My name was Yame.
Urza led me toward the Village Head’s residence in Village Five. We approached a rather suspicious-looking area...
Ah, a Teleportation Gate.
So, we were traveling via a Teleportation Gate. Was the existence of this gate a secret? I understood. I wouldn't say a word. I wouldn’t even try to use it as leverage in a negotiation, no matter the emergency. I swore it.
To be fair, Prada had already threatened me with all sorts of consequences the day before.
The destination beyond the Teleportation Gate was... a Dungeon? Ah, I saw. There was a short path to the exit, but visitors were made to take the long way around. It was likely for security reasons. It couldn't be helped. They probably couldn't leave me unsupervised, but I still felt bad for making Urza and the others accompany me on such a detour.
That said, I really needed them to stay close to me. This Dungeon was crawling with spiders. There were even strange, evolved ones. Wasn't an Arachne supposed to be an ultra-rare existence? As I watched that Arachne give Urza a polite greeting, I tightened my grip on Urza’s clothes. I wasn't letting go. It might have made it difficult for her to walk, but she just had to bear with it.
Eventually, we reached the exit of the Dungeon. I looked around at my new surroundings.
There were fields, a forest... and some kind of large Stadium? Apparently, it was a place for racing horses. And then, there was the Multi-purpose Humanoid Mobile Heavy Equipment (Artie Horse). Oh, the man had hobbies.
The large mansion visible in the distance was Urza’s home.
...
Wait, just to confirm, where exactly were we? By any chance, was this the Forest of Death? The atmosphere of the forest felt familiar. I had visited it once, long ago, before I had gone to sleep.
Look, there were Inferno Wolves! And multiple ones at that! They were wagging their tails, though. They were even lining up because they wanted Urza to pet them! What was this place?!
Since a carriage had been prepared at the Dungeon exit, we used it to move. Several Inferno Wolves ran alongside us. According to Urza, they were our guards.
Then, we arrived in front of the mansion. A large crowd was waiting. They were likely there to welcome Urza back. However, since I was with her this time, they performed their formal greetings with proper decorum.
The leader of this village, Urza’s father, welcomed me. He seemed... normal. He looked like a perfectly ordinary human.
But I wasn't fooled. I knew that when the gap in power was too great, you couldn't even perceive how incredible the other person was. There was simply no basis for comparison. Therefore, no matter how normal he looked, I couldn't let my guard down.
No, he really did look normal, though. I had to remember Prada’s words. He could argue with dragons. Before he even got angry, the dragons would step in on his behalf. He had defeated dragons and made them his wives. No matter how I looked at it, he wasn't normal! And yet, he seemed so ordinary. It was terrifying.
The Village Head then cautioned me about using Urza as a shield. But letting go of Urza was terrifying for all sorts of reasons. Ah, right—those dragons and spiders over there were definitely scarier. I understood. However, I wanted him to understand that I was frightened, too.
I was handed a shield to use instead of Urza. It was made of wood, but it had Dragon Scales pasted onto it, making it quite sturdy. It looked reliable, but... a Target?
Wait, what? Was this a target? If I held it up, would I be attacked? Don't make me hold something like that! I refused to let go of Urza!
Then, I was shown a demonstration of a target actually acting as a target. An Angel threw a spear with ridiculous power, and the target was blown to smithereens.
My legs gave out.
Also, that Angel who threw the spear—she definitely carried the blood of the God-kin I knew. Her form when throwing and the look in her eyes right before the release were identical.
I eventually released Urza in exchange for an iron shield. I did this because the dragons and spiders were slowly approaching with smiles that didn't reach their eyes. Those were the kind of people one absolutely must not make enemies of. And to the Village Head, who acted to ensure I didn't become an enemy—thank you.
Eh? Someone who knew me was coming soon? Ah, the Demon who was babysitting a dragon cub. I had heard about her.
Wait? They knew me? If that was the case, the list of candidates was limited...
Huh? Why was I in a bed?
When did this happen? What happened? I didn't think I had died, but...
And this was... ah, Urza’s father’s mansion? It seemed I had been given a fairly nice room. I was still wearing my clothes. Naturally, they wouldn't undress me when I had come as a guest. I felt bad for potentially getting the bed dirty.
Had I been asleep for a long time? My body still felt fatigued. I felt as though I had had a bad dream. The faces of three people I didn't want to remember flashed through my mind.
Gucci the Hero, Bulga the Benevolence, and Stifano the Affection.
Those brats hadn't had a shred of respect for me. They used to drag the weak me all over the place and put me through horrible experiences. I couldn't even count how many times I had almost died. And I couldn't remember how many times I had to clean up after them. Just the memory made my stomach turn.
No, no, no. I shouldn't think about it. I'd end up running into them.
Look, there was Bulga’s face peeking through the door—GYAAAAAAAH!!!!
Huh? Why was I in a bed?
...
I felt as though I were repeating the same sequence of events. Was it just my imagination? I certainly hoped so.
Hahaha. Let's face reality. Gucci, Bulga, and Stifano were there.
Ugh, what was this place? What was going on? Those three were demons so problematic they were considered special even among the Demon Race. And Prada—she knew and had kept quiet about it. I wouldn't forgive her.
The only reason I could think this calmly was because the wooden shield the Village Head had given me felt right in my hands. It stabilized my mind. As I thought, a shield should be made of wood. It had to be wood.
And then, there was the Village Head. He stopped Gucci, Bulga, and Stifano from approaching me. To think those three would actually listen and obey! As expected of the Village Head! I offered him my deepest gratitude.
Would he like to hit me once? No, no, it wasn't that I had that kind of hobby, and I didn't like pain. It was just that, apparently, if someone hit me, they became lucky. It seemed to ward off death. That was why opponents who fought me rarely died. Ahahaha.
However, if I died because of the hit, that luck would vanish. But if the hit were too weak, it wouldn't mean much. Moderation was key.
Eh? He wouldn't hit me? What a kind person. Just as Prada had said, the Village Head was gentle.
I talked about various things with the Village Head. We discussed life on the island, my history with Gucci and the others, and my future.
I think we spoke the longest about Gucci and the others. I told him he mustn't be fooled. They might represent fine words like Hero, Benevolence, and Affection, but they were still demons. They were the "Hero" of the demons, the "Benevolence" of the demons, and the "Affection" of the demons.
Basically, those three believed that as long as they were having fun, nothing else mattered. No, really—they always said that killing time was the ultimate pleasure and told me to entertain them. Yes, all three of them.
Well, since a long time had passed since I last knew them, maybe they had improved a little.
Eh? Gucci was paying for my stay?
?
Eh? What did he... Wait!
Village Head! That Gucci is an impostor! You have to catch him, tie him up, and make him spit out his objective! The real Gucci must be planning something strange!
Even though I pleaded desperately, the Village Head only gave me a wry smile.
Yame: "I won't forgive you."
Prada: "Eh? Weren't you all good friends?"
Gucci: "Exactly."
Bulga: "We're..."
Stifano: "Good friends."