I moved forward with the preparations with Emily's help. Since I was mostly just pulling things out of my Magic Box and setting them out, it wasn't much work, and our conversation became our main focus.
"By the way, Emily, I’ve heard rumors that people used to call you Laguna’s rival," I mentioned.
"Ah, people did refer to me that way for a time. In the old days, there were few immigrants in the Human Realm, and even fewer people had ever even seen someone at a Peerage-class level, so that label stuck. In truth, however, His Majesty Laguna was far superior to me. Even back when we first met, there was such a gap that she would win nine times out of ten. I was only a rival in the sense that I could at least trade blows with her. Besides, that only lasted for about five hundred years after the Friendship Treaty was signed, so it was a relatively short period."
According to what Frau had told me during the Maid Olympia, Emily was a Viscount-class High-ranking Demon. Laguna currently ranked as a Count-class equivalent, but she had mentioned that her strength during her Hero Party days was at the high end of the Viscount-class—just shy of a Count. Putting it all together, Emily was likely quite powerful even by Viscount standards.
"You are a Demon, right, Emily? Since you mentioned it was right after the Friendship Treaty was signed, does that mean you came to the Human Realm at a very early stage?"
"I was. I’ve always been interested in this world. My family works as fishermen in the Demon Realm, but my grandmother was a Mermaid who wandered over from the Human Realm long ago. I grew up hearing all sorts of stories about it. That’s why I volunteered for the Reconstruction Support efforts immediately after the treaty was signed. While I was working, I happened to catch His Majesty Laguna's eye, and she scouted me."
"So, she scouted you because she recognized your work ethic and ability?"
"Ah, no... Actually, I had been working for forty-eight days straight without a single break. Everyone around me was getting so creeped out that she stepped in to scold me and tell me to knock it off. One thing led to another, and I ended up in her employ. At first, she told me to rest time and time again, but eventually, she gave up—or rather, she came to understand me."
She wasn't just a workaholic; she was on a completely different level. Since she wasn't being forced and was doing it because she genuinely loved it, Laguna must have had quite the headache dealing with her. To suggest a break or a vacation out of concern only to have it rejected—or even hated... She felt strangely similar to Ein. Even Kuro was exasperated by Ein, and while Ein supposedly takes breaks now on Kuro’s orders, apparently it’s only a few minutes every couple of months.
"Come to think of it, having me accompany her for training might have been her way of trying to force me to stop working, no matter the method. However, I don't particularly care for combat, so I wasn't very enthusiastic."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Combat doesn't feel... right... unless the conditions are just so. Er, excuse me. My true strength lies in long-term battles of attrition. If it were a life-or-death struggle, that would be one thing, but mock battles rarely last long. A true battle between Peerage-classes can last for days—or even months. In a controlled setting, I never get the chance to utilize my specialty."
"I see. That makes sense, I suppose. What she said was perfectly logical, and she had a solid reason for it. I could understand why she’d find mock battles frustrating if they didn't play to her strengths. But for some reason, I felt a sudden, murky emotion radiating from her. It was the same vibe I got from Pandora, Phoenix, and Tiamat when they started talking about their particular... tastes. No, surely it was too rude to lump her in with that lot. It had to be my imagination. Emily seemed so refreshing and pleasant... Yeah. Better not to overthink it."
"Still, hearing you talk, it’s clear you really do love your work, Emily."
"Yes, I love it dearly. I feel especially happy during peak seasons when the workload is massive. The pleas—I mean, the rush of energy I feel when the work keeps piling up faster than I can process it... it’s quite wonderful."
"I-I see... It's like how exercise feels best once your body has warmed up a bit, right?"
"Exactly. Hehe."
"A-Ahaha..."
I had tried to steer the conversation away from dangerous territory, but I felt like I had inadvertently stepped right into the heart of the matter. For a split second, her face had looked absolutely enraptured while she spoke about the busy season. That wasn't just "motivation." That was the face of someone with a very specific kind of fetish.
Still, the fact that she was at least trying to hide it or keep up appearances meant she was far more manageable than that Trio of Perverts.
Serious-senpai: "The Masochistic Four Heavenly Kings are finally assembled. In the last extra chapter, Shia was squeezed in as a filler, but even though Shia is a hard worker, she isn't exactly a masochist. Now, with Pandora, Phoenix, Tiamat, and Emily, the group is complete... though why are three-fourths of them from the Phantasm King's faction?"
???: "Could you please stop looking at me? I'm the one having a headache over here..."