Fremd Torturchen - Volume 4 - Chapter 3

3

A Brief Reprieve

The Torture Princess had returned once more to her castle atop its hill of craggy stone.

Her sleek black hair was splayed across her sheets as she slept.

After all, there was nothing she needed to do at the moment, nor, for that matter, anything she could.

Her target, the Kaiser’s contractor, was currently in nonhuman lands, a place where she couldn’t carelessly venture. Ever since she’d discovered that fact, she’d been spending her time idly. But although she was lying down, Elisabeth was not, in fact, asleep.

She was finding the deafening silence hard on her ears, leaving her unable to get any rest.

And so, as she lay on her bed, events from the past bubbled up in her mind.

Once, Elisabeth Le Fanu had stood in silence among a raging torrent of jeers.

Having been forced to wear a straitjacket and stand in the public square, she’d found herself the subject of a terrifying amount of hatred. And before that, her narrow, cramped cell had been so quiet that there was a chance it had had an effect on her psyche.

Even after the Church had returned her castle to her, she still hadn’t had anyone to talk to.

Until the day she summoned a Sinless Soul as a servant to foist various chores and responsibilities upon.

“Who would have thought I’d end up reeling in someone from another world?”

Elisabeth’s tone was sardonic. It had been a coincidence of astronomic proportions, one that verged on a miracle. But the way she saw it now, it had hardly ended up being a joyful one.

After all, Kaito Sena was a colossal fool.

He was stupid man, unthinkably good-natured, naive, and possessing an unparalleled sense of stubbornness. For the sake of someone wholly undeserving of being saved by him, he’d even made a contract with a demon and endured unspeakable pain.

If anyone asked Elisabeth what she thought of his behavior, she would probably describe it as the most foolish act anyone had ever committed.

“You know, you’re the only one who ever saved me.”

That was what Kaito Sena had told her. She had forcibly summoned his soul when all he’d wanted was to die, gotten him wrapped up in her demon hunt, and warped his very destiny, and he’d thanked her.

“The only one who saved me from that hell was the Torture Princess. Just you, Elisabeth Le Fanu.”

What a truly, truly pitiable man you are.

She considered something, and not for the first time.

Kaito Sena was like a faithful mutt. And because he’d been starving, wounded, and shivering, it didn’t matter how the person who picked him up and took him inside treated him. He would think highly of them regardless.

It was true that there had been some joyous aspects to his second life. He’d met Hina, for one. But it was ludicrous to think of someone as your savior just because they tossed you a few sandy scraps of bread when you were starving.

Due to his own misfortune, Kaito Sena had found value in someone he ought not have.

And if that wasn’t worthy of being called pitiable, then what could possibly be?

He’d even taken the Torture Princess out on a date, for crying out loud.

And he’d told her that even if every single other person scorned her, he would hold her in higher esteem than anyone else in the world.

“What a fool he is. What a hopeless, irredeemable fool. The largest idiot in all the world.”

“I like her a whole lot.”

“For that person’s sake, I could do or become anything.”

Then Kaito Sena had chosen to become an enemy of the entire world.

The mere normal, human boy who knew nothing of magic had done it ever so innocently.

In a sense, he’d been like a child looking up to a hero. That was how trivial his reason had been.

Elisabeth ground her teeth. Then, like a child, she curled into a ball.

The oppressive stillness around her persisted, causing her chilly bedroom to feel like the inside of a coffin. Nothing in it moved. Nothing in it changed. But then, all of a sudden, it underwent a transformation.

Some sort of pleasant aroma wafted up.

Actually, it was rather smoky.

She could even make out the sound of something crackling.

“…Wait. Hold on a moment, now.”

Elisabeth sprang up from the bed.

A vigorous fire was burning directly before her eyes.

“A fire?!”

“Oh-ho, I see you’ve awoken! Nothing is burning, no—it’s a splendid bonfire!”

Somebody was sitting in front of the fire, turning around in response to her alarm. His face was concealed underneath his tattered black cloak, and he was gently flapping a feathered fan. Atop the fire was a massive cut of meat hanging from a pair of tripods.

Drops of fat were dribbling off its carefully seared surface.

“What in the blazes do you think you’re doing, Butcher?”

“Why, I’m roasting some meat in someone else’s castle!”

“And to think, you even realized it belonged to another.”

Elisabeth instinctively narrowed her eyes in exasperation.

Ever since the Marquis had destroyed its shutters, her bedroom’s window had been left perpetually open. The smoke was drifting through it, finding its way outside. But the ventilation it provided had been the only thing standing between her and becoming the victim of a murder. The Butcher’s hearty laugh made it wholly unclear whether or not that fact had registered with him.

“I must say, though. I caught wind of the commotion at the Capital! ‘How dreadful,’ I thought, and after dealing with this and that, and stocking up on some things, I raced over here like an arrow!”

“The slowest arrow there ever was.”

“At any rate, Madam Elisabeth, I daresay you haven’t been eating anything decent since that hubbub, eh?”

The Butcher’s tone didn’t waver a note as he carried on. Elisabeth’s shoulders twitched.

He was completely right. She was, by nature, a glutton and a gourmand. But ever since Kaito and Hina had left, she’d only taken in the bare minimum amount of sustenance necessary for survival.

Unfazed by her lack of a reply, the Butcher continued turning the massive slab of meat. After adjusting its position, he nodded, pleased. Then he stylishly sprinkled salt on it from oddly high in the air.

“Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho, my meats are the finest meats around! Filled with love and bravery, they’ll never let you down! Eat them and your courage will increase one millionfold! As always, I’m your friendly neighborhood Butcher! Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho!”

“Oy, Butcher. Quit the singing. It’s dreadful.”

“My goodness, how could you say such a thing? My voice has the timbre of a lovely baby bird!”

“The world may never know where that confidence of yours wells from. And on that note, why on earth are you trespassing in my castle?”

“As I told Mr. Dim-Witted Servant and Ms. Lovely Maid once before, it brings me great joy when you cry out how exquisite something is. Allowing a customer of mine to go hungry would besmirch my honor as a merchant.”

The Butcher spoke with a persistent calm. Elisabeth gazed silently at his back.

Then she recalled a scene from some time ago.

Back at a bar in the Capital, Kaito had offered her a bowl of gruel, a bowl that he’d gone well out of his way to bring her. “I figured you might be hungry,” he’d said to the Torture Princess.

Elisabeth posed a subdued question to the Butcher.

“…And that was your sole reason for coming?”

“Why, yes. That, and nothing else.”

The Butcher nodded in a dignified manner, and Elisabeth found herself at a loss for words. The flames gave off dazzling lights as they cracked and popped.

As he checked to make sure the meat had been properly cooked, the Butcher went on.

“No matter what the times may bring us, one must always remember to eat. That’s what it means to be alive, you know. And it’s a merchant’s role to deliver the provisions for a meal. And besides, meat is ever so splendid. Even when one feels lonely, some good meat will get them right back on their feet.”

“And just who is it you’re saying is lonely, pray tell?”

“Oh my, no, I was merely recounting my own experiences. Time spent alone tends to pass in an eerily slow fashion.”

As he shook his head, the Butcher thrust an iron skewer through the slab of meat. When he pulled the skewer free, clear liquid gushed out. Satisfied with the meat’s state, he lowered it off the flame.

Then, grabbing it by the bone, he held it in the air triumphantly.

“And there you have it!”

“Hmm.”

“And my, what a surprise, what a delight! Grilled arm of troll!”

“Are you sure you didn’t mean to say ‘What a fright!’?”

“Now, now, dig in!”

Not discouraged in the slightest by Elisabeth’s quip, the Butcher held the meat out to her as she sat cross-legged on the bed. She took it, albeit with some dismay. Meaty juices began dripping down onto her sheets.

“Hmm… Hmhm…”

Elisabeth stared intently at the slab of meat. Now that she examined it closer, it really did seem to be a troll’s arm. It didn’t, by any stretch of the imagination, look appetizing. But the skin was cooked crisp and juicy, and it was letting off an entirely reasonable aroma.

And above all else, the Butcher was standing in front of her and practically bubbling with excitement.

Reflexively, she glanced from side to side. But to her misfortune and moderate annoyance, there was nobody present but her to offer retorts. The array of knives resting in the map on the wall glinted in vain.

Steeling herself, Elisabeth opened her mouth wide and thrust the meat in.

Then she chomped down on it with surprising vigor.

“’Tis vile!”

“Whaaaat?!”

Elisabeth’s judgment was immediate, and the Butcher hopped up and down to protest it.

She furrowed her brows as far as they would go. In ill humor, she began listing off her impressions.

“The skin is aromatic and crispy, and its rough, wild texture is halfway decent! But the taste, the crucial element, is completely off! ’Tis unlike beef, nor is it like pork, chicken, goat, or sheep! What causes it to possess this bizarre, muddy flavor?! I can find no words to describe it besides troll-like!”

“Hmm, well, it is troll, after all.”

“If I had to describe it with a color, I would say it tasted green!”

Filled with anger as she was, Elisabeth didn’t stop eating. The feeling of food making its way into her empty stomach was incredibly pleasant. She stuffed her cheeks with meat, complaining all the while.

“Why, should I, have to, eat, something, so, vile?!”

Just as one would have expected, troll meat had a truly, truly bizarre flavor to it.

As she worked her way through the meat, she thought back to her dining habits of old.

Everything Hina had made had been exquisite. And although Kaito’s cooking was generally dreadful, the purin he made, if nothing else, was perfection. But now she was gnawing at a troll’s arm, all on her own.

What on earth has become of me?

Elisabeth bit into the skin, tore at the meat, and shredded the tendons with her teeth.

All the while, she was steadily growing angrier and angrier.

Forget all this nonsense about enemies and allies, killing and saving! There is a matter that most surely takes precedence!

Kaito Sena had decided to become an enemy of the world. Saying it was for Elisabeth’s sake, he’d taken Hina and left without consulting anyone else. Then he’d begun walking down the path of a figure destined to be reviled and cursed.

Who, exactly, was supposed to benefit from that outcome?

Now that she thought about it coolly, there were countless things she wanted to say to the two of them.

Her heart was full to the brim with a terrifying amount of complaints and abusive remarks she wanted to level at them.

But most of all, she needed to give Kaito a solid punch to the face.

Then she needed to ask him to give it a rest and to put an end to his idiocy.

Aye—everything else can come after that.

The Church had ordered Elisabeth Le Fanu to kill Kaito Sena.

She held certain convictions that were immutable. But Kaito probably wouldn’t give up, either. No matter how hard they struggled against their fate, in the end, coming to blows with each other was the only path open to them. She had a duty to kill the enemy of the world. But before she surrendered herself to that tragic fate, she was going to give Kaito a solid kick in the pants.

Now was no time to be feeling glad that he’d left the human territories, nor was it any time to be sleeping.

Her foe was the most foolish servant in all the world. She needed to do what must be done.

And with that thought in mind, Elisabeth gulped down the last of the meat.

“CHAAAH!”

Nothing remained but the splendid bone. With excellent form, she held it up high and hurled it. It spun through the air as it made its way out the window.

The bone gleamed as it faded from view.

With fists clenched and her expression contorted by anger, Elisabeth shouted out.

“Damn you! Why should I be forced to eat something so vile! And why must my thoughts be filled with such distress! I shan’t forgive you for this, Kaito, you bastard. I shall hunt you down and have your head!”

“Hmm, it seems as though the odds that Mr. Servant meets an untimely demise have risen somewhat, haven’t they…?”

The Butcher crossed his arms. Elisabeth’s indignation and bloodlust were boiling over before his very eyes.

Then, gladdened by the fact that she seemed to have regained her vigor, if nothing else, he reached into his sack and pulled out a fresh chunk of meat.

“My, my, my, what do we have here? Why, it’s a dragon tail!”

“This foolishness again?”

And with that, for the first time in a long time, Elisabeth’s castle felt alive again.

“…What the hell is a ‘troll-like’ flavor?!”

“Oh, Master Kaito, you’re awake! What’s the matter?”

“Wh—oh, sorry, Hina. I guess I was just having a weird dream.”

Kaito pressed down on his forehead. It would appear he’d fallen asleep at some point. Because of that, and because he’d expended enough of his own mana that Elisabeth’s blood had kicked in, he’d seen some sort of weird dream. He spent a moment pondering what significance the phrase troll-like flavor could possibly have.

Then he slowly sat up, turning his attention away from the dream to his surroundings.

The room he was in was made of wood, and it had a number of white beds lined up within it. It wasn’t clear how they’d pulled it all off, but its walls sported authentic vines, and its ceiling displayed an array of dainty pink flowers.

The room’s construction had clearly been designed to put nature’s beauty front and center.

The fragrance of the flowers also seemed to have a sterilizing effect. Their aroma was sweet, but it had a sting to it as well.

Hina was sitting atop a wicker chair at his side. On his other side, he was flanked by a goatperson wearing gloves and a sanitary cloth mask.

Then he noticed the thick bandages wrapped around his shoulder. The beastman healer gave a slight nod.

“The wound had sealed almost completely before I even began treatment. Very impressive. But your skin was thin in places, so I applied herbs to help speed along your recovery. You passed out due to a mana deficiency and some mild fatigue. You should be all better now. Feel free to get up and move around as you please.”

“Oh, Master Kaito, thank goodness! Thank goodness!”

Hina cast her arms wide and squeezed Kaito in a tight embrace. Bewildered, he glanced at the healer.

The goatperson, who was more than likely a goatwoman given the size and shape of her horns, offered a nurturing smile.

“I told her there was nothing to worry about, you know. But even so, your wife waited by your side on the verge of tears, not leaving you alone for a moment. Do you have anything you’d like to say to her?”

“Sorry, Hina. I guess I really gave you a scare there, huh?”

Kaito gently returned her hug, repeatedly stroking his wife’s back.

As she gradually calmed down, Kaito rummaged through his memories.

So, uh… I definitely remember getting on that teleportation circle Lute and the others drew…

After he had, they’d traveled to a gorgeous building artisanally crafted out of wood and colored stone. According to Lute and the others, it was one of the royal family’s secondary residences. Then they’d led him to the infirmary that had been set up in one of the rooms.

Upon obeying the healer’s instruction and lying down on a bed, he’d immediately passed out.

“Wait a minute, a secondary residence of the royal family?”

Kaito opened his eyes wide. This wasn’t just some hospital they’d been brought to.

Flustered, he made to get down off the bed. But he found himself unable to move.

At some point, Hina had anchored her slender arms firmly around him.

“Um, uh… Hina dearest?”

“Why yes, Master Kaito? I believe I did tell you that I intended to get quite upset at you later.”

It seemed her frustration wasn’t just talk. Kaito’s face went stiff. But then Hina loosened her arms. After taking a step back, she fixed him with a pointed stare.

Then she made her pained appeal.

“Haven’t I told you? When you go off on your own and do such dangerous things, my love… Do you have any idea how much that determination of yours makes me want to kill my powerless self?”

Hina’s face contorted, just like it had back when the two of them had had their fight back at the castle. Immeasurable grief was welling up within her jeweled eyes. Her expression made it clear how much her concern for her bridegroom had been eating away at her heart.

Struck by realization, Kaito reached his own arms out. He hugged Hina tight.

It was the best option we had.

That was something he still wholeheartedly believed.

He wasn’t the same man he’d once been. If he needed Hina’s help, he had no problems asking for it. And this time, he hadn’t. That was all there had been to it. But he also realized why Hina didn’t find that answer satisfactory.

They were a couple. They’d promised to become a family.

There was no excuse for hurting her the way he had.

“Hina, I’m really, really sorry—huh? Is it just me, or are you squeezing me again?”

“Hee-hee-hee, it seems you still need some scolding. But, um, Ms. Healer? Is Master Kaito stable enough to hold long conversations?”

“Oh, very much so. And for patients prone to recklessness, being scolded by a family member is often the best medicine. Please, don’t mind me. Go ahead and be as hard on him as you want.”

“What kind of doctor are you?”

He’d been ambushed from a wholly unexpected direction.

Hina brought her lips close to Kaito’s ear, then blew gently on his earlobe.

A shiver ran down his body, and Hina began seductively whispering harsh words.

“Are you listening to me, Master Kaito? Battles constantly bring about unexpected developments. But even when time is of the essence, I forbid you from acting on your own. Even with the prowess you’ve attained in magic, you still have next to no combat experience. I am your sword and your shield, and you should make use of me whenever possible.”

Hina earnestly laid out her arguments. Their contents were sound, and more than reasonable at that. Kaito also felt a little like he was getting brainwashed. By the end, all he found he could say was, “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

Then the wooden door opened. A wolfman warrior stuck his nose in the gap and sniffed.

“Sir Kaito, how are you feeling? I’d heard you’d woken—oh, my apologies, I seem to be intruding.”

“No, no, you aren’t intruding! Come save me, Lute!”

“I beg your pardon. Do you find yourself in the need of assistance?”

Kaito gave a frantic shout. Lute stepped into the infirmary, his head tilted to the side in confusion.

Hina reluctantly drew away from Kaito. Then, after clearing her throat, she picked up the fruit that had been left by Kaito’s bedside. Slipping a knife out of her cuff, she began peeling it.

After listening to what the two of them had to say, Lute burst into laughter.

“Ah-ha-ha-ha! Well, if that isn’t mutual love for you. What a relief that your wounds didn’t amount to anything too serious! It seems your wife already scolded you for your recklessness, so I suppose there isn’t much reason for me to say anything more on that front.”

“Oh yeah. She gave me a good earful.”

“You really only have yourself to blame. Whenever I get hurt, my lovely wife here gets just as upset.”

“Wait, this is your wife?!”

Kaito let out a hysteric shout in spite of himself. Her mouth still hidden beneath cloth, the goatwoman healer waved at him. The gesture was playful, but her expression was as stoic as ever. Apparently, Lute’s wife was a much more levelheaded person than Kaito had imagined she’d be.

After grinning widely and returning her wave, Lute turned back toward Kaito.

“Ahem. Now then, Sir Kaito, if you have no objections, there’s someone I’d like to bring you to meet.”

“‘Someone’?”

Kaito parroted the word Lute had said, confused. It was then that he remembered the mind-boggling fact that they were currently in one of the royal family’s secondary residences. He reflexively corrected his posture. As he did, Hina lifted a chunk of fruit to his mouth. “Say ‘aah,’ Master Kaito.” Unable to refuse, he munched on the white flesh.

Although the situation had taken a turn for the comical, Kaito could still clearly make out Lute’s following words.

“Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast. My master, and the second imperial princess of the Forest King.”

The beastfolk had three kings.

They were the progenitors of all beastfolk: the Forest King, an ancient wolf; the Water King, a white deer; and the Wind King, a colossal hawk.

When the world had been remade, the Saint had prayed to God and created three intersex beasts. Their children were just as diverse as the rest of the beasts, and they worked to increase the beastman population and protect the land they’d been given.

Ever since then, the three of them had kept on living. Their existence was one of the primary reasons why faith in the Saint hadn’t found much popularity among the beastfolk—they lived under the protection of beings of legend to this very day.

Because of that, it was only natural that they didn’t revere the Saint to the degree humans did.

At present, the three kings lived and ate together, herbivore and carnivores alike, in order to prevent inter-beastman conflict, act as symbols of unity, and preserve the peace. But while they still contributed to society, the three of them had ceded power.

They had reigned since time immemorial. But they no longer governed.

Instead, they’d chosen several members from each tribe and appointed them as royalty, granting them authority and leaving matters of national politics to them.

And one such member of this nobility was Vyade Ula Forstlast, the second imperial princess of the Forest King.

The power she wielded was less than that of the first imperial prince or the first imperial princess. However, she had a private army in order to deal with matters of public security, and the way she’d used her own funds to maintain the towns under her supervision and manage the systems preventing the rivers from flooding had earned her the moniker of the Wise Wolf.

In fact, the zealous support she received from the populace surpassed that of even the first imperial prince.

And at present, she was sitting directly in front of Kaito.

How the heck did things even get to this point?

Faced with her majestic visage, Kaito’s mind was awhirl.

The lighting throughout the entire audience chamber was dim. Furthermore, the room’s delicately embroidered curtains cast whimsical shadows atop the stairs leading up to the throne. Their large floral design was gorgeous, yet at the same time, possessed the same solemnity a large, aging beast would. Concealed behind them, though, lurked a number of dangerous presences.

A number of soldiers were standing at attention, weapons held at the ready. Their nervousness was palpable.

You can’t blame ’em, given that their master is meeting face-to-face with a demon’s contractor.

On high alert yet seemingly defenseless at first glance, Vyade sat atop the throne and smiled.

She was a wolfwoman, and one with fur as white as the driven snow. The insides of her triangular ears were a lovely shade of pink, and a flower crown was perched between them. Her elbows were sitting atop beautifully arranged floral armrests. Just like the curtains, the layers of cloth she was wearing were delicately embroidered as well. As Kaito knelt in front of her, she called out gently to him.

“A pleasure to meet you, Sir Kaito Sena, our visitor from another world. I wish to extend my gratitude for your earlier efforts.”

“Yes, uh, ma’am. It’s a…great honor?”

“There’s no need to be so stiff. We would never dream of forcing our etiquette on a visitor of another race, much less one from another world. Please, be at ease.”

Vyade’s words were kind. Even after being told that, though, Kaito stumbled over his response.

Due to his experiences in his past life, Kaito held a certain amount of distrust and antipathy toward public authority. But the nervousness this woman was sparking in him was of another type altogether. It was the first time Kaito had ever found himself wondering if it was really all right for someone like him to be talking to a person of her status.

I guess there really are places where you can find people who’ve been aristocrats their whole lives.

“Or could it be that you’re unaccustomed to beastfolk? If that’s the problem, then, here.”

A hard, clicking noise rang out. The air in front of Kaito began gently shifting.

A gentle fragrance floated up, and the soldiers’ stress became even more pronounced.

Whether he wanted to or not, Kaito immediately sensed what had happened.

Vyade had come down from the throne and was currently stooping in front of him. As he panicked over what best to do, he quickly found that his hand had been taken. A wolfish hand—one that, much like a human’s, had five long fingers—was wrapped around his. It was covered in soft, white fur and sported a pad in the middle of its palm.

If Kaito was allowed to be completely blunt, it was squishy, and felt kind of nice.

“How do you find it?”

Vyade gave a small laugh. Taken wholly aback, Kaito raised his face.

His gaze was met with a beautiful pair of blue eyes. Vyade showed him a warm smile.

“Ah, you finally looked me in the eyes. I really must thank you, you know. You fought for the sake of our people, not even hesitating to receive wounds. And as for you…”

Suddenly, she cast her gaze to his side. As she did, Kaito received a shock. Hina was watching Vyade grasp his hand, and the look in her eyes was terrifying. Kaito broke out into a cold sweat. But Vyade just gave a small chuckle, before reaching out her other hand toward Hina. Then she caressed Hina’s cheek as one would to comfort a child.

“I must thank you as well, Madam Hina. Your efforts were indispensable.”

“I—I am my beloved Master Kaito’s maid! It was all Master Kaito’s doing, so…I am undeserving of your kind words.”

“Hmhm. Now that the two of you have been kind enough to look at me, let us speak of what is to come.”

Vyade lightly rose to her feet. Then, with the springy footsteps of a young girl, she returned to the throne. But as soon as she reassumed her rightful seat, she swathed herself once more in majesty and dignity.

As he watched her, Kaito found himself dumbfounded.

Vyade was a wolfwoman who gave off a strange impression. She seemed like both a teenage girl and a woman over a century old. Humans had difficulty gauging beastfolk’s ages in general, but hers was even more of an enigma.

Then she looked down on them with gravitas befitting the second imperial princess of the Forest King.

“We’ve carefully removed those sheets of metal from within the block of ice and run some tests on them. However, at the moment, our technology is proving insufficient to determine much, other than the fact that their material seems impossible to reproduce. I find it unlikely that we’ll derive much useful information from the remaining specimens going forward, either. And we still have no guarantee that only one of those things exists.”

“Yeah, I thought of that, too. Even if it can change its form, there’s no way it committed all those massacres single-handedly.”

“Consequently, I wish to ask for your continued sojourn and cooperation until we can definitively state that we’ve put a stop to the massacres. We need to determine that thing’s true nature and, if it has one, who its master is.”

Upon hearing what Vyade had to say, Kaito narrowed his eyes.

That was no doubt the reason she’d used such innocent-seeming methods to demonstrate her affection for them. She’d been very intentionally trying to get Kaito and Hina to feel a bond toward the beastfolk.

Depending on what master that thing serves, it might even have intended to start a war between these guys and the humans.

After a few seconds of deliberation, Kaito chose his words carefully.

“You know, I really do think that thing came from a demon.”

The Kaiser had declared it had nothing to do with demons. But Kaito was intentionally keeping that fact to himself.

He’d decided he needed to do whatever he could to prevent a war from breaking out.

Although it seemed she’d guessed at his true intentions, Vyade replied with a calm nod.

“No matter what race they originally hail from, a demon’s contractor is an enemy of all who live in this world. If our foe truly is a new contractor, we’ll need to send notice to the human side as well. Truly, we need to find out what that thing was, and quickly. You yourself may be a contractor as well, but your soul is a proud one. For lending us aid yet harming none, Sir Kaito, you are a great friend to us indeed. We would ask that you continue lending us your strength going forward; what do you say?”

Vyade smiled, as though to encourage a favorable response. While it was unclear if the smile itself was genuine or not, the confidence and trust it contained clearly were. Kaito nodded. Genuine or not, his choice was the same.

It was all too clear what he needed to do.

“I’ll stop the killings and find out who our enemy really is. And until we’re done, I’ll give you all the help you need.”

“You have our gratitude. For now, that will be more than enough. Once we’re finished, depending on how things end, we can negotiate from there. But as for today, I’m sure you’re tired. Fia, would you show them the way?”

A rabbit-headed lady-in-waiting standing nearby nodded. Her ears flopped as she bowed to Kaito and Hina, after which she gestured for them to stand.

The two of them gave Vyade deep bows, then followed after Fia.

The imperial princess’s soft voice called out to them from behind.

“I hope you two will believe in me, Sir Kaito and Madam Hina, when I say I wish for us to be close friends. And we wish to remain good neighbors to the humans as well. That is precisely why we must quell this distressing situation.”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. We believe you.”

Kaito gave a courteous response. And in truth, he suspected that everything she’d said had been true.

As Fia led them through the building, Kaito thought back to what Lute had told him. Apparently, the second imperial princess was a calm, levelheaded individual. That was in stark contrast to the first imperial princess and third imperial prince, both of whom were allegedly hot-blooded and fixated on expanding the beastfolk territories.

Vyade, the second imperial princess, hadn’t informed the two of the killings. That was precisely the reason why she’d needed to call in Kaito, a third party, to act as her pawn. The fact of the matter was, she had made stopping the massacres her top priority. In other words, her desire to avoid war was genuine.

She had no desire to send the beastfolk to ruin, nor to see the forest desecrated.

And Kaito felt the same way. He didn’t want to see anyone have to get hurt or suffer.

Deus Ex Machina.

In order to achieve that, he needed to find out that thing’s true nature as quickly as possible.

What was the killer secretly hoping to achieve?

Or what were they trying to start?

“Hey, Kaiser… Kaiser, can you hear me?”

After the lady-in-waiting led them to their guest room, Kaito called out to his demon as he sat atop the bed. However, there was no reply. The Kaiser was proud, and fickle to boot. Because Kaito had repeatedly called on him for matters of little importance in recent memory, he seemed to have chosen to completely obscure his form.

Kaito probably wouldn’t be able to ask him about Deus Ex Machina until the following day, at the earliest.

“Seriously, why do you have to be such a pain in the ass?”

Undeterred, Kaito tried to play on the Kaiser’s emotions. Even so, there was no reply. It would appear the Kaiser had completely blocked out his master’s voice. The jewel in Kaito’s pocket containing Vlad’s soul rattled around, as though expressing its amusement. But Kaito had no business with Vlad, so he completely ignored him in turn.

“Dammit, why now?”

Sighing, Kaito adjusted his seat on the bed.

Then the door to the room opened, and Hina stuck her head in.

“How did it go, Master Kaito? Any response?”

“Nah, nothing. Doesn’t look like he’s planning on chatting today.”

Then Kaito gasped.

Hina tilted her head as she stood before him. Her damp silver hair rustled.

“Is something the matter?”

Her outfit was a complete one-eighty from her usual maid uniform.

Before settling down in the guest room, Hina had decided to take a bath. She was an automaton, so she didn’t normally need to take baths, but the lady-in-waiting had offered her one anyway, suggesting it might be nice to wipe the dirt from her body and use some of their scented oils.

Kaito had been in favor as well, so she’d been away from the room until her return moments ago.

Currently, her supple white skin was dressed in a thin, floral-patterned negligee. The exotic garment’s soft hem fluttered as Hina did a little twirl.

“Ah, did I catch you by surprise? My maid outfit had gotten a bit dirty, so they were kind enough to let me borrow this. Is it unseemly, do you think?”

“You’re so pretty.”

“Wh—?!”

“Ah, sorry. Err, I mean, I’m not sorry. It just kinda slipped out.”

Kaito pressed down on his quickly reddening face.

Hina blinked rapidly. A moment later, her cheeks went bright red as well. She began bashfully fidgeting as she tripped over her words.

“M-Master Kaito, y-you really mustn’t attack me b-by surprise like that. It’s really quite unfair.”

“I mean, I wasn’t trying to attack you by surprise or anything. One minute I was thinking it, and before I knew it, I was saying it.”

“That’s what’sh sho unfair about it… Now I can’p even talg write… Ohhhhh, how embarrashing.”

Hina crouched and balled herself up like a pill bug. Kaito watched her, finding it adorable.

Eventually, after burying her head all the way down in her arms for some reason, Hina whispered softly.

“……………………………………………………………I’m so happy that I could die.”

“No, wait, don’t do that. I’d really rather you kept on liv…ing…”

It was at that moment that Kaito realized the important dilemma the two of them were now in. He frantically cast his gaze around the room.

Much like the other rooms, the guest room’s stone walls were adorned with vegetation. In fact, beastfolk held nature in such regard that they didn’t normally build buildings out of stone at all. But due to the climate and their use of fire, they’d searched for an appropriate material and eventually settled on a unique strategy of mixing stone with various other materials.

The room they were occupying was simply another one of the fruits of that technique.

Its windows were large and arranged so as to allow as much sunlight in as possible. At the moment, though, it was covered by the largest pelt Kaito had ever seen. It looked like it was designed to be rolled up when the weather was nice. A mattress stuffed with hay was placed atop the wooden bed, as were a number of blankets. All of them, along with the carpet on the floors, were decorated with intricate embroidery.

And on top of all that, the room was impressively spacious. It would no doubt have been a pleasant place to while away the hours.

However, it had an important problem to it as well.

Th-there’s only one bed.

In other words, at this rate, Kaito and Hina would end up sleeping together.

In his mind, Kaito could imagine Lute giving a hearty laugh. Upon hearing they were married, Lute had probably thought it the tactful thing to do. But his good deed had, in fact, been gravely unnecessary.

Kaito and Hina had slept in the same bed once before. But now that they’d confirmed their feelings for each other, he doubted it’d end at just that, nor did he have faith in his ability to stop there.

At a loss for what to do, Kaito looked around the room again.

Luckily, the carpet was thick. If he snagged one of the blankets off the bed, it would be more than comfortable enough to sleep on.

Nice! I can just sleep on the floor, and then we’re all good!

As Kaito clenched his fists, having made his decision, though, he noticed something.

That’s…huh?

He’d finally noticed that Hina was acting strangely. She’d stood up at some point and was staring a hole into the bed while deep in thought.

“Hina, what’s the matter?”

“Well, Master Kaito…”

“Hmm?”

“We are married, you know.”

Kaito broke into a violent coughing fit.

He certainly wasn’t dense enough to miss what she was implying. Flustered, he opened his mouth, then thought twice and closed it tight. Insecurity was welling up in Hina’s big green eyes.

Her gaze was imploring, and hopelessly forlorn.

Kaito narrowed his gaze a smidge, then thought back to the earnest words Hina had once said to him.

“I wish…to become a family with you…Master Kaito.”

She’d broken her body on his behalf, even going so far as to lose her arms and legs, and that had been the one wish she’d made of him.

And his teary reply had been thus:

“You’ve always been… The moment we met, you became my companion, right?”

And that was how, at the end of that battle, after making the insane choice he had,

Kaito Sena had finally found a family.

“Master Kaito, if you don’t find it objectionable… I think it would be an appropriate time to, you know…”

Hina gripped her clothes tightly as she spoke. Her voice trembled as she went on.

“…Do you…not want to?”

Then her nervousness finally surpassed her limits, and her cheeks flushed the reddest they had yet.

Completely losing her usual assertiveness, she shook her head in a panic.

“I—I apologize for being so forward! I will take the floor, so please forget I said—”

“Hina!”

Kaito abruptly grabbed her slender wrists. Her expression turned to one of shock.

Although he was on the verge of insisting on sleeping on the floor himself, Kaito shut his mouth. That wasn’t it.

No! That’s not what I’m supposed to say here!

Silently, the two of them stared at each other. Her eyes were as moist as a puppy’s. About to reflexively look away, Kaito resisted the urge and opened his mouth. But at the last moment, he couldn’t get the words out.

Hina gently hung her head. When she did, though, Kaito silently pulled her toward himself.

Then he hugged her tight.

“M-Master Kaito?”

Hina’s voice was shrill. As he listened to it, Kaito felt his vision blur.

The palpitations of his heart and the sounds of Hina’s gears were deafening. For a moment, he was concerned the two of them were both just going to drop dead like that. But then Hina returned his hug, squeezing so hard that she was practically hanging on to him, and he knew he’d made the right choice.

She’s right. We are married.

In sickness and in health, no matter what dangers befell them.

Until death did them part, Kaito and Hina planned to stay together.

“Hina, I’m never gonna let go of you again. That way, we’ll never be apart.”

“Master Kaito, I’m undeserving of such blessed words. I’m so, so very happy right now. I feel like I’m in a dream.”

“So, I’ll, uh…um… I wonder what I’m supposed to say now.”

“Give it your best try, Master Kaito!”

“I’m trying! I am! So, I’ll, uh… You know, after this, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And I promise to take good care of you! So…”

Then Kaito extended out his arms and suddenly let go of Hina. She was a good bit taller than he, and as he looked up at her face, he saw her waiting for him to finish with a serious expression on her face.

Kaito inhaled, exhaled, and upon getting his breathing in order, posed his question.

“Tonight, would you be interested in becoming one, together, as a couple?”

“Yes! Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!”

His tension had caused his wording to come out affected and overly formal.

Hearing it, Hina nodded so fast that her head bobbed up and down, and a smile spread across her face like a flower opening its petals.

The bed creaked.

Hina had lain down in front of Kaito, her cheeks tinged scarlet.

As he sat beside her silver hair, he gently placed his hands on the bed. It creaked again. While all she was likely doing was automatically mimicking human breathing, Hina’s large breasts heaved up and down beneath her thin negligee as though to demonstrate how tense and excited she was.

Kaito swallowed. But then he quickly lifted his arms and adjusted his posture.

Still horizontal, Hina blinked repeatedly.

“Master Kaito, if I may, why are you sitting with your legs folded underneath you?”

“Oh, it’s just that my old man and his mistresses would always just go at it like dogs in heat. I figured it’d be better to say something before we get started, so I wanted to sit more formally in seiza.”

“Say-za? How interesting! I’ll do that, too!”

Hina bounced to her feet, then knelt the same way Kaito was.

The two of them were sitting facing each other. Both of their expressions were meek, but then, at the same time, they both burst into laughter.

After the two of them finished giggling together, Kaito placed his hands flat on the bed in front of him and gave Hina a deep bow. She followed his lead.

“Then, with that, please take good care of me. Thank you? No, that sounds kinda weird. Here I come? No, no, no, wait, that one doesn’t count! Uh… I promise to take good care of you!”

“Please, come at me all you wish! Until the day my steel heart stops beating, I, too, wish to spend my life with you, to protect you, and to eventually break by your side. But until then, I hope we spend many long years together.”

The two of them lifted their heads at the same time. As evidenced by the continued reddening of their cheeks, both of them felt somewhat embarrassed.

Then Hina averted her gaze for just a moment. Kaito tilted his head to the side, wondering what was wrong this time.

Rather hesitatingly, she posed a question to him.

“The thing is… I’d thought it best to ask you beforehand, but please, you must promise to try not to take offense.”

“Hey, what’s the matter?”

“Would it be preferable if I were to act bashfully? Or would it be acceptable for me to act somewhat vulgarly?”

“Khak!”

Kaito found himself having another coughing fit. He heaved as air forced its way out of his lungs.

Hina reached an arm out to him in concern. With one hand, she gently stroked his back.

Thanks to that, he managed to settle down. Upon sensing that fact, Hina slid her pale hand up to the nape of Kaito’s neck. Her slender fingers tickled, sending a shiver down Kaito’s spine.

“Hi…na…”

“Master Kaito.”

Then she shifted her weight backward and fell once more horizontally atop the bed.

Spontaneously, Kaito ended up falling on top of her.

Bashful as she was, a seductive smile spread across Hina’s face. Her abundant breasts were pressing softly against the bottom part of Kaito’s body. The sensation was warm, and they felt as though they’d melt between his fingers if he grasped them.

Whoa.

Kaito suddenly felt a violent spell of dizziness come on.

Bringing her face close to his ears, Hina exhaled and gave a sweet whisper.

“Please, Master Kaito, kiss me.”

“S-sure.”

As she’d requested, he laid his lips atop hers. Hina timidly surrendered her tongue. As their lips gingerly became acquainted with each other, Kaito clumsily followed her lead. Immediately, Hina’s tongue movements became much more confident.

Lascivious sounds filled the air, and the moment seemed to last an eternity.

Eventually, Kaito withdrew his lips from hers. After taking a breath, he whispered.

“I…I feel all dizzy, and giddy, and it’s hard to breathe, and it feels like my head’s gonna explode.”

“Hee-hee, how adorable.”

“If anything, you’re the cute one. By the way, Hina. You don’t have to worry about stuff like making sure you do it right, or about adapting to my tastes. I doubt I’m gonna be doing much of a great job, after all. As long as you do what feels natural, then I’m happy… Hey. What’s that grin for?”

Hina was giving a slight chuckle. On reflex, Kaito replied with a petulant frown.

Hina stuck out a finger and poked Kaito affectionately on the nose.

“I can’t help it. It makes me so happy to see how kind you are, even in the bedroom.”

“I…I see.”

“There is one thing, though.”

“What?”

To that, Hina replied by raising her face and nuzzled Kaito’s nose with hers like a puppy. Then, like a small bird, she planted light kisses all over his face. Finally, she turned toward him once more.

The smile she showed him was warm and blissful, and the voice she whispered to him in oozed like sweet honey.

“I’m so very happy that doing ‘what feels natural’ is bound to be rather immodest.”

Kaito’s face flushed scarlet. He tried to say something, but Hina stole his lips away with hers. After sharing a long kiss, they drew their faces apart. Their eyes met, and they smiled at each other.

“Master Kaito, I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Hina.”

Then, as if they couldn’t help themselves, they pressed their lips together again and again.

The bed quaked.

And then came the sound of rustling clothes.