I had been making the rounds to greet the executives of the Six Kings, partly to express my gratitude to those who had helped me during the battle in the God Realm. However, the sheer intensity of the Ten Demons—the first group I’d visited—had left me needing a bit of a breather before I felt ready for the next round.
The remaining executives on my list consisted of five of the Seven Princesses, who served the World King, and two of the Four Great Magic Dragons. I figured I should start with the Seven Princesses since they were greater in number, so I explained the situation to Lilliwood-san and asked if she could introduce me.
I made sure to mention that I would adjust my schedule to whatever day worked best for them. After all, I was dealing with the Six Kings’ executives, who were fundamentally busy people—the Ten Demons I’d toured with Pandora-san had clearly been a special case.
A few days later, Lilliwood-san informed me of a day when one of her executives would be free, and I set off to pay her a visit.
Unfortunately, Lilliwood-san was tied up with work and couldn't leave her post, but she provided me with the executive's location so that I could head there directly.
The person I was visiting this time was the leader of the Seven Princesses, a woman named Lilie, the Demon Flower Princess. As the Head of the World King's Subordinates, she was the one responsible for coordinating the others, putting her in a similar position to Pandora-san, Fafnir-san, or Agni-san.
Regarding Lilie-san, I was told she would be spending the entire day meditating in a forest plaza quite close to Yugfressia. Since Lilliwood-san had already passed word along, she said I was welcome to visit at any time I liked.
I arrived in Yugfressia via Teleportation Magic. But the moment I thought about heading toward the designated meeting spot—the scenery completely shifted.
"…Huh? What?"
I found myself in the heart of a forest, bathed in warm, dappled sunlight. Though I had been standing just a second ago, I was now sitting on a wooden chair.
As I sat there, bewildered by the sudden transition, a beautiful, bell-like voice spoke from right beside me.
"Good evening, Kaito Miyama-san. Please forgive the abruptness of this greeting."
"…Eh? Oh, and you are?"
Led by the voice, I turned my head to find a woman so stunning that I reflexively caught my breath.
She had long golden hair that shimmered in the sunlight, and her eyes remained peacefully closed. Large red flowers bloomed on either side of her head, and her outfit featured a design reminiscent of Lilliwood-san’s own attire.
She stood about 160 centimeters tall, possessing a well-balanced silhouette and a beautiful face that radiated a gentle warmth. She looked like a princess plucked straight from a fairy tale.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Lilie. Though the honor is greater than I deserve, I hold the position of Head of the World King’s Subordinates and the epithet of Demon Flower Princess."
"Oh! Right, you’re… Ah, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Kaito Miyama."
"Thank you for your courtesy. You may address me however you find most comfortable. Lilliwood-sama informed me that you would be coming today. Since I sensed a presence that seemed to belong to you, I thought I would offer a greeting even before we met in person."
Lilie-san spoke while keeping her eyes shut, but her words sparked a new question in my mind.
She had just mentioned offering a greeting "before we met in person." However, Lilie-san was quite clearly sitting right in front of me, which felt like a total contradiction.
Furthermore, I had no idea why I had been sitting in the middle of a city one moment and was now on a bench in the forest the next.
"I see, that is a perfectly natural doubt to have. My apologies, I should have explained that first."
"…Huh?"
"Regarding our current state, we are presently 'conversing through magic power.' Our dialogue is established by each of us perceiving the other's mana. You can think of it as if we are speaking within a dream. This appearance of mine is an exact likeness of my physical body… but the scenery you see now is likely a reflection of the mental image you’ve conjured while perceiving my magic power."
Lilie-san was answering the questions in my head… which was great, but I hadn't actually said a word yet. Could she read minds like Shiro-san?
"To be precise, I am merely reading your surface consciousness from your magic power. It is the same principle as how you normally perceive the emotions of others; I am simply reading a bit deeper than that."
"Wait, does that mean… Lilie-san, can you use Sympathy Magic too?"
"No. While it is true that our powers share many similarities, there are distinct differences. I simply possess magic power perception that is far superior to the norm. I do not have the ability to adapt to mana the way you do. In fact, as far as I am aware, there has never been anyone in history with a capacity quite like yours. That Sympathy Magic is your talent… a special power that belongs to you alone."
Lilie-san offered a gentle smile. Even from this brief exchange, I could tell she was an incredibly kind person.
One thing still puzzled me, though: the fact that Lilie-san had kept her eyes closed this entire time. I wondered if there was a specific reason for it.
"There isn't much of a grand reason. I was simply born blind, so I keep them shut. I can open them, but I imagine the sight wouldn't be very pleasant for others to look at."
"Oh! I-I'm so sorry!"
"No, please, do not let it trouble you. I am a spirit of the Magic Flower, a species that grows only deep within the lightless caves of the Demon Realm. It is only natural that my blindness stems from the characteristics of the flower that birthed me. Besides, even without sight, I possess sensing magic far beyond that of others. I can perceive even the infinitesimal traces of magic power in the air, so in truth, it is almost no different from being able to see."
I see. Since she was born from a flower that blooms in total darkness, it made sense that her physical traits wouldn't include eyes meant to process light.
Lilie-san didn't seem particularly bothered by her lack of sight, and if her perception was sharp enough to read surface thoughts, then for her, it really might be no different from seeing.
"…Well then, rather than continuing our talk here, shall we meet in the flesh?"
"Ah, yes."
"I will guide you with my magic power. If you follow it, you will arrive in no time."
The moment Lilie-san spoke, the scenery snapped back to reality. I was standing once again in the middle of Yugfressia where I had first teleported. I reflexively checked my watch—and although it felt like we had been talking for quite some time, not even a minute had passed.
It had been a truly mysterious experience. Just as the thought crossed my mind, I felt a sensation as if something were beckoning me forward. This had to be the mana guidance Lilie-san had mentioned. She seemed to possess a power similar to my Sympathy Magic, but she clearly knew how to apply it in many creative ways.
If I got the chance, it might be a good idea to ask her for some tips on those kinds of techniques.