During the month-long holiday granted to the high-ranking subordinates of the Six Kings, life in the forest city of Yugfressia, ruled by Lilliwood, continued with a festive air. Tiltania—the Fairy Princess and a prominent member of the World King's Seven Princesses—flew through the sky with a radiant smile.
"A joyful expression... That is to say, you look like you're having a wonderful time, Til."
"I am! Raz-sama invited me! Tomorrow, we're going to eat vegetables from her personal garden together!"
Tiltania looked up to the First Fairy King, Razulia, as if she were her own older sister, even going so far as to emulate her speech and fashion. The two had been close since long before they joined the Six Kings' service. Despite belonging to different camps—the Underworld King and the World King respectively—they met and spoke frequently. Incidentally, the friend Razulia had once mentioned during the Treasure Tree Festival as the person she would "brag to about Kaito-kun-san" was indeed Tiltania.
"Understandable... Meaning, I see the reason. Enjoy yourself."
"I will! What about you, Erial? What are your plans for the break?"
The woman walking beside her had hair as clear and vast as a blue sky. Erial, the Heavenly Flower Princess, tapped a finger to her chin and tilted her head thoughtfully.
"Deep in thought... To put it another way, I'm still deciding what to do."
"Well, it is a long vacation. Oh! If you have some free time, would you like to go shopping with me? I'm looking for a new musical instrument."
"No problem... That is to say, I'd be happy to. I leave the schedule to you... Meaning, I'm fine with whatever day is convenient for you."
"Understood! Once I get my hands on a new one, we'll have to dance together again!"
"Agreement... I mean, that's a lovely idea."
The two were naturally close. Tiltania’s passion for instrumental performance and Erial’s love for dancing made them a perfect pair whose hobbies complemented each other beautifully. As Tiltania chattered happily, Erial watched her with a serene smile. Suddenly, Tiltania paused and scanned her surroundings with a puzzled look.
"...Huh? Come to think of it, I haven't seen Camilia at all today."
"Attending a festival... I mean, apparently, there’s an event called the Maid Olympia. She left with Ein-sama."
"Oh! I know about that! It's that competition for maids, isn't it? Is it happening today?"
"Most likely... Given she left this morning, that's probably the case."
Like them, Camilia the Floral Princess was one of the Seven Princesses. However, due to a persistent misunderstanding, Ein had labeled her a maid. Now, she was essentially forced to participate in the Maid Olympia—a quadrennial festival for maids—almost every time it was held. Because Camilia was notoriously weak-willed, she could never bring herself to refuse. Consequently, she had won the competition so many times that she was now hailed as the "Super Maid of Balance" and a "Model for Maids" by professionals across the world.
For the record, Camilia was not actually a maid. She just happened to enjoy housework as a hobby.
"Well, if it's going on now, we should go see her! I want to cheer Camilia on!"
"Location unknown... Meaning, I want to support her too, but I have no idea where it's being held."
"Now that you mention it, neither do I. Do you think the location is a secret known only to maids?"
"A mysterious event... I mean, I've heard the rumors, but it's shrouded in mystery. Perhaps those of us without the proper vocation are meant to remain in the dark."
"I see... Wait, was Camilia even a maid to begin with?"
While the World King's faction enjoyed such harmonious relationships, the Ten Demons of the Phantasm King's faction were a different story. They weren't exactly on bad terms, but they weren't particularly close either. Since their duties required them to be scattered across different regions, they rarely gathered in one place unless summoned by their King, Shaltier.
Furthermore, the group was comprised of eccentric personalities, most of whom shared the sentiment: "Everyone in this group is a pervert except for me." Because they were so busy pointing fingers while ignoring their own quirks, they tended to spend their vacations alone. However, while they rarely gathered as a whole, a few of them were friendly enough to meet in small groups.
"...Honestly, I would prefer to be out working as Shaltier-sama's hands and feet, but since I was ordered to take a rest... Wait. Could it be? Is this 'Neglect Play' that Shaltier-sama has bestowed upon me!?"
"That's a possibility-y."
"I knew it! As expected of Shaltier-sama! Such a magnificent reward... Pandora is deeply moved!"
"That's good-d. Is the tea-a... alright-t?"
Illness set the black tea and cookies on the table, glancing at Pandora as the latter expressed her ecstatic gratitude to an absent Shaltier.
"Ah... forgive me for dropping in so suddenly, Pandemonium. Is your work as a maid going well?"
"It's fine-e. Since the Ten Demons don't have-e any assignments right now, I actually~ have too much time on my hands-s."
"I see. That's good. Even so, I've said it a thousand times: I'm envious of your position as Miyama-sama's maid. You're in a position to be subjected to all sorts of things, aren't you? For instance, at night—"
Pandora began to describe her feverish, madness-tinged delusions without the slightest hint of shame. Illness merely smiled and continued her knitting. Surprisingly, the two were old friends. They got along well—or rather, Illness possessed an unparalleled ability to let things slide, allowing her to peacefully weather Pandora’s insanity. By now, she was so accustomed to Pandora’s depraved preferences that she didn't even bat an eye.
"—And so, I would truly love for him to torment me in such a fashion."
"I see-e."
Illness nodded, her eyes never leaving her knitting.
"Still, now that I really have a month off, I don't know what to do with myself. I can't exactly spend thirty days talking to you, Pandemonium... How should I pass the time?"
"Why not-t... find a hobby-y?"
"A hobby, you say? That is an option... but it's a bit late for that. No, wait."
Pandora smirked as a realization struck her—her face becoming a picture of pure, unadulterated arousal.
"This is a golden opportunity. For this month, what if I were to have Miyama-sama keep me as his pet—"
"Absolutely not."
"—and... hu-huh?"
Pandora blinked, her "brilliant" plan cut short by Illness’s voice. It wasn't her usual drawl; it was sharp and uncompromising.
"That would be-e a nuisance to Kaito-sama-a, so you're not allowed-d."
"Ngh... I-I see. You're right. Causing Miyama-sama trouble would be putting the cart before the horse..."
Pandora felt slightly cowed by Illness’s sudden shift in intensity, but more importantly, the idea of bothering Kaito was genuinely against her principles. Her warped preferences were, at their root, born of a fierce sense of loyalty. If one knew how to pull the right strings, Pandora could be kept surprisingly well-behaved.
"Besides-s."
"Yes?"
"Aren't you-u... in the middle of Neglect Play-y?"
"Hah!? You're right!?"
Needless to say, leveraging her own twisted logic against her was the most effective way to keep her in line.
World King Faction: Since the executives are close, they spent their vacation inviting each other shopping and having fun. Incidentally, Camilia apparently won the Maid Olympia again this year.
Phantasm King Faction: Most of the executives hold titles other than their Six Kings positions. In fact, since they usually do whatever they want anyway, Alice-chan was seriously wondering, "Do these perverts even need a special vacation?"