Within a guest room in the Ducal House of Albert—the very room where the otherworlder Kaito was staying—stood a young girl.
She had mousy, unruly hair cut to medium length and dark, unfocused eyes. Dressed in her issued maid uniform, her petite, child-like stature gave her an odd appearance to any onlooker. Her gaze drifted toward the void, her eyes lacking focus. Judging by her expression alone, one might even have called her eerie.
Yet, the girl was doing nothing suspicious. She worked in silence, cleaning the room with expert efficiency. She wiped the windows twice with practiced hands, ensuring not a single speck of dust remained in even the tightest corners. Her movements were those of a seasoned professional, creating a jarring mismatch with her youthful looks.
Once the cleaning was done, she brought in fresh linens and set about making the bed. She smoothed out every tiny wrinkle, finishing the task until the bed looked immaculate. Finally, she placed a single, fragrant flower into the vase on the table and stepped out.
Her name was Illness. Despite being only 120 centimeters tall and looking like a child, she was the longest-serving member of the Albert household staff. She was also one of Kaito’s closest friends among the servants. From the moment he had first arrived, she had personally volunteered to handle his housekeeping. Back then, when Kaito was still a stranger in a strange land, she had been one of the few who were friendly to him from the start. They spoke often. She wasn't assertive and preferred to work behind the scenes, making her inconspicuous, but the head of the house, Lilia, trusted her implicitly.
After finishing her work inside, Illness headed out to the garden shed that housed Bellfried and Lindwurm.
"Bellfried, Lindwurm... dinner tiiime."
"Gau!"
"Kyu!"
Kaito relied on her heavily, often asking her to care for his pets whenever he was away. She was looking after them now while he attended the Six Kings Festival, and the two creatures had become quite fond of her.
"There we go... I'll be back for the dishes when you're finished eatiiiing."
She spoke with a slight lisp, her words trailing off as she left the shed. It was a typical day at the Albert estate. Illness walked back toward the mansion, her movements as routine as ever... until the sound of voices made her stop.
"...Don't you agree? I have no idea what Milady sees in such a spineless man."
"Oh, come on. Not everyone is as obsessed with raw power as you."
"Maybe not. But still... a man like that isn't a fit match for someone as wonderful as her."
The guards were simply passing the time with gossip. After listening for a moment, Illness continued into the mansion as if she hadn't heard a thing.
"Anyway, I'll never accep—cough!?"
"Wh-What's wrong?"
"N-No, sorry. I just... cough... a sudden cough."
"You look terrible. Did you catch a cold?"
"M-Maybe... I do feel a bit... dizzy..."
Illness walked slowly through the quiet corridor.
"...Kuhi."
A small sound leaked from her lips.
"Kuhihihi... Nooo... I mustn't 'kill' them... I have to be good... I have to hold back... But... making them bedridden for a while... that's fiiine... Kuhihihi."
She let out that strange, distinctive laugh, an eerie, wide grin splitting her face. Her unfocused black eyes looked like twin pits of bottomless darkness. A few seconds later, the smile vanished, and her face returned to its usual blank, slightly creepy state.
Just as she was moving to her next task, a voice reached her from nowhere.
"...Listen. This is an order from Shaltier-sama."
"Whaaat is it, Astaroth?"
The voice belonged to one of the Phantasm King's subordinates—one of the Ten Demons, the ten executives of the Phantasm King's Corps. This was Astaroth, the Count-class High-ranking Demon known as the Hollow Informant, who also served as an official rank evaluator.
"Tonight, on the night of the sixth day of the Six Kings Festival... all executives of the Phantasm King's Corps are to assemble at the Central Tower. That is all."
"A gatheriiing? Whyyy?"
"I wasn't told. Just make sure you're there... Pandemonium."
With that, Astaroth vanished, leaving the hallway in silence once more.
"...My name here is Illness, though... Oh wellll."
Mumbling to herself, Illness—or rather, Pandemonium—resumed her walk.
"The Central Tower... Kaito-sama will be there... Maybe I'll bring some snacksss... Kuhi, kuhihihihi."
Her innocent yet unsettling laughter echoed through the hall. She was the incarnation of a loathsome plague that could pierce even the True Blessing of a High-ranking God. Pandemonium, the Doom-bringing Disease Demon, simply smiled with pure, dark delight.
Extra: Legend of Kaito in His Prime
- One flag a day is standard; five flags in two days is a slow week.
- He frequently triggers maximum affection upon the very first meeting.
- To Kaito, "collecting a flag" is just a side effect of failing to make a noble lady faint.
- Breaking the limit of affection on a first meeting is a daily occurrence.
- Just by playing Othello, he made his opponent cry and apologize; even the Phantasm King threw in the towel.
- He triggers so many flags that it counts as a flag even when he's completely alone.
- And he collects those flags anyway.
- His signature move: Trigger Flag -> Collect Flag -> Discover another Flag already waiting ahead.
- Even on days he meets no one, he somehow manages two flags.
- If he isn't satisfied with three flags, he summons the Underworld King at night for a bonus flag.
- He once triggered a flag just by brushing his teeth in the morning.
- Collecting three flags at once is common; five simultaneous flags is his personal best.
- He once triggered a flag with the person who was actively trying to stop him from triggering flags.
- Just by giving a thumbs-up, five different people reached maximum affection.
- He was once seen collecting flags in another country from the opposite side of the border.
- He triggers flags with people he hasn't even met yet.
- It is common knowledge that Kaito is the reason the gender ratio in the Otherworld tilts toward women.
- As fan service, he once traveled all the way to the Demon Realm by riding the very flags he triggered.