CH 49

“It’s been a while.”

“Good job, Kanata-kun.”

“Yeah.”

After their service in the Principality was over, Kanata and the others returned to the Kingdom.

Just like how they headed that way, they returned home on a graceful air trip with the help of Wyverns.

“Hey Kanata, who is that girl?”

“Yeah, who is she? She’s very pretty.”

Thanks to Maria’s arrangement, Mira joined them on their return trip.

So, it was not strange that this caught the attention of his classmates, who questioned who Mira was.

“Who could she be… hmm?”

Kanata tilted his head.

Now that he realized it, he couldn’t find the right words to clearly tell people who don’t know that Mira is a certain type of person.

“She’s like a friend.”

“Heh.”

“In that case… well, never mind.”

As they had suspected something, they didn’t inquire much. They were good people.

It was already evening, so they all decided to part here, and his classmates to their dormitories.

“Then I’ll excuse myself first. I’ve to Alphana that… Ara.”

“?”

“This sign…”

Maria noticed something, so Kanata followed her gaze.

There was a girl there dressed in a white robe, a figure that Kanata had missed in a sense.

“Alphana?”

Yes, she had the same appearance as when he first met her.

Maria and Mira weren’t on guard because they knew she was Alphana.

When Kanata called her name, she removed her hood and revealed her beautiful face to the moonlight.

“Welcome back, everyone.”

She said this with a smile.

As it was, she approached slowly and held Kanata’s hand in a natural motion.

“… Umm.”

“?”

Kanata was puzzled. He tilted his head and wondered what happened.

“Ah, sorry. I just…”

Saying that Alphana removed her hand and shyly stuck out her tongue.

It was an overly flirtatious gesture, but it was something that Kanata never saw from Alphana, so Kanata’s cheeks turned a little red.

“Well, two days… it’s not that long, but it’s been a while…”

“Ah… Fufu ♪.”

Alphana’s smile deepened further when she saw Kanata looking embarrassed.

“… Muu.”

“I see. This certainly tickles my fancy.”

Maria looked a little regretful, and Mira wrote various things in her notebook, saying it was a learning experience.

Maria and Alphana then headed back toward the girls’ dormitory, and when their backs left his sight, Kanata gasped.

“I forgot to give Alphana the earphones.”

“Ah… Well, good thing that now she’ll live a little longer.”

It was natural for Kanata to ask what that meant.

“Then, Kanata-sama, I’ll take my leave now.”

“Ah, really, thank you for everything, Mira.”

“No problem! See you! Shuwacchi!”

Mira disappeared as she took off into the sky.

In fact, the catchphrase now was ‘shuwacchi,’ but that’s something that Kanata liked when he used to read stories with special effects.

[TLN: No idea about this しゅわっち thing.]

[EDN: A sound effect, I think: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoDhHWYR6_Q Note: It’s loud.]

“… I wonder if that special effects thing is still around.”

In the past, he remembered he used to play with his friends saying ‘shuwacchi.’

“All right, I’d better be on my way.”

Then Kanata also started walking toward the dormitory.

The trip to the Principality was not only a great experience for Kanata, but also an encounter with a friend who will aid his future development as Haishin.

“Well, I talked with Cid… he seemed happy to be busy.”

He visited Cid’s store once before leaving. He was quite busy, partly because of Athena’s arrangement.

He said he would make the microphone he asked for in no time.

Athena’s concern for a mere commoner was surely not to the liking of the other nobles, but Athena was also firmly committed to taking care of Cid.

“Well, ASMR is more like a limited or targeted way of sending magic to those who desire it rather than just broadcasting it.”

Building a system for targeted streams or sending it to those who want it is important, you know?

There are still many people in this world who don’t know what ASMR is, and to be honest, while he thinks they were well-made, it’s also embarrassing.

“Men will definitely think it’s disgusting, so it’s probably better to limit it to women.”

Kanata nodded to make adjustments in that direction.

“Well, first of all, the microphone has to be finished—”

Kanata’s words stopped there.

He had bumped into a woman who appeared out of nowhere.

“Huh?”

The woman was Shrouza, with jet-black hair that melted into the darkness.

Unlike Alphana, she appeared out of thin air and without warning, like Mira, and it surprised him.

“Long time no see, Kanata,”

“Yeah, long time no see, Shrouza.”

Although it hadn’t been that long, he felt a sense of nostalgia.

Shrouza, a woman over 180 cm tall, stood out with her beauty and attracted a lot of attention.

“Hm, it’s a bit annoying with all the stares.”

“Ah.”

“In that case, let’s do this.”

With a snap, Schloza snapped her fingers.

Then, a barrier was formed around them, cutting them off from the outside world, and the gazes directed at them disappeared.

“Ah, is it magic that kills the presence?”

“That’s right. It’s been a while, so I want to talk slowly.”

“I see. Haha, I feel the same way.”

Kanata was in the same mood to talk since it had been a while since they had seen each other.

As the streets gradually grew darker and fewer people passed by, Kanata made a slip of the tongue.

“Hey Shrouza, this has been in my mind for a while…”

“Hmm?”

“Is it easy to go to the Demon Kingdom?”

“Easy to go? Wanna come?”

“Ehh…”

It was just a thought, but apparently, Shrouza was giving off the vibe that she was serious about it.

The academy would be closed tomorrow, so that was not a problem…

But once again, from a human perspective, the place called the Demon Kingdom was both intriguing and slightly scary.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’ll be by your side.”

With her hand on her waist and chest held high, she appeared to be someone who could be relied on.

Kanata nodded his head with a light heart, thinking it would be okay if her overwhelming aura was strong enough to give the illusion of it having a colour.

“What about school for you tomorrow, Kanata?”

“It’s a holiday.”

“Then you can stay at my mansion.”

“Is that okay? I mean, it’s decided all of a sudden.”

“It’s fine. It’s in the Demon Kingdom. I rule.”

“Eeh…?”

Where did that confidence come from…? Kanata was worried.

They entered an alleyway lined with buildings on both. A magic circle encircled Kanata and Shrouza.

“… Wait a minute, there’s something I need to do first.”

“Hm~n?”

Putting her finger to her forehead, Shrouza used some magic.

It caused the magic to flow from Shrouza like a ripple spreading out as if Shloza was communicating her thoughts to a wide area.

“Now it’s all right. Fufufu! Then let’s go!”

“O-ou!”

The decision to go to the Demon Kingdom was made, albeit abruptly.

Wrapped in dazzling light, Kanata transferred to the Demon Kingdom instantly, embraced by Shuroza.

“… Wow.”

What spread out before Kanata’s eyes was a different world.

The sky was red, and the buildings were mostly made of dark and ominous materials… It was the land where the demons lived.

“… is this the Demon Kingdom?”

“Yeah. This is where I live.”

Even though the Demon Kingdom was considered a place where one could not enter and survive, Kanata stepped into it.

Kanata did have some doubts, but he did not intend to doubt Shrouza, who had gone as far as to join his support group.

“Ah, My Lo—”

At that moment, someone called out, but their figure vanished right after.

He was slightly concerned about Shrouza’s fist swinging through the air, but she smiled and said not to worry about it.

Thus, Kanata stepped into the Demon Kingdom for the first time.