I’d had a vague sense that she was someone with incredible power, but that was about the extent of it.
Looking back, the signs were certainly there. There was that knowing expression she’d sometimes wear, as if she could see through everything. There was the fact that high-ranking demons like Ein and Zex swore absolute loyalty to her. And then there was the way she could directly request a blessing from a Goddess. It all added up, yet I still never would have dreamed that Kuro was actually the Underworld King.
Was it really okay for one of the Six Kings—the absolute pinnacle of the Demon Realm—to be wandering around so aimlessly?
"I’m sorry. I’m the only one wandering off on my own like this."
"……"
Cutting off my skeptical thoughts for now, I bowed my head to the woman walking beside me.
She had short, neatly trimmed red hair and wore practical trousers, a sleeveless jacket, and a black muffler. In response to my apology, she silently shook her head.
Her name was Sieglinde, a subordinate of Lilia’s who was currently acting as my guide and guard while I was out shopping.
She was an Elf, marked by her long ears, and her slender, handsome features made her look like the very picture of a gallant, cross-dressing beauty. I’d always imagined Elves as having blonde hair, but in this world where mixed blood was common, it seemed the Elf race possessed a wide variety of hair colors.
At the moment, Lilia’s mansion had reached a state of chaos that could only be described as a warzone.
Lunamaria, the fanatic, had recovered from her stupor to lead the charge, beginning a massive cleaning operation as if to declare she wouldn't leave a single speck of dust behind. Lilia was also frantically issuing orders to everyone in sight, preparing in a desperate hurry to welcome her guest.
It was an unprecedented situation—one of the Six Kings, the highest authority in the Demon Realm, visiting the home of a mere noble. The House of Albert was truly a scene of carnage, and to be blunt, Kusunoki-san, Yuzuki-san, and I were nothing but obstacles.
Of course, the ever-kind Lilia would never say such a thing, but we couldn't exactly relax while everyone else, including the servants, was running around at full tilt. At the same time, there wasn't anything we could actually do to help.
Therefore, we decided to head into the city to shop so we wouldn't be in the way. When I consulted Lilia about it, her protective side won out, and she insisted on providing a guard for each of us.
And so, the three of us—who had fled the warzone under the pretext of sightseeing—initially stuck together. However, the girls wanted to buy clothes, including underwear, so it wouldn't have been appropriate for a man like me to tag along. We agreed on a meeting place and time, then went our separate ways.
"There are a lot of food stalls and shops around here, aren't there?"
"……"
Sieglinde nodded in affirmation as I murmured to myself while scanning the storefronts.
By the way, the reason she hadn't spoken wasn't because she disliked me. She wasn't being silent by choice; she actually couldn't speak.
Apparently, she used to be a member of the knight order, but she had suffered a severe wound to her throat during a battle with a monster. I’d heard that a large scar still remained hidden beneath that black muffler.
One might think that being unable to speak would make someone unsuitable as a guide, but Sieglinde’s skills were reportedly among the best of Lilia’s private soldiers, and her background as a knight made her well-versed in guard duty.
Above all, I was grateful that she didn't seem to harbor any resentment or discomfort toward me as a man. Thanks to Lilia’s influence, my position in the mansion was stable, but there were still plenty of people who looked at me with curiosity or even suspicion.
In a sense, my situation was like a lone male student who had somehow wandered into an all-girls high school, so I suppose it couldn't be helped. Lilia understood this, which was why she was so careful in her selection of guards.
"There really are many food shops here."
"……"
"Since I’m here, I’d like to buy some sweets to snack on. Do you know any good shops?"
"……"
"That third shop over there?"
"……"
"Ah, the one right before it! Thank you."
"……"
Lilia had apologized to me beforehand, worried that a guide who couldn't speak would be difficult to deal with, but I didn't mind at all.
Between her nods and gestures, she was actually far easier to understand than Shiro.
Shiro was fun to talk to once you got the hang of it, but the difficulty of reaching that point was incredibly high. Compared to her, Sieglinde’s emotions were easy to read through her expressions and body language, making communication feel quite natural.
"There’s quite a variety. Do you have a personal favorite, Sieglinde-san?"
"……"
"Jam? There are so many kinds. Is it a local specialty?"
"……"
"I see. There are even colors I’ve never seen before. These would probably go great with some scones."
"……"
"Hmm? Oh, jam cookies! Those definitely look delicious."
"……"
I browsed the sweets in the shop Sieglinde had recommended. Thanks to the wonderful item known as a Magic Box, I didn't have to worry about anything spoiling, which was a huge relief.
Come to think of it, Kuro once brought me some Baby Castella filled with jam. That jam had been delicious, and jam cookies would probably be a perfect match for the black tea I’d received from Shiro.
Kuro had mentioned she liked sweets, too. I figured I’d buy a few extra so we could share them next time we met.
As I picked out several varieties of jam cookies while chatting with Sieglinde, I suddenly recalled Kuro’s words from earlier.
She’d said she had something to do today. I wondered what it was. Being the Underworld King, I imagine she’s quite busy, but my image of her was still someone who just wandered around doing whatever she felt like...
Dear Mother, Father—Lilia and the others are in a total panic over the momentous visit of the Underworld King, but I, the very person involved—was for some reason sightseeing.
A Peerage-class high-ranking demon—this title was proof of possessing power above a certain threshold. In the meritocratic Demon Realm, where high ability directly correlated to status, earning such a title was a massive achievement.
And one such high-ranking demon, one who held the title of Viscount, was currently—in the absolute depths of despair.
The subordinates who had crowded his vision only moments ago now lay like corpses upon the ground. Sound itself had vanished, as if the very wind had ceased to blow.
It had happened in an instant. The palatial castle adorned with brilliant decorations, the mountains of hoarded treasure, his authority and dignity as a high-ranking demon—it had all vanished in the blink of an eye.
How had this happened? The question burned in his mind, but it could not pass his trembling lips.
It wasn't just that his voice had been stolen. He was not permitted to shake with fear, to lose consciousness from despair, or even—to look away.
He was not permitted, because the ruler of this space did not allow it.
"……I already had an inkling of who it might be, you know."
A bell-like voice echoed through the silence. At the end of the demon’s gaze, which was ruled by sheer terror, golden eyes shimmered in the gloom.
"The Recognition Inhibition Magic that was cast on Kaito-kun... From the feel of the magic power, I figured a demon was involved, but I didn't know exactly who."
It had all started from a petty desire.
The demon hadn't been aiming for the top of the world. He didn't have such grand ambitions.
He simply wanted a slightly higher status. He wanted more wealth and power. To achieve that, he wanted to secure technology that didn't exist in this world... and that small spark of ambition had brought about his total ruin.
"A high-ranking demon from the Demon Realm laying a hand on a human from the Human Realm... an Otherworlder, no less. That’s a pretty troublesome problem, right? That’s why I wanted to settle this quickly... but thanks to Kaito-kun, I managed to find you much sooner than expected."
In the Demon Realm, there were existences that even a Peerage-class demon could never hope to defy. Existences with power so overwhelmingly disproportionate that even thinking of resistance meant immediate destruction.
"Normally, she doesn't help with things like this, but I suppose she’s taken an interest in Kaito-kun. She was quite happy to cooperate this time... It’s a shame for you. Since I had Shiro look for you with her 'Eyes,' there's no way you could have hidden."
Step by step, the golden eyes drew closer, wreathed in a magic power that seemed to consume the very atmosphere.
The Underworld King advanced with agonizing slowness, as if to give the demon—who could not even flee—ample time to regret his existence. Finally, she stood directly before him.
"……Now then. When we do something bad, what are we supposed to do?"
"……Ah…… ugh…… p-plea……"
"Hmm?"
"……I am…… deeply sorry……"
The scent of death was suffocating. This was a terror so profound that the word "despair" felt inadequate.
Having acted against the interests of one of the Six Kings, the demon was no longer even granted the mercy of death. Imagining a punishment so severe that even death would seem like a kindness, the demon squeezed out a desperate apology and pressed his forehead to the dirt.
"Okay. Then I'll forgive you this time."
"……Yes…… eh?"
Hearing those words, the demon raised his head with a dazed gasp.
He couldn't immediately process what he’d heard. He had defied the unspoken will of the Six Kings. Out of petty greed, he had isolated an Otherworlder with magic, intending to brainwash him and turn him into a pawn.
It was an act that could have fractured the peaceful relations between the Human and Demon Realms. He had been certain there would be no forgiveness.
"Well, for this time, it was mostly a coincidence that I happened to notice. It ended with just the Recognition Inhibition Magic, and no real harm was actually done."
"……Y-Yes."
In a way, the demon was both the most unlucky and the luckiest creature alive.
Violating a taboo and being caught by one of the Six Kings was the height of misfortune. However, the fact that his judge was the Underworld King—known as the most merciful of the Six—and that his plan had been stopped before it could escalate was a miracle.
But that was only "for this time."
"Don't cause trouble for people or do bad things anymore, okay? Because... there won't be a second chance."
"Eek!?"
He was forgiven for this incident. But there would be no next time. Even a child in the Demon Realm understood the weight of being told those words directly by one of the Six Kings.
From this day forward, this demon would have to live a life of absolute, shimmering integrity, all while carrying the crushing weight of knowing the Six Kings were watching him. For a creature that lived far longer than any human, the day he would be free from this terror was impossibly far away.
"Now then, moving on... you have a collaborator among the human nobles, don't you?"
"——!?"
"You'll tell me everything, won't you?"
"……Y-Yes. Everything... exactly as you wish……"
Having lost even the capacity to resist, the demon, face pale as death, began to spill every secret he held.