Chapter 48

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Ah, I’m dreaming.

While I’m dreaming, I remember everything.

I know that it will all be lost when I wake up.

Seven years ago.

A dream of a warm, dimly lit cave kingdom.

"Richie isn’t actually angry with you."

A voice that seemed to say, "Oh, for goodness' sake."

I was annoyed by the attitude of the Garment and retorted, even though I knew it was really my fault.

"But he was angry!"

"Just his words are sharp. That’s his personality. He’s probably regretting saying too much."

Garment sat down next to me, who was hiding in a corner of the cave.

"Besides, I’m hiding right now. How did you find me?"

"You can’t call sitting in a box hiding."

"…Maybe you’re right."

The wooden box in the corner of the storage area in the cave is my favorite spot.

I always come here when I want to be in a quiet place.

But if I’ve been found, there’s no point in hiding.

I got out of the box and sat down next to Garment.

"…It’s not like I was trying to waste magic."

"You were trying to help Dusk and Dawn, right? They were digging a hole."

"Yes."

"But you didn’t need to make the [Light Ball] spin and shine in seven colors. They got so excited they started singing and dancing."

Dusk and Dawn’s job is digging. They gradually dig through the cave to reach the surface. Sometimes others help, but they usually do it alone because they know the earth and water well. If amateurs get involved, there’s a risk of a cave-in. Our lives depend on their work.

This place is already abandoned and buried underground. My uncles were caught in a cave-in during the war and fell underground, barely managing to roll into an open space to escape. There’s plenty of food, and we can get water with magic, but it’s limited. We need to escape while resources last.

That’s why we make what we lack ourselves. We dig our own paths where we can’t see them. This is the principle of our cave kingdom. So, what if someone gets bored or finds it dull?

I thought at least I could make the work enjoyable.

"They said they hadn’t seen a rainbow in about a year… So I thought it would be nice if it made them feel happy."

"Right. You can’t see rainbows in a place like this."

Garment chuckled.

It didn’t feel like I was being laughed at.

"Are you not angry, Garment?"

"Well… ‘Fun’ is important in a place like this."

"You’re the one who would get angry first."

"I would be angry if it were outside. I’d tell you to be more serious."

As he said this, Garment took out a ‘pen’ and drew in the air.

"Wow…!"

A rainbow appeared before my eyes.

A shimmering arc of seven colors appeared for a moment and then disappeared.

Garment must have tried to conserve magic, but the fleeting nature of it made it even more beautiful.

He did it on purpose.

"Shining brightly isn’t bad, but try to mimic the quiet beauty of nature. You can create something more beautiful without using as much magic."

"…Are you saying you can make something prettier than me?"

"Of course. I’ve studied drawing thoroughly. I won’t lose that easily."

Garment chuckled.

"Your competitiveness is not a good trait."

"Then you should be more honest too."

"Ugh…"

I looked up at Garment, dissatisfied.

Garment, imitating my uncles, tried to pat my head.

"Your hair is messy… huh?"

It was a bit different from what I expected.

He fixed my messy hair.

"Stay still."

"…Yes."

I think this kind of consideration is something my uncles lack a bit.

I obediently let Garment do as he pleased.

"…Alright. I’d like to draw a cloak or a cape for you, but let’s hold off on that. This is a secret."

"You’ll get angry if I waste magic, right?"

I giggled and asked.

Garment smiled mischievously.

"Getting scolded occasionally is just right. …Oh, by the way, this is a secret, okay?"

"Secret?"

"I noticed something about Richie. When he’s embarrassed, he scratches his chin with his thumb."

◆

"I’m sorry, Richie."

I entered Richie’s study—well, it’s just a partitioned section of the great hall—and apologized right away.

"…Lady Jill. I also said too much."

Richie frowned.

From the outside, it looked like he was angry.

But as I interacted with him, I realized he wasn’t that angry.

"No, I wasted magic too. And I interfered with their work."

"Be honest about that. We can’t waste magic or food here."

"Uh…"

Richie started to panic.

He was hesitating, frowning, and scratching his chin with his thumb.

I finally understood his personality.

He’s bad at choosing his words.

"My words are often harsh. I caused trouble at my previous workplace. My brother had to clean up the mess… It was embarrassing."

He seemed more dejected than embarrassed.

I didn’t expect this turn of events.

What should I do?

"Oops, sorry. Anyway, let’s make up."

"Ah, yes."

Richie said this nonchalantly, ignoring my concern.

I felt deflated.

What did he think of me crying just now?

But there was something that caught my attention.

"Do you have a brother, Richie?"

"Yes. My brother is the manager of a café. He’s good at making tea and baking cakes."

"I love cakes too!"

"Especially special cakes. Even Conrad praised them."

"Wow… I’d like to try them someday."

"Once we get out of here, I’ll take you. My brother’s cakes and tea are even better than Conrad’s."

A small smile appeared on his lips.

"You really love your brother, don’t you?"

"…I’ve always been in his debt. He’s a bit eccentric, and when he suddenly said he was going to open a café, I didn’t know what to think, but he somehow succeeded. Even the noisy relatives shut up."

I have noisy relatives too. I don’t like most of them except Uncle Conrad.

"…I don’t think there are many people with as difficult a family as Lady Jill."

"Really. My father and mother are as scary as devils, and everyone else is always trying to curry favor, tattle, lie, and sabotage… No, it’s often worse than that."

I shrugged.

"Lady Jill, you’ve been through a lot…"

"That’s why I enjoy being here. It’s small and dark, but we can make it bigger and brighter!"

"Your words give me motivation."

"Good. Be motivated."

"Ahaha! Lady Jill, you’re good at flattering people. It’s a pleasure to serve you."

Unusually, Richie laughed.

He was covering his mouth, choking.

I felt like I was being laughed at, but the satisfaction of making the usually stern Richie laugh was stronger.

"That’s right, I’m a princess worth serving."

"Then, as an apology to the princess, I’ll teach you a bit of magic. I think you can use it."

"…Is it demon magic!?"

Richie’s magic was completely different from anything I knew, and it was very convenient.

For example, in the morning, when everyone is about to oversleep, Richie’s magic stone makes a bell-like sound.

Or, when the air gets thin where Dusk and Dawn are digging, there’s a risk they might collapse. At such times, Richie’s magic stone makes a loud banging sound like a pot and a spoon being hit together.

And Richie’s abacus. When Richie recites a formula, the beads move without being touched, and it gives the result.

"Yes. But you can’t tell anyone else. You can tell Conrad that you learned it from me, but the details are a secret."

"But is it okay? It’s Richie’s secret, right?"

"…Keeping secrets is important, but there are times when you have to share them with someone."

"Really?"

"Sometime, you’ll understand."

Richie’s face looked a bit sad.

But at that moment, my interest in demons was stronger.

"First… how about we create a simple ‘demon’ that can greet people? Once you get used to it, we can make an alarm clock too."

"Yes!"

"But there’s something absolutely necessary for anything you do. You need a gem that can store magic, and the person casting the spell must give the demon a name."

"Name?"

"Yes. Now, repeat the same words I say."

"Yes."

Richie’s cheerful face turned serious.

He looked stern.

But he wasn’t angry or anything.

He naturally made that face.

Looking at it, I wasn’t scared anymore.

"[Demonic Creation: Definition]. I give name and magic to an intelligence without a soul, and you are the one who guides the answer. My name is Andromalius. I give you a name."

◆

As the morning mist filled the Forest of Temptation, Jill’s consciousness was at the boundary between dream and reality.

And she repeated the words from her dream.

"Akuma souzou… definition…"

But the words she spoke reached her ears, and she was quickly pulled back to reality. It was almost morning. The sunlight was streaming in through the window, indicating that it was time to wake up.

Ah, how lonely—just a little longer, I want to doze in that world.

The memories quickly faded.

Whenever Jill dreamed of the cave, it always happened like this.

It was supposed to be the same today.

But suddenly, the ‘Book of Acacia’ said something.

"Synchronized device detected. Do you want to synchronize with this device?"

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