[Welcome to our humble abode. I'm the family head of Albert Duchy,
Lilia Albert.]
[Well… Errr, Acht… What should I say here?]
[Like hell would I know… I'm sorry, me and this fellow aren't really
raised with that upbringing. We don't mean to be rude, but please cut
us some slack regarding that.]
[No, please make yourself comfortable.]
It took quite some time, but Neun-san inally settled down and once
again, brought them to the reception room where Lilia-san was waiting.
Although Acht and the others are Kuro's family, they don't seem to be
peerage-level high-ranking Demons, so apparently, Lilia-san, who is a
Duchess, is higher position than them.
Neun-san quickly stepped forward from beside Acht and Eva, who were
somewhat nervous while speaking, and deeply bowed to Lilia-san.
[Her Excellency Duchess Albert, please forgive me for the rudeness of
greeting you while dressed in armor. I believe it's the irst time we've
met. I'm Kuromueina-sama's retainer, by the name of Neun. I can't
express my gratitude to her Excellency Duchess Albert for your
kindness in accepting us today despite our unexpected visit.]
[…I see, so that's how you greet people huh…]
[I guess bringing along Neun is right.]
Unlike Acht and Eva, Neun-san irmly greets Lilia-san while kneeling on
one knee that could be described as a knight's courtesy… She looks like
a different person from what she looked like earlier.
Lilia-san calmly replies to Neun-san's greeting and tells her to be at
ease, and after giving her thanks, Neun-san stood up.
Then, prompted by Lilia-san, after Acht and the others took their seats,
sounding moved, Lunamaria-san spoke.
[…It's been a long time since My Lady has been in a higher position than
her guests. She's still a Duchess after all, so she should be pretty high
up…]
[…Yes, seriously… Kaito-san has inally brought someone normal here…
That's right after all. He has already… inished talking with everyone. He
won't bring anyone outrageous, making me pass out anymore, right!?
Ah, this is no good, why am I… getting nervous…]
[...]
Seeing Lilia-san, who looks relieved from the bottom of her heart and
has a bright smile on her face, a tremendous amount of sweat began
running down behind my back.
W- What should I do… Should I tell her about Neun-san or not…
[Oi, Kaito… What the heck did you do to her? That Duchess looks like
she's been released from hell…]
[Ah, no, errr…]
[…U- Ummm, Kaito-san… Should I tell her my real identity?]
[…Errr, you don't mind?]
[…Yes, it's ine with me.]
As I listened to the words Acht said, Neun-san whispered next to my
ears, making me feel an ever colder sensation running down my spine.
By the way, I may be digressing, but Neun-san seems to know that I
know she's the First Hero… or rather, Neun-san seemed to think that I
became aware of it when she irst showed her face.
What should I do here though… Lilia-san is scary, super scary…
However, if I keep my mouth shut here, and if she found out later, she
will probably become more terrifying.
In that case, the right option to do here would really be to be honest
right now… Neun-san also doesn't seem to mind anyway…
[…Neun-san, I'm sorry. Please.]
[…Understood.]
Seeing Lilia-san's face that is too relieved, I relished the feeling of my
face turning pale, and after moistening my thirsty throat with tea, I
spoke.
[U- Ummm, Lilia-san…]
[Yes?]
[…P- Please, keep calm and listen to what we will say.]
[…Eh? What is this? I have a very bad feeling about this…]
[I also ask you the same. Please don't unnecessarily reveal this to
anyone else…]
[…Eh? Errr… Neun-sama? What in the world are you…]
Hearing the seriousness from Neun-san and my tone, Lilia-san's
expression turns dim and a drop of sweat runs down her forehead.
In front of Lilia-san and the others, when Neun-san touched her helmet,
it turned into a black mist and disappeared, and a Japanese woman
with beautiful black hair appeared.
If Aoi-chan is as glossy as the wet feathers of a crow, then Neun-san's is
a deep, powerful black like obsidian, and combined with her welldeined face, the words "Yamato Nadeshiko" perfectly its her.
And then, looking at Neun-san's uncovered face… Lilia-san fell over her
chair.
[...…]
Then, slowly crawling away from her, she tightly grips Lunamaria-san's
skirt.
[…Luna, Luna… I've seen that person before… She has the same face as
the statue in the Friendship City before…]
[…P- P- Please calm down, My Lady, she might be just someone
resembling her.]
[…T- That's right, isn't it!? I'm sorry that I lost my composure just now.]
Lilia-san seemed to have calmed down a bit after hearing Lunamariasan's words, and she gracefully stood up but… Neun-san mercilessly
spoke.
[I may have changed my name to Neun now… but my real name was
Kujou Hikari.]
[...]
Hearing the words she forcefully said, all of the expressions
disappeared from Lilia-san's face.
[…Eh? Kujou Hikari… Eh? The First Hero? T- The real one?]
[Yes.]
[…Ah, errr, hawawawawa… I- I'm sorry for my impoliteness…
Kyuuuuu~~]
[My Lady!?]
Lilia-san expression turned paler and paler, her eyes then rolled
upturned, collapsing like a puppet that lost its strings.
Lunamaria-san hurriedly rushed to Lilia-san's side and slowly shifted
her shivering gaze to me.
[…Miyama-sama… For you to still have cards beneath your sleeves…
What a frightening person, you are. I certainly felt it, your passionate
conviction to destroy My Lady's stomach at all costs.]
[…No, I don't have such convictions at all.]
After a while, Lilia-san, who had regained her consciousness, sat on a
chair and held her head in her hands.
[…The First Hero-sama had become a demon? Isn't that something
really big… Why is the fact always this shocking… No mooooreeee…
Kaito-san is scary… What's next? Is he going to tell me that the Demon
King is actually alive… and brought her home…? Kaito-san is scary… I
wanna go hoooomeeee…]
[Calm down, My Lady, you're already in our home.]
As Lilia-san mutters while her face looks pale, Lunamaria-san
desperately comforts her.
As I'm stunned by such a scene, Acht and the others came to talk to me.
[…Kaito, seriously, what did you do… It's like she turned into an afraid
small animal…]
[N- No, well, lots of things happened…]
[Kaito, you're surprisingly an S huh…]
[No, I'm not…]
[I also didn't expect that she would be this surprised… or rather, her
reaction was as if she had met all the Six Kings… No, her reaction far
exceeds that.]
[...]
I'm sorry, not only did she meet all the Six Kings, she has also met all of
the Supreme Gods.
And then, after Lilia-san just muttered like that, she got up from her
chair… and gave us a beautiful smile… a smile so beautiful, that it looks
frightening.
[Acht-sama, Eval-sama, Kujou Hika… No, Neun-sama. I'm sorry, but
please wait for a moment… Kaito-san.]
[Y- Y- Yes!?]
[…Let's go to another room for a moment. There's something important
we need to talk about… Something very important…]
[…Yes.]
Staring at me with her completely glazed eyes, Lilia-san looks very
frightening.
Not being able to object at all, I was brought to another room… and is
made to sit in a seiza.
[What the heck does this mean!? Why the heck did that happen to First
Hero-sama!? You really are… Or rather, by the way you speak earlier,
you knew about it long before, right!!!?]
[I- I'm sorry!!!?]
[No, I've had enough, I will not forgive you anymore!!! You've just asked
for my forgiveness a few days before… and not even a few days passed,
you're doing this now!!!? I'm not asking you to not be acquainted with
them, but can't you properly report at all!? To begin with, you have
always been…]
[…I- I'm sorry.]
And thus, I had received a very long sermon from Lilia-san, who had
turned into a Shura, and I only returned back to where Acht and the
others are… two hours later.
Dear Mom, Dad——- Lilia-san inally met Acht and the others, but
when Lilia-san found out Neun-san's true identity, she fainted again.
And then, well, I knew it was perfectly my fault but—— Lilia-san
scolded me.