Vol 1 Chapter 21 – Alice’s Memo 2

—Excerpt from the report drafting memo by Intelligence Agent Alice Crux.

However, this document was discarded in an already unrecoverable state.

【Observation target has arrived at the Forbidden Forest.

After speaking to himself, ________ did ________. Reason unknown.

However, upon my investigation, there was no magical reaction.

After that, there was a change in ________.

I cannot write anything regarding ________. Why? Does it mean it’s inconvenient?

________ seems to have already been ________. Must not trust.

I decided to observe the situation just a little longer.

Should I also consider investigating Captain Garon? But at the very least, if I don’t investigate the contact time with ________.

There is a high possibility I was noticed even before I was ________ by ________.

Arrival at Tiamaria.

What have I gotten myself involved in?

The true identity of that was presumed to likely be ________. Requires investigation. The objective of ________ is ________. Presumed from the conversation with ________. As quickly as possible, the truth of the First Lost.

Nine-sama is considered a necessary asset for Agusta. Nine-sama is considered a necessary asset for Agusta.

Stop it already.

It’s no good. At least ________ the crisis of the demons ________ Demon Lord-sama.

There are still things I have to write ________. Please investigate the spirit faith.

Must not forget. At the very least, I have to tell ________. Please ________. I’m begging you.

No change in condition.

Nine-sama safely achieved the conditions. Nine-sama is a necessary asset for Agusta. He will surely offer his body and contribute to the demons.】

—From here on, the blank space continues.

Furthermore, it should be added that parts of this document were illegible due to bloodstains, and unnatural blank spaces were observed.

Vol 1 Chapter 22 – Anti-Aging and Stuff is Important, Right? I Get It

“What is the meaning of this?”

Alice Crux was currently being dragged before Prime Minister Aroma Sugesta.

“What is the meaning… of what?”

“The fact that there was no regular report. Puria’s attitude since then. And the food that human gathered. Please don’t make me spell out every little thing.”

“I already reported that the messenger crow for regular reports became unusable due to trouble. And I believe I submitted the reports all together later.”

“Such things are meaningless. How did that manage to gather not just two hundred, but even more humans than that? In the end, the details are still completely unknown, aren’t they?”

“I reported everything we were able to grasp on our end. As for Puria, didn’t they simply become good friends during the journey?” “Do not make me too angry. Alice, what are you hiding?”

“There’s no way I would hide anything from you, Aroma-sama.”

“…”

“How many years has it been since you picked me up, Aroma-sama? I have not forgotten the debt of gratitude for saving us siblings.”

“…”

Sigh. With a single breath out. Aroma silently waved her hand.

You are dismissed, it meant. Judging it as such, Alice bowed her head and took her leave.

How did it come to this? Aroma held her head in her hands, alone.

It was supposed to be a bet she would certainly win.

In the unlikely event he didn’t return within the time limit, it would be considered desertion, and she had even given Puria permission to kill him. This was a term that Chris had also acknowledged.

She was supposed to win without a doubt, yet what is this reality?

Irritated, Aroma kicked over her chair, roughly threw open the door to her office, and stormed out.

Selphi, who happened to be bringing tea to Aroma’s office, unfortunately caught sight of Aroma looking like a female demon from hell, and was reduced to tears.

She was completely caught in the crossfire.

Striding through the castle to cool her head, Aroma spotted the very bastard who had dealt a massive blow to her stomach and sanity. He was playing along with Electra in the grand hall, letting her straddle his back as they played horsie.

Aroma couldn’t suppress the grrr of her teeth grinding.

Ah, no, my teeth alignment will get ruined. My beautiful face.

Even knowing that, she couldn’t suppress this anger.

Once again, what crossed her mind was the question of how did it come to this, and sheer resentment.

One week had passed since the conclusion of that bet with Chris and the others.

Eva was visibly in a bad mood because she couldn’t get a sample.

El-chan, for some reason, had grown attached to that.

Garon seemed to be sneaking around meeting that in the middle of the night.

She had no idea what happened over the past month, but Puria was acting weirdly clingy toward that. Even though she had looked so thoroughly displeased before they left. Wagging her tail at a human, that loose woman…

And at the end of the day, the one who pissed her off the most was Chris, who looked expressionless but was actually incredibly smug.

In her heart, she was definitely thinking, “Looks like it was my win after all.”

They hadn’t been associates for this long for nothing.

Dammit, I should have just disposed of him when he came back, even if it meant risking house arrest.

Haaah. Breathing out a long, thin sigh, she strove to return herself to a calm, neutral state.

This is not what she needs to be worrying about right now. She still has plenty of other work left to do, after all.

But, Alice’s demeanor just now bothered her no matter what.

That girl, who was so loyal to her, hadn’t made her regular reports, and above all, showed no signs of being frightened even when Aroma pressed her. Being timid was one of that girl’s strong suits, too.

She was certain that something definitely involved that.

Just what in the world happened in that land?

Ahh, geez. No, no, no. What a pain. I don’t want to think about it anymore. It’s all his fault.

But I have to think about it. Ahh, I hate this.

I want to take a bath. Alright, I’ll take a bath.

Whatever, I’m taking a little break.

Aroma Sugesta was excellent, but she was a woman weak to unforeseen circumstances.

That being said, perhaps she deserved some credit for her efforts not to let this pathetic state of mental escapism show on her face.

――――――――――

—A month and a bit ago.

Puria-san and I safely arrived at the Forest of Un-giving.

“Haaahn, it’s as gloomy a place as ever, ain’t it.”

“This is the first time in my life I’ve entered from the Agusta side, though. Still, it kinda gives me a nostalgic feeling.”

“Heeeh, is that right. I still don’t really like it here much, myself.”

That’s probably just a matter of preference, so I don’t really think much of it.

At the very least, the inside of this forest is a place I could call my second home, so it can’t be helped that I feel deeply moved by it.

For a few years after Nile Village was destroyed, I lived in this forest together with Tia-sama. There was nothing to eat at the entrance of the forest, but if we went deep inside, we could forage nuts and get our hands on fruit.

Well, until I found Tia-sama, I was inevitably eating other things.

Since I was bad at hunting, you could say it couldn’t be helped. And it was delicious.

Yes, since it was delicious, it couldn’t be helped, right.

“What’re you grinning about? Remembering something funny?”

“Ahaha, I was just remembering how delicious the food was back in my hometown, that’s all.”

“Local cuisine, huh. Well, you probably can’t eat it anymore, but…”

Saying that, Puria-san made a face like maybe I shouldn’t have asked, to which I waved my hand to say I didn’t mind.

I think she’s grown quite attached to me over the past few days. My love must have reached her. That’s a good thing.

Because she’s just so cute, it actually makes me want to bully her.

“Yes, by the way. Nile Village prided itself on its stewed poultry…”

“Eek.”

When I smiled broadly and spoke to her, her face went pale and she jumped back.

By the way, is it okay to treat a harpy as being in the same category as a bird?

“I-I don’t taste good even if you eat me…”

“I’m joking. To begin with, even if I attacked you, you’d just turn the tables on me, wouldn’t you?”

“T-That’s right, obviously. Like I’d be scared of a human!”

“Chicken wings…”

“Eek.”

Just like that, while talking quite amicably, we started walking along the path built through the forest.

This didn’t exist in the past, but aside from a slight passage toward the outer sea, this forest completely separated Ista and Agusta—and by extension, the domains of demons and humans.

You could say it played a role in suppressing the demon invasion, or perhaps it protected the demons who had once been driven away by humans. This sanctuary no longer serves its role as a breakwater.

During the First Lost of the past, I had heard a rumor on the wind that the demon dragon-riders had made a huge detour from the outer sea to trample Nile Village all at once. But since everything up to central Ista could already safely be called demon territory, they likely just brazenly carved a path through this forest.

Well, there’s another reason why the road was made… or rather, from my conversation with Puria-san the other day, I grasped that it was simply because demons hadn’t been able to enter the forest until now.

Though it’s strictly a guess.

When I directed my gaze toward the harpy still riding on my shoulders, she hid my eyes with her wings.

“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t mind if I looked?”

“You’re staring too much. It obviously bothers me if you look that unreservedly over and over again.”

“To you, I’m just a pet or something like that, aren’t I?”

“Your eyes are way too perverted, what kind of pet is like that?! And above all else! As if I’d have a pet that calls a person a chicken wing!”

Saying that, this time she brought her rear down thump onto my shoulders, straddling my neck.

Isn’t that way more erotic? E-Eh, hold on, wait, wait.

It’s touching my neck. Something soft is touching me. Are you pressing it against me? You’re pressing it against me, aren’t you?

It smells a little nice!

Is tonight Saturday Night Fever?

So erotic, this bird is so erotic!

“So, isn’t it about time you told me?”

“Told you what?”

“Obviously. What are you planning to do from here on out? If you’re planning to run away, I’ll obviously have to kill you, but…”

“Even if I ran, I don’t have anywhere to go at this point. Well, if there’s anything I dare say right now.”

“If there is?”

“Easy work, good profit. Just that, I suppose.”

Saying that, having reached the middle of the forest, I stepped off the paved road and headed into the bushes.

“W-Wait wait, where are you going? Ah, could it be… no way, I haven’t even taken a bath…”

“Could it be my ass, don’t get carried away you little bird.”

Squeeeze. My face was sandwiched between her thighs. Smack, smack. My head was hit by her wings.

“Watch your mouth.”

“I’m sorry.”

My head got covered in feathers, but well, whatever. It felt good in a lot of ways.

“So, what are we doing off the path? You know I won’t care if you get lost, right?”

“I’m going to see an old friend.”

“Haaahn? Who’d be in a place like this. A human couldn’t live here.”

“It’s not… a human. Oh my, so you came to greet me.”

“Eh?”

Whoosh. I felt the air shift. Ah, this nostalgic sensation.

It’s the moment the world, the surrounding air, becomes terrified of her.

“W-What is this. Hey, let’s go back already…?”

—It’s been a while. I’m glad to see you look healthy—

“It’s been a while, Tia-sama. It’s been seven years since we met face-to-face. Have you been well?”

“H-Hey.”

—To come here means you’ve made your resolve. Is that it—?

“Isn’t that obvious? It’s much too late for that now, ahaha. Truly, it’s far too late.”

“I said hey! Hey, Nine!?”

—You won’t regret this—?

“I already am. I’m sure my life will be full of nothing but regrets from here on out. But, I have to do it. Otherwise, I surely won’t be me anymore.”

“I-I don’t like these kinds of pranks! Hey!”

—What a foolish child. But, that is exactly why you are so dear to me—

“Yes. Because I am a fool, because I am powerless, I really couldn’t find any other way but this.”

“You, who… have you been talking to… since a while ago…!? Stop messing around…!”

—Then, based on the ancient providence, let us form a contract.

What will you offer—?