Isekai Mahou wa Okureteru! (LN) - Volume 9 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: To the Society 

After finishing up all of his business in Japan, Suimei was at last on his way to Germany. The main purpose of his trip was, of course, to visit the Society’s main headquarters to explain his prolonged absence to the leader, and subsequently get permission to return to the other world once more. 

The former would likely be no issue, as Suimei wasn’t at fault for his prolonged absence, but there was some uncertainty regarding getting official permission to travel to another world. The Society fundamentally didn’t meddle in the business of its affiliated magicians; its general stance was to allow them to do as they pleased so long as they refrained from wickedness that ran counter to the Society’s ideals. The Society believed in allowing scholars of the mysteries to freely conduct their research and pursue any and every possibility open to them. It was up to the individual magician to decide on their own thesis, and if that thesis took them to another world, the Society was unlikely to raise an objection. 

However, the Society was still an organization, so Suimei had to take potential red tape into consideration. He was both optimistic and nervous about his prospects, and that was the line he found himself riding during this journey. As for the journey itself, there was also no way Suimei could leave his three visitors behind while he was overseas. Liliana in particular needed to accompany him, as he was hoping to address the issue of her transformed body parts while he was in Germany. 

And so Suimei booked a flight for four from Haneda Airport to Frankfurt am Main. It was a direct flight, meaning they’d spend half a day in the air. As everyone took their seats on the plane and began to settle in for the trip, Liliana turned a sudden question on Suimei. 

“Suimei, is it okay... for Hero Hatsumi... to stay behind?” 

“It’s best if she stays home for a while. Time with her parents is important, right?” 

“Right.” 

“It is.” 

Felmenia and Lefille both agreed with Suimei on that point. Just as he’d implied, Hatsumi was staying in Japan in order to spend more time with her family and get lessons from Kiyoshiro. 

“We’re in for much tougher battles now, so I have to get stronger too.” 

That was what she’d said when she decided to stay behind. Rather than going to Germany for no particular reason, it was far more in keeping with Hatsumi’s constant hunger for self-betterment to stay home and train. 

But as for the group headed to Germany... 

“You three need to relax a bit.” 

“Easier said than done, Suimei-kun...” 

“I still can’t believe that such a large mass of metal can fly in the sky.” 

“I can’t... calm down.” 

Liliana tightly grasped Suimei’s hand from the window seat. She ordinarily never displayed her agitation this openly, but that just showed how anxious they all were about flying. Suimei gently placed his other hand over Liliana’s as Hydemary poked her face up over the seat behind him. 

“Suimei-kun’s right. There’s no need to be so tense,” she said. 

“You’re quite calm about this, Hydemary-dono,” Felmenia piped up. 

“I go back and forth between Germany and Japan all the time, so I’m a frequent flyer. I’m used to it by now.” 

Felmenia beheld Hydemary with awe-struck, admiring eyes. 

“Now that’s Hydemary-dono for you!” 

“Mhm. Such is the dignity of the senior disciple.” 

Hydemary, however, replied in a proud voice despite her expressionless face. Rather than reassuring the first-time flyers, it sounded more like she was just boasting. This, of course, wasn’t of particular comfort to the anxious Felmenia, who was still trembling and just as pale as before. 

“But, but... You know? If something were to happen and we fell...” 

“Saying that’s a bad omen, so knock it off. It’s also poor manners.” 

“But... There’s nothing mystical about this mass of iron, right?” 

In the end, Felmenia was reduced to tears. Magic was the foundation of technology in her world, so her trust in it was profound. Knowing that she’d be flying in a metal tube without any mystical assistance... It was perfectly understandable why she and the other girls were so uneasy. Trusting in science wasn’t second nature for them like it was the people of this world. 

“You’ll be fine. You can always use flight magicka in the event something happens, right?” 

“Wha—?!” 

There, the lightbulb came on for Felmenia. She looked as though that thought hadn’t even crossed her mind—her first clumsy display in quite a while. 

“Well, I mean... There’s a lot we’d need to be worried about if we got thrown out of the plane, so yeah, I guess it’s easy to overlook...” qualified Suimei. 

“I was simply caught up in common sense!” protested Felmenia. 

“Same goes for you, Liliana.” 

“I was careless... I will prepare myself... for the worst.” 

“That’s not necessary. Hey, cut that out. Don’t practice levitation here. It’ll affect their instruments.” 

When admonished, Liliana—who was holding her arms out like wings—decided to trust in Suimei and turn over all responsibility to him. 

“You’re... right. So if something happens... you handle it, Suimei.” 

“We’re in your care, Suimei-dono!” 

“I can’t fly, Suimei-kun, so I’ll especially be counting on you.” 

“I’m telling you, you guys, it’ll be fine...” 

Suimei had a girl clinging to either arm from the seats beside him, and one reaching for him from the seat behind him. All three of them were staring at him with pleading eyes. 

“Alright, fine, I get it. I’ll do something if it happens... Not that I think it will, but if it does, I’ll be counting on you too, Mary.” 

Suimei tossed a look behind him and found Hydemary staring back at him in discontent. 

“You’re not going to save me too?” 

“Huh? I mean, you’d be fine without me, right?” 

“That’s true, but you know...” 

“So no big deal, right?” 

“Hmph...” 

Hydemary suddenly puffed out her cheeks and turned away in a huff. It seemed Suimei had touched a nerve. He was sure she would have been offended if he’d offered to help her out when he knew good and well that she didn’t need it, but she seemed just as displeased that he hadn’t. Suimei wasn’t quite sure what to make of this. 

In any event, once the otherworldly visitors had experienced their first flight, surely the return trip would be no obstacle. The remaining hurdles in the meantime would be takeoff, landing, and any turbulence that might crop up between them. 

As Suimei was pondering all this, Hydemary started poking the back of his head. 

“Hey, Suimei-kun, I just remembered... What about that thing from before?” 

“What thing?” 

“The letter from the Thousand Nights Association. You got more details from Akitsuki-san, right?” 

“Ooh, that... Let’s talk about it later.” 

“What’s wrong with now? We’ve got a whole twelve hours to go, you know?” 

“Well, that’s true.” 

Just as Suimei was about to brush off Hydemary’s suggestion... 

“Welcome aboard flight number—” 

Their conversation was interrupted by the flight attendant’s voice coming over the speakers. Hearing it, the still-tense Felmenia suddenly jumped up in her seat. 

“A-A voice! There’s a voice coming from out of nowhere!” 

“It’s just the pre-flight announcement. Make sure your seatbelt is properly fastened.” 

“The captain for your flight today is—” 

“I see... It’s almost time. O Goddess Alshuna, grant me your compassion and blessing.” 

“Stop praying. And drop that tone. You sound like you’re about to reach enlightenment.” 

“Suimei, penguins... can’t fly... you know?” 

“A stuffed toy can’t fly anyway!” 

The visitors from another world were all clamoring and squealing right up until takeoff, leaving the burden of calming them down once they were in the air to fall squarely on Suimei. 

About thirteen hours after Suimei’s group departed Japan, their plane arrived at Frankfurt am Main Airport without incident. The ones most relieved by their safe arrival in Germany were, of course, Felmenia, Liliana, and Lefille. They were unable to shake the strange floating sensation they’d experienced aboard the plane, so it went without saying that they were overwhelmed with joy to finally have their feet on the ground again. 

Upon leaving the airport, the group boarded a taxi to make their way to the Society’s headquarters. The taxi took a secret underground tunnel with Suimei and Hydemary’s guidance, and they soon found themselves somewhere in the Harz Mountains before an enormous castle known as Alto Schloss. 

The dense, surrounding forest here was always shrouded in white mist. It exuded a chill almost like a warning: danger would befall those who carelessly entered here. In that sense, the forest and mountains served as a natural barrier, ripe with both offensive potential and illusions of all manners. Neither ordinary folk nor magicians could enter here without invitation. 

Suimei and his four companions were currently walking down a stone pathway, pulling their luggage behind them like tourists. They came to a stop in front of an enormous latticed gate with a black sheen to it that made it clear this was the end of the road for most. Felmenia looked particularly interested upon seeing it. 

“This building resembles ones from our world, doesn’t it?” she muttered admiringly. 

“The architectural style... is similar to the Empire’s... in a lot of ways. How mysterious,” Liliana agreed. 

“You’re right. Well, the evolution of humanity has a tendency to converge, so the same is probably true of aesthetics,” Suimei explained. 

“Is that really how that works?” Hydemary asked dubiously. 

“Yup.” 

Suimei brushed off Hydemary’s doubts and casually approached the gate. However, upon realizing that there weren’t many footsteps following him, he turned around. His three visitors were hesitating for some reason. 

“What’s up?” he asked. 

“Are you serious, Suimei-kun? Do you not see the problem here...?” asked Lefille in astonishment. 

“Suimei-dono! Are we really entering such a building?!” Felmenia asked with even more panic in her voice. 

“There’s a preposterous... number of spells... on it,” Liliana echoed. 

“Yeah, but I’m telling you it’s fine. It poses no threat as long as we follow procedure,” Suimei explained. 

And with that, he raised the palm of his hand and waved it about. The forest barrier started up discreetly, while the castle’s barrier started up most obviously—a decisive way to pressure anyone standing before the castle. 

Enclosure, liberation, extraplanar... The barrier was a combination of every known type of barrier to thwart any would-be trespassers. Alto Schloss might easily be the most secure building in the entire world. Even if one were to break through all of its defenses, what awaited them inside was the most distinguished monster in the world. 

“Open.” 

Hydemary invoked her magicka, and the gate rose accordingly. The sound of heavy metal chains grinding resounded through the air, and before long, the entrance was completely open. 

After confirming this, Suimei twirled around on the spot, the coattails of his black jacket fluttering behind him. He then took a theatrical bow like a butler. 

“Welcome to the castle of our esteemed leader, Magicka King Nettesheim. As a magician of the Society, I cordially invite you all to enter.” 

Suimei had a strikingly different air about him than usual, leaving his three visitors rather taken aback. When he stood up and impishly stuck out his tongue, however, everything seemed back to normal. 

After that, everyone followed Suimei into the enormous castle. The front door opened the same way the gate did and revealed a rather serene entryway. It had a grand chandelier, a red carpet, and a double staircase—everything one would expect from the entrance of a luxurious castle. It was almost scrupulously maintained compared to the well-worn exterior of the compound. 

There were several Society magicians scattered about inside and, upon spotting Suimei, each and every one of them looked stunned. This was the first time he’d shown his face at headquarters since disappearing without a word six months ago. His colleagues were rightfully shocked to see him, but the tension only lasted for a moment. 

Suimei’s fellow magicians didn’t fail to greet him with a light bow after their initial surprise. Such deference had nothing to do with age; both those older and younger than Suimei met him with proper decorum. Suimei returned the gesture in kind, greeting his close colleagues casually and his seniors with respect. 

As Suimei saw to his greetings, the girls behind him began whispering to each other. 

“Mary-dono, is Suimei-dono someone important here?” 

“You didn’t know...? Well, Suimei-kun is a bit of a special case.” 

“Um, Hydemary? Could it be... we ended up... becoming disciples... of someone outrageous?” 

“You sure did. I mean, he’s special enough to take on a genius disciple like me.” 

It wasn’t clear if Hydemary was praising Suimei or boasting about herself. She was simply—apparently—the kind of person who used herself as a metric for everything. 

Suimei, however, eventually picked up on all the whispering behind him. 

“What’s up?” 

“Nothing.” 

Or so Hydemary said, but the girls’ faces said otherwise. Felmenia wore a questionable smile, Lefille looked somewhat proud, and Liliana was cowering slightly, seemingly feeling out of place. 

“There aren’t many people wearing robes or carrying staffs here...” Felmenia observed. 

“We’re all more of the suit type. Also, modern magicka doesn’t fuss over requiring a staff,” Suimei responded. 

“Incidentally, speaking of... I heard that you registered at the guild in layman’s clothes. Is that true, Suimei-dono?” 

“Erk! How do you know that, Menia?!” 

“Oh, that? He also apparently got into a quarrel while I wasn’t there,” Lefille interjected. 

“Ooh, what’s this about?” Hydemary asked. 

“Suimei-kun essentially started a fight.” 

“As careless as ever, even in another world, I see...” 

As the group walked towards the reception desk, Suimei spotted someone familiar who greeted him before he could say anything himself. 

“Yo. Still alive, I see.” 

“Well met, Lord Ozfield. My apologies for being out of touch.” 

A good-looking Englishman in his late twenties casually waved to Suimei. He had asymmetrically parted blond hair and a rather sturdy build. His amber eyes appeared golden in the light, making for quite a wild impression whenever he glared at someone. He was presently dressed in a white vest and a black dress shirt, accentuated with a scarf dangling from his shoulders. All in all, he looked more like a young mafia boss than a magician. 

But in truth, Alfred Ozfield—nicknamed Beatorex—was Suimei’s senior Enforcer. He was part of the Society’s martial faction who had taken down many mystical criminals. In terms of pure combat ability, Alfred was in contention for the title strongest among the Society’s younger members. 

“So what kinda trouble did you get yourself into this time, Suimei? Even that ass Wiegel was complaining that you up and vanished.” 

“I mean, I was only missing from this world for a bit.” 

“‘From this world’? The hell is that supposed to mean?” 

“Sorry, but I’ll explain after I report to the leader.” 

“Oh? You haven’t seen him yet? No time to be talking to me then, huh?” 

At 190 centimeters tall, Alfred towered over Suimei... making it quite easy for him to bop Suimei on the head. Suimei simply shrugged off the impact as Alfred flashed a friendly smile. Once he was done with Suimei, however, Alfred turned his attention to the three visitors. He greeted them courteously, even going so far as to remove his hat like a proper gentleman. 

“Welcome to our castle, ladies.” 

His figure as he did so was naturally handsome. It would have made for a nice painting. He was such a master at this, in fact, that it completely overshadowed the mischievous side of him that he’d just put on display with Suimei. Suimei didn’t hold a candle to him in that regard. 

Once Felmenia and the other visitors returned Alfred’s greeting, Hydemary raised her voice. 

“And what about me, Lord Ozfield?” 

“You don’t really care, right, princess?” 

“How mean.” 

Alfred turned his back on the grumbling Hydemary before vanishing into the shadows of the castle with a wave of his hand. After watching him go, Lefille drew closer to Suimei. 

“Is he something like your senior here?” she asked. 

“Well, something like that, yeah. He worked me hard when I became an Enforcer,” he replied. 

“He does seem strong.” 

“I’m pretty sure even you wouldn’t be able to beat him in a fight, Lefi.” 

“Is that so? Magicka would be rather ineffective against Lefille, so I would think she’d come out on top in close combat,” Felmenia interjected. 

“No... That guy’s a major threat even without magicka. Seriously.” 

Suimei lowered his shoulders, spread his feet, and raised his fists in demonstration. Alfred’s forte, you see, was boxing. He was quite obsessed with it, and had become the kind of monster who could knock out a heavyweight with a single punch. If he were to make a professional debut, he would easily become the kind of legend that the boxing world would still be talking about generations from now. He was simply that strong, even without all of his magicka. That was the true nature of the Society’s martial faction. 

Suimei, however, put Alfred out of his mind as he waved to the woman behind the receptionist’s desk. She bowed deeply in response. 

“It has been quite some time, Master Suimei. I’m relieved to see you well.” 

“Hello, Beltria-san. I’ve brought some guests with me. Could you take care of the formalities?” 

“Would you like to use the parlor?” 

“No, I don’t think so. We shouldn’t be long, so a sofa will do just fine.” 

“Understood. Also, I have a delivery for you from the Thousand Nights Association.” 

“Another one...?” 

“If I’m not mistaken, a message was also sent to your branch. Is that correct? This is a little unusual for the Thousand Nights Association... I wonder what curious turn of events has inspired it.” 

“I have an idea. Anyway, I’ll get started on it as soon as I’ve... What?! It’s happening in Germany?!” 

Suimei was glancing over the letter he’d pulled from the envelope as he chatted with the receptionist, but had an unexpected outburst on the spot. He could hardly believe that the target was trying to pull something in Germany, where multiple magickal organizations were based. 

“I thought they’d eventually send materials with more details... But seriously, those damn geezers from the Thousand Nights... They really dared to leave this out until now?” 

Hydemary’s ears perked up upon hearing Suimei’s angry mumbling. She had a pretty good read on the situation from that alone and decided to ask him for details. 

“That same case? The fact that they’ve largely identified where it’s happening means it’s some sort of large-scale ritual, right?” 

“Well... Something like that.” 

“Hey, are you still not going to tell me about it?” 

“Just hang on a little longer, okay?” 

Suimei brushed Hydemary off with a vague reply and looked over the map and photos that had come with the letter. The marked location was in central Germany, and the photos showed a forest and an abandoned town. 

“Anyways, Beltria-san, please take care of them.” 

After confirming things with the receptionist, Suimei escorted his three guests over to a sofa. 

“Okay, I’m off for a bit. Sorry, but you’ll have to wait here until I’m done. It shouldn’t take that long.” 

“Take your time. I’m here, so we’ll be fine if anyone comes to talk to us.” 

With that, Hydemary looked around at the magicians who were stealing glances at the group from across the lobby. 

“This doesn’t really seem like the kind of place where outsiders are very welcome, though...” Lefille remarked skeptically. 

“Really? I’m sure everyone is just dying to talk to you,” Hydemary retorted. 

“Hey, it’s fine to talk and all, but don’t go blabbing about everything before I finish talking with the leader,” Suimei chimed in. 

“Are you talking to them?” Hydemary asked, turning to Suimei. 

“I’m talking to you,” he replied frankly. 

“What? Do you think my tongue is that loose?” 

“You love bragging, don’t you? ‘I’m a genius! A genius, I tell you!’” 

“Mrgh...” 

Hydemary glared at Suimei for a moment, then turned away in a huff. 

“Hmph!” 

“What? This again? What’s been with you lately?” 

“Nothing!” 

Suimei let out a troubled sigh as Hydemary suddenly raised her voice. Exchanging insults was basically an everyday occurrence with her. She would start something, Suimei would quip back, and she would retaliate by cynically poking fun at him. It wasn’t exactly a healthy relationship, but her refusal to play along lately told Suimei that something was wrong. 

As he was pondering how he’d pander to Hydemary to get her to change her tune later, Liliana looked over to him with her violet eye. 

“Suimei, are you going to be okay...?” 

“Me? Sure. That magicka circle is basically a gate to another world. As for explaining what’s happened...” 

It would be troublesome, but Suimei wasn’t really anxious about it. 

“That’s not a problem. The leader’s fundamental doctrine is to wish happiness upon everyone. He won’t do anything weird just from hearing my story. His dream is to see all the people of the world happy. That’s why he founded the Society, after all.” 

“All the people of the world?” Lefille asked sheepishly. 

“That’s right,” Suimei answered with a confident nod before looking up at the ceiling and declaiming that familiar mantra. “Those under the weight of tears, remember. In this world, there is no rain of sorrow that cannot be cleared away. Those who carry anguish, remember. In this world, there is no blaze of pain that cannot be extinguished.” 

They were words Suimei, and even Lishbaum, had recited before. They spoke to the core of the Society’s ideals: there was no despair without end in this world, for all who lived in it could know the hope of a new day. They were a tool to censure those with evil intentions. 

“That is what we believe.” 

“Then the reason we’re really here...” 

“Right. If not for him...” 

If not for the Society’s leader, neither Suimei nor his beloved father would have ever become the magicians they were meant to be... Meaning Suimei never would have been able to save the girls he’d brought here today safe and sound. 

Candlelight danced within a room of four stone walls. It reached into the darkness, but didn’t reveal the entire room. Yet mysteriously there was no other source of light here, as if the dim orange glow was all that was needed. 

There was no exit or entrance to the room, nor were there any windows. Only four walls. It couldn’t even be called a tomb. It was just an isolated space. And yet there was a stylish table placed in its center with a single candlestick sitting atop it. 

How exactly had it gotten there? More importantly, how had the two men who sat on either side of it gotten there? One of them was Yakagi Suimei, and the other was the lord of the castle. 

The latter sat across from Suimei, illuminated by the dim candlelight. He had long hair and wore an Inverness coat. He had smooth skin and gave off a youthful impression, despite his stark white hair. He could easily be mistaken for a youngster, but his wise, cheerful smile gave him the impression of a good-natured old man. 

Indeed, this was the Society’s founder and leader: Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim, a great magician who’d carved his name in the history of magicka. But despite his great prestige and many titles, he smiled at Suimei with a jovial, lenient look. 

“Hahaha! Even I never expected you to straight-up disappear from the world entirely.” 

Nettesheim didn’t give off the slightest hint of severity in his demeanor. On the contrary, he happily chatted with Suimei as if this were no more than idle gossip. Suimei, on the other hand, replied with a slight air of tension about him. 

“Meaning you knew I’d truly gone missing?” 

“You’re one of my children. You didn’t think I’d look for you?” 

Nettesheim saw the magicians of the Society as his own children. Man, woman, young or old... It didn’t matter; they were all his children. The only exceptions were his brethren: two compatriots from the same era from which he hailed. 

In any event, the news that Nettesheim had gone searching for Suimei troubled him. As such, he bowed his head apologetically. 

“I’m truly sorry for all the trouble I caused.” 

“It’s fine, it’s fine. It was an act of god this time, right? There’s no need for you to apologize.” 

“But regardless, even if divinity was involved, getting caught in the invocation of someone else’s magicka is unbecoming of a high grand class magician. As such, the responsibility for my failures on this occasion should—” 

“Mr. Suimei.” 

“Yes...?” 

Nettesheim’s voice resounded with such power that it allowed for no argument. Suimei raised his head upon suddenly hearing his name called, and was met with two pitch-black eyes staring right at him. But when Nettesheim saw Suimei’s face, he smiled gently at him. 

“I’m just glad you’re alright.” 

“I don’t deserve such consideration...” 

Suimei bowed deeply at the leader’s kind words. This was the kind of magician he truly was. He was superlatively tolerant, accepting of anyone and everyone. It was this facet of him, though entirely unsuitable for a magician, that attracted people to him. It was, no doubt, how the Society had come to exist on such a prolific scale. 

But in a sudden turn, Nettesheim flashed an innocent smile once more. 

“Anyways, I’d like to hear more about what happened to you. In a sense, this could be good news for us, even if it was an act of god. Right?” 

Nettesheim seemed to be referring to the teleportation between worlds. Suimei had indirectly referenced it in his letter, but had yet to give a detailed explanation. Nettesheim was curious and urging him to tell him more about it, just like a child with a new toy. 

So from there, Suimei explained what had happened. About how he was teleported to another world, about how they used a system of magicka there that made use of the spirits called Elements, about how he’d fought against beings called demons that were created by an evil god... Everything. And once he was finished with his grand tale, he realized Nettesheim was quietly stifling a laugh. 

“Pfft, heh heh...” 

“What?” 

Nettesheim’s smile was a cheerful one... but one Suimei had never seen before. His smile usually had a sense of innocence to it, but the smile on his face now had an eerie quality to it characteristic of those steeped in the mysteries. Unwittingly frightened, Suimei gulped. At this, Nettesheim stopped laughing. 

“So we’ve made progress. It’s been hundreds of years of nothing, but here we finally have something.” 

“You mean to say this could lead to a development?” 

“Indeed, I do. Mr. Suimei, you truly are amusing. Mr. Kazamitsu was too, but you’re truly extraordinary.” 

“Does the existence of another world bring us closer to accomplishing our goal?” 

“I do wonder about that, but at the very least, some hope has come into sight. Either way, this means another dimension exists.” 

The Society’s ideals placed a lot of emphasis on the parallel worlds mentioned in the Akashic Records and the possibilities that they could bring into being. If parallel worlds existed, then so too did infinite possibilities. Somewhere in the universe, there was a world where every single person could be saved... And that hope alone was enough to deny absolute misfortune. 

No one likes a bad ending; everyone would prefer to see things come to a neat, happy end... especially when it involves your own life or the lives of the ones you love. To that end, we all strive for the best we can achieve. And should the existence of parallel worlds be proven, misfortune could no longer be written off as fate. There would be a place in the universe for everyone, meaning there wasn’t a single soul that couldn’t be saved. The Society was a gathering of like-minded magicians who sought exactly that in defiance of all other bad endings. 

“Also, I’m curious about those demons you mentioned. Are they anything like the ones that come up in fantasy novels?” 

Nettesheim was indeed curious about the demons of the other world, but Suimei shook his head in reply. 

“No, they’re basically only called demons out of convenience. In truth, they’re a different race created by an evil god. They look like a mishmash of beasts and insects, and their sinister existence serves no purpose other than evil.” 

“Sinister existence, huh? I picture something a little murkier when I hear that...” 

Nettesheim was likely reminded of beings like the Astaroth that had appeared when Suimei saved Liliana; beings that inspired psychological revulsion. Suimei tried picturing the same thing in his own mind, but he really couldn’t imagine what the leader had seen for himself. Nevertheless, there was something he understood implicitly from this little exchange. 

“If the sinister threat you just imagined were to truly run wild, I believe it would spell the immediate end of the world.” 

“How scary, huh?” 

Nettesheim’s reaction was far too casual. Suimei narrowed his gaze suspiciously, wondering if he was fazed at all... Not that there was likely anything in the world that could truly frighten Nettesheim to begin with. But as Suimei beheld him dubiously, Nettesheim flashed an impish smile. 

“Say, Mr. Suimei, how about using that teleportation circle you created to send a whole buncha magicians over there and really mess things up?” 

“What are you even talking about? You have nothing to gain by doing so, right?” 

Suimei was getting a headache from Nettesheim’s suddenly joking attitude. 

“Hmm? So you’re not gonna get agitated over that, huh?” 

“I mean, you don’t have any actual interest in the magicka circle or the other world itself, right?” 

“Essentially. What I’m interested in is the existence of another world—nothing more.” 

Nettesheim’s answer was pretty much what Suimei had expected. There was no way this man, who wished for the happiness of all people, would really do such a thing. 

“Is there anything else you need?” Nettesheim asked in a slightly more serious tone. 

“Just one thing. I’d like to ask you about Lord Gottfried,” Suimei replied. 

There, Nettesheim stared back at Suimei in wonder. 

“Now there’s a name I haven’t heard in some time... Are you referring to the same Gottfried I’m thinking of?” 

“The very one.” 

“What about him?” 

“I met him in the other world.” 

“Now that I think of it, he also suddenly disappeared without a trace. I see... So that’s what happened.” 

Nettesheim quickly unraveled the mystery behind his sudden disappearance, looking fully convinced of the answer he’d arrived at. 

“You say you met him, but from the sound of it, that’s not all there was to it, right?” 

“That’s right. Lord Gottfried is planning something over there, and he’s standing in our way.” 

“Hmm, I see. Then you’re in for a fight.” 

Nettesheim cut to the heart of the matter, and Suimei gave an affirmative nod. He didn’t need to say much more when Nettesheim had already anticipated what he needed. 

“First thing’s first, you can’t fight properly over there, can you?” 

“No... I can’t.” 

Suimei was surprised for a moment, but only for a moment considering who he was talking to. There was no way the man known as the Magicka King couldn’t predict something related to mystical laws. But now that he was finally getting to the crux of his visit, Suimei took on the attitude of a proper disciple and sat up straight. 

“The reason for my visit today was to apologize for my prolonged absence from the Society and to get permission to return to the other world once more. It was also to ask for guidance so that I can confront the threats that await me there, including Lord Gottfried.” 

“I understand. There was nothing that could’ve been done about your summoning, given the interference from a higher power. I also understand that you have to go back to settle things. Indeed...” 

“Then...” 

Suimei’s expression lightened up upon hearing what sounded like a favorable response. However, guidance for proceeding down the path of magicka wasn’t so easy going. 

“I’ll have some books regarding Ars Combinatoria prepared for you. Take those and research them. As for the power to fight... It’s no fun simply having the answer handed to you, is it?” 

It was perfectly natural for magicians to unveil any mysteries on their own, so it virtually went without saying that there would be no easy answers for Suimei. The fact that Nettesheim was willing to prepare books for him meant that they would be dense grimoires that would require intense study to reveal their secrets. But as for advice when it came to fighting in another world... 

“I’ll give you a hint. Let’s see... Take a look at Cross Dimension, summoning, and barrier magicka.” 

Hearing this, Suimei raised a brow. 

“Cross Dimension...? You mean his magicka?” 

“Yup. It’s because of that that he was easily able to establish himself as a magician even in this other world, right?” 

Cross Dimension was the magicka that the man in the demon army, Lishbaum—or rather, the Greed of Ten, Kudrack the Ghosthide—specialized in. He was able to use Phase Severance at full power in the other world despite it being a spell crafted in this one, meaning he wasn’t restricted despite being a magician there. 

And based on Nettesheim’s hint, there was some answer behind the combination of Cross Dimension, summoning, and barrier spells. Was it magicka that made use of all of them? Or perhaps something that utilized components of each one? 

“It’s not something you need to think so hard about, you know? What you’re really tripping over is the fact that the magicka of this world doesn’t work the way you want it to over there.” 

“Yes.” 

“So...” Nettesheim paused briefly before cutting to the heart of the matter. “You just have to make over there... over here.” 

“...?” 

Suimei couldn’t digest that on the spot and grimaced, at which Nettesheim chuckled. 

“Mr. Suimei, the theory is very simple. It’s just that one substitution.” 

“The simpler the theory, the more complicated the technique...” 

“Yup. That’s how it goes.” 

Nettesheim gave a grandiose nod. He’d likely already decoded the real answer for himself, so all that was left for him was to poke fun at his slow disciple. He really had a good personality. 

“That’s all the hints you’ll be getting for me. Figure out the rest on your own.” 

“Understood. Thank you very much for your guidance.” 

Suimei bowed once more, and Nettesheim suddenly rose to his feet. 

“Mr. Suimei... We also make use of and borrow powers from higher existences. That’s because their powers are tremendous... and tremendously useful.” 

“Right.” 

“I’m sure that goddess’s power is the same. However, we acquired power to overcome such irrationality... Power that you possess.” 

“What are you...?” 

Nettesheim’s advice took a sudden, unexpected turn. Rather than the evil god, Gottfried, or even Kudrack, Nettesheim spoke of an enemy that Suimei seemed to have overlooked... 

“Well, just hear me out.” 

Nettesheim’s pitch-black eyes suddenly zeroed in on Suimei. They were eerily dark, like the bottomless darkness of space. They felt like they could suck you right in... 

And the moment Suimei was entranced by them, they took on a complete change. They were instantly filled with bright passion and spirit. It was thanks to them that Suimei was able to recall something important. They were like a strong pat on the back, pushing him forward... No, like a force pushing all of the Society forward. 

To definitively save those who can’t be saved. 

“Go. For the sake of proving your ideals. That will prove that we’re correct. Go beat the crap out of all divinity out there that only moves according to its own selfish desires.” 

“Right.” 

Encouraged by the leader’s heartening words, Suimei left the enclosed room behind. 

Meanwhile, in the Society’s lobby... 

“About Master Suimei?” the receptionist parroted. 

After being asked to wait in the lobby, Felmenia and the other girls had decided to ask the receptionist, Beltria Krantz, about Suimei. 

“Yes. We don’t, um, know all that much about Suimei-dono.” 

There, Beltria flashed a graceful smile at the girls. 

“Well, considering how old he is, did you never think that maybe he was just some young man?” 

“It’s true that Suimei-kun is young. However, after coming here and seeing the way he’s treated, plus the fact that he was able to meet directly with the head of this organization... That isn’t something just anyone could do, right?” 

“You’re right about that. Master Suimei’s position allows him to freely meet with our leader. Actually, there’s a premise here that one must be able to find our leader before meeting him, so magicians incapable of doing so cannot meet with him at all.” 

Felmenia cocked her head to the side at such a cryptic notion. 

“Is he not here in this castle?” 

“I think he is... But I don’t know where. I’ve looked around for him myself, you know? I have enough interest in magicka that I’ve personally explored this castle. Yet, even though I searched every nook and cranny, I couldn’t find him at all... Anyway, Master Suimei’s current position is in part thanks to his abilities and his repeated contributions to the Society, but his pedigree is also quite storied.” 

“That is to say he gets favorable treatment for it?” 

“It’d be more appropriate to say that people recognize the superiority of his lineage.” 

Upon hearing what Beltria had to say, Felmenia and the others recalled what had first impressed them upon teleporting to Japan: Suimei’s house was larger and occupied more land than the surrounding houses. At the very least, there was no mistaking that he possessed considerable assets. 

“His pedigree, huh? It’s true that his house was rather large...” 

“So he’s really from a longstanding lineage?” 

“Yes. His lineage dates back over three hundred years before the founding of the Society, about a thousand years ago—” 

“A-A-A-A-A thousand years?! Did you say a thousand years?!” 

Felmenia jumped up from her seat in shock upon hearing such staggering information. From her perspective, a lineage of a thousand years easily surpassed that of Nelferia’s and Saadias’s oldest families, and perhaps even Astel’s royal line. As such, Lefille and Liliana were equally flabbergasted, their eyes like saucers. The only one who didn’t seem surprised at all was the lone resident of this world, Hydemary. 

“In the Society, which is categorized as an emergent organization in the world of magicka, his lineage is pretty much the cream of the crop. I’ve heard that the popular systems of magicka at the time in Japan were Shintoism, mountain worship, and Buddhism. Master Suimei’s family is distinguished even among the distinguished families of the Orient, and the head of the family at the time showed interest in the Society’s ideals. So, after some rather involved correspondence, I’ve heard he ended coming over here and joining up. He was apparently quite compatible with Kabbalah numerology at the time.” 

At that, Felmenia raised an eyebrow. 

“I-I’ve heard that many of the mysteries here are involved with religion, though?” 

There were many systems of magicka that used religion as a source, meaning that mastering multiple systems often involved several religious beliefs colliding. That could make it difficult to master other forms of magicka after steeping oneself in a single system. It could slam a magician into an insurmountable wall, preventing them from learning any other systems at all. 

“Master Suimei’s family was apparently very focused on scholarly pursuits, and only weakly involved with religion. They seemed to have established methods of communicating with divinity regardless of religion, so they apparently never really prayed or anything to begin with.” 

“Oh?” 

Lefille perked up with great interest once the topic shifted to religion, but Beltria shook her head. 

“My apologies, but to go any further delves into the secret arts of the Yakagi family... Do you happen to know about it, Mary-chan?” 

“He hasn’t taught me anything about it either, you know? I think he was about to, but then all this happened.” 

“I see, I see.” 

As Beltria and Hydemary continued to chat, Lefille turned to Felmenia. 

“Lady Felmenia, do you understand what they’re talking about? I don’t really comprehend how one can borrow power from divinity despite spurning faith.” 

“Vaguely. I believe what they’re doing isn’t bringing themselves closer to divinity through religious faith, but rather creating a means of bringing divinity to them with a vessel for it to manifest in, providing them a means of borrowing power.” 

“In short... it’s somewhat like... a summoning, then?” Liliana piped up, joining the conversation. 

Felmenia gave her an uncertain nod. 

“Yes. For an easy to understand example, think of the half-possession of guardian angels.” 

“But... how is that... advantageous for divinity? The traditional means... demand faith. But this way... the offering isn’t clear.” 

“I think that, though incomplete, the point of being able to interfere directly with the world by means of possession is the very reason divinity lends a hand. To take it to an extreme, what divinity fears the most in the world is being forgotten. And those who can wield the power of a specific divine being are few and far between in terms of the entire world, as they’re restricted to a certain faith. That makes people capable of wielding multiple connections, like Suimei-dono, quite convenient for divinity.” 

“So he’s... being used.” 

Liliana had a rather harsh take on the situation. Suimei would have firmly protested if he’d been present. 

“What about the less easy to understand example, Lady Felmenia?” 

“I haven’t a clue. The process involves opening a connection, and then maintaining both the line of communication and the very means of communication itself. It’s all a mystery to me. You’ve seen Suimei-dono use Abreq ad Habra before, right, Lefille?” 

“That’s... certainly true.” 

Felmenia was referencing the spell Suimei used when summoning a guardian angel. Lefille had personally seen it in action twice. It was a technique that brought forth a preposterous existence, but not even Lefille, a half-spirit, had any idea what it was. 

It was here that Beltria rejoined their conversation with additional information. 

“Japan back in those days was polytheistic, so Yakagi family magicka has incorporated multiple systems since long ago. When it came to making use of the targets of their belief, they apparently did some pretty ridiculous and violent things. Master Suimei may in fact be the best in the entire Society at handling anything related to divinity. That’s precisely why he was even capable of driving an evil god out of—” 

“A-An evil god?!” 

“Yes. It’s quite a famous story, you know? One of the magicians known as the Greed of Ten summoned an evil god to destroy the world. But, in the middle of its manifestation, Master Suimei expelled it to the astral plane and reduced it back to a conceptual existence.” 

The three visitors were at a complete loss for words. Suimei had repelled an evil god... meaning he’d already conquered what they were trying to fight in their own world. 

It was there that Felmenia raised a question with a somewhat obtuse look on her face. 

“So... was my summoning actually really a huge success?” 

“No, Lady Felmenia, you failed. Don’t run from reality.” 

Lefille put her hand on Felmenia’s shoulder, while Liliana standing next to them made a sullen face. 

“Suimei... really is... a big liar.” 

“Seriously. Where does he get off saying he’s lower-middle class? Isn’t he, like, the upper crust of the upper crust?” 

“Ah, did Master Suimei say something like that?” 

“That does sound like Suimei-kun, yeah.” 

“He’s not really one to brag, after all.” 

“In Suimei-kun’s case, considering the things he’s done, just talking about himself objectively would be boasting.” 

As Hydemary and Beltria continued to chat... 

“Um, excuse me...” 

Someone called out to the group from behind. Judging by the suit they were wearing, it was clear they were a magician. 

“Is something the matter?” 

“Um, you there with the red hair... Could I shake your hand?” 

Before they knew it, a fair number of magicians had gathered around them. Or, specifically, around Lefille. 

Suimei returned from the leader’s room to find an enormous crowd in the lobby. 

“Wh-What the hell is going on here...?” 

Those were his first words upon seeing the bizarre situation. The lobby was in an absolute uproar. There was the clamoring din of excited voices, and at the center of it all, Suimei could hear a few familiar ones shouting things like, “Hold them back!” Indeed, it seemed Hydemary and the other girls were being swarmed by Society magicians for some reason. 

As Suimei stood there observing this completely stupefied, one particular voice in the crowd screamed at him... 

“Suimei-kun! You’re late! ‘It shouldn’t take that long’?! Liar! Idiot! Moron!” 

It was an angry Hydemary, who liberally and childishly chewed him out. The Society magicians had her and the girls so desperately surrounded that she’d resorted to using magicka. 

She had deployed one of her specialty spells, the card soldiers, defensively around the group. An entire deck of cards—jokers excluded—was frantically trying to hold off the magicians swarming around them. The human-sized cards, which had grown limbs, had basically formed a partitioning wall. But even with their help, Hydemary was still short on hands. More magicians were now trying to close in from a different angle, so she deployed another spell. 

“Jetzt kommen, mein niedlicher Teddybär.” 

[Now come, my cute teddy bear.] 

With a poof typical of stage magic, a teddy bear wearing a pointed hat appeared out of thin air. It was only about the size of a soccer ball to start, but growing larger and larger with every blink of the eye. 

“T-Teddy bear?! Crap!” 

“Defensive walls! Hurry!” 

“I-I-It’s getting bigger!” 

“WAAAAAH!” 

The magicians charging in from the flank were crushed by Hydemary’s teddy bear and left crying in agony as they were scolded for trying to cut in line. Meanwhile, the actual line itself didn’t seem much affected. 

“Wait, a line...?” 

Indeed, there was a line. A bona fide queue. Taking a closer look, Suimei could see a long line of magicians leading up to Lefille, who was sitting there with a complicated look on her face. Felmenia stood beside her, seemingly on guard duty as magicians approached her one after the other. 

“H-Hair! Please give me your hair! J-Just a single strand will do!” 

“C-Could you please pour your power into this crystal ball?!” 

“Alright! I’m never washing this hand again!” 

“Mistress! Please be my mistress!” 

“Oh jeez...” 

All Suimei could do was groan in bewilderment over the crowd’s clamoring about how this advanced research by several decades. 

The frenetic energy of the scene made it look like some sort of celebrity meet-and-greet. The magicians—though they seemed more like rabid fans of the mysteries—were all screaming and shrieking in excited joy like fans swarming around their favorite idol. Suimei couldn’t help imagining the scene that way as he watched the chaos unfold. 

But as he pondered that mental image, someone suddenly called out to him. 

“Yakagi-san!” 

It was a familiar voice that belonged to a friend of Hydemary’s. She was a Japanese girl around Suimei’s age with long, flaxen hair. She wore a white shirt, black vest, red tie, and a tight black skirt. It was a simple enough outfit, but it was put together in a showy fashion with dress gloves, a choker, embroidery, and other flashy details. Her face was also quite fair and sweet—two words that fit her like a glove. 

“Oh, hey, Hatsuhana.” 

Hatsuhana was a Society-affiliated magician whose day job was stage magic. She worked as something like a mix between an idol and a magician in Japan. Suimei called her by the stage name, Hatsuhana Tenki, that countless people knew her by. She was famous enough that her autographs ran for tens of thousands of yen. In spite of her fame, she always took a respectful attitude with Suimei... but she was clearly agitated right now. 

“Don’t just ‘oh, hey’ me! What’s going on here?!” she shouted near frantically. 

“Don’t ask me,” Suimei replied noncommittally. “What are you doing here anyway?” 

“I called Hime-chan here. We can’t handle this on our own,” explained Hydemary. 

“Mary-chan’s familiar suddenly came to me, and this is what I get for coming! Hey, you there! Don’t cut in line! I’ll burn you!” 

Hatsuhana’s blazing eyes flared with a red glow as she made a rather violent threat. She specialized in fire magicka and was an expert in undodgeable attacks. Her magicka could rival even the draconic eye. 

“Ooh! Combustion magicka!” 

“Burn me!” 

With that, idiots began crawling out of the woodwork and Hatsuhana dealt with them accordingly. But as word of the spectacles at hand somehow began spreading, even more magicians were swarming in. At this rate, the situation at hand could easily spiral out of control. 

Sensing that headache coming on, Suimei walked over to Lefille. Even though she was just comfortably sitting in a chair, she looked exhausted. Her dim eyes were like those of a dead fish. But perhaps that was only expected considering the bizarre situation she’d been thrust into. 

“Hey, uh, Lefille...” 

“Suimei-kun... What’s going on here? Why am I being treated like this?” 

“Do you even need to ask? It’s ’cause you’re a spirit.” 

“I never thought it’d be this bad...” 

Lefille had heard it more than once now, but spirits no longer existed in this world. They’d all left, and because of that, a massive number of magicians coveted data on them. Furthermore, Lefille wasn’t just any spirit; she was half spirit, half human. Such a rare specimen would be difficult to find even searching all the way back to the age of gods. 

So, in spite of the chaos, things could have turned out much worse. If Lefille had gone to any other organization, she might have been detained for all kinds of cruel experimentation against her will. The people of the Society were unusually upstanding in that regard, given the organization’s ideals. 

Nevertheless, as Suimei stepped to the forefront of the crowd, the gathered magicians turned their focus on him. 

“Is this girl someone you brought here, Master Suimei?!” 

“Lord Yakagi! It’s unfair to monopolize such a goldmine of mysteries and keep it all to yourself!” 

“Master! Are your house specialties not Kabbalah magicka, divine communication, and regulation?! When did you begin studying spiritualism, séances, and spirits?!” 

“Collaborative research! I propose we do some collaborative research! I’ll personally fund the budget!” 

“Aah, damn it! Shut up! All of you, calm down!” 

Suimei found all the clamoring too much to bear and blew up at his fellow magicians. But alas, they were magicians first and foremost. It would take more than just getting yelled at for them to pass up a research opportunity like this 

“Like we could possibly calm down!” 

“Yeah! There’s no way I’m getting any sleep tonight!” 

“Aaaaah! Mistress!” 

The swarm of excited magicians showed no signs of relenting, but Suimei was on a schedule. There was no way he was going to let his colleagues slow him down today. 

“You all hear me?! We’ve got places to go, so knock it off already! I’m begging you! What we have ahead of us is going to be exhausting enough as it is!” 

“What?! Where are you going?!” 

“You’ve got something exhausting to go do?!” 

“Boo to monopolies! Booooo!” 

The swarming magicians began conspiring together, surrounding Suimei in unified protest. They were also looking at Felmenia and the others with prying eyes, curious as to what exactly it was that they were getting up to next. 

“I’m telling you, I’ve gotta get going! I have to go see that monster of a mystery geek!” 

“Erk!” 

“Oooh...” 

That single phrase had the magicians pulling back like a wave. Their reaction was so extreme that the anxieties of Suimei’s visitors suddenly peaked. The first who dared to ask was Lefille. 

“What’s with their reaction...? I’m starting to get really worried.” 

“I’m worried too, damn it.” 

“Suimei-dono? Where exactly are we going?” 

“We’re getting someone to look at Liliana’s eye.” 

Liliana’s shoulders jolted upon hearing that. The magicians all shifted their attention to her, and Suimei nodded solemnly. When he did, his colleagues’ gazes all became sympathetic at the same time. Even Liliana noticed it. 

“I’m... really... really... worried.” 

“It’s alright. Don’t worry. It’ll be fine. Probably... Maybe...” 

In the end, Suimei was unable to reassure her with confidence. 

After breaking through the siege of magicians, Suimei and the girls somehow or other managed to escape the lobby. Once they were free, Suimei led them to a certain laboratory within the castle. They went through a completely meaningless hidden door in the western wing of Alto Schloss and headed down a set of stairs to the basement where they found an old-fashioned wooden door. Just beyond it lay the lab belonging to a magister class magician who was one of the oldest members of the Society. 

Suimei referred to him as the monster professor, but he wasn’t the only one who thought that way. Almost every Society magician called him a monster. But the moniker wasn’t for his hideous looks. Rather, it was because he was a mad scientist who liked to surprise people and play pranks on them. It had earned him quite a reputation. 

The only reason Suimei was voluntarily coming to see him was precisely what he’d said in the lobby: to help Liliana. Suimei had personally managed to calm down her demonized eye to an extent using spiritual treatment, but he couldn’t heal it completely. 

That was why Suimei had decided to bring Liliana to a specialist. He’d mentioned the so-called professor to Felmenia and the other girls a few times back in their world. But while the professor’s skills were second to none, just as the reaction of the magicians in the lobby implied... There was still plenty to be concerned about. 

Suimei stood in front of the wooden door and used the ouroboros-shaped knocker. A man’s voice quickly responded from within... 

“Oohoohoo! Come right in, dearies!” 

It left the visitors from another world with knitted brows. 

And practically as soon as they stepped inside, the professor—a Western man with a plump build, bowl cut, glasses, lab coat, and a defining wart on his face—demonstrated immense interest in Lefille. He took on a triumphant pose with both fists in the air. 

“TELESMAAAAAAAA! My stars, dearie me! No magician could possibly hide their excitement over this!” 

Right after yelling that, the monster professor started chasing Lefille around while wriggling his fingers about... After several minutes of this, it wasn’t clear if he was listening to Suimei talk or if he was exclusively focused on chasing Lefille. Lefille couldn’t even lose the professor by turning into a red gale—his strangely agile movements belied his plump body. 

“Sensational! Splendiferous! What a superbly stupendous ability! More! I need to know more! I must study this mooooore!” 

“Y-You pervert! Stop moving your hands in such a lecherous way first!” 

“But I’m super, duper, ultra interested in you! I want you to be my test subject! Just for a bit! Just a teensy-weensy, little, tiny bit—by my standards, of course!” 

“Never!” 

“No need to be so shy, dearie-lou! I have a great reputation for being gentle, if I do say so myself!” 

“Like I could trust that information coming from you!” 

Lefille was screaming in protest, but the professor looked as determined as he did enthusiastic. Their little game of incomprehensible tag through the room filled with tanks and test tubes looked like it would go on forever... So Suimei took the cue to finally step in and put a stop to things. 

“Professor... Could you please stop joking around already?” 

“This is no joke, dearie boy! I’m as super serious as I always seriously am!” 

“This is sort of beneath you, right, Professor? So, please, listen to what I have to say instead.” 

Or so Suimei pleaded, but the professor’s interest hadn’t abated in the least. 

“Now, now, now! Not so fast, Suimei-kun! She’s a living, breathing spirit! She’s half human, half spirit, and 100 percent the stuff that fantabulous dreams are made of!” 

“Yeah, but... I’d really like to get down to business, if you don’t mind.” 

Suimei started to get irritated, and the monster professor took on an exaggerated fighting stance in response. 

“Then it’s on!” 

“Argh, damn it all! What’s on?!” 

“A match, of course! With magicka, dear boy! If you win, I’ll consider maybe getting ready to potentially listen to what you have to say! But the odds are a big fat noodly zero for you, so do your best, I say!” 

“I don’t even have the tiniest chance?!” 

That much was obvious. They were in entirely different leagues as magicians. The professor was well over ten times Suimei’s age, and experience meant strength to a magician. There were devastatingly few things Suimei stood a chance of beating him at. 

Both Felmenia and Liliana were stunned into silence by the professor’s bizarre behavior. After watching him chase Lefille around in circles, they were absolutely slack-jawed at his dizzying roller coaster of activity as he moved on to teasing Suimei. 

As for Suimei, he was left panting through ragged breaths without having moved an inch. But once the professor had had his fun with Suimei, he turned his attention to the other two girls. 

“It’s about time for introductions, methinks. I’m the proprietor of this here underground laboratory. Everyone here at the Society calls me ‘master’ or ‘professor’ or so on and so forth.” 

“A-A pleasure to meet you. My name is Felmenia.” 

“I’m... Liliana. Nice... to meet you.” 

“...” 

Even after Felmenia and Liliana introduced themselves, Lefille kept on her guard. 

“No need to be so scary-wary of me, red-haired missy. As Suimei-kun said, that was just a teensy joke. We were just having a bit of fun.” 

“Really...?” 

“No, don’t listen to him, Lefi. This monster will get you to lower your guard, and then immediately make you regret it.” 

“Oooh, Suimei-kun! You’re spoiling the fun, dearie boy!” 

Suimei stood defensively in front of Lefille, and Hydemary nodded in admiring approval. 

“Now that’s Suimei-kun for you. Solid advice from a constant victim.” 

“If you think so, why don’t you save me?” 

“Nope. Impossible.” 

His disciple’s heartless response was just the same as it ever was in this situation. But Suimei was used to it by now, and thus turned to face the professor once more. 

“So, Professor...” 

“Oh, I know, dearie boy. You’re absolutely, positively, most definitely here about this little girlie’s eye. And oh me, oh my... You’ve had such a hard time, haven’t you?” 

Before anyone knew it, the professor was right next to Liliana stroking her head. Nobody had seen him move. Not even the wary Liliana had noticed in time to react. 

“You can tell...?” she asked, looking up at the professor. 

“Why yes, dearie-lou. The only reason little Suimei-kun ever comes to see me is to say hi or to ask me for something... And, of course, when I play teensy-weensy pranky-yankies on him.” 

“I have to say, it’s usually the latter.” 

“But of course, of course it is! Anyhoosies, your little eye is the only possible reason for his visit todaisy-waisy.” 

The professor had readily identified the reason for Suimei’s visit, but in truth this came as no surprise. The insight of a seasoned magician was simply that uncanny. 

“Well, can you do it, Professor?” 

“What nonsense are you asking, Suimei-kun? The word ‘impossible’ isn’t in my dictionary! And get this—if you act now, I’ll throw in the power to shoot mana beams from your eye!” 

“What?! No! No add-ons! This ain’t a dealership!” 

“No can do, my boy. My policy is to put 110 percent into absolutely, positively everything. So eye beams and hand drills it is! Ooh, and caterpillar track legs! Only the greatest upgrades! Oh, but it’s so hard to discard the idea of weapons themed after tools...” 

Dangerous idea after dangerous idea kept flying from the professor’s mouth. It was no longer clear that he was actually listening to anyone. And once all this began to set in, Felmenia looked quite worried. 

“Um, Suimei-dono... Will Lily really be alright?” 

“She’ll be fine. Just... Yeah, no. She’ll be fine.” 

“What does... that mean?” 

Liliana looked more worried than anyone—and royally confused. Suimei couldn’t say much more than that. The professor was indeed superlatively serious when he put his mind to it, but his present behavior made that incredibly difficult to believe. 

“Okay, let’s get this done in a spiffy jiffy! Don’t worry! It won’t even take an hour!” 

“What about an examination? I brought the diagnosis I wrote up.” 

“Oh, tut. There’s no need for that. I’ve already done my examination and we can proceed at once.” 

The professor said he’d done his examination, but Suimei hadn’t noticed him do anything of the sort. His skill really was far beyond understanding, or at least beyond the understanding of someone on Suimei’s level. 

“Liliana, did he do anything to you?” 

“I didn’t... sense anything.” 

“Just who do you think I am, dearies? My glasses and lab coat and haircut aren’t just for show, you know!” 

“None of those really have anything to do with this, right? Can’t you at least brag about your career and your abilities as a magician?” 

“No way, no how! That’s sooo boorish! Oh, but goodness me! I almost forgot. I do want to grade your examination, Suimei-kun, so just leave your diagnosis somewhere on that table over there. ’Kay?” 

Suimei followed the professor’s instructions and placed the notes he’d taken while treating Liliana atop a pile of assorted papers and pens on the table. It was such a mess that it gnawed at Suimei’s urge to tidy up, but he couldn’t deny there was such a thing as an organized mess... In the end, he refrained from touching anything. 

“Okay, this way, Miss Gothy-Eyepatch & Twintails.” 

“Please don’t... say things... like Suimei did... when we first met.” 

“Well, how rude of me. That puts me on Suimei-kun’s level. How horrid. Anytoodle-loo, just step into that room right over there.” 

“What room...?” 

The professor pointed to the wall, where a door suddenly manifested. It was such a fishy phenomenon that it had even Suimei rubbing his brow. 

“Don’t tell me you just made that room right now...” 

“Well, of course I did!” 

The professor acted as if that were only obvious, but it couldn’t have been more unclear. His giggling was just far too suspicious. 

“Please take care of her, Professor.” 

Suimei made sure to emphasize that part, but suddenly found Hydemary giving him some rather serious side-eye. 

“My, how courteous of you. Quite a big difference from how you treat me.” 

“What?” 

She’d taken an abruptly thorny tone. And as Suimei turned to face her, she closed in rapidly. 

“Isn’t it? You haven’t coached me at all lately, and you won’t even tell me about that enforcement request.” 

“That’s... I’m sorry your coaching has stalled, but the request was addressed to me, you know?” 

“So you can’t tell me about it? Even though you always make me help?” 

“There’s a lot going on, okay? We’ll talk later, so just hang on until things have calmed down.” 

“Really? This isn’t just an excuse to cut me out of the picture?” 

“Why would I even— What’s gotten into you?” 

Suimei found her behavior beyond strange, but she offered no explanation. She simply turned away in a huff. 

“Hmph!” 

“Hey...” 

With that, it was clear she had nothing more to say to Suimei. Taking this as a sign that it might be time for them to step in, a concerned Felmenia and Lefille approached Hydemary. 

“Um, Mary-dono?” 

“Is something the matter?” 

Yet for some reason, the one to answer their questions was the professor. 

“No need to worry. Just a lovers’ quarrel, dearies.” 

“It is not! Don’t go stirring crap up!” 

Suimei snapped at the professor as he casually ushered Liliana to the other room. He really did enjoy teasing Suimei, and cackled all the way there. But, personal slights aside, this meant Liliana’s operation would begin shortly. With that, the curse that she’d suffered all this time would finally be remedied... and Suimei was at last able to let out an irrepressible sigh of relief. 

The day after visiting Society HQ, Suimei and the girls were walking through a train station in Frankfurt. 

With Liliana’s surgery out of the way, Suimei had wrapped up his business at Alto Schloss and stopped in for the night at a suite in a certain hotel in Frankfurt. After his visitors from another world watched him explain the benefits of tipping the porter with dubious eyes, next on the docket was heading out to fulfill another of Suimei’s objectives in Germany. 

Liliana’s surgery—a cause for concern, however minor—had been a resounding success and she was already stable enough to be up and around. Normally that would be unthinkable the day after such a major operation... But that was just one of the perks of being treated by such a talented magician-cum-surgeon. It was essentially outpatient surgery. Liliana looked to be in perfectly good health, her steps so light that no one would have ever guessed she was in recovery. 

Walking next to Suimei, Liliana lifted a hand to shield her gaze from the reflection of the sun beaming off the surrounding buildings. Taking note of this, Suimei turned to her curiously. 

“How’s your eye, Liliana?” 

“Good. I don’t... feel any problems.” 

Her tone was the same as it ever was. Both mystically and physically, she appeared to be just fine. Her violet hair swayed behind her the same way it always did as she tottered along. And everyone who passed by the little girl in a gothic lolita dress beheld her lone visible eye with great interest. 

That’s right; her lone visible eye. Liliana was still wearing her eyepatch. 

“Hey, can’t you take that off now?” 

“The professor said... I can’t...” 

“Hmm?” 

Suimei raised a questioning eyebrow, and Liliana simply replied... 

“Apparently... if I take this off... I would lose something called my eye-den-tee-tee.” 

“Your... identity? That damn monster of a professor... You’ve got a proper artificial eye in there, right?” 

The artificial eye Suimei was referring to functioned like a perfectly normal eye. It was impossible to create such a superior prosthetic with modern-day medical technology as it was, but magicians and their supernatural techniques loved to give life to the supposedly impossible. 

“Yes,” Liliana replied with a nod. “The professor... apparently... implanted one. It actually works... pretty well.” 

Suimei was glad to hear that, but Liliana’s vision wasn’t the only thing he was worried about. 

“Hey, Liliana. He didn’t add any weird functions, did he?” 

“He... did.” 

“Th-That damn monster...” 

Suimei had reiterated that the professor was specifically not to include any extras, but his instructions had apparently gone unheeded. If the professor had done anything weird to Liliana, it was Suimei’s duty as her guardian to protest. 

“It’s... okay. It’s apparently something called... a mystic eye.” 

Those words caught Felmenia’s interest. 

“What manner of ability does it have, Lily?!” 

“It performs actualization on sight... apparently.” 

“Actualization on... Uhhh...” 

Felmenia couldn’t wrap her head around it with only that much to go on, and stood there making an unusually blockheaded expression. 

“Actualization on sight...? What? Like ghost sight?” Suimei muttered before looking to Hydemary, who was a treasure trove of knowledge. 

“Judging from the nuance, it’s probably something similar,” she said with a shrug. 

“Suimei, you know that the mages... back home... can’t really see... spiritual beings... right?” 

“Yeah, I know that much.” 

The other world had very concrete threats to mankind in the form of monsters and demons, so the idea of seeing more spiritual existences was quite foreign to them. That was why they were so oblivious and vulnerable to dark magic and the shadow of the Astaroth. 

However, with the right actualization, they would be able to see such beings for themselves... meaning that if one were to forcefully manifest in the present world, it would theoretically be easier to repulse it. It was a nearly ideal ability for Liliana, who was an easy target for such existences. 

“So now you’re able to observe them? He sure put some thought into this...” Suimei muttered. 

“Even though he’s usually all over the place...” Hydemary muttered in turn. 

“Yeah. If only he could do something about that.” 

Suimei and Hydemary agreed on that point, but in truth, the professor’s eccentricity was likely impossible to correct. He’d lived this way for nearly three hundred years, after all. 

As Suimei pondered such thoughts, he glanced over at Hydemary when the conversation reached a lull. She was in quite a foul mood yesterday, but today she seemed back to normal. Perhaps she’d just been irritated after all the commotion in the lobby? 

“What?” Hydemary asked upon noticing Suimei looking at her. 

“Nothing,” he immediately replied. 

“Oh?” 

Suimei casually brushed off the fact that he had indeed been staring at her, and proceeded down the sidewalk leading away from the station. The group followed suit. After eventually getting far enough to see some landmarks, Lefille took a good look around. 

“So, where are we headed?” she asked. 

“The usual place, right?” Hydemary asked in turn. 

“The usual?” Lefille inquired, one eyebrow raised. 

“Yeah,” Suimei replied. “A shop we go to all the time. We’re going to buy some intel.” 

Suimei’s goal today was to gather information. He needed more intelligence on the enforcement request that had been entrusted to him, and he knew exactly the broker to get it from. The vast majority of enforcement requests from the Thousand Nights Association contained the basic assignment and nothing more. The Enforcer entrusted with the job was expected to do the rest of the legwork themselves. That was just how short on hands the Association was. 

“Come to think of it... It seems like they sent way more letters than usual this time,” mused Hydemary. 

“Yeah, but we’re going for the bigger picture today,” Suimei countered. 

“Going to an information broker to get more than the Association could officially provide just seems iffy.” 

“That’s just how good this guy’s intel is.” 

Eventually, the group arrived at a certain alleyway. The further in they went, the heavier the air felt. It was like moisture made of murky darkness was all around them. If a normal person were to wander this way, they would surely be assaulted by nausea and leave. That was just how sickening it felt. 

And perhaps because the dank stench of it had begun to waft the group’s way, Lefille grimaced. 

“That’s quite an awful smell...” 

“It’s... a type of drug... to stimulate excitement... right?” 

Liliana identified the effect of the smoke just by sniffing it. She’d likely acquired this manner of knowledge during her tenure as a spy in her home world. It was true that the patrons of the cannabis cafe tended to favor sativa strains, so Liliana was surprisingly on the mark. The stinging in the back of Suimei’s nose when he unwittingly breathed some of the smoke in told him that much. 

“This way.” 

Suimei beckoned the girls further into the alley, and the visitors from another world followed him warily. In contrast, Hydemary was rather blasé about the whole affair. She’d accompanied Suimei here several times already, so she was quite used to it and walked along as though this were nothing more than a casual stroll. 

Lefille, however, suddenly lowered her voice as they proceeded down the alleyway. 

“There’s quite a number of them...” 

“Oh, you don’t need to mind them. None of them are dumb enough to do anything.” 

The girls were keeping watch on the shadows lurking in the darkness, but Suimei bid them relax. After making it further down the alley still, a flickering neon sign like what you’d see in front of a nightclub came into view. It simply read, “Coffeeshop.” 

This manner of sign was borrowed from Germany’s neighboring country of Holland, where cannabis was often sold in such a fashion. Control over it had been strengthened there, however, so such signs weren’t as prolific as they used to be. Regardless, it was common knowledge in the rest of Europe what they really meant. 

Control over the drug was even stricter in Germany, however, so this shop hypothetically shouldn’t have existed in Frankfurt. The darkness of this particular alleyway, however, was darker than the pitch of a moonless night. 

Suimei tossed a passing glance at the dark red mark which indicated that outsiders weren’t welcome, and headed down the stairs to a wooden door emblazoned with the words “Jazz und Cannabis.” 

“Suimei-dono... I can’t take any more...” 

Overwhelmed, Felmenia suddenly pinched her nose and crouched down to the ground. 

“You can’t handle the smell?” 

“My apologies. I don’t feel well.” 

“Oh well... Sorry, Mary. Keep her company, will you?” 

“That’s fine and all... But you’d better tell me what you learn here later.” 

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” 

There, Hydemary turned and lent Felmenia a hand. 

“My apologies. I shall prepare some manner of countermeasures for next time.” 

“Yeah, magicians are somewhat inseparable from herbs and narcotics, so you at least need to build up a tolerance for the smell.” 

The reason Felmenia couldn’t handle it was probably because of the life she’d lived in her home world. She was both a noble lady and an elite of the royal palace. Considering that and the native system of magicka there, she’d likely never been exposed to such a drug. Perhaps that was part of the reason she’d fallen prey to Sebastian’s herbal magic so easily. 

Suimei saw Felmenia and Hydemary back up the stairs, then pulled himself together and returned to the entrance. After pushing in the slightly jammed door, he was greeted by Friedrich Silcher’s “Die Lorelei.” For some reason, their choice of music here ran bizarrely classical. The calming and drowsy piece felt utterly out of place. 

The interior of the shop was lit with a warm glow, but the somber stone of the building made everything appear gray. There was resin stuck to the cracks in the stone ceilings and walls, which really highlighted the age of the building. 

There were customers here and there, some of which looked like they’d smoked all they could and were enraptured with eerie smiles, while others looked like they’d just started as they blew clouds of smoke from their lounge chairs. Meanwhile, the shop’s owner was quietly polishing glasses behind the bar with a line of brand-name whiskeys on it. 

“Oh? Well, if it ain’t Starfall. You’re still alive?” one of the customers called out to Suimei. 

“Heya, boss. Spare us a fight today, will ya?” called another. 

“Only if you lot stay docile.” 

Suimei replied to the customers in an irritated tone, at which they all broke into laughter. 

“We’d just be asking for trouble if we act docile!” 

“Hahahaha! Ain’t that right?! Hahahaha!” 

The customers all appeared to be quite excited. There were those with frightening features, those covered in tattoos, those covered in scars, and worse. The so-called coffee shop looked like nothing more than a den of villainy, yet not a single of its patrons looked down on Suimei. But that only stood to reason. The shady folks who gathered in such dens revered scholars of the mysteries. Those who incurred the wrath of a skilled magician and unwittingly met their fate in doing so were as numerous as the stars. If Suimei were to let his blazing eyes flare up here, the stoned customers would all be scared straight sober. 

Ignoring the junkies for now, Suimei looked over at the owner, who in turn glanced to his side. This was a signal, ushering Suimei to the usual place. After heading further into the shop, he bumped into a familiar pair: a tall man wearing a robe and a young girl wearing a long cardigan. 

“Erk...” 

“It’s you, Starfall!” 

The moment Suimei entered her field of vision, the girl shouted out as though she’d just encountered an enemy. She had auburn hair tied up in an updo. At a glance, she looked Asian, but closer inspection called that into question. Her appearance simply gave off that strange impression. As for her companion, the tall man remained completely still and silent as if he knew nothing of the girl making a racket next to him. He simply glared over at Suimei’s group with his blood red eyes. 

“It’s been a while, Reverend.” 

“Yeah.” 

Suimei greeted the tall man according to magicians’ etiquette, to which the man gave a brief reply. And, in complete contrast to his taciturn nature, his female companion continued making a fuss. 

“I heard you vanished off the face of the earth all of a sudden. Something about you being unable to bear the Society’s teasing anymore and running away.” 

“No one’s teasing me, and that’s got nothing to do with you.” 

“Hmph. I see you haven’t changed at all. You could tell me anyway, you know?” 

“I have no intention of playing nice with you.” 

As Suimei coldly shut her down, the tall man grabbed the girl’s cardigan. 

“Let’s go, Leo. Our business here is done.” 

“Huh? Hang on! You’re gonna rip it! My sweater! You’re stretching my sweater!” 

The tall man then grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and dragged her away. As they walked off, Lefille knit her brows. 

“Were they acquaintances of yours? Both of them seemed beyond the ordinary.” 

“Well, yeah. They’re dangerous. The reverend is probably among the best of the best when it comes to magicians.” 

“So that was...” 

Lefille turned around to take another look, but the pair had mysteriously vanished. There was no sign the door had opened. 

After that and a bit more walking, Suimei at last found the person he was looking for sitting in the back of the store—a young-looking man wearing a long fur coat. He had ragged, uneven teeth like those of a devil right out of a novel, and an abnormally wide mouth to go along with them. His eyes were shining with such a fiery blaze that they could easily be seen through his colored sunglasses. At a glance, he didn’t appear human at all. 

He was currently smoking a joint, kicked back in his chair with his feet crossed on the table like some delinquent. This was Wiegel, the information broker that Suimei had come all this way to see. He looked just like a devil, right down to his glowing eyes and pointy ears. 

When he saw Suimei, Wiegel exhaled all the smoke in his lungs and raised a hand in a friendly manner. 

“Hey there, boss. Thought it was about time for you to show up,” he said, his joint still between his teeth. 

“I bet you did,” Suimei replied. 

“So? Where’d your little vacation take you this time? Didn’t think there was a resort in the world that I of all people didn’t know about.” 

“You’ve got the right idea. It wasn’t in this world.” 

Just saying that revived a bitter taste in Suimei’s mouth. Wiegel stiffened up for an instant, then let out a grand sigh. 

“Oh... So it finally happened? You walked a bit too far off that path and ended up becoming a disappointment, did you?” 

“I haven’t, damn it! I’m being serious!” 

Suimei shouted at Wiegel, who flashed a teasing smile. He did seem to understand, however, that Suimei was in fact telling the truth. As such, his gaze wandered to the girls behind Suimei. 

“So, what? Is that red-haired lady your proof?” 

“I didn’t exactly bring her along to prove anything.” 

With that casual reply, Suimei turned around to find Lefille narrowing her eyes. She was glaring right at Wiegel, laying bare the power of the spirits as if strengthening her already fortified guard even further. 

“No need to glare like that. I’m not a bad guy, ya know?” 

“But you are a villain, no?” 

“Heh heh heh...” 

Seeing Lefille’s hostility ease somewhat, Wiegel gave her an eerie smile. 

“Didn’t bring the doll princess with you today, hmm?” he asked, finally looking back at Suimei. 

“I’m having her wait outside for now,” he replied. 

“Oh? You keeping your cute little assistant out of this?” 

“Not really.” 

“Don’t be that way, boss. She fell into quite a panic when you left her behind, ya know? She was flying all over the place and even dropped by here a number of times.” 

“Yeah, I know. She’s been awfully pouty lately because of it...” 

“You said it yourself, man. The doll princess is being pouty ’cause you were mean to her. You reap what you sow, you know?” 

“I was mean...? I’m pretty sure I’ve been treating her the same way I always do.” 

“Yeah, slinging insults at each other, right? Women actually like it when you’re nice to them, ya know?” 

“But Hydemary’s...” 

“It’s ’cause you’re like that that people can tell you’re a virgin. I bet you haven’t laid a hand on any of these cuties either, right?” 

“Hey, uncalled for! Can you quit calling me that every god damn chance you get?!” 

Wiegel usually went out of his way to bring it up when he talked to Suimei, but seemingly having had his fun, he now lowered his gaze to Liliana. 

“Hey there, little lady, didja eat something bad? You’ve got some weird things floating around you, ya know?” 

Wiegel seemed to be able to perceive the malice that still lingered around Liliana, though that came as no surprise. 

“Something... really bad.” 

“I was like that back in the day myself. How nostalgic.” 

“That so? Actually, how’d you end up back to normal after that?” 

“In my case, all I had to do was eat the poison whole. The stronger the poison, the stronger I become. I simply overcame it.” 

“Hahh... That’s useless as a reference.” 

“Heh heh heh, Kazamitsu said the same thing.” 

There, Wiegel took another puff on his joint. Liliana clapped her hand over her nose and mouth with a grimace, and Lefille stepped in front of her. 

“So? What kinda troublesome crap didja get caught in this time?” Wiegel asked Suimei once more. 

“Well, a whole lot,” he replied bluntly. 

And with that, he could feel the girls’ gazes zero in on him from behind. 

“What’s up, you two?” 

“I don’t even know how many times this makes now...” 

“Suimei... you’re a walking... trouble factory.” 

Lefille and Liliana both took a stab at Suimei, but he was long used to his friends saying all kinds of things about him. He simply brushed off the insult and turned back to Wiegel. 

“Actually, you wanna hear something funny?” 

“Oh? You’re acting awfully cool for being so serious. Tryna look good in front of the ladies?” 

“Oh, shut up... Now, as I was saying, did you know Kudrack’s still alive and kicking over in this other world?” 

“What?! Hah! Now ain’t that something! Didn’t you have him on death’s door when he ate your lightning and got blown away beyond the phase? But he’s still alive, huh? That ass really is past redemption.” 

“Seriously. He’s even gone and grown fucking horns. The hell is he doing? It’s beyond poor taste.” 

“Hahaha! Now that’s Kudrack for ya! He become a devil or something?” 

There, Wiegel let out a hearty laugh. This topic struck quite a chord with him. But when his fit of laughter subsided, he narrowed his gaze as he looked to Suimei once more. 

“So? You finish him off properly this time?” 

“Not yet.” 

“Figures. That bastard can’t be done in by ordinary means. Granted, me or Kazamitsu could still kill him in an instant.” 

“That so?” 

“If it weren’t, there’s no way he would’ve waited for Kazamitsu to kick the bucket before making his move, right? He’s fundamentally a wuss.” 

“A wuss, huh...?” 

“Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean he’s scared of dying, but he’s probably pissing his pants at the thought that he can’t save people. He’s got a full-blown messiah complex by nature.” 

“What? Isn’t that something different?” 

“Hey, boss, you’re gonna go bald if you worry your noggin nitpicking stupid crap like that all the time, ya know? And a bald virgin really won’t have a chance.” 

“Every... single... god... damn... time...” 

Wiegel clearly hadn’t changed in the six months Suimei had been gone. Suimei did his best not to blow a gasket and managed to keep his cool as Wiegel cut to the chase. 

“So, what do you need today? Pretty sure you’re not here just to gossip about that asshole.” 

“Hmph. Maybe I just came by to say hi.” 

“Like hell you did. The day you drop in to say hi is the day the world ends!” 

And as Wiegel loudly barked that... 

“Crap! Oh crap!” 

“Yakagi’s about to blow up the world!” 

“Mommy, save me! I’m gonna get killed by a virgin!” 

“Shut your damn traps and go smoke yourselves stupid, you fucking junkies!” 

The other customers in the shop roared with laughter as they made fun of Suimei. He threatened them briefly before turning back to Wiegel. He then pulled a package out of his bag and placed it on the table. 

“First is this,” Suimei declared. 

“That’s...” Liliana nearly gasped. 

“Hmm... That an eyeball?” Wiegel asked, peering at it more closely. 

“S-Suimei-kun, is that maybe Lily’s...?” Lefille asked in turn. 

“Oh? It’s the little lady’s? You sure brought me something nice, didn’t ya?” 

Wiegel inspected the article with keen interest. Suimei pointed a cold gaze at him as he shoved his hand back into his bag. 

“Don’t consider it a treat. I’m not here to please your stupid tastes. Here’s your fee. Take care of it.” 

“Nice doing business with ya!” 

Wiegel chuckled to himself as he took the stack of euros Suimei slid him. Liliana seemed rather uneasy about this whole exchange and looked up to Suimei nervously. 

“What’s he going... to do with it?” 

“He’s gonna eat it, along with everything left in it.” 

Liliana and Lefille were both left speechless upon hearing this, but they were both people whose bodies had been steeped in the mysteries. They knew good and well there was more to it than that. 

“You mean to say he’s disposing of the evil within, Suimei-kun?” 

“That’s right. There are other ways to do it, but...” 

Before Suimei could finish explaining, Wiegel cut in and took over. 

“Listen up, ladies. What we call Astaroths are suuuper vindictive beings. They’re always looking for an opening to take you over. And when that happens... You follow? You know it wouldn’t be good, don’cha?” 

“It’s like... you’re not even... alive.” 

“Bingo. You’ve got it. Pretty much everyone who gets surgery done by that freak Nicolas comes right back to Frankfurt, ya know? Even he needs a whole lotta time to handle stuff like this.” 

At this juncture, Suimei took back over. 

“So it’s faster and more certain to dispose of it in this guy’s stomach. It’s so roiling with chaos in there that not even an Astaroth can stand it.” 

There, Wiegel let out a bold laugh. His long, pointed tongue poked out between his uneven teeth so far that it looked like it could reach past his lower jaw. In any case, this made it quite clear to the girls what kind of man Wiegel was. He was far from human, long transformed into something absurd. It might even be safe to call him a devil at this point—that was the impression he gave off. 

“But... eat it?” 

“Literally. He’s gonna eat it. This guy can eat anything.” 

He wasn’t picky about how filthy his food was. It didn’t matter if it was organic or inorganic. He could eat the table in front of him right down to the ashtray. If he felt like it, he could probably eat the entire shop. 

And with that, Wiegel threw the rest of his joint into his mouth and swallowed it. Watching this, both Lefille and Liliana were left speechless once more. They realized just how serious Suimei was being when he said “anything.” 

“Now, there’s something else I want to ask you about.” 

“Try me. You want the real scoop on that enforcement request that got sent your way a while back?” 

“Huh, so you already know...? Well?” 

“Before that... You know I only take payment in advance, don’cha?” 

“Yeah, yeah. You never shut up about it.” 

Even as Suimei complained about Wiegel’s greediness, he took another stack of euros from his bag and threw it on the table. 

“Hah! Sure is nice having a golden goose.” 

“Don’t call me a goose.” 

“Oh, come on. Do you have any idea the meager stuff I’ve been living off of since you’ve been gone? I’ve even had to hold back on the wine with my meals.” 

“It’s your money sense that’s the problem. I bet you only buy the stupid expensive stuff.” 

“My wonderful tongue is ever so rich.” 

“Bold talk for the world’s sloppiest eater.” 

Suimei took a stab at Wiegel before narrowing his gaze. 

“Whatever. So?” 

“That info you got is right on the mark. It came from the intelligence network of the supreme Thousand Nights Association. There’s no need to doubt it.” 

“I see...” 

That meant there weren’t any holes in the information Suimei had received. It seemed almost as if the Thousand Nights Association had set this up just for him. Why had the target started moving as soon as he came to Germany? Why was Suimei given such complete information, even in piecemeal fashion? The details in the letters he’d received from Akitsuki and Beltria were practically begging him to take action. It was rare, even outright suspicious, for things to work out so perfectly. 

“Oh, and here comes the doll princess now,” Wiegel suddenly announced. 

Suimei turned around upon hearing that and, sure enough, spotted Hydemary walking in. Felmenia wasn’t with her. 

“How’s Menia doing?” Suimei asked. 

“Well, she’s calmed down a bit. I had her wait at the entrance to the alley. So?” Hydemary asked in turn. 

“We’re just about to get started.” 

“Indeed,” Wiegel interjected. “All the details are written down here. Why don’t you take it back to the hotel and read through it carefully, hmm?” 

“You sure are prepared,” quipped Suimei. 

“This way’s more convenient for you, right? I’m catering to you here. Cry and thank me for it.” 

“Who’s gonna cry?” 

Suimei coldly replied to Wiegel’s patronizing attitude before taking a glance over the papers and putting them in his pocket. Hydemary then sidled up next to him. 

“Hey, let me see too.” 

“Huh...? I’ll show you later.” 

Suimei seemed reluctant to show Hydemary, who only leaned in closer. He couldn’t tell what was up with her, but as he was wondering about exactly that, she raised an irritated voice. 

“Why? Do you think I’m so worthless that I can’t even help?” 

She apparently took Suimei’s reticence as a sign of distrust. Ordinarily, she’d just be complaining about how much of a pain the enforcement requests were, showing no interest or enthusiasm for the job at all. He had no idea what had been eating her since the other day. This behavior was odd, even for a fickle child. 

“Well?!” she demanded. 

“That’s not it,” Suimei replied. “That’s not it at all, but...” 

He was troubled by Hydemary’s strange persistence on the matter. She was getting so worked up about it that she was raising her voice and losing her temper. 

“So what is it then?! Aren’t you the one always saying that we need to share information to resolve things quickly?!” 

“Hey, calm down. What’s with you? You’re never this eager about these things, right?” 

“Not really...” 

“Not really...?” 

Hydemary turned away in a huff for the umpteenth time over the past few days. Suimei really couldn’t tell what had her so miffed. He was left completely befuddled. Even Lefille and Liliana seemed to be at a loss. Wiegel, however, unexpectedly raised a hand. 

“Don’t sweat it, ladies. You could say this is karma biting him in the ass.” 

“Karma? What are you talking about?” 

“You’ll understand one day, virgin.” 

“I told you to knock that off already!” 

In any event, Suimei had now taken care of everything he’d come here for. He curtly informed Wiegel that he was leaving and turned on his heels. 

“See ya, boss. If you run into Kudrack over there again, give him my regards. Tell him that everything valuable in the world gets put away in Wiegel the Festunger’s stomach.” 

“Yeah, yeah. Anyways, I’ll drop by again before I leave.” 

Suimei then headed for the exit, but quickly realized that Hydemary wasn’t following him. 

“Mary?” 

“...I’m coming.” 

There was an unmistakable pause before she replied. Still pondering her strange behavior, Suimei left a tip at the bar before stepping outside. When he did, he suddenly felt an uncomfortable prickling on the back of his neck. 

“...” 

It wasn’t as bad as what he’d felt when Eanru showed up, or Kudrack for that matter. But nevertheless, it was an ill omen that only assailed him when something was about to happen. 

As it turned out, Suimei’s bad premonition was right on the mark. It happened early the next morning in the middle of everyone getting ready to check out of the hotel. Felmenia, who was staying in the room next to Suimei’s, came knocking on his door in a panic. 

“Suimei-dono, Suimei-dono! It’s an emergency!” 

Her exact words were muffled through the door, but based on her tone of voice alone, Suimei could tell something was wrong. And certainly something more serious than a rogue appliance. 

As for Suimei, he’d finished putting together all the information he’d gathered the night before, and was planning to brief everyone on the enforcement request this morning. It went without saying this was a terrible omen. 

Hoping deep down that it really was just something stupid, Suimei undid the chain on the door and opened it. Felmenia was standing just on the other side, still dressed in her pajamas and with her hair somewhat disheveled like it had been a few days ago. 

“Menia? What’s going on?” 

“M-Mary-dono! Mary-dono has disappeared!” 

“Hmm? Disappeared? She didn’t just take a step outside or something?” 

“No, that doesn’t seem to be the case. I found this when I woke up...” 

There, Felmenia held up a piece of paper. 

“She left behind a note?” Suimei asked somewhat skeptically. 

Felmenia nodded in a meek reply. Suimei then took the note and looked at it.

I’ll resolve this case. 

That was all it said. It was short and to the point, and as soon as Suimei read it, he dashed back into his room for the memo he’d gotten from Wiegel. He was certain he’d put it away in his desk drawer last night, but now it was missing. 

“Tch! That idiot...” 

“Suimei-dono, does this mean Mary-dono went out to do the job on her own?” 

“I bet that’s exactly what she did. She’s not the type for elaborate pranks. She definitely went to do it on her fucking own.” 

Suimei let out a troubled sigh. He’d never thought Hydemary would charge off on her own like this, but the real question was why... Why had she done it? Suimei didn’t understand. 

“Um, is Mary-dono always like this?” 

“No, this is a first. Whenever requests have come in before, she’s acted like they weren’t her problem. What’s gotten into her...?” 

“Did she perhaps read the contents of the request and sense impending danger?” 

“If that’s the case, then why did she sneak into my room in the first place? It doesn’t add up.” 

Suimei was right; the order of operations was all wrong. He’d been evasive about the case to begin with, so Hydemary would’ve been completely in the dark until she snuck into his room to read the letters and the memo. 

That meant, even if Felmenia was right, Hydemary had some other reason for sneaking into his room. And Suimei didn’t have a clue what that might be. Moreover, if Felmenia was actually right and Hydemary had sensed impending crisis, it was more likely she would’ve slapped Suimei awake rather than running off alone. 

But nevertheless, that’s exactly what she’d gone and done. What on earth had prompted her to tackle this on her own? 

“Um, Suimei-dono, what exactly was the request that was entrusted to you?” 

“That’s... The culprits are trying to summon and assimilate a god.” 

Unfamiliar with the phrase, Felmenia was left standing there with her head quizzically cocked to the side.