Chapter 69

"Hey, what do you think of this place?"

Paffa, the 'Frost Witch,' said. She was a wild-looking woman with long, unkempt blue hair.

"What do you think? It's hard to answer on the spot. But it's certainly an unusual place," Lamp Eye, the 'Inferno Witch,' responded. She had fiery red hair tied up in a ponytail, fitting her nickname. Her background as a soldier made her seem energetic.

"For me, this is heaven...! I want to work here for the rest of my life...!"

And then there was Gara Rufa, the 'Plague Witch.' She had plain, lustrous black hair cut short in a bob, giving her a youthful appearance.

"Plati and the demons who came to fetch us said this is a frontier. That means it's not a town or a village. It's land that we're supposed to develop," she said.

"In the end, we are convicts serving our sentences. It makes sense for this to be our place of service, doesn't it?"

"Ha! I'm not happy about it. It's pathetic to bow to the system."

"You have a strong rebellious spirit. Despite that, you're head over heels for Prince Aruana."

"What!?"

"It's obvious to anyone who looks. Paffa, you have a thing for that type, don't you?"

"No way! The prince is cool, right? He has the presence of a future king!"

"......"

"Agree, you little leech of the royal family!"

The girls were chatting like schoolgirls. I thought they were having a secret meeting, but it seemed different.

"Hey... If you're going to talk about love, shouldn't we go back?"

Gara Rufa said timidly but firmly.

"We asked Plati-sama to let us clear our heads, so we're here chatting. If we're just going to waste time, let's go back and hear the detailed explanation about bacteria from Plati-sama!"

"Calm down, science geek!"

"That's right. I want to get straight to the point and discuss my biggest concern."

Lamp Eye lowered her voice.

"......Isn't this place in the territory of the demons?"

She said.

"What makes you think that?"

"The one who came to fetch us, Bati, was a typical demon. Moreover, the workers here are orcs and goblins, the kind of anthropomorphic monsters that demons prefer to use."

Ah, I see.

That's why you think that.

"The owner of this frontier, who is called a saint, is likely a demon. This reminds me of Plati-sama's marriage proposal."

"Huh? There's such a proposal?"

"Don't you know?"

"Well, I was locked up in solitary confinement for over a year. No information from the outside world got to me."

"Even I, who was in a similar situation, have no idea about the recent developments over the past few months... But if Plati-sama agreed to marry a demon..."

"It would make sense for her to be here..."

Gara Rufa's murmur made Lamp Eye react intensely.

"How pitiful, Plati-sama!! To be manipulated by politics and end up as a demon's wife!! And to live such an inconvenient life on land!!"

"Living on land is tough for us too, you know?"

"It's fine for us because we deserve it!! But for Plati-sama, who has done nothing wrong, to be treated so cruelly...!!"

"Is that really true...!?"

"She's a princess, so she gets a lot of leeway. And she's the 'Crown Witch' too."

Plati is being talked about so badly.

But the more they talk, the more their speculations head in a serious direction!

I, who happened to overhear this, decided that I should step in and steer the conversation back on track!

"Excuse me, can I interrupt for a moment?"

"Ah!?"

They were startled by my sudden interruption.

"What the hell!? Don't just start talking out of nowhere!"

"A human...? But you seem different..."

They think this is demon territory, so my sudden appearance as a human would be confusing.

"Nice to meet you. I'm a resident here. Would you like a tour?"

"Wh-What?"

They seemed confused by my offer.

"A tour? We're waiting for Plati-sama...!"

"That's true. As convicts, we can't just do as we please on the first day."

"Wait a minute."

Gara Rufa interjected.

"I think we should definitely get a tour."

"Gara Rufa!?"

"Are you serious!?"

Surprisingly, the most reserved one gave the boldest opinion, causing a commotion.

"We need to gather information to survive here. We should know as much as possible before meeting the saint who owns this place."

"That's true...! Knowing more about the owner will give us an advantage in the future."

"Know your enemy before you fight! I like that way of thinking!"

Right.

"Human, we'll take you up on your offer. Please give us a detailed tour of this place."

"But! Keep it a secret from the saint who owns this land! We don't want him to know we're snooping around!"

"Please! Please!"

...

Alright.

I'll keep your secret from the saint.

Who is the saint, anyway?

I refuse to be called a saint by humans, so I'm not the saint.

So, no problem.

I'll give them a tour of my frontier!