Princess of the Underworld (Millicas Gremory) (One-Shot)
A year ago.
Before Shiro and Lilith took Issei Hyoudou away for rigorous training from Shiro, their journey had begun in an unexpected place... the Underworld.
His mission was clear.
Investigate the whereabouts of the current wielders of the Celestial Dragons.
Get any information about Albion and Ddraig.
They had heard rumors about high-ranking demons and their interest in Dragons.
But they didn't expect to find something so valuable so quickly.
In a private garden within Gremory territory, a girl with long, silky crimson hair sat under the shade of a tree.
She held a thick, golden-edged book, and her red eyes ran over each page with absolute concentration.
Shiro and Lilith watched her from a distance, hidden in the bushes of the garden.
"That girl..."
She did not radiate enormous power.
But her bearing, her calmness and the strange atmosphere around her made her stand out.
Lilith stared at the book in her hands.
The golden engravings on the cover shone in the light of the "sun".
When Shiro narrowed his eyes, he managed to make out part of the title on the cover:
『Dragon Story』
Shiro and Lilith exchanged a glance.
"That book..."
If it contained information about Albion and Ddraig, they could save months of searching.
Shiro made telepathic contact with Lilith.
"If we manage to snatch that book from her without her noticing..."
Lilith did not take her eyes off the girl, but responded with her neutral tone and empty of emotion.
"Hmph. The shortest trip we've had if we get the information from Albion and Ddraig."
The wind was blowing gently.
The girl turned a page, completely oblivious to his presence.
It was the perfect time.
Shiro stepped forward, ready to act.
But at that moment...
Without even looking up from the book, the girl spoke in a soft but firm tone:
"If they try to steal this book, I'll have them expelled from Gremory territory immediately."
Shiro and Lilith stood completely still.
She knew they were there.
And the most worrying thing... She knew it from the beginning.
Lilith cocked her head, undeterred. "Curious."
Shiro let out a slight sigh.
I knew it wouldn't be that easy.
Finally, the girl calmly closed the book and placed it on her lap.
Then, she looked up, and her red eyes flashed brightly.
There was no fear in them.
No surprise.
Just a quiet self-assurance.
"Tell me..." Her tone was paused, and measured. "How desperate are you for this book?"
Shiro and Lilith exchanged another look. They remained silent in response to the girl's question.
"How desperate are we for the book?"
Shiro crossed his arms, analyzing the situation.
"If he catches us stealing, we could get in trouble. But if we can negotiate with her, maybe she'll give us the book willingly."
Lilith, beside him, seemed to have come to the same conclusion.
Finally, Shiro stepped forward, his expression unperturbed.
"We want to know about the Heavenly Dragons."
The girl tilted her head slightly. "Oh?"
Lilith intervened. "Your book contains information about Albion and Ddraig, right?"
The girl blinked slowly.
Then, she looked at the book in her hands with an expression of slight confusion.
"...Information about Albion and Ddraig?"
Shiro nodded confidently.
"It's a valuable book, isn't it? You've been reading it with absolute concentration. If you have information about them, we would be willing to negotiate."
A slight silence.
And then...
The girl closed her eyes and let out a slight chuckle.
Lilith tensed slightly.
Shiro frowned.
"Something funny?"
The girl covered her lips with her hand, controlling her laughter before opening her eyes again.
"This book..."
She lifted the cover so they could see it clearly.
The golden title shone in the light of the "sun."
『Dragon Stories and Tales』
Shiro felt his soul leave his body for an instant.
Lilith was also silent, processing what they had just seen.
It was not a book of historical records.
It wasn't a forbidden grimoire with information about the Heavenly Dragons.
Era... A book of stories for children.
Shiro blinked several times.
"... Stories?"
Millicas smiled sweetly.
"Yes. They are stories about brave, evil and legendary dragons that are told to the children of the Underworld."
Absolute silence.
Shiro closed his eyes for a moment.
Lilith brought a hand to her forehead.
I couldn't believe it.
All this time following a girl through a storybook.
They had been on the verge of stealing something that was worth absolutely nothing to their research.
"Gods... what are we doing with our lives?"
Millicas laughed again, clearly amused by his reactions.
Shiro took a deep breath, regaining his composure.
"… That was not what we expected."
Lilith kept her expression neutral, but her silence said it all.
Millicas rested the book on her lap and looked at them curiously.
"If they want real information about Albion and Ddraig, they should ask at the family library. Surely there is something else... detailed."
Shiro and Lilith exchanged glances.
Well... That made more sense.
"We have humbled ourselves."
But at least now they had a new clue.
Shiro sighed. "I guess we'll have to do things the traditional way."
Lilith, without changing her expression, nodded slowly.
Millicas, still with an amused smile, closed her storybook and looked at them with a spark of mischief in her eyes.
"Do you want me to read you a story?"
Shiro paused.
Lilith looked at him silently.
"… No."
And with that, he turned around and started walking.
Lilith followed him without saying a word.
Millicas laughed softly behind them, opening her book again.
For them, it had been a waste of time.
But for the red-eyed girl... It had been quite an entertaining encounter.