I gave Isis-san a brief tour of the mansion, but just as I expected, everyone seemed unnerved by the magic power of death surrounding her. It’s clear that it would be difficult for us to speak in rooms full of people, like the dining room.
Since Lilia-san is still unconscious, I left her in the care of Lunamaria-san and Chronois-san, and after requesting only tea to be brought to us, I took Isis-san to my room.
Honestly, I thought it would be easier for Isis-san this way, without the presence of others watching her.
It might seem problematic if you were reading this from a novel—after all, a woman alone in a man’s room could raise some eyebrows. But even if the phrase “All men are wolves” implies that I’m one, Isis-san would be more like a dinosaur or a dragon, so there’s no issue at all.
By the way, my room… the one Lilia-san lent me… is honestly too big for just one person. From what I can tell, it seems this room is meant for important guests.
The room is so large, it could easily be considered a hotel suite, and I estimate it’s over 15 tatami mats in size. There’s a large bed, high-end furniture, and even a sofa and table for guests.
As soon as I offered the guest sofa to Isis-san, who was looking around the room with great interest, Lunamaria-san immediately brought us tea and cookies.
As expected, even Lunamaria-san seemed to tremble in close proximity to Isis-san, so fearing that she might accidentally drop the tea, I took it from her at the entrance and brought it to the table myself.
[Here you go, Isis-san.]
[……Thanks… Thank you for the meal.]
With a small smile, Isis-san sat down across from me, took the tea, sipped it, and then picked up a cookie. The cookies looked small enough to be bite-sized, yet Isis-san broke hers in two and ate each piece in small bites.
Isis-san, who has the appearance of a fleeting beauty, smiling as she nibbled on the cookie, looking as adorable as a small animal, making everyone who saw her smile as well.
[……Delicious.]
[I’m glad you like it. Though, I should clarify, I’m not the one who made those cookies…]
[……No… If I’m with Kaito… anything I eat… tastes amazing.]
[Ah, err, thank you very much.]
How should I put this? Isis-san is unlike anyone I’ve been around before.
She wields immense power, yet she’s so ladylike and, in a way, fragile. If I had to compare her to something, she’d be like a snowflake—a beauty holding onto a delicate loveliness… It’s like she really emanates femininity. And I feel strangely embarrassed by how openly she shows her affection towards me.
As Isis-san looked at me, her face lit up with a genuinely happy smile, her gaze curious as it began to wander around my room.
[……Kaito’s room… it’s beautiful.]
[I tried to keep it as clean as when I first borrowed it. The only thing I really brought in was some books.]
[……Does Kaito… like books?]
[Yeah, I used to read a lot of novels and stuff like that back in my world.]
Well, most of them were light novels… but I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to call myself a book lover.
When Isis-san hears my words, she seems to brighten up more than before.
[……I also… read… a lot of books.]
[Really? I guess we have that in common.]
[……Unnn… Having something in common with Kaito… makes me happy.]
[Ahaha, in that case, does Isis-san have a lot of books at your place?]
[……If I remember correctly… I think I have about… 10 million books.]
That was way more than I expected!? That’s almost like… No, her home must have turned into a library…
Anyway, it’s clear that Isis-san loves books, and perhaps because she’s happy to share a common hobby with me, her voice sounds more enthusiastic than before.
[That’s amazing… Isis-san must really love books.]
[……I like… Kaito more.]
[Ah, errr, thank you very much. T-That’s right! I don’t know much about books from this world, so if you can tell me about any you find interesting, I’d really appreciate it.]
Her pure favorability hit me straight in the chest. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m happy or embarrassed, but my heart is beating strangely fast.
[……Unnn… What books… does Kaito like?]
[Hmm. I like books based on legends. Adventure stories, I guess? That’s what I’ve been reading lately.]
As I answer Isis-san’s question, I pull out the book I bought a few days ago and finished yesterday… a story about the adventures of the First Hero.
Kuro recommended it to me, so I bought it, and it turned out to be pretty interesting.
It’s based on historical events, but with Magic in this world, it almost feels like a fantasy novel. I got so wrapped up in it that I finished it quickly.
[…I’ve also… read that book before… It was interesting.]
[Yeah, it was an exciting book, a real adventure. Since it’s based on a true story, that means it really happened, right?]
[…Unnn… That book is… quite faithful to history… but… there are also some things that are different.]
[Is that so?]
The book tells the story of the First Hero’s subjugation of the Demon King. If it were based entirely on history, it would essentially turn into an adventure tale too vast for a single book.
The story up to the Demon King’s defeat is written in considerable detail, but after that, the account of the Treaty of Friendship between the three realms is only briefly summarized.
This is probably because the book was written in the Human Realm, or perhaps due to the effects of Information Concealment Magic. Either way, it doesn’t offer much detail about the Six Kings.
Since Isis-san is one of the Six Kings who lived through those times, she likely knows which parts of the book were embellished. It’s like hearing the hidden truth behind a story, and it’s making me a little excited.
[……It was written in the book… that she had returned to her previous world… but… she actually didn’t return… and stayed… together with Kuromueina.]
[S-Speaking of which, Kuro also mentioned something like that. She said I’ve already met her…]
[……She now… calls herself… “Neun.”]
[……………….]
I feel like something earth-shattering and incredibly important has just been revealed.
Wait, what? Does that mean what I think it means? Neun-san… is the First Hero?
I see. Now that she mentioned it… If I base it on what Kuro said, about how I’ve already met her, the only otherworlder I’ve met since coming to this world is Neun-san.
[Ummm, that sounds really important…]
[……Hikari…… said that…… don’t tell the others.]
[Errr, is it okay for me to know about this?]
[……Unnn…… rather than Hikari…… I like Kaito more…… that’s why…… it’s alright.]
I have no idea what’s “alright” about that, but from Isis-san’s point of view, it seems she doesn’t mind telling me the identity of the First Hero.
Well, I suppose I could come to the same conclusion if I think about what Kuro said—so as long as I don’t go around sharing it, I guess it should be fine, right?
Yeah, Neun-san probably has some kind of Information Concealment Magic around her anyway.
Maybe I only found out because I spoke to Neun-san myself, or maybe one of the Six Kings told me, but she likely took measures to ensure others can’t hear it.
How should I put it… I feel like I’ve stumbled upon a huge secret, but since Isis-san seems to be enjoying herself, I guess it’s fine, right?
Dear Mom, Dad—Isis-san seems to like books. Also, I learned something new—it seems Neun-san was a hero.
<Author’s Notes>
I feel like the Death King has such a high level of Heroine Power that it seems like she’s leaving behind more than half of the women that have appeared in Kaito’s life.