Sand as far as the eye could see. The two suns scorched the golden land. Sandy hills and valleys stretched out to the horizon, as though carved by the hands of giants. Inferior mirages blurred the sight. Simply looking ahead was driving me nuts. “It’s so hot… I’m gonna die… Isn’t it only March…? This is too much for a homebody…” “I’m parched. Lady Komari, would you mind letting me drink your sweat?” “You’re gross.” I didn’t even have the energy to overreact. Four days until my death. We were riding camels across the desert. Between the Aruka Kingdom and the Mulnite Empire lay the Curryd Empire, whose territory was mostly desert. Crossing this huge sand land was the shortest way to get to Mulnite. By the way, we’d rented our camels at the entrance of the desert. Vill and I were sharing one, Esther and Colette another, and Nelia had her own. We’d been riding for so long already, yet the camels didn’t look tired in the slightest. Still, I felt bad, so I gently patted its fuzzy hump. “You’re such a good girl, Charlotte… I wish I had your stamina…” “Please don’t name it. We have to give it back once we reach the other side.” “What’s the problem?! She’s our journey partner!” What a heartless maid. And deranged—she was clinging to me even in this burning heat. Colette glared at me with frustration from my side. We’d decided the pairs with a coin toss. She must’ve wanted to be with Vill. She wiped the sweat on her forehead onto Esther’s back and asked, “Nelia, how long is it till Mulnite? There’s no way we can reach it today, is there?” “Why are you asking a girl from another world…? Anyway, according to the map, we do need to make a stop halfway. We’ll stay at the Curryd Empire’s capital.” The enemy forces were already on our heels. Nelia said we’d messed up by showing our guild IDs at the checkpoint. There was a chance the officer had reported us. But it wasn’t like we could have forced our way through. That would’ve gotten us captured and sent right back to the army. In all likelihood, the leak about Colette being with the Komari Club had come from the guild. There must have been a spy in the place when we’d signed up. I looked at the sky-blue girl. Colette Lumiere was the Mulnite Empire’s shrine maiden. A poor child at the whims of fate. “What? Nobody told you staring is rude?” “Sorry. I was just wondering about you since we have nothing else to do. You ran away with nothing but what you had on you…but we never really asked about your standing.” “Oh, that.” Colette pouted awkwardly. “It’s what the newspaper said. I am the Mulnite Empire’s shrine maiden—or rather, the future shrine maiden. I was supposed to take over the position at the Imperial Capital once my predecessor retired.” “But they handed you over to Aruka?” “The current shrine maiden predicted the war would end if they offered me to Aruka. What a piece of shit. Pretty sure she just made that up.” True or not, it was unfair either way. “Hmm,” Vill grunted while gripping Charlotte’s reins. “Did she predict that with Core Implosion? Could it be you can do the same, Lady Colette?” “Core Implosion? Ah, you mean the powers… Yeah. I better make it clear now: I’m an esper. I didn’t bring it up because it’s not really something you should be flaunting… Sorry.” “No need to apologize. But I’m surprised to learn you have superpowers.” “Well, I wouldn’t have gotten chosen as shrine maiden if I didn’t, would I? The Lumieres haven’t birthed an esper worthy of the title lately. They took in me, a commoner of distant relation, and groomed me to take over just because I had some potential.” “Couldn’t you find a way out if you predicted something else?” I asked. “My power isn’t prediction. It’s worse. I didn’t want it… I could’ve had a peaceful life if it weren’t for this shrine maiden business.” Core Implosion had nothing to do with one’s talent or efforts. There had to be significance to the fact that Colette had awakened to her powers. “…The truth is, my childhood friend was supposed to become the shrine maiden.” “Your childhood friend… You are referring to Villhaze, the girl with the same name as mine, correct?” Colette had told Vill about this last night, along with Nelia and Esther. The girl had said it wasn’t anything worth hiding. “Vill…my childhood friend, that is, had an ability stronger than anything seen in the past hundred years. They said she would become the shrine maiden to guide Mulnite to prosperity…but the pressure drove her to tears all the time. I lived in the neighborhood, so I would go to her place and comfort her in secret.” “You were best friends, then.” “Yeah. We even went on an adventure outside the village. Vill said she wanted to see the sea, so we filled our backpacks with snacks and left early in the morning. We came across bears, got bitten by bugs, and nearly fell off a cliff, but the sight of the sun setting into the ocean was worth it. She cried so much that time… Then the adults found us and gave us the scolding of a lifetime, which made me cry, too.” The mirage had vanished. In its stead came the image of Colette and “Vill” holding hands on their way to the ocean. “Vill” was timid, but spunky Colette pulled her forward. They overcame many obstacles across their journey… Then the image of “Vill” was replaced by my Vill, the maid I knew… I think my brain is evaporating from the heat. “But our peaceful days didn’t last long.” Colette sighed. “There was a horrible battle. The village was burned down, and we ran away, but we lost sight of each other in the storm and never reunited. I’ve been looking for her ever since…day and night… I can’t abandon my friend. But I can’t find her… And they declared her dead.” “Dead? Why?” “Because they can’t look for her forever. I didn’t accept it, but the villagers told me to give up. I could never… And then, I awakened to my ability.” Core Implosion was a power of the heart. Strong desire birthed an ability to change the world. “The power of séance, to pull over the souls of dead people. Maybe it was because I also believed, deep down, that Vill was dead… I used to try and call her, but it never worked. I was happy, since that meant she was still alive out there somewhere.” “…” We were speechless. This girl’s love for “Vill” was too enormous for me to even imagine. “And then, I became Vill’s replacement as the next shrine maiden. But I can’t do it. My power is far from the heights of hers, too…” “What was ‘Vill’s’ power?” “She could see the future.” My heart skipped a beat. Vill and Nelia looked at Colette in shock. “But I don’t know the details. There’s a rule that says shrine maidens shouldn’t use their powers willy-nilly, and she was so uptight about it that I never saw it. I asked her to tell my future many times, but she always refused.” “…” “Ahhh, maybe we could’ve stopped the disaster in the village with her powers… But no use crying over spilled milk. She was only following the rules, and I liked that upright side of her.” Colette’s smile was weak. I felt conflicted as the camel swayed across the desert. We arrived at the capital of the Curryd Empire right before sunset. A nice smell reached my nostrils the moment we went through the gates, and my tummy rumbled. According to Colette, the founder of the Curryd Empire had been a big curry fan. Curry had been designated the national dish by royal decree. We walked through the disordered lines of sepia-colored buildings. First, we had to return the camels. We found the rental place, and I handed Charlotte’s reins over to the person in charge. The camel trudged back to the stable…but halfway through, she looked back at me. “Charlotte? What’s wrong? You can rest for today.” “I am not Charlotte.” “Huh??” “I said I am not Charlotte.” I looked up as though I’d heard the voice of God but found nothing but the beautiful dusk. Feeling as though I was dreaming, I lowered my gaze back to the camel and nearly blacked out as I confirmed the human voice had come from its mouth. “You’re the daughter of the Hero of Twilight? To think I would be meeting you here…” “Everybody?! Are you seeing this?!?! Charlotte’s talking?!?!?!” I shouted behind me. The girls were already leaving in search of a restaurant. Only Vill turned around in confusion. “What? Has the heat gotten to you, Lady Komari? Don’t worry. I see a shop over there selling curry-flavored ice cream. Let’s share a cone with intertwining tongues.” “Now’s not the time. Just listen…” “Vill! Let the runt be and let’s get going.” Colette came over, locked arms with Vill (!), and pulled her away. Nelia and Esther hadn’t heard me to begin with. I fearfully turned back around to see the camel standing with poise. “You’re Terakomari Gandesblood, right?” “Y-yes?! A-and you?!” “I’m a secret agent of the mercenary group Full Moon. I disguise myself as a rental camel to keep an eye on the war. This is a huge coincidence… Or is it fate? You look so much like your mother…” I looked at the guy holding Charlotte’s reins. Uhhh? Are you okay, dude? Your camel’s talking? Yet he stayed in place, just smiling. Clearly, he wasn’t okay. “Don’t worry. He’s also a member of Full Moon. My subordinate.” “How can I not worry? And how come you can talk?” “I’m not just any camel. I’m a beast-folk. Of course I can talk.” How can I tell a regular camel from a beast-folk…? What’s up with you guys…? “Erm… And you know me?” “How couldn’t I? Our boss is your mother, Yulinne Gandesblood.” “Huh? Yulinne… Mom?! You know my mom?!” “Yes. Our moon-rank mercenary group, Full Moon, works around the world to quell the flames of war and pursue justice. And Lady Gandesblood is its leader.” “Wha…?” “Kilty told us you ended up here after you got caught up in the collapse of the Enchanted Lands’ Dark Core. Apparently, there’s a survey team being put together in your world… Glad to see you’re okay. The boss has been worried about you, too.” Charlotte huffed in relief. I’d turned into a mannequin trying to make sense of what I was hearing. I heard Nelia shout in the distance, “Komariii! C’mon alreadyyy!” Charlotte said she would send a pigeon to the boss in Mulnite, to tell Mom I was okay. Moon-rank mercenary group Full Moon. They were doing all sorts of things around the world, apparently. Some of them fought sword in hand like my mom, and others went incognito to gather information like Charlotte. The camel’s news shook me to my core. Getting confirmation that Mom was in the Imperial Capital particularly filled me with hope. Now I could focus on going to Mulnite without regret. The emergency situation could hopefully be resolved so long as we reached the city. However, not all the news was good. “My colleagues say the Arukan Army is pursuing the Komari Club. I find it strange they would fixate on the shrine maiden to that extent…but the reality is they keep crushing neutral cities in their path. Your location was leaked after you went through the checkpoint, so they should be getting here tomorrow or the day after,” Charlotte said. “What do we do? We’re going for dinner. Wanna come with, Charlotte?” “No thank you. There’s not much I can tell you, unfortunately. Just keep heading to the Imperial Capital. You should find a way to go back to your world once you meet the boss. Also, I’m not Charlotte.” “I see… And will I be riding you tomorrow, too, Charlotte?” “If the schedule aligns. Also, I’m not Charlotte.” “Then what’s your name?” “Charles.” I said good-bye to Charlotte and joined the girls again. His info gave a great sense of importance to our trip. We could definitely go back home if we reached the Imperial Capital—I valued the reassurance more than anything. Finally, I can sleep soundly tonight. That said, not all my anxieties were gone. There were three main problems to solve. One: Could we go back home? Two: Would Colette take Vill away from me? Three: How could I avoid my doom? “…No progress on the last two.” “My goodness, Lady Komari, you look so down. Here, let me feed you a bite of curry—mouth to mouth.” “Dwaaah?! But yours is spicy! I can’t eat that!!” “That’s the problem?” Nelia interjected. We were having curry at a curry place in the Curryd Empire. We were at a table for six outdoors. Dancers in striking outfits were putting on a show on the stage at the front. The sky was already dyed purple… And yet, as many people as ever were going here and there on the streets. They were having a great old time in sync with the music. Esther looked around and nodded deeply. “Interesting. It’s not one species for each country in the Netherworld. I see vampires, Warblades…and lots more.” “There’s way less monoethnic countries than not,” Colette said while scooping a spoonful of curry. “Also, Vill…are you always like that?” Everyone turned to look at Vill. The sicko maid was holding a bottle of sauce, writing out “Lady Komari I U” on my curry. Could you not? Do you realize you could start a war by putting sauce on someone’s dish without permission? “…What could you possibly mean by that, Lady Colette?” Vill asked, coming to a halt. “I mean being so clingy with Terakomari! I thought she was forcing you to do that at first, but now I’m doubting that.” “You’re right, Colette. She’s a sicko maid.” “You were right, Lady Colette. I am only following Lady Komari’s orders.” “Stop lying!!” “I can’t trust you on this one, Vill.” Colette stared at her. “Aw…” Vill looked away. An odd reaction for her… I’d imagined she’d just go, “Yes, I’m a sicko, so what?” “Oh well.” Colette squeezed some mayonnaise (?!) onto her curry. “Pervert or not, I owe you my life.” “Excuse me, Lady Colette, but I am no pervert, and I’m sure the other three ladies present would agree. Right, ladies?” “Oh, you are,” said Nelia. “Sicko,” I said. “Er…” Esther faltered, letting it slip she had her misgivings about the maid’s behavior. “I cannot believe this!” Vill cried crocodile tears. If you wish to correct your ways, then look to Sakuna for some pointers. Now she is one unperverted girl. “See?” Colette gave Vill a vacant stare. “If you don’t want to be thought of as a pervert, then stop doing all that creepy stuff… Look at Terakomari. She doesn’t like it.” “…I’m sorry, Lady Komari. I was inconsiderate.” “Huh? Ah.” Vill changed my plate with hers and carved the curry with her spoon to form the words, “I ♡ U Lady Komari.” Just then, I felt a sandy, lukewarm breeze. I narrowed my eyes. The darkness turned graver. The music grew passionate, and the dancers onstage moved with further intensity. They performed a series of somersaults, and the audience clapped and cheered. “Wow!” Nelia and Esther applauded, too. I clapped on autopilot while looking at Vill and Colette. It was the first time Vill had ever apologized for sexually harassing me. Colette somehow had the power to turn the sicko maid sane. The haze within me remained. I was sure I wouldn’t be able to sleep well tonight. Night. I couldn’t sleep, so I left my bed for the balcony. The town was still merrymaking—I could hear a faint, enthusiastic melody in the distance. The Curryd Empire was the most jovial country I’d ever been to. I lost myself in thought while gazing up at the starry sky. The Netherworld, my mom…Colette. Colette Lumiere was making a mess of my heart. “Lady Komari, shouldn’t you be sleeping already?” Vill came up behind me, wearing the thin pajamas provided by the inn. I looked away, embarrassed for whatever reason. “…You should go to sleep. We gotta get up early tomorrow.” “Sadly, I’m missing my body pillow. I can’t.” “You’re calling me a body pillow now?” “No, I meant the chikuwa-fish-cake-shaped pillow I normally use…” “………” …Stupid. What? You idiot. Why…why are you saying normal things, you sicko maid? Now you’re making it seem like I’m the one calling myself a body pillow. The maid walked up to my side in silence. She squinted at the noisy capital of the Curryd Empire and pulled my brain out of tranquility. “No signs of the enemy yet. We should get a good night’s sleep while we can. There’s a high probability that we’ll have to fight them tomorrow.” “I don’t wanna fight. I’ll run.” “Keep your chin up. Esther will mutiny if she hears you whining.” “She would never…” I glanced at the room. The girls were already sound asleep. Esther’s posture was incredible, like a corpse in a coffin. Colette had her arms around Esther’s neck and was snoring. Meanwhile, Nelia had her belly out and her feet on the pillow (yeah, she was backward). What’s with you, girl? You better not catch a cold tomorrow… So only Vill and I were still awake. I brought it up as casually as I could. “Vill, what do you think of Colette?” “Excuse me?” “Um, I mean, not that it matters that you’d be chummy with her. I don’t care. In fact, I would be quite glad for you, as your friend.” Vill grinned. …What’s with that face? Are you making fun of me? “Could it be you’re jealous, Lady Komari? Worried that Lady Colette might take me away from you? Overflowing with love for your cute little maid?” “No way! I just wanted to know, as your boss.” “Don’t worry, Lady Komari. I am your maid and yours only. Even if the world were put on its head, I would never leave you— Hmm?” Vill shot me an inquisitive glance. I had no idea what my face looked like. The mischievous look on her face disappeared, and she smiled with fascination. “Goodness. This is graver than I thought… Don’t worry, Lady Komari. There’s nothing for you to torment yourself over.” “But…” “Have you forgotten? It was you who saved me from the darkness. I’ve adored you ever since, and these feelings have only grown stronger as we’ve faced hardship after hardship together. I’m not going anywhere.” “…” “Don’t stare at me with such blatant suspicion… Look, I serve you because I was attracted to your sincere kindness. I want to watch you take over the world from the closest seat in the house.” “I’m not kind. And I’m not taking over the world.” “You never know what the future holds.” Then she remembered. “Oh, that reminds me, your death foreseen by Pandora’s Poison is inching closer—but don’t worry. I’ll protect you as I always have.” “Really? But you saw me dead in your vision, right?” “I’ve seen you dead about five or six times at this point.” “Seriously?!” “But we always got through it, and it’ll be the same this time. The problem is, I don’t know how you’re supposed to die…” I had a bad feeling about this, but if Vill said things would be all right, then surely it would be. We still had time before the deadline. There was no point screaming about not wanting to die at this moment, at least. A smile escaped me. I would’ve cried and holed up in my room before, but… Yeah, I had gotten used to all this chaos, but more than anything, I had trust in my friends. This was what happiness was all about. “…So I don’t have to worry about anything, yeah?” “Of course not. I love you more than anything in this universe. Let’s get over this ordeal and get back to our Mulnite.” “…Yeah. Thanks.” The music had faded at some point. It was finally time for the city to sleep. The maid gazed at me kindly. I faltered for a moment before gently taking hold of her hand. “Huh? Ummm, Lady Komari…” “I’m counting on you. Now, I gotta get some sleep.” “Uh…y-yeah.” I let go of her hand and hurried back into the room. I felt my heart racing for some reason. I wasn’t actually sleepy. I was so wide awake that I’d have trouble getting to bed, but I didn’t want to recognize I was feeling so overjoyed. I dived into bed, squeezed my eyes shut, and began counting sheep. I could hear Villhaze whisper something from the balcony. “Lady Komari is being…affectionate…? Is the world coming to an end…?” I wasn’t being affectionate. I was simply showing my subordinate I trust her. …Still, I couldn’t sleep because Vill was everything on my mind. Colette’s snoring stopped as she turned over next to Esther. Her eyes were wide with shock and confusion. The next morning, we left before the sun was up. Nelia had insisted “one more hourrr” and was stiff like a tortoise, and it had taken us an hour to wake her up, but that was within the margin of error. Three days until my doom. We had a day of walking ahead of us to reach the checkpoint to Mulnite. It was the same scorching, sunny hell as before. The enemy hadn’t reached us yet. Nelia wondered aloud if they wouldn’t invade Curryd territory. Our march across the desert ended without trouble. We got to the checkpoint before sunset and left the Curryd Empire by showing our guild IDs. Now we were in Mulnite territory—Colette’s homeland. There was a small town near the checkpoint. We took the camels to the rental shop. By the way, Charlotte hadn’t uttered a single word the whole way. No matter how many times I’d said, “Hey,” “Say something,” or, “It’s a scorcher today, eh?” And everyone had treated me like a weirdo who made a habit of talking to camels. The humiliation. I told everyone to wait for me outside while I said good-bye to Charlotte, then headed over to reception. Maybe he just hadn’t been able to talk in front of everyone because of some agreement or something. “…Charlotte, why won’t you talk to me?” “My name’s not Charlotte.” So now you’re talking… He huffed before continuing. “By the way, I keep quiet to maintain confidentiality. I’m a secret agent posing as a rental camel. I can’t let people know the truth willy-nilly.” “I figured. What would you have done if I’d told them you could talk, though?” “Nothing. They’d have just thought you were crazy.” Of course they would. “Now then, you’ve finished this leg of the journey. I work in the Curryd Empire, though, so I won’t be accompanying you to Mulnite. I hope your trip is pleasant and fruitful.” “Thanks.” I patted his head. “You gave me some hope, Charlotte. We’ll go meet my mom… Now what are you going to do?” “Keep on spying. We need to keep an eye on Star Citadel, not just Aruka.” “Star Citadel?” “A moon-rank mercenary group. Right, I should tell you this. The Netherworld is in chaos due to international conflict, but we think Star Citadel is pulling the strings.” I felt something was off immediately. Normally I would’ve just said “Uh-huh,” but after my failure at the Matrimonial War, my attentiveness had risen. Star Citadel. I’ve heard that name somewhere before… Right, at the end of the battle in the Enchanted Lands. Karla’s brother showed up out of nowhere and said… “What a terrible sight. Star Citadel knows no limits.” “Nerzanpi’s? Her organization?” Charlotte blinked his big eyes. “Yes. Death Master Nerzanpi Rocha is a member of Star Citadel. But you’ve already defeated her. The problem right now is their leader, Yusei. Or maybe Dead Maestro Tremolo Parcostella is of higher priority right now, since she’s on active duty. They’re working behind the scenes to cause conflict in the Netherworld.” “Huh…?” “We know her name and face, and yet her power still lets her freely carry out her evil deeds. Her aim is to cause fruitless dispute. She curries favor with international VIPs and points them toward war. She’s cold and aggressive… If she finds you, she’ll tear you apart on the spot.” I was shocked to hear that name. Tremolo Parcostella. The biwa bard who’d helped me back at the first town. A ravine stretched out beyond the borders of the Curryd Empire. The desert came to a sudden end. It felt like stepping into another world, although that was to be expected, since the map already showed that the Curryd Empire’s territory was only desert. The logic behind it was beyond me. We walked down an uneven path. The air was pretty chilly, probably because of the river. We would’ve liked to stay the night near the checkpoint, but who knew when Aruka might attack. It would be best not to stay in one place. We could reach the ravine town by night walking, so we pressed on. “I’m telling you, Charlotte said Tremolo’s part of this evil mercenary group called Star Citadel. She’s with Nerzanpi.” “But she saved us, right? Would you rather believe a weird talking camel?” “Mm…” Nelia and I were walking in the front. I was telling her about Tremolo, but she wouldn’t believe me. She was almost convincing me I was wrong instead. And yeah, I was having a hard time believing that kind bard was really a murderer. Vill and Colette weren’t even listening. They were throwing riddles at each other in the back. Rearguard support Esther was clutching her hair, trying to figure out the answer to Colette’s riddle: “What’s a table that has legs but doesn’t walk?” “We don’t know who we can trust. We don’t even have a grip on the situation yet. Anyway, we have to get to the Imperial Capital first,” Nelia said with a sigh. Sure enough, there was no use ruminating on Tremolo. Even if she was evil, there was nothing we could do about it right now. “…Yeah. And I get to meet Mom, too.” “Exactly. It’s like a dream come true.” Nelia was happy to reunite with her mentor from the Aruka Kingdom days. “She tasked me with taking care of you. I want to show her how much you’ve grown. Not physically, sadly, but I’m sure she’ll be shocked.” “What about you, Nelia?” “Huh?” “What are you going to do after you meet Mom…your mentor?” “Well…” She smiled awkwardly. “I’ll tell her I took Aruka back and became the president. I want her to check if I’ve made good on her teachings… Hopefully I won’t get a scolding.” “Oh, you won’t. I’m sure she’ll be proud to see you now.” Nelia looked at me with confusion. “I mean, why wouldn’t she? You work so hard as the president, you defeated Nerzanpi’s control technique back in the Enchanted Lands, and now you’re leading us across the Netherworld. The Arukan soldiers would’ve killed us if it weren’t for you.” “…S-stop it.” She turned away, red in the face. It was exciting to see her flustered for once. She adjusted her backpack and looked forward while fidgeting with her hair. “I’m only doing what’s natural. It’s my job…” “That’s still amazing, I think. I can’t even do my own job right. I wish I could have your assertiveness and leadership.” “Ah…” Nelia was so embarrassed that she couldn’t speak. How uncharacteristic of the wise Moonpeach Princess. But as I kept staring at her, I noticed something. “Wait, Nelia, don’t tell me you’re not used to receiving praise?” “N-no!” She was so sincere; now this reaction was very like her. “I mean…there’s no one around me who would…” “Really? I’d think Gertrude would.” “That’s different. Gertrude and Pascal are my maids. Getting praise from servants is part of the deal. But when someone who’s my equal, a friend like you, does it…I get ticklish. You’re going to have to take responsibility for making me feel like this.” Interesting, very interesting. Little Miss President has her own needs. Now that I thought about it, I’d only caused trouble for Nelia. I had to return the favor for everything she’d done for me, and if praise was what she wanted, then praise I would give her. I put on a huge smile and put my hand on her peachy hair. “You’re such an admirable girl! Such a hard worker! I got to have some great food today thanks to you! Thank you, Nelia. Good girl. Good girl.” “Wha… Do… Don… Don’t pat meeeee!!” She shrieked like a dying cat and took a few steps back. I was frozen with my hand in the air. Nelia glared at me, beet red. What just happened? Were you always like this? “You do it just like my mentor! You’re supposed to be my little sister! How dare you?!” “S-sister…? Since when have I been your little sister?!” “I’ve been saying it forever now. That we’re like sisters because you’re my mentor’s daughter.” “Wait, but I should be the older sister! I have a more mature psyche… Hey! Don’t pat my head!” “This is vengeance! You let yourself be patted, little sister! Good girl, good girl, good girl.” Absolutely zero reserve. …Oh well. It feels nice, so I’ll let her go on until she gets tired of it. This also showed my magnanimity as her elder, letting my little sister do as she pleased… But then Vill got in between us, cheeks puffed. “Stop flirting. We’re almost there.” I looked ahead. The first Mulnite Empire town—tonight’s lodging place—was right there. “Wait a second, you phrased the riddle wrong!!” Esther yelled from behind. “You just realized?! Wow, you’re such a dummy.” Colette laughed. Those two sure got along. Let’s just pray they don’t get into a fight. “Let’s go then, Lady Komari. We shall sleep together tonight,” said Vill. “Yeah, let’s…go. I’ll think about the rest.” “Oh? Is your affectionate phase over already?” “I never had one! Let’s go!” The stars were beginning to shine in the sky. We went down the hill toward the town. However, our expectations were instantly betrayed. It was a town, for sure. But there didn’t seem to be anyone around. It was deserted no matter where we went, and there were cracks all over the streets and buildings. Ruins. I looked at the items lined up under the eaves of a shop. The rotten fruit and veggies stank. Didn’t look like the place was in business. “Eek!” Esther screamed in reaction to a swarm of flies. “U-um…Commander? Is this really the town…?” “Well, it is a town, but it looks abandoned…” “It must’ve been caught up in the war just a few days ago,” Nelia said while looking at the map. “Back at the checkpoint, I heard Aruka’s and other nations’ armies were causing trouble in southern Mulnite… I should’ve asked more about it.” “What…? They just let the armies get in? What’s the point of the checkpoints, then?” Chills ran down my spine, and I looked around. The stars above illuminated the ruined town. The soldiers must’ve looted the place. The doors of the houses were broken, as though people had forced their way in. I shuddered at the thought of stumbling across a corpse. “…It’s just like my village,” Colette muttered. “They showed up out of nowhere and ruined our lives. They made so many people suffer…including me and Vill…” “Lady Colette, perhaps I have no right to say anything, but there’s nothing to gain by ruminating on it. Let’s get some rest soon.” Vill rubbed Colette’s back. The girl nodded with a pensive look on her face. Where are we going to sleep, though? Should we just go inside an inn? I can already see Esther objecting and insisting we camp instead. Just then, Nelia suggested something out of left field. “How about we sleep under the stars, then? I just stole these sleeping bags from the shop over there.” “Huh? You stole them?” “Oops! No, I meant to say I picked them up!” Seems like we’re going with the camping alternative. Theft was still a crime like breaking and entering…but oh well. Doesn’t look like Esther heard Nelia anyway. And the Netherworld’s starry sky was beautiful like a jewel box, so that was exciting. As I’d been lamenting the gross reality of not being able to take a bath tonight, Esther found a waterfall on the outskirts of town. The town wasn’t lacking in water resources, as it had been built right by the ravine. Upon closer inspection of the waterfall, there was even a dressing room next to the basin. Maybe the locals had used this place frequently. We washed our clothes and bodies. Vill threw herself naked at me, but that was nothing special to write about in detail. The only striking part about it was how she faltered upon receiving Colette’s vacant gaze. So now you’re regaining your sense of decency, sicko maid? We gathered under the stars around a bonfire. I stared at the crackling fire while munching on the fish Esther had caught for us (barehanded). It was nice and spicy when paired with the flavoring we’d bought in the Curryd Empire. “Ah! I bought snacks, want some?” Nelia produced multiple sweets from her backpack. Chocolate, marshmallows, yokan, sukonbu… Colette shouted “Yaaay!” while thinking about what to pick. I turned to Nelia. “Should we have bought all this? Won’t we run out of money?” “Snacking with friends is the best part of a trip! And besides, now that I think about it, I don’t really need to pay back the debt. They can’t even go after us after we go back to our world.” Oh, that’s evil. Look at Esther. Poor girl’s scowling. “President Cunningham…that’s illegal…” “Hmmm? But we’re not from the Netherworld. Do we have a duty to follow the law here?” “I think we do! I believe it should be common sense that we…” “No, no. Listen, I heard in the Curryd Empire, you’re required by law to eat curry rice once a day. But we don’t have to because we’re foreigners.” “Yes… Huh?” “So that means we don’t need to follow the law in the Netherworld. Just ignore that debt like it’s nothing. Here, have a chocolate.” “Uh, but, hmm? Er… Huh??” Esther chewed the chocolate with a frown. She must’ve been worn out from the trip, too. She wouldn’t have let Nelia’s chicanery win otherwise. “Ah,” Colette exclaimed. She stared at the candy in her hand with a furrowed brow. “What is it? Do you not like strawberry?” Vill asked. “This… This is the Scholar’s favorite candy.” “I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite, but I do like it,” I said. “First, you’re no scholar, you deluded weirdo. Second, I’m talking about the vampire who conquered the world six hundred years ago that I told you about.” Oh, right, she did mention that. To think there were real scholarly intellectuals other than me out there. “And you know what? This candy comes from my village,” Colette bragged. I was baffled. “Surely they make that anywhere?” “The Scholar spread it far and wide. She loved this candy, so she ordered that they produce it all over the world. By the way, the original was for vampires and was made of blood and sugar. They make it strawberry flavored outside Mulnite.” Colette swayed the candy before Vill’s eyes. “You don’t remember this, Vill? I had this a lot with my childhood friend.” Something wasn’t right—there was an inquisitive look in Colette’s eyes. “They sell it in our world, too. And I’ve even made some before.” “Mm-hmm.” Colette looked up at the night sky with disappointment. I still couldn’t quite tell what she was thinking. In any case—who was this “Scholar”? The only blood candy fan I knew of was Spica. Could it be that she was actually the Goddess who’d created the Netherworld? Yeah, right. Ha-ha-ha. “Now, then.” Nelia smiled as she grabbed a marshmallow. “What are we gonna play? The night is still young.” “You should hit the hay already. Maybe you won’t sleep in for once if you do,” I said. “I have no set time for waking up. Which means I have never slept in.” “Bullcrap! We almost died thanks to your sleepyheadedness! You should learn a thing or two from Esther. Look, she’s already out like a light.” “Already?! She didn’t even brush her teeth, did she?!” “We should let her rest. Meanwhile, we can indulge in the field trip classic: love stories. I’ll start. I’m in love with Lady Komari,” said Vill. “You can’t just say that without at least trying to set the mood!” I shouted. And so the night went on. Esther was sound asleep. Vill was going crazy seriously asking, “How can I win Lady Komari’s heart?” to me. Colette puffed her cheeks in reaction, while I brushed off her dumb question. She switched to asking Nelia who she liked, and the Arukan girl turned red and shouted, “No one!” before shutting her lips tight. It really felt like a field trip. An exciting new experience for this shut-in vampire. The fulfilling night went on. We snacked and chatted nonsense until the sleepiness struck us, and we squirmed into our sleeping bags. It took only an hour for the weather to turn bad. Dark, thick clouds covered the sky, obscuring the moonlight. I was staring at the stars from within my sleeping bag when I felt drops on my nose. “Ow, that’s cold! Girls! It’s raining!” Vill, Esther, and Colette didn’t seem to notice, though. Nelia was closest to me, so I tried rocking her awake. “So many… So many marshmallows…” and a mushy smile was her only reaction. This girl didn’t wake up in the morning. I couldn’t hope to get her up in the middle of the night. But maybe the pouring rain could. While I was kneading Nelia’s face, the rain started coming down harder. Vill and Esther jolted awake, while Colette sat up sluggishly, going, “Whaaa…?” Nelia finally opened her eyes once the rain got into her mouth. “Huh? Rain…? No… It’s a lemon juice shower…” “Wake up already! Let’s move before we catch a cold!” I said. “Commander! I got our things ready! Let’s go, Ms. Colette.” “Good job, Esther. Lady Komari, let’s take shelter inside that hou—” Just then, thunder boomed. The weather was really going to the dogs. Zip! Vill stiffened like a wire. “…Hmm? What’s wrong, Vill?” “N-no… N-n-n-noth-noth-nothing…” The sky lit up. “Eep!” Vill squeaked. “There’s clearly something wrong with you. Are you not feeling well?” “I’m fine! I’m perfectly fine, don’t worry! Let’s move inside quick—” The moment Vill forced herself to take a step forward… KRAKATOOM!! …thunder fell with a sound that pierced the heavens. “EEEEK!!” “WHOOOA?!” The shock was so huge, I felt like the thunder had struck and killed me. I came back to my senses and found myself in the mud, pushed by the sicko maid. Huh? Did she save me or something? Nope. Clearly the position didn’t match the light and sound. I had just been tackled by my maid. She buried her face in my chest, frozen solid. “Vill…?” “…It’s nothing.” She slowly raised her head. Her expression was as cool as ever…but something was off. There was liquid flowing from her eyes, and I didn’t think it was rain. The sky roared again, and she grimaced and started trembling. Please don’t shiver on top of me. You’re heavy. “L-La… La-Lady… Lady Komari… The thunder…” “Oh… Right, you’re scared of thunder, aren’t you?” “I’m not scared… I just never liked it.” KRAKOOM!! Thunder roared again. “Eeeek!” Vill screamed like a little girl and clung to me. The invincible sicko maid actually had one weakness: thunder. It was pretty serious, so even though I was on the constant lookout for something to hold over her, I’d never made fun of her for it. I couldn’t do that to the poor girl. “Komari! C’mere already!” Nelia and the others had already taken refuge in the building. I gently patted Vill’s head. “It’s okay. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m here with you.” “Excuse you, Lady Komari, but I’m not afraid. Nothing scares me. This is nothing more than a natural reflex, you see.” “Okay. Let’s go with them, yeah?” “………Okay.” I grabbed her hand and stood up. We’d just taken a bath, and now we were all muddy. I wanted to warm up by a bonfire again already… Cloing. “…Huh?” Then I heard a familiar tone. I turned around. Someone was coming from the town entrance. No, not one. A whole group was running toward us—I could feel it. “? Lady Komari? What’s the matter?” Vill, clinging to me, cocked her head. I had a sinking feeling about this. There was no basis for it, but I sensed an ominous presence was approaching. Then she revealed herself in the middle of the rain. “Bonsoir. Nice weather we’re having tonight, isn’t it?” A rosy smile. Blindfolded eyes. Both hands in the pockets of her vestment and a musical instrument I wasn’t very familiar with on her back. The Dead Maestro—Tremolo Parcostella. One of the members of Star Citadel, moon-rank mercenary group. And according to Charlotte, the villain of the century. “Tremolo… Why are you here?” “Lady Nerzanpi sent me a notice. I did not realize at all…that Terakomari Gandesblood would try to stop us from achieving our dreams,” she said in an oddly clear voice. She really was an enemy. She’d only helped me because she hadn’t known about me. Nelia and Esther realized something was wrong and ran up to us. “What do you want? Must be something important for you to cross the desert all the way here,” I said. “Hee-hee.” Tremolo smiled gracefully. “I didn’t cross the desert. You can get to Mulnite without touching the Curryd Empire by taking the way around the Toumor Republic… And I imagine the Arukans would rather avoid the fatigue, too.” “What do you mean…?” “I’m not here to kill you. Indiscriminate murder goes against my precepts. I just fulfilled my duty telling by them the location of the Komari Club.” Tremolo looked behind. I could hear a swarm of footsteps. Vill and I gulped. Soon, groups of armored men emerged from behind the rain curtain. Way more than we’d fought last time. I couldn’t count them since it was dark, but they looked over one hundred strong. Nelia gripped the hilts of her twin swords. “We couldn’t have worse luck… They’re already here.” “Hee-hee. Don’t think you’re safe just because you reached Mulnite. There is no safe place in the Netherworld… And here I feel the beginning of a new conflict.” The armored soldiers inched ever closer. They were clearly here to kill us. I hid Vill, still trembling from the thunder, behind my back and yelled: “H-hold on! Why do we have to fight right now?! It’s already the middle of the night!” “Now that’s funny. Unfortunately, there is no rest for their ire. The shrine maiden escaped from the Arukan government, and she stole treasure from the court. They said they have to kill her to uphold their honor. Unbelievably vulgar, in my opinion.” “What…?! Treasure?! What did you do, Colette?!” “Nothing!!” Colette screamed as she ran out of the building. “I don’t know what she’s talking about! I could barely escape with my life!” “I wonder. From what I heard, several national treasures disappeared from the palace.” “What…?” Colette didn’t seem to be lying. The cart hadn’t had anything inside that seemed like a treasure. I immediately saw through Tremolo Parcostella’s cruelty. She’d probably come up with that story to anger Aruka. Nelia unsheathed her blades. Vill also held up her kunai, though trembling. Esther gripped the Chain Metal with anxiety. Tremolo put on a grim smile. “My job ends here. Now then, soldiers of Aruka. Do your best.” The armored soldiers roared as they charged at us. “This is ridiculous! I’m the president of Aruka!” Nelia swung her swords to launch the first enemy away. The grating ringing of metal on metal echoed. Our field trip had turned into a bloodbath in the blink of an eye. Vill and Esther squared off bravely with the enemy. The Arukan soldiers weren’t that high level…but there were too many of them, and they kept on coming. As soon as they took one down, another appeared, so quickly it was clear we’d be against the wall sooner rather than later. “Lady Komari! Stay ba— AAAH?!” Thunder roared again, and Vill went rigid, tears in her eyes. One of our foes seized the opening to charge at her with a sword held high. “Ms. Vill!” “Gah!” Esther launched Chain Metal to take the guy down by a hair’s breadth. I sighed in relief. She was finally fighting at full power. Esther shot a glare at the Arukan soldiers and yelled: “You’re supposed to be people of the Netherworld! You have a duty to follow the law of the Netherworld! I did some research at the library in the Curryd Empire, and it said assaulting someone out of the blue is illegal in this world! Which means I have the right to self-defense!” She couldn’t control Chain Metal as easily as normal due to the lack of mana, but even without it, Esther was plenty strong. The lethal blade tore through the air as it laid waste to the ruined town. The soldiers’ screams echoed as they fell one after the other. I clenched my fists as I watched my friends fight valiantly. Yeah. Don’t just stand back and watch. Everyone’s giving their all to fight, and you’re here shivering? Don’t be pathetic. So I looked around attentively. Vill, Esther, and Nelia were all busy. Dammit… Too late now, but maybe I should keep some blood in a bottle to carry with me everywhere. Why didn’t I think of that sooner? Dumb stupid idiot. “Colette!” It was then that I found the sky-blue girl hiding behind a barrel. There was no time to hesitate. I ran across the buzzing battlefield toward Colette. She shrieked at the sight of someone approaching. “Stop! Don’t kill me! I just want to go back home!” “Relax! It’s me, Terakomari! Let me drink your blood!” “Terakomari?! Wait, blood?! What’re you saying at a time like this?!” “I get superpowers when I drink blood! It’s called Core Implosion… What you here call just ‘powers’!” “No, no, no, no! Go away! The soldiers are gonna find me!” “Stop being stubborn! Are you gonna let Vill get hurt?!” Colette gasped. She really changed when it came to Vill. I didn’t have the time to get her to consent. I had to suck her blood while she was still taken aback. So I reached out to her and…couldn’t do it. “Huh…?” Liquid spurted out of Colette’s shoulder before I could get to it. It was so dark I didn’t know what it was at first. I felt a soaking sensation on my hands different from that of the rain. It wasn’t until the smell hit me that I realized it was blood. “Wha… Colette?!” She collapsed on the spot. A sword had run through the barrel from behind. An accident. It had gouged her shoulder. What terrible luck… “So it’s not just the shrine maiden. How futile.” Cloing. Cloing. The sound of the biwa accompanied the rain. Tremolo Parcostella was standing behind us. She didn’t attack. She only watched the battle with sadness on her face. I followed her gaze to my friends. A blade was buried in Esther’s side. Chain Metal was on the ground. The reddish-brown vampire rookie was about to collapse. Nelia faltered for a moment when she saw that. The soldiers flicked her twin swords away, leaving a pink trail behind as they flew into the distance. Her eyes grew wide as an enemy kick nailed her midsection. Thunder shook the night sky again, paralyzing Vill before she could aid Nelia. The armored group shouted with glee as they cut in. “It’s over, Terakomari.” Tremolo giggled. “And so, even more sadness envelops the mundane world.” “…” Despair bubbled up inside me—and I vaporized it. There was no way it could end like this. I was going to meet my mom and go back to my world. I couldn’t let these idiots who incited war for no reason go scot-free. I glared at the biwa bard. “…You’re wrong, Tremolo. Today is not my death date.” “Excuse me?” I licked the blood on my hand—Colette’s blood. The change was immediate. The world was dyed crimson. The nonexistent mana in this world exploded. A violent impulse I could never get used to bloomed within me. Core Implosion: Blood Curse. I flew fast enough to blow away the blustering rain and wind. The Arukans fell to their behinds in fear. Yes. You stay there. There is one way, and one way alone, for you all to survive. Abandon conflict and share the table with everyone. Now… “…Die.” The sky was white by the time I came to my senses. The rain was still pouring, though, so it wasn’t that bright. The ruined town had been destroyed beyond recognition. Clearly, I had blown it away with magic. Arukan soldiers were down all over. Tremolo was knocked out, bruised all over, arms and legs splayed over the gardener shop. Surely she wouldn’t launch another surprise attack now. “Ugh…” Sharp pain ran through my left ankle. There was a straight gash on it. I must’ve gotten injured while using the Blood Curse—but I didn’t care about my own pain. I looked at my fallen allies. Colette was unconscious. The wound on her shoulder didn’t look too deep. Esther seemed in grave shape, though. She was pale in the face, shaking from the stab wound she’d taken to the stomach. This wouldn’t have happened if I had done my job… I felt so bad for her and so bad about myself that I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. “I’m sorry, girls…” “Komari. We have to get out of here. Now.” Nelia wiped the blood from her nose as she walked up to me. She’d gotten her face smashed against a wall, but apparently, it wasn’t that big of a deal. I let out a sigh of relief. “Back to the checkpoint?” “It would be quicker to move ahead. The next town isn’t so far away,” Vill said while looking at the map. She was the only one who’d gotten out of this battle unscathed. “I’ll carry Esther. You take Colette,” Nelia said. “W-wait. I’ll carry her. I can’t let you do everything…” Nelia smiled kindly and said, “But you’re also wounded. We have to help each other… But, well, if it turns out I really can’t do it, I’ll leave her to you.” “Yeah…” We gave the wounded first aid and left the ruined city. Sadness coiled in my chest. I’d hurt my friends. How could I face Mom now? But…I couldn’t waste time brooding. The only path left was forward. We marched under the rain wearing raincoats. We didn’t speak more than was necessary. The soldiers had slapped us out of the field trip mood, and Vill and Nelia were dead serious now. My foot hurt more and more. But that was nothing compared with Colette’s and Esther’s pain. I gritted my teeth and continued marching on. “…” How many hours had we walked in the rain? The urge to give up on everything grew bigger and bigger within me. I wanted to go back home to my Mulnite. I wanted to shut myself in my room and laze around in bed. I wanted to read. I wanted to write. Alone. “Lady Komari, are you all right?” Vill asked with worry. She had a look of understanding in her eyes, and the simple sight of her gaze made all the vexations in my heart poof away. It was always this maid who pulled me out of my room. “Yeah.” I nodded. “I’m okay. Thanks to you.” “Yes…? But I didn’t do anything.” “Maybe… But you did.” “…If you say so.” She looked back ahead with confusion. I’d been able to get back outside thanks to her. All my experiences up to this point proved it. I just had to avoid dwelling on my negative thoughts. Then the light came. I looked up at the sky in surprise. Clear sunlight was streaming through the gaps in the clouds. The rain had subsided, too. Them clouds must’ve gotten tired. “Whoa!” Nelia exclaimed. “It finally stopped! I’m gonna cut you down if you start again, you hear me?!” “Cut down who?” “Oh, look, Lady Komari. There’s the signboard for the next town.” Vill pointed at a shabby sign ahead. I was still unfamiliar with the characters, but it looked like it said, LUMIERE VILLAGE AHEAD. …Hmm? Lumiere? Wait, isn’t that Colette’s last name? “That’s weird.” Nelia cocked her head. “The map says Joule Village. And we shouldn’t have gotten there so quickly…” We followed the sign across the woodland. There were a ton of little shrines alongside the path. Inside them were humanoid stone statues dressed in red clothing, like a shrine maiden’s… Was this a local religious practice or something? Then I noticed Vill seemed uneasy. “What’s wrong? Are you cold?” “No… It might be my imagination…” Soon, the view cleared, revealing a small village. Smoke was streaming from the chimneys of the stone houses. It was noon after all. My first thought was, Thank goodness. We’re finally here, and it’s not in ruins. Now we could all take a rest. “Komari! Villhaze! Let’s get someone, quick!” “Yeah! Let’s go, Vill—Vill?” She was reacting very differently from us. She was frozen in place, her eyes wide. A Netherworld butterfly I felt like I’d seen before flew right by her nose, but her jade eyes were set on the village. “What’s wrong? Are you too tired to walk?” “…No, it’s nothing. I just had a little déjà vu.” I had a bad feeling about this. But if she said it was nothing, then I trusted her. I blinked hard a couple times to banish my anxiety and pulled Vill by the hand to follow behind Nelia.
Chapter 187
46 min read