One afternoon, in a general store tucked away from the main thoroughfare of the Kingdom of Sinfonia, Alice—or rather, a split body of hers—sat with her best friend, Iris.
"There is an issue that requires my immediate attention," Iris declared.
"And what would that be? You’re certainly direct today," Alice replied.
Iris now spent the majority of her days at the castle as Isis’s subordinate. Alice tilted her head as she watched the woman's grave expression, brewing a cup of black tea and placing it on the wooden counter.
"It concerns Isis-sama’s household. In an ideal world, I would like at least five more subordinates... though even I understand how difficult that would be to achieve."
"Right. And?"
"However, I must secure at least one more immediately. Do you have any promising leads?"
"Ah, so that’s why you’re here... Wait, why do you suddenly need another one? It’s not like there’s a massive backlog of work for her subordinates to do yet, is there?"
While the situation was gradually improving, Isis was still feared throughout the world due to the influence of her Magic Power of Death. Consequently, she rarely had to perform formal duties as one of the Six Kings. Aside from global events like the Hero Festival, her responsibilities were limited to the annual renewal of gemstone mining rights or occasional dealings with the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company—or more accurately, Kuromueina—regarding magic crystal veins.
Naturally, this meant that Iris didn't have much of a workload either. In practice, she spent her days either training or acting as a companion for Isis. There shouldn't have been any reason for a lack of manpower.
"If I am alone... it lacks the proper impact."
"Pardon? What was that?"
"I said the visual impact is insufficient. Listen, I am now officially Isis-sama’s subordinate. This means that for occasions like the upcoming festival, I will attend alongside her."
"That’s true."
"On such an occasion, if Isis-sama walks in front with only me following behind, the presentation is poor! I want at least two of us, lined up as a pair slightly behind her."
"What is this sudden wave of indifference I’m feeling? It’s like you’re talking about a problem from a completely different world..."
Hearing Iris speak so passionately about her desire for a subordinate purely for the sake of aesthetics, Alice let out a long, weary sigh.
"Come to think of it, you’ve always been a stickler for appearances."
"Aesthetics are vital, are they not? It reflects upon Isis-sama’s dignity. Besides, according to the information you’ve gathered, a festival is to be held in the God Realm soon. I want to have someone ready by then."
"I wouldn't say I 'gathered' that; I just heard it from Kuro-san. Anyway, personally, I couldn't care less—"
"I beg of you, O Great Phantasm King No Face-sama."
"Stop that! Fine, I get it! I’ll help you... Just stop calling me that."
"Hmph. I thought that might work."
"Seriously, could you not? It’s giving me goosebumps. I feel like I'm actually going to be sick..."
Seeing Alice agree with a look of pure revulsion, Iris nodded in satisfaction. Alice let out another deep sigh and took a sip of her tea.
"So, if you want my help, I assume you’re looking for information?"
"Exactly. You mentioned before that unaffiliated Count-class High-ranking Demons are rare... which implies they do exist, does it not?"
"They do. In the vastness of the Demon Realm, there are 'lone wolf' Peerage-class High-ranking Demons who haven't joined a Six King’s household and don't lead subordinates of their own. However, there’s always a reason they’re lone wolves. Some simply hate the idea of a group, some are obsessed with self-perfection, others have been shut-ins for thousands of years... Generally speaking, they’re incredibly difficult to recruit."
"I expected as much. If it were easy, the other Six King factions would have scooped them up long ago."
Iris showed no surprise; she had already anticipated that much. The real question was something else.
"So... out of those few, how many possess enough strength to serve as Isis-sama’s subordinate?"
"If we’re assuming they’ll be living in Isis-san’s castle, we really need someone with the power of a Six Kings' Executive—the highest-ranking Count-class. If we’re talking about someone available right now rather than just potential, there is one candidate."
Alice pulled a map of the Demon Realm out of nowhere and spread it across the counter.
"She’s a demon who has lived on a tiny island at the northern tip of the Demon Realm, near the Land of Death, for the last eighteen thousand years. As far as I know, she hasn't set foot off that island once in all that time. During the day, she trains in silence; at night, she sits perfectly still, staring at the sky. Her epithet is the 'Stargazing Witch'... and her name is Polaris."
"Polaris the Stargazing Witch..."
"Megiddo-san, Lilliwood-san, and even my own subordinates have tried to recruit her in the past, but she’s turned them all down. However, when she fought a match against Epsilon-san of the Five War Generals to test her strength, it ended in a draw. There’s no doubt she possesses the power of a Six Kings' Executive."
"I see. Is there anything else?"
"When my subordinates visited her, they supposedly heard her muttering to the stars: 'The time is not yet ripe.'"
"So she is waiting for a specific opportunity?"
"Most likely. It’s just my speculation, but there’s a chance she possesses a form of limited future prediction. She might be waiting for the right moment to act based on what she’s seen. That’s about all I have."
Iris crossed her arms, deep in thought. After a brief silence, she turned away from Alice and headed for the exit.
"That was helpful. You have my thanks."
"Are you going now?"
"Yes. There is no sense in planning if I don't speak with her first."
"My, my. There’s a chance it might turn into a fight, you know. Shall I come along?"
"Heh. You know the answer to that. If it comes to that... it will be the perfect chance to test my Magic Armament."
With a faint smile, Iris placed her hand on the door. She paused and looked back at Alice.
"Ah, I forgot to ask. How would you rate my current strength?"
"Highest-ranking Count-class. Perhaps in terms of instantaneous firepower alone, you might even be the strongest Count-class. Honestly, you’ve come up with some fascinating magic. I’m sure your strength skyrocketed in such a short time because Isis-san was so enthusiastic about training you."
"Hehe. Then I shall go and recruit a capable subordinate to repay my debt to my King."
Iris nodded, satisfied with the assessment, and gave a light wave as she departed. The magic power radiating from her small frame felt heavier and sharper than it had only a short while before.
On a small island at the northernmost tip of the Demon Realm, its lone inhabitant, the Stargazing Witch Polaris, murmured softly to the stars in the night sky.
"The time is not yet ripe... and yet, the Moon has already risen. It will not be long now... A woman with two-colored hair, black and gray... If she appears before me..."
As she spoke to herself, tears welled in Polaris's eyes. They spilled over, tracing paths down her cheeks. As a single drop hit the ground, she whispered with a heart full of overwhelming emotion.
"It has been so long. Fourteen thousand years... Finally... at last... I can serve you. My only true King, to whom I pledge my eternal loyalty..."
She trailed off, her gaze shifting slowly toward the frozen expanse of the Land of Death visible across the sea.
"Please wait just a little longer... my benefactor, Isis Remnant-sama."