kscans

Chapter 4 - v1c2 - Demon Reborn

The dream I had was far too unsettling.

Three months ago, when I first became a Successor, Nanahara Yoshiharu had advised me to consult an expert on Holy Orbs in a case like this. That would be the best course of action. I knew that, but…

—This is… not something I should discuss with someone of high standing…!

Having reached this conclusion, Toto, Second Prince of the Gato Kingdom, ordered an attendant to prepare a horse and readied himself for a long ride. He dressed in a blue sleeveless jerkin, a white velvet bodice with a gold-thread lining, a white surcoat with gold trim, white trousers, and leather half-boots. Hanging his favorite rapier from the sword belt at his waist, Toto descended the residential round tower where his room was located and went outside.

A groom was just leading Toto’s favorite horse from the stables into the inner bailey.

Two of his attendants took the horse’s bridle, intending to accompany him.

"You two wait here."

From his saddle, Toto refused their company. From this point on, he thought, the fewer people who knew his unnecessary secret, the better.

"B-but, Your Highness…"

"I’ll be back by the evening bell."

With that, he spurred his horse’s flanks. Leaving the stunned attendants behind, Toto passed through the gate in the enclosure wall and into the outer bailey. Under the pouring morning sunlight, knights and squires were hard at work in the training grounds, kicking up clouds of dust.

"…"

He could see the First Prince, Gaga, covered in grime, swinging a bladeless sword. The training, as intense as a real battle, had grown even more fierce in preparation for the impending implementation of the Three-pronged Strait passage tax.

Normally, Toto would have joined them, but today he had an urgent matter to attend to. Watching the apprentice squires march with the tips of their lances aligned, he made his way toward the western gate tower.

A two-horse carriage was parked in front of the gatekeepers. The chief guard was speaking with someone inside through the window. Behind the carriage, the werewolf Laggy, who was taller than the vehicle itself, stood watch with his cape fluttering in the wind. Toto guided his horse closer to the carriage, peered inside, and found a familiar face.

"Oh, Toto? Are you going out?"

Second Princess Lulu’s eyes widened happily as she waved to him from inside. Seated across from her was Third Princess Artemisia, who offered Toto a smile.

"Prince Toto! Are you alone? Where are you headed?"

His stepsister’s smile hit him directly, and Toto’s heart thumped. But he kept his composure, not letting it show on his face.

"I was thinking of going to the ‘Demon Lord’s Tower.’"

At his reply, Lulu and Artemisia exchanged looks of surprise.

"Huh? Huh? Huh?! Why the ‘Demon Lord’s Tower’ of all places?!"

Slightly taken aback by Lulu’s forceful question, Toto replied, "Well, there’s just something I want to check…"

"What’s that? D-d-d-don’t tell me, is it about the Holy Orb?! We’re on our way to the ‘Demon Lord’s Tower’ right now, too! There’s something we’re really curious about…!"

Lulu’s words startled Toto, while beside them, the chief guard’s expression grew suspicious.

This was probably going to get complicated, and it was best if others didn't overhear. Sensing this, Toto leaned closer to the carriage window.

"Uhm, are we heading to the same place? If so, can I ride with you? I’ll let Laggy handle my horse."

Lulu and Artemisia smiled in agreement and invited the dismounted Toto into the carriage.

Toto sat down next to Artemisia. His stepsister’s pleasant scent wafted from beside him, making Toto feel a bit self-conscious. Outside, Laggy, still standing on the ground, took the reins of Toto’s horse in one hand. He showed no sign of mounting, apparently planning to run while leading the horse. Feeling sorry for him, Toto turned his head outside.

"Laggy, it’s all right for you to ride."

"…If I ride, the horse will be crushed."

Receiving the blunt reply, Toto smiled wryly. True to his word, Laggy, who stood over two meters and thirty centimeters tall, was far too big to ride Toto’s beloved horse.

Toto turned back inside and asked Artemisia, "Does Laggy always run alongside your carriage, Misha?"

"…Yes. It is what he wishes…"

"…I see. That must be tough. There are plenty of guard knights at the Demon Lord’s Tower, and I’ll be there too. We’re not in the urban area, so I don’t think you need an escort. I think Laggy can wait at the castle."

"Understood. If that is what Your Highness wishes…"

Artemisia leaned out the carriage window and looked up at Laggy.

"We don’t need an escort today. Please wait at the castle."

Without a word of protest, Laggy responded with a sharp "Yes, ma’am," straightened his back, and struck the ground with the butt of his halberd.

The chief guard gave the order, the driver cracked the reins, and the carriage passed through the gate tower. Left behind, Laggy took Toto’s horse by the bridle and headed back into the castle.

The drawbridge over the outer moat was down, and a line had formed of merchants coming to file reports, people appealing problems, and supply wagons carrying provisions and daily necessities, all undergoing inspection by the gatekeepers. Toto’s carriage drove past them, turning its horses toward the misshapen mountain where the ‘Demon Lord’s Tower’ stood. Thanks to the stone-paved road, free of even a single pebble, and the spring-supported chassis, the ride was comfortable with barely a jolt.

"So, Toto, what happened?" Lulu asked from across him, her face full of curiosity.

"…I keep having this dream. I think it’s a memory from the previous owner of the ‘Loyalty’ Holy Orb… Sir Gasper. There’s a scene in it that I just can’t get out of my head, and I need to go confirm it…"

"Wait. Could this possibly be… related to Jangiacques…?"

Lulu’s words surprised Toto.

"Y-yeah. Jangiacques is involved. …Lulu, have you also been dreaming about him?"

Jangiacques Natale, one of King Dada’s illegitimate sons. He was a man of exceptional talent who, among the two hundred "Natales," had achieved distinguished merits and was knighted alongside Gasper. Toto had sparred with Jangiacques several times in the training grounds and recognized him as one of the kingdom’s finest swordsmen.

"W-well… ‘related’ isn’t quite the word, how should I put it…"

Lulu mumbled something, then suddenly looked up at Artemisia, her face turning bright red. Then she started shaking her head from side to side.

"…I can’t explain it well! …You see, if I say something rash and it turns out to be wrong, it might cause trouble for everyone…"

She mumbled incomprehensibly, failing to make any sense.

"You know, it’s just a dream! It’s vague, the facts are all jumbled… So… it could be that my memory of the Holy Orb is mistaken! That’s why… I’ll tell you everything properly after I confirm it with Jangiacques…"

Looking uncomfortable, Lulu lowered her bright red face, leaving Toto and Artemisia, seated across from her, to do nothing but exchange puzzled glances.

"Hmm… So, you can’t tell me right now?"

"I’m sorry, but I don’t want to bother someone just by taking a dream seriously…"

Realizing he wouldn’t get a straight answer out of Lulu, Toto turned to Artemisia.

"So, Misha, did Lulu drag you along?"

"Yes. I have never been to the Demon Lord’s Tower before. I had asked Sister Lulu some time ago to please take me if she ever had the chance…"

"Big Sis!"

"…B-Big… Sis…"

Watching Artemisia being forced to say it, Toto continued, "…I’m not entirely sure myself… but I can’t explain it well either. After all, it’s hard to judge how much of the Holy Orb’s memory is rooted in reality."

As he said that, Artemisia, beside him, furrowed her brow in concern.

"Um… from what I’m hearing from you both… is your trip to the ‘Demon Lord’s Tower’ today related to the Holy Orbs?"

"Ah, yeah, it is, but…"

"…"

Artemisia fell silent, simply giving Toto a troubled look. He was about to wonder what she was worried about when he remembered King Dada’s words.

‘What is about to happen here must not be spoken of to anyone other than the seven of us present.’

‘The secrets of the Gattoland royal family are known only to these seven. Trust no one who is not here.’

The matter of the Holy Orbs was a secret known only to the six direct members of the Gattoland royal family—King Dada, Queen Mariana, First Prince Gaga, First Princess Chouchou, Second Princess Lulu, and Second Prince Toto—and the Chancellor of the Gato Kingdom, Nanahara Yoshiharu.

—I must not tell Artemisia the secrets of the Holy Orb.

—I shouldn’t even tell her who succeeded which orb…!

Remembering this, Toto realized his own carelessness. If Artemisia hadn’t been so considerate, he might have just kept blabbering on about the Holy Orbs.

He glanced at Lulu across from him.

Her expression was that of someone slightly displeased.

Toto knew that Lulu had realized this fact long ago.

"It’s fine if Misha knows. She’s family, after all," Lulu said, just as he’d expected, puffing out her cheeks at him.

Toto thought so too. To exclude only Artemisia, after having welcomed her into the family, didn’t feel right.

However, telling Artemisia the secret also meant disobeying a royal decree. Even for a legitimate child, punishment would be unavoidable if it came to light…

"Um, I will return. I can walk back to the castle from here. I believe it would be best for the two of you to go to the ‘Demon Lord’s Tower’ alone."

Sensing the situation, Artemisia suggested this. Lulu’s expression instantly changed.

"No, that won’t do! It’s fine for you to know, it’s not that big of a secret anyway! I inherited the ‘Filial Piety’ Holy Orb, and Toto is the Successor to the ‘Loyalty’ Holy Orb! So what? There’s no point in hiding something like this!"

She blurted out the secret she was told to hide to Artemisia.

Artemisia turned pale in an instant.

"Ah, um, but, if His Majesty the King gets angry at you because of me…"

"There’s no problem if we keep it quiet! It’s not like he cares about us anyway. The only things that man is interested in are his mistresses and war! So it’s totally fine!"

Lulu said it all in one breath and leaned back haughtily in her seat. Toto was terrified that the driver might have heard her.

"Uh, um, I don’t need to know, and I didn’t hear what you just said, so…"

Finally, Artemisia covered her ears with her hands and began to tremble in fear. Toto stopped the worked-up Lulu and gave Artemisia a reassuring smile.

"Lulu is always like this. And besides, it pains my heart to keep secrets from you, Misha. …I don’t want to hide from you that we are Holy Orb Successors. That’s why I want you to come with us today."

As he spoke his true feelings in one breath, Artemisia looked up at Toto with timid eyes, a hint of fear still reflected in them.

He saw his own face reflected in her slightly teary, deep violet eyes, and Toto’s chest tightened.

"…But… I am…"

Before the word ‘hostage’ could leave Artemisia’s lips, Toto cut her off.

"You’re our family."

"…"

"We don’t keep secrets from family."

When he said it firmly, Artemisia’s teary eyes welled up with a new color.

Lulu, sitting across from them, clapped her hands once with a deliberately cheerful smile, as if to change the atmosphere.

"Exactly, that’s right! It’s okay, nothing bad will happen. This island will always be peaceful, and we’ll all live happily together. So, let’s not keep any secrets and tell each other everything, okay?"

Artemisia’s eyes welled with emotion.

"…Sister Lulu…"

"Big Sis!"

"…Big… Sis…"

"Well done! You’re just so cute!"

Watching the exchange between Lulu and Artemisia, Toto felt a slight weight lift from his chest. Like Lulu, he had felt guilty about keeping secrets from Artemisia and had been thinking for the past three months that he wished he could tell her about the Holy Orbs one day.

—This was for the best.

—From an adult’s perspective, it might be wrong.

—But for us, this is right.

With such thoughts, Toto was rocked by the carriage. Before long, the road became a series of switchbacks climbing uphill. Through the lush, verdant trees, he could catch glimpses of the ‘Demon Lord’s Tower’.

As they climbed the road, Toto suddenly remembered a rule of the Gattoland royal family. Since he had revealed the secret of the Holy Orbs, Artemisia should naturally know this rule as well.

"You know, Misha. If this island were ever to be attacked, and the castle was about to fall, it’s been decided that the royal family’s meeting point is the Gattoland Airport up ahead."

When Toto told her this, Artemisia blinked suspiciously.

"…Is such a thing even possible? This island is protected by the Gattoland fleet, so I don’t think anyone could ever conquer it…"

"This is for the one-in-a-million chance that it does happen. I don’t think it will, though. And not just on this island. For example, if we were to lose a battle in another city during an expedition and get separated, we are to head to the nearest airport, to a place where an airship can dock. It’s safer to escape to a flying ship than to flee into the woods, roads, or city."

If defeated in battle, not only would freelance knights and mercenaries roaming the roads, but even townspeople and villagers would arm themselves and start hunting down defeated soldiers. Amidst a sea of enemies, it would be impossible for royalty, a prime target, to escape. But if they could just board an airship, common folk couldn’t fly to pursue them and would have no choice but to give up. Also, for those trying to rescue a wandering royal, having a rule to "escape to the nearest place an airship can dock" conveniently narrows down the search area.

"The enemy might have secured the airport, so you look for a place nearby where a ship could dock. If you do that, allies will come to help."

Toto’s words made Artemisia nod, though with some trepidation.

"…I understand. Whether here or in enemy territory, if I am separated from everyone, I am to go to the area around the nearest airport, at an altitude of five hundred meters, correct?"

"Yes. I pray it never comes to that, but just in case."

As they spoke, the carriage was nearing its destination.

There were only a few people in front of the ‘Misshapen Mountain Mine’ station building.

The ‘Demon Lord’s Tower’ was one more station away, but Toto’s group got off the carriage at the ‘Misshapen Mountain Mine’ station and looked for Jangiacques, who was supposed to be working there.

The strong afternoon sun of July beat down, illuminating the ground carved out of the mountainside in a stark white light.

Slave miners with chains on their legs moved about the quarry, while the guard knights and soldiers overseeing them constantly barked orders and cracked their whips. A line of wagons carrying refined miasma ore stretched all the way to the mountain road, and shirtless slaves, their backs wet with sweat and marked with whip scars, loaded large hemp sacks onto the carts.

In a corner of the quarry was a campsite for the guard knights. Beyond a cluster of small, neatly arranged tents, a large tent with two pointed roofs, likely for the commander, stood tall. In front of it was a cooking area, and water drawn from a nearby river flowed through the surrounding ditches. The Gattoland Airport, a docking area for airships, was nearby, and the people working there also stayed at this campsite, so the living facilities were impressive and new.

Just as Toto was about to ask a nearby soldier where Jangiacques’s tent was, a cheerful, high-pitched voice reached him from the side.

"Hey, Toto? Lulu and Misha, too! What are you all up to, exploring?"

The mercenary pilot, Noah Linoa, approached with a bright smile, her black hair and amber eyes shimmering in the sunlight. She wore a camisole corset and a skirt.

Lulu’s face lit up as well.

"Noah, perfect timing! Are you free right now? We’re looking for Jangiacques, do you know where he is?"

"Jang? At this time, he’s probably down in the tunnels. What’s up, what do you need Jang for?"

Her eyes sparkling with curiosity, Noah leaned closer to Lulu. Lulu, with a serious face, said, "I need to interrogate him. It would be a problem if he doesn’t spill all his secrets."

"Ooh, is it something kinky?!"

"Depending on Jang’s attitude… it might get kinky."

"Yay, kinky torture! I want to join! Take me with you!"

Noah pressed her flushed cheeks with both hands and writhed as she pleaded with Lulu. With a sensual smile, Lulu placed her index finger on Noah’s chin, tilting it up.

"Are you okay with an all-nighter?"

"Totally okay!!"

Unable to keep up with Noah and Lulu’s conversation, Toto cleared his throat.

"We’re not going to torture him. We just have something we need to confirm with Jangiacques privately. Do you know where he is?"

"Aww, no torture? Let’s do it. Like this, you grab him firmly, and then, bam…"

Noah mimed grabbing something invisible and pulling. It was terrifying to imagine what she intended to grab and pull. Just as Toto was at a loss, a saving grace appeared before his eyes.

"…"

Noah’s partner, the mechanic Leonardo, stood there with his usual expressionless face, pulling on Noah’s sleeve. This extremely taciturn boy looked down at Noah, who looked back at him with a start.

"Huh, Leo? What are you doing? We’re not flying today."

"…"

"You want to come with us? Even though it has nothing to do with planes? That’s rare, why?"

"…"

"It doesn’t matter why? What, now that you say that, I’m even more curious. Why, why, why? Why does Leo want to come along? Hey, why is that, huh?"

Leonardo remained silent, showing no signs of speaking, but for some reason, Noah could understand his intentions. After a brief exchange with her silent companion, Noah turned to Toto with a smile.

"I don’t really get it, but Leo’s coming with us too. So, what was it again, Jang’s location? I have a general idea. Follow me."

Without waiting for Toto’s reply, Noah started walking briskly, weaving through the miners, crossing over the cart depot and several tracks, and finally stopping in front of a deserted mine tunnel.

"Jang’s been investigating this tunnel recently, I think. He said there was something that caught his eye and sometimes stays down here alone until night."

At her words, Toto gazed into the darkness of the tunnel carved into the rock face. There was no sign of anyone, and the tracks were rusted, suggesting the tunnel had been abandoned long ago.

—This is it. There’s no doubt.

Toto felt it intuitively. It was the same tunnel he had been seeing in his dreams almost every night.

—Which means, if I proceed as I did in my dream, Jangiacques will be there…

From this point on, he wanted to go alone if possible. It would be easier to deal with any monsters that might appear, and it would also be easier to talk with Jangiacques. With that in mind, Toto turned to face Lulu, Noah, Artemisia, and Leonardo behind him.

"You’ve got that ‘I’m going alone’ look on your face."

Lulu cut him off before he could speak, and Toto swallowed his words. Noah, looking dissatisfied, said, "Aww. Let’s go together. We all want to explore, right, Misha?"

When asked, Artemisia also nodded awkwardly.

"Yes. Since we’re all here, let’s go together…"

Even so, Toto was honestly reluctant.

"…The inside is filled with miasma from the miasma ore, which is bad for your health. Plus, if a monster appears, I can’t guarantee everyone’s safety."

"A little miasma won’t be a problem if you just breathe it in for a bit! And as for monsters, leave them to me!"

Noah drew the pistol from her hip and winked. This weapon was an arc, a holy relic discovered along with her plane, which could fire bullets using the power of a small miasma engine to attack distant enemies. Beside her, Leonardo pulled an iron wrench from his waist and nodded as if to say, "I’ve got this."

Lulu and Artemisia huddled behind Noah.

"We’ll just hide behind Noah! And if it comes to it, we’ll use the power of our Holy Orbs! We’ll be totally okay!"

Toto didn’t know what kind of ability Lulu’s ‘Filial Piety’ was, but she seemed confident, so she could probably handle it. Artemisia, who had no combat skills, was a concern, but he couldn’t just leave her here alone.

"…I guess there’s no choice. …Alright, the five of us will go."

Resigned, Toto took the lead, and with the three girls and one boy following, he lit a lantern and entered the depths of the tunnel…



The inside of the tunnel was a labyrinth. Every time they reached a fork, Toto relied on his dream memories to navigate the narrow passage illuminated by the lantern’s light. The ceiling, initially made of stone, eventually changed to old wood, and the puddles underfoot became more frequent.

As they ventured deeper into the darkness, Lulu and Noah’s idle chatter increased.

"Ugh, this is so creepy, it feels like a monster could pop out at any moment…"

"They actually do, about once a month recently."

"Ew, no way, that’s scary. If one shows up, Toto will handle it, right?"

Asked from behind, Toto, leading the way, shrugged.

"I’ve fought Drumworms a few times, so I’ll be fine. I don’t think anything else will be a problem either, but just in case, try to remember the way we came. It would be bad if you got lost."

"Okayyy," Lulu replied, slightly scared, but she showed no signs of turning back and continued to follow Toto. He was aware that the three girls trusted him and were enjoying this adventure.

—In reality, I won’t lose to a monster…

Toto was well aware of his own abilities. Now that he had inherited the ‘Loyalty’ Holy Orb, he wouldn’t be outmatched by the small-fry monsters that appeared in the tunnels. He could dispatch the kind of monsters the guard knights fought on a daily basis in two or three moves.

Eventually.

At the end of a path so narrow that two adults would have trouble passing each other, a part of the side wall had collapsed, leaving an open fissure.

"This is the entrance."

Toto illuminated the inside of the fissure with his lantern. The light couldn’t penetrate to the back, swallowed by the darkness. If he hadn’t been told it was an entrance, he would have definitely passed by what looked like just a crack in the wall.

Lulu asked anxiously, "Uh, can we even get in there?"

"There should be… an artificial cave ahead."

Toto said this and stepped into the fissure without hesitation. If Gasper’s dream memory was correct, he just had to force his body into this crack, and after wriggling like a worm through about five meters of darkness…

"…!"

Toto’s lantern illuminated an open space.

The roots of a large tree, bedrock, and giant quartz formed the walls of a wide, triangular pyramid-shaped underground space. From the walls, floor, and ceiling, hexagonal columnar quartz crystals—what one would call crystals—poked out their translucent heads, dirtied by dust, and refracted the lantern’s light.

On the exposed ceiling, there was a hole for smoke to escape. At the back of the clearly man-made space, a massive crystal, about six meters tall and two meters wide, jutted out diagonally from the ceiling like an altar, its pointed tip piercing the ground.

And, in front of that giant crystal, a figure stood, turning to face them with a surprised expression.

"…Prince Toto?!"

Guard Knight Jangiacques Natale stared in bewilderment as Second Prince Toto suddenly entered the secret space, followed by Second Princess Lulu, Third Princess Artemisia, the mercenary pilot Noah, and the mechanic Leonardo.

"…Sorry to surprise you. …I just felt I had to confirm this now."

Toto explained as he slowly approached Jangiacques, illuminating the inside of the artificial cave with his lantern.

Likely off-duty, Jangiacques was wearing a coarse-woven tunic and cloth trousers, with a bastard sword hanging from a sword belt slung diagonally at his waist, and a torch in one hand. From his silvery hair, mixed with a hint of light pink, a single cat ear, a characteristic of a half-Minya, protruded. Perhaps he had intended to camp here, as there was a campfire in front of the large crystal, and a bulging rucksack lay nearby.

"…How did you find this place?"

Jangiacques’s voice, his secret exposed, held a note of caution and anger. Though usually calm and cynical, Toto had long sensed a fierce passion hidden within him. The first time they had sparred in the training grounds, Jangiacques had seen through Toto’s half-hearted attempts and had blatantly held back in return. The unspoken message in Jangiacques’s sword at that time was clearly ‘Do not insult me.’ Since then, Toto had been careful not to hold back as much as possible when sparring with him.

Jangiacques was an excellent swordsman. If they were to fight seriously, he was probably stronger than Gasper. And right now, Toto was the only swordsman here. If he were to question the situation high-handedly, he might just draw his bastard sword.

Toto spoke as gently as possible.

"…Would you believe me if I said it was Gasper’s will? Having inherited his Holy Orb, I also inherited his memories. That’s how I knew about this place…"

He explained briefly.

The initial caution in Jangiacques’s suspicious eyes lessened slightly. Believing that if he explained honestly, the intelligent man would understand his situation, Toto continued.

"I have no intention of accusing you. I just wanted to see what Gasper saw with my own eyes. If it truly exists, I wanted to see it myself and then decide with my own head what to do."

As he spoke, Toto’s gaze shifted from Jangiacques’s shoulder to the massive crystal that pierced the ground diagonally from the ceiling.

"…It’s just like in the dream. …It really… exists…"

His eyes were glued to the being sealed within the crystal.

Toto, as if in a fever, walked past Jangiacques, stopped in front of the crystal, and looked up at the being sealed inside.

At first, she looked like a mermaid falling to the bottom of the sea.

But the girl sealed in the crystal, though upside down, had the form of a human with two legs.

As if captured mid-fall from the sky, the beautiful girl had long black hair flowing, her eyes closed as if in sleep, her head pointing towards the ground and her toes towards the ceiling, sealed within the crystal.

—Is this girl… human…?

Toto’s eyes were drawn to the girl and couldn’t move. The clothes she was wearing were also of a shape he had never seen before: a red collared jacket with an unknown black and gold insignia on the chest, a white shirt of unknown material underneath, a black ribbon at her chest, and from her plaid skirt, which ended above her knees, her fresh, plump thighs were exposed. The short navy tights covering her ankles were also of an unknown material, and the leather shoes she wore were of a shape he had never seen, with a gold buckle on the strap, perhaps of foreign make.

"W-w-what is this?! Is she dead?!"

"Huh, it’s a doll, right?! Such weird clothes, her thighs are showing!"

Lulu and Noah approached, letting out high-pitched cries, and looked up at the same thing as Toto. Jangiacques, his expression clouded, turned to Artemisia and Leonardo, who were following a little behind.

"What is all this, so suddenly…"

Artemisia stared at the girl in the crystal from a short distance away, then turned to Jangiacques, her gaze holding an interest no less than what she had for the crystal girl.

"Hmm…?"

Jangiacques noticed Artemisia’s gaze and turned his eyes to her.

"…Princess Artemisia…? Is there something I can do for you?"

When asked, Artemisia stared intently at Jangiacques’s face.

"…Forgive me. …Has anyone ever told you that you resemble someone?"

Not understanding the question, Jangiacques stared back at Artemisia.

"…No, not in particular. …Who do you think I resemble?"

Artemisia observed Jangiacques with an increasingly suspicious look in her eyes, then suddenly her gaze clouded over.

"…Forgive me. …Please pay it no mind. …I was mistaken."

With that, she shifted her gaze to the crystal. But her profile seemed to betray something that contradicted her words.

Though curious, he couldn’t very well question the third princess about the meaning of her question. Feeling somewhat disgruntled, Jangiacques turned his eyes back to the intruders.

Ignoring Jangiacques completely, Toto and Leonardo remained silent, while Noah and Lulu spouted wild speculations, each admiring the girl in the crystal. Annoyance at having his precious space trampled upon gradually welled up in Jangiacques’s chest, and he walked over to Toto, who seemed to be the only one he could have a sensible conversation with.

"Shall we inform the ‘Tower of Learning’?"

When asked, Toto slowly turned his face to Jangiacques.

"That would be the wise thing to do."

Toto replied coolly, his expression unreadable.

Jangiacques shrugged.

"To be honest, I can only think that the Masters at the ‘Tower of Learning’ have all suffered some sort of head injury."

"…"

"I even doubt they can distinguish between doctrine and science. If we were to show them this girl, they would probably smash the crystal to pieces, put her in a jar, slap a ‘Monster’ label on it, and lock her away in a warehouse."

Toto listened to Jangiacques’s words in silence, nodding inwardly. The scholars gathered in the ‘Tower of Learning’ were obsessed with their own status and had forgotten their true purpose. In particular, some members of the Orthodox Church faction would lump anything they couldn’t understand under the label of "heresy" and proudly burn their subjects of research at the stake.

However.

"…So, we just leave her as she is?"

At Toto’s question, Jangiacques’s gaze clouded over.

"…Is that wrong?"

When the question was returned, Toto slowly peeled his gaze away from Jangiacques and shifted it to the girl in the crystal.

He wanted to leave her as she was, undisturbed. He didn’t want to entrust this pure being to the hands of fools who were only interested in protecting their own status. He understood that feeling very well.

However, her identity was unknown. Considering that this was directly beneath the ‘Demon Lord’s Tower,’ the possibility that this girl was a demon could not be dismissed. He had also heard stories of monsters using their beauty to deceive humans, and he was hesitant to just leave her here.

"…I will ask Chancellor Nanahara and Grand Meister to form a specialized research team to investigate. With Chancellor Nanahara in charge, even the Orthodox Church faction won’t be able to interfere. After that, if we request the Royal Library to search their documents, we might find a description of her identity. I will be careful to ensure that the situation you are worried about does not occur… so could you please leave this matter to me?"

Only a privileged few were allowed to view the documents stored in the Royal Library, and for a knight to do so, a letter of recommendation, a petition, and the Grand Meister’s permission were required. Naturally, in the process of review, the existence of the girl in the crystal would become public, so Jangiacques had never attempted to consult the documents before.

At Toto’s proposal, Jangiacques remained silent for a while.

"…I do not have the authority to interfere with Prince Toto’s judgment."

Though his words were polite, an emotion akin to resentment festered in his eyes.

Just then, Lulu chimed in from the side.

"What, you’re going to tell the Grand Meister? Let’s not, that old man is senile. Admiral Rendon had to have his wrist amputated because the finger wound the Grand Meister treated got infected. He might have been good in the past, but I doubt he can even tell the difference between medicinal herbs and spinach now."

From beside her, Noah let out a loud laugh.

"The Grand Meister? You mean that old man with the white beard?! He tried to study the Falco’s mechanics, but in the end, he couldn’t figure it out and couldn’t even put it back together after taking it apart. It took all the mechanics two weeks to fix it, and a few parts went missing, so we had to make our own replacements. Leo was so mad. There are way too many weirdos among the important people in this kingdom."

With the highest authority on knowledge in the kingdom being openly mocked, Toto could only fall silent. It was true that corruption in the upper echelons of the Gato Kingdom had become serious over the past ten years, and even scholars and ministers who were once competent had degenerated during the peaceful times, and now there were not a few old men whose only purpose in life was to cling to their own positions.

"But… even so, just leaving her here like this…"

Toto’s words trailed off as he turned his eyes back to the girl in the crystal.

Isolated from the sullied space filled with the miasma from the miasma ore, the girl sealed in the crystal remained pure and still.

She’s beautiful, Toto thought. If they were to take this girl out of here, there was a high probability that she would be cut up and preserved in chemical solutions. That would be a pity, but…

Just then.

"…Hmm?"

Suddenly, something that was not himself stirred deep within Toto’s chest.

All at once—it was as if his heart had gained a will of its own and had begun to reverse the flow of his blood.

"…?!"

The sensation of his own body was no longer his. Something lurking in the depths of his consciousness had broken free from the control of his will—

"This is…!!"

A pale green aura shot out from Toto’s back, and in its center, a dazzling Oyashima character floated.

"Loyalty."

The moment that character was drawn in the space behind him.

"Huh, no, what?!"

From behind Lulu, who let out a startled cry, a golden aura exploded. It flickered like a flame, and in the center of the burning light—

"Filial Piety."

The name of the Holy Orb Lulu had inherited floated, glowing.

"…The Holy Orb?!"

Jangiacques’s eyes widened. Neither Toto nor Lulu could understand why their Holy Orbs had suddenly activated here.

"What is this…" "Huh, huh, what’s going on?!"

Artemisia and Noah’s eyes widened as they backed away, staring at the suddenly manifested crests of ‘Loyalty’ and ‘Filial Piety’.

Beside them, Leonardo, with a calm expression, tugged on Noah’s sleeve with one hand and silently pointed in the opposite direction of Toto and Lulu, towards the crystal.

"Huh, what, just now… whaaaaaaaaaaat."

Turning to look at the crystal girl Leonardo was pointing at, Noah let out an especially high-pitched scream as she recoiled.

"Hey, her eyes, her eyeeeees!!"

Flustered, waving her hands frantically, Noah drew everyone’s attention back to the girl in the crystal. The gazes of Toto, Lulu, Artemisia, and Jangiacques now shifted to the crystal.

"Huh?" "Whoa." "What?!" "…!!"

Everyone except Leonardo showed expressions of astonishment.

"…"

Only Leonardo, alone, turned a cool, transparent expression towards the girl who had opened her eyes inside the crystal.

"Her eyes, they’re open!!"

Noah, who had fallen on her bottom, shouted as she pointed at the crystal.

The eyes of the girl sealed in the crystal were wide open, as if she had just woken up.

Just a moment ago, beneath her long eyelashes, both of her eyes had been closed as if in sleep. But now, her clear, ice-blue eyes were clearly imbued with a living will, wide open…!

"…She’s waking up…?!"

Jangiacques gasped, looking up at the girl with whom he had spent time in this cave for the past year.

The pale green aura from the character for ‘Loyalty’ and the golden aura erupting from ‘Filial Piety’ intertwined in the space, burning ever more fiercely as if fueling each other, and enveloped the cave.

There was no heat to this flame. There was only a dazzling dance of colors. The crystal that had sealed the girl was swallowed up in the midst of that heatless flame.

—The Holy Orbs and that girl are reacting…!

Toto realized this. The cause of the Holy Orbs going out of his control was undoubtedly the girl in the crystal.

—So she is a demon…!?

The Holy Orbs were fragments of "Yamata," who had defeated the Demon Lord. For them to react so violently meant that this girl’s true identity was…

Beyond his wide-eyed gaze, beyond the fiercely dancing colors, a crack ran across the surface of the hexagonal columnar crystal.

A sharp glare.

The eyes of the girl, sealed upside down, momentarily glared at Toto.

—It’s going to break…!

Toto realized this.

"…Everyone, get down!"

At the same time as he shouted, a clear, high-pitched parin sound echoed.

The shattered fragments of the crystal momentarily scattered into the space—

"Whoa!" "Kyaa!" "Kuh!"

Lulu and Noah hugged each other, Jangiacques and Toto dropped to the ground, Artemisia backed away with a stern expression, and Leonardo stood motionless, glaring forward.

Tiny particles of light sparkled, filling the cave like powdered snow.

Simultaneously, the glow of ‘Loyalty’ and ‘Filial Piety’ vanished.

The sea of heatless flames that had been raging receded from the space as if the tide had gone out, leaving behind only mist-like fragments of light floating in the air—

A soft footfall.

A pair of foreign-style leather shoes landed on the earthen floor.

With a flutter, a plaid skirt swayed, and a pair of white thighs moved forward.

"…"

The light from the lantern slid across the surface of her long, glossy black hair, and droplets of light scattered from the tips.

The girl, freed from the crystal, raised her ice-blue eyes firmly, and her cool, clear gaze slowly swept across the cave.

"…!!" "…H-h…" "Hey, wait, seriously…?!"

The girl, with a serene expression, looked around at the six boys and girls who were either lying on the ground, sitting on their bottoms, or hugging each other.

"…"

She silently turned around and looked at the remains of the crystal that had confined her.

And then, silence.

The particles of light fell to the ground, the Holy Orbs completely calmed down and stopped glowing, and the cave was once again lit only by the light of the lantern and the torch.

"Uh, uh, uh…" "Hey, wait, this is…"

In front of the astonished group of six boys and girls, the girl who had just stepped out from within the crystal into the outside world looked around the cave with a slightly suspicious expression.

—What… is this girl…!?

Toto was overwhelmed by the girl’s presence. A different kind of palpitation from when he first saw Artemisia, a natural reverence, welled up from the depths of his heart.

Her slender, long limbs extended from her strange, unfamiliar clothes made of an unknown material. Her perfectly styled black hair shone so glossily that it formed a halo of light. Her long eyelashes, clear ice-blue eyes, and cherry-pink lips were those of a girl in her late teens, but her posture held a clear dignity that was intimidating even to Toto, a royal.

Suddenly—

The girl turned her face to her right and called out into the empty darkness.

"…Astaroth. …Sariel."

Her voice was that of an ordinary girl. Her words were swallowed by the darkness, but nothing happened.

The girl stood silently for a moment, then turned her face to her left and called out again.

"…Barbelo. …Leviathan."

A profound silence answered the girl’s voice.

The girl’s brow furrowed slightly. As if irritated by some abnormality, her voice took on a slightly sterner tone.

"Lilith. …Forneus. Duma."

She listed off such words into the surrounding darkness one after another, but the only response was silence.

The girl looked around the empty darkness for a while, then finally turned to the six of them and spoke.

"You there, Minya. Prostrate yourselves."

She said this in a tone like a morning greeting, neither threatening nor intimidating.

Of the six people present, Jangiacques was half-Minya, and Artemisia, Noah, and Leonardo were human, so the only Minya were Toto and Lulu.

Toto couldn’t help but gulp, looking up at the girl standing on the raised platform.

Clothed in a divine aura, the girl looked down at them with serene, ice-blue eyes.

Toto steeled himself. And he reminded himself of the fundamental mindset of royalty.

—I am royalty. I must not be afraid.

Royalty must handle any emergency without showing emotional turmoil, just as they would in normal times. To rashly display emotion is to lose dignity, and subjects will not obey such a royal. A royal’s dignity is a weapon, and that weapon is maintained by composure.

—Act as if nothing is wrong…!

Toto boldly lifted his face and took a step forward.

"…Hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

"…"

"…I am Toto Gattoland, Second Prince of the Gato Kingdom. It is an honor to meet you. And this is…"

He indicated Lulu beside him with his eyes. Lulu, like Toto, had been taught from a young age that royalty should not lightly show their agitation, and with a carefully calm tone, she said,

"Lulu Gattoland, Second Princess of the Gato Kingdom. A pleasure to meet you. May we have your name?"

She introduced herself politely and asked.

From the platform, the girl looked down at the two with a suspicious gaze, confirming their cat ears.

Then, with a slight hint of contempt in her voice.

"Prince, Princess? …You are Minya, are you not? It is absurd for lowly servants to call themselves royalty. There are humans mixed in on the throne. Kill them at once."

Without so much as a glance at Noah, Jangiacques, Leonardo, or Artemisia, the girl fixed her gaze solely on Toto and Lulu, calmly uttering such words, and crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently on the ground.

Toto and Lulu exchanged stiff glances.

Just now, this girl had certainly ordered someone she had just met to be "killed."

Perhaps they had indeed awakened something that should not have been awakened.

(Hey, this might be bad…)

(What’s with her, is she a demon? A dangerous person? Shouldn’t we run?)

They whispered to each other so the mysterious girl couldn’t hear, but they could come to no conclusion.

"…Are you not there, Astaroth? …It is I who calls, come out at once."

Meanwhile, the girl was muttering to herself, still calling out unfamiliar names into the darkness.

It was Noah who broke the stalemate.

"Uhm, excuse me? Are you, by any chance, a demon?"

She threw the overly direct question in her usual calm tone.

Suddenly, the mysterious girl’s eyes blazed with fury.

"Who do you think you’re speaking to, human?!"

As she shouted, she flicked her right index finger upwards.

In that instant, Noah’s body was sent flying upwards… or not. Only silence hung in the air.

"…Hmm?"

The black-haired girl, her index finger still raised, blinked.

"…Hmph!"

With a spirited cry, she raised her index finger upwards once more.

"…"

Only an awkward silence hung in the air.

The black-haired girl cleared her throat, her expression tightened.

"It seems you have forced me to get serious."

"…"

"I will turn you all to dust, you lowly servants!"

As she spoke, she stepped forward with her right foot, half-turned, raised her right hand, twisted her body, and swung it down diagonally with all her might.

"…"

Naturally, the awkward silence was not broken.

The girl knelt on her left knee, her right hand still down in a forward-leaning posture, and did not move.

A somewhat painful atmosphere hung in the air.

After holding the strange pose in silence for a while, the girl bit her lip, stood up, brushed the dirt from her left knee with one hand, and once again crossed her hands in front of her chest and puffed it out.

"…Come forth, six lords of the underworld. Sariel. Barbelo. Leviathan. …Lilith. …Forneus. Duma."

She spun such words and surveyed the cave with a straight face.

A long silence.

Plop. The sound of a water droplet falling somewhere on the ground.

A hint of sadness crept into the girl’s expression as she stood with her arms crossed.

—If I leave her like this, she might start crying…

Worried, Toto asked carefully, so as not to frighten the girl.

"Um, I don’t quite understand… but are you perhaps calling for your companions?"

"…"

The girl bit her lip and glanced at Toto, looking a little regretful.

"…I think the situation has probably changed. …As far as I know, you have been sealed in a crystal for a long time. I don’t know for how long, but a much longer time has passed than you think… and you may not be able to use your powers as you used to."

Choosing his words carefully so as not to anger the girl, Toto spoke.

The girl listened to Toto’s words in silence with her arms crossed, tapping her toes on the ground impatiently.

"…I permit it. Continue, lowly servant."

"…So, could we… talk calmly? We don’t wish for conflict, and we want to learn who you are and, if possible, help you."

Those words seemed to touch a nerve with the girl.

"You dare to think you are my equal, you Minya?!"

With an angry expression, she stepped forward with her right foot, raised her right hand, half-turned, twisted her body, and swung it down diagonally with all her might, and nothing happened.

Toto felt sorry for her and rephrased.

"U-uhm, I went too far. Let me see… I want to cooperate with you."

The girl remained still for a while, her left knee on the ground, leaning forward, bit her lip, slowly brushed the dirt from her left knee with one hand, returned to her original posture, and puffed out her chest.

"…I understand now. It seems I am having a bad dream. This is a dream. Is it not, Minya?"

It seemed she was the type to blame everything inconvenient on dreams. Toto nodded.

"Yes, if you… you are content with that."

"It must be so. It seems that even I, the Demon Lord Lucifer, can have nightmares."

At those words, Toto and Lulu exchanged glances.

(She’s saying she’s Lucifer…)

(What, the real one? She’s a girl?)

(I don’t know. It’s possible she just believes that…)

There were an annoying number of people in the world who claimed to be demon lords or demons. But in this girl’s case, she had been sealed in a crystal until just a moment ago, and this was the basement of the ‘Demon Lord’s Tower.’ It probably wasn’t a good idea to dismiss it completely…

As he was thinking, Noah suddenly stepped forward with Leonardo, smiling cheerfully.

"You’re the Demon Lord Lucifer?! That’s amazing, give me a hug!"

She strode up to the platform where the girl was and opened her arms wide.

"Vanish, lowly servant!!"

Lucifer half-turned, raised her right hand, and swung it down, but.

"Kyaa, you’re so cute, and beautiful! So this is what a demon lord is like, amazing."

Noah put her hands under Lucifer’s arms, forced her to stand, and hugged her tightly.

"What are you doing, servant?! Let go!!"

"You’re so soft, and your body is warm! You’re just a normal human!"

As Lucifer struggled with a pained expression, Noah held her tight.

"I’ll call you Lucy. Nice to meet you, Lucy."

"Sariel!! Barbelo!!"

Finally, on the verge of tears, Lucifer called out her minions’ names, but no one came.

"You were trapped in that crystal for so long, you must have been so cramped. You endured being alone for so long, you’re so amazing. It’s okay, don’t worry, we’ll arrange for you to be able to live in the kingdom from now on. After all, we’re already friends."

Noah bulldozed through any personal boundaries, unilaterally declared them friends, and even decided her future. Lucifer, unable to move while being embraced by Noah and Leonardo, finally broke down into a full-blown crying face.

"Lilith!!"

She cried out, but Noah brought her face close to Lucifer’s.

"For now, it’s dark and dusty in here, so shall we go outside? That’s right, let’s go for a swim! There’s a nice river nearby, let’s all swim together!"

She threw out the sudden suggestion and, naturally, smiled.

"Uu… Uuuu…"

Lucifer desperately writhed to escape Noah and Leonardo’s grasp, but Noah held on tightly from the front, and Leonardo from the back, not letting go.

"Stop it, let go…"

Gradually, the strength drained from Lucifer’s voice, and she finally slumped to the ground, still held by the two.

"Yes, yes, you’ve been suddenly thrown into a strange world and you’re confused, right? It’s okay, we’re all on your side! So, let’s go for a swim! Toto, Jang, Leo, you help too!"

Casually patting the half-crying Lucifer’s head, Noah turned to the boys and asked for their help as if it were the most natural thing in the world…



†††



I’m pretty sure I had business with Jangiacques and rode in the carriage with Misha this morning. How on earth did I end up skinny-dipping with three other girls?

Lulu Gattoland, Second Princess of the Gato Kingdom, briefly pondered this, but hearing the splashing water and open laughter, and feeling the strong July sun that made the riverbed visible, she decided to let the small details go.

"Aah, this feels great!"

The mercenary pilot Noah shouted with joy as she swam in the slow-moving stream with a doggy paddle.

All four of them had wrapped thin silk cloth brought from Noah’s tent around their naked bodies and were immersing themselves in the mountain stream as they pleased. It wasn’t a swimsuit, just a piece of cloth wrapped around their bodies, so when they swam, it would inevitably come loose, revealing an indecent state, but it was just girls, so it was probably fine. They were shielded by trees on both sides, and Toto, Jangiacques, and Leonardo were standing guard on the path leading here, so the girls could enjoy their swim without worry.

Right there was a small waterfall about three meters high, with a pool of water so clear you could see the small fish swimming in it. Lulu walked to the edge of the waterfall, jumped right into the pool, and treaded water in a place so deep her feet couldn’t touch the bottom, paddling the cool, clear water.

"Haa, this feels so good…"

It had been a while since she had bathed in a mountain stream. This was the first time she had known there was such a good stream deep in the Misshapen Mountain.

"Lulu, do you like it? It’s a great spot, isn’t it?"

Noah doggy-paddled over to the treading Lulu with a smile.

"It’s the best. I want to come back as many times as I can this summer."

"Apparently, it’s dangerous at night because of wild dogs and wolves. But it’s nice during the day, right? There are few people since it’s deep in the mountains."

The only people living deep in the Misshapen Mountain were the slave miners from the quarry or the guard knights. Other than that, there were only charcoal burners, woodcutters, or ash makers living in deep mountain huts. So they could expose their naked bodies to the sunlight without worrying about prying eyes.

She glanced at the riverbank and saw Artemisia, with a cloth wrapped around her body, dipping her ankles in the river.

Lulu waved to her.

"Misha, can you not swim, by any chance?"

When she called out, Artemisia looked up with a slightly troubled face.

"I-I can swim. But…"

She seemed to have trouble saying something, fumbling with her words. Lulu somehow guessed what Artemisia wanted to say.

"It’s okay, Noah, you won’t touch her, right?"

Artemisia extremely disliked being touched by others. Noah didn’t know that yet.

"Huh, you don’t like being touched? Is that a thing you have? Got it, it’s okay, I won’t do anything weird, come on over. The water feels great."

After Lulu’s explanation, Noah promised not to touch Artemisia.

"…Ah, no, yes…"

Artemisia made up her mind, immersed herself in the clear stream, and swam towards the waterfall basin.

Then Lulu turned her eyes to the girl in question.

A challenging glare returned her gaze from nearby.

"What? Do you have a problem? Is it forbidden for a demon lord to bathe?"

"Ah, that’s not it. I was just thinking, you know, I’m happy we can play together…"

She had expected more resistance and reluctance, but the self-proclaimed demon lord Lucifer had surprisingly readily followed them out of the cave, and upon arriving at the stream, had quickly stripped off her clothes, wrapped herself in a cloth, and jumped in. Perhaps she was happy to be able to breathe the outside air after being trapped in a crystal for so long. It was clear that Lucifer was enjoying the swim here.

The self-proclaimed demon lord snorted at Lulu’s words and, with cloths wrapped around her upper and lower body, swam gracefully through the waterfall basin with a doggy paddle.

"I will admit that it is pleasant. It seems to be summer now, so it is natural to wash away sweat and dirt frequently by bathing. And I am far more skilled at swimming than you are."

With that, Lucifer demonstrated a strange way of swimming, extending one hand fully in front of her head, pulling it through the water to her waist, repeating this with both hands alternately, and adding propulsion by flapping her aligned toes.

"Wow, that’s amazing, Lucy, you’re so fast!"

Lulu’s eyes widened. It was a much faster and more impressive swimming style than the doggy paddle she and Noah were doing.

"Hahaha, are you impressed, you servants? This is the power of a demon lord!"

Propelling herself with both hands, Lucifer lifted her face from the water in time with her arm strokes, laughing loudly as she swam freely through the waterfall basin. Lulu and Noah exchanged glances and tried to imitate her swimming style.

"Eh, this is hard!" "Like this? My hands? Do I put my face in the water?"

Lucifer raised her eyebrows at the two splashing girls.

"Wrong! Turn the back of your hands inward! By doing so, you can reduce the water resistance!"

She instructed them sternly.

"L-like this?" "Is this it?" "Wrong, like this!" "Like this?" "Wrong!"

After repeated and intense instruction, Lulu and Noah eventually managed to imitate Lucifer and began to swim through the waterfall basin with the new, albeit clumsy, swimming style.

"Haha, this feels great!" "This is awesome, let’s teach everyone else!"

Artemisia, watching them, also began to swim, imitating them awkwardly, and as the four girls swam and played together,

"Hey, my cloth is gone!" "Ah, we swam too much. Oh well, who cares!"

Lulu and Noah realized that the cloths covering their bodies had fallen off and been swept away.

"Huh? Wha—" "Eh, ah, kyaa!"

Lucifer and Artemisia also realized that they had been swimming in their birthday suits without noticing and hastily covered their underwater bodies with their hands.

"It’s just girls, so who cares! Since we’re at it, let’s have a competition to see who has the biggest chest. I’ll go first, ta-da!"

Lulu, Lucifer, and Artemisia completely ignored Noah, who had emerged from the water, placed her hands on her hips, and proudly displayed her naked body. They searched for their lost cloths, but they seemed to have already been carried downstream.

"We’re all naked…" "Oh well, don’t worry about it!" "Nnngh…" "Ugh…"

Lulu gave up, Noah laughed, and Lucifer and Artemisia, bewildered, watched as the July sun filtering through the trees illuminated each other’s bare skin in white.

"You all have great figures! Lucy, Misha, and Lulu too! My arms and legs might be a bit short, but I think my chest is pretty decent."

Casually saying this, Noah admired everyone’s naked bodies and gave her comments. Lulu, troubled, said, "Noah, your gaze is lewd…"

"Yeah, since we’re at it! Hey, Misha, did you get bitten by a bug?"

Noah noticed red spots on Artemisia’s neck and chest. When pointed out, Artemisia hastily covered the area with her hand.

"Ah, it seems I just got bitten…"

"Whoa, scary! Everyone, watch out for bugs, bugs!"

As Noah called out the warning, Lucifer swam past her. Noah, her gaze drawn to the line of her waist and well-formed buttocks visible through the clear water, noticed a strange line on Lucifer’s back.

"Lucy, your back, what’s that…?"

"Huh? My back?"

When pointed out, Lucifer tried to look at her own back over her shoulder, but she couldn’t see it properly.

Noah went behind Lucifer and observed it. On both sides of her spine, on the inside of her shoulder blades, something like a metal rod was faintly exposed to the outside, forming an inverted ‘V’ shape.

"Whoa, that’s amazing, it looks like there’s some kind of machine embedded in you!"

Noah stared at the strange object in fascination. It was a slender rectangle about a centimeter wide and twenty centimeters long, and upon closer inspection, there was a groove-like incision in the center.

When told, Lucifer tilted her head.

"A machine embedded in me?"

She didn’t seem to have any memory of it and desperately tried to turn her head to see her back, but she only ended up spinning like a dog in the water.

"It’s true, there’s a machine embedded in you. You don’t know about it, Lucy?"

Lulu confirmed the same thing and asked. Lucifer, with a slightly flustered expression, replied,

"U-uh, nngh…"

Her reply was not an answer.

Lulu thought for a moment.

—As I thought, Lucy is very different…

There was no doubt about that. But,

—I want to observe Lucy a little more, just among ourselves…

If she was a demon lord as she claimed, they should immediately report it to the castle and subjugate her. But if not, she thought they shouldn’t inform the adults. They would surely see the fact that she was sealed in a crystal and the machine embedded in her body and declare her a "heretic" or a "witch" and execute her. Lulu had seen with her own eyes many innocent women burned at the stake after a sloppy inquisition by priests of dubious origin.

The boys and girls gathered here today had no such prejudice and could judge Lucifer’s humanity with an impartial eye. From their interactions so far, it was clear that although Lucifer had a haughty attitude, she was enjoying the swim with them, and there wasn’t a huge difference between her and any other girl in her late teens. If they continued to spend time together, she would eventually open up, and her memories would return. It wouldn’t be too late to decide her fate then…

Beside the pensive Lulu, Noah was still clinging to Lucifer’s back, poking her fingertips into the metal rod and sniffing it.

"What’s this groove-like thing? I wonder if something will come out of it."

"Hey, stop it, don’t, it tickles…"

"I’ll just try to pry it open a little, something might come out from inside."

Chasing after the reluctant Lucifer, Noah tried to stick her fingertips into the machine and feel around.

"St-stop, hey, that tickles!"

"Sorry, just bear with it a little longer."

Just as she was feeling Lucifer’s back with a persistence that made it unclear who the real demon lord was,

Guuuuuuuu…

An out-of-place sound echoed through the area, as loud as the waterfall.

"Huh?" "Whoa." "…"

It was clearly the sound of a stomach rumbling. Noah looked around and saw an indifferent Artemisia, Lulu waving her hand in front of her face, and Lucifer biting her lip in frustration.

"Ah, Lucy, are you hungry by any chance?!"

"…"

Lucifer looked down, her face bright red, and bit her lip even harder.

"…Meat…"

She voiced her frank request. Noah’s face lit up with a smile.

"Sorry, I didn’t realize, of course! You were in that crystal for so long, so you must be hungry! That’s right, let’s camp here tonight! There’s a riverbank, and we can just bring food from the quarry! Leo, Jang, and Toto too!"

Lulu smiled back at the suggestion.

"Oh, that’s a great idea! I want to camp! You’re okay with it too, right, Misha?!"

"…Ah, yes, I have no problem with it at all. But, we need to let the castle know…"

"I’ll just fly to the castle in the Falco! I can be back before sunset, and I can bring food from the castle kitchen! Great, it’s decided, we’re camping! Aah, this is getting exciting!"

Noah was overjoyed and volunteered to be the messenger to the castle. As she said, the Falco could take off and land on the roof of the castle’s armory tower, so it was a faster and more reliable means of communication than a gazelle bird.

"It’s okay, right, Lucy? I’ll bring lots of meat from the castle! Meat pies, and apple pies too!"

When Noah, still clinging to her back, said this, Lucifer turned around with a start.

"…Meat…!!"

She reacted as if she were about to drool.

"Do you eat it raw, by any chance?!"

"I eat it roasted!!"

"Yay, you’re just like us! Just wait, I’ll bring it right away! Alright, I have to tell Jang and the others too!"

Excited, Noah started to run towards the path completely naked, but was stopped by Lulu and hastily got dressed. "We have everything we need at the quarry campsite! You guys get everything ready!" she said cheerfully and disappeared beyond the trees.

Lulu, left behind, clapped her hands once towards the still dazed Artemisia and the meat-dreaming Lucifer.

"Well then, shall we get ready too? We’re going to cook and sleep here, so what we need to do is, uhm…"

Lulu intended to start preparing for the camp, but since her maids and servants always did this sort of thing, she didn’t know what to do. Artemisia and Lucifer didn’t look very reliable either. In any case, it would be best to get dressed and consult with Toto, Jangiacques, and Leonardo, who were waiting on the path outside…



By evening.

After they had gathered dead branches, built a stone hearth on the riverbank, and started a fire, and had set up the tent they had borrowed from the quarry campsite, the sound of the Falco’s propeller echoed from beyond the trees.

Jangiacques and Leonardo, while cutting up the ingredients they had just procured at the campsite, confirmed that the propeller sound was fading away in the direction of the distant Gattoland Airport.

As they cooked and waited, Noah’s bright smile soon appeared from between the lush green foliage, a large rucksack on her back.

"Sor—ry. When I went to the castle, something weird followed me back!"

Then, from behind Noah, the First Prince, Gaga Gattoland, appeared with a resolute expression, surprising everyone except Lucifer.

Gaga, dressed in a white linen shirt, navy trousers, and leather boots, with a rucksack on his back and a double-edged knight sword at his hip, surveyed the relaxing boys and girls with his usual stern expression.

"Hearing that you were camping alone, I came, thinking your fighting strength would be insufficient if you were attacked by beasts or bandits. There is no need to be overwhelmed with emotion, you may relax. Hmm, so that ill-tempered woman over there is the monster that was sealed in the crystal. At first glance, she appears human, but there is a possibility she is a monster in a woman’s guise, deceiving humans. Whether she is truly the Demon Lord or not, I will determine with my own eyes tonight. By the way, was that ‘weird thing’ you mentioned me, by any chance?"

Gaga abruptly grabbed Noah by the chest with both hands and, while squeezing tightly, asked with a straight face.

"Answer me. Did you just call the First Prince of this country a ‘weird thing,’ hmm?"

As she was being choked, Noah, not to be outdone, crossed her wrists, grabbed Gaga’s collar, and boldly returned the chokehold.

"Well, you are weird, aren’t you…!"

Her eyes bloodshot, she threw a curse at him. Gaga, also being choked, his eyes equally bloodshot, replied,

"…What are you doing… Don’t choke me…!!"

"…You’re the one… choking me…!!"

"It’s… fine for me, you idiot woman…!!"

"…What’s fine about it… you idiot prince…!!"

As the two grappled, choking each other, Lulu stepped in between them and mediated with a smile.

"Alright, alright, you two are getting along so well today. Stop playing around and separate, okay? Welcome, Gaga! The more the merrier, so we’re happy to have you! But if you want to join in, no lectures, and no bossy attitude. Today is for everyone to have fun, okay?"

She admonished Gaga as if he were a child.

"I am not bossy, I am great! I am the First Prince of this country, the future king!"

"Yes, yes, of course, you’re so great. Now, Noah, did you get the ingredients?"

"Leave it to me!"

Noah said cheerfully, took off the large rucksack she was carrying, and opened it. It was packed with so much beef, chicken, and lamb, as well as pork sausages, that they couldn’t possibly eat it all, and Lulu couldn’t help but let out a cry of joy.

"Wow, amazing! Did you buy all this?! It must have been expensive!"

"When Gaga told the castle cook, they just started stuffing meat in! He’s an idiot, but he’s a prince, so he’s useful at times like these!"

Noah said this, winked, and gave a thumbs up.

Beside her, Gaga nodded magnanimously, took off the rucksack he was carrying, and took out a wineskin. Though it was alcohol, in the Gato Kingdom, drinking was permitted from the age of twelve as a substitute for water, so it was fine for Toto to drink.

"Royalty does not buy ingredients. We command them to be provided. On my way here, I ordered the officer in charge of provisions at the quarry campsite to bring barrels of wine and ale. There will be more than enough to drink for the eight of us camping. By the way, you, was that ‘idiot, but he’s a prince’ me, by any chance?"

Lulu mediated between the two, who had started choking each other again, and took the rucksack to Jangiacques and Leonardo, who were in charge of cooking. They were both happy and started cutting up the meat.

Camping here today were First Prince Gaga, Second Prince Toto, Second Princess Lulu, Third Princess Artemisia, the mercenary pilot Noah, the mechanic Leonardo, the guard knight Jangiacques, and the self-proclaimed demon lord Lucifer—eight people in total. It was a strange group that would likely never gather again, and it was rare for four members of the royal family to camp without any attendants. Lulu had no idea what kind of night it would turn out to be…



Eventually, the leaves of the trees were tinged with patches of deep red. As the afterglow faded from the western sky, the constellations in the zenith became more vivid. The birds had settled down to sleep, and the chirping of insects and frogs began to mingle with the murmuring of the stream, by which time the skewered meats arranged around the bonfire were dripping with fat.

"Meat!! Delicious! You there, cook, I praise you!"

The self-proclaimed demon lord Lucifer, holding a large skewer of beef in her right hand and a skewer of river fish in her left, shouted at the back of Jangiacques, who was busy cooking at the stone hearth next to the bonfire.

"I’m glad you like it."

Jangiacques replied without turning around, placed a metal plate on the stone hearth, and heated it over the charcoal fire. This metal plate was of his own making, a flattened piece of armor scrap. He greased it, scattered some vegetable scraps, and after confirming it was sufficiently hot, arranged the salted lamb on it.

"The meat and fish are both delicious!"

Lucifer alternately devoured the beef and river fish skewers in her hands, poured wine from the wine barrel that had been brought by cart earlier into a wooden cup, and drank it down boldly.

"Lucy, you must have been really hungry!"

Across the bonfire, Noah said this, tore a piece of meat from a bone, and smiled at everyone.

"Delicious! Camping is the best! You have a talent for cooking, Jang!"

Jangiacques, who was almost single-handedly in charge of the cooking, received the praise on his back, gave a silent thumbs up, and turned back to the hearth. He seemed to want to concentrate on cooking and didn’t need any unnecessary compliments.

"I can gut the game from a hunt, but…"

Second Prince Toto said this as he ate a roasted fish by the bonfire. The fluffy white meat fell apart in his mouth, and the scent of river moss from the innards and a faint saltiness mixed in his mouth, the flavor growing richer the more he chewed. The fish Jangiacques had grilled was perfectly cooked, and though it was a white fish, the fat was clearly noticeable. To be honest, he was a better cook than the castle’s chefs.

Impressed, Toto’s gaze drifted to Artemisia beside him.

The stepsister held a skewer of river fish with both hands, puffing to cool it in her mouth as she chewed.

Just watching her eat fish was so adorable it made him smile.

"Have you ever been camping before?"

He just felt like talking to her.

Her silvery hair, blowing in the night wind, was dyed orange by the color of the bonfire. Artemisia, against the backdrop of the starry sky, seemed to emit a faint light like a forest fairy, appearing to float above the night.

"Ah… This is my first time."

A slightly shy reply escaped her cherry-pink lips.

"I see. I heard you got bitten by a bug, are you okay?"

"Ah, I’m fine. It’s gone down now…"

They exchanged words awkwardly, then both fell silent.

—I wish I could talk to her more smoothly. What should I talk about?

Toto cursed his own poor conversational skills. Just when he had a chance to talk with Artemisia like this, he couldn’t find the right words…

"Misha, are you eating? You should eat a lot more!"

From the side, a slightly flushed Lulu chimed in. And from beside her,

"Wow, even in the light of a bonfire, Misha is still so beautiful. Hey, who do you think is prettier, me or you?"

The pilot Noah, a wineskin in one hand, posed an arrogant question to Artemisia.

"Ah, no, uh…"

As Artemisia’s eyes darted around in confusion, Noah brought her face even closer with a mischievous look.

"‘It’s me, obviously, you slut!!’ …is what you just thought, right? I can hear people’s thoughts, you know. I see, I see, so that’s your true nature."

"N-no, that’s not true! I would never think such a thing! I-I don’t really care about appearances or things like that…"

"Noah, don’t bully Misha so much. You’re both beautiful and cute. Though it’s a bit much for you to say it yourself, Noah…"

"Because I am cute! You can tell by the way the guys flock around me. I’m not an idiot or dense. It’s more refreshing to just admit it, right?"

Noah said this, puffed out her chest, and chugged the wine from the wineskin. From behind the speechless Artemisia and the troubled Lulu and Toto, Gaga now appeared, cast his gaze at Noah, and said,

"Hey, you ugly idiot woman. Give me the wine."

He called out, but of course, Noah didn’t answer.

"Can’t you hear me, you monkey? You, you. Fine, I’ll get it myself."

Gaga strode over, snatched the wineskin from Noah’s hand, and chugged it.

"Gyaah! You put your mouth where I put my mouth!"

Noah let out a sarcastic shriek and condemned Gaga, but.

"Apologize. Some of your saliva has adhered to my lips. What will you do if your stupidity infects me, the First Prince of the Gato Kingdom?"

At Gaga, who said this with a puffed-out chest, Noah hurled a string of curses that seemed not of this world. Gaga unhesitatingly choked Noah, and Noah, not to be outdone, choked Gaga back, and they rolled around on the riverbank, playing rough.

"Why don’t you two just get married already?"

Lulu shot an exasperated look at the two and brought the wine to her lips. Jangiacques, Lucifer, and Leo also joined the bonfire, and the lively feast continued late into the night—



A sky full of stars glittered above them.

Accompanied by the hooting of owls, the murmuring of the stream, and the chirping of insects, the gathering had, at some point, turned into a political debate centered around Gaga.

"…And for that reason, military action by the Gato Kingdom is essential for the unification of the Grapeland Sea. Do you understand, Demon Lord?"

When asked, the self-proclaimed demon lord Lucifer chugged from a wineskin full of whiskey, let out a snort, and turned her drunken gaze to Gaga.

"Umu… I see… I think I get it, but I’m not sure… Anyway… I’m all for war! A lot of people will die, after all! Humans and demi-humans should just kill each other and turn the whole world into a sea of fire!"

She said something outrageous in a carefree tone. Toto, sitting at the same bonfire, turned a troubled face to Artemisia beside him.

"Gaga and Lucy are both drunk… I think they’re joking."

Artemisia silently shook her head.

"…Hearing Prince Gaga’s frank opinion is very educational."

She said this in a brave voice. It was clear to Toto that Artemisia, the daughter of the Commander of the Black Rose Knights, had endured a great deal to say those words, and feeling sorry for her, he couldn’t help but say to Gaga,

"…But brother. Even if the Gato Kingdom unifies the Grapeland Sea by force, the humans’ hatred for the Minya will remain, right? In that case, won’t we just end up repeating the same conflict over and over again?"

Gaga turned a suspicious look on Toto. This was the first time Toto had challenged his brother in a direct debate.

Feeling a little intimidated, Toto spoke not just to Gaga, but to everyone gathered around.

"Lately, I’ve been thinking about my sister who died ten years ago. Her name was Lala, she was our half-sister, and I respected her very much…"

Realizing Toto’s words were directed at her, Artemisia nodded.

"…I know of her. Princess Lala Gattoland. They say she was full of wisdom, beautiful, and achieved outstanding results even when leading an army."

"Yes, that Lala often said that as long as we distinguish between humans and demi-humans, the conflict will never end. What’s needed is not the Gato Kingdom, the Seven City Alliance, or the Black Rose Knights, but a new country where everyone is governed by the same rules."

"…"

"Ten years ago, I didn’t understand what Lala was saying. But now, I completely agree with her. To eliminate conflict from this world, we have to eliminate the barriers between races. It’s wrong to kill each other just because we look different, come from different places, and have different beliefs. I want to seek a world where there are no such barriers, where all living things accept each other and live together. Not just Minya, but humans, werewolves, and other demi-humans too, all living in peace and equality."

"…"

As he spoke, Toto observed the people gathered around the same bonfire. Second Princess Lulu, Third Princess Artemisia, Guard Knight Jangiacques, and Mechanic Leonardo were listening with serious faces. The pilot Noah was lying on her back on the riverbank, snoring happily. The self-proclaimed demon lord Lucifer had lost interest halfway through and started eating a piece of meat on the bone. And, of course, the ever-exasperated First Prince Gaga.

"I know it sounds like a dream, but… what do you think?"

Toto asked the group. Lulu was the first to smile brightly and clap her hands.

"That’s right, Lala did say something like that, I remember now! That’s it, not just humans and Minya, but if all the other races live together under the same rules, there won’t be any more conflicts!"

Without hesitation, Lulu patted Toto’s head in front of everyone and praised him. Toto smiled awkwardly.

"I’m just repeating what Lala said. …But I completely agree, and I think there’s meaning in thinking about what we should do to achieve it."

As he answered, he glanced at Artemisia.

The third princess, who was always so considerate of others, smiled a little awkwardly.

"That’s a wonderful idea. To eliminate conflict from this world, I also believe there is no other way."

She agreed with Toto.

"Jang, what do you think?"

Toto asked Jangiacques, who was sitting at the same fire. He had been poking the bonfire with a thoughtful expression while listening to Toto’s story, and he was curious about what he was thinking.

Jangiacques looked up at Toto with a start, then smiled.

"I am not in a position to offer my opinion to the prince."

To the calmly speaking Jangiacques, Toto said,

"We are comrades sharing the same fire, so it’s fine today. More than anything, I want to hear your opinion."

Jangiacques looked at the fire for a while, then answered quietly.

"It will be impossible in our lifetime. Our children, the children they have, and then their children, perhaps several generations later, they might be able to live under such an ideal."

Hearing that answer, Toto nodded. He had no objection, as he himself thought the same.

"Of course, I don’t think it’s an ideal that can be achieved right away. But if someone doesn’t take the first step, it can never be achieved. That’s why I want to be that first step."

When he said this firmly, Lulu’s smile grew even brighter.

"It would be wonderful if a country like that really existed. I want to live there too! If we all just ate the same food and lived together like this, there wouldn’t be any wars! …Hey, hey, I just thought of a name for that country. Can I announce it?"

She asked with a mischievous smile. Toto smiled back.

"A name for the country? Great, tell me."

"I learned this from a scholar the other day. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet… They did an experiment a long time ago where they layered seven colored glass panes and held them up to the sun to see what color would be projected on the ground. The result was white on the ground. The parts where the glass didn’t overlap remained their original colors, but the part where all seven overlapped was white. When I heard that story, I thought it was wonderful. Isn’t it great that when all the colors in the world overlap, they become white? So… the name of the country Toto will create, where all the races live together, is ‘The White Nation’!"

Lulu said this and looked at Toto expectantly.

"…Is it no good?"

Toto returned a smile to Lulu, who tilted her head slightly in embarrassment.

"I like it. It’s a deal."

"Yay! Let’s build ‘The White Nation’ together!"

Lulu said this like a slogan and raised her hands in joy.

"I have no objection."

Jangiacques also smiled and said this, and Artemisia beside him added,

"I agree as well. It’s simple and nice, ‘The White Nation.’"

She affirmed with a lovely smile. But.

"That’s childish beyond belief."

Gaga, who had been wearing an exasperated expression the whole time, cut them down with a single phrase.

"The history of the Grapeland Sea is a history of conspiracy and betrayal. For the past thousand years, there has never been a time when conflicts, large and small, have ceased, and those who trusted others were the first to be destroyed. Have you forgotten what the Black Rose Knights did to Queen Alisha when they tricked us and landed on Gato Island one hundred and fifty years ago? The conflict will not end until either humans or Minya are extinct. It is impossible for us to trust each other and become one now."

Gaga said this firmly and looked around the group, his eyes stopping on Artemisia, and a flicker of "oops" crossed his face. Even though he was drunk, it was too cruel to condemn the evil deeds of the Black Rose Knights of old in front of Artemisia.

Lulu hurriedly turned her gaze to Artemisia.

"Misha, Gaga is drunk, so…"

"…No. …It is a fact."

Artemisia looked down and clenched the fists on her knees. Toto couldn’t stand it anymore and raised his face resolutely to Gaga.

"…That was long before we were born, right? We shouldn’t be trapped in the past like that, we should be talking about the future."

Gaga, looking slightly awkward, said,

"…I take back what I said about the queen’s incident. But it is also a fact that if you easily trust others, you will get your throat cut. Your opinion is a laughing matter for commoners, but it is too dangerous for a royal to say. If the lower nobles perceive that you are dissatisfied with the country’s policies, it could become a seed of internal conflict. Be careful not to speak those childish words outside of our circle."

Being strongly reprimanded, Toto felt a slight anger.

"It may be a fairy tale. But that doesn’t mean that continuing on the current path is the right thing to do. It’s a distant ideal, but if it’s something that everyone desires, someone has to take the first step, and I believe that is the role of royalty."

Normally, Toto would never argue with Gaga in front of everyone. To do so would be to damage the First Prince’s dignity. But right now, a strong feeling was welling up from inside Toto, enough to shake off such self-restraint.

Gaga glanced at Toto with a displeased look.

"What is the content of this first step? What action will you take to establish a country where all races live as equals?"

"That is… first, I will gather people who agree. I will increase our allies in the court and private salons, we will all research together, and create a written opinion…"

"And then your proposal will be kicked to the curb by His Majesty King Dada. If I were king, I would consider the organizer of such a suspicious group a spy and imprison them."

For a moment, blood rushed to Toto’s head. His anger turned into a torrent of words.

"I’m just gathering people who agree. They don’t have to be royalty or nobles or influential people, just ordinary townspeople. I’ll start by creating a movement towards a new order. It will probably be difficult to achieve in my lifetime, but even after I’m gone, I’m sure that a strong and just ideal will be carried on. Not by one person, but by tens, hundreds, thousands… The more the word spreads, the more people who agree should increase. A peaceful and equal society where all living creatures accept each other and live together… I believe that the concept of ‘The White Nation’ has that much appeal. I don’t mind being one of the small stones built into the foundation of ‘The White Nation.’ For me, this is not a question of whether it can be done or not, it’s a question of whether I have the courage to step towards a distant dream, a question of conviction."

Uncharacteristically, his words were filled with emotion, but Toto had finally gotten his thoughts out.

Gaga distorted his expression in displeasure and just looked at his younger brother.

Lulu smiled happily and nodded repeatedly, and Artemisia beside her also threw a smile of approval at Toto, while Jangiacques nodded once with a solemn expression.

A log in the fire popped once, sending sparks flying.

A soft night breeze blew between them.

Finally, Gaga snorted, gathered his composure, and said,

"…Being able to harbor grandiose delusions is a privilege of childhood. You are averting your eyes from reality, immersing yourself in a picture book-like fantasy, and are infatuated with yourself."

Toto replied firmly, without a pause.

"I know I’ll be laughed at, and I expect to be made fun of. I just don’t want to become someone who does nothing themselves and just scoffs at others."

"Do you think I am doing nothing?"

"Then what is your ideal, brother? After you inherit this country from His Majesty, what will you do to ensure the people live in peace?"

Just as Gaga, at a loss for words, was about to erupt in fury,

"Okay, Gaga, that’s enough. Toto, you’re a little worked up too. Both of you calm down."

Lulu mediated, and Gaga swallowed the words he was about to say.

"I won’t laugh, Toto. I’ll support you completely. Everyone is too caught up in the past. Times are changing, so we have to forget about that and find a way to get along. You think so too, right, Misha?"

When Lulu turned the conversation to her, Artemisia also bravely tightened her expression.

"Yes. The leaders of the Black Rose Knights also want to make peace with the Gato Kingdom. I believe that one day, humans, Minya, and demi-humans will all live in an equal society."

Hearing the words of the two princesses, Gaga scowled deeply.

"Was this a tea party? This is utterly absurd. Let’s drink, Demon Lord. You are the one with the most sensible sensibilities here."

He handed a wineskin of ale to Lucifer, who had been eating meat on the bone by herself for a while. Lucifer, holding the meat in her right hand, took the wineskin in her left, chugged it down, let out a loud belch, and said,

"You’re overthinking difficult things! Just kill everyone you don’t like, and make the rest slaves, and there will be no problem!"

She declared this, a demon-like smile playing on her lips.

"Umu, it’s crude, but it’s more realistic than Toto. Drink, Demon Lord, there is still plenty of wine."

"By the way, cook, I praise you! The meat you grilled is truly delicious!"

Praised by Lucifer, Jangiacques, while adding a new log to the bonfire, said,

"You really eat a lot…"

He sent a wry smile to Lucifer, who had been eating non-stop since the beginning of the feast.

Before long, the atmosphere relaxed.

Gaga drank and chatted with Lucifer, Toto and Artemisia started talking about something by themselves, Noah and Leonardo were sound asleep, and Lulu, in a low voice that the others couldn’t hear, spoke to Jangiacques.

"Um, Jang, may I ask you a question?"

"Me? Yes, of course."

"Um… May I ask about your background?"

Jangiacques returned a suspicious look. He couldn’t understand why a second princess would be interested in the past of one of the two hundred "bastard sons, the Natales." But he had no reason to refuse.

"…Since I can remember, I have been doing odd jobs at a church near the port. A priest taught me to read and write, fishermen and shipwrights were my father figures, and the wives working at the port were my mother figures… I heard from the priest that my father was His Majesty King Dada. My mother, after telling me to wear this left attached ear even as an adult, disappeared somewhere. At ten, I became a steward on an airship, and at sixteen, I was knighted for my meritorious service in a battle with sky pirates, a knight in title only. For the past two years, I have been working as a guard knight at the Misshapen Mountain quarry. …That is all."

"Uhm… so you’re eighteen now?"

"That is correct."

At this, Lulu counted on her fingers, thought for a moment, and then looked up.

"Thank you. …I will investigate the rest. I might have a clue about your mother…"

"…About my mother? …Princess Lulu?"

Jangiacques had no idea what the connection could be. Lulu, realizing she had said too much, said,

"…I’m sorry. There is little I can say right now. I cannot speak without proof. …That is all I wanted to ask. …Good night."

With that, she ended the conversation and slipped into her sleeping bag laid out on the riverbank.

Jangiacques blinked a couple of times, turned his eyes back to the bonfire, and let out a sigh.

—Royalty is full of strange people.

He grumbled to himself and drank the remaining wine in his cup.



As the night deepened—

"Zzz…" "Guu…" "Ngaa. Ngaa…"

Sleeping bags were lined up on the riverbank, and their respective snores and breathing mingled with the sound of insects.

They had set up a tent, but the July night air was pleasant, and it was fine to sleep directly on the riverbank.

Everyone was sound asleep, but.

"…Mu… nu…?"

Thinking he heard something, Jangiacques rubbed his sleepy eyes and sat up. It was probably a wild animal, he thought, as he seemed to hear the rustling of clothes nearby.

"…?"

He looked around. The bright blue light of the full moon revealed the gravel riverbank and the shadow of the forest that cut off the edge of the starry sky.

And then, one person.

Jangiacques noticed a girl standing by the river’s edge.

"…Lucy?"

There was no mistake. She seemed to have drunk a lot of alcohol, but was she okay?

Worried, Jangiacques stood up and walked towards Lucifer, who was about ten meters away, and then he realized.

"Whoa…!"

Lucifer had taken off her shirt and skirt and was in her birthday suit.

Her black hair swayed in the night wind, her elegant back, the curve of her waist like a stringed instrument, her pure white buttocks, her glossy thighs and toned calves, her slender ankles.

Her white naked body, illuminated by the full moon, floated ethereally in the night like a fairy.

Jangiacques was momentarily captivated by her form.

—Beautiful.

The moment he thought that, Lucifer looked back over her shoulder, and their eyes met.

The self-proclaimed demon lord… smiled.

The next moment, she turned her face forward and, without hesitation, dived headfirst into the water.

Dumbfounded, Jangiacques stood with his mouth half-open.

"Puhah!"

Lucifer’s face emerged from the water.

"Guh… hah… guh… guh… buh…"

Her hands flailed in the air, and she clawed at the air in agony as she was swept downstream.

"What are you doing—?!"

Coming to his senses, Jangiacques frantically ran, threw off his jacket and shoes, and, still in his shirt and trousers, dived into the water after Lucifer.

"Lucy!"

Diving into a river while drunk was a suicide attempt. The current near the shore was gentle, but in the middle, it was quite strong, and here and there, large rocks protruded from the water. If she hit one of those, she wouldn’t be unscathed.

"What… are you doing!"

He spat out, and Jangiacques swam with a crawl stroke.

In the center of the river surface, illuminated by the full moon, Lucifer continued to flail her arms, sinking and surfacing as she was carried away.

Although there was moonlight, it was night. It was difficult to keep sight of Lucifer while swimming. Keeping his eyes forward as much as possible, he cut through the water with a crawl stroke, closing the distance to Lucifer—

"!?"

A large rock protruding from the water entered Jangiacques’s field of vision.

Exposed to the moonlight, it was as large as a dragon trying to ascend to the night sky.

The next moment.

"Guhah!"

The drifting Lucifer slammed her face into the rock, letting out such a cry.

"Lucy!!"

Shouting again, Jangiacques dipped his face into the current and paddled with all his might.

Amidst the splashing water he was creating, he strained his eyes forward.

A limp Lucifer was floating on her back on the water, being carried away without resistance.

Jangiacques gritted his teeth. He avoided the rock in his way, mustered all his strength to paddle, and with his outstretched hand, he finally caught Lucifer’s body.

"Hah, hah, hah…"

While steadying his ragged breath, he wrapped one arm around Lucifer’s side in the water and pulled her towards the shore.

Lucifer, having apparently lost consciousness when she hit the rock, had her eyes closed and her back resting against Jangiacques’s chest, motionless.

"What… are you doing, you…!"

Grumbling, Jangiacques placed his bare feet on the riverbed, lifted Lucifer, and somehow managed to pull her onto the sandy shore.

"Gehoh, gehohoh…"

On all fours on the soft sand, he spat out river water, wiped his mouth with his arm, and caught his ragged breath.

"Hah, hah, hah…"

He looked around. He had been carried more than two hundred meters downstream from the campsite, and there was no one around. The opposite bank was a cliff, and on this side, a dense forest encroached on the narrow riverbank.

And—at Jangiacques’s feet, a naked Lucifer lay on her back with her eyes closed, her mouth slightly open.

"Hah, hah…"

Finally, his breathing steadied, and Lucifer’s naked body, illuminated by the full moon, came into sharp focus, making Jangiacques blush and turn his face away.

"W-what is all this, seriously…"

Grumbling, he took off his coarse-woven tunic anyway and placed it over the front of Lucifer’s body. He thought about taking off his cloth trousers as well, but that would leave him completely naked, so he couldn’t.

His eyes kept straying to Lucifer’s exposed breasts. The tunic alone couldn’t hide everything. Lucifer lay on her back, motionless as if dead, not even breathing.

No, could it be—

Jangiacques knelt down, leaned forward, and placed one ear to Lucifer’s lips.

No breath.

"Hey. Hey…!"

Jangiacques grabbed Lucifer’s shoulders and shook her, but there was no response.

—She’s swallowed water.

Having been on ships since he was a child, he knew how to deal with a drowned person. But that method inevitably involved intimate physical contact.

But there was no time to hesitate. The longer he delayed, the more oxygen would be lost from Lucifer’s body, leading to serious after-effects.

"…I’m telling you now, this isn’t for any lewd purpose. This is the only way to save you, so I’m doing it out of necessity…!"

After giving a heads-up to the unconscious person, Jangiacques tilted Lucifer’s chin up slightly, pressed his own lips to hers, and blew his breath into her body.

The wind blowing across the river surface passed by the two of them.

After doing this for a long time, Jangiacques separated his lips and checked for any change. There was none.

He took another deep breath, pressed his lips to hers, and blew his breath in.

He felt a slight life rhythm in Lucifer’s body, beyond her lips.

He separated his lips. Lucifer’s expression seemed to have taken on a slightly pained look.

"Don’t die…!"

Next, he had to perform chest compressions. He moved the tunic covering her naked body to where her heart was, then placed his right hand directly over her heart and applied pressure with his own body weight.

Through his palm, he felt Lucifer’s ribs creak slightly. He was careful not to break them as he applied pressure, but the swaying mounds of her breasts were impossible not to see, and the soft sensation was transmitted to his palm. He felt guilty for doing this to someone who couldn’t move, but if he didn’t, Lucifer would die.

—I don’t want to lose you like this.

Praying, Jangiacques repeated the compressions, took a breath, pressed his lips to hers, and blew his breath into Lucifer’s body.

Ever since he first discovered Lucifer in that cave, he had visited the cave whenever he had time and spent his days gazing at Lucifer, sealed upside down in the crystal.

For some reason, being in front of her calmed his heart and made him feel peaceful and serene.

He didn’t know why he felt that way. He just felt that his own loneliness, having no family, no purpose in life, and just working at the quarry to eventually die from the Polka Dot Disease, resonated with Lucifer’s loneliness, sleeping alone in the crystal.

Today, Lucifer had woken up, and her personality was haughty, arrogant, and extremely selfish, but Jangiacques had enjoyed just watching the lively Lucifer move around, and he had even wished for such times to continue.

To think that just after they had finally met and been able to exchange words,

He didn’t want her to die so suddenly.

"Open your eyes…!"

He whispered, and once again, their lips met.




He blew his breath into her, felt the rhythm of her body, and prayed.

Jangiacques had rarely cared about anyone’s life.

When Gasper died in a duel the other day, he was sad, but not enough to cry, and he quickly accepted it as it was. People all die easily. Since he was ten, he had been on airships, and he had learned that well. His companions who had been laughing and talking just a moment ago were blown away by cannons in front of his eyes, crushed by the side of an enemy ship that had collided with them, lost their balance and were thrown into the air, and died for various reasons without a fuss.

After seeing so many deaths, he understood that life was like trash, and that one day he too would die like trash. He was born without being wanted as a result of King Dada’s womanizing, and since he had no reason to die, he was just living. His life had no value, and it was the same for other commoners. Only a handful of royalty and nobles could choose their own way of life and carve out their own future. Everyone else lacked even the food to eat for the day and were just insects or trash that would die at the whim of the royalty and nobles.

That’s how it was supposed to be.

"Don’t die, Lucy."

He continued, took a breath, and poured life into Lucifer.

The scenery was as if dead, and only silence enveloped the two of them. The murmuring of the stream, the chirping of insects, the sound of the wind blowing through the trees had all disappeared from around them, and it was as if they were alone in the world.

Suddenly, the silence was broken—

Thump. A single heartbeat echoed.

Jangiacques, still kissing her, felt it.

Thump, thump. From beyond their joined lips, he felt a definite breath of life.

—Lucy…

The heartbeat spread from Lucifer’s naked body.

Suddenly, thump, Lucifer’s back arched.

Jangiacques separated his lips and looked closely at her face.

At some point, Lucifer’s eyes had opened.

Jangiacques saw his own face reflected in her ice-blue eyes that reflected the starry sky.

"Lucy…"

Her name tumbled from his lips of its own accord.

—What a beautiful person.

Jangiacques thought this clearly.

Lucifer stared blankly at Jangiacques’s face for a while—

And smiled.

A smile that could shoot down the stars.

Her glossy lips, colored by the moonlight, parted.

"Bleegh—"

She spat out a large amount of water right at Jangiacques’s face.

Jangiacques, smiling, took the water she spat out.

"Lucy!!!"

When Jangiacques let go, Lucifer, still naked, got on all fours on the sandy shore.

"Bleeergh—"

With such a sound, she spat out a large amount of water.

"Thank goodness, you’re alive, Lucy, I’m so glad…"

Jangiacques, his eyes slightly teary, shouted with joy, knelt beside Lucifer, and rubbed her exposed back.

"Bluuuurgh—"

After spitting out water a third time, Lucifer coughed repeatedly from a dry throat, tears streaming from her eyes, and caught her breath. Jangiacques, worried, rubbed her back and waited for her to calm down.

"Haa, haa, haa, haaaaa…"

After vomiting everything in her stomach, Lucifer, her eyes still teary, hung her head and didn’t move.

"…Are you okay? Shall I start a fire? …Do you remember what you did?"

From right beside her, Jangiacques asked worriedly and peeked at Lucifer’s profile.

Glaaaare.

With such a sound, Lucifer turned her ice-blue eyes, still slightly teary, to Jangiacques.

"…‘Okay’… you say?"

She was clearly angry. Come to think of it, Lucifer had regained consciousness towards the end of the artificial respiration. An explanation for that act was necessary.

"…Um, Lucy. May I explain?"

Jangiacques knelt on one knee on the spot and looked at Lucifer head-on.

And then—he remembered that Lucifer was naked, and he himself was half-naked.

Confirming their exposed bodies illuminated by the blue moonlight, Jangiacques blushed again and averted his eyes, and in the next moment.

Kishaaaaa, Lucifer’s eyes narrowed, and the corners of her mouth stretched towards her ears.

"…My untainted lips!! My first kiss!! And you have the nerve to ask if I’m okay, do you really think so?!"

Lucifer raised her right hand on the spot and swung it down, but as usual, nothing happened. But it was clear that Lucifer was genuinely angry.

Jangiacques, flustered, waved his hand and explained.

"No! It wasn’t for any lewd purpose, I was trying to save your life…!!"

"You kiss people to save their lives, do you?!"

As he thought, Lucifer didn’t know the concept of artificial respiration. She was convinced that he had done it to satisfy his own primal desires. To explain this, he would first have to make her understand the principle of expelling swallowed water.

And what’s more.

"W-w-why am I naked?! Y-y-you weren’t satisfied with just a kiss, you were going to do… even more, you shameless pervert!!"

Realizing she was naked, Lucifer hugged her chest with both arms, collapsed sideways to hide her lower abdomen with her legs, and her face turned bright red with shame as she accused him.

Jangiacques was speechless.

—Explaining this is going to be such a pain…!!

It was Lucifer who had gotten drunk, stripped naked, and dived into the river and drowned. But Lucifer, now completely sober after being revived, had lost her memories of being drunk and now only recognized Jangiacques as a pervert.

—Isn’t this the most annoying type of drunk…!

—Do I have to explain this from the beginning and make her understand?!

Just as he was despairing at the seemingly endless road ahead—

"…Jang! Lucy! Answer me!" "Jaaang. Lucy. Where are you?"

Voices of salvation echoed from the distant trees. It was Toto and Artemisia’s voices. They had noticed that Jangiacques and Lucifer were gone and were searching for them.

—Saved…!

Jangiacques wiped the sweat from his brow with his arm, let out a sigh of relief, and, to let them know their whereabouts, answered them in a loud voice…



Rewinding time a little—

Toto and Artemisia, who had been asleep until a moment ago, were woken up by someone’s shout of "What are you doing—".

Immediately after, there was the sound of water. Wondering what was going on, they looked and found Lucifer’s discarded clothes on the riverbank, and Jangiacques was also gone. Thinking it might be an incident, they took the discarded clothes and set off into the forest together to search.

And then, as they walked through the dark forest, calling Jangiacques’s name with a lantern in hand—the atmosphere became quite nice.

"Are you okay, not sleepy? I’m sorry for making you come with me…"

"…No, I’m worried. I hope nothing bad has happened…"

Artemisia walked along the dark forest path, as if huddling close to Toto. Every time an owl hooted or the grass rustled, she would jump and cling to him. Every one of her gestures was so adorable.

—My heart is pounding…

Every time Artemisia’s small body brushed against him, Toto’s heart raced. He knew that she extremely disliked physical contact, so he couldn’t even hold her hand, but the lemon-like scent coming from so close, and her deep violet eyes that floated in the lantern’s light like the surface of a winter lake. The words spun from her glossy, cherry-pink lips also echoed like they were played on a harp, and just walking with her like this made him happy.

As they walked side by side, they forgot they were searching for Jangiacques and the others and started making idle small talk. Perhaps it was the fairy-tale-like atmosphere of the night forest that made them gradually open up to each other.

"I don’t understand King Dada’s intentions, nor Commander Ilias’s, and I probably wouldn’t understand even if I asked. …There are so many people around, their interests are intertwined, and it’s so complicated that even the people involved don’t know what’s what anymore… That’s how I feel."

"…Yes. …I also wonder why I am here, but… halfway through, I started to give up, thinking there’s no point in thinking about it. …Even if I did understand, there’s nothing I could do about it anyway…"

Artemisia said this and looked up at the starry sky, framed by the canopy of branches and leaves. The three thousand stars were reflected in Artemisia’s eyes, and to Toto, they looked more beautiful than the real night sky.

"My father probably intends to obey the Gato Kingdom. But the people around him… the Pope, the Three Saints, and the other nobles and merchants, they are not happy with the Minya’s rule… and they might incite my father and plot something. I’ve come to think recently that my father sent me here just to keep the people around him in check."

The liveliness gradually faded from Artemisia’s words. Her painful circumstances seeped into Toto’s heart, and wanting to cheer her up somehow, Toto spoke.

"This goes back to what I was saying about my sister… Princess Lala, who died ten years ago. Lala used to say, ‘Life is a story where you are the main character, so it’s good to decide what you want to do and live for that.’ The protagonist of a story always has a purpose, overcomes many trials, and in the end, reaches a happy ending… She said that also applies to reality, so you should decide what you want to accomplish in your life and live for that… That’s why I’ve been thinking all this time about what I should accomplish before I die… and today, I think I’ve found my goal."

"…"

Artemisia silently gazed at Toto. Toto thought for a moment, organized his thoughts, and then opened his mouth.

"The story where I am the protagonist is ‘The Story of the White Nation.’"

"…"

"As I said earlier, I can’t complete it by myself. My children, their children, and their children’s children… It will take many generations, two hundred, three hundred years… maybe even longer. It will be a long, long story, but I’ve decided to take the first step from this place today."

With that, Toto turned his serious gaze to the side.

Artemisia responded with a lovely smile.

That adorable smile tightened its grip on the depths of Toto’s heart.

"…I need your help. For all races to live as equals, first, the Black Rose Knights and the Gato Kingdom have to get along. I think it’s some kind of fate that you are here now. …I want you to join my story."

When he asked, Artemisia smiled like a spring flower.

"…Do you think I would refuse?"

That smile was so lovely that Toto’s heart squeezed tight.

"…Yes. I, too… would like to participate in the story of creating ‘The White Nation.’"

She said this and looked down shyly.

His heartbeat grew even faster.

"Thank you. …Yeah. …This has become a bit of a grand-scale story, hasn’t it? I’m sorry, right, we need to find Jangiacques and the others…"

If this continued, he was afraid Artemisia would hear his heartbeat itself, so Toto started shouting Jangiacques’s and Lucifer’s names in a loud voice.

Before long—

"Prince Toto, Princess Artemisia! Over here, Lucifer is…!"

Jangiacques’s slightly panicked voice came from the darkness, and Toto and Artemisia exchanged glances, hurriedly ran towards the voice, and found a naked, half-crying Lucifer, turned their astonished gazes to Jangiacques, listened to a whole mess of an explanation, somehow managed to get Lucifer dressed, and then everyone returned to the campsite.



In the end—

Everyone except Lucifer was convinced by Jangiacques’s explanation, but Lucifer’s anger did not subside. Jangiacques, who was continuously berated, also couldn’t hold back and criticized Lucifer’s actions, and the situation only got worse. Finally, Toto and Lulu stepped in to mediate and decided to take Lucifer on as Jangiacques’s apprentice squire and arrange for a citizen ID to be issued.

"This will give you a place to live, right?" "Sir Jangiacques will provide for you. Isn’t that great, Lucy? Let’s thank Jang."

With her status guaranteed by royalty and a knight as her guardian, Lucifer could live in this country with her head held high. A commoner would jump for joy at such favorable conditions, but.

"Do you think that’s enough?! He kissed me while I was naked! Turn his asshole inside out!! I will never forgive him until that inside-out hole covers his entire body!!"

Lucifer’s anger was not appeased. Jangiacques, whose patience had long since run out, also threw his usual composure to the wind.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about, how would that cover his entire body?! Draw me a picture, a picture of that inside-out thing covering a whole body!!"

"Shut up, you idiot! If you don’t understand, I’ll teach your body directly, show me your ass!!"

The enraged Lucifer lunged at Jangiacques and tried to pull off his trousers. Toto and Lulu hurriedly stopped Lucifer, Noah fanned the flames of the conflict, Gaga drank whiskey as if he didn’t know there was a commotion, and Artemisia just watched the foolishness from the sidelines, looking left out.

The night deepened, the wine barrels emptied, and when silence finally enveloped the riverbank, everyone was lying on their backs on the riverbank, sound asleep. The newly formed master and servant, Jangiacques and Lucifer, were also lying side by side on the gravel, sleeping peacefully with gentle breaths…