I gave Isis-san a brief tour of the mansion, but the aura of death she exuded kept everyone else paralyzed with fear. It didn't look like we'd be able to sit down for a quiet chat in the dining hall or any other common area.
Since Lilia-san was still unconscious, I left her in the care of Lunamaria-san and Chronoa. I asked them to bring us some tea and then guided Isis-san to my room.
Honestly, I felt it was the best choice; she’d likely be more at ease away from the terrified stares of the staff. On paper, bringing a woman into a man's room alone sounds like it might lead to trouble, but if we follow the old saying that "men are wolves," then compared to me, Isis-san was a dinosaur or a dragon. There was absolutely no risk of anything untoward happening.
My room—or rather, the one Lilia-san had provided—was honestly too large for one person. I suspected it was actually meant for high-ranking guests. It was as spacious as a hotel suite, measuring well over fifteen mats' worth of floor space. It came furnished with a large bed, high-end furniture, and even a sofa and table for guests.
Isis-san looked around the room with curiosity as I led her inside. Once I offered her a seat on the sofa, Lunamaria-san arrived promptly with tea and cookies.
Even for someone as professional as Lunamaria-san, being in such close proximity to Isis-san was too much. Her hands were shaking so violently that she was on the verge of dropping the tray, so I met her at the door to take it from her and set it on the table myself.
"Here you go, Isis-san."
"……Thank you…… I'll enjoy it."
Isis-san accepted her tea with a gentle smile. She sat across from me, sipping her drink before reaching for a cookie.
While the cookies were bite-sized to me, Isis-san broke hers in half and ate the pieces one by one. Seeing a girl with such fragile, ethereal beauty nibbling on a cookie like that was as adorable as watching a small animal. I couldn't help but smile.
"……It's delicious."
"I'm glad you like it. Though, I wasn't the one who made them……"
"……No…… because Kaito is here…… it tastes…… better than usual."
"Ah, well, thank you."
Isis-san was a type of person I'd never encountered before. She possessed immense, terrifying power, but she was so refined and somehow delicate. She reminded me of a snowflake—an exceptionally beautiful girl with a fragile charm that felt profoundly feminine.
Because she directed such open, pure affection toward me, I found myself feeling strangely bashful.
Isis-san watched me with a truly blissful smile for a moment before her gaze drifted around the room again.
"……Kaito’s room…… is very clean."
"It’s mostly just as it was when I moved in. The only things I've really added are my books."
"……Kaito…… do you like books?"
"Yeah, I used to read a lot of novels back in my old world, too."
Technically, they were mostly light novels, but I felt comfortable calling myself a book lover. Hearing this, Isis-san looked even happier than before.
"……I…… read a lot…… too."
"Really? I guess we have that in common."
"……Yes…… being like Kaito…… makes me happy."
"Ahaha. Does that mean you have a lot of books at your place, Isis-san?"
"……I think…… about ten million…… volumes."
That was way more than I expected! At that point, it wasn't just a collection—it was a full-scale library.
Regardless, she clearly loved books. Perhaps because she was so glad to find a shared hobby, her voice held more energy than before.
"That’s incredible. You must really love reading."
"……I like Kaito…… more."
"Ah, uh, thank you. O-Oh, I know! Since I don't know much about the books in this world yet, I’d love it if you could recommend some interesting ones to me."
Her affection was so direct and pure. It was flattering, but also incredibly embarrassing; my heart was pounding in a way I wasn't used to.
"……Yes…… Kaito…… what kind of books…… do you like?"
"Hmm. I like stories. Tales of adventure, mostly. Actually, I just finished this one yesterday."
As I answered, I pulled out the book I'd bought a few days ago—the story of the First Hero's adventures. Kuro had recommended it to me, and it had been a great read.
Even though it was a historical account, this was a world with magic, so it felt like an immersive fantasy novel. I'd been so hooked I finished it in one go.
"……That book…… I've read it…… it was good."
"Yeah, it was a real page-turner. It's based on history, so all of this actually happened, right?"
"……Yes…… that book…… is mostly accurate…… but…… some parts are wrong."
"Really?"
The book chronicled the First Hero's quest to defeat the Demon King. It was a condensed version of what should have been a much longer journey. While the battle against the Demon King was covered in detail, the events leading up to the Friendship Treaty of the Three Worlds were presented more like a summary.
Perhaps because it was written in the Human Realm, or maybe due to Information Concealment Magic, there wasn't much detailed information about the Six Kings.
As one of the Six Kings who had lived through that era, Isis-san likely knew the reality behind the dramatized stories. It felt like I was being let in on a grand secret, which was exciting.
"……The book says…… she went back to her world…… but…… she didn't…… She stayed…… with Kuromueina."
"N-Now that you mention it, Kuro said something like that too. She said I'd already met her, or something along those lines……"
"……Now…… she calls herself…… 'Noin'."
"……"
I felt like I had just been casually handed a piece of world-shattering information.
Wait, what? Does that mean... Noin-san is the First Hero?
Now that she mentioned it, it made sense. Based on Kuro’s hint that I’d already met her, Noin-san was the only other person from my world I’d encountered since arriving here.
"Uhm, isn't that a huge secret?"
"……Hikari…… told me…… not to tell anyone."
"Wait, then was it really okay to tell me?"
"……Yes…… I like…… Kaito more…… than Hikari…… so it’s fine."
I didn't quite follow the logic of how that made it "fine," but apparently, Isis-san didn't see any problem with sharing the Hero's identity with me.
Then again, Kuro had dropped hints that would lead to the same conclusion if I thought about it long enough. As long as I didn't go around blabbing to everyone, it was probably okay.
Actually, Noin-san might even have Information Concealment Magic protecting her. I could understand it because I heard it directly from the Six Kings, but if I tried to tell someone else, they might not even be able to hear the words.
I felt like I’d just stumbled onto a monumental secret, but seeing how happy Isis-san looked, I figured it was all right.
Dear Mother, Father—Isis-san seems to really like books. Also, here's a brand new fact—Noin-san is apparently the Hero.