Chapter 46

First, I went to President Kelkel’s office to apply for paid leave.

“—And so, I’ve found myself in a situation where I have to go to the Demon Realm. I don’t think it will take many days.”

“That is fine, but Franz-san, can you already use magic to travel to the Demon Realm? Though, at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised no matter what high-level magic you used.”

For some reason, I apparently have a freakish aptitude for Dark Magic.

“Regarding that, Mary is going to take me there. While I’m at it, I hope to observe the Demon Realm and bring back some insights to use in my work.”

“You should really only think about resting when you’re on vacation, you know. But to support you, Franz-san, let me give you a little parting gift.”

The President gave me a small, white charm.

“What is this? Is it made of ivory?”

“No, it’s the bone of a certain animal.”

“The ‘certain’ part of that sentence really worries me…”

“If you’re attacked by an enemy and find yourself in a pinch, try using it. It’s best if it never comes to that, of course, but there are some hot-blooded individuals in the Demon Realm.”

“Understood. I’ll accept it gratefully.”

As I left the President’s office, I ran into Senior Farphistanya and her owl familiar, Mortri Orquente V.

“Things have gotten quite hectic, haven’t they?”

“I’ll resolve it quickly and head back here.”

“In that case, I’ll give you something too.”

What Senior pulled out was those socks.

“These are the ones effective for recovering from fatigue, right?”

“No, different ones. If you wear these, your defense stat increases.”

They weren’t just magic items—they were equipment!

“I see… Well, I suppose even socks provide some defense…”

Regardless, I accepted them gratefully.

When I got home, Cerulia was already away at her parents’ house, and only Mary remained. I knew this was the schedule, but it would be a lie to say I wasn’t lonely.

“Franz, you’re less energetic than usual. That won’t do. In times like these, it’s better to force a smile. If you wear a miserable face, nasty demons will flock to you.”

“You’re right. I’m definitely going to take Cerulia back from that Incubus.”

I squeezed my fist tight.

“Yes, that’s the spirit. We are definitely going to win.”

●

That night, Mary and I hugged each other tight as we slept to recharge our energy. I’ve reached the point where I can sleep soundly even when Mary is clinging to me.

Right now, Cerulia is probably doing special training for her marriage meeting so she can win? Apparently, the one who makes the other fall in love wins.

The next day.

Mary and I stood in front of the house, carrying bags with a few days’ worth of spare clothes.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Mary began creating a transportation magic circle that led to the Demon Realm. The incantation was like nothing I had ever heard. It wasn’t just that it was difficult; it was fundamentally different from the knowledge I had acquired.

From the magic circle, a contradictory light—something that could only be described as “black light”—began to emerge.

“This is a special magic of my own style. So, Franz, don’t try to mimic it. You could try, but it would just result in you getting pointlessly exhausted.”

“Got it. I want to conserve my strength as much as possible, so I won’t do anything unnecessary.”

“Then, shall we go in? We’ll get Cerulia back, and then the three of us can flirt all we want.”

“Yeah! Let’s get Cerulia ba—wait, Mary, didn’t you just say something weird?”

“Oh? I intended to flirt twenty-four-seven, but did you have something even weirder in mind, Franz? What were you planning to do?~”

Mary looked at me with mischievous eyes. Don’t start playing with me now of all times!

But it was true that the tension had eased.

“Thanks. I’ll relax and do my best to give a peak performance.”

“Yeah. You just need to do what you always do, one step at a time.”

Mary and I stepped into the magic circle.

It was a strange sensation, almost like soaking in a bathtub. Mary had likely taken care to make the burden of travel as light as possible. I had heard that spatial teleportation consumed quite a bit of stamina, but I felt nothing of the sort.

When I realized where I was, I had arrived in a world with a pitch-black sky. In that sky, massive, equally black birds were flapping their wings. It wasn’t total darkness, but rather a brightness similar to approaching dusk.

“So this is the Demon Realm. It looks like a place where far more demons live than I expected.”

“There’s no sun in the Demon Realm. A Red Moon and a Blue Moon appear alternately to light up the sky. Occasionally, moons with different cycles show up. Basically, it’s just moons.”

“There are so many differences. By the way, where are we? A forest?”

There were no people around. Trees with trunks that looked like faces grew there, and rocks were scattered everywhere.

“This is the garden of my house.”

“Wait, garden? I don’t see any buildings even when I look around…”

“The entire mountain behind the manor is basically my garden. It’s designed so that in an emergency, I can set up a barrier and hold out for a siege. It’s true that houses in your world are generally quite cramped.”

I see. Life in the Demon Realm is actually quite privileged…

“Now, onto the plan. Regarding the discussion with our collaborator, I’ve asked them to come to this house. It’s better than talking at a cafe to prevent information leaks.”

Since I was a novice in the Demon Realm, I left the meeting location up to Mary. I had proposed meeting a collaborator first. We would confirm the situation in detail and then go to see Cerulia’s father. If we could cancel the meeting itself, it would be a complete victory.

It was, so to speak, a strategy of collapsing the enemy’s strength before attacking—winning without fighting.

Even so—

“Isn’t this house a bit… too much of a mansion?”

After walking through the forest-like garden for a while, we reached a residence that looked like a great noble’s manor.

“Well, as far as demons go, I’m a pretty big deal,” Mary said with a wink. “If you married me, this manor would be yours too, Franz.”

“The offer is tempting, but I want to focus on the main issue right now.”

“Fine, fine. You really are serious, aren’t you?”

A short while later, the collaborator arrived. Since they were a resident of the Demon Realm, this was our first meeting. But I was certain they would be a help to us.

“Hiiiii! I’m Cerulia’s older sister, Lidia! ♪”

She was a Succubus with her hair in a chignon and an incredibly light, airy vibe. Her personality seemed completely different from her sister’s…