On the eighth day of the Fire month, I woke up very early today, perhaps because I didnāt sleep well, and when I woke up, it was still dark outside the window, and when I looked at my pocket watch, it was still 6 AM.
Well, although itās still early, I donāt feel like Iām sleep-deprived because I went to bed earlier than when I was on Earth, where I would usually stay up late on my computer or watching TV.
I know that itās a good thing to live a healthy lifestyle, but itās about time I have something to entertain me for a bit. Next time I go into town, it might be a good idea to buy a book or something like that.
Having such a thought in mind, when I left the room and looked out from the window in the corridor, I felt like my intuition suddenly spoke within my head.
ā¦ā¦It will rain starting at noon.
I donāt know why I had such a thought in mind. As far as I can see from the sky being dyed with the light of the sun, it looks like itās going to be a sunny day today, but for reasons I do not knowā¦ā¦ But I had a premonition close to certainty. But in the end, I donāt know why I had felt such a thing, and shaking such a thought out of my mind, I went to the washroom to wash my face.
When noon was about to arrive, I chatted with Kuro, who was flapping her legs about while slacking around the sofa in my room, as if itās the most obvious thing in the world. Itās unusual for Kuro to have come in the daytime today, but to be honest, Iām used to her suddenly appearing, so I didnāt bother throwing a tsukkomi at her.
[Unnn? It looks like itās about to rain~~]
[ā¦ā¦Eh?]
As Kuro was enjoying a relaxing time, she muttered, and turning my gaze to the windowā¦ā¦ The sky, which was clear not long ago, was cloudy, and I saw a small drop of waterā¦ā¦ rain hitting the window.
When I saw the rain start to fall as I had intuitively thought it would in the early morning, the question that I had pushed away in my mind came back, and at the same time, something came into my mind again.
ā¦ā¦The rain stops at night.
It happened againā¦ā¦ I donāt know why such thoughts came into my mind again, but I still felt the feeling of near-certainty along with that thought. What the heck is this?
[Arehh? Kaito-kunā¦ā¦ It seems like you can finally release your āmagic powerā huh.]
[ā¦ā¦Eh?]
[Unnn, Iām sure. It isnāt just a faint feeling, you looked like you were well-clad in magic power. It looks like youāre finally ready to use magic.]
Even though Kuro pointed out that she could see something in my body, I canāt see any change in my appearance myself because magic power essentially isnāt visible.
However, aside from physical aspects, I can certainly feel something change. Itās much less diluted than when I was pseudo-clad in Kuroās magic power, and I didnāt notice it until now, but I could sense that my body is clad in something.
[Indeed, now that you said it, I feel like Iām somehow clad in magic power.]
[Unn, unnn. It might be a little uncomfortable because your body isnāt used to it yet, and I donāt think youāll be able to move it well yetā¦ā¦ but after about 2 days, you should be able to sense how to move your magic. After that, you can finally use magic.]
[Whoaā¦ā¦]
Itās certainly as Kuro said. I could sense that Iām clad in magic power, but I canāt make it move. No, to be precise, I could feel like I could do it, but I could sense that I wouldnāt be able to make it move well.
According to Kuro, this is because my body isnāt accustomed yet to being clad in magic power. In other words, it is like how a baby has just learned how to stand on its own feet, and after some time passes, I will gradually be able to manipulate my magic power.
[ā¦ā¦Speaking of which, thereās something interesting I heard back then.]
[Unnn?]
[Most children from other worlds, apparently because they grew up in a different environment, can use a special magic.]
[Special magic?]
When I was moved by the fact that I was finally at the starting line of using magic, Kuro smiled and said the words that Iām curious about.
Humans from other worlds can use a special kind of magic, holding some kind of ability unique from the othersā¦ā¦ Indeed, that can be said to be the staples of the novels about people summoned to another world.
[Unnn. For example, Hikari-chan, the First Hero, was able to materialize her magic powerā¦ā¦ turning it into swords or shields, or more accurately, turning it into some kind of mineral. There are some demons, myself included, who can do similar things, but compared to turning magic into fire or water, turning it into iron or something like that consumes an awful lot of magic power. It normally would have been impossible for her to use it with a humanās amount of magic power, but Hikari-chan was able to do it with just a small amount of magic power consumption.]
[Fumuā¦ā¦]
[Moreover, Hikari-chan didnāt need any magic techniqueāā- like a magic circle, for her to use that magic. Materialization should have been a high-ranked magic. Itās not supposed to be possible to omit the use of magic techniques unless youāre a high-ranking demon, but Hikari-chan seems to have been able to do it ever since she first learned magic.]
[Doesnāt that only mean that the First Hero was special?]
The First Hero is able to use this magic better than the high-ranking demon, which would normally require the power of a high-ranking demon to be able to use it.
However, Iām still not sure if this is because sheās an otherworlder or because she is the First Hero.
[Unnn. There were a few other children holding the role of Hero back in the past who didnāt go back to their original world and stayed in this world, and those children could use magic thatās unique to them. The magic they hold is different though. I remembered that there was this child who could use Teleportation Magic just like how Peerage-holding Demons do, though it only consumes a lot less magic power from him. Thereās also that child who can use great magic, though she could only use water magic. Each of them may be different butā¦ā¦ All in all, they were able to use magic that originally couldnāt be used by humans.]
[Does that mean I also have some kind of unusual magic?]
[Unnn. Itās quite possible. Have you felt any kind of 'strange feelingsā after your magic power awakened? Like how you feel like you can do this, or a part of you that doesnāt feel the same as beforeā¦ā¦]
[ā¦ā¦Come to think of itā¦ā¦]
What came to my mind when Kuro asked me about it was that strange feeling I felt earlier this morning and just now. That incident where I knew, for some reason, that the weather would change with a near-certaintyā¦ā¦
When I explained this to Kuro, she put her hand on her chin as she looked like sheās thinking about something.
[You knew that the weather would change? Hmmm. If itās related to foresightā¦ā¦ It was too limited to consider it like that, as for weather manipulationā¦ā¦ It isnāt like you willed the weather to change yourselfā¦ā¦ Speaking of which, Kaito-kun has āShiroās Blessingāā¦ā¦ Perhapsā¦ā¦]
Kuro began to silently mutter something, and a little while later, it seemed like she had come up with something, as she turned towards me.
[Kaito-kun, do you mind if we try something?]
[Eh? Ah, unnn.]
[Then, Iām sorry for this.]
[Nggh!? Guuhhh, uuaagghhā¦ā¦]
I nodded at Kuro when she told me she wants to try something outāā- probably related to my magic. Kuro then held out her hand towards me, and immediately afterwards, a tremendous amount of pressure weighed on my body. Itās as if all the air around me turned to lead or something like that, as my body couldnāt even twitch.
I donāt know what Kuro thought, but for me to not be able to move my body at all is more intense than I expectedā¦ā¦
[ā¦ā¦Kaito-kun, can you move your body in that situation?]
Donāt say something unreasonableā¦ā¦ How can I move my body when itās like Iām trapped in a boulder like thisā¦ā¦ No? I donāt feel the heaviness I felt before, and I feel like I can manage to move if I work hard.
Following Kuroās words, I tried to move my body. At first, my body wonāt move at all, but after a while, the pressure on my body weakened, just like how my body which was trapped in hardened concrete was finally able to struggle as if what was clinging unto my body is hardened mud, and I was able to move my body a little bit.
Kuro continues to quietly watch me.
[ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦]
[ ! ? ! ? ]
Immediately afterwards, a chill went through my entire body.
I donāt know how to describe it, but itās an incredibly unpleasant feeling. Itās as if my whole body was held up to a sharp bladeāā No, even something like could be described as lukewarm compared to the overwhelming fear I feel right now.
The moment my eyes met with the golden eyes that were quietly staring at me, a deep darkness that seemed to swallow me filled in my head.
ā¦ā¦I will be killed.
Along with the moment that feeling emerged, events from the past popped up one after another in my head. The memories of when I spent time with my parents, the time when I lost them in an accident, the faded days after that, and the time after I came to this worldā¦ā¦
Immediately after I realized that I was actually looking at the revolving lantern, that feeling of despair that had been assaulting my entire body disappears, and my body loses its strength and collapses on my knees. With my body not being able to exert an ounce of strength, the gravity began to drag my body down, collapsing on the floorā¦ā¦ and was caught in someoneās arms, just like before.
[Iām sorry. Kaito-kun. It was quite scary, right?]
[ā¦ā¦Kuro?]
The atmosphere around her went back to being warm and reassuring as usual, without the feeling of fear I felt earlier from Kuro, who held my crumbling body in her arms and spoke to me with her gentle and reassuring voice. Iām not sure what happened. My head feels like itās spinning and I canāt think straight.
[To check Kaito-kunās power, I put a little bit of my killing intent into my magic power. Iām really sorry.]
While gently stroking my head, Kuro utters an apology.
She just put in a little bit of killing intent, she saidā¦ā¦ Thatās outrageous enough for my mind to break. How should I say this, I guess thatās to be expected from the Underworld King huhā¦ā¦
[Are you okay? Does it hurt anywhere?]
[ā¦..Iām feeling a little lightheaded.]
[I guess the pressure from the high-density of magic power must have caused you to get magic intoxication huhā¦ā¦ You should get better after you get some rest.]
When Kuro told me that, my body floated up and moved towards the bed. Then, Kuro also moved towards the same bed and my head was placed on her lap, laying down with her lap as my pillow.
Kuro then stroked my head to calm me down and talked to me in a gentle voice.
[Iām really sorry. But, because Kaito-kun was able to persevere, I now know what kind of power Kaito-kun has.]
[ā¦ā¦Is that so?]
[Unnn. Kaito-kun seems to be able to read the magic power in the surroundings very keenly. Itās so sensitive that it can even detect the āfaintest emotionsā contained within the surrounding magic power. Iām guessing that you should be able to read it even more acutely since you are now able to use your magic power, but I wonder if you had been reading it unconsciously before?]
[The emotions contained within the surrounding magic power?]
As gentle words whispered in my ear, giving me relief in my mind, my thoughts, which were gradually becoming foggy, returned to normal.
[Unnn. Magic power is very much influenced by the userās emotions. Just as how hostile magic can intimidate others while the reverse could make someone feel safe. It seems like Kaito-kun is very sensitive to the emotions contained within magic power huh. Havenāt you ever felt it since you came to this world? Like how this person is easy to talk to, and conversely, how this person is hard to talk to, I think you were subconsciously reading the emotions someone was feeling towards Kaito-kun based on their magic power.]
It seems that I have an excellent ability to read other peopleās magic powers.
Indeed, now that she mentioned it, Iāve had that feeling until now. Even among the servants in Lilia-sanās mansion, there are people who I think are easy to talk to, but there are also people who I somehow found difficult to talk to.
It seems that this is because I have unconsciously read the emotions contained in the surrounding magic power, just like how I sense nearby presences and feel the mood around me.
I see, that should also explain why I strangely feel safe around Kuro. Itās because Iāve read the favorable feelings sheās giving me.
[So youāre saying that I have an aptitude for perception magic?]
[Hmmm. Itās just my conjecture, but I donāt think it would be just perceptionā¦ā¦]
[Unnn?]
[The fact that you were able to have a āproper conversationā with Shiro, and when I first applied pressure to your body by weighing it down with high-density magic power, Kaito-kun, you were able to move a little bit, right? Thatās already impossible for a normal human to handle.]
[Eh?]
[Itās almost like a magical binding after all. A human normally wouldnāt have been able to move an inch under that magic power, but Kaito-kun 'sensedā that my magic power wasnāt filled with hostility and tried to āadaptā to it little by little.]
Come to think of it, I think Shiro-san said something like that too. If I remember correctly, I think she said that āI could say that this adaptability of mine could even be my talentā or something like thatā¦ā¦ Could this be what she was referring to?
As for that part where I wasnāt able to move like I was trapped inside a boulder earlier, it doesnāt seem that Kuro weakened the power she placed to weigh down my body, and instead, I was able to move because I adapted to it.
[I think you were able to see the change in the weather because you read the magic power in the airā¦ā¦ but I wonder if it was thanks to āShiroās Blessingā that you were able to do that?]
[Errr, so what does that mean?]
[Hmmm, well, itās an interesting power, is what I mean. Depending on how you use it, you can do some really interesting things. For exampleā¦ā¦]
As my head continued to rest on her lap, Kuro told me her conjectures about the power I have.
According to her, I should be able to spread out my magic power over a wide area and detect living creatures. I should also be able to read the movements of someoneās magic power. And it should also be possible for me to communicate with beings that communicate with words.
A magic that lets me sense and adapt to magic powerā¦ā¦ If I had to call it something, I guess it would be something like Sympathy Magic huh? To be honest, the examples Kuro gave me are quite outrageous, and Iām skeptical if itās really possible to do that, but this certainly is an unusual magic.
By the way, how long am I going to lay down on your lap?
[Unnn? Kaito-kun can lay there as long as you likeā¦ā¦ Itās fine if you want to take a nap, you know?]
[ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦]
It seems like I accidentally spoke that out, as Kuro responded to me with a very tempting proposition. I mean, to be honest, it may have something to do with the fact that I woke up early this morning, but this pleasant sensation has made me doze off.
I donāt know if itās because of that magic intoxication that she mentioned, even though my head is no longer spinning, Iām still feeling tired, so Iām going to indulge myself here.
On the 13th day of the Fire month, it has been two weeks since I arrived in this world. The first week was filled with surprises and confusion, and I feel like that week had passed in the blink of an eye.
However, humans really are creatures that adapt to their environment, and Iām gradually getting used to living in this unknown world.
Nevertheless, I have also changed. The biggest change is that I can now use my magic, although itās still a simple one.
After receiving guidance from Kuro, I became able to use magic faster than Kusunoki-san and Yuzuki-san, and Iām currently working on the basics of Non-Transmutation Magic that uses magic power as it isā¦ā¦ and with my current abilities, I can now do things like make a palm-sized object float.
Incidentally, both Kusunoki-san and Yuzuki-san are still practicing how to become aware of their own magic power while looking at the Introduction to Magic created by Kuro. From what Lilia-san can tell, it will be ready for use in another week.
According to Lilia-san, this Introduction to Magic that was written by Kuro is at the level where āif it was brought to the magic academy, it would cause a revolutionā, and because of that, the three of us are advancing at an extraordinary speed in learning magic.
Kuro still comes to my room every night as always, teaching me magic and having fun chatting with meā¦ā¦ For me, I feel like these times were the most enjoyable time of my life.
[Ahh, thatās right. Kaito-kun, are you free tomorrow?]
[Unnn? Rather than just tomorrowā¦ā¦ Iām usually free until I go home though?]
After I just finished magic practice, Kuro suddenly said such a thing.
Did she come up with something absurd again? It would be great if it was something that isnāt too tiring butā¦ā¦
[Look, I told you that weād go out just the two of us before, right?]
[Ah, yeah. You did say that.]
Thatās what Kuro whispered to me just as she was about to go to Lilia-sanās mansion back when she came to visit.
Remembering that, I nodded at her words, and Kuro continued speaking with a big smile on her face.
[So, tomorrow. Letās go on a ādateā tomorrow!]
[ā¦ā¦Huh?]
Iāve already been used to Kuroās usual absurdness, but she said something even more outrageous today. How should I say thisā¦ā¦ Pathetic it may be to say this, but I was invited to a date for the first time in my life.
On the 14th of the Fire Month, I stood in front of the fountain in the royal capital.
Yesterday, Kuro suddenly invited me to go out with her, and before I knew it, I was going to tour the streets of the capital with her.
Kuro, who seems to have some strange information regarding dating, had been throwing a tantrum, saying that āif we donāt meet up at an appointed place, itās no good!ā, so here I am, in front of the fountain where I first met Kuro.
The sun has just risen to its peak, and checking the time in my pocket watch, itās about an hour before noonā¦ā¦ I guess itās about 10 minutes before the time we planned to meet up?
In the first place, itās quite strange to meet up with someone who always shows up when I least expect it, so itās kind of refreshing waiting for Kuro like this.
Kuro seems like she wanted to do the standard āSorry, did you wait long?ā and āNo, I just got here.ā exchange, so but does she really need to elaborate on this meet-up like yesterday? As a result of that, I arrived first here and waited for her.
After waiting for a while, watching the people passing by, and although it was also a standard, I heard a familiar voice coming from behind me.
[Kaito-kun. Sorry, did you wait long?]
[ā¦ā¦No, I just gotāā here?]
[Unnn?]
As we discussed, I turned around, returning the words that Kuro wanted to hear, but my thoughts froze right at that instant.
Kuro, who has just appeared, wasnāt wearing the long coat so sloppy that it could be mistaken for a robe that she always wears. Short-sleeved lace tunic that gives the impression of being white and elegant, and brown shorts that seem to complement her beautiful thighs that are as white as porcelain. The long black coat that she usually had its shape changed to a sleeveless jacket, and the hem that reaches below the knee matches well with her white tunic, and although she was lightly dressed, her appearance still looks somewhat elegant.
ā¦ā¦What should I do, sheās absurdly cute. She is so cute that the lolicons would give their thumbs up and those who arenāt would be more inclined to consider becoming oneā¦ā¦
[Kaito-kun?]
[Ah, noā¦ā¦ I was just a little surprised to see you dressed so differently.]
[Ah~~ I see. What do you think? Does it suit me?]
[Ah, yeah. It looks really good on you.]
[Ehehe, thanks!]
I think that bashful smile just now is foul play. Ah, this is bad. Iām starting to feel very nervous.
It may be something that Iām shameful about for a 21-year-old man, but I had only gone out with a woman once. Moreover, that one time was when I went out with Lunamaria-san, which should show that my experiences in my previous world is equivalent to zero.
Itās the first time in my life that Iāve even been on a date with someone, and no matter how much I recognize this as just going outside to hang out with Kuro, it would be stranger for me if Iām not nervous at all.
Moreover, Kuro is a beautiful girl who is looking at me favorably. No matter how familiar I am with her, I canāt help but feel a blush rise on my cheeks when she gives me that charming smile.
[S- Speaking of which, youāre quite famous, Kuro, so is it okay for you to walk around the city?]
For the time being, Iāll try escaping to another topic. Itās not because I think I canāt think of ways to praise her clothes and not be able to speak at all, or for some lame reasons like that.
Kuro is the Underworld King, one of the pinnacle of the Demon Realm. Her face is known from the previous Festival of Heroes, and sheās a very famous existence herselfā¦ā¦ If we were to put it like when I was back in my previous world, itās like having a prime minister or the Emperor himself appearing in the city, which would cause a great uproarā¦ā¦ Though no one among the surroundings is causing any ruckus. I wonder why?
As for that Information Concealment Magic, it should have just been a magic that makes it so that a third party wouldnāt hear information about them.
[Fufufu, I wouldnāt make such a mistake! Iāve properly clad myself with Information Concealment and Recognition Inhibition Magic, so they would know if I talk to the person myself, but they wouldnāt know Iām here unless I want to!]
Proudly puffing out her modest chest, Kuro saidā¦ā¦ The smug look she had on her face is annoyingly cute.
[Hmmm, thereās still a lot of things I donāt understand about magic, but does that mean that the nearby people wouldnāt recognize Kuro as the Underworld King?]
[Unnn. Or rather, itās more like they donāt feel anything out of place when they see meā¦ā¦ Well, itās more like they would recognize me as a city girl you would normally see walking around here.]
[I donāt know if I should say I understand or notā¦ā¦]
[Ahaha, well, letās just put that aside and get going!]
As far as Kuroās explained, Recognition Inhibition Magic is, to put it simply, even if they look at the situation where the Underworld King is walking around the city, they would think itās naturalāā or perhaps, I should describe it as a magic that would make people recognize it as a scene no different from their everyday life? Well, it would be difficult to understand theoretically if you think about it in detailā¦ā¦ so it would be better to just recognize it as magic that makes it so that they wonāt recognize Kuro is the Underworld King unless Kuro directly converses with them. Therefore, during our date, they wouldnāt make a fuss about Kuro being the Underworld King.
[Speaking of which, where are we going today?]
Incidentally, the escort for this date (?) is Kuro.
Normally, it would have been me, the man, who should have been the one escorting her, but Iāve only been in this world for about two weeks, and Iāve only been in the city a few times, so itās difficult for me to do that.
Thatās why Kuro, who often visits the Symphonia Kingdom, is the one showing me around the city.
[There are a variety of shops around here and we can go around there, but itās almost lunchtime already. Thereās a place where food stalls gather a short walk away from here, so letās go there first.]
[Oh, the food stalls of this world huhā¦ā¦ That sounds like fun.]
[Unn, unnn. The Symphonia Kingdom has an advanced food culture, so thereās lots of good food around here~~]
Seeing the happy smile on Kuroās face, a smile inadvertently appeared on my face as I nodded my head.
I donāt know if my personality could be described as having a good match with Kuroās innocent and cheerful personality, but I enjoy being together with her, as a smile naturally appears on my face.
Iām tired after all the things that happened yesterday, and today, Iāll enjoy the opportunity of this short period of rest that Kuro has prepared for me.
[Now then, letās goooooo~!]
[Eh? Wait, Kuro!?]
[Unnn? Whatās the matter?]
After cheerfully declaring so, Kuro takes my hand with action that looks like itās natural for her.
[N- No, my handā¦ā¦]
[Arenāt you supposed to hold hands on a date?]
[T- That really might be so butā¦ā¦]
[Then, it should be alright! Come on, letās go!]
[ā¦ā¦Y- Yeahā¦ā¦]
After telling me like that as if itās natural, Kuro proceeded to pull my hand and walked forward.
Wait a sec there, Kuro-san. Your guard is a little too loose!!! Or rather, your hands are tiny and softā¦ā¦ Ah, Iām starting to get nervous again, even though Iām starting to calm downā¦ā¦ I guess this is also one of those days where Iām going to be mentally struggling all dayā¦ā¦
The area we arrived at under the guidance of Kuro is a different kind of bustling place than the one we were in a while ago. When I heard the words āfood stallsā, I couldnāt help but think of it as the festival stalls that could be found back in my previous world, but the stalls lined up here look more like a shopping street. There were many small shops lined up on both sides of the street, and the people passing by all had a cozy, enjoyable atmosphere around them.
Iāve heard from Kuro that the area where Iāve been shopping before is full of large shops, especially those that deal in clothing and furniture, because there are many mansions of nobles erected nearby.
On the other hand, it seems that the Adventurerās Guild and many apartment complexes nearby this place, and thatās why there are many shops here that deal with food and drinks.
As one would have expected, itās currently lunchtime, so not only are there a lot of people on this street, but I can also smell the appetizing scent of food wafting in from the shops here and there. Itās a good time to eat now anyway, so we decided to have some lunch and then go walk around the city, and so, we came to a restaurant that Kuro recommended.
There are benches and tables in front of the small wooden restaurant, and I personally prefer the atmosphere of a restaurant that caters to the masses.
[Good afternoon~~]
[Oya? If it isnāt the Underworld King. Welcome.]
When Kuro stood in front of the store and greeted them with a bright smile on her face, a woman of delicate age who seemed to be Human came out of the store.
The woman, who looks like the owner of the store, notices Kuro and smiles back, as if she had spoken with her before.
[Iām here to eat lunch~~]
[Thanks for your patronage. Oya? Is that child over there Underworld Kingās acquaintance?]
[Unnn. Heās Kaito-kun, a child from another world.]
[Ah, speaking of which, it was rumored that someone from another world had come this year other than the Hero-sama. Welcome. Come and fill yourself up.]
[Ah, yes. Thank you very much.]
It seems that no matter which world it is, the auntiesā talk skills are very good. She then led us to our seats with a light conversation and sat down with Kuro. Although we were led to our seats, this place isnāt really a cafe or a restaurant, so they didnāt have a menu, but the shopkeeper auntie just led us to our seats and began cooking our meals.
A few minutes later, as the scent of meat wafter around. It has meat and vegetables of differing colors sandwich in between two pieces of beautifully baked bread was brought overā¦ā¦ Is that a baguette sandwich?
Itās a visually stunning dish, comprising of a large piece of bread filled with meat and vegetables sandwiched in between. This certainly looks delicious.
[Thank you for the wait, this is our special āRed Bearā sandwich! Now, dig in.]
[Yay~~]
[ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦..]
Is it just my imaginationā¦ā¦ Did the shopkeeper auntie just say this is a red bear sandwich? When she mentioned bear, is she saying that this sandwich has bear meat in it?
N- No, it might just be that bear meat is a common ingredient in this world butā¦ā¦ If possible, you shouldnāt have told me before I ate it. You should have at least told me after I took my first biteā¦ā¦
Unaware of the conflict within me, the auntie left after serving the food, and Kuro was just like usual as she began to eat her red bear sandwich like itās delicious, as if sheās not bothered at all.
[Youāre not eating, Kaito-kun? Itās delicious.]
[ā¦ā¦ Thank you for the food.]
I should change my perceptions. This is a different world, a world with common sense different from my previous world. Besides, back in my previous worldā¦ā¦ or rather, in Japan, bear meat may not be very common, but there were still some places where you could eat bear meat.
Thatās right, letās just think of this positively. This is better unlike food with mysterious monster meat whose flavor I couldnāt even imagine.
[ā¦ā¦Tasty.]
[Isnāt it!? The food they make here in this shop is really good~~!]
Iāve heard that bear meat has a strong, gamey stink and taste, but this meat doesnāt have any stink at all. Rather than having any leftover gamey taste, it tasted rather refined instead.
The taste of the meat itself is very light, but thatās why itās not overpowering and rather, matches the vegetables and the sweet and spicy sauce, so it doesnāt feel too heavy despite the volume of its appearance.
The scent and flavor of the bread, which is baked to be a little crusty, splendidly combined in my mouth, and the sweet and spicy sauce increases my appetite, making me want to take another bite.
Kuro, who had been watching me greedily devour the sandwich with a smile on her face, suddenly began to look around and muttered while tilting her head, as if she found something strange.
[ā¦ā¦I feel like there are hardly any people nearby.]
[Really? I thought this place was pretty bustling already, so there are usually more people here?]
[Unnn. The Adventurerās Guild is nearby after all. It should have been more crowded here during lunchtimeā¦ā¦ But I hardly saw any adventurers today.]
Indeed, now that she mentioned it, I donāt think Iāve seen many people who look like theyāre weapon and armor-wielding adventurers.
Thereupon, the shopkeeper auntie, who may have heard Kuroās mutter, stopped wiping another table and approached us.
[Thatās the thing though. There have apparently been sightings of a flock of wyverns up north in the mountains. It looks like the Adventurerās Guild and the Knight Order have been working together since this morning to take them down.]
[Heehhh~~ Itās very unusual for a wyvern to build its nest so close to the city.]
[D- Doesnāt that sound pretty badā¦..]
Wyvernsā¦ā¦ A flying dragon with wings and hands integrated together. A monster that can be considered as a standard in fantasies.
The name of the monster itself sounds quite frightening, but from the way the auntie spoke about it, it seems that they were seen quite close to the city. Moreover, with a herd of those wyverns, wouldnāt they be able to cause damage in the capital?
Thinking this, I timidly asked, and Kuro let out a small smile in response.
[Donāt worry, wyverns have low intelligence compared to the dragons and they were categorized as weak monsters.]
[I- Is that soā¦ā¦]
[Young man, you should take what she said with a grain of salt. The wyverns are obviously as weak as ants for the Underworld King, but even one of them is a terrifying monster for humans. Thatās why the Knight Order and the Adventurers formed a subjugation team early on and set out to defeat them.]
[ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦.]
When Kuro just referred to the wyverns as weak monsters, the auntie corrects her with a wry smile on her face.
If thatās the case, as expected, it will be a pretty big battle to defeat those wyverns. There might even be some injuries and deaths among the Knight Order and the Adventurers.
Itās not that I know any of the Knights or the Adventurers butā¦ā¦ For instance, if Kuro were to defeat those wyverns, wouldnāt she be able to defeat them in an instant without any of them having to get injured?
[ā¦ā¦Kaito-kun. I can understand why you think like that, but thatās no good.]
[ā¦ā¦Eh?]
Sensing my thoughts, Kuro muttered in a serious tone, unlike the lightheartedness she have earlier.
[This is a trouble that happened in this countryā¦ā¦ in the Symphonia Kingdom. I shouldnāt be carelessly involved in it.]
[ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦..]
[Sure, just like Kaito-kun thought, itāll be over in an instant if I go out there. It doesnāt matter if there are hundreds or thousands of wyverns, Iāll be able to take them out in an instant. But thatās no good.]
A quiet, yet somehow solemn voice resounded.
Her golden eyes look straight at me, with the majesty of a real king dwelling within them.
[As long as it takes the form of a monarchy, all the trouble that occurs within its territory must be resolved by this countryās power as much as possible. If they would just keep on relying on Demons, they would lose the trust of their own citizens and the āequalā relationship between Demons and Humans would be destroyed. Of course, if Iām formally asked for assistance, Iāll comply, and if I think itās too much for the people to handle, Iāll helpā¦ā¦ but as long as thatās not the case, I, as one of the Six Kings, canāt just get involved in every single thing for no reason.]
[ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦..]
I didnāt even feel like refuting her. Indeed, the thoughts that came to my mind were just based on my emotions, and Kuroās words are entirely correct.
This kind of situation made me realize that Kuro really is much older than me and her ideas were more level-headed than mine.
After having said all that, Kuroās expression crumbles and a reassuring smile appears on her face.
[Well, it will be alright. There are lots of excellent knights in this country, and since theyāre near the city, that would also make them able to easily restock the stuff they would need.]
[ā¦ā¦If thatās what Kuro says, I guess thatās a relief.]
[Yeah, thatās right. Weāve also got plenty of adventurers here, and they certainly wouldnāt want to be late in getting some shares in those wyverns.]
Finished eating lunch, both of us sat up from our seats and went to pay the bill.
Food stalls are basically places where you pay in exchange for goods, and in fact, this shop seems to be a place where you usually pay in advance.
However, it seems that the shopkeeper auntieās confidence in Kuro is so high, as Kuroās her regular customer, itās alright for her even if Kuro pays later.
[Thanks for the food~~ It was delicious.]
[Ah, Kuro. Hereās the money.]
[Eh? Itās okay. Iām the one who invited you, so Iāll pay for it~~]
[No, as expected, that isā¦ā¦]
When we walked towards the auntie to pay the bill, I called out to Kuro who was taking out her purse, but she just said that itās her treat. However, even if this is just a date for argumentās sake and even if she is older than me, Iām still feeling awkward having Kuro, who looks like a young girl, treat me.
[Itās alright. Even with this appearance, I still have a decent amount of money.]
[Decent you say, is there even anyone in this world who has more money than the Underworld King?]
[Eh? Is Kuro really that rich?]
Hearing what Kuro cheerfully said, the auntie spoke with another wry smile on her face.
Kuro doesnāt usually wear a lot of accessories and sheās mostly only eating commonersā sweets, so I didnāt really get the impression that she was richā¦ā¦ The way the auntie is speaking, sheās among the top in the world in terms of wealth.
I guess that should be expected from the Underworld King? No, but where does she get her income as the Underworld King?
[You donāt know, young man? The Underworld King is the āCreator of Magic Toolsā. She would obviously get an outrageous amount of money for that.]
[ā¦ā¦Ahh.]
Hearing what the auntie said, I began to understand why.
The Seditch Magic Tool Company, which has the largest market share in the world when it comes to magic toolsā¦ā¦ The Chairman there is Sechs-sanās subordinate, and Sechs-san is Kuroās family. And if I carefully think back upon it, Sechs-san may have said that the Chairman of that company is his subordinate, but he never said that the Seditch Magic Tool Company is his own company.
To sum it up, Kuro was the one who created the Seditch Magic Tool Company huhā¦ā¦ In other words, Kuro is in an Honorary President-like position of the worldās largest company. With a position like that, she would obviously have moneyā¦ā¦
[ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦]
[Kaito-kun?]
[ā¦ā¦Kuro, do you mind if I pay for this after all?]
[Eh? Why?]
I understand that Kuro is rich, and I can understand the reason why she insists on paying.
However, as a man, I also have my own little pride, so I wanted to at least pay for our meal.
Granted, the money I currently have was given to me by Lilia-san and I didnāt earn this myself, so I donāt really think this is something I can sayā¦ā¦
Hearing what I said, Kuro tilted her head in wonder. It was quite unusual since she usually seems to know everything Iām thinking aboutā¦ā¦ In the first place, she was the one who wanted to do the standard exchange, and her knowledge regarding stuff would usually be half-baked, so she may just be unfamiliar with this type of relationship.
[ā¦ā¦Underworld King-sama. Wouldnāt it be uncouth to ask him the reason for that?]
[Eh? Really?]
[Yes, thatās right, there are just some things that men canāt back down on. Isnāt that so? Young man.]
[Uuuuuā¦ā¦ Yes.]
It seems that auntie noticed my petty vanity, telling me that with an amused smile on her face, while Kuro is getting more and more curious as she tilted her head.
[Well then, with both of your meals combined, it will be 12Rā¦ā¦ but since the young man is showing his manliness, Iāll just push it down to 10R.]
[Thank you very much. Well then, weāll be off.]
[Yes, indeed. Thank you. Come back when you want to eat again.]
The price was about 600 Yen per piece, which is very reasonable considering its volume. It also tasted good, and Iāll definitely come back for more.
""
However, I feel that this auntie might make fun of me because of this event, so Iām a little anxious to come backā¦ā¦
After paying, I walked away from the store while pulling Kuroās hand, who was still looking at me in wonder.
[So, where are we going next?]
[Letās see~~ We just finished having lunch, so letās just take a look around for now. Ah, I think we should get something to drink.]
I said to Kuro as we walked down the street lined up with stalls again, and Kuro replied with a bright smile on her face.
I nodded in response to Kuroās words, patting my chest in relief, as it seems that she will not be pursuing the matter as advised by the shopkeeper auntie for the time being.
It seems that she also had some recommended shops for drinks, so Kuro pulled my hand and brought me to a stallā¦ā¦ To a shop that somehow looks like a small greengrocer.
[Hello~~ Do you have some Seal Fruit?]
[If it isnāt Underworld King-sama, welcome. Seal Fruit, right? Yes, thereās a good one here.]
The man who seemed to be the shopkeeper smiled at Kuro and said a few words in return. It seems that sheās a frequent visitor to this area.
Listening to Kuroās request, the owner takes out a black spherical object about 30cm in diameter.
Is it that Seal Fruit? It kinda looks like an iron ball thoughā¦ā¦
[What about the hole?]
[Iāll open it myself. I will just put two straws in it.]
[Yes.]
I would have paid for it again if I could, but Kuro refused to back down this time, saying āThis time is on me.ā, so I just left it to her.
Kuro receives the mysterious black sphere and two straws from the shopkeeper and pays him money.
But stillā¦ā¦ It seems that there are also straws in this world huh. I wonder what theyāre made of? I donāt think itās made of plastic, but based on its color, probably wood? Or perhaps, is it made with some sort of grass? This might also be something passed on by those who hold the role of Hero back then.
[By the way, Kuro, what the heck is that?]
[Itās called Seal Fruit, and sealed within its husk are lots of fruit juice. The husk covering it is hard, so you have to cut a hole in it to drink the contents.]
In short, is it something like this worldās coconuts? It certainly does resemble it now that she told me thatā¦ā¦ Putting aside the fact that itās all black thoughā¦ā¦
[Incidentally, I think the husk is about as tough as steel? I heard that these were sometimes used to make armor.]
[ā¦ā¦And how can you make a hole from a fruit with a husk as tough as steel?]
Correction, it isnāt something similar to coconutsā¦ā¦ It was completely different from a coconut.
I got to touch it for a bit, and it certainly looks incredibly hard.
But if itās as strong as steel, seriously, how can you make a hole in it? Wouldnāt it be impossible unless you have a drill or something like that?
[Eh? I could just do this though?]
[ā¦ā¦Wha?]
In response to my doubts, Kuro just nonchalantly pointed at the husk of the seal fruit with her finger, and easily poked a hole in it as if it was something easy to doā¦ā¦ Wait a sec there, let me get this straight.
The Seal Fruit is a coconut-like fruit filled with juice inside, and its husk is as tough as steel, that it is even used to make armor.
And now, Kuro just easily punched a hole in it with her fingerā¦ā¦ Which means, Kuro can pierce through iron with just her finger? The heck, thatās scary.
[Stop, letās put that aside for now. Kuro, that isā¦ā¦ you only punch through one hole, but why are there two straws in it?]
[Eh? I mean, when youāre in a drink, both people have to drink in the same glass, right?]
[ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦]
Aaahhhhhhhhhh, shhheeeeetttt! I should have noticed it earlier.
Kuro has not only gained one-sided knowledge regarding my world, sheās also not very knowledgeable about love affairs.
And that is why we ended up in this situation. Two straws for one drink, just like the ones that couples do.
[Come on, Kaito-kun. Drink along with me!]
[ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦]
No no, please wait a second there. Iāve got something very important to tell you.
Weāre not in a cafe, nor are we inside a shop. Itās early afternoon, and weāre in the middle of a busy street.
Eh? Seriously, right here? You want me to drink that together with you, right here? Doesnāt that completely look like a penalty game!? No no, I would seriously die from embarrassment if I were to do that!
[No, Iā¦ā¦]
[ā¦ā¦Kaito-kun, drinking together with meā¦ā¦ Do you hate it?]
[ā¦ā¦Iāll drink it. Yes.]
I somehow tried to get away from that embarrassing situation, but I immediately caved in when I saw Kuroās eyes staring at me with a forlorn expression on her face. There was nowhereā¦ā¦ for me to escape at all!
Slumping my shoulders, and gulping the saliva that gathered in my throatā¦ā¦ I spent the next few minutes playing back the scene of my humiliation, drinking juice with Kuro right in the middle of the road.
I see. I heard that the juice from the seal fruit is very tastyā¦ā¦ but in this situation, I canāt taste it at all!
I will answer one of the outrageous questions of this world.
I just had one of the most embarrassing experiences of my life. Itās important to note that I have no taste for things like that, nor do I get any pleasure from doing it.
Nevertheless, on the main street early in the afternoon, I suffered a level of psychological damage that almost amounted to a public executionā¦ā¦ Thatās where the cruel disparity exists.
It seems that Kuro is currently under the effects of two types of magic, Information Concealment Magic and Recognition Inhibition Magic, so people around her donāt notice that sheās the Underworld King unless she speaks to them directly. It was a measure to prevent people from gathering around the famous Kuro when Iām going with her, but this resulted in an explosion of damage concentrated on me.
The fact that people around us perceive Kuro as an ordinary city girl means I was perceived as a man in his 20s, drinking seal fruit like a couple in the early afternoon with a little girl who was only about 140cm tallā¦ā¦ Being recognized as a lolicon by the people around us is already inevitable.
(T/N: 140cm = 4ā7ā³)
[Kaito-kun? Whatās the matter?]
[ā¦ā¦Well, I was just thinking about how Iām going to walk around town from now onā¦ā¦]
[Unnn?]
My shoulders slumped as I replied to Kuro, who was tilting her head in wonder while still holding my hand.
If we were just holding hands, we would still have passed as a brother and sisterā¦ā¦ No, wait. Speaking of which, havenāt I heard from someone how the age of marriage in this country is low? So, maybe that scene just now wasnāt at a level where it was disturbing for the nearby peopleā¦ā¦ Then, itās probably okay, right? No, leaving aside the psychological damage inflicted on my mind, what I did might be safe for the publicās eyes.
As we walked around while Iām thinking about this, I noticed that the atmosphere around me had changed a bit.
The number of restaurants I could see has decreased and the small-scale shops that look like street vendors were increasing.
[Somehow, doesnāt it look like the atmosphere has changed a bit?]
[Unnn. There are lots of shops selling āPersonally Created Magic Toolsā around here.]
[Personally created?]
[Most of the livelihood magic tools circulated in the market were made by one of the Trading Companies, but as long as you have magic crystals, you can make your own magic tools as well. Most of the Company-made Magic Tools are cost-efficient, whereas most of the personally created ones are one-of-a-kind, and there are lots of unusual ones among them, so you might find a bargain among them.]
[Heeehhhhā¦ā¦ That sounds interesting.]
Livelihood magic tools are an indispensable part of life in this world.
There are a variety of magic tools that I have seen and used in Lilia-sanās mansion, including magic tools that illuminate, release water, and make fire. In a sense, it can be sad that they play the role of mechanical technology in our world, and some of them even have performance that far surpasses that of my previous world.
For example, in the room Lilia-san assigned to me, there is a magic tool that regulates the temperature within a set range, which can make the room instantly warmer or cooler with just a touch. If I had to describe it, its performance can be said as the pinnacle of air conditioners, I wish it was available in my previous world as well.
It seems that many of those magic tools are sold around here, and some of them may even have special effects, and I was simply excited looking around for them.
Thereās a stall that has balls of water moving through the air, while there are some with winds swirling around them.
As my attention was stolen away by this fantastical scene around the stalls, my eyes were suddenly drawn to one of the signboards.
""
[ā¦ā¦Spatial Movement Magic Tool? Err, what kind of magic tool is this?]
[Oh, customer has great eyes. This magic tool is great because it lets you record a certain place, and teleport there in a fraction of a second.]
[Thatās amazing. Can it teleport you to far away places?]
[Of course. As expected, you canāt teleport from the Human Realm to the Demon Realm or the God Realm, but if itās within the Human Realm, that would be this magic toolās forte! Furthermore, you can use this bad boy over and over again! That means you can travel as much as you want with this magic tool.]
In response to my question, the shopkeeper casually explained.
It seems that this magic tool can do that so-called warp.
I guess recording a place means that you would have to visit the place at least once before, but I still think itās an awesome magic toolā¦ā¦ and I honestly want it.
However, if it has that great of an abilityā¦ā¦ It would probably be expensiveā¦ā¦
[By the way, how much is this?]
[Weāre having a sale today, so you could take it for just 30000 R!]
[30000 R huhā¦ā¦]
[ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦..]
As I thought, it really is quite expensive. Around 3 million yen, more than half of what Lilia-san gave me beforeā¦ā¦ but considering that I would be able to teleport as much as I want, it might have been pretty cheap instead.
In fact, even if I have 50000 R, it doesnāt seem like I will ever use it all up, so should I buy it?
[Ummm, can Iā¦ā¦]
[Stop right there, Kaito-kun.]
[Eh?]
I was curious and was going to ask for a more detailed explanation, but at that moment, Kuro interjected.
After looking at the spatial movement magic tool once, Kuro speaks to the shopkeeper.
[A one-time disposable magic tool costs 10000R, and youāre saying that this spatial movement magic tool that can be used multiple times costs 30000R?]
The storekeeper looked astonished when he saw Kuro. I see, she hadnāt spoken to her earlier, so he hadnāt noticed that Kuro was the Underworld King huhā¦ā¦
[For a magic tool with a performance that high, Iād say it would cost at least 500000R. I think thatās at least 5 white gold coinsā¦ā¦ Thatās really cheap, isnāt it?]
[Ah, t- t- that isā¦ errrā¦ā¦]
The shopkeeper who was clearly trembling, turned paleā¦.. And from the flow of their conversation, there were apparently some flaws in this magic tool and I was almost fooled.
Or rather, a magic tool for spatial movement would originally cost 50 at least 50 million huhā¦ā¦
[The magic crystal used for thisā¦ā¦ I guess it has around 30% purity, right? The technique used to make it is also sloppy, and the best that it can do was probably just allow you from one town to another, right? Moreover, with a magic crystal of this size and purity, it would take āhalf a monthā to reuse it once itās used, right?]
[ā¦ā¦Ah, no, errrā¦ā¦]
[Ku- Kuro? What do you mean by purityā¦ā¦]
[The higher the purity of a magic crystal, the more magic power it can store, and the speed and efficiency of replenishing the reduced magic power from the air will also increase. So, the higher the purity of the magic crystal, the more expensive it is.]
[ā¦ā¦Errr, does that mean that the magic crystal used for this is a cheap one?]
[Unnn. Moreover, itās pretty small. Spatial movement magic requires a large amount of magic power the farther the distance you would travel, so if itās a magic tool thatās good enough to travel from one country to another, it would need to have a magic crystal with at least 80% purity and about three times this size to be able to properly use it.]
[ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦.]
I see, the shopkeeper certainly didnāt explain the distance that it can teleport you to or the time it takes to reuse it.
In other words, this magic tool can only transfer for about a few kilometers at best, and moreover, once you use it, it will take more than two weeks before you can use it, or the owner needs to replenish it with a large amount of magic power.
Teleporting from one place to another certainly is its forte, and it can certainly be used over and over again, but thinking back to what he said, he hasnāt said anything specific about this magic toolā¦ā¦ how clever. If it werenāt for Kuro, I would have become an easy customer for him.
[ā¦ā¦So? Iāll have you know that this child is a very important friend of mineā¦ā¦]
[P- Please accept my apologies!!!]
The shopkeeper, who was sweating profusely and with a really pale face that he looks pitiful, after hearing Kuroās words, vigorously bowed down in a dogeza. H- Hmmm. Itās certainly true that he almost cheated meā¦ā¦ But he had just cleverly described it, he didnāt tell a lie about it at all. There would be a fine line if youāre asking me to determine it as a scam or not.
Even if he had tricked me into buying this, it could be said that it was just me being careless for buying something without checking carefully.
Moreover, considering that he was found out by an outrageous being named the Underworld King, I canāt even blame him myself. I mean, heās already crying thereā¦ā¦
[Kaito-kun, what do you think? Should I give him my scolding?]
[Hiiihhhh!?]
[N- No, itās fine. No real harm was done, and he already apologized, soā¦ā¦]
[Well, if thatās what Kaito-kun saysā¦ā¦ If the next time I see you, youāre still doing the same thingā¦ā¦ Iām going to get a little angry.]
[Yā Y- Y- Y- Yes. I wonāt do it again.]
Feeling a little sorry for this man in his late thirties who was crying while desperately on a dogeza, we left that place and walked with Kuro through the stall area again.
Thanks to Kuro, no real harm was done earlier, and in a way, Iāve learned a good lesson.
[Kuro, can you tell me how to know the purity of a magic crystal when I see one?]
[Hmmm. Itās difficult to tell if you want clear details on how to tell its purity, but it would be easy if you just want to roughly know a magic crystalās purity, The higher the purity of a magic crystal, the darker its color is, you can use that as criteria to tell a magic crystalās purity.]
[I see.]
Apparently, it seems that the more valuable a magic crystal is, the darker its color becomes. That means the most expensive magic crystal is black in colorā¦ā¦ Hmmm? Wait a secā¦ā¦
The necklace that Kuro gave me. That necklace with Detection Magic imbued in it was all black in colorā¦ā¦ Doesnāt that mean that this necklace is absurdly expensive?
Did Kuro just nonchalantly give me something so amazing to someone like me who she had just first met? Seriously, how rich are you, Kuroā¦ā¦?
As we walk along the street filled with stalls, realizing once again how amazing Kuro is in many ways, I suddenly felt an intense presence.
[ā¦ā¦Whatās that?]
[ā¦ā¦Hmmm. Somethingās coming.]
Apparently, Kuro felt it too, as we stopped walking and turned our gazes upward at about the same time.
Immediately after that, we heard a scream-like cry, though I donāt know where it came from.
[Itās wyverns!]
[ ! ? ]
Along with that scream, the surroundings became noisy all at once.
Before my line of sightā¦ā¦ Seven large shadows that move as if they were circling above the royal capital, monsters with green scales and huge wingsā¦ā¦ The figures of several wyverns were there.
[Why are wyverns here!?]
[Did they fail to subjugate them? Thatās impossible!?]
[Q- Quickly call the Knight Order!]
Bellows and screams come from all around the place, as the obvious anomaly of wyverns attacking the royal capital.
It appears that the strange presence I felt a moment ago was due to my Sympathy Magic sensing the approach of the wyvern.
However, I wonder why Iām feeling thisā¦ Itās just that the emotions Iām feeling from the wyverns wasā¦ā¦ fear and uneasiness?
[Did they run away from the subjugation team?]
[Hmmm. I donāt think they would engage in battle against the wyverns without setting up a barrier spell first thoughā¦ā¦ but seven of them are too small to be considered as a flock, so I guess itās normal to consider them as survivors who have escaped for their lives huh? They probably ran away from 'something that wasnāt the subjugation teamā.]
Kuro calmly replied to my mutters, but the situation is quite tense.
So to speak, there are wounded beasts flying in the sky, and it wouldnāt be strange if it attacked at any moment.
They are circling in the sky right now, but if all of them attacked at onceā¦ā¦
[Ku- Kuroā¦ā¦]
[Kaito-kun. Do you remember what I said before?]
[ā¦ā¦Eh?]
[I told you earlier about how Iām staying out of the trouble thatās in this country for no reasonā¦.. That is to say, I would only get involved if I had a reason for that.]
In response to the flustered me, Kuro replied with words that sounds like quiet mutters.
She sounds indifferent when she quietly said that, but why is it from within those wordsā¦ā¦ I feel anger?
[ā¦ā¦Even though Iām finally having my fun date with Kaito-kunā¦ā¦]
[U, Ummm, Kuroāā wha!?]
With words that sounded like sheās trying to hold back her anger, Kuro snapped her fingers.
Thereupon, a huge magic circle appears in the sky above, filling my field of vision.
""
[I was really looking forward to today. Iāve been all dressed upā¦ā¦ Soā¦ā¦ When someone just suddenly intrudesā¦ā¦ Iām going to be angry, you know?]
Immediately afterwards, the sky above turned black as if it was being dyed in paint.
A little while later, the black sky returned to its original color, and the seven wyverns that used to be circling in the sky werenāt there anymore, not even their shadows could be seen.
[ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦.]
[And with that, those hindrances disappearedā¦ā¦ Come on, Kaito-kun, letās continue our date!]
[ā¦ā¦U- Umm, Kuroā¦ā¦-san? What the heck just happened?]
[Unnn? They got in the way of our date, so I got rid of them with āSpatial Annihilation Magicā.]
[ā¦ā¦I- Is that so.]
Spatial Annihilation Magic!? The heck is that, that sounds really frightening even with the name of the spell though!? Did you just erase them? Did you just annihilate all of them?
A- As expected of the Underworld Kingā¦ā¦ That title of hers isnāt just for showā¦ā¦ It clearly should have been a crisis for the country, but she just ended everything with a snap of her fingers. I mean, those wyverns that disappeared after seconds of their entry are too pitiful. I never dreamed that the day would come when I would feel sorry for wyverns.
Even though trouble happened, the person Iām with is almost the strongest being in the different realms of this world, so our date continues without any problems.
[Look, look, Kaito-kun! Theyāre selling a condiment that was popularized by someone who held the role of Hero.]
[ā¦ā¦Mayonnaise? Heehhhā¦ So this condiment was passed down to this world too huh.]
[I guess this is a good time for me to try a new flavor!]
[Just donāt put it alone in a baby castella.]
[Ehh?]
[No, You donāt āEhh?ā at thatā¦ā¦]
Looking around the market where the food ingredients are soldā¦ā¦
[Heeehhhā¦ There are so many different colored flowers for sale. Looking at them makes me feel like Iām really in a different world.]
[Ah, Kaito-kun. That flower could ābiteā you, so be careful.]
[What did you say!? Or rather, why didnāt you say that first?]
[Ahaha, sorry, sorry. However, those flowers taste great.]
[ā¦ā¦No, no, even if you tell me that, I wouldnāt know.]
Almost bitten by a strange colored flower in a flower shopā¦ā¦
""
[Kaito-kun, which do you think suits me more?]
[Hmmm. Kuro normally wears black clothes, so wouldnāt the silver necklace suit you better?]
[I see~~ But this oneās quite short. It might snap if I go into my Demon Beast Mode.]
[ā¦ā¦and what is this Demon Beast Mode?]
[Itās when I take the form of a Demon Beast. I think I would turn into a beast about the size of Acht.]
[Iām sorry, even if you tell me that, I wouldnāt know.]
Window shopping at a shop that sells ornamentsā¦ā¦
[Kaito-kun, I bought some meat skewers~~ Letās eat.]
[Yeah, thanksā¦ā¦ Yes, itās good, but this meat tastes kinda unusual. What kind of meat is this?]
[This is the meat of a āTyrant Wormā.]
[Pfuuu!?]
Surprised by the ingredients used in the other worldā¦ā¦
[What book are you buying?]
[Hmmm. Preferably one that I can read in my free time, but I wonder whatās good to read?]
[Then, how about this? Itās a book about the dramatization of the story of the First Hero.]
[Heeehhh, the story of the First Hero huh, that sounds interesting. I knew that the First Hero is an amazing person, but I wonder what she was like?]
[Unnn? Kaito-kun has āmetā her before though.]
[ā¦ā¦Eh?]
Shocked from the truth that came to light in the bookstoreā¦ā¦
[Kuromu-sama, excuse me for interrupting.]
[Uwhoaah!? E- Ein-san!? When did youā¦ā¦]
[Whatās the matter?]
[We received a message carried by a hummingbird sent from the royal palace, asking to directly meet you to thank you for your recent subjugation of the wyvern.]
[ā¦ā¦Iām in the middle of a date thoughā¦ā¦]
[Understood. We will now conduct a ābloodbathā.]
[Iāll leave it to you~~]
[No, no, you shouldnāt say āIāll leave it to you~~ā there though!? Ein-san stop, stahp!!!]
Just when I think that the threat of the wyverns in this country is gone, realizing that another threat (the maid) is about to befall the royal palaceā¦ā¦
We passed our time like that, there were some hectic times and times filled with fun, and before I knew it, time went by in a flash.
[Thatās quite a day~~ I had lots of fun~~]
[Yeah. I feel like some absurd stuff happened here and there though, but it certainly was fun.]
Sitting side by side with Kuro at the fountain at the plaza as the sun sets, we exchanged words as if we were immersing ourselves for the lingering memories of the day.
Time flew by so quickly. When was the last time I spent a day this boisterous, yet fun?
[Kuroā¦ā¦Thank you for today.]
[Unnn? I also had lots of fun. Letās go out together again!]
As Kuro looked at me with a big smile on her face,I also thanked her with a smile of my own.
Today has been really fun, and Iāve learned a lot of things I didnāt know before.
But at the same time, Iāve realized once again that since I came to this world, Kuro has given me lots of thingsā¦ā¦ and how Iāve always been in her care.
And at the same time, Iāve also realized that I didnāt know Kuro at all.
Itās like Kuro knows everything about me, but I only know a small part of how great she is as the Underworld King. Until now, I was okay even with that. Sheās on a completely different level from me, and itās only natural that I donāt understand such thingsā¦ā¦
However, spending time with Kuro today made me want to get to know her better. I felt like I donāt want to be just the only one receiving, I also wanted to give something back.
[ā¦ā¦We still have lots of time, thereās no need to rush it.]
[ā¦ā¦Yeah.]
ā¦ā¦As I thought, she saw through what Iām thinking.
Weāve only been in this world for a little over two weeks, and I donāt think weāve spent much time together yet.
Thatās no reason for me, the length of time weāve had together doesnāt matterā¦ā¦ I thought such things were only happening in stories.
ā¦ā¦I admit.
Before I knew it, this feeling was born in my heart so naturally that I didnāt even realize it was there.
Towards this innocent, cheerful, free-spirited and kind out-of-the-norm demonāā Iām feeling attracted to herā¦ā¦
I thought Kuro is someone formidable that I can only wallow in regret. After all, sheās strangely sharp regarding my habits, but thoughtless and dull regarding relationships like this. I guess you could say itās a reckless challenge in a wayā¦ā¦ but like Kuro said, thereās no need to be impatient because we still have lots of time.
Letās get to know her little by little, letās get closer to her heart little by little.
[Kuro, I donāt know when the next time will beā¦ā¦ But can I ask you out next time?]
[ā¦ā¦Unnn. Iām looking forward to it.]
For the time being, letās start by becoming aware of this feeling today.
And after that, letās put those thoughts into actionā¦ā¦ Honestly, Iām new to all of these, and I have lots of concernsā¦ā¦ but letās do our best.
Perhaps, this may be the biggest change in me that Iāve seen since I came to this world. In my original world, I kept escaping from getting involved with other people, but in this world, I met a mysterious Demon, and that girl saved me and made me smile from the bottom of my heart.
ļ¼ ļ¼ ļ¼ ļ¼ ļ¼ ļ¼ ļ¼ ļ¼ ļ¼ ļ¼
Wyverns broke into Kaito and Kuromueinaās date. Seeing this, Kuromueina thought that it was too early for them to show up in the city after engaging the subjugation team. At the same time, she wondered if theyāre running away from something that isnāt the subjugation teamā¦ā¦
Her prediction was correct. The wyverns werenāt escaping from the subjugation corps. They were desperately attempting to escape from āa being more frightening than thatā.
Letās move the time a little bit. In the mountainous area north of the royal capitalā¦ā¦ Discovered there was one of the largest ever flock of wyverns observed, with numbers nearly a hundred. The information was immediately relayed to the neighboring areas, and no one but the subjugation team could approach that mountainous areaā¦ā¦ is what should have been.
But now, there was a girl quietly climbing up the mountain where the nest of the wyverns was found. Long hair as white as snow, crimson red eyes, and a blue dress, she was a beautiful girl who had both beauty and cuteness.
Her delicate appearance is disproportionate for someone who is climbing a mountain, having a stature thatās too small to face the wyvernsā¦ā¦ but when the wyverns saw her, all of them simultaneously began 'shakingā.
The wyverns might have survived if they had abandoned their nest and immediately fled.
However, the wyverns were so terrified that they let out a threatening roar, not knowing that it was an inexcusably foolish move.
[ā¦ā¦Hindrance.]
A single word from her pale pink lips was enough to extinguish the life out of the flying dragons. Just like bugs, the dead wyverns fell down the ground. Even though they received no external injuries, their life was already extinguished. You must not confront that girl. When you see the girl, you must flee immediately. If youāre unable to do that, only ādeathā awaits youā¦ā¦ In this world, these words are considered as common sense.
It was precisely because she is the most feared being in this worldā¦ā¦ The Absolute that is even known as the symbol of death.
In the red eyes of the Incarnation of Deathā¦ā¦ The Death King, Isis Remnantā¦ā¦ They no longer reflect the presence of the insignificant bugs who stood before her path. However, the time when the Incarnation of Death appears before Kaitoā¦ā¦ is a story for another time.