I blinked my heavy eyelids open as the morning light spilled through the window. For a few moments, I stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling until my waking mind finally pieced together the events of the previous day.
Right. I was in another world now. Looking back on it, it had been an incredibly long day.
I’d been caught up in a Hero Summoning, spent hours studying the history of a foreign world, enjoyed a moon-viewing session with a mysterious Demon girl, and then been whisked away on an involuntary flight through the night sky by said Demon until I finally fell asleep—wait. Setting the summoning aside, wasn’t the majority of that chaos caused by that baby castella incarnation? Come to think of it, I had no memory of returning to my room. When exactly had I ended up in this bed?
As I pondered the mystery, shimmering, radiant letters materialized in the air before my eyes.
『I’ll come again~』
Let me just double-check the facts. This was the residence of Duchess Lilia Albert, a manor belonging to a prominent human noble. In short, it was someone else’s house. This point was important, so it bore repeating: it was someone else’s house. That little girl demon really had a "my pace" attitude that bordered on the criminal.
That said, should I really report to Lilia and the others that "a Demon trespassed last night"? Even though I was still ignorant of this world’s social norms, I could easily imagine that a security breach in a ducal manor would be a massive scandal. Besides, if I believed Kuro’s own words, she only broke in to see me, and I hadn’t suffered any real harm—unless you counted the slight trauma regarding baby castella that was now etched into my soul.
It was a difficult call, but my intuition told me something important. Even if I reported her and they doubled the guard, Kuro would probably just manifest with that same carefree smile as if nothing had changed. If that was the case... I suppose I’d just wait and see. I couldn't bring myself to believe she was a bad person, and I did owe her for helping me when I was lost.
Then again, given how loudly I’d been screaming last night, there was a chance they’d interrogate me first thing in the morning...
A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts, followed by the announcement that breakfast was ready. Deciding to put the Kuro situation on the back burner for now, I left my room and headed for the dining hall.
Breakfast was a simple, Western-style spread, but it featured a loaf of pure white bread. I was told that in this world, it was customary to eat white bread for the first meal of the New Year. I had no idea how they managed to bake it to such a pristine color, but the taste was that of a perfectly normal butter roll.
"Did everyone sleep well last night?" Lilia asked.
"Ah, yes."
"I think I was just exhausted. I fell asleep almost instantly," Hina added.
"..."
Lilia’s casual question sent a spike of panic through me as the memory of my own voice echoing across the capital resurfaced. I couldn't find the words to respond immediately.
"...Kaito-san?"
"Ah, I... I watched the moon from the balcony for a bit before I went to bed."
"I see. It was a beautiful moonlit night, wasn't it? I also stepped out to enjoy the night breeze. It was a truly quiet and serene evening, a perfect end to the 30th of the Month of Heavens."
"...I-Is that so?"
Wait. A quiet evening? That was strange. Was Lilia’s room so far away that she couldn't hear me screaming? I felt like our versions of reality were failing to align.
Before that doubt could take root, Aoi spoke up.
"Speaking of which, the New Year starts today here. Do you have any special traditions?"
"Let’s see... For humankind, the standard is for everyone to stay inside their homes for the first three days of the year. After that, we hold various celebrations. There are some regional differences, of course—"
It seemed this world had a custom very similar to Japan’s Sanganichi, the first three days of the year. During this time, most shops and businesses were closed. Lilia went on to explain that there were parties, New Year’s festivals, and ceremonies to receive blessings from the Gods.
The divine blessings sounded similar to Hatsumode, where people visited temples to pray for health and prosperity. The specific format varied depending on the region and which local deity resided there.
"For example, in this capital, we have temples dedicated to the Gods of 'Health' and 'Law,' so it is customary to receive blessings for peace and well-being. In regions with temples for 'Abundance,' the focus is on a good harvest. That said, only royalty and high-ranking nobles actually meet the Goddesses to receive blessings in person. Most people simply go to hear a priest recite the words of blessing."
Depending on the local piety, most humans participated in these rituals. However, this was strictly a human custom; it didn't apply to the Gods or the Demons.
The Gods spent the entire first day of the year offering prayers to the Creator God and abstained from food entirely.
Demons, on the other hand, showed their gratitude to the Six Kings by consuming only specific types of food on the first day.
"By the way, as you might have guessed, Luna follows the Demon tradition," Lilia noted.
"Wait, Luna-san, are you a Demon!?" Hina asked, surprised.
"To Hina-san's question, I could say 'yes,' or I could say 'no,'" Lunamaria replied.
"To put it simply, I am of mixed heritage—part human, part Demon," Lilia clarified.
We were taken aback by the sudden revelation, but Lunamaria herself seemed perfectly nonchalant. Apparently, in this world where the two races coexisted peacefully, being a half-blood was neither rare nor scandalous.
"To be precise, I am one-quarter Elf, one-quarter human, and half-Demon. That’s why my ears have a slight Elven point to them."
"Whoa..."
Lunamaria brushed her hair aside to give us a better look. Her ears were indeed slightly pointed, though they weren't the long, graceful ears I associated with traditional Elves.
I see. This was the kind of thing you’d only find in a fantasy world with such deep inter-racial exchange. Come to think of it, Lunamaria was a walking collection of "Otherworld" tropes.
"I’ve heard that people from your world can be quite sensitive about mixed blood," Lilia said with a reassuring smile, "but about a third of the staff in this manor are of mixed heritage. It’s quite common here."
Sensing our surprise, she made sure to let us know it was no big deal. It was true that in many fantasy novels, half-bloods were treated as outcasts, so I’d probably been carrying some subconscious prejudice. I’d have to make sure to check those assumptions from now on.
Lilia herself was supposedly a pure-blooded human, though she admitted with a wry laugh that she couldn't be sure if she traced her lineage back far enough.
"In any case, the reason Luna follows the Demon New Year is simple. Luna, what is it you’re allowed to eat today?"
"Only those foods designated in the name of my beloved Underworld King!"
"...I should clarify that it's usually food designated in the name of any one of the Six Kings," Lilia added.
"""...Ah."""
"For the record, there are sixty-seven types of food designated by the Underworld King this year, and—"
"That’s enough, Luna. You don't need to explain the list."
Lilia looked exhausted, while the fanatical devotee responded with a face full of life.
Wait, sixty-seven types!? That was a huge variety. Then again, there were so many different species of Demons that they probably needed a broad list to account for various dietary restrictions and constitutions. Still, the fact that Lunamaria had memorized every single item on the Underworld King’s list was a little disturbing.
After breakfast, we moved back to the same room as yesterday to continue our lessons on the world. Lilia suddenly spoke up as if she’d just remembered something.
"Oh, I almost forgot... later today, you all will be receiving a blessing directly from the Goddess, just like the royalty. You see, summoned Heroes are constitutionally prone to local diseases, so it’s mandatory for them to receive the Blessing of Health."
I wasn't sure if the concept of "immunity" existed here, but considering we’d been dropped into a completely different environment and climate, a Blessing of Health sounded vital. I really didn't want my "Otherworld Adventure" to end with a tragic death from a common cold.
"My lady, perhaps you should consider receiving a blessing for 'Love' or 'Marriage' for once?" Lunamaria teased.
"...Luna. You... you're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"
"...Aah! Come to think of it, you’ve already been rejected twice—gufu!?"
I wasn't entirely sure what happened. In the middle of Lunamaria’s sentence, Lilia had stood up, and a punch of terrifying speed seemed to bury itself in Lunamaria’s solar plexus. To my eyes, Lilia’s hand had simply vanished for a second, leaving the maid clutching her stomach and dropping to her knees.
"...Did you say something?"
"...A-As expected... My lady... your edge hasn't dulled in the slightest..."
Lilia spoke with a bone-chilling smile, while Lunamaria didn't seem the least bit discouraged. Before I could process how "close" these two were, the three of us began whispering among ourselves.
"...Did you see that just now?"
"No, not at all."
"Is Lilia-san... actually incredibly strong?"
We huddled together, discussing the exchange we had just failed to see.
"Honestly, you are—Hah!?" Lilia froze.
"""!? """
"Ah, no! That’s not what it looks like, everyone! That was, well, um..."
Realizing that we were all leaning away from her in slight alarm after witnessing that high-speed strike—hardly the behavior of a refined duchess—Lilia began to stammer out an excuse in a panic.
"I-In the past, I spent some time with the Order of Knights... so I have a bit of experience with martial arts, just as a hobby... um..."
"Before she inherited her title, her ladyship was the 'Division Commander' of the Second Division of the Kingdom's Order of Knights."
"""Eeeeehhhhh!?"""
"Why do you always have to add unnecessary information!?" Lilia shrieked.
I’d pegged her as a graceful, sheltered noblewoman, but she turned out to be a total powerhouse.
Perhaps as a counterattack for the punch, or because she’d found the perfect way to tease her mistress, Lunamaria wore a wicked grin as she provided more details.
"...Lilia-san, weren't you royalty? You were actually that much of a warrior?" I asked.
"Kaito-san!? N-No, my mother simply insisted I be trained in both the pen and the sword! I was only a member for a very short time!"
"...Wait, so you became a Division Commander in just a 'short time'? That’s even more amazing," Aoi noted.
"Even Aoi-san!? N-No, you see, it was my lineage! My bloodline caused me to be promoted far faster than I deserved..."
"Incidentally," Lunamaria interjected, "she earned enough military glory to be dubbed the 'White Rose War Maiden.' Specifically, she was known for annihilating a bandit syndicate single-handedly and turning a swarm of Monsters into a bloodbath. Her promotion was of an unprecedented speed."
"LUNA!!"
"...Lilia-san is... actually a very scary person, isn't she?" Hina whispered.
"Hina-san!? No! It’s all just exaggeration from the people around me! Please, don't look at me with such frightened eyes!"
While Lilia was in a total state of panic, Lunamaria was clearly having the time of her life. However, given the lack of a firm denial and the level of Lilia's distress... those stories were probably all true.
"The first time I saw my lady," Lunamaria continued, "was at the annual tournament where the Kingdom’s knights compete in skill."
"Luna... I’m begging you. Stop this story... please..."
"I was dabbling as an adventurer back then and happened to be in the capital to watch the matches. The sight of a fourteen-year-old girl, who looked so fragile she might break, winning match after match with such beautiful swordplay was truly a sight to behold."
"Stop it... stop it... that’s the one story you can't tell..."
This was clearly a massive "black history" moment for Lilia. She was practically clinging to her maid's skirt, pleading for mercy in a complete reversal of their social standing. I felt sorry for her, I really did, but I was too invested in the story to stop it now. Sorry, Lilia.
"But her opponents were veteran knights! In the fifth round, she faced a powerful warrior whose strike snapped her sword in two. Everyone in the crowd, myself included, thought it was the end for her."
"...It wasn't like that... I was just nervous because it was my first time..."
"But in that moment, my lady threw her broken hilt aside and 'crushed the training sword swinging down at her using only her magic-clad fists'!!"
"""Eh?"""
"She then dove into the armored knight’s guard and launched a counteroffensive! With a ferocity that made us wonder if she was a mutated Ogre in human skin, she 'smashed the plate armor to pieces with her bare hands' and claimed victory."
"""Eeeeehhhhh!?"""
"Please, just kill me... just kill me now..."
"Seeing her thrust her fist into the air with such a radiant smile, I knew then and there—I wanted to serve this person."
"Aaaaaah..."
Lunamaria finished her tale with a look of pure satisfaction, while Lilia, her "youthful indiscretion" exposed to the world, turned red all the way to her ears. She buried her face in her hands and slumped onto the table.
Lunamaria was absolutely ruthless. I felt guilty for listening without trying to save her, but I have to admit, seeing a beautiful woman blushing that hard with shame was unexpectedly... cute.
"...It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing..." Lilia whimpered.
"By the way, that single incident also 'crushed the spirit of the man her parents had selected as a fiancé candidate.' The engagement talks vanished instantly."
"""..."""
The room went silent. Stop it, Lunamaria! Lilia-san has zero HP left! She’s literally crying!
In the quiet room, only Lilia’s muffled muttering of "It’s not like that" could be heard. Then, for some reason, Lunamaria looked at me and pointed a finger at the slumped duchess.
Wait, what? Are you telling me to fix this? This is the ultimate "impossible quest"! Aoi and Hina, why are you two looking at me like that too!? I’m a former loner! I don't have the social skills to navigate this kind of atmosphere!
And yet... as much as I blamed the "useless maid," I felt a twinge of guilt for letting the story go on. I was a coward who couldn't stand up to the silent pressure of the majority. I had no choice.
"A-Um, Lilia-san?"
"...Uugh... Kaito-san... it’s not true. I’m not some 'bloodthirsty, violent woman'... and the saying 'The White Rose's Thorns are Dragon's Fangs'... that isn't me..."
She’d clearly been teased about this for years. It was a genuine trauma. The way she looked up at me with teary eyes was painfully cute... no, focus! Follow up, follow up!
"I-I understand! It’s okay! We were just a little surprised. I don't think you’re someone who would ever use violence without a good reason, Lilia-san!"
"Sniff... really?"
"Of course! I mean, you were only fourteen, right? It was your first big tournament, so it’s only natural you’d be desperate to win. It was just a coincidence that things ended up that way..."
"Actually, she ended up as the 'runner-up' of the entire tournament," the useless maid added.
Will you just shut up for a second!?
"A-Anyway, we’ve only known each other for a day, but I can already tell how kind you are. I don't care what happened in the past... I’m not going to be afraid of you, Lilia-san."
"Uugh... Kaito-san..."
Did I do it? Did I fix it? Hey, why are you giving me a thumbs-up, you useless maid!?
Lunamaria was looking at me with a "well done" expression after forcing me to clean up her mess. I felt a surge of irritation and decided to shift gears.
"...Actually, when you think about it, Lilia-san isn't the one in the wrong here at all, is she?"
"...Eh?"
"...Heh?"
"Everyone has a failure or two from their past they’d rather keep secret. To gleefully broadcast those secrets to others is just cruel. I don't think a simple apology is enough to make up for it."
"U-Um, Miyama-sama? Miyama-sama?"
"So, if there’s someone being that malicious, they’re the ones who deserve to be punished. Lilia-san, you're a kind person, but in a situation like this, I think it’s perfectly fine to... deliver some justice."
"...You’re right," Lilia said.
I spoke in the gentlest voice possible, placing all the "blame" on the maid. Lilia’s tears stopped instantly, and Lunamaria’s face began to drain of color. Well, she reaped what she sowed.
"Oh, look at the time. I think I ate a bit too much for breakfast... I’m going to go for a quick walk to help my digestion. We can continue our talk after I get back. Aoi, Hina, why don't you join me for a tour of the manor?"
"...That’s a good idea."
"I’m in!"
Lilia was so concerned about making us feel comfortable that she’d been holding back her temper so as not to scare us. I figured she just needed us to look the other way for a moment.
I cut the conversation off and led the girls toward the door. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lilia slowly, ominously rise from her chair. Lunamaria’s face went from pale to ghostly white.
"A-Ah, I should guide you—" "No need! I remember the way," I said, cutting her off.
"I-I—!?"
"...Luuu~naaa~"
A terrifying voice, seemingly rising from the depths of the underworld, echoed behind us. I didn't look back as I stepped out of the room. A moment later, I heard a scream—one that sounded like someone being mauled by a prehistoric beast—but it was probably just my imagination.
Dear Mother, Father—Lilia-san is a very kind and adorable person. But it turns out, she was a total powerhouse.