As we chatted over tea, a question that had been lingering in the back of my mind finally surfaced.
"Come to think of it, Liliwood-san, didn't all of the Six Kings used to live together once?"
"Yes. We resided in the center of the Demon Realm, in the territory now known as the Forbidden Land."
"I've heard the broad strokes of that era, but I don't really know the specifics... I'm actually quite curious about what it was like."
I had heard mentions of those days from time to time, but I’d never been given a detailed account. I was more than just a little interested—I was fascinated.
I had actually asked Alice about this before, but since she was the very last person to join Kuro's Family, she hadn't lived with the others for nearly as long. She told me she didn't know much about what had happened before she arrived, and since she hadn't cared back then, she’d never bothered to ask.
"I see. To begin with, do you know why the center of the Demon Realm is called the Forbidden Land?"
"If I recall correctly... it was because the Six Kings used it for training, leaving behind such an immense amount of Residual Magic Power that the area became dangerous, right?"
"Yes, that is one of the reasons. However, that place was actually called the Forbidden Land even while we were living there. The true reason was the presence of our leader, Kuromueina."
"Kuro's presence?"
Liliwood-san began her explanation with a nostalgic look in her eyes. I tilted my head in confusion, and she gave a small nod before continuing.
"In those days, before the title of Six Kings or the peerage-class system even existed, Kuromueina was known as the 'Strongest of the Demon Realm.' Even in an era defined by constant struggle, she was recognized as an existence in a class entirely of her own. To anyone who knew the Demon Realm back then, that title was legendary."
"Was she really that incredible? Kuro mentioned that she didn't feel much like intervening in the affairs of the Demon Realm back then, though..."
"Indeed. Kuromueina had no interest in power struggles and never participated in them. She would mediate conflicts if requested, but she rarely wielded her power of her own volition."
The Kuro of that era—before she met Shiro-san—had said herself that she mostly just watched over the world. Even without that context, she just didn't seem like the type to care about conquest or supremacy.
"Regardless, because the Strongest of the Demon Realm lived there, the center of the realm became a sort of Inviolate Territory. That was where we made our home, though of course, we weren't all there from the start."
"Right. If I remember correctly, the first was Ein-san?"
"Yes. I am told it began with just Kuromueina and Ein. More accurately, Kuromueina raised Ein from the time she was a small child. After that, I believe Megiddo was the next to join."
"Wait, so the second was Megiddo-san? That’s a bit of a surprise."
It was just my own assumption, but I’d imagined Megiddo-san joining much later. I’d had the impression that Magnawell-san or someone else had been there first.
"Well, it seems there was a significant gap between Ein and Megiddo. However, the others followed relatively soon after him. For the record, the one who joined Kuromueina next was Isis."
"I see. So Isis-san was there before you, Liliwood-san."
"Yes... though that is a bit of a delicate point. Actually, I—or rather, the World Tree that serves as my Main Body—was growing near Kuromueina and Ein’s house long before Megiddo arrived. However, my individual consciousness as 'Liliwood' didn't awaken and establish itself until after Isis joined the group."
"Ah, I see. That definitely makes the timeline a bit confusing."
If you went by the age of the World Tree itself, she was older than Isis-san, but if you calculated from the moment the Spirit named Liliwood was born, she was technically the younger of the two.
Then again, when you’ve lived for as many eons as Isis-san and Liliwood-san, I suppose the concept of who is "older" or "younger" loses its meaning.
"After I joined, Isis was followed by Magnawell. Then, around the time Megiddo brought Ozma into the fold and Kuromueina created Zwei, Shaltier joined. That was when all the current Six Kings were finally together."
"It sounds like it must have been a very lively household."
"It was. In fact, it was incredibly boisterous and quite fun. Looking back now, even the way I used to watch Megiddo and Shaltier constantly bicker with an exasperated sigh feels like a precious memory."
Liliwood-san went on to share several more stories from that period. Every one of them sounded wonderful; it was clear that the bond between the Six Kings was just as strong then as it is now.
The conversation flowed naturally from there, eventually moving toward the time after Liliwood-san had finally left Kuro's side to forge her own path.
Serious-senpai: "Actually, Laguna is the second-to-last in the Hero Party. Actually, Magnawell is the youngest of the Six Kings. Actually, Bacchus is the second-to-last of the Five War Generals... There's a definite rule here: those who speak like old-timers always turn out to be surprisingly young within their circles..."