CH 4

The day after the incident with Dr. Vier, I was looking for Illness-san to thank her for her help yesterday, when I found her and Lilia-san talking about something.

[Errr, let me get this straight. Illness is a Count-rank Demon, right?]

[Yeeeees. That’s right..]

[……To be honest, I never expected this. I mean, in the first place, why are you, a Count-rank, working as a maid at the royal capital?]

Lilia-san asked a question that I had also been wondering about. I had already become familiar with this world to a certain extent, so I understand that the Count-rank Demons are part of the most powerful people in the world. She had the strength that could allow her to become one of the Six Kings’ executives, or even the lord of a castle. However, I remember hearing that Illness-san had been a maid at the royal castle since Lilia-san was a child. I wonder how she ended up working there as a maid?

[Being a Count-raaaaank doesn’t necessariiiily mean they have to be in a high position. As Milady knooooows~~ I’m not good at standing ooooout, so working moooodestly is more suitable for meeee.]

[……I- Is that so…… W- Well, if that’s what you want, I won’t ask you to quit being a maid but…… Errr, Illness?]

[What is iiiiit~~?]

[I think you really should be the head maid……]

[No thaaaaaanks.]

Lilia-san, who had known Illness-san for a long time, nodded her head in agreement, but then she timidly made a suggestion. However, Illness-san completely brushed her suggestion under the rug.

[Ugghhh, t- then, please at least accept a salary raise…… Adding with how much work you did for the mansion, you can’t just expect to be paid the same as the other common maid even though you’re a Count-rank……]

[It’s not necessaaaaary~~ I’m quite satisfiiiiiied with my current salaryyyy.]

[Ughhhh…… E- Even if that’s so, I have a reputation to uphold. You’re doing ten times more work than the others…… The fact that you, a Count-rank Demon, is being worked hard for a low salary is……]

Hmmm. This is probably that, right? Lilia-san is most probably just using Illness-san’s identity as a Count-rank Demon as a pretext, as she has been wanting to increase Illness-san’s salary for some time. However, Illness-san had refused. Thereupon, the status of a Count-rank Demon that was discovered this time…… I have a feeling that she saw this as an opportunity and is trying to somehow get her to agree to a salary increase.

[This is something I like to doooooo~~ so there’s no neeeeed.]

[Uuuuuu…… I- I’m not saying that we increase your salary 10 times. If we could at least double it……]

[No thaaaaaaanks.]

[……1.5 times?]

[If you can afford to raise my salaryyyy, please raise the salaries of the other childreeeeen~~ They will definitely be happyyyyyy.]

It was a complete refusal. Lilia-san looked like she was about to cry…… I guess she has been turned down like this before.

[……W- What about 1.2 times……?]

[Miladyyyy, nooooo.]

[Uuuuu…… Y- Yes.]

[Miladyyyyy, since you are in a position to stand above otheeeeeers, you need to learn when to step baaaaaack and respect the opinions of your subordinaaaaates~~.]

[……Yes.]

When Illness-san told her this with an admonishing tone, Lilia-san’s shoulders instantly slumped…… and she sat down in a 'seiza”. Smooth, compact movements…… It’s probably not the first time she did this.

[I saiiiiid~~ There’s no need for the salary raaaaaise. Miladyyyy~~ Even when I told you thiiiiis~~ Would you still forcibly give me moneeey?]

[……I won’t.]

Looking like a child who was being scolded by her parents, it seems Lilia-san really couldn’t raise her head over Illness-san. I’ve heard that Illness-san has been working for Lilia-san since she was a child, so she might have also been in a position where she educates her.

[I knoooow that Milady thinks you’re doing me a favoooor. Milady is a kind child after aaaaall. But that’s really not necessaaaary. Money is not the only thing that can be used as compensation for otheeeers. As long as Mukadyyyy becomes a worthy head of the family, well and healthyyyy, that would be enough of a reward for me. Any more than thaaaaat is too much for me.]

[……Illness.]

Seriously, is Illness-san a saint or something? It kind of feels like she’s the holy mother, her warm affection towards others is just too dazzling.

[That’s whyyyyy~~ If you had the time to think of my benefit, you should just firmly support the Albert Duchyyy as the head of the familyyy, and show everyone what kind of person Milady iiiiiiis.]

[Y- Yes! I’ll do my best!]

[Buuuuuut, overdoing is no good, okaaaaay? When you need help, you must rely on others, consult on their opinioooooons.]

""

[Yes!]

……Arehh? Which one of them was the head of the family again? Also, what were we talking about in the first place? W- Well, Lilia-san seems to be filled with motivation…… so all’s well that ends well, I guess? That aside, there’s no point in watching their conversation forever. I was also looking for Illness-san thank her for her help…… With this in mind, I waited for Lilia-san to get up before calling out to the two of them.

[Lilia-san, Illness-san, good morning.]

[Kaito-san? Good morning.]

[Good morniiiiiiing.]

Both of them responded with smiles when I approached them, and after a brief chat, I thanked them again.

[Lilia-san, Illness-san, thank you for all your help this time.]

[Don’t worry about it, it’s no big deal.]

[Yeeees, I’m glad I could be of help to youuuuu.]

I would like to express my thanks for their kindness, but I can’t think of anything right away, so I’m going to put it on hold for the time being. The Six Kings Festival is coming up soon, so even if I don’t think of something right now, I’m sure I’ll have many opportunities to thank them.

＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊

The 15th Day of the second Fire month.

The Six Kings Festival starts on the 24th Day, and we plan to be there the day before, so it seems like the festival is really close. The festival organized by the Six Kings, which will take place over a period of seven days, will probably be of a considerable scale. Since I haven’t been to a festival since the Sacred Tree Festival, I’m really looking forward to it. Well, I am not without some concerns about the treatment…… but anyhow, there’s not much time left before the festival.

I’ve already reconfirmed who will be accompanying me, so that won’t be a problem, but I should also reconfirm what I’m bringing to the site. After all, we will be staying seven nights over there, including the day before, so we will need to be well-prepared. I need to make sure that I have food and other arrangements for Bell and Lynn ready while I’m gone…… Well, though I say that, I have my Teleportation Magic Tool, so it’s easy to come back when I feel like it. As I was thinking about that, I suddenly remembered something. Speaking of which, I was thinking of buying a new brush for brushing…… Or rather, I wanted to buy a finer brush. Right now, I’m just using one kind of brush, but I would like to have several kinds of brush for different sections of Bell’s body.

After thinking that much, I took out a letter that Chris-san had sent me before from the magic box. Chris-san’s hobby is horseback riding, and she’s keeping a monster called Grateful Horse. Its name is Nirva, and she seems to be taking good care of it as her favorite horse. Chris-san and I have a lot in common, and we often exchange letters about our favorite pets. In the course of our exchange in letters, I learned that there’s a monster pet supply store in Alexandria, Archlesia Empire’s Royal Capital, that Chris-san recommended. There are more people who keep monsters in the Archlesia Empire, which has a monster race and is close contact with Magnawell-san, than anywhere else, and there are much more stores related to monsters than in Symphonia or Hydra. The store that Chris-san told me about in her letter was a high-class store that was a purveyor to the nobility, and although the prices were high, I heard that it had a good selection of quality goods, and I wanted to visit it once.

Although it was a little out of the scope of the preparations for the Six Kings Festival, I had nothing special planned for today, so I decided to go there. It would also be a good idea to look around the stores nearby. Compared to Symphonia Kingdom, it’s a place I haven’t visited very often, so I’m sure I will find many interesting stores there. Alright, it’s decided then. They did say how there’s no time like the present, so let’s head to the Archlesia Empire by Teleportation.

＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊

Just like that time with the flower garden, Chris-san’s recommendations exceeded my expectations. I was very satisfied with the store this time, and not only did I buy two kinds of brushes that I had originally planned to buy, but I also bought a variety of treats and shampoo for Bell and Lynn. There were many other interesting items as well, so I think I will come back again. As I was walking along, feeling very happy with my purchase, I suddenly noticed someone handing out some kind of flyer. This is quite unusual, as Earth has superior printing technology, with its technological products. It’s said that it costs much more to print a large number of flyers in this world than in the world where I was. For this reason, I don’t often see people handing out flyers in the streets like this. However, conversely, if they are handing out flyers, it’s likely that they are advertising a big event or a large store that they want to advertise even if they have to spend a lot of money to do so.

My interest was piqued, so I received a flyer and found that it seemed to be an announcement of an event. It seems that today is the anniversary of the contract between Magnawell-san and the Emperor, and that they are giving away monsters. Well, it was not a large-scale event like a festival, but more like a small event, and as far as I could tell from the information on the flyer, it was similar to solving a crossword puzzle. It seems that there are tags with quizzes written on them in front of some stores in the neighborhood, and if you write the answers on the flyer, you will find the final destination, and if you go there, it says that you will get a souvenir related to the Dragon King…… Magnawell-san.

It reminded me somewhat of shopping street events, but this area is lined with upscale stores, so I might be able to expect a lot of souvenirs. Since I had some time to kill, I decided to take part in the event, so I looked at the map on the back of the flyer and headed for the nearest point. When I arrived at the point depicted on the map, I saw a sign with the quiz as described on the flyer…… and someone was standing in front of it. Is she also someone who was participating in the event like me? I thought there would be more people, but there were surprisingly few people nearby. Ahh, if you look at the flyer carefully, it seems that the event itself started five days ago, while the anniversary day is today. As I approached the sign, thinking that there’s nothing wrong with the place not being crowded, the girl standing in front of the sign turned towards me.

She was a petite woman of about 140 cm. She had long hair as red as blazing fire, and a well-defined face…… but what caught my eye more than that were the countless 'scars” on her face.  A vertical claw-like scar over her right eye, a horizontal cut on her nose, and her cheeks were covered with scars that looked like holes had been healed……. Even just a quick glance showed me that her face was riddled with scars. Her outfit was a black coat, or rather, a long gakuran-like garment with a flame-like pattern, and on her upper body, she only had a sarashi wrapped around her chest, and her body was covered with scars as much as her face. As for her lower body, I think that the clothing she’s wearing is called bontan pants? Anyhow, she’s wearing oversized trousers that you often see in delinquent mangas. She had a long kiseru pipe in her mouth, like those you see from ancient dramas, making her look as  if she was a female delinquent leader.

Her iridescent eyes, with their long, vertical pupils, looked as sharp as a bird of prey’s, and she seemed to release an inexplicable sense of intimidation. I mean, her eye power’s amazing…… I’m a bit, no, I’m honestly really scared of her. She was emanating this unimagination pressure from her petite body, making her really feel like a warrior who had a large amount of battle experience in her belt. Rather than that, she was really staring over here though!? Eh? Did I do something? It’s not like I’m in some delinquent manga where meeting one would immediately start a fight……

[You are…… If I remember correctly…… You are called Miyama Kaito, right?]

[Eh? How did you know my……]

The woman called my name as if it’s a matter of course, but I don’t recognize her. As expected, it would be impossible for me to forget a person with such a distinctive appearance. As I was wondering this, the woman smiled and spoke.

[I’ve heard about you from my King..]

[Your King?]

[Ahh, I haven’t introduced myself yet. The name I received at birth is Freabell, and the name the King had bestowed upon me is Nidzveld…… I’m Freabell Nidzveld. I’m a subordinate of the Dragon King Magnawell-sama, and was entrusted with the duty of being one of his executives.]

[You’re Magnawell-san’s……]

Surprisingly, it seems that this woman is one of Magnawell-san’s camp’s executives…… In other words, she’s one of the Four Great Demon Dragons. I see, so that’s why she has such a dignified presence……

[You may call me, let’s see…… you may call me Frea.]

[Ah, yes. You already know about me, but I’m Miyama Kaito. Nice to meet you.]

The woman…… Frea-san looks scary at first glance, but her voice is calm and somehow reassuring. Despite her petite appearance, I could really feel that she’s an elder.

[However, coincidence it may be, I am glad to have met you. I was hoping to speak with you at least once.]

[Eh?]

[I was also able to observe that incident involving the Demon Lord…… Vier. I’m sorry for peeping in such an event, but I’ve been presented with a good challenge.]

It seemed like Frea-san had seen the incident with Dr. Vier, and with a kind smile, she gave me her praise. As I scratched my head in embarrassment, she looked at the flyer in my hand.

[That flyer…… Do you also intend to participate in this event?]

[Eh? Yes, I just happened to get a flyer from, and since I had some free time……]

[I see, what a coincidence. Since it’s related to Magnawell-sama, I was actually thinking of participating in this event, too. How about it? It must have been some kind of fate that we met here, so why don’t we go around together?]

[I suppose so. If it’s not too much trouble……]

It was a sudden offer, but I had no reason to refuse. It would be more fun with us two going around than just me going around by myself. Accepting her offer, I turned my attention to the sign in front of Frea-san. The question is marked with ① above the question, so I guess the answer here would fill up the blocks with same number on the flyer huh……

[Well then, let’s get right to it. The question here is…….]

[It’s about the popularized name of Magnawell-sama’s executives.]

[Errr…… Four Great Demon Dragons, right?]

[Yeah, that’s right. We are named as such for including myself, this group is made up of four dragons.]

[I see…… By the way, it’s a little late to mention this, but you are a dragon too, aren’t you, Frea-san?]

[Yeah, actually showing you my dragonic form would make explaining this quicker, but it would cause a commotion in the city, so that will have to wait for another time.]

Putting the kiseru pipe in her mouth back into the holder on her waist, Frea-san grinned. I thought of this after talking to her so far, but she seems to be a sensible person, like a calm, mature woman. More specifically, I would say that she’s like the Elder Sis of a delinquent group……

[Errr, well then, Four Great Demon Dragons…… It seems like the box for one of the characters here is different.]

[So it would seem. I’m guessing that by connecting the differently colored parts of each answer, you would arrive at the final answer?]

[Ahh~~, that does feel like it would be the case. So, in this question with ①, it would be “ma”. Hmmm, there are up to ⑥ in all here, and in a Dragon King related event…… Could the final answer be “Magnawell”?]

(T/N:  Four Great Demon Dragons = Yon Dai “Ma” Ryu. マグナウェル = Ma – gu – na – ru – we- ru)

[You speculated well. It does seem likely that Magnawell-sama’s name is the answer…… but remember that the purpose of this event should have been to finally arrive at a designated location.]

[Ahh~~, you’re right. In that case, that answer would be wrong huh.]

[We can’t judge everything by this one question. Let’s go to the next one.]

Indeed, as Frea-san said, if the final answer created is “Magnawell,” that wouldn’t lead us to a place at all. Nodding to Frea-san’s words, we moved on to the location of the next quiz question. Since this was a small event to begin with, the distances between locations were not that great, and it was easy to get around. Some of the quiz questions on the billboards were a little difficult, but I managed to solve them thanks to the hints given by Frea-san. After completing six questions in total and I found the final letter …….

[……The answer really is “Magnawell” huh.]

[It looks like it. However, this answer doesn’t tell us where to go next……]

Yes, as I had first guessed, the completed word really ended up being Magnawell’s name, and not something that would indicate a location. As I looked at the flyer with Frea-san, I thought about it.

[Is there some kind of code, some kind of riddle hidden here?]

[I wouldn’t say there’s no possibility, but considering the difficulty level of the quiz so far, it seemed to me that it was designed so that even young people could participate to some extent. If that were the case, I doubt they would make it too complicated.]

[So you’re saying it’s possible that we may have been overlooking something rather simple…….]

[I suppose, something simpler…… Mhmm?]

As we were discussing this, Frea-san seemed to have noticed something and pointed at the map behind the flyer towards me.

[This is…… the map showing the location quiz signboards for this event, but look at the upper right hand corner.]

[Is that the logo for this event? It looks like a chibified Magnawell-san——— Aaahhh!?]

[Yeah, this logo definitely is a drawing of Magnawell-sama.]

[And this is drawn so blatantly, marking the map. And with Magnawell-san’s name being the final answer…… which means that the place marked by this logo is our destination.]

This was a really simple oversight. I was too preoccupied with the letters that completed the final answer, and I was reading too much into it, trying to connect the location from the answer. Once I figured it out, the answer was so simple that I wondered why I hadn’t noticed it before, I couldn’t help but exchange glances with Frea-san and chuckle. When I arrived at the desired location with Frea-san, I found a store with no signboard and a person who looked like a store clerk standing in front of the door. As we approached, the clerk turned toward us, gave us a bow, and spoke.

[May I check your flyer?]

[Ah, yes.]

I see. By showing them the flyer, we would tell them that we are participants of the event.

[Yes, indeed…… Well then, we will prepare a souvenir for you.]

[Oh, you don’t need to give mine, just give the young man his.]

[Understood…… Eh? S- S- S- “Sky Dragon”-sama!?]

Hearing Frea-san’s voice, the shopkeeper looked really astonished and bowed her head. If they had reacted like that after Frea-san spoke to them, I guess Frea-san had used something like the Recognition Inhibition Magic Kuro used back then? She probably seemed like a normal person until she spoke to them. The clerk then talked to Frea-san for a while, seemingly overawed, before a box of what seemed to be the souvenir was brought out, which they handed to me. Thanking them for the souvenir, we left the place.

Thereupon, I moved with Frea-san to a nearby park to check the contents.

[Inside is…… Ahh, it’s a handkerchief.]

I took the souvenir out of the box and found it to be a handkerchief with the event logo on it. The design is beautiful and the fabric has a great feel to it, so it’s probably a pretty good handkerchief. The logo is also cool with Magnawell-san as its motif, and it’s a design that Lilia-san would like.

[Hohh…… That’s a very tasteful design.]

[Yes, it’s better than I expected for an event giveaway.]

After a short discussion about the design of the handkerchief, with a joyful smile on her lips, Frea-san spoke.

[……Events like these are also good.]

[Right. Thank you, Frea-san.]

[I’m the one who should say that. I had fun today. Let me thank you, “my comrade”.]

[Comrade?]

[Yes, short of a time it may be, we worked together to face a challenge. So, we are now comrades.]

[I see.]

After Frea-san and I looked at each other, we laughed. Just like that, we chatted for a while, and since we’re at it, , we decided to have a cup of tea together, and we both moved down the bustling main street towards a coffee shop. As to be expected, there weren’t as many coffee shops as there were back in Japan, but there were still many coffee shops in this world as well. Rather, there were so many varieties of stores here in the main streets, including amusement shops. The city is safe and the people live in abundance, and there are no slums because the government provides supporting aid to those in need. However, as expected, not everyone lives a rich life, and I’m sure there are people I’ve never met who are troubled with their everyday meals.But even if that’s so, they’re probably much less than what I had imagined…… I really think this is a nice world.

As I looked at the crowded street and thought about this, I felt a strong emotion immediately afterwards and reflexively turned towards that direction. I usually turn off my Sympathy Magic when I walk in a crowded place like this. However, there are times when my Sympathy Magic, which is supposed to be turned off, would be forcibly turned on regardless of my intentions. That’s when “the being holding great emotions” nearby moved. And what I felt this time was anguish, impatience, conflict…… all such strong emotions fueling their frustration. When I looked back, I saw a shop selling fruits…… and a man reaching for a basket lined up in the store. The store owner was unaware of what the man was doing as he was dealing with other customers. I immediately tried to speak up, but before I could, I heard Frea-san’s voice.

[The act of theft doesn’t impress me at all.]

[ ! ? ]

Her voice wasn’t loud at all, but it sounded so sharp that it could be heard very clearly. The man who was reaching for the basket seemed to hear it too, as I saw him reflexively jerk back his hand. While the surrounding people noticed and were confused, Frea-san leisurely walked up to the man. Thereupon, I felt a strong sense of conflict from the man again.

[D- D*mn it!]

Looking somewhat impatient, the man takes a knife out of his pocket and points it at the approaching Frea-san. The length of his knife wasn’t large at all. It was at best the size of a fruit knife, but it still held a sharp edge…… and seeing the knife, the people around him distanced themselves, creating an open space in the street. Seeing the man pull out a knife, Frea-san stopped and looked as if she was thinking about something for a moment.

[……Putting aside whether your actions were right or wrong for the moment, it has been my custom to accept a challenge in any form.]

[…………………….]

Saying this, Frea-san slowly crossed her arms and opened her legs to shoulder width.

[That may have been a bit of a roundabout way of putting it. I’ll make it clear…… Come, I’ll be your opponent.]

[Hihhh…… Uwaahhh……]

In that instant, I felt a sense of intimidation as if the air around me was overwhelming me, and the surroundings were enveloped in silence. Frea-san didn’t emit any magic power or shouted loudly. If anything, her arms were still crossed and she wasn’t even in a fighting stance. However, the aura of a strong person, or perhaps, the atmosphere of someone who had been through many battles emanating from her body, made the air around her instantly tense and sharp. Pressured by such an atmosphere, the man with the knife was frightened, taking a step back. However, he still held a strong feeling of impatience……. It seems like he was desperate enough that there was no going back anymore, and taking only one step back, he started running towards Frea-san again, holding his knife with his trembling hand. The man then swung the knife down at Frea-san, who still had her arms crossed. And that knife…… stopped before it hit Frea-san.

[Kuhh…… Uuuuu……]

It wasn’t as if Frea-san had magically blocked his attack, but the man seemed to have stopped his knife himself. The emotions coming from the man changed from a strong sense of impatience to one of resignation, and he let go of his knife. Then, he crumbled down on his knees, as if he lost his strength, crestfallenly lowering his head.

[……I see. It seems like your heart hasn’t been tainted by evil huh.]

As Frea-san looked at the kneeling man, saying those words, the sound of footsteps could be heard, and several knight-looking people appeared through the crowd. The knights moved their gazes to check their surroundings, and when they noticed Frea-san on the way, they looked surprised and they deeply bowed.

[Fumu, it seems like you know about me huh. Then, this makes the situation quick…… My comrade.]

[Eh? Ah, yes.]

""

[I’m sorry, but would you mind if we go for a little detour?]

[Y- Yes, it’s alright.]

[I give you my thanks.]

After briefly speaking with me, Frea-san then turned to the knights. She then called out to the knights who seemed to be leading them.

[Even though it was an attempt, a crime is still a crime, and it would have made sense for you to bring this man in. However, I’m sorry, but can you let me handle this man?]

The knights looked at each other, looking slightly puzzled when they heard Frea-san’s words, but afterwards, the knight who seemed to be leading them spoke.

[……I understand. If it is the request of none other than Sky Dragon-dono, I will entrust this matter to you on my authority.]

[I’m sorry. I’ll tell the Archlesia Emperor about what happened and apologize later…… Ahh, I’ll be owing you one for this.]

As she said this, Frea-san took out from her pocket a card with the same red claws that were painted on the back of Frea-san’s clothes and handed it to the knights.

[Come to me if you are in trouble, and I promise to help you.]

[Thank you for your kind words.]

After making sure that the knights received their cards, Frea-san nodded once before turning her head towards the owner of the fruit shop that was almost robbed.

""

[I’m sorry about the commotion in front of your store.]

[Ahh, no…… There was no real harm done anyway……]

After a brief apology, Frea-san picked up the basket of fruit that the man had just reached for.

[I’ll be taking this…… Keep the change as a nuisance fee.]

Handing a gold coin to the shop owner, she called out to the man kneeling on the ground, holding the basket in her hand.

[Follow me.]

After saying that, she briefly made eye contact with me, while the man stood up and started following us. The majesty of Frea-san’s presence split the crowd with each of her steps, and we moved away from the street where the commotion had occurred.

After walking for a while, we reached a park with few people, where Frea-san quickly turned to the man and urged him to sit on a bench. After the man obeyed and sat down on the bench, Frea-san handed him the basket of fruit in her hand…… and some other foods, which she probably took out from her magic box.

[……Fill your belly first, then we’ll talk about your situation.]

The man looked puzzled at Frea-san’s words, and after exchanging glances between the basket and Frea-san several times, he then slowly reached out to the basket and started eating.  Perhaps, he was too hungry, as once he started eating, all of his attention became directed to it.

[I’m sorry, comrade.]

[No, don’t worry about it.]

I could understand why Frea-san had brought the man here as if he was protecting him. Somehow, this man didn’t seem to be an evil person at heart. From my Sympathy Magic, the first emotions I felt were anguish and conflict, followed by frustration, and when he lowered his head, resignation and regret…… and now, I can feel confusion and deep remorse. I could guess that they had some kind of situation. After a while, the man finished his meal and began to talk…… about why he had tried to commit theft.

To sum it up, the man was an entrepreneur. He started a business a few years ago, and at first, his business was doing quite well. But one day, he made a big mistake, which led to the eventual failure of his business…… crashing him down until he was almost penniless. Since then, he had been working as a laborer to make ends meet. However, his luck had been bad lately and he hadn’t been able to get a job, and he was so hungry that he decided to steal. Finished listening to him, Frea-san puffed on her kiseru pipe before quietly speaking.

[……So? What are you going to do now?]

[I’m going to look for another job.]

[Fumu, but then, it’d just end up all the same, right?]

[……I guess I hadn’t quite let go of my pride. I hadn’t been able to contact my parents because I didn’t want them to know how miserable I was. But because of my pride, I was about to make an irreversible mistake. I’m really grateful that you stopped me.]

[I see. You’ll look for a job, and if you can’t find one, you’ll ask your relatives to help you out…… So? And then, what?]

[……I don’t know when it will be, but someday, when I save up enough money…… I’m going to try all over again.]

As he talked with Frea-san, the hesitation disappeared from the man’s eyes. It’s just a hunch, but I could feel that no matter what troubles he faced, he would never commit a crime again. Seeing the man’s face, Frea-san slightly smiled and taking a huge burlap bag out of nowhere, she placed it in front of the man.

[If that’s the case, you can do it now.]

[……Eh?]

[I’ll give you the money. Use these, and try again.]

[……Why……]

Seeing the burlap sack containing a large amount of money, the man looked as if his thoughts couldn’t keep up, and dumbfoundedly muttered.

[You tried once, and you failed. However…… You have also gained the experience of failure. I’m sure that in your mind right now, thoughts like “What if I had done this?” smoldering in your mind. If that’s the case, don’t just let that smoldering thought burn out. If you need money for you to try again, and you don’t possess such money, I’ll give it to you.]

[……!? Ahh…… Uuuu…… Thank you…… very much.]

Hearing Frea-san’s words, I could see a lot of emotions appearing on his face, but he still received the burlap bag with trembling hands. Even though he looked puzzled, I could see a faint glimmer of hope in his eyes.

[This is your second attempt. You have the know-how and the experience of failure, which you gained from the first attempt. If you fail again, then it simply means your abilities are lacking.]

[……Yes.]

[When such a thing happens, come and visit me. I will train you, so that you could try again for the “third time”.]

[……Ehh? Eh?]

[For challengers, failure does not mean defeat. Defeat is “when you lose the will to challenge again”. No matter how many times you fail, no matter how you are defeated, as long as the flame continues to live in your heart, you are not a loser, but a challenger. And I will always be on the side of the challenger. As long as the light in your eyes doesn’t extinguish, I will not abandon you. I will push you as many times as possible, and send you back into the battlefield. So, don’t be afraid and challenge with all your might!]

[ ~ ~ ~ ~ ! ? ]

As he listened to Frea-san’s words, telling him that she wouldn’t abandon him no matter how many times he failed, the man was overcome with emotion, weeping where he sat.

[It takes courage to take on a challenge. It takes even more courage to try again after your first failure. However…… You dared turn your blade on I, Freabell Nidzveld, one of Dragon King-sama’s executive subordinates, the Four Great Demon Dragons. Compared to that, it should be easy for you to muster such a level of courage, right?]

[……Yes!]

After Frea-san told her such, sounding somewhat happy, the man wiped away his tears and vigorously replied. Then, holding up the burlap sack he received, he spoke without any hesitation.

[Thank you very much. I will gratefully “borrow this money”.]

[……I did tell you that I’m giving it to you, right?]

[No, doing such a thing wouldn’t make me satisfied. I will definitely return all of the money you have entrusted me…… No, I will double it!]

[Hoohhh…… Now that’s the look of a challenger.]

After saying that, sounding somewhat impressed, Frea-san continued with a smile on her face, looking as if she was having fun.

[You don’t have to double the money. But yes, if you really want to return more than you received…… when you visit me with the money…… bring along your favorite drink, whether it’s alcohol or juice. At that time, we will celebrate your triumph.]

[……Yes!]

[……It seems like you wouldn’t be needing a “third time” huh.]

The man who vigorously nodded had a strong light, and just as Frea-san said, I could see that he indeed had the face worthy of being called a challenger. And upon seeing this, Frea-san nodded her head, looking like she was really delighted.

After the man thanked her several times and we watched him leave, Frea-san and I moved to the coffee shop as we had originally planned.

[My comrade, I’m sorry that I took up so much of your time earlier. At least allow me to have it here.]

[Ah, yes. Well then, I’ll be taking up on your offer then.]

I thought about refusing her offer for a moment, but then I nodded, thinking that it would be rude to refuse, since Frea-san had the image that she values lending and borrowing, or rather, a sense of duty and humanity. However, if it were Dr. Vier or someone like her, I think there would be some arguments as to who would pay. The reason why I was able to nod my head in agreement was probably because Frea-san had this Elder Sister-like feel around her. Well, there’s also the fact that Dr. Vier is so strangely intimate with me that it’s hard to believe that she’s much older than me……

When I entered the restaurant, told her how many of us there were, and was shown to our seats, the waitress glanced at the kiseru pipe in Frea-san’s waist holder and spoke with a smile.

[Ma’am, would you like to borrow a smoking magic tool?]

[No, I already have my own, so I don’t need one.]

[Understood.]

How should I say this…… That’s a rather unusual exchange…… I mean, I was curious about what a smoking magic tool was, so I decided to ask Frea-san after I finished my order.

[Umm, Frea-san, what was that smoking magic tool the waitress mentioned earlier?]

[Unnn? Ahh, that’s right, you are from another world, aren’t you, comrade? If so, it’s no wonder you don’t know it.]

As she said this, Frea-san took out a green magic tool from her pocket. It was spherical in shape, and about the size of a ping-pong ball…… the purity of the magic crystal attached to it doesn’t seem to be that high. When Frea-san flicked the magic tool upward with her thumb, it faintly glowered and began spinning around Frea-san.

""

[This is a magic tool used for when you’re smoking. Simply put, it’s a magic tool that absorbs smoke and purifies it into normal air.]

[Ahh, I see, that means people around you won’t inhale secondhand smoke if you have it.]

[That’s right. Basic manners of a smoker, it’s something I always carry at hand. Well, if you’re good at Wind-type Alteration Magic, you can do the same thing without the use of magic tools, but I’m not good with Wind-Attribute Magic.]

Hearing Frea-san’s words, Ozma-san came to my mind. Whenever he smoked in front of me, he would use magic to prevent the smoke from reaching me, so I guess you could say that this is a magic tool version of what he did.

[I see, that’s very convenient.]

[Yeah, but it has its faults. Being a magic tool in itself makes it expensive. Only the wealthy would personally own one. This is why most stores that allow smoking would have this magic tool available for rent.]

[I see.]

[Also, even when it makes use of a fairly advanced technique, this magic tool could basically only be used by one person.]

Magic tools are very useful, and many of them are far superior than the mechanical products I know. The Teleportation Magic Tool would probably be the prime example of this. However, magic tools aren’t necessarily superior to mechanical products with the same effect in every way. High performance magic tools are quite expensive, so you may feel that they are expensive because of their effectiveness, but some of them have a limited range of effects.

While I was thinking about this, Frea-san then took out a small can…… that looked like it might contain some kind of hand cream. When Frea-san opened it, I found something that looked like wood shavings inside, which she scooped out with her kiseru pipe. When Frea-san put the kiseru pipe in her mouth, it lit up for a moment, and a little later, smoke started to come out. As she had explained earlier, the smoke seemed to disappear as soon as it drifted away from her.

[Well, just like that.]

[I see…… Even so, this is the first time I’ve seen a kiseru tobacco before. So that is how they’re used huh.]

[If you’re talking about using them, then it was indeed used this way. However, sorry…… This actually “isn’t tobacco”.]

[Eh? Is that so?]

[Yeah, this was a processed item of an incense wood that grows in the Demon Realm, so technically, it’s not tobacco.]

An incense wood huh. I don’t really know much about them, but I kinda imagine them as wood used in places like shrines and temples. I see, it certainly isn’t tobacco, but one wouldn’t be able to tell it just by looking at it. So, Frea-san uses the smoking magic tool when she’s smoking it like regular tobaccos…… Wait, arehh? Isn’t there something strange about that?

[……Errr, Frea-san. I’m sorry for my lack of knowledge…… but are incense woods things that are meant to be smoked?]

[……Ah, no, umm…… it’s that, you know?]

Yes, if it’s incense wood, there should be no reason to smoke it in a kiseru pipe. No, I did hear that cigars and such things are meant to be enjoyed for their aroma, not by the process of puffing them out, so perhaps, Frea-san enjoys the aroma of the incense wood in the same way. When I asked her about it, Frea-san, who had been in a dignified mood until now, stammered and awkwardly turned her gaze away. Then, with her gaze away from me, she said with a slight blush on her cheeks.

[Ummm, it was because…… ummm…… it was said in legends…… that breathing in the smoke of incense wood…… “would make you taller”……]

[……Ehh?]

According to Frea-san, there’s a common superstition that if you breathe in the smoke of an incense wood, you will grow taller. If I remember correctly, there was this shrine where I went to pay my first visit to the shrine a long time ago, and I heard about how the smoke of their incense would make you smarter. Well, even though it was a common story, what’s important here isn’t the fact that Frea-san is believing a superstition, but the fact that she’s practicing it. From this, we can conclude that Frea-san wants to grow taller…… Which means that she has a complex about her current height……

As if to confirm my thoughts, looking like she had been worrying about this, Frea-san spoke.

[Please don’t laugh at me, my comrade. I understand that such stories are baseless superstitions. However, even if that’s so…… There are times when strength alone isn’t enough, and one doesn’t have any other choice but to cling to superstitions, even knowing that it is one.]

[Errr…… Of course, I wouldn’t laugh. Does Frea-san want to grow taller?]

We all have our own complexes. Even people who seem to be perfect from the outside may have some complex that only they understand. As for this time, I don’t know if it’s because of her personality or not, but Frea-san didn’t try to deceive me and advanced with this conversation, so pretending that I didn’t hear about this isn’t an option. Then, I think the best thing to do here is to encourage the continuation of the conversation as naturally as possible.

[My comrade, the Dragons are the most diverse species in the Demon Realm. A lot of them exist everywhere, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Therefore, the Dragons can be further divided into four types according to their body size.]

[Fumu……]

[First, those less than 5m in length would be classified as small-sized types, those between 5-10m are medium-sized types, those over 10m are large-sized types, and those over 100m are colossal-sized types. And I am…… I am…… classified as a small-sized Dragon.]

Clenching her fists, a vexed expression appears on Frea-san’s face. I felt as if an extraordinary amount of emotions were held within her grasp.

[Of course, I couldn’t help but be concerned about the fact that Magnawell, as well as the other members of the Four Great Demon Dragons, are all colossal-sized Dragons. As you can imagine, it’s not that I want to become a colossal-sized dragon or anything grandiose like that. However…… I really want to at least be a medium-sized dragon.]

[………………]

[I myself know that I’m being stubborn here. However, I just couldn’t give this matter up. If this were an obviously distant goal, I could give up. However, my overall length is 4m80cm…… Yes, I’m only 20cm short of becoming considered as a medium-sized dragon, and even if a single horn of mine were to grow longer, I might be able to reach that size, so I couldn’t give up.]

As a human, 20cm is already huge, but for the Dragon Frea-san, 20cm is a size that she could reach if she stretched. Hearing Frea-san’s thoughts, I looked straight to her and spoke.

[……Frea-san, what you’re feeling…… is something I painfully understand.]

[Comrade……]

[After all, I’m also troubled with the same problem!]

[W- What did you say!? Comrade also has the same trouble as I do?]

Yes, I’ll clearly say this here. I know exactly how Frea-san feels! In fact, I’ve been having a similar problem for a long time.

[Yes. I’m 169cm tall…… just 1cm short of 170cm. No, I understand. There are almost no people who can tell the difference of 1cm. Even if I lied and told them I’m 170cm, no one would bother to point it out…… But it’s still different! Having your 169cm or 170cm would have a big difference in your self-confidence.]

[Y- Yeah, I know what you mean. I understand you, my comrade! Even if those who don’t understand us say that “it’s just within the margin of error”…… But to the ones concerned, those margin of errors matter not!]

[That’s right. I understand it in my head. I understand that my growth period has already passed and there is little chance for me to grow taller. But every time I get a chance to measure my height at medical checkups or events like that, I would always end up hoping that I might have grown by 1cm.]

[Oh my goodness. I understand, my comrade, your anguish, your grief…… I can feel it as if it were my own!]

At my words, Frea-san repeatedly nodded, her eyes moistening. I’m sure my eyes are probably moistening now too. It’s only because the both of us had the experience of having our expectations dashed many times that we can understand each other. Feeling my emotions rising, I reach out my hand towards Frea-san.

[Frea-san! Let’s both work hard and never give up hope! As long as we don’t give up, our chances will never be zero!]

[My comrade!? Ahh, what reassuring words! I feel like I’ve just encountered hope for the first time in the darkness!]

With those words, Frea-san and I exchanged a firm handshake. I wonder what this feeling is…… I don’t know if you could describe it as our souls being connected or not, but I can understand why Frea-san described it as encountering hope in the darkness. Now, a hard and strong bond has been formed between me and Frea-san. We are both people who have suffered the same pain, and yet, still tried to stand up and fight against it…… I guess we really had formed what could be called a bond of comradeship.

＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊

While Kaito had experienced a new encounter in Archlesia Empire, in another place, a certain person was returning to her family after a thousand years. In the Demon Realm, in front of the castle of the Underworld King Kuromeuina, Funf, known as the Portcullis’ Giant Soldier, was guarding the gate in her huge armor as usual when she suddenly sensed the movement of magic power as if someone was teleporting towards a nearby location. Immediately after that, she felt a nostalgic magic power, and she immediately removed her giant armor and looked in the direction where she felt that magic power.

It was a scene that Funf had dreamed of ever since she started working as a gatekeeper. Since she left this castle, Funf has been the gatekeeper…… to be the first to greet her when she returns one day…….

[It’s been a thousand years huh…… How mysterious. Considering the years I’ve lived, it shouldn’t have been that long…… but I really miss this house.]

[……Vee.]

How many times has she longed for this sight…… Seeing Vier who was walking towards her direction with a slightly awkwards smile on her lips and scratching her cheek, Funf looked at Vier with tears in her eyes.

[Errr, ummm, how should I say this…… I- I’m home?]

[Vee!!!]

Driven by the emotions that welled up in her, Funf rushed out and hugged Vier tightly. Holding within her heart the wish that she will never go away again……

[……Welcome home…… Vee.]

[Uuu…… I’m home, Fun. I’ve caused you lots and lots of trouble.]

[It’s fine…… I know that the one who had it the hardest was you, Vee.]

[Fun……]

Perhaps moved to tears by Funf’s welcome, Vier hugged Funf with tears in her eyes. She was immersed in the feeling of warmth in her chest as she felt Funf’s heartfelt joy at her return, but she stiffened when she heard Funf’s next words.

[……That’s why…… “I will forgive you after one smack”.]

[……………………………………………Eh?]

Looking at Funf, who removed her hug and said some disturbing phrases, Vier looked up in the sky with a bad feeling in her heart…… and turned pale. The reason is that, at the end of her gaze, up in the skies…… a huge fist was being formed, several tens of meters in size. Thereupon, remembering Funf’s earlier, Vier foresaw the future that awaits her and spoke with a flustered expression on her face.

[……W- Wait, Funf…… You can’t do this…… I’ll die, I’ll die if I get hit by that……]

[Vee…… Vee……]

[Ahh, this won’t do…… I’m done for.]

[YOU IDIOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!]

As Vier looked as if she had realized something and had given up, a huge fist was hurled like a meteorite towards her. A few moments later, Funf called out to Vier in front of her with a gentle expression on her face.

[Even so, I’m really relieved to see you looking so well, Vee.]

[So well…… Not just as a metaphor, I’m literally crushed here, you know…… Can you really say I’m well here?]

[Rather than throwing out complaints like that, I think you’d rather be prepared for the single smack you’ll get from every member of the family. We were all really worried about you.]

[Uuuu, the love of my family is heavy. Well, it is my fault, so I can’t really say anything.]

Despite the troubled look on her face, Vier still seemed somewhat happy. Even if she feels concerned about what awaits her, she was happy that her family was concerned about her. Just the fact that her family is concerned about her is something that makes her happy. Just like that, with their somewhat peaceful atmosphere, Vier was about to resume her conversation when she heard a familiar voice.

[Welcome back, Vier…… It’s been a thousand years.]

[ ! ? ]

The moment she heard the voice, Vier’s face instantly paled and she began sweating like a waterfall. Her whole body trembled and her teeth chattered. Then, looking behind her like a broken tin doll, Vier’s face took on a look of utter despair.

[It has really been a long time.]

[S- S- S- Sis- Sister Zwei……]

[You left home on your own without telling anyone, and haven’t been heard from in a thousand years…… It seems that I really need to teach you again a lot of things from the ground up.]

[Awa… Awawa……]

For Vier, her sister who just showed up…… Zwei is someone, if possible, she wants to meet when she’s a little more emotionally prepared. For she is the person she fears the most in the world, and she was sure that she’ll be scolded a lot if she met her again.

[You are ready for this, right?]

[Abababa, F- Fun…… Help……]

[You reap what you sow. Sister Zwei was also really worried about Vee. That’s why, for the time being, I think you would be scolded quite a lot.]

[N- No way……]

Vier asked for the help of the nearby Funf, but she refused. Just as tears appeared in Vier’s eyes, Zwei firmly catched the nape of her neck.

[Now, come with me, Vier.]

[Hyaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!]

Just like that, Vier was dragged away, and the castle was filled with mournful cries of Vier, who had returned home after a thousand years.