We spent some time browsing through various craft stalls and interior shops, picking up whatever caught our eye. I ended up buying two small ornaments for my desk back home.
Come to think of it, I hadn't run into a single person I knew since we entered the Middle Level. Of course, given the sheer scale of the venue, it was perfectly normal not to see a familiar face, but after the rapid-fire encounters we'd had in such a short span of time, I’d started to feel like another one was just around the corner.
Then again, it wasn't like I would just stumble into people that easi—
"Hey, Kaito! Talk about a coincidence."
"..."
"Hm? What's with the weird look?"
"No, it's nothing... Acht, Eval, are the two of you here together?"
Marveling at how quickly my mental flags were being paid off, I exchanged greetings with the two of them.
"We both happened to have the day off today, so we figured we'd come check things out," Eval explained.
"And you, Kaito... Well, looks like you’re traveling in quite the crowd today. We'd hate to get in your way, so we'll just be head—"
Acht and Eval glanced toward the rest of the group, who were shopping a short distance away, and moved to take their leave before the conversation could drag on. However, right at that moment, Caraway approached us.
"Miyama-sama, it seems it’s almost time to move to the next location... Oh, are they acquaintances of yours?"
"Thanks, Caraway. Yeah—actually, I don't think you've ever met these two before."
Caraway hadn't been working at the mansion yet when Acht and Eval last visited Lilia-san, so this was their first formal meeting. They had technically both been at the housewarming party, but they likely hadn't had the chance to speak.
"I see. A pleasure to meet you. I am Caraway, currently in service to Miyama-sama."
"The pleasure's ours. I'm Eval, and this is Acht."
"Nice to meet you... Wait. Do I know you? You look familiar..."
"Huh? Now that you mention it, I feel like I've seen you somewhere too..."
The three of them exchanged brief pleasantries, but they stopped mid-sentence, squinting as they studied one another's faces.
"""Aaaaah?!"""
For some reason, all three of them cried out in unison. As I stood there startled and confused, Caraway pointed an accusing finger at the two of them.
"The punk demons who went on a rampage in my territory!"
"You're that Peerage-class High-ranking Demon from back then?!"
Caraway looked visibly annoyed, while Acht and Eval had turned pale, trembling where they stood. Wait, what was going on here?
"...Uh, do the three of you actually know each other?"
When I spoke up, all three turned toward me. Acht, cast a nervous glance at Caraway before answering.
"Do you remember what we told you during the barbecue? About how Eval and I used to be thugs, and how we once messed up so bad we nearly died?"
"Yeah, I remember. That was when you first met Kuro, right?"
"Yeah. Well, that 'mess-up' happened because we went on a rampage in the territory of a Peerage-class High-ranking Demon. We ended up incurring her wrath and were almost slaughtered... and, well..."
"Wait, then that means..."
Connecting the dots, it was clear that the demon who had nearly ended Acht and Eval's lives in the past was none other than Caraway.
I see; no wonder they were so shocked. I watched Caraway with a hint of anxiety, but while she seemed slightly irritated, she didn't look like she was about to start a fight.
Acht and Eval stared at her with bloodless faces for a few seconds before seemingly regaining their composure. They looked at each other, gave a firm nod, and then bowed deeply to Caraway.
""We are incredibly sorry for what we did back then!""
"...No, it is fine. It was a long time ago, and I am aware that I allowed myself to become far too hotheaded."
Hearing their apology, Caraway relaxed her posture and offered a small smile. Even so, Acht and Eval remained bowed.
"No, meeting you here is a stroke of luck. I've always wanted to apologize if I ever saw you again."
"Back then, we only remembered getting into a tavern brawl, but we figured that if a Peerage-class High-ranking Demon got that seriously angry and chased us down, we must have done something much worse than we realized."
Seeing how sincere their apology was, Caraway scratched her cheek, looking a little awkward.
"Truly, I was simply too short-tempered. At the time, some of my kin were caught up in that brawl and got injured. The blood rushed to my head, and I went way too far when a simple warning should have sufficed. It was my fault as well. Please, raise your heads."
Following her request, Acht and Eval looked up, though they still appeared quite apologetic.
"...Caraway's kin?"
"Yes. My species is called the Cat Raid."
"A Cat Raid?! Does that mean you’re a Special Individual?"
Acht looked stunned. Eval wore a similar expression, suggesting that Caraway’s heritage was something quite unexpected.
Sensing my confusion, Caraway turned to explain.
"The Cat Raid species is notoriously weak. They are a minor race, famous for their fragility. A High-ranking Demon is born among them only once every few centuries."
"I see. No wonder they were so surprised."
"I am the only Cat Raid in history to ever attain a Peerage-class rank. Back home, they used to call me the 'Hero of the Species'... though, due to my own actions, I eventually became known as the 'Disgrace of the Species' instead."
Seeing the lonely shadow that crossed Caraway’s face as she spoke, I felt a lump in my throat. I realized then that I didn't know much about her past at all.
I wanted to know why she looked so sad—and if there was anything I could do to help.
Serious-senpai: Springs up from her seat!
???: "Uh, I really don't think this is a Serious Flag..."
Serious-senpai: "No, this is it! This is perfect! We can finally do a deep dive into the tragic history and racial friction of her tribe!!"
???: "Actually, she's on great terms with them now. She even goes back to her home village for visits every once in a while."
Serious-senpai: "...Wait, seriously? Don't break the flag in the afterword! At least let it get broken in the Main Story!"