When I returned to the mansion, it seemed that Lilia-san was calling for me, so I made my way to her office.
As I opened the door and entered, Lilia-san turned to face me with a mysterious look on her face.
[Welcome back, Kaito-san.]
[Yes. I have returned.]
[……So, who is it now?]
[……Hmm?]
Looking at me with a worried expression, Lilia-san asked, her hands slightly trembling. I didn’t immediately understand what she meant, so I tilted my head.
[……Who on earth did you meet this time? The World King-sama? The God of Fate-sama? If there’s anything I need to know, please tell me now!!!]
[……………….]
This… How should I put it… It seems like I really pushed Lilia-san into a corner.
She already had tears in her eyes… No, I really am sorry.
I felt guilty for meeting such outrageous people one after another and causing Lilia-san so much trouble, so I told her about Alice, whom I had just met today.
After listening intently to what happened when I met Alice, Lilia-san sighed and patted her chest, as if truly relieved.
[……Thank goodness. It’s someone I don’t know.]
[S-Somehow, I’m sorry.]
[N-No, I should be the one apologizing for being oversensitive.]
Unnn. I’ll make sure to report even the smallest details more properly to her from now on.
As I thought about this, I turned my gaze to Lilia-san’s desk and noticed a number of documents scattered across it.
They didn’t seem to be letters, as I could make out rows of numbers, suggesting they were accounting-related.
[Kaito-san? What’s the matter?]
[Ah, no, it’s just that this is the first time I’ve seen Lilia-san working…]
[Ahh, I see… I may be inexperienced, but I’m still responsible for many people’s lives. And, because of my personality, I don’t feel comfortable leaving everything to others, so I try to handle as much of the work myself as I can.]
To be honest, before meeting Lilia-san, I had always thought of nobles as self-important and arrogant, but coming to this world has made me realize it was just my prejudice.
Especially Lilia-san, who doesn’t have the traditional noble appearance, and despite being just one year older than me, is someone I wholeheartedly respect.
There don’t seem to be any confidential or important documents among the papers, so I feel safe enough to glance at what Lilia-san is working on from a bit of a distance. The rows of numbers suggest they’re accounting-related, perhaps she’s calculating expenses and income.
Is it because the currency here is different? The coins don’t resemble the ones I’m used to, but they serve the same purpose… though I think the item Lilia-san is holding might be this world’s version of an abacus.
As I watched the scene in front of me for a while, a question popped into my head. I wondered if there were any calculators in this world, or something like them…
No, it’s not that I think calculators are inherently better than abacuses. After all, if someone is skilled with an abacus, they can perform calculations at a terrifying speed.
However, that’s only true for a small percentage of people. In fact, Lilia-san has been reviewing documents repeatedly, calculating each time while slowly moving the abacus.
At her pace, it seems like it will take a long time to finish everything.
I’ve already caused Lilia-san a lot of trouble. I’d like to help if I could, but unfortunately, I only learned how to use an abacus a few times in elementary school, and I’m not particularly good at math.
If I tried to help with my lack of ability, I’d only end up being a hindrance.
But if I had a calculator here, I might be able to assist Lilia-san with her work. Even if she didn’t allow me to help, it would certainly improve her speed.
But unfortunately, I don’t have a calculator on hand at the moment. To be precise, I had a pocket-sized calculator in my backpack when I first came to this world, but… that’s a mechanical technology from my world, and right now, it’s in the custody of the Goddess of Law.
Normally, I would’ve stopped there, but then a thought occurred to me.
There are these convenient items here called magic tools that support the daily lives of the residents of this world, and some of them have capabilities far beyond the mechanical technologies of my previous world.
There are magic tools that act like lighters, and there’s even a magic tool that functions like an air conditioner. That’s when I wondered—could there be a magic tool that performs calculations like a calculator? And if there isn’t, I could always have one made.
However, I’m still a novice when it comes to this world, so I’m not sure if such a magic tool exists or if it’s even possible to create it based on what I’m thinking.
Hmm. I suppose the best way to find out is to ask the creator of magic tools, Kuro—she’s the most reliable source of information when it comes to magic.
With that in mind, I leave the room so as not to disturb Lilia-san any further. As I walk down the corridor toward my room, I start to mentally prepare what I’ll ask Kuro the next time she comes to visit.
Dear Mom, Dad—I want to make things a little easier for Lilia-san, whom I’ve caused so much trouble. That’s why, even if just a little bit—I’m going to try to be proactive.
Isis’s castle, wrapped in ice. In one of the rooms, the World King, Lillywood Yggdrasil, wore an expression of deep exhaustion.
While Lillywood looked mentally drained, Isis, the lord of this castle, was in a very good mood as she stared at a bundle of packaged books.
[…Lillywood… Thank you… Thanks to you… I’ve decided… which books I’ll give to Kaito.]
“……That’s good. No, seriously, with that, the world’s economy stays in balance…”
Lillywood had desperately persuaded Isis, who was about to give Kaito books of immense value—like grimoires containing ancient magic and forbidden texts with methods for crafting secret medicines—to select only the safest ones from her collection of over 10 million books. It was a grueling and lengthy process, and as a result, Lillywood was utterly exhausted.
[Sorry to bother you, Isis.]
[…Kuromueina… Welcome.]
[I made a new type of baby castella, so I’m here to share… Arehh? You’re here too, Lillywood?]
“……Kuromueina. If possible, I wish you had come a little earlier.”
[Eh?]
As if appearing at the exact moment they had just finished selecting the books, Kuromueina entered. Seeing her arrival, Lillywood muttered as her shoulders slumped.
Noticing Lillywood’s reaction, Kuromueina tilted her head before turning to Isis… and then tilted her head again.
[Arehh? Isis, you’re in a great mood. What’s going on?]
[……I made…… a human…… friend.]
[Eh? Seriously!?]
“Yes, I was skeptical too, but actually, Isis went to visit this person the other day, and she’s been in a good mood ever since.”
Upon hearing Isis’s happy announcement, Kuromueina looked genuinely surprised, while Lillywood, who had the same reaction not long ago, expressed her thoughts.
[Heehhh… There’s an amazing child out there, huh. Isis, what kind of child is that?]
[……He said…… he knew Kuromueina…… His name is…… Kaito.]
[Huh? Kaito…… You’re talking about Miyama Kaito-kun?]
“You know him?”
[Unnn, I’ve been seeing him almost every day. He’s my favorite child right now.]
When Isis mentioned Kaito’s name, Kuromueina appeared genuinely surprised.
[I see…… Kaito-kun became friends with Isis……]
“Kuromueina, who exactly is this Kaito-san? According to Isis, he has some kind of special ability, but is it really possible for him to resist her magic power of death?”
[Hmmm. It’s true that Kaito-kun has a slightly unusual power called Sympathy Magic, which allows him to adapt to non-hostile magic power… but just having that ability doesn’t mean he would adapt to just anyone.]
“What exactly do you mean?”
[Kaito-kun’s magic power would certainly adapt to others’ magic power…… but the basic premise is that Kaito-san has “the will to be friendly with that person.” Without that, he won’t be able to adapt, and even if he does, he won’t just instantly adapt to someone’s magic power.]
Just as Kuromueina said, Kaito’s Sympathy Magic doesn’t allow him to instantly cope with other people’s magic power. Kaito needs the will to adapt to it, even if it’s subconscious, meaning that he must not harbor hostility towards the person in question.
[In other words, Kaito-kun… still felt Isis’s magic power of death, yet he still tried to get along with her, desperately trying to adapt while being exposed to her magic power of death for a reasonable amount of time. I believe that’s why he was able to adapt to her magic power of death.]
[………………]
“T-That’s quite an unbelievable person, isn’t it? I still can’t believe it.”
Kuromueina quietly said.
Kaito himself claimed it was thanks to his Sympathy Magic, but it couldn’t have happened if Kaito hadn’t wanted to reach out to Isis in the first place. Despite the painful thoughts inflicted on him, Kaito still tried to befriend Isis. This was something she unexpectedly learned. Whether it was out of happiness or something else, Isis’s cheeks flushed bright red as she stared off into space, as if she had fallen in love again.
In contrast to Isis’s reaction, Lillywood seemed to be trembling in fear.
[Hmmm. I guess it might have been impossible if you met Kaito-kun when he first came to this world. However, Kaito-kun has been so cool lately that even I’m surprised… he’s a kind child who’s doing his best for others. Well, that’s why I like him so much.]
[……Unnn… Kaito… is kind… and cool…]
“……I see. Speaking of which, Kuromueina, you just mentioned that you see him almost every day… That must be why you’ve been visiting the Symphonia Kingdom so much lately.”
[Ahaha, well, I suppose so.]
Lillywood, who had grown more and more intrigued by Kaito after hearing Kuromueina and Isis talk about him, nodded, looking forward to meeting him.
And now that she had also learned why Kuromueina had been visiting the Syphonia Kingdom so often lately, a gentle smile appeared on her lips.
“In that case, I guess I can ask Kuromueina for the next meeting regarding the Festival of Heroes in the Syphonia Kingdom, huh?”
[Don’t want to.]
“……Eh?”
During the years when the Festival of Heroes is held, Kuromueina and Lillywood, both closely tied to the Human Realm, share the responsibility of meeting with each country. They discuss the order of the pilgrimage that the one holding the role of Hero will undertake, as well as the events held during the Festival of Heroes.
They hadn’t yet decided on the appointment for this year, but if Kuromueina had been frequenting the Syphonia Kingdom, Lillywood thought she would gladly accept if she were the one going to the meeting there. But her response was simply, “Don’t want to.”
[The King over there “treated Kaito-kun as an outcast,” so I hate him.]
[……He treated Kaito… as an outcast?]
Upon hearing Kuromueina’s words, Lillywood placed her hand over her face.
The things Kuromueina had just said… Lillywood had already had her followers look into the matter of the Symphonia Kingdom not sending an invitation to Kaito. She understood what had happened, but she hadn’t told Isis about it.
She kept it a secret because she didn’t want to think about what Isis might do if she knew. However, when she heard that Kaito had told Isis he couldn’t attend because he already had something else to do, Lillywood had felt a sense of relief just a few days ago… only to have a bombshell dropped in a place she least expected.
Hearing Kuromueina’s words, Isis quietly muttered before quickly standing up.
“Stop for a moment, Isis. Where do you plan to go?”
[……Symphonia Kingdom.]
“P-Please wait! That is……”
[Isis! Stop!!!]
[……Kuromueina?]
Noticing that her eyes were clearly fixed on the Symphonia Kingdom… and that Isis was about to go there to literally erase the king, just as Lillywood desperately tried to stop her, Kuromueina also intervened.
Lillywood felt a sense of relief, glad that someone else shared her thoughts. She turned toward Kuromueina, who seemed to be on her side… but her next words made her face go pale.
“That’s right, Kuromueina. You tell her as well……”
[Let me help you!]
“Hey!?”
[……Thank you, Kuromueina…… together…… those idiots who tormented Kaito…… let’s kill them.]
[Killing them is no good. If you do that, Kaito-kun will be really troubled. We should just ‘threaten him until his mind breaks’ so that he won’t do anything stupid again.]
[……I understand…… So we’ll just turn him into an ‘invalid person’.]
“What kind of frightening stuff are you talking about!? Isis too, don’t agree with her!”
Looking closely, Lillywood saw that even the smile on Kuromueina’s face had vanished, replaced with clear anger as she spoke about such horrible things like it was normal.
“Please wait!!! I-I will go there, okay!? I’ll make sure the king of Symphonia apologizes, okay!!! So I’m begging you, don’t do anything!!!”
That day, in the peaceful land of death… because of her concerns, one of the Six Kings… the World King’s scream resounded.
T/N: 7/12. Last one for the day.
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