It was the second day of my stay at Isis-san’s castle.
Right now, I stood before a massive room, a space so packed with books from floor to ceiling that it was hard to fathom.
"Th-This is incredible..."
"…The room next door… has just as many."
I knew Isis-san loved books and had a massive collection, but seeing it in person was a spectacular sight. I was simply overwhelmed by the sheer number of volumes, which rivaled even the Great Library.
As I stood there in a daze, Isis-san approached me, cradling a stack of books in her arms.
"…Kaito… I’ll give… these to you."
"Eh? Are you sure?"
"…Yes… I want Kaito… to read them too."
"Th-Thank you very much."
Wait, Isis-san… there are at least fifty volumes here. You’re lifting them as if they weigh nothing, but I don’t think I could even carry these if you handed them to me all at once.
I accepted them a few at a time and tucked them into my Magic Box before thanking her once more.
"Still, it’s a truly staggering number of books. Isis-san, have you read all of these?"
"…Yes… I remember… everything."
"You remember them!?"
You remember all of them? Millions of books? That’s… that's beyond extraordinary. I’d thought so before, but Isis-san really is an incredibly high-spec person.
"…Because I was always… just reading books."
"…By yourself, right?"
"…Yes… That’s why… I’m so happy… that Kaito came."
Enough time to memorize the contents of millions of books... This mountain of literature spoke of the vast expanse of time Isis-san had spent in solitude.
Seeing the slightly lonely expression flicker across her face as she recalled those years, I put on a bright smile and spoke to her.
"I know, Isis-san! Could you tell me more about the Demon Realm?"
"…Eh?"
"Actually, before I came here, I bought a guidebook for the Demon Realm. But if I try to read it alone, half of it won't make sense… so would you like to read it with me?"
"…Kaito… Yes!"
Isis-san nodded, her face lighting up with joy at my suggestion.
I still hadn't looked at the guidebook I’d bought from Alice. I’d originally intended to read it while traveling with Lilliwood-san, but after meeting Magnawell-san, I hadn't had a spare moment.
Since I was here, looking at it with Isis-san—who knew the Demon Realm better than almost anyone—would be a huge help.
At least, that’s what I thought when I made the proposal.
"…This book… is written in incredible detail… Whoever wrote this… knows the Demon Realm very well."
"Y-Yes, I suppose so."
As Isis-san spoke, her faint breath tickled my cheek. My spine reflexively straightened, which only resulted in me feeling a soft sensation against my back.
Isis-san was leaning against me as I held the book, peering over my shoulder to see the pages. Our bodies were pressed so close together that I could feel myself getting flustered.
Why didn't I see this coming!? Have I learned nothing from everything that happened yesterday!?
C-Calm down… for now, let’s focus on the book. If I concentrate on the text…
Let’s see, we’re around this area now, right? Um, what does it say? "There is a delicious scone shop near the forest where Lilliwood-san lives, so I recommend them as a souvenir for Alice-chan." "There is a Wyvern Meat Specialty Store that offers takeout… and I want to eat some."
…Isn’t this just a list of the author’s demands!? How can that woman casually write her own souvenir requests into a guidebook!?
"…What an interesting… book."
"…I’m sorry. An idiot wrote it."
"…But… this book… is truly… amazing."
"Is it really?"
"…Yes… I’ve never seen a book… with this much detail."
It seemed Alice’s guidebook was exceptionally thorough, even from the perspective of someone like Isis-san, who had read millions of books.
I wondered if Alice had spent a lot of time in the Demon Realm. Come to think of it, she was suspiciously knowledgeable about High-ranking Demons, too. She claimed to be human, but could she actually be a demon?
Now that I thought about it, Alice was a total mystery. She was incredibly high-spec and an exasperating moron, yet she occasionally exuded an intensely sharp aura and knew things she shouldn't. I decided to ask her about it the next time I visited her shop with those souvenirs.
"…Kaito?"
"Ah, sorry. Um… we’re right here, aren't we?"
"…Yes… If you go a little further east… there are the Wetlands."
"The Wetlands…"
"…There is… a rare plant called Rain Leaf there… I’ve gone to pick it… before."
As expected of someone who lived in the region, Isis-san was very knowledgeable, pointing at the book as she explained.
"You went to pick it? Is that plant used for something specific?"
"…No… It just has a rare pattern… It’s just an ordinary weed."
When she said she’d gone to pick it, I’d assumed it was something incredible enough to warrant the attention of one of the Six Kings, but apparently not.
Seeing me tilt my head in confusion, Isis-san looked a bit bashful.
"…Um… you see… it’s a hobby."
"A hobby?"
As we talked, I learned that Isis-san loved reading novels, and whenever she found one she liked, she would go out to collect items that appeared in the story. She would then apply Preservation Magic to them as mementos and store them in a separate room.
"That’s a lovely hobby."
"…R-Really?"
"Yes. If you don’t mind, Isis-san… could you take me with you the next time you go?"
"…Yes! …Let’s go… together."
I had the books she’d given me, so I thought it would be nice to go on an outing together once I’d finished reading them. I was sure it would be fun with Isis-san, and I wanted to see more of the sights this world had to offer.
As I sat there, learning about the Demon Realm from Isis-san while we shared the guidebook, her arms suddenly reached around me, pulling me into a soft embrace.
"Heh? I-Isis-san!?"
"…Kaito is… so kind… after all."
"U-Um…"
I felt the soft pressure against my back and her warm breath tickling my ear.
"…Can I… stay like this… for a little while?"
"…Yes."
It was a strange feeling.
I should have been so nervous that I couldn't sit still, yet my heart felt remarkably at peace.
I was still flustered, of course, but more than that, Isis-san’s warmth felt comfortable and reassuring.
Dear Mother, Father—
It’s my second day with Isis-san. I was a nervous wreck on the first day, but perhaps because I’ve made a decision in my heart, I feel like I have a bit more composure now. At the very least, I’ve reached the point where I can truly enjoy the time I spend with her from the bottom of my heart.