Isma stayed for a few more days before finally leaving the castle. She seemed to have been on edge after waking up without memories of the previous night, but after a day she stopped looking as wary and on the last day she finally brought up her true objective to Bony.
"His Majesty would like expand our domain. My intention in coming here was to verify whether or not you would be an obstacle to this, but I'm glad to see that even a skeleton like you knows loyalty. So, are you willing to stand on our side and teach those arrogant lower races a lesson?"
"Of course. As someone who belongs to the Great One, it is my honour to serve as his arms and feet."
I was the one who told Bony to quickly accept her offer, but I was honestly worried that she would find it weird how swift his response was. However, that worry was unnecessary as Isma accepted Bony's words as sincere and left. If one of her superiors managed to figure out that I did something to her, it would hurt but I would just have to deal with it at that time.
With that pain in the neck gone, I focused on studying magic and making preparations for the future. I hated the extra work, but it was kind of nostalgic.
Since coming here, most of the time I could only solve my problems with brute force, but now I would finally get to put the experience I gained in my past life to use. Of course, these experiences weren't of the pleasant variety, but I was grateful for them nonetheless.
"Master."
"I know. Go and meet him."
About three days after Isma left, I could feel his presence from the forest. Unlike Ein, I didn't need to get any regular reports from him, so this would be the first time we've talked since I sent him away to train.
While I wondered how his years had been, Jeanne eventually returned with a well-groomed gentlemen in tow. Judging by how clean he looked and the proud expression on Jeanne's face, she probably fixed him up before he got here.
'Not that it really matters.'
I wouldn't mind it if he looked a little like a homeless person, especially since I could feel his growth with just a glance.
'In terms of physical abilities alone, he might be my match.'
I would still win in a real battle, but the fact that he had come so far was proof that I wasn't wrong in giving him time to train.
"Looks like your training has paid off. So, how was the Cursed Territory?"
"Ugh, well it definitely lived up to its name as one of the Demon Lands' top three danger zones."
When I saw the fear hidden deep behind his wry smile, I almost couldn't believe it. If he still felt fear just by thinking about that place, then it really must have been a hellish experience. I was glad that he didn't blame me for sending him there but I made a mental note to cross the place off the list if I ever get another familiar I want to train.
"I see, it must have been hard."
"I can't deny that it was a harsh struggle, but it was worth it. I was worried that I wouldn't have any use when you sent Ein to collect information and kept Jeanne as your assistant, but after this trip I've realized that by growing stronger like you said, I'll definitely be able to protect you in case you're in danger."
I replied, "That's right. You've done well, Brad," while patting his shoulder.
'Ah, they grow up so fast.'
Alongside myself, Jeanne also nodded approvingly with a satisfied expression, which was a little strange but I didn't want to ruin the atmosphere so I kept this thought to myself.
"Thank you."
"Mmm, I knew I was right to call you back. Now I won't need to worry about the castle while me and Jeanne are gone."
"Huh?"
I sensed the swift change to Brad's expression, but since we didn't have time to waste I explained the situation as quickly and as detailed as I could before grabbing Jeanne's hand as she began chanting a complex incantation.
"Well, that's about it. If an opponent comes that you can't beat, just try to get some information about them before escaping. Bye."
As the discomfort I felt from the space around me being distorted set in, I caught a glimpse of what appeared to be an abandoned puppy, but I had to make him house sit this time.
'Good luck.'
Then, after a brief moment where my insides felt squished together, I found myself in a gloomy grassland with Jeanne by my side. Judging by the familiar blue moon and purple sky, this seemed like the right place but I couldn't help but feel upset.
"I wonder if I'll ever get used to that feeling."
"I'm sorry, master. I'll do better next time."
It was just a careless comment so when I saw Jeanne flinch and immediately lower her head, I couldn't help but feel guilty. Both of us were at level 3 of Space Magic, barely enough to use Teleportation, but I left it to her because I honestly thought that she was better than me when it came to non-offensive magic.
"No, I don't mean to blame you. I doubt I could have done much better."
"No, I'm sure you would have done better than me. It's my fault for not being able to live up to your expectations. Please punish-"
"Stop,"
I knew that once she got like this she wouldn't finish without begging for punishment, so before that I gently pet her and watched as she froze up in embarrassment.
"I told you to have confidence in yourself, didn't I? You're my familiar, but that doesn't mean you can't be best me in some areas of magic."
"... Understood."
Even though she complied and rose her head, it didn't feel like she believed me, but I couldn't change that. I didn't like when she raised me on a platform like this, but as long as I was just a master to her, I couldn't force her to stop.
"... Let's go."
"Yes, master."
We didn't teleport too close to our destination since I didn't want us to be exposed early, but we were still near enough to rely on Ein's memories of how to get there on foot.
After that, there was a strange tension that only got worse since neither of us spoke. I didn't really mind but once Jeanne cleared her throat and tried to change the mood I just went with it.
"By the way, master, may I hear who you plan on meeting?"
"Oh, I didn't tell you? We're going to meet the Queen of Night City."
"What?!"
This was one of the few times that Jeanne had ever allowed herself to show surprise, so I chuckled at the sight but it wasn't unexpected. After all, as a legitimate descendant of Demon Queen Lilith, the person we were going to meet had a status comparable to a Duke in a monarchy.
"Ein met her while he was investigating Night City and told her a little about me. We only managed to exchange letters once or twice but I think she could be an ally."
Even if it didn't turn into a full-blown war, since I was planning on disobeying the Demon King, I needed to quickly figure out who I could pull to my side. And according to my analysis as long as I could get her on my side the rest will be easy.
"Um, I realize this may sound rude but, master, are you sure these positive feelings aren't just on your part?"
Watching as she went from shocked to apprehensive certainly looked amusing but I couldn't laugh at what she was hinting at.
"What, are you afraid that I fell for her charm?"
"No no no, I'm sure that with master's accomplishments in soul magic no mere charm skill would work. I'm just worried that you might have misunderstood something."
'No, I can't-'
"Pfft! Hahaha!"
As I laughed boisterously, Jeanne was at first confused, but then she pouted and folded her arms with a 'hmph'.
"Never mind."
"No, I don't mean to be rude Jeanne. It's just, it's nice hearing you worry about me."
When I stretched out my hand to pat her head, the redness in her cheeks became more pronounced but she didn't reject it. Calling myself a father or a guardian would make me sound too old, but when I saw her like this I couldn't help but treat her like a little sister I never had.
'This, isn't half-bad.'
I moved my gaze from Jeanne to the distant image of a bright city.
"That must be-"
"Ahh! Help!"
There was a sudden cry for help.