Liucaon-style clothes, it was unreasonable for anyone to try to claim that was her.

“I didn’t think Lady Nephy would see through me as well...”

“I don’t really get it, but why don’t you abandon that ridiculous disguise? It makes it hard to talk to you.”

“I can’t do that,” ‘Alshiera’ said with a shake of her head. “I’ve come here to play the part of an actress. And I can’t do that in any other form.”

“Actress?”

“...Let me explain from the beginning.”

Just as Zagan was about to nod, he realized Nephy was trembling in his arms. Her body had grown rather cold from all the rain and waves on the deck.

“Before that, do you have something we can change into?”

“Right. I do have some spare clothes on hand.”

‘Alshiera’ suddenly wrenched open the featureless wall of the boat’s interior. Inexplicably, there was a closet there. Zagan wasn’t all that familiar with boats, but he could still tell why that existed right away.

“Dreams are rather absurd, huh?”

“...Yes. It has indeed gotten rather absurd.”

It seemed she was imitating the real thing. Her tone was heavier than usual. In any case, the closet was filled with clothes. There were plain shirts and trousers much like what the townspeople wore, the ceremonial clothes of Angelic Knights, and other formal attire that Zagan had never seen before. There was no sense of unity at all.

“Hmm, so you’ve got this as well,” Zagan said as he spotted something he recognized. Then, he picked out his usual robe and mantle. Wearing formal outfits was fun in its own way, but his usual clothing gave him the greatest sense of relief. And as he was about to put it on...

“Ah!”

“What is it, Nephy?”

“Oh, no... Um, if possible, I’d like to try on those clothes you’re holding...”

Her pointy ears burned bright red and jiggled about as she made that request. She had apparently mustered up all her courage to voice that desire.

“I don’t mind, but are you fine with these? There are other more suitable dresses, right?”

“No, I’d like that one...”

“G-Got it. Do as you please,” Zagan said as he handed his robes over. Nephy put them on in a hurry soon after.

“Hwah, they’re big.”

That made perfect sense. The sleeves were so long he couldn’t even see her fingers. Zagan could only tell where her hands were based on how the sleeves were folding. Nevertheless, Nephy pressed them against her cheeks with a happy smile.

“Heehee, I always wanted to try wearing this.”

“I-Is that so?”

“Yes!”

It clearly didn’t fit her, but Zagan couldn’t say anything after seeing how satisfied she looked in them. She was still wearing that uniform underneath, so once in a while, he caught a glimpse of her dazzling thighs peeking out from the gaps in the robes.

What’s this pounding in my chest?! If Gremory were here, she would surely be spouting blood from her nose while shouting about the dense gathering of love power in the air.

The world truly was vast. There were blessings abound that Zagan still didn’t know of. After yielding the robe over to Nephy, he began searching for something else to wear... when a black tailcoat suddenly came into sight.

“Hrm? This is...”

“Ah...”

It was a butler outfit much like the one Raphael always wore. For some reason, Nephy stared at it with rapt attention.

“Umm, I suppose I can try wearing something like this once in a while.”

“Will you?” Nephy asked with a clear hint of expectation in her voice.

“H-How does it look...?”

“It really, really suits you!”

“That’s good to hear. I can’t tell what’s good or bad myself,” Zagan muttered casually.

Nephy’s expression suddenly turned resolute as she stated, “With all due respect, the clothes you usually wear are always the comfortable and loose type. This tailcoat is much tighter around your body. It’s a very fresh look.”

Zagan was overwhelmed by her unexpected insistence on the matter.

Well, Nephy’s maid outfit is so cute that it always makes my heart throb.

Nephy’s impression of his current outfit was perhaps something similar.

“I-Is that so...? That suits you well too, Nephy. I never imagined the unfashionable robes of a sorcerer could become so drastically different based on the wearer.”

“Augh...”

Zagan had simply said exactly what was on his mind, sending Nephy crouching to the floor and clasping her chest. All they were doing was wearing different clothes from usual, but that was enough to put them through a rollercoaster of emotions. Upon realizing that ‘Alshiera’ was staring at them as if they were in an isolated world of their own, Zagan and Nephy jumped apart from each other in a fluster.

“M-Mmm! I have no objections to these clothes. You’ve done well.”

“Oh, thank you.” ‘Alshiera,’ who was making a look with eyes like a dead fish, said that and shook her head to pull herself together. “First, the two of you have realized that we’re inside a dream already, correct?”

“Yeah. Did you connect our dreams somehow?”

“I did. But...” ‘Alshiera’ paused, then continued in a somewhat humiliated tone. “When I connected your dreams, some kind of foreign body got mixed in.”

“A foreign body?”

“Yes. I don’t know who exactly it is, but someone has lost their way inside your dreams.”

Zagan didn’t understand the logic that drove dreams, but judging from ‘Alshiera’s’ expression, he could tell that wasn’t good. He just didn’t know what it meant.

“Do you mean another succubus?”

‘Alshiera’ shook her head and replied, “A succubus who connects to a dream this poorly would be a complete failure... Still, they somehow possess enough power to rudely barge into the dream of the princess of the succubi. I don’t understand.”

“Is that supposed to be impossible?”

“It is... To put it in your terms, Your Highness, it would be like someone who doesn’t even know what sorcery is breaking through your barrier.”

“I see. That certainly is a ludicrous thought.”

Obtaining the Sigil of the Archdemon granted a person the power of an Archdemon. It was a mass of mana dense enough to make even a demon prostrate before it. If a commoner were given such power, their spirit would be crushed, rendering them a cripple.

What’s more, sorcery was similar to very complex numerical formulas. Breaking through a barrier using brute force would require surpassing Zagan’s calculation capacity a hundredfold. And carrying that out meant there was a gap in power that resembled the difference between a king and a commoner. So, simply possessing power on par with an Archdemon wasn’t enough to do so. That was why ‘Alshiera’ was making a bitter expression despite being inside a dream.

“And the one other troublesome matter is that this foreign body is in the midst of a nightmare.”

“Well, there are no good dreams Alshiera would appear in.”

There was a storm outside and he couldn’t see a single sailor around. It wouldn’t have been strange for the boat to sink at any moment... Actually, it was more of a mystery that it hadn’t sunk yet. Claiming to have anything but a nightmare on such a ship would be unreasonable.

“Is there a problem with it being a nightmare?” Nephy asked timidly.

“...Originally, delivering nightmares was a means of attack amongst succubi.”

The succubi were a race who stole vitality from others by interfering with their dreams. Angering them would mean getting killed within one’s own mind. That was what ‘Alshiera’ referred to when she used the word nightmare. A power that top-class sorcerers could spend an entire lifetime obtaining was something they possessed from birth. To a sorcerer, they were like living treasure. That was how the succubi ended up on the verge of extinction. If not for Zagan’s protection, Lilith likely wouldn’t have been able to take a single step outside Liucaon.

‘Alshiera’ continued even though she found it hard to do so, stating, “Furthermore, the owner of this dream possesses a pointless amount of power. Interfering with it poorly could cause the entire dream to collapse... And if that happens, the dreamer won’t get off lightly.”

It seemed their lives were at risk. That was why he couldn’t hear fear or anger in her voice, just pity.

I see. Destroying someone else’s dream without meaning to is a great sin to a succubus, I imagine.

She surely felt the same regret as someone who tried to save someone, but failed to do so.

“So, is that form you’re taking also out of consideration to the dreamer?” Zagan asked.

“Yes. It seems they are acquainted with her. She also seems to have a particularly important place within this nightmare.”

Well, thinking about it rationally, getting involved with a vampire was a terrible nightmare in itself.

“In other words, this is already an extremely abnormal situation, so it requires you to take such steps to interfere as little as possible.”

“Yes. You may not know this, but a succubus within a dream possesses enough power to charm a person at first glance.”

“Does that mean Master Zagan and myself were also affected?” Nephy asked timidly.

‘Alshiera’ stared back at her in wonder. She then waved her hands about with a strained smile.

“Oh, no, not at all... I mean, that’s impossible. How was I supposed to get in between you two when you were glued together like that?”

She nearly dropped her charade as she pointed that out to them. Zagan and Nephy were left in a complete fluster.

“W-W-W-W-W-We weren’t glued that closely together!”

“Th-Th-Th-That’s right! We showed proper moderation!”

‘Alshiera’ narrowed her eyes, questioning what they were even saying, before clearing out her throat.

“Oh, I mean, having a sweetheart drastically drops the efficiency of the charm. That’s all.”

She’d clearly decided to just tell them exactly what they wanted to hear, which made both Zagan and Nephy cover their faces. ‘Alshiera’ then shook her head to get things back on track and gave them a quick bow.

“I’m so sorry. This dream was meant to help you two relax... but I ended up landing myself into your debt even more because of my incompetence.”

Seeing such a meek expression on that face threw Zagan off, so he wanted her to stop.

‘Alshiera’ suddenly took on a strangely resolute attitude and said, “Well, please be at ease. I shall send the two of you back even if the worst comes to pass.”

The dream from earlier had been the very definition of something unnecessary, but she had still granted Zagan such a sight because she believed he yearned for more time with Nephy. As such, he wished to honestly express his gratitude.

“Don’t worry about it. I got to spend a relaxing day with Nephy for the first time in a long while.”

“Yes. Thanks to you, we managed to enjoy ourselves a lot.”

‘Alshiera’ blushed as she averted her gaze and murmured, “Th-That’s good, then...”

That was a reaction that fit both Lilith and Alshiera.

“Oh, right, what was with that dream earlier?” Zagan asked curiously.

“What do you mean...? I didn’t go as far as concerning myself with the contents of the dream, you know?”

“Is that so? I thought you’d be able to manipulate it however you wanted.”

‘Alshiera’ covered her mouth with her folding fan and gave them a brilliant smile in response to that statement.

“Just getting you two to meet within your dreams without asking was already pushing it. Going as far as controlling the dream you saw would be far too impertinent, even for a succubus, don’t you think?”

Zagan and Nephy nodded in admiration.

“You resembled Alshiera quite a bit there.”

“Yes. It was quite wonderful, Lilith.”

“But I wasn’t trying to mimic her or anything?!”

She had been imitating everything from Alshiera’s appearance to her speech, but that had apparently been her trying to act like herself.

Meaning she’ll end up like Alshiera when she grows up?

Alshiera had the appearance of a little girl, but this was more a matter of her personality and behavior. Ever since she’d started living in the castle, that vampire had exposed her awkward side somewhat. However, when he’d first met her, she was someone unreadable who acted both suspiciously and craftily. She didn’t act that way any longer, but he had even harbored a fear that he couldn’t make light of her as a simple vampire. If he asked the person in question, she was liable to strongly protest and say, “I only ended up this way because of you, my Silver-Eyed King.” Still, the resemblance was seriously there.

“Was it that strange a dream?” ‘Alshiera’ asked curiously.

“Strange doesn’t sum it up. We’d never seen that sort of place before, we were wearing unfamiliar clothes, and we were even thinking things we’d never even thought of.”

There were theories that dreams were based on one’s memories. But in that case, was it truly possible to see and think of something you’d never seen before? ‘Alshiera’ thought it over for a bit before saying anything.

“Some say that dreams are possibilities. Images of what could’ve been, essentially.”

“Possibilities?”

“Yes. ‘If only I did something different back then.’ It’s quite common to see dreams based around such thoughts, right? When such possibilities are combined, it can construct a dream you would’ve never even thought of yourself.”

She was the expert when it came to dreams, so Zagan could only nod in agreement.

I see. That dream just now was, “What if sorcerers never existed.”

Sorcerers would refer to such a thing as a parallel world.

‘Alshiera’ then staggered as if pulled by something and said, “Oh my, it seems My Lady’s turn has come.”

It seemed she had to play the role she’d been cast in for this dream.

“Is it better for us to remain hidden?”

“Yes. Please do. I would like to bring this dream to an end as peacefully as possible.”

With that, ‘Alshiera’ walked out onto the stormy deck.

◇

Zagan took a look around. The hallway within the boat was narrow. There was no way of hiding aside from going into one of the rooms, but in the off-chance they ended up coming to the same room, there would be nowhere to run. The closet that had appeared inside the wall had also disappeared before he knew it.

Well, in the worst case, I guess I can break the wall and force my way outside...

After checking for an escape route, Zagan glanced over ‘Alshiera’s’ way. She was out on the deck, leaning on the boat’s railing and looking down at the ocean. It seemed someone was drifting about down there. However, even though her exterior appearance resembled the real Alshiera, it was still Lilith on the inside. Wasn’t it dangerous for her to be leaning against a railing like that? Zagan watched over her in suspense as countless chains crawled out of her arms.

Oh yeah, she has that kind of power, huh?

Was it something particular to vampires? It looked like she was using them to pull up the castaway.

“Oh, hey, uh-oh.”

The moment she said that, ‘Alshiera’ slipped. Zagan had no way of knowing the truth, but the original Alshiera was in the worst possible condition when this moment had originally happened, so ‘Alshiera’ was simply imitating that state. However, it looked like she was about to tumble into the ocean, so Zagan immediately stretched out his hand.

“Hyaaah! Uh... Huh?”

‘Alshiera’s’ posture straightened back up for no reason. Not only that, but her chains were pulled up too.

“Is that inertia control sorcery?” Nephy whispered.

“Correct. You’ve grown rather accustomed to sorcery, Nephy.”

Zagan praised her as her teacher for properly understanding what was going on. He had just manipulated the directionality of physical forces. Most sorcerers learned how to do that right after strengthening their bodies, so it was essentially intermediate-level sorcery. When developed to its extremes, though, once could fly into the sea of stars. In theory, at least. In any case, it was because such sorcery was so common that projectile weapons like bows had completely lost their purpose.

So, I can still use sorcery within a dream...

Zagan didn’t have his robe or mantle, so he knew it would be difficult to do anything large-scale, but it was still possible to use sorcery itself. ‘Alshiera’ didn’t seem to realize what had happened, but the castaway had been pulled up by the chains onto the deck. And so, she kneeled down to help him in a hurry.

“Are you hurt?”

“Urgh... Ugh...”

It was a boy somewhere in his teens, about the same age as the actual Lilith. He had tawny hair and gaunt cheeks. His clothes were in complete tatters from being swallowed by the waves, giving him a very dirty and pitiful appearance. ‘Alshiera’ tried to lend the boy her shoulder to bring him inside the ship, but he fell unconscious. And it was difficult for a girl to move him all on her own. She couldn’t even take a single step.

Is she really trying to imitate Alshiera?

The casting seemed off, but it wasn’t like there was any other character within the dream. Unable to just stand by and watch, this time Nephy stretched out her arm.

“...May I lend her a hand, Master Zagan?”

“Yeah, please do.”

Nephy focused her mind and the downpour weakened. A moment later, a gust of wind pushed ‘Alshiera’s’ back. This was mysticism. Just as they’d suspected, she could still use it within a dream.

The kimono-clad vampire and the boy tumbled into the interior of the ship with unsteady steps... or rather, they were completely blown over to it by the wind.

Zagan and Nephy hid in the next room to make sure they weren’t found. It looked like the sailors’ room. The only things inside were beds piled up three-high and a small table. There were also what looked like uniforms and coats hanging by the window.

“...I’m starting to understand why you’re unable to leave her alone, Master Zagan,” Nephy stated in a somewhat astonished, yet sympathetic tone. In a sense, this girl was more of a mess than Chastille, so it was perfectly natural.

No, I guess they’re about the same, but Lilith’s physical specs are far lower... She was a non-sorcerer. Even within a dream, where she could put her real abilities on full display, her physical strength appeared tremendously weak. Well, it was only natural that a civilian couldn’t measure up to Alshiera’s superhuman standards.

The person in question looked like she was putting in the effort to overcome such shortcomings, but that only made it all the more pitiful. Even Nephy couldn’t leave her be. It was also possible that the original Alshiera was in poor condition because she was on a ship, though, so it may not have been entirely her fault.

Zagan and Nephy nodded to each other as the boy regained consciousness.

“Ugh... Wh-What are you...?”

“Oh my, is that how you greet your savior? You were drifting about in the sea, you know?”

“Huh...? You... saved me?”

She somehow managed to at least reproduce Alshiera’s tone. As such, their conversation progressed smoothly.

“So, this is a ghost ship?”

“Teehee, those are simply the rumors. But it’s true that there’s nobody around.”

Zagan and Nephy exchanged looks upon hearing that.

“If nobody’s supposed to be around, does that mean we would ruin things if we let ourselves be found?” Nephy whispered.

“I’d assume so. I’m not exactly sure what happened here, but we might be mistaken for the culprits or something.”

He’d been told they couldn’t afford to be discovered, but he didn’t think the conversation would get so serious. Zagan wished that Lilith had properly explained the setting of the dream beforehand, since he felt extremely confused. He didn’t blame her, however, since this was apparently an unforeseen circumstance for her as well. It seemed entirely possible that she didn’t have a full grasp of the contents of the dream.

Just then, ‘Alshiera’ and the boy drew closer to the room Zagan and Nephy resided in.

“Oh, this is bad. Nephy, hold onto me tightly.”

“Yes, Master Zagan.”

He held Nephy in his arms and floated into the air as if sticking to the ceiling. ‘Alshiera’ and the boy entered the room without noticing them and grabbed one of the coats by the window.

“You’ll feel better after putting this on.”

She’d apparently been searching for dry clothes for the freezing boy. Despite that, he didn’t put on the coat and instead placed it on ‘Alshiera’s’ shoulders.

“Aren’t you drenched yourself?”

“Huh...? Umm, I’m fine...” ‘Alshiera’ replied, looking flustered due to his unexpected reaction.

“I-It doesn’t look that way to me. Come on, just take it.”

Perhaps sensing that the boy was also quite embarrassed, she suddenly turned red in the cheeks.

Hey, there’s no way Alshiera reacted that way... It felt like she was ruining Alshiera’s image in all sorts of ways. For a supposed nightmare, Gremory would likely have been delighted to witness such a scene.

After watching the boy take ‘Alshiera’s’ hand and lead her out of the room, Nephy let out a sigh of relief.

“We managed to remain hidden.”

“Yeah... Is she really okay, though? It didn’t look like she was keeping up her act at the end there.”

He had a hunch that she’d already failed.

“This is rather fun. It’s like when we watched Chastille and Lord Barbatos back on that island,” Nephy said with a smile.

That had happened back in Liucaon. There was a time when Barbatos had managed to seriously anger Chastille. Zagan, Nephy, and the Angelic Knights had watched over the two of them when they reconciled. It was a fond memory.

Well, it was true he had gotten used to watching something that charming, so Zagan nodded with a smile.

“Well then, shall we continue watching over them from afar like we did back then?”

“Yes.”

‘Alshiera’ and the boy went on to investigate the interior of the boat, but perhaps because of who was on the inside, it didn’t give off the atmosphere of a ghost ship or nightmare at all. Along the way, shelves collapsed for no reason and knives flew out toward them without being touched. It almost seemed like Kuroka’s constitution had infected her, but Zagan and Nephy stopped such things before the two of them even noticed.

After a while, ‘Alshiera’ and the boy found the culprit behind the incident. They confronted a man who was brazenly sipping away at a glass of wine in the middle of the mess hall.

“Have you enjoyed the festivities aboard my vessel?”

“Quit screwing around! What festivities?! Why are you targeting her?!”

Zagan and Nephy had ended up watching over the two of them pleasantly, but apparently ‘Alshiera’ was the culprit’s true target. Zagan didn’t even notice because he had been spending the entire time saving her from her own clumsy behavior.

“Will Lilith really be okay?”

“Uhhh, maybe...? Should we help her?”

He didn’t think Alshiera would have been in any danger, but that was Lilith. He couldn’t afford to let this turn into a real nightmare.

“I’ll be right back.”

With that, Zagan invoked the time-halting sorcery that was unique to Archdemon Andrealphus called the Void. It didn’t actually stop time, it just made it flow very slowly. Anyone struck by Zagan in that state would feel like they came in contact with something moving far beyond the speed of sound.

He carefully marched forward, making sure not to damage the ship, and stood before the man. Then, Zagan lightly tapped his nearly comically relaxed face from the side. He made sure to hold back so that his head wouldn’t be smashed completely, but the shockwave was already enough to rupture his brain. Once time moved normally again, all the contents of his head would burst out of his opposite ear. He was honestly worried whether ‘Alshiera’ would be fine seeing that, though. He took a look around, thinking he had to do a little more, when he spotted the folding fan ‘Alshiera’ had just dropped.

I guess I can make it look like she threw this... Zagan picked up the fan and lightly chucked it toward the man’s chest. Within that slowed time, a light tap was enough to burst a brain. And so, a thrown folding fan could at least break a rock.

After confirming there were no other threats, Zagan returned to Nephy’s side and undid the Void. A terrifying boom accompanied the man and half the mess hall getting blown away. The folding fan had far more destructive power than Zagan had initially imagined.

“Huh...?”

The boy and ‘Alshiera’ were left completely in shock.

“Master Zagan, don’t you think you overdid it a little...?”

“Oh... I just thought the real Alshiera would at least do that much... Yeah, that’s it!”

He felt like he had just completely messed up someone else’s dream, so Zagan feigned composure. However, the destruction didn’t end at the mess hall. In fact, a crack spread open in space itself.

This is really bad, isn’t it...?

The moment he thought that, however, he immediately realized it wasn’t the case.

“Hm, it seems the dreamer is waking.”

It was akin to someone jumping awake upon seeing something ridiculous in their dreams. Lilith likely hated that outcome, though. ‘Alshiera’s’ figure crumbled away, returning her to her original form. The boy raised his voice in a fluster upon seeing that.

“H-Hey! What’s going on here?!”

“It’s okay. This is just a dream. You won’t even remember it when you wake up. It’s just a bad dream.”

It was more of a weird dream than a bad one, but Zagan read the mood and kept quiet.

Lilith then smiled at the boy and said, “Come now, the bad dream is over. Return to where you came from.”

The boy stood there, clearly at a complete loss for words.

“Return... to where I came from...?”

It almost sounded like he had no idea where that was.

At that moment, the dream world vanished. Deep darkness that seemed to signify certain doom surged up behind the boy as Lilith stretched out her arm to pull him back.

Unfortunately, Zagan and Nephy didn’t see that happen... because they’d already woken up.

◇

Zagan stretched his arms lightly as he woke up on his throne.

“Hmm. That was some good sleep.”

Fortunately, he properly remembered the contents of his dream. Both the time he had spent with Nephy and the fun sideshow which followed.

“I’ll have to get Lilith to pick out some kind of reward for this.”

He was aware that she did business by relieving his subordinates within the castle of their frustrations. But let alone give her any vitality as payment, he felt like he had actually been supplied with some. He couldn’t possibly go without thanking a subordinate who worked so hard for him. And as he considered what he could give her, a knock came from the throne room’s door.

“My liege, are you awake?”

“Raphael? What is it?”

He thought it would be Nephy, but it turned out to be his butler. It was still early in the morning, a little too early for breakfast. Raphael opened the door with a guarded expression.

“...What happened now?”

It seemed it was something abnormal in a completely different sense from the previous evening’s family meeting. Raphael took a small breath before saying anything.

“A guest.”

It was a brief, yet shocking report.

“...What?”

Zagan doubted his ears. That was because he didn’t sense anything himself. His barrier enveloped the entire forest around the castle. It was his domain. It didn’t just amplify his power as a sorcerer, it also possessed the ability to detect any intruders. It was thanks to this barrier that Foll and Raphael were able to detect intruders from afar. Regardless of Zagan being asleep, the barrier itself hadn’t recognized this guest Raphael spoke of at all.

It didn’t even let Bifrons’ intrusion slip... That Archdemon had gotten past the barrier by breaking down their body into mist-like crystals, but the intrusion itself was detected. In other words, this guest was someone who surpassed Bifrons in the field of barriers.

“Who is it?”

“I didn’t get a name. She demanded to be able to see you first.”

That was astonishingly arrogant, meaning she possessed power that backed it up.

If that kind of person runs wild, there’ll be casualties among my subordinates. It was rather unconventional to take a stranger who snuck into someone else’s domain straight to the king without even getting a name, but in this case, Raphael’s judgment was correct.

“Got it. Let her in.”

“Very well. How should we prepare?”

“That’s unnecessary. She’s an Archdemon, anyway.”

Only an Archdemon could serve as an Archdemon’s opponent. And just as he gave Raphael that answer...

“Keeheehee, quite the quick conclusion, for a little boy—Sorcerer Slayer Zagan.”

A creepy shadow crawled out from behind Raphael.

“...! Impudence!”

Raphael immediately readied himself to draw the Sacred Sword from his artificial arm.

“I don’t mind. Let her in.”

Challenging an Archdemon on his own would be too heavy a weight to bear, even for Raphael. Allowing some discourtesy to pass was worthless compared to the risk of losing such a faithful retainer.

The guest was a sorcerer wearing a mask. She wore a bulky robe that completely hid her physique. Zagan narrowed his gaze upon spotting a single light behind her silver mask.

“A cyclops... No, a beholder. I see. You’re Lord of Magic Eyes Naberius.”

I was right to stop Raphael. Several races naturally possessed magic eyes, but this was the worst among all of them. She had the shape of a human right now, but her real form was that of a grotesque monster composed of a bulbous sphere with a single giant eye and countless tentacles. The most troublesome feature of a beholder was its magic eyes.

At a glance, it looked like her silver mask was hiding a single eye, but beholders were said to possess ten magic eyes. Every single one of them hid a different unusual power, each of which had the power to easily destroy a whole country without even using any sorcery.

They weren’t on the level of dragons, but they were still a calamity-class being that far surpassed humanity. Those who possessed particularly powerful abilities by nature were the kind of opponents Zagan had the most difficulty with, as well.

I see. So she saw a gap in the barrier with one of those magic eyes and snuck in. Nephteros had once slammed her mana against the barrier to wrench an opening for her to get inside. That was a superhuman feat already, but Naberius’ talent made it look like child’s play. Honestly, Zagan admired such ability as a fellow sorcerer.

Zagan kept his gaze fixed on the Lord of Magic Eyes as to not overlook a single movement. He readjusted himself on his throne and crossed his legs.

“Should I say, ‘Long time no see?’ Archdemon Naberius.”

“It doesn’t matter either way. You didn’t have the leisure to really look at me back then, did you, now?”

“Andrealphus put on quite the show front and center, after all.”

“Keeheehee, he definitely was strong...”

Judging from her tone, she knew Andrealphus was missing.

Now then, what’s her goal? Zagan didn’t think this was about getting revenge for Andrealphus or attempting some kind of rescue. Still, he couldn’t think of any reason for Naberius to visit him at such a time.

Zagan only knew three things about this Archdemon. First, Naberius was an exception, even among Archdemons, who possessed two second names: the Lord of Magic Eyes and the Mystic Artisan. Second, she needed to ignore the danger of coming here and deliberately setting foot inside Zagan’s domain, with whom she wasn’t on friendly terms with. Coming here without a single subordinate meant braving the danger of being killed for a single mistake, after all. And last, she was apparently an eccentric that even Bifrons and Andrealphus avoided contact with.

The only choice here was to start by acquiring information from a conversation. Zagan snapped his fingers. A chair appeared from the shadow of a pillar and slid in front of Naberius. At the same time, he shot a look over at Raphael.

Back down for now. It would be troublesome for Naberius to go on a rampage here. It was better to keep his other subordinates far away. He also didn’t want Nephy and Foll to see this eccentric among sorcerers. He felt like her gaze would dirty them.

Raphael accurately read Zagan’s intentions and gave a quiet bow before leaving the throne room and closing the door. Once his butler was gone, Zagan turned his gaze to address Naberius.

“Well, seeing as you came all the way here for a visit, why don’t you relax?”

“Oh my. I completely thought you were going to suddenly attack me.”

“I would consider it if it were a good idea, but I’m not such a savage that I’d attack someone out of the blue without knowing their intentions.”

Rather, if people drew back from Nephy because her lover was such a violent man, it would end up being a burden on her.

The light behind Naberius’ silver mask narrowed in admiration.

“Keeheehee. I see you’ve grown significantly in just one year. I wouldn’t have it so hard if Bifrons and Furcas were as composed as you are.”

Zagan was taken aback.

“How unexpected. I didn’t think any of the Archdemons were capable of such lip service.”

“Oh my, how mean. Patrons are precious to an artist. This much is only natural.”

Judging from how she answered sarcasm with sarcasm, it seemed she wasn’t here to pick a fight or curry favor.

So, is she looking to negotiate some kind of deal? There’s nothing in it for me, though... Zagan held to the doctrine of obtaining anything he wanted with his own hands. He wasn’t troubled enough to need help from others when it came to dealing with Shere Khan, either. Actually, he planned on getting rid of all the Archdemons to begin with. Orias was an exception, seeing how she was Nephy’s mother, but he did in fact intend to finish off Andrealphus eventually.

The sorcerer before his eyes now was in fact an Archdemon with dreadful power, but that didn’t mean there was any benefit to getting along with her. Furthermore, anyone who claimed to be an artist was generally a good-for-nothing. It was better not to get involved with them.

So, I guess I’ll just finish her off. She did brazenly waltz in here on her own and all. Just as Zagan quickly decided on a course of action, Naberius opened her mouth to put a stop to his plan.

“Keeheehee. I suppose that’s enough for introductions. Anyway, I came here because there’s something I’d like to discuss with you. I’d like you to take my departure from my studio to do so as an act of good faith.”

“Mrgh...” Zagan grimaced. It was problematic to kill her on the spot like this. It would be the correct course of action as a sorcerer, but it was far too feebleminded for a king. That wasn’t the ideal image of a ruler that Zagan aspired to be.

It’s a hateful act of good faith, but that’s about what I should expect from an Archdemon. Zagan urged her to continue with his eyes, and Naberius’ single eye deep behind her silver mask squinted.

“There’s a vacancy among the Sigils of the Archdemon. We Archdemons need to decide on someone to fill this opening.”

This was rather unexpected. Zagan let out a sigh of admiration.

It is, in fact, the job of the active Archdemons to select a successor.

“Hmph. Is this about Andrealphus? He is missing, but I doubt he’s dead. Isn’t it a little early to look for a successor?”

“Keeheehee, how optimistic. Andrealphus served as Head Archdemon precisely because of his strength. And here he was so easily defeated. Nobody will want to follow him now. Actually, it’s more likely for someone to take his head within the day, isn’t it?”

Zagan nodded and recognized his stupidity on the matter.

Well, it’s in a sorcerer’s nature to want to finish him off once they know he was defeated. Some didn’t find it amusing that Andrealphus was an Archdemon. There were also sorcerers aiming to take his seat. It wouldn’t be strange for someone to quickly finish him off and become an Archdemon in the process.

If the Archdemons were forming strange cliques amongst themselves, it would be better to simply choose a new Archdemon before this could happen. Thinking back on it, when Andrealphus said that he was going to finish off Shere Khan, he might have been planning this to be his final job. By that point, he had already been defeated by Zagan. Handing his Sacred Sword over to Stella and coming to talk of old times with Zagan could be taken as him cleaning up his affairs before vacating his seat. Zagan knew this, but still couldn’t understand.

“So, why did you come here to discuss it with me? If someone is now in possession of Andrealphus’ Sigil, it would be Shere Khan.”

Regardless of the outcome, it was only proper to decide on the successor of the Sigil with its current owner. And yet, Naberius let out a curious chuckle.

“That’s the case for Andrealphus’ Sigil.”

Zagan’s expression finally turned grim. Naberius didn’t actually say anything about this being related to Andrealphus.

“...There’s another vacancy?”

“I’m not so sure about that. It’d be fine if it was vacant now, but in the worst case, we may have to consider it completely lost.”

Naberius let out a sigh, rather inconvenienced by the current situation.

Some other Archdemon fell? It was difficult to believe an Angelic Knight had done the deed. It was certainly possible if all twelve of them joined forces, but Raphael served Zagan, and Chastille didn’t make any moves. Michael was missing, and Stella was keeping her distance from the other Angelic Knights.

Even with some clever scheme, it would be pretty much impossible for the remaining Archangels to take down an Archdemon. Meaning this had to be a result of a conflict between Archdemons or someone dying of old age. Zagan at least knew the names and second names of all Archdemons, but he didn’t know them personally. Besides, according to Naberius, the Sigil itself was possibly lost entirely, so he couldn’t even imagine what had happened.

Regardless, he repeated his question. “That’s a serious matter, but why did you come to me? You’ve surely realized by now that I plan to get rid of all the Archdemons, including you.”

It hadn’t even been a year since Zagan ascended, and he already surmounted three battles with other Archdemons. What’s more, Zagan faced Naberius with clear hostility the moment she arrived. No Archdemon was so incompetent as to let down their guard after that. Naberius narrowed her gaze as if she had been waiting for that exact question.

“Isn’t it obviously because you’ve been hoarding all the previous Archdemon candidates to yourself? Rumor has it you’ve even won over Decarabia.”

Now that she mentioned it, all of the previous Archdemon candidates were in Zagan’s employ. It had only been a year since then, so it only made sense for the same list of candidates to be considered for the next Archdemon.

“Decarabia...?” Zagan muttered with a grimace before continuing with a dead-serious expression. “Oh, I killed him. He can’t come back.”

Naberius sat there in a daze for a moment.

Decarabia wasn’t only killed. Foll ate him.

His existence had been completely annihilated from the Eye of the Silver King. Both his body and mind were now back to being Stella. A high elf wouldn’t even be able to revive him. Even a genuine god wouldn’t be able to do so. It wasn’t even possible to bring him back as the undead.

Naberius squinted as if peering into Zagan’s mind before letting out a sigh. “It seems you aren’t joking. Poor Andrealphus. That means his sorcery has reached its end.”

Sorcerers only thought of themselves through and through, but they also wanted to leave behind their greatest inventions: their sorcery. That was why Archdemons still took on disciples. They wanted to carve proof of their existence into the world after they passed away.

Well, Zagan had learned some of it, so it wasn’t completely lost. In any case, if Andrealphus hadn’t recorded all of his sorcery within grimoires, it would be lost in the near future.

“Let me get straight to the point,” Naberius said as she stared at Zagan. “If you had to pick one of your subordinates to be the next Archdemon, who would it be?”

Zagan felt a sense of discomfort from her wording.

It’s like she’s saying she’ll support whichever sorcerer I endorse. With that in mind, his thoughts went back to his earlier thoughts. This Archdemon had come here to negotiate some manner of trade with Zagan.

In other words, she’s got a big enough problem hounding her that it’s worth putting me in her debt to get me to solve it. That’s definitely why she’s here. Not that I need an Archdemon as a subordinate...

Considering the possibility of some other hostile sorcerer becoming an Archdemon, this deal at least had the merit of saving him some hassle. Zagan considered feigning ignorance, but decided it was fine to give his honest opinion.

“Any of the Archdemon candidates from a year ago would do. But if I had to pick one, it’d be Purgatory... or Apparition,” Zagan answered with a shrug. He honestly didn’t want to mention Foll here.

Foll possesses strength that wouldn’t shame the title of Archdemon.

Even if Bifrons had been somewhat careless, she still managed to drive them away when the Archdemon had been serious. What kind of parent would Zagan be if he couldn’t acknowledge his daughter’s growth?

As for his other choice, Barbatos was about the only sorcerer out there who wasn’t already an Archdemon who could exchange blows with Zagan in a head-on confrontation. In a simple fistfight, Kimaris would be able to manage as well, but that kind of combat wasn’t even Barbatos’ specialty. That deserved praise.

However, Naberius was waiting for a different answer. “A proper choice, but isn’t there another appropriate candidate?”

I don’t really want to mention him, though... There was, in fact, one other sorcerer worthy of being a candidate.

“Shax,” Zagan said reluctantly. “Shere Khan’s former disciple.”

The eye deep within Naberius’ mask widened.

“Hmm...? That’s the first time I’ve heard that name. What’s his second name?”

“He doesn’t have one. His skill with sorcery is actually pretty bad compared to Gremory and Kimaris.”

“Why back such an unknown sorcerer?”

“He doesn’t possess much strength, but he’s smart. His skill with sorcery is inferior to the other candidates, but he’s still first-class. What’s more, he’s very talented...his inability to read the mood is a major weakness, though.”

Zagan actually found sorcerers who understood their weaknesses like Shax did to be far more troublesome than mighty Archdemons like Andrealphus. Such sorcerers would never show negligence as a result of self-conceit and put great efforts into conquering their weaknesses. Honestly speaking, Zagan assessed Shax highly enough that he didn’t want to make an enemy of him.

It was precisely because he regarded Shax so highly that Zagan had sent him to do reconnaissance on Shere Khan together with Kuroka. Shax being so unknown that Naberius didn’t even know his name was another major reason for this. The Angelic Knights paid more attention to sorcerers the more famous they were.

“You don’t seem to really want any of them to be Archdemons,” Naberius said dubiously.

“Of course I don’t. One is my enemy. The other’s my daughter. As for the last, I can only see a future of hardships if he becomes an Archdemon.”

Any hardships which burdened Shax would also inevitably burden Kuroka. That in turn would lead to Raphael’s anguish, so Zagan didn’t want to endorse him as an Archdemon.

It irritates me that I have no choice but to acknowledge him as a candidate.

Naberius was completely perplexed by this answer. This defied her expectations. It really did seem she was here to put Zagan in her debt.

“Now then, I’ve told you what you want. Get to your damned business already,” Zagan said, glaring down at Naberius.

“Oh my, I’ve already stated my business, you know?”

“Quit screwing around. Like hell there’s a sorcerer out there who would do something as charitable as supporting the Archdemon I’d want to back for nothing in return. I don’t have enough free time to sit here probing around for answers any longer than this.”

Zagan was quite busy. Frankly speaking, he wanted to mercilessly lop off this Archdemon’s head and go celebrate on a date with Nephy. Even if he wasn’t in open hostilities with Naberius, the Archdemons were all sorcerers who would inevitably bring trouble to his doorstep.

“Haah... You’ve seen through that much and still, you treat me so coldly. You truly have a terrible personality.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“I shouldn’t have done something so out of character like trying to negotiate.”

Zagan knew this Archdemon held the second name of Mystic Artisan. However, he was the type to create anything he wanted on his own. He didn’t have any interest in the work of others, even from the Mystic Artisan. It was precisely because Naberius knew this that she came here with such a shoddy proposition to begin with.

Naberius opened her mouth very reluctantly, but she was no longer addressing Zagan. “You’re there, right? Stop keeping to yourself and show your face, Alshiera.”

At her call, a swarm of bats gathered together in the center of the throne room.

“Teeheehee. That was quite an amusing show.”

The vampire’s body took shape and the bats vanished like a haze. Alshiera’s heel tapped on the ground as she curtsied.

“My apologies for getting you involved with such a troublesome matter, my Silver-Eyed King. I invited Naberius here. Although, I had no intention of having this meeting here in the castle.”

This was enough for Zagan to largely figure out the situation.

“I see. One of Mystic Artisan Naberius’ specialties is maintaining the Seraph Hunters.”

“...How astute of you.”

“Not really. I can largely guess based on how persistently you disassemble them.”

Alshiera was likely self-aware of this. All she could do was return an ambiguous smile. She then turned her gaze to Naberius.

“Now then, that was quite fun, but what do you intend to do with such a roundabout approach? I do believe I’ve already paid you properly, haven’t I...?”

This girl had lived for a thousand years. She surely knew of countless ways to torment someone without killing them. Zagan didn’t know what kind of contract the two of them had, but Alshiera was smiling as if to emphasize how foolish it would be to annul it.

Naberius didn’t answer right away. Her jawbone ground about as she hesitated to say anything. After a little while, the eye deep within her mask turned to Alshiera.

“Valley Cat Furcas has passed through your barrier.”

The air trembled with a buzz. Zagan kept himself on guard. He knew Furcas was the name of one of the Archdemons, but he didn’t know what this barrier was.

Alshiera’s barrier...? Is that the same barrier that encloses the world?

The continent and its surrounding ocean were all there was to this world. Countless sorcerers had tried to leave this sealed territory, but all of them failed. Even if some succeeded, not a single one had returned. Zagan believed this barrier was originally created to seal the Demon Lord and demons within this world. He also believed Alshiera was the guardian of said barrier.

The way Naberius phrased it makes it sound like Alshiera was the one who created it.

Alshiera did possess strength which surpassed even the Archdemons, but she wasn’t a sorcerer. It was questionable whether a vampire like her could create such an outrageous barrier. Even with the three Holy Treasures of Liucaon, it was hard to fathom.

Alshiera’s eyes were shaking with a rare show of blunt anger. “...That’s not funny.”

“I don’t have the leisure to come all the way here just to tell a joke,” Naberius replied in a disconcerted tone.

Alshiera sighed deeply. “...How?”

“The aftermath of last year’s battle. He jumped through the crack. I don’t know whether he got through safely, though.”

Last year’s battle? Is that the one where Marchosias and the Wise Dragon Orobas died? Strictly speaking, it was a year and a few months ago. Marchosias didn’t die in the battle itself, but Zagan believed he suffered fatal wounds there.

Was the fighting back then violent enough to create a crack in this barrier of Alshiera’s...? Or perhaps the fighting happened precisely because something had broken it? There was a good amount of eye-opening and beneficial information here. But all of that had already passed. Such a citation didn’t require this Archdemon to expose herself to danger. The dangerous part was how she was providing all this information without looking for something in return.

I see... She’s planning on getting me involved gradually!

This was clearly the kind of information even the Archdemons who were involved with the very secrets of the world shouldn’t know. This was a reckless plan being undertaken precisely because Zagan didn’t take her earlier deal. And yet, Zagan had no way of silencing her.

Zagan scowled at the two of them unpleasantly as a minimal show of protest for them to take it outside, but one side was the vampire who didn’t seem like she had ever bothered reading the mood in a thousand years, and the other was an eccentric even Archdemons kept their distance from. It was as futile as trying to move a mountain with his breath.

“So, what do you want me to do about it?” Alshiera asked with a wrathful voice.

“Could you bring him back? If you can’t bring back Furcas himself, then just the Sigil of the Archdemon is fine. Losing it would be troublesome for you too, right?”

This was the lost Sigil Naberius hinted at earlier.

Alshiera shook her head with a grim expression. “You seem to be misunderstanding something here. I’m a guardian, not a manager. I’d rather you not think that I’m capable of freely passing through the barrier.”

Naberius grinned with a detestable smile.

“But there’s someone who can, right?”

All expression vanished from Alshiera’s face.

“I don’t mind killing you right here, just so you know.”

“That’s a lie. You hesitate to even provide guidance to the living. A sorcerer is still a living being. You, kill one? Impossible.”

She was pretty much spot on with that assumption, but Alshiera drew a Seraph Hunter from beneath her skirt and aimed it at Naberius.

“I don’t kill. It doesn’t mean I can’t.”

“This doesn’t seem like such an outrageous request that you’d break an oath you’ve protected for a thousand years over it.”

“Oh,” Zagan suddenly muttered. Naturally, Naberius smiled as she looked back up at him.

“My, what is it, Zagan? Feel free to speak your mind.”

Naberius was all smiles at finally dragging Zagan into this.

“...You’ve misread the situation, Naberius,” Zagan said in pity.

“Huh?”

“First, Alshiera will vanish soon. That’s why she’ll act somewhat rashly.”

Naberius likely had no idea Alshiera’s wound was so severe. Her eye shot open in shock.

“And one more thing,” Zagan continued. “What you just mentioned is likely a taboo worth breaking a one-thousand-year oath over.”

It was so pitiful Zagan sympathized with her somewhat. It had been around three months now since Alshiera came to this castle. Zagan could at least tell what touched her nerves. Forcing the topic of Azazel and her past, a topic she avoided ever speaking of, was taboo. In other words, Alshiera wasn’t aiming her Seraph Hunter as a bluff. The only reason she hadn’t fired yet was because she was considering the repairs the Seraph Hunters needed. Naberius would vanish from this world if she chose her next words poorly.

And finally, Naberius realized how poor her choice of action was. Her eye showed clear signs of panic.

“Umm, aren’t you going to save me?” she asked Zagan.

“Me? Why would I?”

He did find her somewhat pitiful, but Naberius had brought this on herself. Besides, she forcefully dragged him into this. Zagan was fine with getting it over with without having to get involved. Moreover, it would mean getting rid of one of the Archdemons without having to do anything. Everything about this was advantageous for him.

Furthermore, Alshiera was a guest here, not his subordinate. He didn’t have any authority over her. It was far too late now, but Naberius started to seriously panic over her sudden predicament.

“Zagan, you’d be better off helping me, you know?”

“Don’t bother. I don’t need anything from you.”

“Oh dear. Is it really okay for you to cast me aside? I happen to know exactly what you want.”

Everyone had something they wanted. Trying to incite unrest in another by fishing for such a desire was the common practice of swindlers and fortune-tellers. Coming from an Archdemon, they were deceitful words meant to bring down their opponent. Zagan didn’t have any interest whatsoever. He already had his bride and daughter.

“I see,” Zagan replied with a snort. “I’ll consider it if it has more value than Nephy’s cooking.”

To others, most anything would have had more worth than that. But in Zagan’s eyes, the meals made by his beloved bride and daughter were far more valuable than any fineries. It was possible something out there did exist which surpassed such pricelessness, but Zagan couldn’t think of anything himself. And yet, Naberius flashed a detestable smile as if Zagan finally threw her a lifeline.

“A wedding ring. Mystic Artisan Naberius can create the greatest ring in the world for you.”

The armrests of Zagan’s throne shattered. All sorcerers knew that Zagan had spent his entire fortune of one million gold buying Nephy. Naturally, Naberius knew of this as well. That was precisely why this was her last gamble. It was a villainous trump card befitting of such desperation.

“...Repeat that once more,” Zagan said in a trembling voice.

Naberius was completely taken aback, wondering why he was stuck there, then immediately held up both her arms provocatively.

“A wedding ring. Do you not know the custom of bestowing a ring of oaths when getting married?”

Zagan had at least heard of this, but he never saw anyone around him wearing one. Well, everyone he knew were either sorcerers or unmarried. At most, he might have seen someone wearing one in town.

A w-w--w-w-w-w-w-w-wedding ring?! Thinking back on it, Zagan should’ve given Nephy one from the very beginning. Nephy said she treated her collar like a ring of oaths, so he ended up being simply content with that.

What a failure. Why hadn’t I noticed until now? He wanted to smack himself for calling her his bride without ever having given her a wedding ring. Alshiera was completely taken aback as she watched Zagan cover his face in outstandingly clear shame.

“Let me ask you one thing, Naberius,” Zagan said in a fearful tone. “What exactly does one give as a wedding ring?”

“The more expensive the better, of course. Don’t you think a ring given by an Archdemon needs to be the best there could possibly be? For example... a ring made of mithril.”

“Mithril?!”

Even Archdemons would find it impossible to refine mithril. The manufacturing method for this metal was long lost. Zagan himself had only ever seen it in Nephy’s pendant and that staff in Raziel’s treasury. However, the reason Lord of Magic Eyes Naberius was given another second name was because she was the one and only Archdemon who could refine mithril.

A mithril wedding ring! That would match Orias’ pendant, so I feel like Nephy would love it... But will she find it heavy? Mrgh... I don’t get it. I don’t get it, but that’s not a good enough reason not to have a wedding ring prepared for her!

Seeing Zagan so clearly flustered, Naberius whispered to him in a sweet voice.

“Oh yes, I have yet to give a present to my newly inducted sworn friend, haven’t I?” Her dreadful words were the whispers of a devil. “How about I prepare one for you two? A mithril wedding ring made by the Mystic Artisan would be suitable for an Archdemon.”

With that, the eye within Naberius’ mask turned to Alshiera.

I see. I can’t possibly allow Alshiera to kill Naberius now. Zagan stood up from his throne and pushed down Alshiera’s Seraph Hunter.

“Sorry. I’m siding with Naberius here. Put that away.”

“Fine...” Alshiera said with exhaustion.

She knew it would turn out like this the moment the wedding ring was mentioned. Naberius didn’t seem to think Zagan would really mediate for her over this. She was looking at him as if she couldn’t quite understand the situation... Well, the fact that she didn’t play this card from the very beginning showed she never thought it would be enough to placate him.

“You’ll regret this, just so you know. Nothing good comes from getting involved with this man...” Alshiera said in exasperation as she holstered her Seraph Hunter.

“I’ll manage... Hang on, what did you just say?”

Didn’t this vampire just mention something unbelievable? Alshiera let out a sigh as if she was fully expecting this.

“Sexually speaking, this beholder is a man.”

“Huh...?” Zagan turned to Naberius.

“That’s right. Is there a problem with that?”

“No, but what’s with your voice?”

“Obviously because I’m more beautiful this way,” Naberius replied with a grin. “Aah, but don’t you worry. I don’t care about my partner’s gender.”

“Shut that mouth of yours.”

Zagan finally caught a glimpse at why this Archdemon was called an eccentric that even Bifrons avoided.

Isn’t there one decent person among the Archdemons...? Presenting Nephy a wedding ring was a wonderful idea, but he felt like it was far too pricey now. Just as he started to regret it, the door to the throne room was violently thrown open without so much as a knock.

“Mister Zagan! This is bad!”

Unexpectedly, Selphy rushed into the room. What was even more unexpected, however, was that she had a serious expression and was very clearly panicking.

“...What’s wrong?”

Something had happened. Naberius was still here, but Zagan ran over to Selphy. She clung to him with ragged breaths without even trying to calm herself down.

“Lilith... Lilith hasn’t returned from her dream!”

Zagan suddenly realized that troublesome matters come from the most unexpected places.