Chapter 74 - Flio and the Oni Village

The world of Klyrode was a world of sword and sorcery, of magic beasts

and demihumans, where humans and demons had waged war since time

immemorial. That came to an end, however, when the Magical Kingdom of

Klyrode—the greatest of the human kingdoms—signed a peace treaty with

the Dark Army, marking the beginning of friendly relations between

humanity and demonkind.

Recently, the Dark Army has begun establishing a strong social order

centered around the Dark One Dawkson. Many demons refuse to amend

their thinking from the belief that might makes right, but after persistent and

stubborn negotiations, some of their number have shown themselves to be

willing to lend an ear. Progress, however, has been slow, and the Dark One

Dawkson has been very busy with errands in every corner of his territory.

Meanwhile, the Maiden Queen of the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode has

been establishing her own ruling court with her sisters serving as her left

and right hands—the Second Princess, who has taken on diplomatic duties

for the kingdom, and the Third Princess, who handles domestic affairs. With

their help, the Magical Kingdom has been swiftly addressing its lingering

troubles both internal and external, ushering in an age of glory unmatched

in the whole history of the kingdom.

All seems to be well for the two peoples, but what issues may arise to

trouble this newfound peace? The stage is set. The curtains rise...

◇Houghtow City—Houghtow College of Magic◇

Flio looked up at the clear blue sky as he passed through the gate to the

Houghtow College of Magic. "Another sunny day," he remarked, smiling

his usual easygoing smile.

Flio was a merchant from another world who had been summoned to

Klyrode as a candidate for the position of Hero. The blessing he was

granted upon his arrival gave him mastery of every spell and skill to exist in

the world. Now he had become the manager of the Fli-o'-Rys General Store

along with his wife Rys, a lupine demon formerly of the Dark Army. The

couple had four children together: a son and two daughters, as well as an

adopted dragonewt.

Rys sidled up close as they walked along. When they had first met, she

had regarded him as an enemy, but after a crushing victory at Flio's hands,

she chose to stay by his side as his wife. She adored her husband to a

somewhat excessive degree and was something of a mother to everyone

who had come to live in Flio's house.

"Is it really necessary for you to bother yourself with resupplying the

merchandise, my lord husband?" Rys asked, looking up at him with a

dissatisfied pout. "Surely you could leave this to the supply teams as usual,

or else allow me to do it for you! Say but a word, and I will have it done in

a moment!"

Flio smiled warmly back at his wife. "I trust both you and the supply

teams, of course!" he said. "But I've always thought it was important for a

manager to see how things have been going firsthand once in a while. And

besides..."

"Besides?" Rys asked.

"We've been so busy with everything going on lately that we've had

hardly any time for just the two of us. I thought it might be nice to go on a

little date together...if that's no trouble anyway!" Flio blushed shyly and

glanced at the ground.

A moment passed, and then Rys's face—indeed, her entire upper body—

turned bright red so suddenly it seemed to make an audible sound. She

wrapped her arms around his. "O-Of course! It's no trouble at all! You're

quite right—it's nice to go out like this from time to time, isn't it?!" The

tufts of hair on her head wiggled like the ears of a very excited wolf, while

the tail Rys had unconsciously materialized wagged happily back and forth.

Oh, Rys... Flio thought, wincing reflexively. You let your tail out again!

But as he thought about it, his usual easygoing smile returned. Well, on the

other hand, with the world like it is now, that might not be much of a

problem anymore... Now that there was a peace treaty in place between the

Magical Kingdom of Klyrode and their ancient enemy, the Dark Army,

humans and demons were growing more used to living alongside each other

by the day.

Houghtow City is far from the capital anyway, Flio thought. People here

have always been accepting of demihumans and demons that aren't

affiliated with the Dark Army. There's plenty of kids of all species in the

lower-grade classes our own children attend at the Houghtow College of

Magic. That kind of attitude seems like it's been spreading further by the

day. I'd be surprised if anyone in the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode would

even bat an eye at a demon these days. It's been wonderful to see. In my old

world, humans persecuted and oppressed demihumans, but in this one,

discrimination like that seems to be slowly but surely vanishing. It's nice to

think I was able to help make that happen... He looked back at his wife Rys.

"My lord husband?" Rys asked, cocking her head curiously. "Is

something the matter?"

"Oh, not at all!" Flio said, smiling. "I was just thinking about how lucky

I am that I get to be with you like this, Rys."

Rys's face once again went bright red at her husband's words. "M-MMy lord husband!" she exclaimed, her earlike hair tufts twitching and her

tail wagging even more furiously than before. "Y-Y-You'll embarrass me if

you say such things out of the blue like that! B-But it does make me very

happy..."

Those tufts on her head are a remnant left over from her wolf form, Flio

thought. I don't think they're actual ears, but they sure do move to express

her emotions, just like her tail... He smiled shyly at Rys's exuberance. "WWell," he said. "Let's go ahead and make our delivery to the school store.

And once we're finished, maybe we can grab a quick bite to eat?"

"O-Our date, you mean!" Rys exclaimed happily. "Of course! I'd be

happy to accompany you!" Rys squeezed Flio's arm tight and rubbed her

cheeks up against his. She was clinging so close that her voluptuous bosom

was pressed right up against Flio's arm, making him blush at the sensation.

Flio awkwardly cleared his throat in an attempt to hide his

embarrassment and resumed walking, heading in the direction of one of the

buildings on the Houghtow College of Magic campus.

Flio was here as a representative of the Fli-o'-Rys General Store, which

operated the school store for the Houghtow College of Magic. It was

necessary for them to make regular visits to provide the store with supplies.

Flio and Rys had decided to make the trip today themselves. They passed

through the gate like always, and headed for the nearest building on the

other side. Inside, Flio stepped up to a window marked "Office" and gave it

a knock.

The window slid open and a middle aged man poked out his head. "Oh,

if it isn't Mister Flio!" he said. "Making a supply run for the school store?"

"Yes, that's right," said Flio, smiling back at the man. "Good afternoon,

Mister Taclyde."

Taclyde was the sole administrator working for the Houghtow College

of Magic. He saw to repairs and cleaning on campus and managed both

tuition and the staff's salaries quite capably all by his lonesome, a feat that

had earned him a great deal of trust from the guardians of the children

enrolled in the lower-grade classes.

"By the way," Flio said. "Didn't I hear something about the Houghtow

College of Magic founding a new security firm?"

"You heard correctly!" answered Taclyde, giving Flio a grin and a

cheesy thumbs-up. "It was a bit of an experiment on our part, to give our

graduating students something to do, but it's been going quite well so far.

We've even lifted the restriction on faculty holding side jobs! We're

planning on forming another company as well, where our graduates can

produce and sell items of their own. In fact, we would really appreciate the

assistance of the Fli-o'-Rys General Store once that project gets off the

ground, if you'd be so kind."

"Of course!" said Flio. "We'd be more than happy to discuss business

with you!"

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while as Rys watched the familiar

scene with a smile on her face.

"Well," Taclyde said, "I shouldn't keep you too long. Oh! And if you're

looking for Garyl and Elinàsze, I believe they're currently practicing their

swordsmanship at the arena. Why don't you stop by to watch once you've

finished your business here?"

"Would that be allowed?" Flio asked.

"It would be no problem at all!" said Taclyde, giving Flio both another

grin and another thumbs-up. "After all the help you've given us, we'd be

thrilled to have you stop by! Besides, the school is open to the public today

so that prospective students can come observe classes. The number of

applicants has shot up lately thanks to those Enchanted Frigates, you know.

It's been good business for the school."

Flio smiled as usual. "We're very happy to hear that!" he said. "In that

case, perhaps I'll stop by to watch after I've made my delivery, if you'll

have us." Taclyde bowed his head, and Flio stepped inside the school.

"That Taclyde man seems quite capable," Rys remarked with a smile as

she walked alongside Flio. "Even Uliminas speaks highly of him, you

know." Underneath her smile, however, Rys was thinking something else.

"Of course, from the perspective of combat power, his strength isn't enough

to register in the slightest. He would be no use at all to my lord husband,

I'm sure."

U-Um...Rys... Flio thought, smirking to himself as the two made their

way down the hall. You know I can hear you, right? Without meaning to,

Rys had been speaking her thoughts out loud. I know Rys has her own way

of thinking about things, and that I'm always on her mind, but I wish she

wouldn't judge people based on how useful they are to me or how good they

are in a fight...

◇Houghtow College of Magic—School Store◇

The school store was located in a three-story building in the very middle

of the Houghtow College of Magic campus. The second and third floors of

the building served as a school dormitory, while the basement was reserved

for storage. The first floor was divided between the school store and

cafeteria, where the students living in the dormitory ate breakfast and

dinner. The food in the cafeteria, like the school store itself, was provided

by the Fli-o'-Rys General Store.

Inside, a woman dressed in a maid outfit was busy cleaning the school

store area with a mop, scrubbing the floor clean with astonishing speed.

When Flio and Rys stepped inside, she stopped what she was doing and

dashed quickly up to them. "Master Flio and Mistress Rys," she said. "I

thank you for your assistance."

"Hello, Tanya," said Flio. "Thank you for your hard work in the school

shop." Tanya lifted up the hem of her skirt in an elegant curtsy.

Tanya had originally gone by the name Tanyalina—an angel from the

Celestial Plane who held immense magic power. She was sent by her

superiors to observe Flio, but she lost her memories after a freak collision

with Wyne. Now she served as Flio's household's live-in maid.

There was a time when the school shop at Houghtow College of Magic

was (mostly?) staffed by students working part-time. However, as the

number of students increased, so did the number of shoppers—along with

the variety of merchandise stocked and the amount of food requiring

preparation. It had reached the point where part-time student workers

simply couldn't keep up with everything that needed to be done. Today the

duty fell to Tanya, who was more than capable of handling the business so

that everything got done on time.

"I've brought the supplies," Flio said. "I'll go ahead and put them on the

shelves." He held out his arm and a magic circle appeared in front of his

outstretched hand. The items began appearing one after another on the

storage shelves in the back of the shop. Flio had been keeping them safe in

his mindscape, so he transferred them directly into storage. "I think that's

everything you requested, but just send me a telepathic message if you need

anything else, okay?"

"Perish the thought, Master Flio," said Tanya, bowing deeply. "It would

not do to make you trouble yourself a second time. If I need something else,

I will be sure to handle it myself."

You know, Flio thought, frowning, Tanya's been focusing on her work at

the school store, but she still manages to do all of the house's cleaning and

laundry. I just hope she's finding the time to rest too. I'm worried about

her... "It seems like there's quite a few people staying in the dorms," he

said. "Don't hesitate to tell me if you ever find yourself short-staffed. I'll

take care of it right away."

"I thank you for your offer, but it is wholly unnecessary," said Tanya,

bowing deeply once again. "I will bear it in mind, however, should such an

impossibility ever come to pass." She had already begun checking the items

in storage with her own magic even as she spoke with Flio, making sure

that their stocks had been properly replenished.

Ordinarily, it was the Fli-o'-Rys General Store Supply Team who made

these supply runs—the members of the Silent Listeners, the Dark Army's

former intelligence apparatus. They delivered the items by wagon, and

needless to say, they took much longer to complete the task than Flio.

"Oh, by the way..." Flio continued. "Didn't Wyne and Rylnàsze say they

were going to stop by the College of Magic today?"

"Yes, Master Flio," Tanya answered with a curtsy. "I believe they are at

the school's magic beast pasture, along with Young Mistress Folmina and

Young Master Ghoro. There is no need to worry for their safety—I have

been keeping a watchful eye on their condition using my Clairvoyance

spell." Her left eye, which was a different color from her right, was shining

with light, a sign that the spell Clairvoyance was indeed in effect.

"Thank you for all you do to look after the children, Tanya," Flio said,

giving the angel maid a casual wave goodbye. "In that case, perhaps we'll

pay them a visit before we stop by the arena."

"It is the least I could do for any member of your household, Master

Flio," said Tanya, bowing. And most especially, if I take my eyes off Young

Mistress Wyne for even a moment, she's liable to start taking off her clothes

in public... she thought, the light in her eye growing brighter with renewed

determination.

◇Houghtow College of Magic—Magic Beast Pasture◇

In one corner of the Houghtow College of Magic campus was a large

open field where the school kept magic beasts for the students to practice

their skills at taming magic, enchantment spells, and mounted combat. Near

the middle of the pasture stood a particularly enormous black-furred magic

beast, growling dangerously. It was crouched low on its hind legs, fangs

bared as it menaced the boy before it—Garyl's classmate Sadjitta.

Sadjitta was capable of casting a healthy mix of offensive and defensive

spells, but his abilities in both were somewhat lacking. He saw himself as

Garyl's rival and set himself against him at every opportunity, but alas, it

was not a competition he had any hope of winning.

Sadjitta's knees gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, staring back at

the magic beast. "Wh-Wh-What's with this magic beast? It won't listen to

me at all! And here I was gonna shut Garyl up for good by taming the

biggest beast in the school..." The beast seemed clearly furious with

Sadjitta. It was menacing him dangerously, and looked like it might attack

at any moment.

"No, no, bad magic beast!" a small girl wearing a wide-brimmed hat

called out as she ran up to the scene. "You shouldn't yell at people like

that!"

It was Rylnàsze, Flio and Rys's youngest child. She had a natural

affinity for taming and got along well with magic beasts of all sorts. Thanks

to her natural talent, she had started helping out in the Houghtow College of

Magic magic beast pasture despite being too young to attend school herself.

"Wh-Wh-What's going on, Rylnàsze?" Sadjitta pleaded. "It was so

docile when you were feeding it... Why did it suddenly lose its temper like

that?!"

"This magic beast is very sweet, but it also has a lot of pride," Rylnàsze

explained to the distressed boy. "It only makes sense for it to get angry after

you got in its face like that and said, 'Hey! Magic beast! I'm gonna make

you my familiar, so show some gratitude!'" In fact, the smaller magic beasts

drawing closer all around them seemed quite upset at Sadjitta for his

behavior as well.

"D-D-Did I say that...?" Sadjitta asked, looking frightfully between the

beast and Rylnàsze.

"Well, that aside, I need to calm the magic beast down!" said Rylnàsze,

flapping her hands as she approached.

The black-furred magic beast was quite large—more than five times

Rylnàsze's size—and right now, it was controlled by its considerable anger.

Enraged, it raised its right forepaw to swipe at Rylnàsze.

"Eeek!" Rylnàsze shrieked, her eyes going wide. Immediately, the magic

beasts in the area all gathered in front of Rylnàsze to protect her.

"Hey!" came Wyne's voice from overhead. "Leave Ryl-Ryl alone-alone,

or you're gonna answer to me!"

Wyne was a dragonewt, said to be the mightiest warrior among all of

dragonkind. Flio and Rys once rescued her when she had collapsed on the

side of the road, however, and adopted her into their family. She had since

become a doting older sister to Elinàsze and the other children.

Wyne dived from the sky, aiming a headbutt at the black-furred magic

beast's skull. Their heads collided with a sickening crack and the beast

staggered back, glaring daggers at Wyne, who had bashed it with her own

cranium.

"Hmph!" Wyne said, rubbing her head as she glared back. "You've got a

pretty hard head-head!"

"B-Big sister Wyne!" Rylnàsze said, hurrying up to the dragonewt with

a cold towel in her hand and a worried look on her face. "That magic

beast's body is exceptionally hard, you know! And its head is the hardest

part of all!" The crowd of smaller magic beasts surrounding her followed

suit, gazing at Wyne with worried expressions of their own.

"Nothing to worry about!" Wyne declared, giving Rylnàsze and the

beasts a great big grin. "Your big sis Wyne is invincible-invincible!" She

lowered herself to all fours and her dragon tail appeared from her behind,

sticking out of the poncho-style outfit she was wearing. The tail turned

silver and split into two as silver dragon scales spread over Wyne's entire

body like metallic armor. "Grrrrrr!" she growled a warning in a dragon-like

voice as she glared down the magic beast. Finally, her poncho split apart,

revealing a great pair of silver wings. However frightening she had been

before, in this form she was many, many times more intimidating. The

black-furred magic beast flinched back in fear.

Rylnàsze, however, watched her big sister's transformation with shining

eyes, as if she had completely forgotten that the magic beast was even there.

"Oh my gosh, wow!" she gushed. "Amazing, big sister Wyne! That was

evolution! I've never seen a draconic evolution before!"

Folmina and Ghoro ran up when they saw what was happening as well,

abandoning their work changing out the straw for the magic beasts to sleep

on. Folmina and Ghoro were Ghozal's children with his two wives, the

hellcat Uliminas and the human Balirossa—Folmina with Uliminas and

Ghoro with Balirossa. Both of them treated all three of their parents equally

as family. Folmina was a girl and was infatuated with Garyl, while Ghoro, a

boy of few words, was equally infatuated with his sister Folmina.

"That was incredible, Wyne!" said Folmina. She was still carrying a

large bale of straw in her arms. "Amazing! Super awesome!"

"It was..." agreed Ghoro. "You were cool..."

Suddenly, Wyne found herself surrounded by people gazing at her with

envy and awe. "I am-am?" she said happily. "You think I'm cool-cool?"

◇ ◇ ◇

Soon, the staff of the Houghtow College of Magic came running to the

magic beast pasture, responding to the panic alarm Sadjitta had pressed.

Belano and Minilio were at their head.

Belano had once served a knightly company at Klyrode Castle as a

witch. She was slight of build, shy, and unable to use any spells other than

defensive magic. After quitting the knighthood, she had come to live at

Flio's house and worked as a teacher at the Houghtow College of Magic.

Minilio, meanwhile, was a magic doll created by Flio as an experiment.

He had been given the name Minilio because he resembled a younger

version of Flio himself. Minilio and Belano had since gotten married and

had a child named Belalio. These days, Minilio would spend his time

assisting Belano at the College of Magic. It was through that work, in fact,

that the two of them had first gotten close.

Belano's shoulders heaved with effort from running as she stared

blankly at the scene playing out in the middle of the pasture. The other

teachers around her seemed no less at a loss. After all, they had arrived to

see Wyne surrounded by Rylnàsze, Folmina, and Ghoro, all gazing at her

with eyes that seemed to practically sparkle.

"Big sister Wyne, how were you able to evolve your wings like that?"

asked Rylnàsze.

"I wanna see more of your moves, Wyne!" demanded Folmina. "That

was super cool!"

"I wanna see more too..." agreed Ghoro.

"I was cool-cool?" echoed Wyne, posing for her admirers. "Then come

see more-more!" She looked absolutely thrilled at the attention.

"Excuse me..." said Belano, approaching Sadjitta, who had pressed the

panic button. He was sitting on the ground, slumped over. "Sadjitta...? What

happened...?"

"O-Oh, u-um, Miss Belano..." Sadjitta said, pointing a trembling finger

towards the magic beast behind Wyne. "Th-That magic beast went crazy..."

Belano and the other teachers looked where Sadjitta was pointing, more

confused than ever. The black-furred magic beast was sprawled out, lying

on its back with its belly exposed.

The magic beast had forgotten itself in its rage at Sadjitta's attitude, but

that headbutt from Wyne had returned it to its senses. Realizing right away

that it had no hope of defeating the newly evolved Wyne, it adopted a pose

of absolute submission.

"That magic beast went crazy...?" Belano asked.

"Y-Yes...that's right..."

"But," said Belano, looking between the panicked Sadjitta and the magic

beast, "right now it's showing submission..."

Just then Tanya appeared from behind, moving with extraordinary

speed. In her hand, she clutched a pair of panties, her gaze fixed on Wyne.

It had been forgotten in the excitement, but the silver scales that appeared

on Wyne's body during her evolution had torn her clothing to shreds,

including, naturally enough, her underwear. As such, she was very nearly

entirely naked.

"Young Mistress Wyne!" Tanya said, both of her eyes shining with a

bright light. "You removed your underwear again!" Angel wings appeared

from her back, increasing her speed even further.

"Gwah!" Wyne cried, her eyes opening wide in shock at seeing the maid

so close already. "Tan-Tan!" She took off as fast as she could.

"Wait right there, Young Mistress Wyne! Be a good girl and put on your

underwear!"

"No way!" Wyne shouted back. "Underwear feels all icky-icky!"

"You must! Now come here!"

"No way, no way!"

Tanya took off after the fleeing Wyne, pursuing her on a merry chase all

around the Houghtow College of Magic.

"Those two are at it again, I see..." said Flio, looking up with a smirk as

he made his way to the magic beast pasture himself to see Wyne soar past

overhead, followed closely by Tanya.

"It's good to see the two of them in such high spirits," said Rys, smiling

as she gazed up as well.

It looked like the chase was going to last for quite some time.

◇Houghtow College of Magic—Arena◇

"Huh?" Garyl said, cocking his head with a puzzled expression on his

face as he looked out the window. "Did something just happen over at the

magic beast pasture?"

Garyl was one of Flio and Rys's children—the younger twin of Elinàsze,

and Rylnàsze's older brother. His ready smile and friendly, good-humored

personality had earned him a great deal of popularity at the Houghtow

College of Magic, and his physical abilities were without peer. Meanwhile,

his older twin, Elinàsze, was a serious-minded young lady and a genius in

magic who absolutely adored her papa Flio.

Elinàsze, who had been carrying a sword and standing beside Garyl, let

out the breath she had been holding. "Well, if big sis Wyne and Tanya have

begun playing chase, I suppose the problem has been resolved." Her eyes

were flashing with all the colors of the rainbow, and the jewel on her

forehead emitted a brilliant prismatic light as it did whenever she released

her full magic power.

Elinàsze had been born with a sacred jewel on her forehead, a sign of the

goddess's blessing. Elinàsze boasted rare abilities when it came to magic,

but it was the gem on her forehead that was the source of her inexhaustible

wellspring of magic power. She had sensed the disturbance happening in

the magic beast pasture and quickly used her magic to learn what was

happening.

Honestly, though... Elinàsze thought to herself as she scanned the area

with her Search spell. I know I'm doing this for Garyl's sake, but helping

out with the fencing club really is such a chore. I really am much better at

magic... Suddenly, her eyes jolted open. That presence! It's hidden by a

weak Concealment spell, but I'd recognize it anywhere! Papa's coming this

way! She clenched her sword arm with determination. I must show papa my

good side! My very coolest and cutest side! Elinàsze had a tendency to

make things more complicated than they had to be when her beloved papa,

Flio, was involved. "Well, now that that's figured out, let's get back to it!

Here I come, Rislei! Take this!" Without missing a beat, she leaped towards

her sparring partner, Rislei.

Rislei, half lichsteed and half human, was Sleip and Byleri's daughter.

She was a serious, hardworking girl and something of a leader figure for the

younger children in Flio's household.

"Wah!" Rislei cried. "Wh-What's with you all of a sudden, Elinàsze?!

Where did all this motivation come from?!"

"There's nothing 'with me' at all!" Elinàsze insisted. "I am always ready

for some action!"

"What?! Eli, you're acting like a completely different person!" Rislei

said, skillfully stepping out of the way of Elinàsze's sword.

"Clever, aren't you?" Elinàsze said, casting a spell without lowering her

sword. A vast array of swords of light appeared from a colossal magic circle

behind Elinàsze's back. "Well, let's see if you can dodge this!"

Rislei's eyes went wide in the face of the sheer number of swords

coming her way. "Wait! Th-That's against the rules!"

Just then, Reptor the lizardfolk boy, one of the children's classmates, ran

up next to Rislei. "I knew she was too much for one of us alone! I've got

your back, Rislei!"

Reptor often came across as standoffish at a glance, but he was an

earnest boy who worked hard to look after the people around him, and he

was quite popular in school too. He had a particular fondness for Rislei.

"Th-Thanks, Reptor!" said Rislei as the two faced off side by side

against Elinàsze.

"Ah ha ha!" Elinàsze laughed. "A perfect handicap! Now, prepare

yourselves!" The swords of light came flying towards Rislei and Reptor, but

as they drew close, they shattered with a high pitched plink, destroyed by

someone else's spell. Belalio had appeared without warning between the

two and Elinàsze, using the spell Teleportation to arrive in time to

neutralize her attack.

Belalio was the child of Minilio and Belano. As the offspring of a magic

doll and a human, they were a being of utmost rarity. Like Minilio, they

resembled a younger Flio in appearance, but they wore androgynous dress,

keeping their gender ambiguous. Belalio would ordinarily be considered too

young to enroll in school, but since both Belano and Minilio worked in the

Houghtow College of Magic, they were able to arrange for their child to be

given special permission to attend. Or rather, an exception was made when

the entrance examination revealed them to have both incredible magic

power and exceptional skill at spellcasting.

"Aha!" said Rislei. "We've got Lio in our corner too! Thanks for the

help!"

"All right!" Reptor cheered. "Let's go, the three of us!"

Belalio nodded silently.

Minilio the magic doll, incidentally, was wholly incapable of producing

vocalizations. It seemed that his child Belalio took after their father in many

respects.

Elinàsze prepared three spells at once to meet the combined forces of

Rislei, Reptor and Minilio, launching blades of light one after another.

Belalio destroyed the projectiles using their own magic as they came the

party's way, but Elinàsze was summoning them faster than Belalio could

keep up. Even fighting three against one, Elinàsze had them on the ropes.

"Ah ha ha ha ha!" she cackled. "Three of you, is it? No problem

whatsoever! This is the perfect opportunity to show papa how dashing—yet

adorable—I can be!"

Garyl smirked knowingly as he watched the battle from the sidelines.

"That sister of mine always starts acting like a different person whenever

dad's about to show up..." he mused, only half aware that he was speaking

out loud. "But if she's shooting for dashing and adorable, I'd say she landed

somewhere more in the territory of a final boss fight. It reminds me of when

Uncle Ghozal starts going all out..."

"U-Uncle Ghozal?!" Elinàsze exclaimed, visibly panicking at Garyl's

words.

"Ah!" said Rislei. "Eli's open!"

"Get her!" cried Reptor.

Not wanting to let their chance go to waste, Rislei and the other children

rushed forward as one.

Huh? Garyl thought to himself, furrowing his brow as the fight turned

against his sister. Did I say something I shouldn't have...?

"I wish you wouldn't ignore me so, Lord Garyl. Won't you tell me if I'm

holding my sword correctly?" Salina cooed, sidling up beside him. Salina

was a young noblewoman who admired Garyl and specialized in water

elemental magic. She too had joined the fencing club in order to support

Garyl, the object of her affection. She had shown up dressed lightly,

showing off a somewhat excessive amount of bare skin. Ostensibly this was

for the sake of maneuverability, but the truth is that she was hoping the

outfit would attract Garyl's attention.

"Oh!" said Garyl. "Sorry, my bad! Um...you should be holding it a little

more like this..." He took Salina's hands in his to correct her guard, his

upper body pressing against hers from behind.

Eheee?! Salina screamed internally, her face turning red as her breath

came out hot and heavy. L-L-Lord Garyl is about to push me to the ground!

Oh... To think I should be poised to have my first time at this very moment!

Her mind raced with all sorts of frantic delusions, imagining all the things

Garyl might do to her after forcing her down...

"Mreowr!" Suddenly, Salina's face was smothered with a plush black

cat, snapping her out of her happy state. It was Irystiel, wearing the same

black gothic lolita dress she wore day-to-day and pressing her plush doll

onto Salina's face.

"Mrgf!" Salina cried.

Irystiel was another of Garyl's admirers, a girl with an affinity for curse

magic. She was the younger sister of none other than Belianna, one of the

Dark Army's Infernal Four, but that was a fact she had kept secret from her

classmates. She too had joined the fencing club in order to show her support

for Garyl.

"Quit hogging Garyl to yourself!" the plushy snapped, Irystiel skillfully

using her ventriloquism to manipulate its voice. "Irystiel says he's supposed

to be teaching her too! Mreowr!"

"Excuse me?!" Salina huffed. "Garyl was merely helping me with my

stances! You can learn from our instructor Miss Murasame, like all the other

good boys and girls!"

"Shut it!" said the plush cat. "Irystiel only joined this club so she could

make out with Garyl! Here, listen! She's saying, 'Why should I have to

make out with Miss Murasame instead?!' Mreowr!"

Irystiel was far too shy to say more than a few words using her own

voice, but with the plushy hurling nonstop invective in her stead, she had no

problems expressing her true feelings.

Salina, for her part, showed no sign of backing down before the

foulmouthed doll. Before long, the two were in each others' faces

exchanging barbs of alarming savagery. "Oh no..." said Garyl, frowning as

he watched. "They're not gonna settle down for a while, now that they've

gotten like this..." Just then, a number of miniature dwarves stepped up to

Garyl's feet. They were armed with wooden swords, which they brandished

as they hopped and pranced around him. It looked as if they were

performing some sort of dance. "Oh! Did Snow Little summon these

dwarves?"

"Tee hee hee!" giggled the girl in the white dress standing behind Garyl,

daintily hiding her mouth with her fingertips as she stepped up behind him.

"Well spotted, Lord Garyl! I would expect nothing less." This was Snow

Little, a fable folk girl with a talent for summoning magic who Garyl had

inadvertently charmed. Her older sister, Snow White, had been one of the

candidates for the Dark One Dawkson's hand in marriage, but as with

Irystiel's sister, that detail was not shared with the others at the school. She

wasn't a member of the fencing club, but stopped by frequently to show

support for Garyl.

"It's really cool how many different kinds of familiars you can

summon!" said Garyl. "Did these dwarves come from a story too?"

"Quite right!" Snow Little confirmed. "These seven dwarves appear in a

fairy tale from another world, as protectors of a princess. Lord Garyl, as my

own body is too weak to wield a sword, I would like you to train them in

my stead." With a delicate motion, she took Garyl's arm in her own.

"U-Um... Snow Little?" Garyl asked.

"W-Well, you see..." Snow Little explained. "Like this, you should be

able to control my servants the same way I do. Now, Lord Garyl, the

dwarves await your instruction." She pressed up even closer to Garyl's arm

as she spoke, until her chest was squishing against him.

"Well, I do appreciate letting me use your dwarves..." said Garyl,

smiling a little stiffly. "But I can do that without us sticking so close to each

other, you know?" He pulled his arm away from Snow Little in favor of

simply holding her hand.

Garyl, as it happened, was quite correct. The smallest amount of body

contact was all that was needed to share control of the creatures summoned

by the fable folk's power. It was wholly unnecessary for Snow Little to

cling to Garyl's entire arm like that.

"I suppose that is true..." Snow Little admitted, sounding distinctly

disappointed.

"No worries!" Garyl said with a knowing grin. "I'll train them properly

for you. Here!" As he promised, the dwarves began a set of sword drills

following Garyl's instructions.

As all this was happening, the advisor of the fencing club, Murasame,

watched from across the room with her arms folded stoically in front of her

chest. Murasame, who had descended from the oni people that originally

hailed from the Land of the Rising Sun, was a woman of few words and an

expert sword fighter. She had been making her living as a mercenary until

she chanced upon a security job for the Houghtow College of Magic.

Taclyde had scouted her on the spot, and hired her to be the college's

fencing instructor.

Hmm... she thought. Things seem the same as ever... She stood with her

sword stowed in the sheath on her belt, neither moving the slightest muscle

nor speaking a single word as she watched over the arena.

There was an audience in attendance as well, watching from the

spectator's seats on the arena's second floor. Most of them were either

female students or residents of Houghtow City—ninety percent female as

well—who had shown up for the chance to watch Garyl in action. The

Houghtow College of Magic had opened its campus to the public that day in

order to spread word of its latest developments, and many of the women

living in town had leaped at the opportunity to see Garyl in the flesh after

all the rumors they had heard about his breathtakingly good looks. Between

them and the girls who already attended the school, the stands were packed

full with spectators.

Many of the women watching hissed in complaint at the sight of Garyl

holding Snow Little's hand.

"What does that girl think she's doing?"

"Lord Garyl's hand should belong to me!"

"She is a little cute I suppose, but... Ohhh! It makes me so mad!"

A girl seated at the very end of the back row, meanwhile, sighed in

exasperation as she watched. "I came all this way from the capital because

my uncle, Commander MacTaulo, told me I could find an excellent

swordsman here. But I suppose my trip was wasted..." I'd heard so much

about that boy Garyl, she thought, but all he's doing is doting on all these

girls and helping them with their own sword technique. I haven't seen him

make a single move himself! And that instructor...Murasame, was it?

There's no sign that she actually does any teaching here. Well, I suppose

this is the best you can expect from a school in the middle of nowhere...

Sighing once more, the girl stood up from her seat, her blonde pigtails

bobbing as she made her way for the exit.

Flio and Rys appeared in the stands just as the girl was making her

leave. "It looks like they're still waiting to get started," Flio observed.

"Excellent!" said Rys as the pair made their way to an empty seat in the

stands. "I would hate to come all this way only to miss Garyl's mock battle

with the fencing club advisor!"

The girl with the pigtails, alas, was already long gone.

◇Houghtow City—Blossom Acres◇

Flio's house stood some ways outside the walls of Houghtow City. He

had originally purchased the dwelling after it had been abandoned by its

former residents in the wake of an attack by magic beasts sent by the Dark

Army. At the time it had been a modest single-story house, the perfect size

for Flio and Rys alone, but Flio had expanded the building as the house's

population swelled far beyond the initial two. By now it had become a

luxurious four-story estate featuring an underground basement. In front of

the house was a large pasture for equine magic beasts and demon horses,

which Sleip and Byleri operated as husband and wife, and farther past that

lay an enormous swath of farmland that Blossom managed.

"Clear blue skies again today!" Blossom declared, wiping the sweat off

her brow as she looked up at the sky. "Perfect weather for a bit of

farmwork!"

When Flio had first met Blossom, she'd been a heavy armor knight in a

company from Klyrode Castle, but when her best friend Balirossa left the

knighthood, she followed her to come lodge at Flio's house. Blossom's

family were farmers, so she was skilled in all manner of agricultural

techniques, and since moving she had established a farm outside of the

estate.

"Shall I deliver these crops to the Fli-o'-Rys General store, then?"

Balirossa asked, looking up from her work packing baskets of fresh

vegetables into the back of a wagon. After quitting the knighthood and

moving in with Flio, Balirossa had begun working at the Fli-o'-Rys General

Store. She had since become one of Ghozal's two wives and the mother of

his son Ghoro.

"That's right!" said Blossom. "I'll leave it to you then! Thanks to all of

your help, our veggies have been selling like hotcakes!"

"Of course!" responded Balirossa. "After all, Sir Ghozal tells me this

farm's produce has become quite well-known in the capital and neighboring

cities as well as Houghtow!"

"Ehe!" Blossom smiled happily. "Well, that's darn good to hear! There

ain't nothing sweeter to a farmer than hearing how much people love the

veggies you grew with your own heart and soul!"

"Incidentally, Blossom, may I ask a question?"

"Hm? What is it, Balirossa?"

"Would you perhaps care to join me for sword training from time to

time?" Balirossa asked. "I'm afraid you've been so busy lately with work

on the farm that you haven't been able to practice."

"Ah ha ha!" Blossom laughed. "That doesn't bother me in the slightest!"

she said, holding aloft her hoe with a grin on her face. "This baby right here

right suits me much better than a sword!"

So she says... Balirossa thought. But she defeated a dragon with that

very hoe, granting her the title of Dragon Slayer and everything...

Back when Balirossa and her companions had first begun living with

Flio, Uliminas once led the Dark Army's legion of dragons to attack Flio's

house in an attempt to gauge the extent of the man's power, only to be

handily driven off. At the time, Blossom had thrown her hoe after the

fleeing dragons as a joke, but Flio imbued it with enchantment magic in

midair, causing the farming implement to succeed in its attack and earning

Blossom the title of Dragon Slayer.

If only I had acted more quickly! Then perhaps I too would have become

a Dragon Slayer... Balirossa lamented, bitter tears coming to her eyes as she

remembered the events of that day.

"Hm?" said Blossom. "Something the matter, Balirossa?"

"N-No, nothing!" Balirossa insisted, quickly wiping away her tears

before Blossom could notice she had been crying. "Nothing at all..." She

went back to packing the wagon with baskets of vegetables, moving just a

little too quickly.

"Well, what's that about?" Blossom wondered aloud, watching her

friend work from behind. "That Balirossa can be a strange one, all right."

"Gwowr!" said Sybe, stepping up next to Blossom. Sybe was a wild

psychobear Flio had once met in a random encounter. Sensing he had no

hope of victory against Flio, however, Sybe had surrendered immediately.

Ever since, he lived as Flio's household pet. He spent most of his time

magically transformed into a unicorn rabbit thanks to one of Flio's spells—

a much less obtrusive magic beast. Now, however, he was in his full

psychobear glory, wide-brimmed straw hat on his head and basket on his

back.

"You finished harvesting the vegetables from the inner fields, Sybe?"

Blossom asked.

"Gworf!" Sybe gave his chest a hearty smack, looking quite pleased

with himself.

"You really are one hell of a worker, Sybe!" Blossom declared. "The

harvest is coming along nicely, thanks to you! Now, how about handing 'em

over to Balirossa!"

"Gworowf!" Sybe nodded, lumbering his way over to Balirossa.

Following along after him came the unicorn rabbit Shebe, carrying her own,

much smaller basket.

Shebe was a wild unicorn rabbit who had taken a fancy to Sybe and

joined the household to be his unicorn rabbit wife. The pair's three children,

Sube, Sebe, and Sobe, trailed after their mother. Between them, Sube and

Sobe had bodies resembling unicorn rabbits, while Sebe looked more like a

psychobear.

"Ah ha ha!" Blossom laughed, cheerfully waving to Shebe and the rest

of the family. "You're all helping out, I see! Thanks a billion!"

"Snuffle!" said Shebe.

"Snuffle!" answered Sube.

"Gworf!" came Sebe's reply.

"Snuffle!" added Sobe, each bowing in order as they greeted Blossom.

"So polite and hard working! Just like your dad!" Blossom said,

watching with a smile as Sybe began helping Balirossa load the wagon.

"This one, on the other hand..." she added, a crease furrowing in her brow

as she turned to look behind her, catching a glimpse of a large straw

between the rows of vegetables in a nearby field. It had been several hours,

and the hat had not changed positions in the slightest. "Hey, Telbyress!" she

called out to the hat in a somewhat exasperated voice. "How long do you

plan on sitting on your butt?"

Suddenly, a goblin popped his head out of the fields a short distance

away. He must have heard Blossom shouting. "Ngh! That wretched nogooddess!" he grumbled. "Is she slacking off again?!" He ran over towards

the straw hat, resting the sickle he had been using to harvest crops on his

shoulder.

This goblin was Hokh'hokton, a former soldier in the Dark Army who

had found employment at Blossom Acres, spending his days working in the

fields. The one he called "no-gooddess" was the fallen goddess Telbyress.

Since she had been exiled from the Celestial Plane, she moved into

Hokh'hokton's quarters, much to the latter's dismay...

Hokh'hokton dashed over with enough force to ruin the earthen ridges

between the rows of crops, making a tremendous sound, but the person in

the straw hat made no sign of moving whatsoever. "Still slacking off

whenever you get the slightest opportunity, I see! You really are a badnatured one, aren't you...?" Sighing, he reached out for the straw hat only

for a gust of wind to carry it away, sending it floating ever so slowly down

to the ground. Where the hat had been lay nothing but a hoe stuck upright in

the earth. With the hat resting on top it had looked from a distance like

Telbyress working in the fields, but it seemed she was in fact nowhere in

sight.

Hokh'hokton picked up the hat and clenched it tight in his hand. "Damn

that no-gooddess!" he declared through gritted teeth. "She's sneaked off

somewhere again to get out of work! Lady Blossom!" he added, turning

towards Blossom and bowing deep in apology. "This is due to my failure of

supervision! I intend to take full responsibility and find this no-gooddess of

ours, if you will grant me permission to leave my post for a short time!"

"R-Right, sure!" Blossom nodded, smirking to herself at Hokh'hokton's

behavior.

"No-gooddess!" Hokh'hokton shouted, dashing off deeper into the

fields, still holding Telbyress's straw hat tight. "Today is the last straw, I tell

you! You'll have one fewer side dish with dinner tonight! And no

accompanying drink! Now where did you go, damn you?! No-gooddess!!!"

"For all he says, he looks after her pretty well, that Hokh'hokton..."

Blossom said, frowning as she watched him go. "He'd be well within his

rights to kick her out, but he's been letting her use his room, even giving her

food. But is that woman really a goddess from the Celestial Plane?

Somehow I just can't see it..."

"She does nothing but slack off at work, and she does nothing but drink

and sleep when she's off duty..." Balirossa agreed, furrowing her brow and

lowering her head.

"Well, even Hiya said she was a goddess, so I suppose it must be true,"

Blossom said, scratching the back of her head. "I suppose the goddesses of

the Celestial Plane come in all types, just like how there were all sorts of

people serving with us as knights..."

"I suppose that makes sense, when you put it that way." Balirossa

nodded, apparently satisfied. "Although, speaking of Hiya, they told me the

other day about some evil rumors coming from the frontier..."

"Oh, you mean those rumors?" Blossom asked. "Those guys who were

hiring people using counterfeit money?"

"That's right. Apparently there's a suspicious group using counterfeit

money to trick mercenaries who lost their jobs now that the Magical

Kingdom of Klyrode and the Dark Army are at peace. It seems quite a

number of people have been harmed already."

"What a thing to do..." Blossom sighed, grimacing. "I suppose there's

gonna be folks doing wicked things like that no matter how much the world

changes. But, well, mercenaries gonna mercenary. They'd be much better

off working here at Blossom Acres—we'd give places to stay and three

meals a day on top of their pay, and we never have enough help. Why, I'd

even hire a cat if one showed up looking for a job! I sure could use a

helping paw around here!" Suddenly, Blossom felt a number of paws

pressing against her back. "Hm?" she said, looking behind her to see Sybe

and the rest of his family.

"Gwowrf!"

"Snuffle!"

The assorted critters nodded with conviction, apparently able to

understand Blossom's words. They seemed to be saying, "We'll help too!"

"Ah ha ha!" Blossom laughed. "Thanks, you guys! A paw from you is

always a big help! How 'bout I treat you to a good meal once we're done

here?"

Sybe's family cried out happily.

"In that case, let's get this harvest to Fli-o'-Rys!" Blossom said,

boarding the driver's seat of the wagon, which was now fully stuffed with

produce. "I have a feeling it's gonna be another big day at the market!"

As if on cue, Sybe moved to the front of the wagon and got ready to

pull. Shebe, Sube, Sebe, and Sobe, meanwhile, lined up behind the wagon

and used their forelegs to give it a push for all they were worth.

Balirossa watched the magic beasts at work with a nod of appreciation.

"Sybe and his family really are hard workers, aren't they? If only Madame

Telbyress would learn from their example..."

"Although I gotta say," Blossom added, "if I ever saw that no-gooddess

of ours hard at work of her own accord, it would be pretty unsettling in its

own way."

"You are quite right, unfortunately," said Balirossa, as the two shared a

dark chuckle at Telbyress's expense.

◇Meanwhile—The Foothills Outside Blossom Acres◇

"Huh?" muttered a woman, narrowing her eyes and glancing off in the

direction of Blossom Acres as she sat on a rock in the foothills nearby. "Did

I just hear a voice?"

This woman, of course, could only be Telbyress. Once a goddess of the

Celestial Plane, Telbyress had neglected her divine work so disastrously

that she had been exiled from the Celestial Plane itself. She invited herself

into Hokh'hokton's house where she stayed to this day, helping out at

Blossom Acres. But between her love of alcohol and sheer natural laziness,

she found herself spending her days always being scolded by Hokh'hokton

for one thing or another.

"I swear," she muttered to herself, "the people of thish world jus' won'

give me the respect I desherve! I used to be a goddessh, you know! I was in

charge of a whole entire world! I'm a higher being—way more important

than shome angel!" With that, she drained the rest of the glass she had in

her hand. "Pwahh!" she cried. "Burns goin' down! Tha's good shtuff..."

Telbyress took the bottle she had set down beside her in her arms and

held it tight like a lover, nuzzling her cheeks against it with a thoroughly

enchanted expression on her face.

"Butcha know," she slurred, "I've gotten a bunch of my goddessh work

done already... They're not gonna punish me jus' for takin' it eashy on thish

planetoid world for a li'l bit. Tha's right! Thish is jus' me rechargin' my

energy! Ish a preshent from my pasht self for workin' so hard! Eh hee

hee..."

This time, Telbyress took the bottle itself to her lips, draining the whole

thing in one go. "Ngwah! Hic... Pwahhh!" she exclaimed, her smile

growing more slovenly still. "Burnsh the throat! Long live liquor! Long live

the fallen life!" she cried, toasting for all she was worth. "Ha ha hahh!

Hokh'hokton may have taken away all the liquor I had hidden in my room,

but I bet even he'll never think to look in a place like thish..."

As she spoke, Telbyress reached under the root of the great tree she was

resting her back against. At a glance it looked like nothing was out of the

ordinary, but when Telbyress withdrew her arm, she was holding a new

fresh bottle in her hand. She had used her own magic to create a hidden

liquor cabinet underneath an unassuming tree.

"Hee hee hee hee hee!" she laughed, her face red and her mouth slack

from drunkenness. "Hokh'hokton'll jus' take it if I leave it in th' houshe, so

I hid it here inshtead!"

Just then, Telbyress heard Hokh'hokton's voice once more—much

closer than it had been last time. "Come out, you no-gooddess! Where are

you, confound it?!"

"Hawawah?!" Telbyress exclaimed, jumping wide-eyed to her feet.

Gone was the cheerful disposition she had had only a second ago. "O-Oh

no! Thish is bad! Thish is very bad!" She rushed to return the bottles to

their hiding place. "If Hokh'hokton findsh my liquor, he'll take aaall of it!"

she said to herself before calling back. "Y-Yesh! Telbyressh ish right here!

And shtop calling me a no-gooddesh!" Her arms flailing wildly, she ran as

fast as she could in the direction of the voice.

"Hm?! So there you are, no-gooddess!" came Hokh'hokton's voice.

"I tooold you, shtop calling me a no-gooddessh!" Telbyress protested as

she ran off, leaving behind the small hillock and the great tree she had

converted into a hiding place for her liquor.

◇Houghtow City—Fli-o'-Rys General Store◇

As Flio and Rys were out visiting the Houghtow College of Magic, the

Fli-o'-Rys General Store was gearing up for another busy day. The city of

Houghtow was located in the frontier of the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode,

a great distance from the capital, but its remote location didn't seem to be

doing anything to stem the flow of customers making their way into the

shop.

"I'm telling you," one adventurer said to another as the two of them

approached the front door. "This shop's got better stuff for sale than

anywhere in the capital!"

"And with the Enchanted Frigate Station right next door, getting here is

a snap!" the other agreed.

Indeed, the enormous ship—an Enchanted Frigate—flew above the

adventurers' heads even as they spoke. The station outside the Fli-o'-Rys

General Store had flights leading to every other station in service and

accordingly saw even more traffic than the Enchanted Frigate Station in the

capital of Klyrode Castle Town. Houghtow had become quite well-known

for the sight of Enchanted Frigates in the sky overhead. No small number of

tourists, in fact, had visited the city expressly to see the spectacle with their

own eyes.

"Huh?" one of the adventurers said, stopping in his tracks as he stepped

foot inside.

"What's wrong?" the other asked.

"I dunno..." he said, looking all around and cocking his head curiously.

"Maybe it's just my imagination, but this place looks bigger on the

inside..."

"Now that you mention it, it does kinda feel that way," his friend said.

"But more importantly, let's hurry up and check out the weapons! I've

heard the ones they have here are something else!"

"R-Right, good idea!" At his companion's urging, the man put aside his

confusion and made his way to the weapons display.

Near the ceiling, watching the two men from above, was Hiya, the djinn

who commands the origin of light and darkness. Hiya possessed magic

power sufficient to destroy the entire world of Klyrode if the whim took

them, but ever since their defeat at Flio's hands, they had come to revere

him as the so-called Exalted One and lived in his house with the rest of his

family and assorted lodgers.

At present, Hiya was floating in midair, perfectly invisible, their arms

folded and one hand resting on their chin. "Hmm..." they said as they

surveyed the scene below. "I cast the spell Concealment to hide the spatial

distortion inside the shop, but it seems I must hone myself further still if I

am to achieve perfect mastery."

Just as Hiya said, the space inside the Fli-o'-Rys General Store had been

expanded far beyond the original size of the building with an application of

Hiya's own dimensional magic. Given the sheer number of customers

coming daily to visit the shop, it was a necessary measure to prevent them

from needing to place a limit on the number of people allowed inside at

once.

"The Enchanted Frigate has certainly been a boon for business, but the

magnificent items created by the Exalted One are the true reason for this

shop's success," Hiya opined, nodding as they kept an eye on the store. "As

his humble servant, I find myself ever in awe."

Suddenly, Hiya was startled out of their thoughts by the sound of a

man's angry shouting. "What was that?!" he exclaimed over the noise of the

shop. Hiya looked, and saw a large man standing in front of the register,

taking out his temper on Uliminas, who was working customer service.

Uliminas the hellcat was Ghozal's closest confederate back when he had

reigned as Dark One. She had accompanied him when he abdicated the

throne, leaving the Dark Army behind. Now, disguised as a demihuman, she

worked at the Fli-o'-Rys General Store. She was one of Ghozal's two wives

and the mother of Folmina.

The large man on the other side of the register from Uliminas had

selected a veritable heap of vegetables for purchase and set them on the

counter next to the pouch of coins he intended to use to pay. "Shopkeep!"

he bellowed. "What did you just say to me?!"

"I said, this meowney's no good!" Uliminas spat back, plucking a single

coin from the man's bag and holding it out in front of his face. "It may be

well-made, but I know a furgery when I see meowne!"

"Preposterous!" the man said, bringing his face right up to Uliminas's. "I

earned that money through honest work!"

The man was nearly twice as large, but Uliminas didn't back down even

a step as the man loomed close. She glared back fiercely. "I don't care

where mew got it! Meow're not pulling the wool over my eyes!"

"What was that?!" the man demanded.

"Mew heard me!" Uliminas answered.

Uliminas and the giant man glared each other down, their faces inches

apart. The shop had gone silent—it seemed like a fight could break out at

any moment. And then a man's voice came from the space behind Uliminas,

cutting through the perilous atmosphere. "Well, I was wondering who it

was!" said Ghozal, sticking his head out of the back room. "If it isn't Ura!"

"Nh!" the man cried in surprise.

Ghozal had ruled over demonkind as the Dark One Gholl until the day

he surrendered his throne to his younger brother Yuigarde and took on a

human form to go live as a freeloader at Flio's house. During their time

living together, Ghozal and Flio had come to be something like best friends.

He had also taken two wives since moving in: Uliminas, who had been by

his side during his days in the Dark Army, and Balirossa, a swordswoman

and former knight.

Even in his human form, Ghozal was enormous—just about as big as the

man who had been squabbling with Uliminas. The man, who Ghozal had

called Ura, stared at his face for a short while before suddenly breaking out

in a wide grin. "Well, what do you know!" he said cheerily, stepping

forward to meet Ghozal. "I didn't recognize you at first in that human form

of yours! It's Lord Gholl, is it not?"

"Ha ha ha!" Ghozal laughed merrily. "It's been quite some time! Glad to

see you're still kicking!"

"I am most pleased to see you in good health as well, Lord Gholl!" said

Ura.

"I'm going by Ghozal these days," Ghozal told him. "I'd appreciate it if

you used that name for me from now on."

The two chatted on for a while, interspersed with loud bouts of laughter.

Then, Sleip stepped out from the back room behind Ghozal. "I don't believe

it!" he exclaimed. "It can't be Ura!"

Sleip had been one of the Dark Army's Infernal Four until he left the

Dark Army during Yuigarde's reign. Now, he spent his days looking after

the equine magic beasts in Byleri's pasture. He and Byleri were as good as

married, even though they'd never had a ceremony. The two of them had a

daughter named Rislei, who Sleip doted on endlessly.

"Oh!" said Ura, the two men sharing a joyful embrace. "You're here as

well, Lord Sleip! Never would I have imagined we would meet again in a

place like this!"

"Like, is this a friend of yours, Lord Sleip?" asked Byleri, appearing

behind the two from the corridor that led deeper into the shop. Byleri had

originally been an archer with Balirossa's knightly company from Klyrode

Castle. When the four knights all quit, Byleri began using her prodigious

skill for handling horses to look after equine magic beasts from the

surrounding area. These days, she lived a blissful life with her common-law

husband Sleip and their daughter Byleri.

"And what have we here?" Ura asked. "Lord Sleip, is this human

woman an acquaintance of yours?"

"Yes, I suppose I should introduce you," said Sleip. "This is my wife

Byleri, the mother of Rislei, my darling daughter."

"Well now, Lord Sleip!" Ura exclaimed, unable to keep from letting out

a boisterous laugh. "Newly married and already a father! What joyous

news!" Then, stepping up to Byleri and bowing gravely, he added, "It is an

honor to make your acquaintance, wife of Lord Sleip. I am Ura, of the oni

—"

"A moment, Mister Ura." Suddenly, Hiya manifested corporeally in the

room, cutting Ura off. "This shop is still in business," they said. "If you

wish to reminisce, perhaps you could make use of the back rooms to discuss

old times at your leisure?" By this point Hiya had heard enough to

understand that Ura was a friend of Ghozal and Sleip's from their time in

the Dark Army. Their goal now was to keep the reunion from interfering

with the shop's other customers.

"Hrm," said Ghozal, understanding Hiya's concern. "Fair enough. Let's

talk in the back." He led Ura deeper into the shop.

◇ ◇ ◇

Ghozal, Uliminas, Sleip, and Byleri took Ura to the visitors' room in the

back of the shop, leaving Hiya behind to look after the register.

"Allow me to introduce myself properly," Ura said, bowing politely to

Byleri. "I am Ura of the oni people. I once fought alongside Lord Ghozal

and Lord Sleip as a member of the Dark Army."

"Oh!" said Byleri, returning Ura's bow so deeply that her head

practically touched her knees. "Y-Yes! Like, thank you very much for such

a polite introduction! I'm Byleri, Lord Sleip's wife!"

Uliminas, who was sitting in the chair next to Byleri, seemed surprised.

"So, meowt's going on here?" she asked, frowning in confusion at the sight

of the three demons acting like old friends. "Ghozal and Sleip, mew know

this demeown?"

"Hrm. That's right," said Ghozal. "You didn't start working for me until

after Ura and the two of us parted ways."

"Meow that I think about it, I do remember hearing mew used to have an

oni subordinate..." Uliminas reflected.

"Ura had been around for about as long as Sleip," Ghozal explained.

"They say he was good enough for the Infernal Four, but..."

"He fell head over heels for some woman and left the Dark Army,

saying he was gonna spend his life with her instead."

"Ha ha ha!" Ura said. "Ah, the foolishness of youth. And here I'd

thought I'd heard the last of that whole affair!" Ghozal, Sleip, and Ura all

shared a laugh at the memory.

"I do seem to remeowmber back when Hugi-Mugi the doppeladler was

selected for the Infernal Four, hearing there was some kind of drama with a

demeown who was supposed to get the position..." Uliminas said, smirking

at the three of them.

"That's right." Ghozal nodded, a smile on his face. "That was Ura."

It used to ruin Ghozal's mewd if I so much as meowntioned that whole

affur, so I never asked fur the details of what happened... Uliminas thought,

a smile creeping onto her face at the sight of the three demons looking so

happy to see each other once again. I would have never imeowgined seeing

everyone together like this back when we were in the Dark Army. It's

strange, but I can't help thinking I like things better this way.

"Um..." Byleri said, timidly raising her hand to speak. "Like, I'm glad

everyone's having such a good time...but what were you fighting about

earlier?"

"Oh!" Ura exclaimed. "That's right! I got distracted from the issue at

hand! You, Uliminas! You said my money was fake!" He took out the sack

of coins and slammed it loudly on the table, shouting angrily as if their fight

had never been interrupted. "I earned this money working in a human

kingdom to procure food for the people of my village! How dare you say it

isn't real?!"

"Hrm..." said Ghozal, taking one of the coins from the bag to examine it

himself. Then, furrowing his brow, he placed a hand on the oni's shoulder.

"Ura, I understand how you feel. But calm down for a second, would you?

I'm sure you worked for this money. You aren't the sort of man who would

lie about something like that. But Uliminas is right. These coins are

counterfeit."

"I-It can't be..." said Ura, at a loss for words.

"It's a well-made fake," said Ghozal. "But..." He took the coin in both

hands and snapped it in two. "The surface is only plated with silver. Inside,

it's just low-quality scrap ore."

"I don't believe it!" Ura gasped as everyone gathered around for a look

at the broken coin.

There were three kinds of coins used as currency among the humans of

Klyrode—gold, silver, and copper. Each kingdom had their own designs,

but the weight of metal used was kept equivalent in order to preserve

uniformity of value.

"You're right..." said Sleip. "The inside and outside look like they're

made from different materials..."

"Unthinkable!" Ura declared. "They paid us with low-quality

counterfeits!"

"Wow..." said Byleri. "That's, like, totally awful!"

It took Ura a while to recover his wits, but when he did, he turned back

to face Uliminas and bowed his head low in genuine contrition. "Lady

Uliminas... I must apologize for my earlier rudeness. I truly had no idea that

I was in possession of counterfeit coins..."

"Well..." Uliminas said, smirking and shaking her head. "As long as

mew understand, I suppose there's no harm done."

"Still..." Sleip started, inclining his head in puzzlement as Ura and

Uliminas's argument came to a close. "Why's a mighty champion like

yourself making shopping trips to buy vegetables? With your abilities, I'd

expect you'd have no trouble finding some demon somewhere to take you

in..."

"Ah, yes, well you see..." Ura began, wincing as he awkwardly

scratched the back of his head. "I was living a quiet life in the mountains

with my wife, out where nobody could bother us. That is...until my wife

passed away." For a moment, a lonesome look passed across Ura's face.

"My wife was one of the fairy folk, after all. I knew from the start that her

life span wasn't going to be as long as mine. There wasn't anything I could

have done. So I started working as a mercenary to earn money to raise the

daughter we had together, hiding my identity the entire time. But lately, you

know, the Dark Army has had that peace treaty with the humans..."

"Like, yeah, totally!" Byleri said, nodding along.

"Well, thanks to that, all the mercenary jobs up and vanished," Ura

continued. "I thought maybe I could make a living hunting magic beasts,

but the Adventurers' Guild in the town I went to was full of folk like me

who had lost their jobs as mercenaries. I wasn't able to earn enough to

make sure everyone in the village could eat their fill."

"Hrm?" Ghozal asked, cocking his head. "A village, you say?"

"Well, what do you know!" said Sleip. "Ura, you became a village

chief? And here I thought you were more suited for being a one-man army."

"Well, I can't exactly say being a village chief suits my personality..."

Ura said. "But I happened to meet a group of demons who'd turned to the

evils of banditry when the peace treaty cost them their jobs. I started

looking after them using the money I had on hand, hoping I might help

them find a better way, but at some point word started to spread that I was

offering food. I started taking more and more folks in, and before long,

there were quite a number of us. Before I knew it, everyone had taken to

calling the place Ura Village."

"So," Ghozal said, "you ended up looking after a whole village of

demons who idolize you?"

"What other choice did they have?" Ura furrowed his brow. "Most of the

folk at the village are low-level demons. They can't control the malicium in

their bodies, so they can't work for humans, and they'd be taken advantage

of for their weakness if they went to work for a demon. There's no way they

could expect to be paid a decent wage."

"Hrm..." muttered Ghozal. "Why not petition the Dark One, then? There

might be something he can do."

"Excuse me?!" Ura's eyes snapped open. "Don't be absurd! Perhaps if

you were still Dark One, Gholl, I might have considered the idea...but the

current Dark One is that lout Yuigarde, isn't he? I understand he's changed

his name to Dawkson now, but I would never expect any help from that

tyrant! Yuigarde only believes in his own power! I once joined a Dark

Army's campaign of his as a mercenary, you know. He had us wandering

around the desert with no plan whatsoever! I very nearly lost my life! Why

would I go to an incompetent man like him?!"

The current Dark One Dawkson had led a campaign in the desert back

when he was still using the name Yuigarde. Yuigarde marshaled the

majority of the forces under his command in an effort to crush a rebellion

led by the devil Zanzibar, but he refused to send proper scouting parties.

Instead, his army wandered back and forth through the desert at random,

guided by nothing more than Yuigarde's whims. It would go down in the

Dark Army's history as a foolhardy effort that achieved nothing of note,

instead driving the Dark Army itself to the precipice of total collapse.

Ura had gone red in the face, ranting furiously. He was a large man,

even disguised in his human form, and quite loud as well. Ghozal, Sleip,

and Uliminas were all demons themselves, and perfectly able to maintain

their cool in the face of his tirade, but Byleri was a human, and her smile

was starting to look very strained indeed.

Ahh... Byleri thought as she did her utmost not to let her smile falter. I

wonder if this is how Balirossa felt sitting next to Mister Ghozal before the

two of them got married. Like, right now, I feel like I totally get it...

Sleip, who had noticed Byleri was starting to feel overwhelmed, gently

placed a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Ura, I certainly sympathize with your

anger, but perhaps we should discuss what to do about this situation of

yours?"

"O-Oh! Of course. My apologies." Ura lowered his head in apology. It

seemed Sleip's words had returned him to his senses.

"So, mew came to our store to buy vegetables to take home to meowr

village..." Uliminas confirmed. "But all of meowr meowny turned out to be

fake. Mew won't be able to buy purrovisions with that, will mew..."

"Th-That's right..." said Ura. "I understand the situation, of course. But I

worked so hard in those mines, all to buy food for everyone in the village. I

suppose I could go looking for another job, but there aren't many places out

there offering good wages to folk like myself who can't properly

demonstrate their background..."

"But Ura," said Ghozal. "If this mine was offering huge sums of money

to people of uncertain background, that seems suspicious in itself..."

"Ah...well..." Ura uttered, making a distinctly pained expression. "You

are quite right, Lord Ghozal. And I mean to make no excuse. But I couldn't

just let all those folk who look up to me starve..." Ura trailed off, uncertain

what else to say.

Just then, there came a polite knock on the door. "Excuse me," said Flio,

stepping inside, followed by Rys and Blossom. "I hope I'm not

interrupting."

"And...who would you be?" Ura asked.

"Oh, my apologies," said Flio. "My name is Flio. I'm the proprietor of

the Fli-o'-Rys General Store."

"What?! Then, you run this shop?!" Ura sprung up from his seat and

bowed his head towards Flio. "I-I'm not sure what I should say... It might

have been out of ignorance, but I still attempted to purchase merchandise

from your store using counterfeit currency..."

"I understand," said Flio, giving Ura one of his usual easygoing smiles.

"Hiya told me what happened at the register."

Rys, meanwhile, stood to her husband's right, folding her arms and

glaring at Ura with an expression of clear displeasure. "Unbelievable," she

declared. "Using counterfeit coins at my lord husband's shop. I believe a bit

of punishment is in order for your misdeeds..." Her fingertips transformed

into bestial claws as she spoke, the air around her practically sparking with

palpable danger.

Blossom, who had come in after Rys, stepped in front of her and began

waving her arms frantically. "N-Now, now, Lady Rys! This oni fellow

apologized properly and everything, didn't he? Th-There's no need for all

that, is there?" Her forehead had broken out in a cold sweat in the face of

Rys's obvious rage, but she kept a smile on her face as she spoke, doing her

best to brighten the atmosphere of the room.

"So, Mister Ura," Flio said, unable to keep from smiling in amusement

at Blossom and Rys. "I hear you were planning to buy food at our shop to

take back to the people of your village."

"O-Oh! Yes, that's right," Ura said. "After all, everyone says your

vegetables are top quality, and reasonably priced as well. And I have to say,

now that I've seen your goods for myself, the rumors were no exaggeration!

If there's any way I could still purchase some to take home with me, I

would very much appreciate it. How about it, Lord Flio? Is there some work

I could perhaps do for your shop? Lord Ghozal and Lord Sleip here can

vouch for me, I'm sure—if there's any heavy lifting you need done, I'm

certain I can be of use to you!" Ura flexed with both arms, showing off the

musculature of his well-built upper body.

Rys sighed quietly at Ura's display. "We have quite enough people for

heavy lifting, between the former Silent Listeners and Sleip's former elite

demon horse guard..." she explained. "I understand you have your

circumstances, of course, and I'd love to be able to help, but I'm not certain

we can..." Rys wasn't without sympathy for Ura's goal of providing food

for the people of his village, but she was still seething with indignation that

someone would dare to use counterfeit currency at her husband's shop. The

look on her face was conflicted indeed.

"E-Erm..." Blossom timidly raised her hand to speak. "Lady Rys? Lord

Flio?"

"What is it, Blossom?" Flio asked.

"Well, it's just, I suppose I have a bit of a suggestion..." Blossom

ventured. "Why don't we have Mister Ura come and work over at my

farm?"

"You want him for your farm?" Flio asked.

"Yes, well, you know..." Blossom began. "With the Enchanted Frigates,

we can sell our goods in way more markets, and it seems like people like

our vegetables a fair bit. I was thinking of clearing some land to try and

increase our production, but we've been just a bit short-handed..."

"Oh?" No sooner had the words left Blossom's mouth than Damalynas

abruptly appeared in the middle of the room, floating in midair and looking

down at Blossom with folded arms. "I must say, I'm surprised to hear

you've found yourself in want of help. Surely Their Divinity Hiya, or

Maglion, or even I myself could handle harvesting vegetables or clearing

fields with our magic?"

Damalynas, the Grand Magus of Midnight, was a sorceress who had

achieved the highest mastery of the art of dark magic. Her body, however,

was no longer flesh and blood; rather, it was a psychic construct. She had

been vanquished by Hiya, who brought her into their mindscape—their own

mental world—to serve as the djinn's beloved training partner.

"Ah, well, I appreciate the offer, honest!" said Blossom, wincing

apologetically and scratching the back of her head. "And people really like

the experimental magical vegetables y'all've been growing in that corner of

the farm. I think it's real incredible that you can do all that with your spells,

and I'm glad y'all keep offering to use your magic to help out with my

farm..." Blossom corrected her posture and looked up at Damalynas with a

serious expression. "But I really would like the work on my farm to be done

by hand. As a human and a farm girl, y'know?" she added with a grin.

"Hmm..." Flio said out loud to himself. "But didn't Blossom originally

want to be a knight of the Magical Kingdom...?"

"Ah, well, that was that and this is this, y'know?" said Blossom, once

again wincing and scratching the back of her head. "B-But that aside, if you

aren't afraid of a bit of hard work, I'd love to have you for the farm! And

lucky for you, it sounds like you're already a fan of our veggies! If you

work for us, we'll pay you a good salary as well as room and board.

Whaddaya say?"

Ura's eyes opened wide in astonishment. "I don't know what to say!

What a gracious offer!" The oni ran over to Blossom, taking her hand in

both of his and squeezing it tight. "I had never even hoped for such

kindness! I would be most pleased, if you would have me!"

"Well, I'm pleased to see you so pleased!" said Blossom, shaking his

hand with a grin. "But speaking of, why don't we bring the people of your

village down to work on the farm too? They'll get a salary and room and

board too, of course!"

"T-Truly, a most gracious offer..." Ura said, although his expression

darkened visibly. "But I'm afraid that many of the demons of our village are

unable to control their malicium..."

"Oh, there's no need to worry about malicium," Flio said, his smile as

easygoing as ever.

"N-No need?!" Ura exclaimed, his eyes going wide once again.

Flio held out his right hand. In it was a magic gem that shone with a pale

blue light. "This magic gem has an effect that neutralizes malicium in the

area," he explained. "This way, any malicium your demons emit will be

instantly rendered harmless."

"I-I-I-Incredible!" Ura balked. "Y-Y-Y-You sell such things at your

store, then?"

"It's something an acquaintance asked me to look into developing," Flio

said. "We only recently finished creating a practical version. If you don't

mind, moving your village next to Blossom Acres would be a great

opportunity to test its capabilities as well."

"I see!" said Ura. "If you have such a thing, I would gladly make use of

it! And if the village folk can work at Lady Blossom's farm, I won't have to

leave the village to work for long stretches anymore!" Ura had already

begun walking quickly out of the visitors' room. "And now that that's

settled, let's strike while the iron's hot! I'll return to my village

straightaway, and get everything ready to—"

"Oh, Mister Ura, wait a moment," said Flio, stopping him before he

could leave the room.

"Yes? What is it, Lord Flio?" Ura asked.

"Excuse me for one second," Flio said, placing his index finger on Ura's

forehead. His finger shone with light, a sign that he had begun casting a

spell. "I see. Your village is at the eastern end of the Magical Kingdom of

Klyrode, near the summit of a small mountain deep in the forest..."

"Wh-What?!" Ura said, stunned. "Y-Yes, that is correct, but...you were

able to find that out with your magic, Lord Flio?"

"So I was. I have a certain amount of skill at magic, as it happens," Flio

said, his easygoing smile unfaltering as he continued. "The whole area

around the mountain is shrouded in malicium to keep magic beasts from

drawing close, I see..."

"That's right," Ura confirmed. "But that also means that while I'm away,

the people there have nothing to eat but field greens. I was able to earn a

fair bit of money as a mercenary until recently, at least..."

"It looks like there are some fifty people living in the village, all told,"

Flio said. "Should I bring all of them over?"

"Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem," said Ura. "I've talked with

everyone before, and they said they wouldn't mind moving as long as they

had enough land to live on."

"I see..." Flio muttered. "In that case..." He recited a short incantation.

Ura didn't recognize the spell Flio had cast and cocked his head, puzzled.

Seconds passed. "Okay," said Flio, giving the confused oni another of his

familiar smiles. "Everyone's moved in. It looks like they had houses

already, so I just moved the entire mountain on over!"

"Huh?" Ura froze, his eyes open wide in shock. Wh-What is this man

saying?! he thought, his mind racing. Everyone's moved in?! If he really

cast a spell just now to move the entire mountain from all the way over

here, shouldn't it take a huge magic circle and a long, flashy incantation?!

Flio, however, just kept smiling like always.