Having returned to the otherworld of Trinia, my first order of business was to go around and greet my acquaintances.
Kuro told me she would come by to play later and vanished. From here, I would be using Teleportation Magic to visit everyone in turn... but first, there was someone else.
"I’m home, Alice."
Unfortunately, I didn't possess any advanced techniques like reading presence, and Sympathy Magic likely wouldn't be very effective against her. So, this wasn't based on certainty, but trust. I muttered the words, believing she was probably already there.
Then, I felt a slight weight against my back—the sensation of someone leaning their body against mine—and a voice replied.
"...Welcome home, Kaito-san."
The fact that she didn't show herself immediately was likely because she was embarrassed. It was very Alice-like, in a way.
But yes... as I thought, I felt incredibly relieved knowing Alice was nearby.
One way or another, before I knew it, it had become natural for Alice to respond whenever I spoke to her. Perhaps because of that, I felt like I hadn't quite been at peace during these past two months.
"Please tell Iris-san that I've returned as well."
"...She says, 'How diligent of you. Well, I am simply glad to see you are well.'"
After conveying my return to Iris-san, who was inside Alice's Heart Tool, I decided to start making my rounds immediately. The problem was the order...
Since I was traveling via Teleportation Magic, distance didn't matter, but as I was currently in the Human Realm, I felt like going to Lilia-san's mansion first might be best. However, on second thought... let's make that person my first stop after all.
She has a lonely side to her, so I wanted to see her as soon as possible to put her at ease.
In the Land of Death located at the Northern Tip of the Demon Realm... within her massive castle, Isis paced restlessly.
"...Kaito... when will he... come home?"
"...How many hundreds of times have you asked that now? As I've told you repeatedly, please calm down a little."
Lilliwood, who happened to be visiting Isis's castle, gave a deep sigh at the exchange that had been repeated countless times since this morning.
Information that Kaito would return today had been communicated to his acquaintances in advance by Alice. However, exactly when and where he would arrive was still a mystery.
Consequently, from the moment she heard the news, Isis's head had been filled with nothing but Kaito’s return, leaving her unable to focus on anything else.
Since she didn't know the exact point of his arrival, she had been pacing back and forth inside the castle since dawn.
"!?"
"...Oh? It seems—Wait, Isis!?"
It goes without saying that both women were top-class powerhouses even on a global scale. From the faint premonition of Magic Power, they could not only detect the activation of Teleportation Magic but even identify exactly who was arriving.
Just now, they felt the premonition of Teleportation Magic... the sign that the person Isis had been longing for was appearing right in front of the castle gates.
Isis moved instantly. The moment she sensed it, she had already dashed out... by smashing straight through the castle wall in a direct line.
"...Good grief, she's the same as ever."
Recalling how Isis had been just moments ago—unable to wait another second to see Kaito—Lilliwood broke into a faint, gentle smile. Then, her expression turned slightly pale as a realization struck her.
"...Wait. Does this mean the one who has to fix this broken wall... is me?"
Even after two years had passed, the Person in Charge of the Demon Realm's Hardships was still going strong.
...Just what exactly was going on here? I had used Teleportation Magic to arrive in front of Isis-san's castle, intending to greet her upon my return.
But then, almost the exact moment I arrived, the thick, heavy-looking wall didn't just open—it blew apart. And from the wreckage, Isis-san came flying out.
"Kaito!?"
"Whoa, oof... Isis-san?"
So fast... I was startled that she appeared less than a second after I arrived, but seeing her cling to me with tears in her eyes, I could feel the sheer depth of her joy at my return. My surprise was instantly washed away.
"...I'm a bit late, but I'm back now."
"...Yeah... Mm-hmm... Welcome back... Kaito... I wanted to see you... so much."
It was two months for me, but two years for Isis-san. Knowing her, she must have been waiting for me with a feeling of "one day feels like a thousand years," longing for my return with every fiber of her being.
While tightly embracing her slender body, I gently stroked Isis-san's head with my other hand.
"I'm sorry for making you feel lonely."
"...These two years... were the longest... I've ever felt... but... it's okay... the loneliness... and everything else... has vanished... because I'm so happy... that Kaito came back."
Really, I can only describe this person as an Angel. Her gesture of burying her face happily in my chest, her voice sounding truly blissful, the words she spoke... everything about her was so precious that I couldn't help but feel a deep swell of affection.
To be honest, considering I had to make my rounds to so many people, I couldn't stay for too long... even so, I truly felt that I wanted to keep holding Isis-san for as long as time allowed.
Serious-senpai: "I’m escaping! From this hellish battlefield! I'll slip past ???! ...I'll run at ultra-high speed, then suddenly narrow my stride the moment I dodge the opponent to blow past them in one go! This is Light-speed Running! Serious Ghost!"
???: "...No, even if it weren't a metaphor and were literally the speed of light, I could easily capture you after seeing you move..."
Serious-senpai: "...Exercise some restraint, you cheat... seriously, please exercise some restraint."