◇Klyrode Castle—Throne Room◇
It was late into the morning, and the various dignitaries had gathered in
the throne room for their regular meeting. The palace ministers were here,
of course, and so were captains from the front lines and their
representatives.
"Knight Captain MacTaulo," the Maiden Queen said. "Has the Dark
Army made no movement to reclaim their surrendered outpost?"
"No, Your Majesty," MacTaulo answered. "We fortified our position
expecting an enemy attack, but our scouts have seen no sign of any Dark
Army activity at all."
The Maiden Queen breathed a sigh of relief even as she lowered her
head in thought. "It's strange," she said to herself. "It hasn't been only the
knight captain's position. For quite some time now, the Dark Army has not
made a single proper attack."
The Queen's comments set the room abuzz. "It is strange," one person
said in agreement.
"There used to be an attack at some fortress or other two or three times a
week..." another added.
"It's unsettling. I wonder what could be causing it..." mused a third.
Here, the chief spymaster raised her hand. "I believe I may have some
information," she said. "We still don't know the details, but it seems that a
group of demons, led by a devil named Zanzibar, rebelled against the Dark
One. It seems that the Dark One Yuigarde is devoting all of his attention to
killing Zanzibar."
"I thought the uprising had already been suppressed..." the Maiden
Queen mused.
"Not exactly," said the spymaster. "Zanzibar fled to the desert in the
west. The Dark One has been obsessed with pursuing him."
"He pursued him into the desert?!" The Maiden Queen hadn't expected
that. The western desert covers more land than the whole of the Magical
Kingdom! she thought. It would take an enormous amount of time and
resources to track down someone who had fled there! The supply chains you
would need! The communication networks! How in the world...?!
The news may have distressed Her Majesty the Queen, but the
atmosphere in the throne room had become much more relaxed. People
began to chatter, their voices jovial and cheerful.
"I guess that bastard Yuigarde is just as bullheaded as they say!"
"The sheer folly! Imagine sending an army into the desert just to finish
off a rebellion!"
"If we attack now, wouldn't it be relatively easy to take the Dark
Citadel?"
"Silence," the Maiden Queen commanded. Her subjects heeded. For a
second, the room was quiet.
"Listen to me, everyone," the Queen went on. "We must approach this
situation with utmost caution. Perhaps the Dark One Yuigarde has led his
army on a foolhardy expedition to the desert, but if he succeeds, it is sure to
raise his army's morale. They may come to attack us with force again.
There is no guarantee this attack will be repelled as easily as the last was."
The Queen took to her feet and surveyed the room. "Here is my
proposition: we keep a calm head in this turbulent situation and focus on
strengthening our ability to resist the Dark Army. Our supply lines are a
particular concern. If you have any concerns, no matter how small, please
inform me at once. Remember, our utmost duty is to protect the people of
this land. I will be counting on all of you."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" The assembled dignitaries all bowed before the
Queen.
Her Majesty holds the people first in her heart, no matter the
circumstances... MacTaulo marveled, head bowed. And she charts our
course forward with utmost care. Truly, we are blessed to have her as
Queen! The old King had so little interest in strategy meetings that he
would nap through them as often as not. And that's to say nothing of his
appropriating the kingdom's resources for his own selfish purposes! He
used our very own supply teams to operate his illegal black market side
business! It caused no end of trouble for us on the front lines...
◇Meanwhile, Deep in a Cave in West Houghtow◇
"Ahhh-kachooey!" the Shadow King sneezed.
"Ew! Gross!" yipped Kintsuno the Gold.
"I got the Shadow King's snot all over me!" Gintsuno the Silver
complained.
"Well, excuse me for needing to sneeze," the Shadow King said, rubbing
his nose. "Someone must have been talking about me."
The Shadow King was flanked by his two lackeys, the cheongsamwearing fox demons Kintsuno the Gold and Gintsuno the Silver, who were
currently in their demonic forms. He himself was dressed in the same gaudy
manner as he had been when he was King of Klyrode. Before them were the
devils Zanzibar and Meiden.
"That would hardly be a surprise. I expect people talk about the former
King of the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode all the time." Zanzibar took a
drink from the glass of liquor in his hand, draining it dry. "But I have to
thank you. If it had not been for your intervention, we would not have
escaped from Yuigarde so easily."
"Don't worry about it!" said Kintsuno.
"Us demon fox sisters used to rule in the west," Gintsuno added. "The
desert is practically our back yard. Avoiding that imbecile of a Dark One
wasn't difficult at all." The two foxes snickered to each other in unison.
"And so it goes," the Shadow King said. "I say we keep you out of
Yuigarde's sight and keep looking for isolated and weakened units from the
Dark Army that we can defeat. We're in this together, I suppose...so long as
you keep paying for our informants and our sundry expenses as refugees."
He placed a cigar in his mouth. Gintsuno snapped her fingers to light it,
much to the Shadow King's delight.
Geh heh heh! the Shadow King thought. I didn't know what to think
when we happened upon that group in the desert, but they were
acquaintances of the fox sisters, apparently, so we took them in. And now
we're making money hand over fist! We can keep this up until Yuigarde
withdraws, so we should get as much as we can from them in the
meanwhile...
Meiden poured Zanzibar another drink, and he drained that too. Ha ha
ha... he thought. I didn't know what to think when we happened upon that
group in the desert, but it turned out to be the demon fox sisters—someone
familiar with the region! I couldn't imagine better luck. That damned
human is bleeding us dry with his rates, but...well...we only need to stay
here till Yuigarde gives up. And then I'll invite the demon fox sisters to join
us and kill the Shadow King!
◇The Dark Citadel—Throne Room◇
At around the same time, the luminaries of the Dark Army were
gathered in the throne room for their own regular meeting. There was the
lamia Yorminyt the Serpent Princess, the doppeladler Hugi-Mugi, and the
skeleton Calsi'im—the three remaining members of the Infernal Four. The
lichsteed Sleip had been driven away, and due to their recent difficulties
finding recruits, the fourth seat had yet to be filled. Many demons were
eyeing it with great interest, not least the devil Belianna.
As for the Dark One Yuigarde, he was nowhere to be seen.
"Phufun," Yorminyt hissed, flicking her snakelike tongue. "What is the
meaning of thisss? It hasss been a long time sssince the Dark One went
wessst to finish off the rebellion, yet there is ssstill no word? He even took
sssoldiers from other divisionsss along with him. For once, would you
jussst explain what is happening?"
Phufun, Yuigarde's minion, stood next to his empty throne, regarding
Yorminyt with a cool expression. Don't panic, she told herself. With the
Dark One gone, unrest in the Dark Citadel grows by the day. What I say
here will have an effect on the whole army's morale.
Phufun sighed. "First, I want to apologize on the Dark One's behalf for,
as you say, taking soldiers from other divisions. But Master Yuigarde is
busy directing his soldiers on the front lines. I can only hope that the lack of
word is a sign that his campaign against the rebels is going well."
"Meaning," Yorminyt said, "that the Dark One Yuigarde is ssstill in the
desssert pursssuing Zanzibar?"
"You may take it that way if you wish." Phufun pressed her false glasses
up the bridge of her nose.
Yorminyt heaved a heavy sigh. "But there's sssomething peculiar here,"
she said. "My subordinatesss, who were taken by Yuigarde for his quessst,
reported to me that far from battling Zanzibar'sss rebellion, our army is
wandering in circlesss, unable to even find them."
Phufun fell silent.
"And another thing," Yorminyt continued, fixing Phufun with a glare
like ice. "My subordinatesss alssso tell me that our sssupply lines have been
sssevered by the rebelsss. They sssay they have been unable to obtain even
basic food or weaponsss."
Phufun met Yorminyt's glare, but beads of nervous sweat were starting
to form on her forehead, and her rate of glasses adjustments per second
began to unconsciously increase. "I...have received no such reports," she
said.
"That'sss why I'm telling you!" Yorminyt snapped. "In which cassse,
why mussst I wait for his permissssion to take to the field?"
"That is..." Phufun started. "The Dark One's wish was for the Infernal
Four to stay in the Dark Citadel when he was away, in case we were to
come under attack..."
"Oh, isss that ssso? Or are you trying to hide from usss how bad the
frontline conditionsss are?"
Once again, Phufun was at a loss for words. Yorminyt had hit the nail
directly on the head. There was some truth to what Phufun said. The time
Zanzibar's rebellion had invaded the Dark Citadel while the army was away
had put her on guard. But putting aside Calsi'im, who was too old to fight
and really just an official, there was no explanation for why neither
Yorminyt nor Hugi-Mugi had been sent out.
Yorminyt and Phufun glared daggers at each other until Calsi'im,
wearing elaborate robes and carrying a staff, interposed himself between the
two. "Now, now, you two!" he said, turning his eyes from one to the other
—not that he actually had eyes in his sockets. "We are all servants of the
Dark One Yuigarde! We mustn't fight amongst ourselves! Now, why don't
we take this intelligence Yorminyt has brought us with the information
Phufun has, and together we can figure out how to rethink our strategy. I'm
afraid that at my age, offering my counsel is about all I can do, you know."
As he spoke, Calsi'im's minion Tia handed out cups of tea to all of the
participants in the strategy meeting, including Phufun, Yorminyt, and HugiMugi.
Yorminyt took a long sip. "Hissss... I haven't quite sssaid my piece, but
you are a fellow Infernal, Calsssi'im. And thisss tea is deliciousss. Very
well. I will have my information written up as a report." So saying, she left
the throne room.
Phufun breathed a sigh of relief to see Yorminyt leave. How are we
going to get out of this one...? she wondered, idly bringing her cup of tea to
her mouth and taking a sip. "My!" she said. "This tea is quite good!"
"I should hope so," Tia said, looking somewhat upset as she collected
the empty tea cups. "As Calsi'im's minion, I have devoted my very soul to
making this tea. If it were not for Calsi'im's orders, I would never let
anyone but him drink it."
But there was no denying that the tea had calmed the assembly
considerably and possibly even headed off Phufun and Yorminyt coming to
blows in the throne room. "Now, now, Tia," said Calsi'im. "When we go
back to my chambers, you can make a cup of tea just for me."
"Thank you!" Tia cried for joy. "How I have longed to hear those
words!"
Thank the darkness for Calsi'im and Tia, I guess... Phufun thought.
◇ ◇ ◇
"Are we an army, or are we a damned tea party...?" the devil Belianna
grumbled discontentedly to herself as she watched the proceedings in the
throne room. "I don't care if it's the damned rebels or the damned humans.
Just give us the damned order to attack someone already!" She tensed the
hand that was holding her giant scythe slung over her shoulder.
Belianna was angry for a reason. Desperate to achieve some meritorious
deed that would raise her to the rank of Infernal, she and her soldiers had
attacked a human position without notice or permission, only to be
unceremoniously captured without even putting up a fight. Phufun had
confined her to the Dark Citadel as punishment for her two offenses of
attacking without permission and losing the fight.
I thought they might give us permission to attack if the damned meeting
went well, but this is no damned fun at all, she thought, grinding her teeth
as she left the throne room. If nothing changes, I won't have a damned
chance to prove myself!
As she walked, she recalled the image of the human who had stopped
her, a man wearing a wolf mask. I'll show you! she thought. I'm nothing
like Zanzibar, that damned disgrace to devil-kind! I will achieve a damned
great victory and be made a member of the damned Infernal Four. And I
will defeat that damned vexatious Wolf of Justice!
The Wolf of Justice, by the way, was Flio wearing a wolf mask to hide
his identity, but Belianna had no way of knowing that.
◇Klyrode Castle—The Maiden Queen's Chambers◇
The Maiden Queen, duties finished, had returned to her chambers for the
day. With her was Boralis, the captain of the Queen's personal guard.
"And you wish to go in disguise, Your Majesty?" Boralis said.
The Maiden Queen nodded. "Yes," she said. "I may have no better
chance to see the true state of my kingdom than now, with the Dark Army
in disarray. I wish to see it with my own eyes, not as Queen, but in disguise
as a commoner."
"I understand Your Majesty's wish," Boralis said. "But if you are in
disguise, we, your royal guard, will be unable to accompany you..."
"That is true. Your face is known to the people, Boralis, as are the faces
of the other women in my guard. After all, you have accompanied me on
many official functions in all corners of the land."
Boralis folded her arms and thought about it before continuing. "What
we need is someone strong enough to protect Your Majesty who won't
arouse suspicion..."
"Yes, I quite agree," said the Queen. "Perhaps we can travel as part of a
large household. That would not be strange."
"Then we are looking for a large household of skilled fighters who
would not be averse to you joining them. Can you think of anyone, Your
Majesty?" Boralis frowned, deep in thought, but the Maiden Queen smiled.
"Whatever do you mean?" she asked. "I know of a perfect household. I
believe you are familiar with them as well, Boralis."
"I am?" Boralis stared blankly. The Queen just grinned.
◇Days Later, at Flio's House◇
Boralis had sent a message to Flio, explaining the situation and asking
him when would be a convenient time for her to visit. She had agreed to
come to Flio's house in the evening after they had closed the shop.
Now she was speaking to him in the house's parlor.
"So," Flio said, "you want us to protect Her Majesty while she travels in
secret around the kingdom?"
"Yes. The Dark Army is too busy with its internal discord to launch an
attack against the Magical Kingdom, and Her Majesty would like to take
the opportunity to see the kingdom for herself. It seems very important to
her."
Flio gave it some thought. "Just to get this straight, you want us all to
travel to various places in the kingdom, along with the Queen?"
"Exactly," said Boralis. "We will arrange for housing on your trip and
pay for any expenses you might incur. You can think of it as a free vacation,
perhaps. We would be very grateful for your help..." Boralis bowed her
head.
As the captain of the Maiden Queen's royal guard, Boralis had had many
opportunities to learn just how extraordinary Flio was. He had defeated
Hiya, the djinn who commands the origin of light and darkness, and
claimed them for his own. And then Hiya, it seemed, went on to defeat
Damalynas, the Grand Magus of Midnight. And now the Fli-o'-Rys General
Store was helping with supplies for human armies, making deliveries to
seemingly impossible locations. She had every reason to trust Flio. In fact,
she was so overawed by Flio that she had completely forgotten he had a
family.
The Maiden Queen had proposed the idea of traveling under the guise of
a member of Flio's household, and Boralis immediately agreed. If Lord Flio
were there, she would have no objections.
"May I ask my family for their opinion?" Flio asked.
"Of course you may," Boralis said. "Only...I ask that you please keep it a
secret that the one traveling with you is the Maiden Queen herself."
"All right," Flio said. "I'll take care."
Flio and Boralis left the parlor and headed for the living room of the
main house. It was nearly dinnertime, and at a word from Flio, the family
was all gathered.
"And so," he said, finishing up his explanation, "Miss Boralis and her
sister would like us to protect them as they inspect the Magical Kingdom."
"My lord husband," said Rys, who could tell that something was
suspicious. "Why must our whole family come along?"
Flio smiled. "Well you see," he said, "in addition to inspecting the
kingdom, they also wish to thank us for all of the orders the Fli-o'-Rys
General Store has filled for the castle. Isn't that right, Miss Boralis?"
"Yes, quite right," said Boralis, following Flio's lead. "We will pay any
travel expenses you incur on the road. We hope it will be like a family
vacation."
"Does that mean we can go with you, papa?" Elinàsze asked.
"Yes it does," said Flio. "We'll all travel around the Magical Kingdom
together."
Elinàsze's face lit up and she sprung to her feet. "I want to go! Please,
papa, may I? You never take me on your trips!"
Flio had said "we'll all," but Elinàsze, who loved her father dearly, had
apparently missed that part. She clasped her hands together in front of her
chest and stared dreamily off into space.
"I get to go with papa!" Elinàsze exclaimed. "Oh, how wonderful!"
Well, as long as she's happy, I suppose, Flio thought, smiling in wry
amusement.
"Hey, hey, dada!" said Wyne. "Do vacations taste good?"
"Taste good?" Flio repeated. "Well, I suppose you can find good-tasting
things on vacations..."
"Then I wanna go! I wanna go! Please?" Wyne had already started to
drool.
"A chance to see the land..." Hiya said. "It sounds like it may be
fruitful."
"I've always kinda wanted to try staying at an inn, Your Divinity,"
Damalynas added.
I should place Subjugation on those two to make sure they don't peep in
any of the other guests' rooms... Flio thought.
"Hrm," said Ghozal. "We haven't had a chance to go anywhere since we
got married. Whaddaya say, Uliminas? Balirossa?"
"Meow?!" Uliminas started. "W-W-Well, if mew insist, I suppose I
wouldn't mind..."
"Th-Then, would this be our honeymoon?" asked Balirossa. "PPersonally, I would very much like to go."
Ghozal nodded. "Hrm. It sounds like we're coming with you, Mister
Flio."
"Like, my lord?" Byleri said to her partner Sleip. "What do you wanna
do?"
"Me? Of course I want to go! Anything to put a smile on your face,
Byleri."
"Ehee... Oh my gosh." Byleri blushed. "Like, thank you so much, my
lord! Lord Flio! We're totally coming too!"
"Yes," said Sleip. "We're in your care."
The idea of a trip had caught on right away. While everyone was
cheering and talking giddily, Garyl walked up to Flio and Boralis. "Um..."
he said. "Is the nice lady gonna come too?"
"The nice lady?" Boralis asked.
"You know, the pretty lady who came to our house that one time..."
Flio and Boralis exchanged a look. Garyl must have been talking about
the Maiden Queen, who had come by recently, rushing to offer her belated
congratulations on the birth of Flio and Rys's children.
Flio leaned forward to whisper in his son's ear. "You have to keep this a
secret," he said, "but yes. She is."
"R-Really?!"
"Yes. But right now, it's a secret to everyone but me and you."
"Okay! I promise, dad! I won't tell anyone!" Garyl said. He did his best
to keep his voice down, but he had a big cheerful grin on his face.
He's very taken with the Queen, our Garyl, Flio thought, smiling down
at Garyl's innocent face.
And so it was arranged. Boralis was to set out on an inspection of the
country, accompanied by most of Flio's household. But secretly, it was not
Boralis, but the Maiden Queen for whom this was being arranged. Flio's
living room was full of excited conversation.
Boralis watched the crowd, lost in thought. The former Dark One and
his confederate... A former Infernal, and Flio's wife, who could match an
Infernal easily... And then there's the djinn and the Grand Magus of
Midnight! If Flio's household decided to conquer the world, there isn't
much we could do to stop them...
◇Later Still—In Front of Flio's House◇
Flio's household was lined up in front of the house, each carrying their
own luggage. In front of them were two women, dressed in casual clothes,
who had just arrived by carriage.
"I thank you humbly," Boralis said, bowing deeply. "I am in your hands
for these coming days."
The Maiden Queen, in disguise, bowed alongside her. "Thank you for
taking care of my sister and me," she said. The plan was for her to pretend
to be Boralis's younger sister for the duration of the trip, and to travel under
the name Ellie. The adults of Flio's house had been privately informed of
her real identity.
Garyl ran up to the Maiden Queen. "Miss Ellie!" he said, smiling
brightly. "I can't believe I get to see you again!"
"It's very nice to see you as well, Garyl!" Ellie smiled back. I know it's
his mixed parentage, but I can't believe how fast this boy is growing! she
thought. He's more than a full size bigger than he was the other day. And
much stronger-looking, as well...
Ellie stared at Garyl's face somewhat longer than she had intended,
marveling at his lightning-fast development.
"Hm?" Garyl said. "Is something on my face?"
"Hm?"
"You're staring at me..."
"Oh! I'm so sorry! That wasn't my intention at all!" Ellie's face flushed
red. She shook her head to clear it. The rest of Flio's family watched the
exchange fondly.
"Well then," said Flio. "Shall we be off? We're visiting the towns near
the northern fortress today, if I'm not mistaken. And after that, how about
we visit the Kinosaki Hot Springs Village?"
"That sounds like a good plan," Boralis said.
"All right..." Flio held out his hand, and a great magic circle appeared. A
large door appeared from it—a portal. Flio opened the door, and on the
other side was a fortress. It would have taken them more than a month to
travel this far north by carriage, but with Flio's magic, they were there in a
single second.
Teleportation was a spell that allowed the caster to instantly travel to any
location they had been to previously. Flio, whose business with the Magical
Kingdom had taken him to towns and cities all across the land, and even to
the various fortresses on the front line of the war, could travel almost
anywhere in the region in the blink of an eye.
"Let's go," Flio said. Ghozal took the lead as the group walked through
the door. Somewhere along the way, Garyl began walking in front of Ellie,
holding her hand like he was leading her along. Flio, meanwhile, was
followed by Rys on his right side and Elinàsze on his left.
"We're off!" Flio said, turning to Blossom, Belano, and Sybe, who were
waving from the front entrance. "Thank you for looking after the house
while we're gone!"
The three of them were too busy to come with the rest. Blossom and
Sybe had farmwork to do, and Belano had her job at the Houghtow College
of Magic.
"Roger!" Blossom said. "Leave the house to us! Lord Flio, you just
enjoy your vacation, all right?"
Belano nodded silently, and Sybe gave a cheerful "Gwor!"
"Thank you," said Flio. "We'll see you when we get back!" And then,
giving them his usual carefree smile, he vanished through the portal. As the
door closed, the portal vanished.
"I guess Sybe and I are gonna go work the farm," Blossom said. "You
headin' to school, Belano?"
Belano nodded.
"All right! Take care, you hear?"
"You too..."
The three went their separate ways—Blossom and Sybe headed to the
farm, and Belano to the school.
◇Meanwhile, in the Far West◇
The Dark One Yuigarde's army had fallen into chaos. Yuigarde had led
them deep into the desert after Zanzibar's rebels, moving based on nothing
more than his intuition. Meanwhile, having gained the demon fox sisters as
allies, Zanzibar's remaining forces were making life hell for Yuigarde.
"Where the hell can that blasted Zanzibar be?!" Yuigarde demanded. He
was at the very front of the army, grumbling angrily. Before him was an
endless expanse of sand. "He must be somewhere in this godsdamned
desert!"
As the Dark One stamped his feet like a child, one of his soldiers came
up to him. "Dark One... Do you still intend to pursue him further into the
desert?"
"Hah?" Yuigarde yelled. "What kind of question is that?! Of course I
am! I won't rest until every last rebel is dead!"
"But...our provisions of food are—"
"Hah?! Phufun sent some supplies the other day!"
"But," the soldier protested, "our supply lines are stretched long and thin
over the desert. And it seems like they've been harried by the rebels! We
haven't had a delivery in a week."
"What did you say?!" Yuigarde shouted, clearly taken aback. "Damn
that Zanzibar to hell! He knows he can't win in a fair fight, so now he's
cheating!"
"Yes, Dark One. Perhaps we should withdraw for the time—"
"Hah?! What the hell are you on about?! 'Withdraw'?! If our supply
lines are under attack, that means that Zanzibar is near! You want us to
throw away our chance?!"
"B-But...Dark One! We don't know if it's Zanzibar leading those
attacks!"
"I know Zanzibar's behind it!" Yuigarde declared. "Are you doubting
my words, punk?!"
"N-No! Perish the thought!"
"Then let's go! Show me where our supply lines are under attack!"
"Y-Yes, Dark One!" The demon ran off, thoroughly rebuked. Yuigarde
followed after him, running haphazardly through the sands.
"Hey," one of the demons watching whispered to his fellows. "That isn't
how the Dark One is supposed to act, is it?"
"He just knows, he says?" another added.
"Can't even do proper scouting..."
"When Lord Gholl was Dark One, the Silent Listeners would have
handled it..."
"If the supply lines keep getting attacked, pretty soon we'll be out of
provisions..."
"If only Lady Uliminas was still here... She'd know what to do..."
"He's a terrible Dark One."
"It's the end of the Dark Army..."
Their whispered voices vanished in the desert wind. Yuigarde didn't
hear so much as a peep.
◇The Magical Kingdom of Klyrode—Northern Stronghold◇
With Flio's expedient Teleportation spell, Ellie and Boralis were able to
visit a good number of fortresses over the course of the day. Flio also cast
the spell Void Presence on Ellie—that is to say, the Maiden Queen—hiding
her presence from all who would notice. All except for Knight Captain
MacTaulo, the commander of the position he had once wrested from Sleip,
who saw that she was here. But, perhaps intuiting her intentions, he gave no
indication that he had noticed anything amiss.
Sleip approached his former adversary. "Knight Captain MacTaulo..."
"You..." MacTaulo said. "Sir Sleip, is it?" Once, these two men had
faced off against each other in this land—Sleip in this outpost, and
MacTaulo in the stronghold behind them. "To think the day would come
that the two of us could speak as friends."
"Yes," Sleip said with a nod. "It is extraordinary." The two men shook
hands.
"You were quite the formidable adversary," MacTaulo said. "I couldn't
utter a word to my subordinates, of course, but there were many times that I
despaired of victory. Not that I ever had any intention of losing to you."
"Nonetheless, it is quite an honor to hear you say so. You were the
champion of humankind, after all."
The two kept on talking, grinning like they had been friends for years.
Byleri, who was watching from the sidelines, smiled at the sight.
"Allow me to introduce you to someone," Sleip said, beckoning Byleri
forward. "This is Byleri. We...live together. Think of her as my wife."
"Like, hi!" Byleri said. "I, like, used to be in Klyrode's army, y'know!
I've totally heard all kinds of stories about you!"
"Oh, I see!" said MacTaulo. "So you've taken a wife, have you? I must
say, I'm a little envious you've found such a lovely lady!"
"Well now!" Sleip remarked. "The legendary Knight Captain MacTaulo
is still single?"
"As much as it pains me, I don't have any time to meet people between
all the battles."
"I understand that well. Meeting Byleri was one of the benefits of
quitting the Dark Army."
Flio watched with his usual carefree smile as Byleri joined the two
veterans in their conversation. Seeing two old enemies like MacTaulo and
Sleip getting along so well really makes everything feel worth it, he thought.
Flio had once been here before, wearing his wolf mask under the guise of
the Wolf of Justice, where he had halted the Dark Army's attack. He had
taken the demons alive and had sent them back along with the message:
"We wish for peace."
As Flio reminisced about his old exploits, Rys nuzzled softly up to him.
"Those three seem to be in good spirits, my lord husband."
"They do, don't they?"
"This is all thanks to you, you know," Rys said.
"Well, I like to think I helped," said Flio, smiling happily at his wife's
words. One day, he thought, I hope humans and demons will all live in
peace like this.
◇A Few Hours Later—Kinosaki Hot Springs Village◇
After they finished inspecting fortresses, Flio teleported the group to the
Kinosaki Hot Springs Village in the north of the Magical Kingdom, famous
for its hot springs not only in the kingdom itself but in surrounding lands as
well. It was well known enough to see a steady stream of visitors even
despite the ongoing war with the Dark Army.
Ellie's eyes sparkled as she walked down the main street. "I had heard
about this place, but I never imagined it was so grand!" she exclaimed. This
town isn't as big as the Klyrode Castle Town but there are at least as many
people walking on the streets. Kinosaki must be quite a significant city for
the region...
Flio was walking alongside her, fondly watching her take in the scenery.
"It was a surprise for me too, the first time we came here," he said. "People
visit from all over—even well outside the region."
"For the hot springs, I take it?" Ellie asked. "Fascinating..."
Flio nodded. "Miss Ellie, is this your first time visiting hot springs?"
"It is. I've heard about them of course, but I've never had the
opportunity..."
"In that case, take all the time you like in the baths tonight. I can't go in
with you, but Ser Boralis and Rys can accompany you."
Ellie smiled. "Of course! I believe I will do just that."
Elinàsze, who was walking hand in hand alongside her father, looked up
at him. "Papa, may I take a bath with you today?"
"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Flio said. "It won't just be us this time. The
baths here are ones you take with lots of other people. I'm afraid we'll be in
separate baths."
"Okay..." Elinàsze pouted. "If you say so, papa..."
Ellie smiled down at the girl. "You love your father very much, don't
you, Elinàsze?" she said. "I hope you're not too lonely without him."
"I do!" Elinàsze said, beaming back. "I love my papa! I love washing his
back, and I love it when he washes my hair in return!"
Hold on... Ellie thought. If Lord Flio and Elinàsze take their baths
together, that must mean that they bathe as a family. Then, does that mean
Rys and Garyl... She turned to look at Rys. She was an attractive woman,
slender and busty—hardly someone who looked like she had given birth to
twins. Many of the men passing by on the street turned to get a second
glance at her as she passed.
Ellie wished the men were paying as much attention to her.
She was by no means fat, but her chest was smaller than average and her
hips were nothing special. The attention Rys received only served to remind
her of the shortcomings of her own body. I can't let Garyl see me like this!
Not when he's used to seeing such a beautiful woman every day... She
sighed. Wait! What am I thinking?! H-He's still a child! Of course, he's a
splendid and honest boy with great things ahead of him, but—
"What's wrong, Miss Ellie?" Garyl asked.
"Eeaghhh?!" Ellie, who had absolutely not been expecting Garyl to
speak to her at that moment, chomped down on her tongue.
Garyl looked up at her, confused. "I was just... You were blushing and
looking all gloomy... I thought maybe something was wrong..."
"N-No! Nothing at all is the matter! I'm terribly sorry to have worried
you!" Ellie said, hiding her mouth behind her hand as she desperately tried
to keep anyone from noticing her injured tongue.
"Well, if you say so!" Garyl said, grinning cheerfully at her. "We came
here to have fun! I want you to have fun too, Miss Ellie!"
Garyl's innocent smile only made Ellie blush even more furiously.
As the Maiden Queen, she devoted every waking moment to her
kingdom, in both her studies and her daily habits. She had no experience
whatsoever with love.
◇ ◇ ◇
A woman hid behind a building and watched Flio, Ellie, and the rest as
they strolled down the street chatting happily.
That damned woman... she thought. She's had Void Presence cast on her,
but there's no mistake—that's the damned Maiden Queen of the damned
Magical Kingdom of Klyrode! What is she doing here...?
Belianna the aspiring Infernal licked her lips as she kept an eye on Ellie.
Devils were particularly good at magic that obscured or concealed a
person's presence, and had a high resistance to such magic as well—high
enough that she could perceive Ellie.
I infiltrated the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode, she thought, against my
damned orders no less, so that I could cause enough damned chaos in a
major city to earn the merit I need to be made one of the damned Infernal
Four...but I seem to have stumbled into something much damn bigger. If I
can take her down, they'll beg me to be an Infernal!
Disguised as a human, her own presence hidden by the spell
Concealment, Belianna crept along behind Ellie's party.
◇ ◇ ◇
The Kinosaki Hot Springs Village had seven outside baths, each with
their own medicinal properties. The group made their way to one of them,
wanting to get in the hot springs as soon as possible.
Blub blub blub blub blub...
In the women's side of the bath, her hair done up skillfully, Rys was
submerged past her shoulders, to the point that only her eyes were poking
out of the water. She blew bubbles from her mouth until she ran out of
breath. Then she would poke just her nose out above the water, breathe in
deep, and sink back under. Balirossa, Uliminas, and Byleri were sitting
alongside her, doing the same peculiar thing.
"Excuse me..." ventured Ellie, giving them a curious look. "Is that how
one is meant to take a bath in a hot spring?"
"It can't be..." Boralis said, every bit as puzzled as her queen. "Can
it...?"
"Ah," said Hiya, walking up to the pair from outside the water. They had
already bathed. "The wife of the Exalted One and her companions are
praying to be blessed with children."
"Blessed...with children?" Ellie asked.
"Just so. The waters of the Yanagi Bath are said to be efficacious for
those seeking such a thing. The last time we came here, the wife of the
Exalted One spent as much time submerged in the water as she could, and
not long after was indeed blessed with twins. She has come here in hopes of
bearing the Exalted One further children, while her companions are praying
for their firstborn, using the same method."
"Goodness!" said Ellie. "I see..."
"So this is that kind of bath..." said Boralis. The two nodded in
understanding.
"That said," Hiya continued, "if this bath truly does have any effect, it is
purely psychological. There is nothing particularly special about this water.
You may enjoy it as you would any hot spring." Hiya bowed and went to
take their leave.
"Oh? Are you finished with the bath, Mx. Hiya?" Ellie asked.
"I am afraid I have prior arrangements. I will be leaving ahead of you.
Let us meet again at the inn." Hiya bowed again, and this time left the bath
behind them.
"They're leaving after we came all this way to visit the hot springs...?"
Ellie mused.
"Perhaps they wish to visit one of the other baths," said Boralis. "Let us
pay it no mind and enjoy our bath together."
"Yes." Ellie nodded. "Of course."
"Ahhh..." Boralis sighed. "It does feel wonderful..."
"I can feel my fatigue melting away..." said Ellie.
Thump thump thump thump thump...
"Hm?"
"Are those footsteps...?"
Ellie and Boralis turned to look towards the changing area, where they
could hear the sound of feet thumping on the ground. And then, the door
burst open.
"Yahoo! Hot springs, hot springs!" Not taking any trouble to hide her
naked body at all, Wyne raced from the changing area and leapt with a great
cheer right into the bath.
"Eek!" Ellie shrieked.
"Watch out!" shouted Boralis.
The two covered their faces with their hands, shielding their eyes from
the splash...but it never came.
"Wh-What?" Wyne said, a hapless expression on her face as she dangled
in midair, mere inches from the water. "What... What?"
"Wyne!" Elinàsze scolded her. "Didn't papa just tell you not to jump in
the bath?" Elinàsze had come in after Wyne. Her arm was extended, and a
magic circle floated before her.
Ellie and Boralis could hardly believe what they were seeing. "Elinàsze,
was that your magic?" Ellie asked.
"It was," Elinàsze answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the
world. Ellie and Boralis could only stare.
"Sh-She can already cast Levitate, at her age?" Ellie whispered to her
guard captain.
"It takes members of our Magic Corps four or five years to master that
spell..." Boralis whispered back.
The two watched as Elinàsze lowered Wyne back down to the side of the
bath. "Now let's get you properly cleaned up," Elinàsze said.
"I'm sorry, Eli-Eli..." Wyne said, bashfully apologizing as the two went
hand in hand to wash themselves off.
"Ha ha!" Elinàsze laughed as Wyne splashed water on her. "The water's
so warm!"
"It is, isn't it? Do me, do me!"
"Yeah, okay!"
The two cheerfully cleaned off each other's bodies as Ellie and Boralis
watched on. Next to them, Rys, Uliminas, Balirossa, and Byleri continued
to noisily blow bubbles under the water.
Blub blub blub blub blub blub blub...
◇Kinosaki Hot Springs Village—Main Street◇
By the time the men had gotten out of the bath, there was still no sign
that Rys, Uliminas, Balirossa, and Byleri were going to emerge anytime
soon.
"Do you suppose it's all right for us to leave them behind?" Ellie asked
as she walked.
Flio was wearing his usual easygoing expression. "It shouldn't be a
problem," he said. "They all know where the inn is. I'm sure they'll be back
by dinnertime."
"I see..." Ellie looked relieved. "All is well, then."
"I'm not worried about Rys and the girls," Flio said, looking over at
something ahead of them. "What I'm worried about is..."
Ellie followed Flio's gaze to see Wyne shouting at a street vendor who
was selling skewers of meat. "More!" she cried. "I want more! Buy me
more, Bora-Bora!" She was holding five skewers in each hand, but as she
shoveled them into her mouth two at a time, it didn't take long at all until
she was again empty-handed.
"M-Miss Wyne, hold on a moment!" Boralis objected. "We're out of
small change..." Turning to address the vendor she asked, "Might we pay
with a hundred-gold coin, sir?"
"What?! One hundred?! I can't give you change, you know. You might
as well buy my booth itself if you're going to pay that much. For one
hundred, I'd happily sell it to you."
"N-Nh..." Boralis hesitated. "I don't think so. I'm going to the
merchants' guild to exchange this for smaller coins. Wait just a moment!"
She ran off down the street at top speed.
"Gimme meat, mister!" Wyne demanded, her cheeks still stuffed full of
food. Her ten skewers had been completely demolished. "More meat! More
meat!"
"Right away! You're a rich little missy, aren't you?! I know you're good
for it, so have all you like!"
"Yay! Meat! Meat!" Wyne jumped in the air for joy.
Flio glanced over at Ellie and smirked. "Should I go pay our food bill,
do you think?"
"O-Oh!" Ellie said. "There's no need! Bor—I mean, my s-sister will be
back soon, I think..." She smiled wryly as she stumbled over the word
sister. "But Wyne certainly eats a great deal."
"Yes," said Flio. "Well, she is a young dragonewt. She's gonna need a
ton of food until she's finished growing."
"A dragonewt..." Ellie murmured in shock. Dragonewts are rare even
among dragons! I can't believe one of them is part of Flio's family...
As she watched, the rare dragonewt set to work on her fresh set of
skewers.
◇Later, at the Inn◇
After they had finished wandering around the town, Flio and the rest
headed back to the inn. It was built halfway up a hill a short way away from
the hot springs.
Although it was not public knowledge, the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode
had a room set aside in this inn for entertaining guests of the state. Many of
the girls serving them had been trained at the knight's academy in Klyrode
Castle.
As they approached their room, Boralis whispered something into Ellie's
ear. "Your Majesty, is this truly acceptable? We will be staying with all of
the other women of Flio's household..." It was just as she said; all the
women in Flio's party were staying together in one big room.
Nearby, Wyne was rolling around on the floor in high spirits. "Yaaay!
We get to stay in an inn!" The rest were speaking animatedly and changing
into the yukata they had been provided.
"There is a room the two of us could stay in together," Boralis
continued. "We have guards among the inn's staff on security duty there all
day and all night..."
"I would rather stay with everyone," Ellie responded, smiling brightly.
"After all, we've come this far together! Besides, could anywhere be safer
than right here?" She pointed across the room, indicating all the powerful
individuals around them. There was Flio's wife: the lupine demon Rys, one
of the most powerful demons of all. There was one of Ghozal's wives: the
hellcat Uliminas. There was Flio's adopted daughter: the dragonewt Wyne.
And finally, Flio and Rys's firstborn: Elinàsze, who could already at her age
use advanced magic.
And I don't see them here, Boralis mused, but Mx. Hiya, the djinn who
commands the origin of light and darkness—and Damalynas, the Grand
Magus of Midnight, master of the black arts—are here as well. I suppose
Her Majesty is correct... "Yes, I see," she said, bowing deep. "It is as you
say, Your Majesty."
But Ellie flicked her on the forehead with her index finger, grinning
mischievously. "What are you saying? I'm just your little sister Ellie! In
what world does one address their younger sister as 'Your Majesty'?"
"A-Ah! Y-Yes! Of course, Ellie." Boralis hastily corrected herself, but
she was obviously uncomfortable addressing her Queen that way.
Ellie giggled at Boralis's behavior. "Now, Boralis, my dear older sister,
would you be so kind as to accompany me to the lavatory? I'm afraid I
would rather not have Flio's household accompany me so far."
"Of course, Your Ma—I mean... Sure, Ellie!"
Boralis almost never got flustered like this. Ellie pressed her hand
against her mouth, doing everything she could to keep herself from
laughing. After a little bit, the two left the room and headed to the public
toilets.
◇Somewhere in the Hot Springs Village◇
"Is this it, Your Divinity?"
"Yes it is, my dear Damalynas."
After Hiya left the bath ahead of the rest of the group, they retrieved
Damalynas from their mindscape, and together they headed for a certain
building in the Kinosaki Hot Springs Village. It was a large building with a
grand, colorful front entrance. It looked like it existed in a different world
from the buildings around it.
"In this building, the Kinosaki Museum of Erotic Art," Hiya said,
"books, paintings, and other artifacts pertaining to sexuality and sexual
culture are gathered from all lands. Whether they be ancient or modern—
made by humans, demihumans, or even demons—all are on display."
"I had no idea there was a place like this hidden between all the hot
springs," Damalynas remarked. "It's the perfect place to take our training to
the next level!"
"Indeed. When I heard of this place from a woman I met by chance in
the hot springs, my eyes must have opened two entire millimeters."
Damalynas was stunned. Usually Hiya's eyes were so narrow it was
hard to tell if they were open or closed. Damalynas had never seen such a
thing in all her time with Hiya. "W-Wow! That much?!"
"And now, when we have at last arrived at the promised land..." Hiya
turned to face the entrance to the Museum of Erotic Art. There was a poster
on the door that read "Closed."
"No... It can't be..."
"To think that I, the djinn who commands the origin of light and
darkness, could make such an error..."
Damalynas and Hiya slumped their shoulders in defeat. They may have
just been shocked, but either way, they didn't move from the spot for quite
some time.
◇Meanwhile, Next to the Inn's Public Toilets◇
As this inn was used by the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode to entertain
important individuals, waiting ladies—skilled fighters hidden among them
—were everywhere, even by the entrance to the toilets, just in case the
worst should happen.
Ellie finished her business, sighed as she readjusted her outfit, and
knocked sharply on the wall. Another knock came in reply. That was a
signal to Boralis in the neighboring stall. Boralis was in charge of Ellie's
security, and had remained on standby just in case.
The two opened the doors to their stalls at the same time. And then,
suddenly, a cloud of inky darkness appeared, filling the women's restroom.
It enveloped not only Ellie and Boralis, but the attendants who were
standing outside.
Nobody moved an inch. It was like time itself had stopped moving
within the darkness. And then, a gap opened. It parted, and in stepped the
devil Belianna. In her hand was the great scythe she had used to cut a hole
into the extradimensional space. She turned to face Ellie.
"Damned Maiden Queen," she said. "You were protected by that
damned group of weirdos the whole time you were in the city, and security
in that inn was damned tight. It was damned hard to catch you in my
Dimensional Rift. Oh well..." She aimed the blade of her scythe at Ellie's
immobilized neck, grinning fiendishly as she prepared to slice. "But the
reward will be worth every damned bit of effort!"
"Miss Ellie!!!" A boy's voice rang out inside the Dimensional Rift. The
boy dove inside at top speed, and scooped Ellie up.
"Wh-What?!" Belianna was caught off guard. She swung her scythe, but
Ellie was already gone. Her slash hit nothing but air. "Damn! Who dares to
get in my damned way?! Dammit!" She glared at the intruder. It was Garyl,
carrying Ellie in his arms. "A damned kid?" she said, surprised to see his
youthful face. "How can you move your damned body inside my
Dimensional Rift?!"
Belianna's Dimensional Rift only affected a small area, but it had the
ability to halt the movement of any living creatures within it. Only she, the
caster, should be immune to the effect.
Garyl, still carrying Ellie, positioned himself in front of Boralis to
protect her and glared down the devil. "Dimensional Rift? What's that? I
just thought I could feel something weird happening in the girl's bathroom."
"Well, isn't that damned interesting," Belianna said. "I suppose I will
just have to kill you f...f...first?" Just as she said that, a look of alarm
crossed her face. Th-This presence! She wheeled around to see a man
wearing a wolf mask. Belianna had seen this man before.
"You!" she said. "The damned Wolf of Justice! To think we would meet
again here!"
Belianna had encountered Flio in his guise as the Wolf of Justice a few
months ago. She had tried to attack him with her deftly wielded scythe but
had somehow ended up losing. She wasn't exactly sure what had happened
herself; she only knew that she'd been captured.
"It's your damned fault I'm on probation!" she shouted. "But vengeance
will be mine!" She dashed forward, swinging her scythe.
The Wolf of Justice held out his hand.
"Hmm..." he said. "Come to think of it, I do remember you. Sorry about
this, but there's a crowd forming outside. It might start a panic if this goes
on any longer."
A magic circle appeared. And the next thing she knew, Belianna was
unconscious.
◇ ◇ ◇
"What?!" Ellie cried as she regained consciousness. There was a boy
right in front of her face.
"Miss Ellie!" he said.
"Y-Yes?!" Ellie exclaimed, flustered and confused.
A look of relief crossed Garyl's young face when he saw she was awake.
"I'm so glad you're okay!" he said. "I kept calling your name, but you
wouldn't wake up. I was so worried..."
Ellie looked again at the boy in front of her, realizing who he was. It was
Garyl. She was lying on the floor with Garyl sitting next to her and holding
her half-upright, supporting her head with his right arm.
Ellie flushed red when she realized what situation she was in. Her
sudden change in color sent Garyl into a panic. "H-Huh?! Miss Ellie, are
you okay?! Mom! Something's wrong with Miss Ellie! Her face went all
red all of a sudden!" The rest of Flio's household was here around them,
Rys included.
"N-No! It's nothing! I'm okay! I'm okay, Garyl! I don't need to be
looked at, I swear!"
"Huh? B-But..."
"I'm okay! I'm okay! Really!"
Garyl looked at Ellie with an expression of concern. Ellie had turned
scarlet in his arms.
Rys watched as the two kept on in that vein, a wry smirk on her face.
"Boralis is unhurt," she said, "and judging by her reactions, Ellie seems fine
as well. So that just leaves..." She turned to look out of the window.
◇In a Forest near the Inn◇
Belianna's eyes shot open. "Wha?!"
"Miss Belianna," the Wolf of Justice said. "May I call you that?" He was
standing nearby, still masked. Belianna still had no idea that under that
mask was Flio.
"Tch," Belianna grumbled. "Looked into my damned mind while I was
unconscious, did you? I don't know who you are or where you're from, but
for calling yourself the Wolf of Justice, you are quite the damned bastard."
Despite her language, Belianna was troubled by the fact that her body
seemed to be completely unhurt.
"I'll admit it..." she said, pulling herself up to sit cross-legged on the
ground. There was a sheet underneath her. It looked like the Wolf of Justice
had placed it there for her. "You've defeated me, the great devil Belianna,
not once but twice. And in a single second no less. You're quite powerful,
Mister Wolf of Justice. But why didn't you kill me? You know how damned
spiteful I am. Aren't you afraid I'll come to kill you again, or your Maiden
Queen?"
"You are correct," the Wolf of Justice said. "When you were
unconscious, I looked into your mind. I apologize for the confusion. It
seems you're trying to accrue enough merit to be made one of the Dark
Army's Infernal Four?"
"Yeah. And I'll do absolutely anything to get it. Do you have a damned
problem with that?"
"And the reason you are in such a hurry to become an Infernal..." the
Wolf continued. "It's your sister, isn't it?"
"Tch. You looked damned deep into my memories..."
"I know. I'm sorry. I have children about your sister's age, you see. I
couldn't help taking an interest."
Belianna sighed heavily. "As you already damned well know," she said,
"my sister is a half-devil. The child of my father and a human woman. And
because of that damned human blood in her, she can't live in demon
territory. Humans are the enemy, after all. But...if I were to become an
Infernal, nobody would raise a damned peep if I let her live in my
mansion."
"You are very kind to your sister," the Wolf of Justice observed.
"What is that supposed to mean? That kindness is why I came to kill the
damned Maiden Queen, your ruler, isn't it?"
"I don't think you need me to tell you," the Wolf pressed on. "But
becoming an Infernal is only a temporary measure."
"What in the damned hells do you know about it..."
"You've come to realize the limits of your power. That's why you're
willing to do anything, no matter how despicable, if only it will get you
chosen as the fourth Infernal. All so you can be with your sister as soon as
possible."
"Shut up." Belianna looked the other way, trying her hardest to ignore
the Wolf of Justice. But he kept talking.
"If you really want to become stronger, I'd be happy to train with you. I
might be able to help. But for now, I will send you home." The Wolf of
Justice extended his arm and spoke a short incantation, conjuring a magic
circle.
"You bastard. You'll regret letting me...go?" Belianna looked up. She
was no longer in the trees near the Kinosaki Hot Springs Village, but in a
forest not far from the Dark Citadel.
She punched the ground as hard as she could, growling in frustration.
"Damned Teleportation! He sent me back! Damn that Wolf of Justice!"
But...what should I do? For a while she stayed there in the forest, staring
into space.
◇Kinosaki Hot Springs Village—The Inn◇
Flio teleported back to the inn. It looked like things had already returned
to normal.
"My lord husband!" Rys cried, running up to him when she noticed he
was back. She was still wearing her yukata.
"Sorry to take so long, Rys," Flio said. "Is everything going well here?"
"Yes. Ghozal used the spell Memory Manipulation to erase all memory
of the incident from the humans at the inn. It's like nothing ever happened.
But what happened with our assassin?"
"We had a bit of a talk, and then I sent her back to the Dark Army's
territory."
"You spared her life again?"
"I did. I don't think she's a bad person."
"If you say so, my lord husband, then it must be the case..." Rys said.
"But if she ever tries to harm you, Garyl, Elinàsze, Wyne, or anyone in the
house...even you won't be able to make me spare her, my lord husband." As
she spoke, her teeth elongated to the distinctive fangs of a lupine demon,
and her eyes shone with light.
Lupine demons have strong pack instincts. Rys thought of their house as
her pack, with her husband Flio at the top of the hierarchy. That put her, his
wife, in the position of aide and advisor. That was why she was so
protective of the household. They were as good as family to her.
"I know," Flio said, his smile as carefree as ever. "I decided to give her
one last chance. But if she attacks us three times..."
Rys put away her fangs, and her eyes returned to normal. "Well, then,
shall we eat? Wyne has already started. If we don't hurry, fairly soon there
may be nothing left."
"You're right. With Wyne's appetite, anything is possible. Let's hurry."
"Let's!"
The two hurried through the hallway, Rys's arm wrapped around Flio's.
Everything was peaceful, like the attack had been only a figment of their
imagination.
◇ ◇ ◇
That night, Flio's household, Ellie, and Boralis gathered in the grand
hall to eat dinner together. Flio went to fetch Blossom and Belano, who had
been holding down the fort, with Teleportation. That way they could at least
join them for dinner.
In the middle of the table was an intimidatingly massive fish. Wyne was
already on her way towards it, breaking out into a run. "Big fish!" she
shouted. "I'm gonna eat it!"
"Hold up, Wyne!" Ghozal shouted. "That fish still needs to be cut into
—"
Munch munch munch... Wyne was already devouring the fish whole.
"What was that, Gho-Gho?" she said between bites.
"Don't call me Gho-Gho! I was looking forward to seeing this famous
sashimi I hear these humans are so good at..."
"Well, then," Flio said. "In that case, shall I order us some more food?"
"Hrm! Good idea, Mister Flio!"
"Yay!" Wyne cheered. "Another fish! Another!"
"Wyne!" Ghozal snapped. "You..."
Wyne and Ghozal kept on like that, while the other guests chatted
happily to each other.
"I-Is Wyne always like that?" Ellie asked.
"Pretty much!" said Garyl. "Big sis Wyne's always fun, and nice, and
cheerful..."
"I see!" Ellie laughed.
Boralis watched Ellie and Garyl with a fond smile on her face as Ellie
burst into laughter at the sight of Uliminas barging into Ghozal's argument
with Wyne to hit him on the head with a giant paper fan. I don't know if I've
ever seen Her Majesty enjoying herself so much! I suppose this is another
boon from our cooperation with Lord Flio's house... She took a bite of food,
enjoying the happy sight.
◇ ◇ ◇
Wh...What happened? Ellie thought, a look of distress on her blushing
face. I can't seem to remember! Let me see... Last night, after dinner, myself
and a few others went for another visit to the baths before bed. Right?
"Zzz... Big sis..." Garyl mumbled in his sleep.
The truth was this: Garyl had left the men's bedroom in the night to use
the toilet, but on his way back, he accidentally entered the women's room.
Mistaking Ellie for Wyne, he crept into bed with her to sleep cuddled up
with the girl he thought was his sister.
What? Ellie thought. Did he just call me his big sister? Does he think
I'm Wyne? What... What do I do?
Just as she was wondering how she was going to get out of this situation,
the actual Wyne appeared. "Mrrh..." she mumbled sleepily. "I'm over here,
Gare-Gare..." She grabbed Garyl by his yukata and pulled him into bed with
her. Wyne wrapped her arms around her brother and immediately fell back
to sleep.
"Zzz..." Garyl mumbled again. "Big sis..."
The two slept on soundly.
Ellie breathed a sigh of relief to be alone in her bed again. I can't
imagine he came in here to do anything untoward, she thought. Garyl may
be quite the robust young lad, but he is still a child. Although he is quite
robust...especially his chest, and arms... Ellie shook her head. Wh-What am
I thinking?! Get it together! Don't humiliate yourself!
Ellie, once again blushing furiously, pulled the blanket over her head.
She pretended to be asleep until the others began to rouse.
◇ ◇ ◇
They roamed around the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode for another week
after their visit to the hot springs. Nobody realized that the Maiden Queen
was among them, and the observations she had made while traveling
undercover proved tremendously useful in governing the kingdom. But the
people around her did take note that the Queen was spending more and
more of her time between her official duties lost in her thoughts...
◇Houghtow City—Flio's House◇
A few days after they returned home from their trip, Garyl was in the
living room playing with Sybe in its unicorn rabbit form, a big smile on his
face. "Dad, that trip was so much fun!"
Flio smiled back at his son. "I'm glad you had a good time! Your father
did too!"
"Um..." Suddenly, Garyl ran up to him.
"Hm? What is it, Garyl?"
"It's just..." he started, clearly a little embarrassed. "Will we be able to
see Miss Ellie again?"
Flio gave his son his usual easygoing smile. "Of course!" he said. "I'm
sure of it."
"We will?" Garyl beamed. "Ehe hee... I can't wait!"