◇
More than three months had passed since the world was plunged into chaos by magic beasts overrunning the surface.
During those three months, we in Amunzaas had continued to hunt magic beasts in secret across various nations. The situation had been dire when the beasts first emerged, but things were finally beginning to settle down.
Much of that was thanks to the summit meeting held last month, where representatives from every nation gathered to coordinate a unified response. With the burden of defense shared, even the explorers who had previously been overwhelmed were finding breathing room. I had heard reports that various clans and parties were finally beginning to prepare for the conquest of the Great Labyrinths once again.
As for me, I spent my days as I always did—exterminating the massive, modified magic beasts the cult had released into the Hitia Duchy. These were known as the Giant Beast Species.
However, those days were likely coming to an end.
I’ve wiped out most of the Giant Beast Species in the Hitia Duchy. The situation across the continent has stabilized, so it should be safe to leave this country soon.
I muttered these thoughts to myself as I opened the gate to the mansion Chris had provided for us. I was occupied with cross-referencing recent newspapers with the intelligence my companions had gathered.
At that moment, something caught the edge of my vision.
"……Fuuka?"
I turned toward the garden and saw her. She was holding a pair of folding fans imbued with mana.
With slow, deliberate movements, Fuuka raised her arms and snapped the fans open. She stepped lightly, her body tracing a graceful arc. Faint trails of cherry-blossom-colored mana leaked from the fans, following the path of her dance.
She moved with a rhythmic, fluid grace, alternating between smooth rotations and wide, sweeping gestures. Her performance possessed both a grounded strength and a delicate elegance.
"Yo! If it isn't the Demon King. Been a while! So, what are you staring at?"
I was so captivated by Fuuka that I didn't notice the door opening until I heard a man's voice.
"Haruto-san, you're back. I was just watching her."
I gestured toward the garden, where Fuuka continued her flowery movements.
"Ah, the Mai."
"Is that dance-like thing called a Mai?"
"Yeah. It’s performed during the Reibu Festival. Normally, someone else is supposed to do it—it's not really Fuuka's job—but every year around this time, she starts practicing."
Haruto-san's eyes were incredibly kind as he watched her. If I recalled correctly, the Reibu Festival was a Kyokutou tradition held in August.
"I see. Still, you’re back quite early. I expected your return to take longer."
I had asked Haruto-san to stay in Tsutrail until recently to prepare for unforeseen circumstances. I had contacted him to return to the Hitia Duchy because we were preparing to head to Kyokutou, but his speed surprised me.
"Actually, I left Tsutrail before the recall order even reached me."
"……Was there trouble?"
"Depends on how you define it. It was certainly unexpected."
Despite his words, Haruto-san didn't look flustered, so I assumed it wasn't an emergency.
"And? What was this unexpected event?"
"It’ll be faster to show you than explain it. Come here."
Haruto-san dodged the question and headed into the mansion. He had the mischievous expression of a child about to pull a prank.
"Oh, and don't use your Bird's-eye Vision. You'll ruin the surprise."
"Fine, fine."
He clearly wanted to see my reaction. I had plenty to say about his cryptic behavior, but considering how much I’d been relying on him lately, I decided to play along.
◇
"Shion? What are you doing?"
Haruto-san led me to the social room, where I found Shion standing outside the door with a conflicted expression.
"Ah, Orun. No, it’s nothing. If you’re going in, go ahead."
She moved aside to let me pass, clearly having no intention of entering herself. I thought her behavior was strange, but just as I reached for the doorknob—
"Now then! Big Sis Ruu, sit in seiza right there!"
Carol’s voice rang out from inside the room.
Wait, why is Carol here!?
She was supposed to be in Tsutrail. There was no reason for her to be in this house, and yet…
"A-Um, Carol? Why are you all here……?"
Next came Luna’s bewildered voice. It seemed she was just as confused as I was.
Wait, did she say ‘you all’? That means…
"We have a bone to pick with Big Sis Ruu!"
"That's right! Trying to say goodbye with nothing but a single letter… it’s too sad!"
As I suspected, the voices of Log and Sophie followed. I could feel the presence of three familiar people inside. There was no doubt my disciples were in that room.
The only question was why.
I pulled my hand back from the door and looked at Haruto-san. He was standing behind me with a smug, "Surprised, aren't you?" look on his face.
"……How did my disciples get here?"
"While I was in Tsutrail, word reached me that your disciples were planning to head for the Hitia Duchy."
"They tried to come here on their own?"
"Yep. Once I heard that, I couldn't exactly just let them go, could I? I couldn't let those kids travel from Tsutrail alone in this current climate."
Haruto-san had a point. Currently, I was branded the "Demon King" and was at the top of the international wanted list. More importantly, if the Cyclamen Cult discovered a link between me and the disciples, the sacrifice I made by playing the villain and leaving the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky would be for nothing.
"……So that's what happened. But why did they want to come to the Hitia Duchy?"
"You should probably hear that from them directly."
Haruto-san clearly knew the answer, but he wasn't going to give it up. At the very least, I now understood why Shion looked so troubled.
"Shion, are you okay?"
"……Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for worrying."
She gave me a brave smile, but I could tell it was forced. Last year, the disciples were nearly killed by the members of Amunzaas that Shion had been leading. If I hadn't arrived in time, they would certainly be dead. She likely wanted to apologize but didn't know how to face them.
"Go on! Orun, don't worry about me. Go see your disciples."
Shion looked down as she gently pushed my back.
"……All right. I’ll be back."
I felt a pang of guilt leaving her there, but my presence would likely only weigh on her conscience right now. I resolved to make time for just the two of us later. I turned the handle and stepped into the room.
Inside, I found Luna sitting dejected in a formal seiza position on the floor. The three disciples were standing over her with pouting, indignant expressions. Oliver stood a short distance away with an unreadable look, while Anneri was desperately trying to stifle her laughter, her shoulders shaking.
It was a sight I would never have expected to see in a million years.
"Ah, it’s Master!"
Carol noticed me and turned with her usual, bright smile.
"It’s been a while, you three. I have a lot of questions, but first… what exactly is happening here?"
"We're lecturing Big Sis Ruu for quitting the clan without saying a word to us!"
Carol answered my question with a carefree grin. I was impressed; making the stoic Luna sit in seiza was quite a feat. Ever since their time in the Hero Party, Luna had always been the one giving the lectures. Seeing her on the receiving end was a first.
"To think those kids could force Luna into seiza without letting her get a word in edgewise. They’ve got guts," Anneri whispered to Oliver.
"It's probably because Luna feels she’s in the wrong, but still…" Oliver replied.
I listened to them while trying to figure out how to mediate the situation.
"Um, everyone… I apologized in the letter, but let me say it again. I am truly sorry for leaving the way I did after you were kind enough to welcome me into your party."
Luna looked up and stared straight at the disciples as she spoke. Her voice was thick with emotion; it was clear these words came from the very bottom of her heart.
The disciples, who had been glaring at her, seemed to feel the sincerity in her voice. Their stern faces softened into the warm smiles they usually reserved for her.
"It's okay now. We understood how you felt after we read the letter," Log said.
"That's right. We wanted to complain a little, but we aren't actually mad. And I'm sorry Carol suddenly made you sit like that," Sophie added.
"N-No, I don't mind the seating, but……"
"Hey! That makes me sound like the villain! You have to set the mood for these things, right?" Carol protested.
"Carol, you really are merciless sometimes……"
"Hmph, I don't think so. Anyway! Big Sis Ruu apologized, so this case is closed!"
The disciples continued to bicker playfully. Watching them, I was suddenly hit by a wave of sentimentality.
In the previous world—the timeline before this one—I had seen the final moments of my disciples. To prevent that tragedy, I had resolved to distance myself from them completely. I had resigned myself to never seeing their faces or hearing their voices again, so long as they were safe and happy.
And yet, here they were, standing right in front of me. I couldn't help but be overjoyed.
However, business was business.
"—Now that you've settled that, I need you to answer my question. Why did you come here? I believe I explained my reasons for leaving the clan."
The disciples' expressions turned serious at my inquiry.
"Yes. We understand. We didn't come here on a whim. We came because we wanted to achieve the goal we inherited from you, Master: 'The conquest of the Great Labyrinth of the South'!"
"With our current skills, we aren't strong enough to finish the conquest. That's why we’ve decided to enroll in the Academy to gain more power!"
"The Academy?"
By "the Academy," they surely meant the Stroemeria Magic Academy—the world’s leading institution for magic research and artifice.
"Exactly! We realized our knowledge of magic is still too shallow. We thought we could level up much faster by studying in a place where magic is the main focus!"
Enrolling in the Academy was a path I had never suggested to them. That meant they had thought of it and decided upon it entirely on their own. I wanted to respect their initiative as much as possible.
However…
"The Academy, huh…"
"Orun-san, are you against us going……?" Sophie asked, looking worried.
"No, it’s not that. You’ve made your own decision, and I want to respect it. But there is one major concern."
"A concern?"
"Yes. Your names are too well-known. While the Academy accepts international students, they still conduct background checks. They will undoubtedly find out you are explorers from the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky. If that happens, people will start suspecting a connection to me."
"I see. That would ruin the whole point of Master leaving the clan," Carol muttered.
The disciples' faces darkened.
I’m a failure of a master, making these kids look like that. I want to let them walk the path they’ve chosen. Now, how do I solve this?
As I racked my brain for a solution, the door to the room swung open.
"—In that case, I'll take care of it."
Shion stepped into the room, her face set with determination.