Having met Isis-san, I returned to the mansion slightly later than scheduled, only to find the place in an absolute uproar for some reason.
A servant guided me to Lilia-san’s office, where I found her and Lunamaria-san. Both of them looked visibly relieved the moment they saw my face.
"Welcome back, Kaito-san. Since you were with Kuromueina-sama, I assumed the chances of anything happening were slim, but... I'm just glad you're safe."
"Um, did something happen?"
I tilted my head and asked, puzzled by Lilia-san’s profound sense of relief. Then, a thought occurred to me.
Ah, maybe she was talking about the Wyvern appearing in the capital. Kuro had dealt with it so effortlessly that it hadn't left much of an impression on me, but thinking about it now, it really was a major event. On top of that, since I was later than planned, the worry-prone Lilia-san must have been concerned for my safety.
Feeling apologetic for making her worry, I sat in the seat I was offered. I was about to apologize when she spoke again, catching me off guard.
"Kaito-san, I have already spoken to Aoi-san and Hina-san about this, but for a while... at least for tomorrow, please refrain from leaving the mansion."
"Eh?"
Wait, it wasn't about the Wyvern? Was it some other incident? Or maybe she was just on guard in case there were more Wyverns around.
"...The presence of the Death King-sama was confirmed near the capital today."
"The Death King?"
Apparently, it really wasn't about the Wyvern.
If I recalled correctly, the Death King was one of the Six Kings. Rumor had it they were a volatile existence on par with the War King—someone who would kill you the moment you incurred their displeasure.
I see. If that notoriously difficult Death King was nearby, it was no wonder everyone was on high alert...
"The Death King-sama is constantly wreathed in the 'Magic Power of Death,' making her extremely dangerous. It's said that the faint of heart can lose consciousness just by catching a glimpse of her... So, until we have more detailed information, please stay indoors."
"..."
Wait, that was strange... Isis-san’s face immediately sprang to mind.
I didn't know exactly what "Magic Power of Death" was, but losing consciousness just from seeing someone... Yeah, I feel like I witnessed that exact scene not too long ago.
"Miyama-sama? Is something the matter?"
"Ah, no..."
Hahaha, no, no, there was no way.
I mean, we were talking about one of the Six Kings, right? The absolute pinnacle of the Demon Realm. They were beings that people normally never met outside of the Hero Festival. There was no way I would just keep bumping into them like this...
Yeah. Surely it was just my imagination. I was definitely mistaken. But, just to be safe, let's check.
"Um, Lilia-san. This Death King... her name wouldn't happen to be Isis Remnant, would it?"
"Kaito-san... How do you know the Death King-sama’s name? You shouldn't have even been able to hear it unless you saw her yourself, because of the Information Concealment Magic..."
"..."
So Isis-san really was the Death King. She certainly had an overwhelming presence, but she didn't strike me as someone with a violent temper. She certainly had a rather intense personality in a different sense, but I couldn't imagine her as the type to kill someone just for being in a bad mood.
"Milady, is it just my imagination? I have an extremely bad premonition."
"What a coincidence, Luna. Me too..."
"Ah, no, um..."
"Kaito-san! Where on earth did you hear that name? It was from Kuromueina-sama, right? Since Kuromueina-sama wouldn't be affected by Information Concealment Magic, you must have heard it from her! Please, just tell me that’s it!"
"I'm sorry. I actually met her and became acquaintances just now."
When I confessed to Lilia-san that I had already met the Death King, she looked at me with a desperate, pleading expression. A moment later, as if she were a doll that had lost its support, her face slammed onto the desk.
"Milady! Milady, please pull yourself together!"
"..."
Lunamaria-san rushed over in a panic, but Lilia-san didn't move a muscle. After a long silence, she slowly stood up and walked toward me at a snail's pace.
"Um, Lilia-san—Gueh!"
Sensing an extremely ominous atmosphere, I tried to defend myself, but Lilia-san grabbed me by the collar before I could get a word out.
"What is the meaning of this?!"
"Wait, Lilia-san... I can't... breathe..."
"Why is it that every single time I take my eyes off you, you go and befriend someone absolutely ridiculous?!"
With teary eyes, Lilia-san began to shake me back and forth. Her strength was so incredible that my head rattled violently. It was painful, and on top of that, she was actually lifting me off the ground!
"Are you doing this on purpose?! It has to be on purpose! Why are you befriending the Six Kings-sama one after another in such a short amount of time?! And now the Death King-sama... Isn't she the most terrifying one of them all?!"
"Now, Milady... Surely he couldn't meet the Six Kings-sama intentionally."
"..."
Lilia-san wasn't just half-crying anymore; she was sobbing. I was the cause, so I shouldn't really be the one to say this, but the poor woman must have been under an incredible amount of stress.
I felt truly sorry for her, but... if possible, I wanted her to let go soon. At this rate, I was going to pass on to the afterlife to see my parents before I could explain myself. Also, Lunamaria-san, please stop her instead of just making calm observations.
Ah, this was bad... Again... my consciousness was...
"...At any rate, I am glad you returned safely after encountering the Death King-sama."
"Actually, Milady... Miyama-sama became 'not safe' just a moment ago... mainly because of you."
"E-Eh... Kaito-san. I am truly sorry, are you okay?"
"Yes... somehow..."
After shaking me in mid-air for a while, Lilia-san finally seemed to return to her senses. She apologized repeatedly while helping me recover. I felt like I had been losing consciousness quite frequently since coming to this world... and usually by Lilia-san’s hand.
"Still, to become acquaintances with the Death King-sama right after the Underworld King-sama... Miyama-sama truly does nothing but surprise us. Well, since it's the Death King-sama, I'm sure it's not as if you've entered into a friendly relationship with her..."
"That's right. I hear that the Death King-sama is a truly difficult person. More than anything, I am just glad you returned in one piece."
"Ah, um, about that..."
Apparently, Isis-san really was feared. It seemed Lilia-san and the others couldn't even fathom the possibility that I had become friends with her. I wondered if that heavy atmosphere I felt at first—the Magic Power of Death—was the cause. When I actually spoke with her, she seemed like a rather kind person.
Still, I had to tell them, didn't I? I had no choice... especially since I told Isis-san she could come over to visit whenever she liked.
"She mentioned... that she’d be coming over to visit."
"...Eh?"
The moment I timidly made the announcement, the two of them froze as if time had stopped. After a short while, Lilia-san asked with a face that had turned so pale it was almost translucent.
"Coming to visit? The Death King-sama? You don't mean she's coming to kill us, do you?"
"Ah, no. Well, we became friends, and since she asked if she could come over to visit, I told her to come whenever she likes."
"You became friends? With the Death King-sama? A-Ahahaha, you're joking, right? This is the Death King-sama we're talking about! She's the most terrifying of the Six Kings-sama! Most people's hearts break just from being near her!"
"No, we really did become friends. Oh, also, she gave me a strange flower."
In response to Lilia-san’s vacant, broken smile, I gave a shaky explanation and took out the blue flower I had received from Isis-san.
"It's a Blue Crystal Flower. It appears to be under an incredibly potent Preservation Magic spell. Milady, this is..."
"Stop, I don't want to hear it."
"Um, Lilia-san?"
Seeing the Blue Crystal Flower, Lunamaria-san muttered in a daze, and hearing her, Lilia-san covered her face with both hands. Seeing her shrouded in such a sense of tragedy and melancholy, Lunamaria-san began to gently stroke Lilia-san’s back, though she looked equally shaken.
"Milady... please be strong."
"What is going on with Kaito-san’s social circle... His connections are at a point where the Ducal House of Albert could be wiped out with a single word...!"
"Milady, I understand your feelings all too well. Yes, Miyama-sama is just too abnormal. He's practically a monster. You've done nothing wrong, Milady."
"Luna..."
It seemed the people I’d become acquaintances with were truly extraordinary, and to my great regret, I had even been classified as a monster. However, seeing Lilia-san acting like a wailing child, I couldn't possibly complain. I just felt incredibly guilty.
Lunamaria-san continued to console Lilia-san for a while, then, gauging the right moment, she stood up and bowed.
"By the way, Milady. I would like to take some time off starting tomorrow..."
"Wait just a minute! Why are you trying to escape all by yourself?!"
"L-Let go of me, Milady! Meeting the Death King is out of the question! I have a mother waiting for me back at home!"
"I absolutely won't let go! Are you planning to throw me to the Death King-sama all by myself?! That’s impossible! Even with Kuromueina-sama, I was already at my limit! How on earth am I supposed to welcome the Death King-sama?!"
"I will never forget the days I spent serving you, Milady."
"Why are you talking like we're already dead?!"
Watching the two of them start a wrestling match immediately after that touching moment of consolation, I truly realized the magnitude of the situation.
Dear Mother, Father—It seems Isis-san is coming to visit soon, but it turns out she is feared—quite intensely—by both Lilia-san and Lunamaria-san.