Chapter 5: Flio Goes to the Calgosi Coast, Part 2

“And that’s how it went,” Flio said into his Conversation Gem. He had been using it to speak with the Maiden Queen in order to report on the situation. “So we’ve concluded our business with Calgosi. Our plan was to take a short break and then head back. Don’t hesitate to call if something comes up. You can use the magic gem I gave you to contact me, okay?”

“I see,” came the Queen’s voice in his head. “I thank you for your aid in this, truly. Enjoy your leisure—it is well earned.”

“Thank you very much, Your Majesty,” said Flio, and he turned the Conversation Gem off. He looked up at Junia Van Biel. Junia was so fascinated by the gem Flio was using that she put aside her extreme social anxiety to come over and gaze at it.

Junia was a witch, with considerable skill in magic and knowledge of the arcane. She hoarded tomes and scrolls like a jealous dragon, spending every second she was not otherwise occupied immersed in her research. Since becoming the family head, though, she’d had trouble finding the time. Her duties took priority. But Flio’s Conversation Gem was more than enough to rekindle the fires of her inquisitive heart.

“Wh-What’s th-that?” she stammered. “I’ve never seen one before...”

“Oh, this?” Flio smiled. “It’s one of my creations. I call it a Conversation Gem. It’s enchanted with spells that let you project your thoughts to another person. Although right now it only works if both parties have one...”

“You?! Enchanted a magic gem?! To project your thoughts?!” Junia’s eyes went round. “I-I-I had never so much as considered that! I-Incredible! How does it work?” She peered closer at the gem.

Junia had worn a swimsuit to accompany Flio and his party to the beach. It was a white one-piece garb with frills around the chest area. On top, she wore a white hooded sweatshirt. At first she had been intensely shy, hiding behind Polseidon’s back, but when Flio began using the magic gem on his ring to converse with the Maiden Queen of Klyrode Castle, her eyes lit up. Now she was pressed up against Flio, trying to get a good look at the Conversation Gem.

“Hold on... Miss Van Biel, you’re a little too close. Would you mind stepping back a bit?” Flio said, speaking quickly as Rys made her way towards them. Rys was wearing a layered bikini, and right now her shoulders were squared up in anger.

Junia’s familiars—Polseidon, Rolindeim, and Loplanz—interposed themselves between Rys and their master. “Madam,” said Polseidon, bending forward at the waist and looking quite small despite his immense musculature. “I understand your anger, and you are well within your rights, but we beg you to please restrain yourself, if only for a moment...”

Rolindeim likewise bent her very small, very dark-skinned body forward in a deep bow. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Countess Van Biel talk so much to someone other than us three.”

Loplanz, the young boy, lowered his head. He looked like he was on the verge of falling to the ground and prostrating himself before Rys. “P-Please! F-For the sake of Countess Van Biel’s communication skills! P-P-Please!”

“But... But!” sputtered Rys, puffing up her cheeks in a dramatic pout. “Argh!”

◇ ◇ ◇

Hiya stepped to the rear of Flio’s group and invoked Teleportation magic, summoning a portal. This was a spell that enabled the user to return at any time to a place they had once visited. At present, everyone in Flio’s house who could teleport was in the Calgosi region, having taken a super high-altitude super high-speed flight on Wyne’s back in her wyvern form. Hiya was conjuring a portal for everyone who had stayed behind at Flio’s house to come and join the party.

Hiya opened the portal, which looked like an ordinary door. On the other side was the living room of Flio’s house in Houghtow City. “I thank you for your patience,” they said as the rest of Flio’s household filed out.

Sybe was the first to arrive. It made a cheerful “gwowr!” and set to exploring this new environment with great interest in its natural psychobear form.

“Ohhh, that’s no good.” Flio winced when he saw. He turned to Junia Van Biel. “I’m sorry. You wouldn’t happen to have some very large clothing, by chance?”

“Oho!” said Polseidon, who was standing beside the countess. “Here, you can borrow some of mine!” He reached into his rucksack and pulled out some large articles of clothing.

“Thank you,” said Flio, holding out his arm. “We’ll give them back when we’re done.” A magic circle appeared around his hand, and the clothing Polseidon had been holding vanished. Polseidon and the rest cried out in surprise as the clothing appeared around Sybe, fitting itself around the psychobear’s body. Sybe was now wearing a colorful Hawaiian shirt and cropped linen pants. Mysteriously, its eyes were hidden behind a large pair of sunglasses, and it had a straw hat on its head. Dressed like this, it looked like it could only be some sort of large-bodied demihuman. There had been a stir when Sybe had first appeared as a bear, but once they got it dressed up like that, things quickly quieted down.

“Well, that was close.” Flio sighed. “Sorry for the trouble. I’ll have those clothes washed and returned to you.”

“Don’t worry about it! It’s quite all right,” said Polseidon, but his attention was on the portal. Blossom had come running after Sybe, who had darted out on its own; followed by Balirossa and Byleri, who were chatting like old friends; and Uliminas and Greanyl, who seemed to be in the middle of some serious conversation. One after another, everyone filed out. Polseidon watched them, slack-jawed. “Hey,” he said, putting an arm around Flio’s shoulder, “Mister Flio... Are those your lodgers?”

“Yes, they are,” said Flio. “Is something wrong?”

“Ah, to be young...” Polseidon mused. “But you know—work hard, play harder, they say. Hey Mister Flio, at the banquet tonight, who do you think I should—” As he was speaking, a large magic circle appeared above his head. It started to turn. “Hmh?! C-Countess Van Biel!” he shouted. “Wait! I was just—” But his pleas were in vain. A giant hammer appeared, and struck Polseidon on the head. “Gwbf!” The impact of the force drove Polseidon’s body halfway into the ground.

“I-I told you!” said Junia, her face bright red as she extended her arm towards the magic circle. “S-Stop perving on girls!” Rolindeim glanced between Junia and Polseidon, giggling.

Junia dismissed the hammer and shuffled timidly up to Flio. She was wearing her hooded sweatshirt, but underneath, her one piece swimsuit was still visible—white, with yellow frills. It was Junia’s favorite swimwear. “U-U-Um...” she said, her face turning red as she mustered her courage, “L-Lord F-Flio?” Junia Van Biel was so bad at talking to people that this level of conversation was taking all of her strength. Flio could tell how much the countess was struggling, so he gave her an encouraging smile and let her speak.

“T-T-Tonight, there...there’s going to be a f-f-f-festival,” she choked out. “I was wondering if...if...if I could...” That seemed to be her limit. The redness had spread from her face to her whole upper body. She plopped down and curled up into a ball.

Rolindeim, who had stayed by Junia’s side for moral support, wrapped her arms tight around her master. “So, basically, what the countess is trying to say is that there’s going to be a festival tonight, and that we, House Van Biel, with herself at our head, would like to show you around, right?”

Flio smiled calmly as ever. “Thank you!” he said. “We appreciate it!”

As Flio spoke, Rys ran up to him, a smile on her face. She was wearing a light yellow bikini with a brown and blue pattern, with a matching cloth wrapped around her waist. In her hair she had stuck a red flower, one that only grew in the south. “Oh?” she said. “My lord husband, have you not changed into your swimsuit yet?”

“Ah, no, not yet,” said Flio. “I thought I’d have a look around the beach first.”

Rys grabbed Flio’s arm in hers and started to drag him off. “They’re selling swimsuits on the beach!” she said. “I bought one for you! Now, let’s get you changed!”

Flio smirked in amusement at Rys’s behavior as he was pulled away from the conversation. “Sorry,” he said. “It looks like I have to go get changed.”

Rolindeim giggled. “Okay!” She grinned. “We’ll show you to the beach when you’re done, right?”

Polseidon, who had regained consciousness, watched Rys drag Flio away. His cheeks flushed red. “Ahh, what a lovely couple.”

Junia crossed her arms and let out a “hmph!”

“That woman really has quite the body...” Polseidon swooned, a phenomenally lecherous grin on his face. “I bet at night they—” But that was as far as he got before Junia’s massive hammer came down on his head again. It hit him dead-on, knocking him unconscious and burying him up to his neck in the sand.

Junia Van Biel gave her familiar a sidelong glance and muttered, “I-I keep telling you not to be a p-pervert!”

◇ ◇ ◇

Greanyl the shadow demon was kneeling before Uliminas. She lowered her head. “Then, I will take my leave.”

“Sorry to put this on mew, Greanyl,” Uliminas said. “I leave the store in meowr hands.”

“Your will be done,” Greanyl said, and passed back through the portal. Once Greanyl was through, Hiya closed the door.

“Well, well...” Hiya said, seemingly deep in thought as they looked around the beach. “So this is the Calgosi Coast.” Only a few mere hours ago this beach had been the site of the battle against Captain Eddsarch and his Blackbeard Corsairs, but now it was full of people swimming and having a good time. In the distance, Hiya could see a number of boats patrolling the water. They presumed them to be the Van Biels’ forces, still on guard against another attack. Under their watchful protection, the Calgosi Coast was returning to normal.

Hiya nodded their head slightly. “Hm,” they mused. “There is something admirable about the sight of such frail beings exerting themselves to the extent of their abilities. It is making me quite emotional.”

For a swimsuit, Hiya wore a long thin cloth wrapped around their upper body from the neck down. It was wrapped in such a way as to expose as much skin as possible—aside from their modest chest, Hiya was very proud of their supple, graceful body. They were attracting stares from not only the men, but the women too. Everywhere, people were watching transfixed, whispering in awe about their beauty.

Damalynas approached Hiya from behind. Her dark skin was adorned with a black and purple bikini, and on her head were large sunglasses and a witch-esque hat made of straw. Her breasts, in contrast to her master’s, were quite large. “Your Divinity,” she said, “is something the matter?”

“Not at all,” said Hiya. “I was simply enjoying the sight of these weak humans living their lives to the fullest.”

“Ahh, I see!” Damalynas laughed. “They are quite formidable, you know. I underestimated them once, and I ended up getting sealed away.”

Hiya chuckled. “Myself as well, come to think of it,” they said. “To think such lowly beings could seal the likes of us away. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined it.”

The two stood there for a while, sharing a laugh. “Well,” said Hiya, “it seems the Exalted One has left for the coast. Shall we follow, and experience this beach party of which those weak humans are so fond?”

Hiya made to leave, but Damalynas grabbed hold of them, holding them back. “Your Divinity...” she said, suddenly bashful. A blush crept into her cheeks. “I wouldn’t mind if...if we did some more training, instead...” She was watching Hiya’s expression closely.

Hiya pulled Damalynas into a gentle embrace and kissed her sweetly on the lips. The people around them seemed to take no notice, thanks to the shadow cast by Damalynas’s hat. After some time, Hiya pulled away and moved in to whisper so that only Damalynas could hear. “There will be time enough for that tonight,” they whispered. “Until then, just keep strutting around in that adorable outfit for me, would you?” They brought their lips up to Damalynas’s ear and kissed it gently.

Damalynas’s eyes seemed to suddenly light up. “O-Okay!” she said. “Yes, Your Divinity!” Damalynas nuzzled into Hiya’s embrace, shamelessly rubbing her voluptuous breasts against the djinn’s arm.

Hiya smiled fondly. “Then let us be off,” they said, and the two started walking towards the beach.

◇ ◇ ◇

In one corner of the busy beach, Flio and Polseidon carried an enormous mountain of luggage to a spot looking out over the shoreline. Flio was using Levitation, so the hefty bags felt like they weighed nothing at all. Polseidon was carrying his own load with pure muscle power. “This looks like a good spot!” Polseidon said. “All right, I’ll spread out the cloth and set up a parasol for anyone who wants to take a break. You and the rest go enjoy the sea to your heart’s content! Gah ha ha!” Polseidon wasted no time in removing a large cloth from their luggage.

“Oh, there’s no need,” Flio quickly added. “I’m happy to help.” He was wearing the outfit Rys had picked out for him—a navy blue swimsuit under a light yellow sweatshirt. The sweatshirt matched the cloth Rys was wearing around her waist.

Rolindeim stepped between Polseidon and Flio. “We appreciate the offer, right?” she said. “But you’re here as guests of House Van Biel. It’s bad enough we made you carry luggage.” She grinned playfully as she spoke, and pushed Flio physically towards the beach.

Rys, standing beside her husband, looked pitiably at Rolindeim and Polseidon. “Are you sure there’s nothing I can do? My lord husband even carried my luggage... I would very much like to be useful somehow.”

“No no no!” said Polseidon. “We’ll be happiest if you just enjoy yourselves!”

“What he said, right?” said Rolindeim. The two smiled at Rys.

Flio and Rys bowed deeply. “Then we’ll take you up on your offer,” said Flio.

“We’re headed to the beach!” said Rys, and the two walked off towards the shore.

Polseidon continued staring after them as they left. Far off, standing by a building near the mouth of the bay, stood Junia Van Biel. She had only intended to accompany her guests to the beach and head back, but she had become so excited to talk with Flio about magic that she had ended up in high spirits. However, the instant she made it to the beach she was overwhelmed by the crowd of people and began to shake with fear.

“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!” she shrieked, and darted behind a building. Now she was hiding using the spell Concealment. Nobody except Rolindeim and Polseidon, who were keeping careful track of her, had noticed she was there. The pair smirked grimly.

“Well,” said Polseidon, “just wearing a swimsuit and making it all the way to the beach is a big step for her.”

“It would be nice if this led to her being just a bit less afraid of people, wouldn’t it?” said Rolindeim.

“Hm?” Polseidon suddenly started looking all around. “Did you see where Loplanz went off to? He was here just a second ago...”

“Oh, Loplanz? I think he’s with Lord Flio’s crew, right?” said Rolindeim, joining Polseidon in scanning the area for the missing rukh avian.

◇Meanwhile, in Front of a Food Stall◇

Somewhere among the rows of food stalls, a parrot avian man with sunglasses and his hair done up in a mohawk angrily brought his face close to the small-bodied girl in front of him. “Hey, hey, hey, what’s the big idea?!” He pointed to the skewer of meat she had in her hand, and then at the flashy shirt he wore over his muscular body. “Look! Ya got sauce on my shirt!”

“Yeah!” the skinny parrot avian next to him sneered. “That was Monshu’s favorite shirt!”

“That’s his favorite shirt!” added the man to his other side. “Oh, I guess Tian already said that.” He wore a tattered swimsuit that looked like it might be old work clothes, revealing sword wounds covering his body. He squared up his shoulders in anger. “You’d better pay him back. Isn’t that right, you two?!”

The parrot man whose shirt had been soiled—Monshu—leaned in even closer along with his companions Tian and Balto.

“Go away,” the girl snapped. In a sharp motion, she raised her right arm.

◇ ◇ ◇

Loplanz in his baggy swim trunks was running up to the stall when he saw Wyne come out from behind the side of one of the others. “Oh! There you are!” he said, and sighed in relief tinged with anger. Wyne, who was stuffing her face with a big skewer of meat, looked over at the sound of his voice. Loplanz ran over and took her hand. “You shouldn’t wander off like that! This place is shady at the best of times. There’s this guy, Monshu. He’s part of the Rama-Dhoka Conglomerate. He wanders around looking for girls to con out of their money!”

Loplanz followed after Wyne as she walked on, unconcerned. Still with her hand held tight in his, she began moving towards a nearby stall. “I’m not scared of loser punks,” she said as she led him on. “I’m hungry.”

The stall that was Wyne’s target had a sign labeled “Yackey Soba.” It seemed to be busy with customers. Loplanz clutched Wyne’s arm tight, but she dragged him along with surprising strength for her slight figure. They were getting closer and closer.

“Okay!” Loplanz shouted, giving up on holding Wyne back. “Okay, okay! I’ll buy you some yackey soba noodles! But once I do, we’re heading back to find the others!”

Wyne stopped dead in her tracks. “Jumbo size?” she asked.

“Sure, I’ll buy you the jumbo!”

Wyne hesitated. “All right then,” she said, and nodded. Then, skipping cheerfully, she made her way to the stall. Loplanz kneaded his temples.

“That girl...” Loplanz muttered. “How come I gotta be the one to look after her...?” He took his wallet out of his baggy trunks as he spoke. “Well,” he said, “it’s not like Countess Van Biel ordered me to do this or anything...”

Suddenly, Wyne smiled and pressed up close to him, nuzzling affectionately. “I love you,” she said. “You give me food and everything...”

As small as Wyne was, her chest was quite large. She was wearing a swimsuit meant for a child, so the top was straining to the point of absurdity to keep her breasts in check. Loplanz looked over, noticing both Wyne’s happy smile and her enormous breasts, and blushed scarlet. His head was spinning. He opened his mouth but no words came out. N-No! he chided himself. I can’t look at Wyne that way! I already have a special someone—Countess Van Biel!

Wyne pulled Loplanz along by his arm. “Come on!” she said. “I want the jumbo noodles!” Her breasts—incongruously large on her childlike body—were pressing up against Loplanz’s arm. The sensation seemed to make the young boy grow redder and redder.

◇ ◇ ◇

While Wyne and Loplanz were having their little tiff, the sound of men moaning in pain came from behind the side of the stall from which Wyne had emerged. “M-Monshu... A-Are you all right?”

“N-Not really, no.” Monshu was lying next to Tian and Balto. They were sprawled out in a heap on the sand, their bodies contorted into unnatural positions. The girl they had tried to con had suddenly sent them flying. It was completely hopeless—there was nothing they could have done against her.

“She beat me of all people,” Monshu muttered. “I can’t believe how strong that girl is...” He tried to pull himself to his feet, but the sharp pain in his limbs had other ideas. Next to him, he could see Balto buried two-thirds of the way in the sand, not moving.

“A-Anyway,” said Tian, “we should probably steer clear of that girl. Let’s find someone weaker next time...”

“Y-Yeah...” Monshu and Tian gave each other a look and nodded. But the two showed no signs of getting up any time soon. They kept lying where they had fallen on the sand hill, their limbs twisted up in unbelievable shapes.

Those three had tried to run their scam on Wyne. Little did they know, that small girl was a dragonewt, the strongest demihuman type of all. Far from making a quick buck, the three had only managed to endanger their lives.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Thaaank yooou!” said the smiling woman who handed Loplanz and Wyne their two orders of jumbo yackey soba.

“How come we ended up getting two?!” Loplanz huffed.

“I love you, Loplanz...” Wyne said.

“Wh-What?! Stop saying that!”

The woman behind the stall watched the boy and girl go off together, deep in their conversation. She turned to smile happily at the man cooking noodles further back in the stall.

“Hero Gooold-Hair, those two were sooo cuuute! Do you thiiink they’re a cooouple?” The woman—who, of course, was Tsuya—was wearing an apron over her very high-cut one-piece swimsuit. It technically covered more of her skin than her usual outfits, but from the front it looked like she might be naked underneath. There was no end to the male customers who had really come to ogle her.

Moreover, every time she gave them her customary “thaaank yooou,’” she would bow deep, exposing her voluptuous cleavage for the world to see. The oglers ended up buying noodles again and again, hoping for another peek.

Hero Gold-Hair, who was on duty cooking the yackey soba, glanced over at her. “Never mind that!” he snapped. There’s another customer!”

“Oooh! There iiis!” Tsuya hurriedly turned back to the customer. “I’m sooorry for the waaait!” she said. She bowed before the procession of men in front of the stall.

“I swear, that girl couldn’t do anything without me,” Hero Gold-Hair muttered, glancing sidelong at her as he returned to his hot plate. “Well,” he said, “what she lacks in customer service, I more than make up for with my Hero Gold-Hair Special Yackey Soba! We’re making a killing with these!” He laughed loudly as he tossed a new handful of noodles onto the hot plate.

Why were Hero Gold-Hair and Tsuya operating a food stall on the Calgosi Coast? Well, it turned out that the man who had approached them was Guchant, the president of the Calgosi Coast Vendors Association. He had entrusted them with one of the stalls managed by his conglomerate. That is to say, the man who was supposed to operate the stall had fled thanks to Captain Eddsarch’s Blackbeard Corsairs’ most recent attack, leaving Guchant in a bit of a pickle. Hero Gold-Hair and Tsuya had just so happened to be in the right place at the right time.

“Well!” said Guchant, who had come to inspect the stall. “Business certainly seems to be booming!” He looked at the long line of customers and then back to Hero Gold-Hair. “Not bad at all! Is this really your first time?”

Hero Gold-Hair laughed as he flipped the noodles on the hot plate with his metal spatula. “Ha ha ha! This is nothing! I’m the absolute best at absolutely everything!”

Guchant couldn’t help but laugh himself. “Ha ha ha! Reliable young man, aren’tcha? Well, I made a promise, so I’ll let you have all the proceeds except for the cost of the ingredients. It’ll be a tidy sum!”

“Leave it to me!” Gold-Hair boasted. “I’ll make this the best stall on the beach!” He kept on laughing as he worked the hot plate.

To think I just happened to run into these two! Guchant thought. What a find! He watched Hero Gold-Hair work with a proud smile on his face. “Well, just keep doing whatever you’re doing!” he said.

“I won’t let you down!” Hero Gold-Hair puffed his chest out proudly at Guchant’s words, cheerfully wielding his spatula.

In the other part of the stall, Tsuya was handing the noodles off to the customers. “Tsuya!” Hero Gold-Hair shouted. “Make sure all the trash is together in one place! I’ll deal with it later!”

“Okaaay!” Tsuya responded. “Gooot it!”

◇Meanwhile, on the Shore◇

“Incredible...” Balirossa stood in the shallows looking out towards the horizon, eyes wide in wonder. She was wearing a flower-patterned open-backed one-piece, standing between the two cliffs that stuck out over the water. Inside the bay it was calm, but near the cliffs it was full of tall, crashing waves. From time to time a spout of water would rise from the roiling sea. Balirossa watched on, captivated by the totality of the grandeur of nature.

Behind her, Uliminas was giving her a dirty look. Woman though she was, Uliminas couldn’t tear her eyes away from Balirossa, standing tall with her elegant grace and gazing out at the open sea. She was unspeakably beautiful. Uliminas looked down at her own body, in her two-tone red and black bikini. She had a good chest and a slender figure—she was by every means a beauty herself. But it was Balirossa who had captured the eyes of the surrounding beachgoers. In the face of that reality, Uliminas found herself glaring spitefully. Of course... she thought. Of course Ghozal would want her...

Uliminas cast her mind back to what had happened the other day when she was keeping shop. Ghozal had suddenly held her and kissed her. “I don’t know what I did to make you angry,” he’d said, “but I love you and Balirossa just as much as each other. Are you unhappy with that?”

I don’t buy for a meowment that he loves us just as much as each other... she thought, touching a finger to her lips as she recalled that day. But...I was so happy to hear him say that... She sighed.

“Are you happy about something, Uliminas?” Suddenly, Ghozal’s voice came from behind her.

“Meow!” Caught off guard, the distinctive hellcat ears and tail Uliminas had hidden with magic sprouted back out from her body.

“Fool! What are you doing?!” Ghozal quickly draped his own parka over Uliminas’s body to hide them. Demons under the banner of the Dark One were still at war with the humans, especially the people of the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode. If people found out that Uliminas was a demon, it was bound to cause a tremendous commotion. Uliminas’s hellcat features stood out even among demons—it would be impossible to pass her off as a demihuman in her natural form.

Ghozal looked around after he placed the parka on Uliminas’s shoulders. Nobody seemed to have noticed her transformation. Most of the beachgoers—men and women alike—had eyes only for Balirossa.

“Th-Thank mew...” Uliminas pulled the parka’s hood up over her head and once again hid her ears and tail.

Ghozal placed a hand on her shoulder. “Hrm,” he said. “Nothing came of it. It’s no problem.” Then he swept her off her feet, holding her tight in his arms, bridal style.

“M-Mew?!” Uliminas was so shocked that her ears and tail almost popped out again, but this time she barely managed to suppress them. She clasped her hands over her mouth, blushing furiously.

Ghozal carried Uliminas and took her next to where Balirossa was standing. “Ser Balirossa,” he said, “what are you looking at?”

“Sir Ghozal!” Balirossa looked back at him. For a second, an ambiguously shocked expression crossed her face at the sight of Uliminas in Ghozal’s arms. “Oh,” she said, “I have only been admiring the waves.”

Ignoring the look on Balirossa’s face, Ghozal stepped to her side. “Hrm. The waves are incredible. Care to take a closer look?” He transferred Uliminas onto his left shoulder and picked Balirossa up, placing her on his right.

The sight caused quite a stir. It was only natural—Ghozal was carrying the two women on his shoulders as if it were nothing. And besides, everyone had already had their eyes fixed on Balirossa.

“Wha?!” a bystander exclaimed. “Holy—!”

“Is that man seriously carrying two girls at once?!” piped in another.

Ghozal noticed that he had become the center of attention. “Hrm...” he said. “That could be a problem...” He cast Concealment to suppress his presence, and the area suddenly quieted down. “Right,” he said. “Let’s go!” Casting another spell, he flew high up into the air.

“Waaah!” Balirossa exclaimed in surprise.

“Hey!” Uliminas protested. “Wait!”

“Ha ha ha ha ha! Hold on tight, you two!” Two horns sprouted from Ghozal’s head—the trait that marked him as demonic royalty, a member of the family of Dark Ones.

“What are you doing, you meworon?!” Uliminas shouted, grabbing tight to one of his horns. “I know meow’re using Concealment, but what if someown sees us! What if they realize meow’re part of the Dark Family!” Gholl’s horns... she thought. The Dark Meown’s horns... In recent days, Ghozal had been spending most of his time in human form. It wasn’t that Uliminas particularly minded how that form looked, but she still had deep emotions attached to this body—the body of Gholl the Dark One, whom she had served for many, many years.

In the Dark Army, Ghozal and Uliminas had worked together as the Dark One and his confederate. Freeloading at Flio’s house and living as humans had been their first taste of freedom.

“That Ghozal!” Uliminas sighed, turning to Balirossa. “He can be such a mewdiot, can’t he, Balirossa?!”

“Ah?” Balirossa was briefly startled by Uliminas’s voice, but then responded with a smile. “A-Ah! Y-Yes, you are quite right, Ser Uliminas.” Uliminas smiled back. The two grinned happily at each other from their perches on Ghozal’s shoulders.

“We’re almost out of the bay, you two!” said Ghozal, flying on with his lovers perched on either shoulder.

◇ ◇ ◇

Blossom, who was wearing an orange bikini, cried out to the psychobear beside her. “Let’s go, Sybe!”

“Gwowr!” Sybe, still wearing the well-used shorts he had borrowed from Polseidon, bellowed happily as the two dove into the water. The two were diving underwater by the cliff walls. It looked like they were searching for something.

Before long, they resurfaced together. Blossom was holding a number of clams in her right hand, while Sybe had an entire fish in its mouth. “Wow, Sybe!” said Blossom, grinning. “Not bad!” She turned to the psychobear and held out her arm. Sybe, the fish still in its mouth, linked his paw with her hand.

Byleri sat on the crags, watching the two with amazement. “Like, wow, you two!” she cried, giving them a one-woman round of applause. “There’s totally no way I could ever catch something underwater like that, y’know?” Byleri was wearing a one-piece with a hoof-print pattern, over which she wore a parka and a wide-brimmed white hat. She took the clams and fish Blossom and Sybe had caught and put them in her Bottomless Bag.

“Heh,” Blossom laughed, grinning brightly at Balirossa’s words and pridefully rubbing her finger under her nose. “It’s not so different from swimming in the river! Not hard at all!”

“Gwow! Gwow!” cried Sybe. It waved its right arm like it was saying, “I did good too!”

The two spent some time chatting with Byleri, before Blossom declared, “All right! Wanna go for another round?”

“Gworf!” Sybe answered, and the two dove back under the waves.

Rys was watching from the shallows a short distance away with an inner tube around her waist. Her cheeks were puffed out in a pout as Flio pulled her along with his hands. “They really are something, those two...” she muttered.

“Don’t worry, Rys,” said Flio, smirking in amusement. “You’ll learn how to swim in no time.”

Rys puffed her cheeks out even further. “I-I know how to swim!” she protested. “Just...not in this body...”

Rys was not lying. She had long been a champion swimmer, even able to swim under the waters of a lake. She had done battle with all sorts of aquatic magic beasts, more than she could properly count, and had never been outpaced in the water. However, that had all been achieved in her full-wolf form.

She had reached the beach full of enthusiasm. “My lord husband!” she had said. “Let’s go swimming!” And she had run straight for the sea, dragging her husband along, where she had sunk like a rock. “Gablubhblubhblub!” she had cried, floundering spectacularly.

Flio had rescued her, and now she was practicing with Flio so she could swim in her human form. “M-My lord husband...” she said, a mournfully apologetic look on her face. “I can practice swimming on my own... You should go enjoy the water with Blossom and the others...”

Flio gave Rys one of his typical easygoing smiles. “Don’t be silly, Rys!” he said, “I’m having a great time helping you practice!”

“My lord husband...” Rys looked up at him with tearful eyes, her cheeks turning a faint pink. “I am so...so happy to be your wife...” She sighed amorously before screwing her face back up in determination. “Then I must do my part! I shall repay your kindness and master the art of swimming within the hour!” She paddled on, kicking her legs with surprising force.

◇The Van Biels’ Rest Station◇

“Wh-What’s that?!” Polseidon stared wide-eyed in the direction of the cliffs where something had hit the water with an enormous splash. The water sprayed high up in the air, glittering in the sunlight.

“It’s beautiful...” Junia Van Biel’s eyes shone as she looked out at the sight. Junia, who was as frightened by crowds as ever, had hidden herself in a wooden crate and flown it over using the spell Levitation.

“Well!” said Rolindeim, grinning happily. “It’s a rare pleasure to see you out and about, Countess.” Rolindeim, despite her youthful appearance, had been passed from generation to generation of Van Biels along with Polseidon to serve as their familiars. Nothing gave them more joy than to see their master, who lived her life as a shut-in, enjoying the outdoors.

Rolindeim and Polseidon exchanged a look and cheerfully bumped their fists, while Junia continued to watch, enchanted, as the spray flew higher and higher into the air.

◇That Evening, on the Beach◇

It was beginning to get into the evening, but the Calgosi Coast was still full of people. A ways away, on a small hill, a group stood watching. At their head was a man with a black beard, lying low to stay out of the view of the people on the beach.

“Guh ha ha,” he laughed. “Look at those rats, having a good ol’ time down there...” His lips turned up in a wicked smirk. This was Captain Eddsarch, the head of the Blackbeard Corsairs. Behind him, his crew lay in wait. “Those reinforcements from Klyrode Castle may have destroyed our fortress and all our ships,” he said, “but even with nothing to our name, we’ll attack and attack for as long as we live!”

“Um,” said one of his crewmates, “C-Captain?”

“What?! What is it?!”

“Oh, um...” the man said. “I know you want us to attack, but...aren’t those people from the morning still there? The ones from Klyrode Castle?” Behind him, every one of the crew was shaking with fear, reliving the trauma they had experienced just this morning. Just two of the fighters from Klyrode had crushed their trump card—the demon beasts—in the blink of an eye and destroyed over a hundred of their ships. When they’d returned to their fortress, they’d found it flattened by rampaging dragons, beasts, and wizards. None of them were eager to see a repeat of what had happened.

But Captain Eddsarch laughed again, and said, “That’s exactly why we’re going to attack!”

“What?!”

“Look!” Eddsarch explained. “They’re having some kind of festival on the beach! We’ll disguise ourselves as normal festivalgoers and go on a rampage! It’s the perfect strategy! They’ll have no way of telling friend from foe! We’ll pilfer their money, and we’ll kidnap the guest of honor: Junia Van Biel! Then we’ll get out of there! Gah ha ha!”

“I... I see...” said the crewman who had approached him.

“Yeah!” said another. “That sounds like it might work!”

“Long live Captain Eddsarch!” The crew raised their voices in great cheer.

Captain Eddsarch grinned evilly at the adulation of his underlings. Junia Van Biel... he thought, a line of drool dribbling from the corner of his mouth, this time I’ll make off with you, and have you check in for good! Ohhh... I’ll make you be a good girl for me... He was staring at the tent they had set up in the middle of the beach where the festival’s guest of honor was waiting. “Right!” he said. “Move out, you lot!”

“Aye, Captain!” The pirates waiting behind Captain Eddsarch sprung to their feet at their captain’s orders.

Captain Eddsarch looked over his crew and drew his sword, pointing it ahead towards where the beachgoers made merry in their ignorance. “I’m coming, Calgosi!” he bellowed. “Wait for me, Junia! I’m coming to—” But that was as far as he got. Eddsarch hadn’t taken two steps before he fell into a pit trap someone had dug beneath his feet.

Cries of “Captain Eddsarch!” rang out, the others running up to the hole and shouting into it at the top of their lungs. But there was no response. Gradually, they grew silent. This was another unbelievable development.

Eventually, one of the crew spoke. “That... That must be them, right? Those crazy-strong folk from Klyrode Castle must have dug this trap...”

Silence fell again, even more total than the last time. Then... “I-I quit!” one of the pirates shrieked. He ran away, as fast as his legs could carry him.

As if on cue, the rest of the pirates started to flee as one. “Aaaaah!”

“Save us!”

“I’m so sorry!”

“I don’t want to be a pirate anymore!”

Shouting and panicking, the pirates ran away from the coast, into the forest.

◇ ◇ ◇

Some time later, a woman walked up the hill, alone. “I thooought I heard voooices...” she said. “Did I imaaagine it?” Trembling, she hid behind one of the trees, closely examining the hill. This was Tsuya, who was supposed to be helping operate the yackey soba stand. She sighed with relief once she was sure that there was nobody on the hill, and started to walk around, clearly looking for something.

“Leeet’s seee...” she said. “Where waaas it? I thooought it was around heeere. Oh! Here it iiis!” she walked up to a spot on the hill. “Theeere! The gaaarbage pit Hero Gooold-Hair made with his Drilldooozer Shovel!” She took out her Bottomless Bag and and retrieved the stockpile of trash she had accumulated. It was a huge quantity—not just the trash from their yackey soba stall, but from all the surrounding stalls as well.

“With suuuch a biiig hole, we can fit aaaall the garbage we waaant!” Tsuya marveled. “Oooh, but if I’m not caaareful, I might fall iiin... That would be scaaary!” As she spoke, she tossed the trash into the pit. There was so much junk crammed in her Bottomless Bag that before long, the hole was completely full.

“Okaaay!” Tsuya said. “Baaack to wooork! Leeet’s sell looots and looots tonight!” She cheerfully raised an arm in the air, and skipped her way back to the row of stalls.

From the bottom of the hole came a voice. “Ohhh... J-Junia... You’re checking in...”

But nobody was there to hear.

◇The Shore◇

Today, on the beach, the people of Calgosi were celebrating the Calgosi Coast Festival, a once-a-year event. During the festival, shops from all over set up stalls all along the beach in tremendous numbers.

Flio and his companions walked along through the rows and rows of stalls. “Everyone at this festival is still in their swimsuits,” observed Rys.

“That’s right!” said Polseidon, who was at the head of the party. “Tonight, the sea will be lit up with magic lanterns. You can swim all through the night if you want! So everyone comes ready to swim.”

Belano was walking alongside them. She had finished her shift at the Houghtow College of Magic and joined up with the rest. Belano was wearing a sky-blue one-piece swimsuit that wrapped around her chest in an overlapping series of frills, but she had been squirming uncomfortably for a while now, embarrassed to be seen by the crowd of people they were walking past.

Flio noticed that Belano was squirming. “What’s wrong, Belano?” he asked. “Are you cold?”

Belano hurriedly shook her head and flailed her arms in evident distress. “N-No! Th-That’s not...”

Flio smirked wryly. “Are you embarrassed, then? Well, how about this...” As he spoke, he took off the hooded sweatshirt he had been wearing and put it on Belano.

Belano made a strange squeaking sound, her eyes going wide and her body freezing stiff. “F-Fweh?!”

Belano had come to see Flio as a surrogate for her father and brother, who had passed away. And mixed in with those feelings was a faint romantic attraction. When Flio himself draped a sweatshirt over her shoulders, her body temperature rose appreciably, and her face turned a brilliant red. “L-L-L-Lord Flio’s sh-sh-sh-shirt...” she said in a strained falsetto, visibly shaking.

“Belano?” Flio looked at her with worried eyes. “Are you okay?”

“I-I-I-I-I’m o-o-o-okay...” she said, and hurried to the very tail of their procession at an all-out sprint.

Flio watched her go. “She doesn’t seem okay...” he said, his voice full of concern.

“Oh,” said Byleri, walking up to him. “I’ll, like, check up on her? But like, whatever it is, it totally isn’t your fault. You don’t gotta worry, ’kay?” She gave him a salute.

“You think so?” Flio responded, smiling at her. “That’s a relief, I guess. Thanks for looking out for her.”

◇ ◇ ◇

At the back of the party, Belano put her arms through the sleeves of Flio’s sweatshirt and walked on, clutching her arms, a satisfied look on her face. Flio’s shirt... I’m so happy...

Rys, who had left the front to check on Belano, sighed deeply. Well, she told herself, Belano’s been having trouble with her work at the college, and she really is trying so hard. Perhaps I should let it slide. Still, she was frowning discontentedly as she attached herself to Flio’s arm.

“What’s the matter, Rys?” Flio asked.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just want to walk like this for a while. Is that okay, my lord husband?”

“Of course!” said Flio. “It’s my pleasure!” He smiled indulgently at Rys’s childish behavior. Rys smiled happily and pressed herself even closer to his arm, which sank into the cleavage between her breasts. Flio blushed at the sensation. It’s hardly my first time touching it, he thought, but Rys’s chest sure is something...

Flio’s reaction did not escape Rys’s notice. She pressed herself up closer, rubbing her chest against him. “R-Rys?!” Flio exclaimed.

“May we not do such things from time to time, my lord husband?” Rys said, looking cheerfully up at her husband’s bashful expression. Flio found himself powerless to protest before Rys’s smile. Hee hee, Rys giggled to herself as she clutched Flio’s arm, it makes me so happy that I can make him blush...

◇ ◇ ◇

Blossom marveled at the spectacle of Wyne eating her indiscriminate way through the food stalls, apparently determined to consume every bit of food there was. “You really do eat everything, don’tcha!” she said.

Polseidon had planned on showing Blossom and Sybe through the food stalls so that all three of them could eat their fill, but Wyne, drawn by the delicious scent, had muscled her way into the party and took the lead. She was buying everything, as if there was something she was looking for.

“Ha ha ha! Well, nothin’ wrong with that! A big appetite is a sign of health, you know!” Polseidon laughed heartily, overjoyed at the sight of Wyne stuffing the skewered meat into her face. Polseidon himself was in very high spirits, with a skewer in one hand and a bottle of liquor in the other.

There was another reason Polseidon was so happy, beyond pure drunkenness. “Hey gramps!” said Blossom, laughing cheerfully with her arm wrapped around his. “You handle your liquor pretty well, don’tcha! I think I’m gonna have another drink myself!” Positioned as she was, Polseidon found himself pressed up close to her generous bosom.

Ahh, the chest of a young lady, Polseidon thought. Bigger really is better! He worked his long white beard with his other hand, a lovestruck expression on his face.

“Bottoms up, gramps!” Blossom said.

“Ottoms bup!” Polseidon responded, and the two drained their glasses in one go, laughing loudly.

Rolindeim and Sybe were giving the pair the side-eye. “Oh, that lecherous old man really gets to me sometimes...right?” said Rolindeim.

“Gwow!” Sybe responded, nodding affirmatively.

“We aren’t going out or anything,” Rolindeim continued, rolling her eyes, “but I still hate seeing him ignoring me and putting the moves on other women. We’ve been together for so long, right?”

Sybe nodded and nodded. It seemed to be saying, “I can’t stand it either.”

Rolindeim and Sybe scornfully watched Polseidon and Blossom carry on laughing joyfully, Polseidon’s face as dopey as can be. Suddenly, Wyne popped up in front of them, blocking their field of vision. She held out her hand. “I’m out of money...” she said.

The House Van Biel had promised to pay the entire bill for today’s excursion. Flio, who knew full well the capacity of Wyne’s appetite, had tried to discourage them, but Junia had insisted. “A-A-A-A-At least... A-At least l-l-l-l-let me do th-this much...” In the end, Flio had relented before her dogged perseverance. Junia had given Rolindeim a great sum of money to pay for anything their guests wanted. Rolindeim served as the treasurer for House Van Biel, so that decision was only natural.

“Oh, okay! Money, right?” Rolindeim said, taking out the Bottomless Bag where the money was stored. “Gimme just a second,” she said, when suddenly she seemed to have an idea. She snickered fiendishly. “Heh heh... Actually, hold on.” Rolindeim’s body transformed into something like a shadow, and she moved under everyone’s feet until she came up behind Polseidon. Rolindeim was a demihuman—a black panther demihuman—with the ability to transform her body into anything she liked. She was skilled enough even to turn into something like a shadow.

When she reached Polseidon, her right hand—and just her right hand—materialized and swiped Polseidon’s satchel. Polseidon and Blossom, who now had their arms draped over each other’s shoulders, never even noticed.

Rolindeim reappeared in front of Wyne, in an evidently good mood. She took some money out of Polseidon’s satchel. “Here you go,” she snickered.

“Oh, Wyne!” Polseidon shouted, still blissfully ignorant of the theft. “Get me another one of those skewers, will you?”

◇ ◇ ◇

Later on, the sun had set, and everyone was beginning to feel a little chilly with their skin exposed. They changed back into their everyday clothes and reconvened at Rolindeim’s location. “I suppose it’s about time to head back to the mansion, right?” she said, and led them back.

“The festival isn’t over, is it?” Flio asked, looking out at the rows of food stalls still on the beach.

“The festival goes until tomorrow morning, but the mansion roof is where you wanna be for the next event, right?” Rolindeim snickered.

“Then,” said Ghozal, “when this event is over, we head back to the stalls?”

“Something like that, right?” She smiled deviously.

“Hrm,” Ghozal said, glancing at Rolindeim. “Then let’s see what this event is.” He found a chair and plopped himself down. Uliminas and Balirossa sat in chairs to his left and right. After a moment passed, the two shared a look and took one of Ghozal’s arms in near-perfect unison.

“Ser Uliminas,” said Balirossa, “I believe that you and I have the makings of good friends.”

“Yeah.” Uliminas nodded. “I agree.”

“However,” Balirossa went on, “that is a separate matter entirely...”

“No, no,” said Uliminas. “I agree about that too.”

The two nodded to each other. “That being said,” continued Balirossa, “for today, at least...”

Uliminas sighed. “So...a mewce?” The two held Ghozal’s arms tighter.

Ghozal looked between the two, confused. “Hey, Uliminas! Balirossa! What in the hells are you talking about? What do you agree on? What truce?”

Balirossa and Uliminas looked up at him, smiling rather darkly. “Sir Ghozal, I wish you would give it some thought yourself,” said Balirossa.

“Yeah!” Uliminas agreed. “Mew need to do meowr share of worrying!”

Rys smirked as she watched the three. “Poor Uliminas and Balirossa,” she said.

Beside her, Flio made a wry face. “They’ve been like this the whole time we were at the stalls,” he said. “No wonder Mister Ghozal didn’t get enough food. Well, I suppose he brought it on himself.”

Rys pressed herself up close. “I am truly grateful that you are my husband,” she said, pressing her face up against Flio’s chest.

Flio held her close. “Me too.”

One by one, Flio’s household filtered up onto the roof—Blossom, Belano, Byleri, Wyne, and Sybe. They were joined by Junia Van Biel’s two familiars, Polseidon and Rolindeim. Still devouring a roast skewer she had bought from one of the stalls, Wyne took a look around the area. “Where’s the bird brat?” she asked.

“Oh, Loplanz?” Rolindeim asked. “I guess he tired himself out. He’s been sleeping since the early evening, right?”

Wyne looked a little disappointed, but kept munching on her skewer. “He’s a pain in the butt,” she muttered, “but it’s boring without him around...”

Wyne made her way to the rest of the group. They were sitting with Blossom at the front on the seats in the middle of the roof, drinking the liquor Polseidon had bought for them.

“Oh, speaking of, where did Hiya and Damalynas get off to?” Blossom asked, draining her cup in one go.

Next to her, Byleri raised her hand. “Oh! They, like, went back home? They said they were gonna train and, like, look after the house.”

“Oh?” said Blossom. “Those two are always training, aren’t they? I wonder what kinda training they do. You got any idea, Byleri?”

“Huh?!” Byleri hadn’t been prepared for that question. She spilled her drink.

Hiya, who had mastered the magic of light and darkness to the utmost degree, had made up their mind to seek knowledge of the one area of which she knew nothing—sexual intercourse. Hiya could manifest whatever sex organs they pleased, so they were quite satisfied with Damalynas as a partner.

“Wh-Wh-Wh-Who knows!” Byleri squeaked, her face beet red, “I-I-I, like, t-totally have no idea!”

Blossom cocked her neck. “Well, no helping it if ya don’t know, I guess. Anyway! Have a drink!”

“Y-Y-Y-Yeah!” Byleri stuttered, laughing unnaturally as Blossom poured her a glass. “Let’s totally have a drink!”

Behind those two, Sybe was lying on its back, fast asleep. Sybe often fell asleep early on in the night, and it appeared to have done so again. Belano was curled up in a ball on top of its belly.

Belano had almost no ability to hold her liquor. When they were wandering the stalls, Polseidon had pressured her into it, saying, “What, you’re not gonna drink?” She’d succumbed to his influence and took a single glass, which was enough to make her staggeringly drunk. Now she was passed out stone-cold.

Still, she looked happy and relaxed—a far cry from her usual painfully anxious self. She was all curled up, grasping at the sweatshirt she was wearing. It was the one Flio had given her. “Zzz... Lord Flio...” she murmured in her sleep.

Flio’s friends all passed the time in their own ways until Rolindeim suddenly raised her voice. “It looks like it’s about to start, right?” she said. As she spoke, Junia Van Biel emerged from the tent directly in front of the mansion. She wore a large hood, perhaps to block the sight of the crowds out of her peripheral vision. Either way, it meant that the people to her left and right couldn’t make out her face. In her hand was a crystal scepter.

She held her scepter up to the heavens, and a great array of lights shot into the night sky. More and more of the lights came. They grew larger and larger as they soared up high. It looked like a meteor shower.

Rys’s eyes were shining as she watched. “Beautiful...” she said, pressing her body up against Flio’s and breathing passionately.

“This is Countess Van Biel’s Magicworks,” said Rolindeim, still smirking.

“Magicworks?” asked Rys.

“Yeah,” said Rolindeim. “It’s a spell that sends countless lights up into the sky. The countess specializes in light magic, right?”

Polseidon gave a single nod. “This yearly Magicworks show really gets everyone’s spirits up,” he said. “Everybody who sees it ends up wanting to see it the next year too.” Rolindeim nodded in agreement.

As Rolindeim and Polseidon spoke, Flio looked up at the light-filled night sky. Junia’s Magicworks were truly spectacular. Everyone down below had stopped moving to watch the display. It was a beautiful sight shared by everyone on the Calgosi Coast.

“My lord husband...” Rys said, her eyes still shining as she pressed closer against Flio’s chest. “It’s gorgeous...” Flio wrapped an arm gently around her shoulder. The two passed a tender moment close together, watching the Magicworks along with everyone else captivated by Junia’s artistry.

◇Some Time Later, near the Fli-o’-Rys General Store◇

It was late into the night. Even the bars in Houghtow City had closed for the day, and the whole town was sleeping quietly. In the silence, a group moved quickly down the end of a road, taking care not to make a sound with their footfalls.

Running at their head was the demon fox Kintsuno the Gold, her alluring figure hidden under a black cloak. “Are we certain the information is correct?”

“It is,” yipped her sister Gintsuno the Silver. “One of our spies snuck inside while disguised as a customer. Those pests are away at the Calgosi Coast.” Kintsuno nodded, and the foxes ran on, even faster than before. They were headed for the Fli-o’-Rys General Store.

Kintsuno grinned triumphantly as the building came into view. “Just wait!” she yipped. “We shall pay them back for all they have done to us!” To the demon fox sisters, the Fli-o’-Rys General Store was nothing short of their archnemesis.

They had teamed up with the Shadow King in his schemes—stealing goods from all over to resell, as well as disguising inferior items as high quality in an attempt to make a killing. However, ever since those Magic Sensors were introduced to stores everywhere, they had been unable to sell their ill-gotten goods. The Magic Sensor could identify stolen items on the spot, and would instantly see through any illusion. Whenever they tried to sell their items, they would be found out instantly and end up in a sticky situation, being chased around by the guards.

The demon fox sisters had learned that the Fli-o’-Rys General Store was the source of the Magic Sensors. They had planned to attack the store earlier, but when they saw Ghozal and Flio in the store itself, they called it off. After running afoul of the two of them in the past, they’d learned they were no match for them. All they could do was grit their teeth and wait for an opportunity.

Suddenly, they had received a report from one of their underlings who was casing out the store: “Flio, Ghozal, and the other major figures have left for the Calgosi Coast.” The demon fox sisters wasted no time in putting their plan of attack into motion. They hid in the shadows, scouting the area with the spell Remote Sensor.

“We’re in the clear,” Kintsuno said. “It’s empty.”

Gintsuno faced the underlings, signaling them with her right hand. They flooded into the building, careful not to make a sound, each carrying a magibomb held tight in their hands. These were magic weapons—round balls containing an explosive magic gem and a number of fire elemental gems. When the user uttered the proper incantation, the explosive gem would detonate, causing the fire gems to burst and engulf the area in a sea of flames.

The demon fox sisters hid from view and waited for their underlings to return, hardly even daring to breathe. It wasn’t long before they came back out, dressed in their black cloaks, and hurried to the sisters.

“Is everything ready?” Kintsuno asked. The figure at the head of the group nodded. Kintsuno began to snicker, relishing her cleverness. “Then this is the end of that detestable store. Oh, just imagine the idiotic faces they’ll make when they see what happened while they were out!”

“Our ancient grudge will be avenged!” Gintsuno yipped, nodding fervently.

Kintsuno pointed forward and began the incantation.

Thump. Just then, Kintsuno heard the sound of something landing at their feet. She quizzically yipped, then looked down to see a great pile of magibombs—the bombs her minions had carried into the store. “Y-Yip?!”

“Yip yip!” shrieked Gintsuno.

Kintsuno stopped the incantation as fast as she could, but some of the magibombs had already started to ignite, sparking and crackling. The sisters began to flee, but they only made it a few steps before they ran into some hard obstacle. They could go no further. Panicked, the sisters looked all around. Then they noticed the solid magic wall surrounding them. On the other side of the barrier were their underlings.

Kintsuno was frantic. “H-Hey! Get us out of here! Now!”

“I’ll kill you myself if you don’t stop messing around!” shouted Gintsuno.

In response, the figures took off their black cloaks. “I am not yours to command,” said one. “I am Greanyl, chief supply officer of the Fli-o’-Rys General Store, and these are my subordinates. If you are looking for your minions, they are in our care.”

“What?!” cried Kintsuno.

“What did you say?!” cried Gintsuno.

The sisters were at a loss for words. Suddenly, they understood everything. The store had seen their attack coming. They had captured their minions, and they had imprisoned the fox sisters inside a magic barrier with no way to escape.

Kintsuno and Gintsuno turned their heads back to look at the pile of magibombs, which seemed to have gone into a chain reaction. They closed their eyes tight as the inside of the barrier exploded in a cataclysm of fire.

Greanyl watched as the space became a sea of crimson flame.

◇ ◇ ◇

Greanyl dispelled the barrier that had been erected to contain the explosion and went to check the area. Lady Uliminas is incredible, though, she mused. How did she know they were going to attack?

Before Uliminas left for Calgosi, she had given instructions to Greanyl. “Finally,” she had concluded, “it seems like some of the demon fox sisters’ mewnions have been skulking around the shop. There’s a high purrobability that they’ll attack when they learn Flio and Ghozal are out of town, so keep watch.” Greanyl followed her orders dutifully, setting up round-the-clock security around the perimeter of the general store. She and her subordinates left the shop empty, hiding on rooftops or in other stores nearby. It had been child’s play to apprehend the fox sisters’ minions when they came to attack, thinking the shop to be unguarded. And now the foxes had gotten a taste of their own magibombs.

Greanyl stopped in her tracks when she reached the area of the explosion. There was a long tunnel leading underground. She cast Search, and saw that the foxes, along with some magibombs, were deep within. She clicked her tongue. “Tch. Some of you, come with me! The foxes survived! I’m in pursuit!”

“Ser!”

Greanyl and a number of her subordinates—the Silent Listeners, the former spy corps of the Dark Army—jumped down into the hole.

◇The Following Morning, in Front of the Van Biel Mansion◇

Flio’s friends had stayed the night at Junia Van Biel’s mansion, and had breakfast together with the household the next day before heading out. They gathered in front of the entrance, where Junia said a few words.

“Sincerely...from the...bottom of my...heart...” she started, “I...thank you...for...coming to our aid...” She was as awkward as ever, but she had finally succeeded in delivering a proper sentence. She bowed deeply. Behind her stood her three familiars—Loplanz, Rolindeim, and Polseidon—as well as three girls that Flio did not recognize.

Seeing the curious look Flio was giving the girls, Rolindeim smirked. “Oh! They’re the demon beast girls who were working for the Blackbeard Corsairs, right?”

At those words, the girls stepped forward and bowed deeply. “I am the giant squid demon beast Squidra, tent tentacle!”

“I am the giant turtle demon beast Turtra, turt turt!”

“I am the giant shrimp demon beast Shrimpdra, shrimpy-py-py-py!”

“These girls said they had a change of heart after being defeated by the Wolf Warriors, right?” Rolindeim explained, smirking even wider. “They’re gonna be working for House Van Biel from now on.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Flio said, stepping forward to shake the demon beast girls’ hands. “You girls do your best for the people of Calgosi, okay?”

As Flio was introducing himself to the girls, Polseidon came up to him, fidgeting nervously. He whispered in Flio’s ear. “H-Hey, Mister Flio,” he said, “sorry to bother you with something like this, but have you seen my satchel?”

“Your satchel?” Flio asked.

“Yeah... My cloth satchel. I was wearing it on my belt yesterday, but now I can’t find it anywhere. Since we were together the whole time, I thought someone in your group might have seen something...” Polseidon’s voice was filled with shame.

“I see...” said Flio. “I’m afraid I haven’t heard anything about a satchel, but...” Flio confidently raised his hand and cast the spell Search. As he did, Rolindeim, who stood behind Polseidon, moved her hand so that only Flio could see. In her hand, she held a satchel. Hm? Flio wondered. Is that...? He cleared his throat. “I’m sure it’ll turn up before long,” he said. “Someone’s bound to find it...”

“You think so?” Polseidon whispered. “That would be a relief...”

Polseidon headed back to where he was standing earlier, and Flio turned his attention to Rolindeim. Make sure you give it back later, he said telepathically. Rolindeim grimaced and nodded.

Before long, it was time for Flio and his companions to create a portal and head back to their house in Houghtow City. Right before it was Wyne’s turn to step through, however, Loplanz called out, “H-H-Hey, wait!”

Wyne stepped up to Loplanz, a curious expression on her face and a rice ball from today’s breakfast in her hand. “Whatcha want, sleepyhead?”

Loplanz turned red. “Sleepy— Look, I can’t help it, I’m a growing boy!” he retorted. He couldn’t really argue. It was true that he’d dozed off early and missed almost the entire festival yesterday.

“If you wanna talk, you should come visit again,” Wyne said. “Any time I don’t have work is fine...” She gently took his hand and shook it.

“Huh? Oh...” Loplanz was taken aback, too surprised to shake Wyne’s hand properly. By the time he recovered, Wyne was already through the door. Loplanz watched her go, dumbfounded.

“I believe Wyne is saying that she would like to play with you again sometime,” said Rys, smiling warmly as she walked up to Loplanz.

“Huh? I-I... Okay...” Loplanz said, hanging his head.

Flio, who had been watching the scene unfold, turned towards the hosts. He gave them an easygoing smile. “You are all very welcome too, if you ever have the chance to visit Houghtow City. I left you a Conversation Gem, so just give us a call and we’ll create a portal for you! I would love to show you around town.”

Junia stepped forward and bowed. “Um... I-I would l-like to...talk about...magic again...sometime...”

“Of course!” said Flio, still smiling. “Our household has a lot of people who are into magic! There’s Hiya and Damalynas, and even Mister Ghozal. We’d all love to talk shop with you.”

Junia smiled happily and bowed again and again as Flio and his companions departed for home.