Despite the shocking development right after we arrived, Lilia-san and I reached the conclusion that we should enjoy this opportunity together. We dropped our luggage in our respective rooms and decided to head out to see the sights.
Just as I began unpacking, Alice made her appearance.
"I'm back~"
"Yeah, thanks... So, how did it go?"
I had asked her to punish Lunamaria-san, but honestly, I didn't think any amount of discipline would make that woman truly reflect on her actions. I asked more out of habit than hope, but Alice responded with a wicked, gloating smirk.
"...She was saying, 'I'm sorry I was ever born.'"
"...What on earth did you do to her?"
To the point of regretting her own birth!? I was the one who asked for the punishment, but I had to wonder what kind of horrors Alice had inflicted.
"Well, first I beat her up physically... Ah, I healed her properly afterward, so it's fine."
"Y-Yeah."
Getting thrashed by one of the Six Kings felt like a massive ordeal on its own, but as long as she was healed, I suppose it was okay... It was Lunamaria-san, after all.
"After that, I went after her mentally."
"...Mentally?"
"Yes. To start with, I made copies of a drawing she did when she was eight years old—one titled 'I Love Mama'—and distributed them to every single servant in the mansion."
"...Are you a demon?"
What terrifying psychological warfare... Even though it wasn't happening to me, I felt a cold sweat prickle down my spine.
"Then, I publicly released a notebook she wrote when she was about fourteen, detailing all her ideas for 'Special Move Magic'..."
"..."
Please, just stop... That’s the kind of thing that could actually kill a person from shame.
"And for the finishing blow, I presented her personal daily diaries to 'her mother.'"
"...Lunamaria-san, I... I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have unleashed such a demon on you..."
I didn't know what to say. I should have felt nothing but anger toward her until a moment ago, but now, I just felt incredibly sorry for her. Truly, what a horrific series of events... Then again, the fact that Alice can dig up such deeply buried personal secrets so easily makes her the most terrifying person of all.
I'll have to buy Lunamaria-san some really nice souvenirs.
While praying for Lunamaria-san's soul, I finished my unpacking and headed out with Lilia-san to the tourist district we'd visited earlier. Lilia-san had been here once before, and she walked among the stalls with a nostalgic look in her eyes.
"...It’s so lively here."
"Yes, it really is... This area is quite famous as a tourist destination, after all."
"I see... They have some unusual things on display. What is that? That thing that looks like a spiked iron ball..."
As expected of the Demon Realm, there were plenty of foods I'd never seen before. One that particularly caught my attention was a black sphere about fifty centimeters wide, covered in spikes. Judging by the other products around it, it had to be edible, but... was it some kind of sea urchin?
"That's a Needle Shell. It’s a type of shellfish and a fairly high-grade ingredient."
"...It’s huge."
"No, that one is actually on the small side. Large ones are several times that size."
"...I-Is that so?"
Several times larger would mean it was well over a meter wide. That's a bit terrifying.
"Ah! Kaito-san, look! A Tempest Dragon!"
"Eh? You mean that deep green dragon over there?"
"Yes! It’s one of the larger dragon species, and a very rare high-ranking type... I never thought I’d see one in a place like this!"
Lilia-san's excitement surged as she spoke happily. Following her gaze toward a distant mountain peak, I saw a massive dragon gliding through the sky. That was the Tempest Dragon she was talking about. The name alone sounded dangerous. Was it really safe? It wouldn't just swoop down and attack us, would it?
"...Lilia-san, will that thing attack us?"
"No, Tempest Dragons are a gentle species. As long as we don't provoke them... Oh?"
"...Lilia-san, is it just me, or is that dragon flying straight toward us?"
"...Y-Yes, I have that feeling too."
The Tempest Dragon resembled a wyvern, with wings integrated into its forelimbs. It flapped its great wings, drawing closer to the tourist district. However, it didn't seem to be attacking. After circling twice in the air above us, it flew off toward the horizon.
"...W-What was that all about?"
"Could it have been someone's pet?"
Domesticating monsters was common in this world. I'd even seen dragons pulling carriages in the Kingdom of Sinfonia. I asked if it might be a pet, but Lilia-san shook her head.
"No, that’s impossible. While Tempest Dragons aren't aggressive, they are incredibly proud and never take to humans."
"...I see. Then what was that just now?"
"I wonder?"
We both tilted our heads at the dragon's mysterious behavior, but we would learn the truth once we returned to our cottage.
"...Um, Lilia-san."
"Y-Yes?"
"Isn't that... the Tempest Dragon from before, sitting right in front of our door?"
"I-It appears so."
As evening approached and we returned to the cottage, we were met with a bizarre sight. The same Tempest Dragon was waiting for us. When it noticed us, it placed a massive beast—a creature resembling a giant boar—from its mouth onto the ground. It bowed its head deeply to us, despite our wary stances, and then took to the sky and flew away.
As I stood there, bewildered by its incomprehensible actions, Alice's voice echoed from seemingly nowhere.
"It probably came to pay its respects to you, Kaito-san."
"...To me?"
"Yes. Magnawell-san has issued a global decree to all dragonkind in the Demon Realm: if they see Kaito-san, they are to treat him with absolute courtesy. Those two circles in the sky earlier were a sign of welcome, and this time, it came to greet you with a tribute."
"...That’s kind of scary."
So this whole strange sequence of events was because of a strict order from the Dragon King, Magnawell-san. While I was relieved to know the cause, I felt a slight chill at the thought that every dragon I met in the Demon Realm would react this way.
"...Um, Kaito-san..."
"What is it?"
"...Well, um... I would certainly love to meet the Dragon King-sama as well... Ah, no, it's nothing."
Lilia-san started to whisper something but hurriedly shook her head, her cheeks flushing slightly as she hurried inside the cottage. Watching her go, I looked down at the massive boar left in our front yard.
"...What should we do with this?"
"Shall I butcher it for you?"
"Yeah... if you do, you can keep all the meat except for what the two of us need for dinner."
"All done!"
"So fast!?"
Realizing it was impossible for Lilia-san and me to finish a whole giant boar, I accepted Alice's offer. In the blink of an eye, the beast was reduced to manageable cuts of meat.
"Man, I really owe one to Magnawell-san. This is my first meal in four days..."
"...You're getting a lecture when we get home, you know."
"...Eh?"
I gave a cold reply to Alice, who was being her usual nonsense self, and carried the partitioned meat into the cottage. Inside, Lilia-san was bringing the ingredients she'd bought in town to the kitchen and checking the cookware.
Wait, was she actually planning to cook for us?
"Lilia-san?"
"Ah, Kaito-san. It’s just about time for dinner, so I was getting ready to start."
"...Um, you're going to cook?"
"Yes, I intend to... I... intend to."
Hmm? For some reason, she sounded incredibly uncertain. Was it just my imagination?
"Alice butchered that boar from earlier for us."
"Then let’s use that since it's fresh."
"Alright, I'll help too."
"Thank you very much."
And so, we stood side-by-side in the kitchen. While I was washing the vegetables, Lilia-san prepared to tackle the meat. She placed a slab on the cutting board and raised her kitchen knife high over her head. Wait—high over her head?
"Haah! Wait—h-huh?"
"L-Lilia-san!? What are you doing!?"
The knife she swung down left a streak of light in its wake. It sliced the meat perfectly in two... along with the cutting board. No, no, that’s not right! Why did you just cleave the cutting board in half with a kitchen knife!?
"...Eh? I... I thought I had to use enough force to make sure it cut..."
"...But you cut the board, too."
"Ugh..."
"Um, Lilia-san... by any chance, have you never cooked before?"
"...Y-Yes."
At my blunt question, Lilia-san slumped her shoulders dejectedly. Come to think of it, I often forget because of how friendly she is, but Lilia-san is a former princess and a current high-ranking noble—a lady of the highest pedigree. It was only natural that she had never touched a stove in her life.
"I-It's fine! I know the theory! You just... cut things, and fry them, and boil them, right!?"
"I think... knowing only that is the same as knowing nothing at all."
"...Au."
"...Um, how about I cook?"
"...I'm so sorry."
I felt bad for her as she hung her head in defeat, but if I left the cooking to her, the kitchen would be reduced to splinters long before we had anything edible.
"No, don't apologize. Honestly, you could have just left it to me from the start. I'm not a professional, but I can manage..."
"...B-Because... I... I'm a woman, too... and I... I just wanted to show off for you, even if it was just a little bit..."
"..."
It seemed Lilia-san wanted to show me her "feminine side," and that desire had driven her to attempt a skill she had zero experience in.
How can this person be so adorable? Seeing her blush and poke her index fingers together like that... despite her being older than me, it triggered an overwhelming protective instinct.
Dear Mother, Father——It's not quite a case of 'one trouble after another,' but perhaps it's simply my fate for things to always get a little hectic. Still, regardless of all that——I really do think Lilia-san is cute after all.