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Chapter 18 — Interlude: That’s a Pretty Strange Way of Looking at Things 

When Ryouko woke up in the morning, she saw Carol hiding behind the plant in the corner of her room. Ryouko didn’t want to believe that her classmate could even consider that to be “hiding,” but given the way she tried to shrink herself down and hold her breath, it was hard to call it anything else. 

“You noticed me?” Carol finally gave up after she realized that Ryouko was staring directly at her. “I was hoping to surprise you while you were still asleep.” 

“I’m sure it’s not what you planned, but don’t worry, I’m plenty surprised.” 

“I guess it was no good. I have a skill for hiding, so I thought I might be able to make it work.” 

“Even if it made you totally invisible, you’d still be given away by your bright red outfit.” 

Carol was wearing her vivid ninja uniform. Donning clothes suitable for one’s class enhanced one’s abilities, but in her case the combination wasn’t exactly compatible. 

“So, do you need something?” Ryouko asked. 

“Did you notice that Takatou left?” 

“Oh, did he?” 

“He and Tomochika took off last night. Risley is throwing a fit over it.” 

“So, he left us behind.” 

“Well, it’s not like he had any reason to take us with him, but his way of cutting us off like that is still kind of amusing.” 

“Then what now?” As Ryouko asked that, she realized it was something that really didn’t have anything to do with Carol. Ryouko had completely accepted her as a companion along the way, but they hadn’t even been friends before; just two girls who happened to be in the same class. 

“I’m going to follow them. What about you?” 

“Why? What point is there in watching him now?” They had no way of contacting home or getting back. There was no reason to continue their mission to observe him. 

“Why? I mean, because I don’t want to die.” 

In fairness, staying by Yogiri’s side was the safest place they could be. This world was overflowing with danger. Even if they tried to hide and live a quiet life, there was no telling when some powerful being like a Sage would waltz in and end it all. 

“Those two are looking for a way home,” Ryouko mentioned. 

“Yeah, but I suspect he wouldn’t take us back with him.” 

“No, I think we’d be fine on that front. If we were sticking with them, Dannoura wouldn’t let him abandon us.” 

“Well, I was kind of hoping that as well.” 

“Don’t you think if they manage to get back, it would be safer for us to stay in this world?” Ryouko asked. 

“That’s a strange way of thinking about things,” Carol replied. 

But Ryouko couldn’t help feeling that Carol was underestimating the being that was Yogiri Takatou. It was true that this world was full of danger, but wasn’t Yogiri far more terrifying than any of that? 

“Well, in any case, there is no reason for us to stay here.” 

They were in their current location strictly because they had been following Yogiri. If he was gone, there was no reason for them to live with the half-demons. They weren’t especially safe there, after all. In fact, it could be said they were in even more danger. They had no idea how long they could hide the fact that the half-demons had made a home there. 

“Hey, show me that thing again,” Carol instructed, pointing at the smartphone on Ryouko’s pillow. Although the battery had almost died, she had been able to recharge it by borrowing Yogiri’s makeshift charger. The device had been designed to recharge handheld gaming consoles, but it possessed an interchangeable cable to allow for a variety of uses. 

“It appears they’re heading east,” Ryouko informed her friend, checking the tool on her phone that was designed to monitor Yogiri. It could tell what direction he was in and provided information on the state of his seals. 

“With your smartphone, we can get a general idea of what direction to go in, so we should probably be able to catch up. Why don’t we go together?” Carol suggested. 

“I suppose. Either way, staying here doesn’t make much sense.” 

Maybe by making a move of her own, she’d figure out what she ultimately wanted to do. Ryouko decided to adopt a more optimistic outlook. 

  

“Euphemia! Yogiri’s gone!” Risley shouted, bursting into Euphemia’s office. 

“Yes, I heard the mayor prepared a carriage for him, so I figured they decided to go out,” the vampire replied, lifting her gaze from the documents on her desk. 

 


“If they took a carriage, that means they aren’t coming back, right?!” 

“That is possible, but we don’t really have a right or reason to keep him here.” 

“W-Well, that’s true, but...” 

Risley seemed to deflate. Euphemia was, of course, correct. Yogiri and Tomochika had helped Theodisia at the tower and then helped the half-demons to secure a home. Whether that was kindness on their part or they were simply following their whims, there was no reason for the pair to stay with the half-demons forever. They had their own objectives. 

“You already asked him your favor, right?” 

“Yes, but he didn’t promise anything.” 

Risley’s original form, the Sage Lain, had a twin sister named Seyla. Lain’s last request had been for Yogiri to kill her sibling. Risley herself didn’t care much about Lain or her sister, having never met either of them. She and Lain were completely different people. Why would Lain have wanted her younger sister dead? She had no way of knowing. 

“Takatou was quite surprised, wasn’t he?” 

“Yes, he made a face like he thought I was crazy. His biggest problem was that I didn’t even know why Lain wanted her to be killed.” 

Seyla had apparently acquired immortality in a different way than Lain had. It was no wonder the former Sage had wanted Yogiri’s help with killing her, but there was no information about why she wanted her dead in the first place. 

“Well, that is only natural. You can’t just ask him to kill someone like that.” 

“All Lain said is that I’d know when I saw her. I wonder what she meant.” 

“It’s possible it was just a plan to guide you forward by stimulating your curiosity.” 

Lain hadn’t tried to force her clone to do anything, so it was well within Risley’s power to ignore the request. But with her deep-seated affection for Yogiri, she had wanted to meet him regardless, and since she had met him anyway, she had used the passing on of Lain’s last request as an excuse to talk to him. It was likely just as Lain had planned. 

“Did you give them the Philosopher’s Stone?” 

“Yes. There’s not much I can do with it myself.” For a Sage, it might have been useful, but Risley wasn’t a Sage, and she possessed no particular powers of her own. A Philosopher’s Stone was meaningless to her. “He said that if he met Seyla, he’d think about it.” 

Risley didn’t know exactly where Lain’s sister was, but she had told Yogiri that, as far as she knew, she was with the Sage Van. Then again, they had no idea where Van was, so it wasn’t particularly useful information. That said, Yogiri was searching for Sages already, so there was a possibility that he would come across her on his own at some point. That was her only hope. 

“Then didn’t you successfully complete your objective?” Euphemia asked. 

“Yes, but...but...but I don’t like it!” 

“Is that so? He already rejected you, so I don’t think pressing him any further would be a good idea.” 

“Maybe I should have tried a more gradual approach after all.” 

“I haven’t seen Takatou show an interest in anyone other than Dannoura, so I suspect no matter what you did, it would have produced the same results.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes. I’m rather confident in my own appearance and attract more than my fair share of stares from all sorts of men, but I never got that from Takatou.” In spite of Euphemia’s words, she didn’t give off an arrogant impression. She was simply saying what she felt was the truth. 

“If even you couldn’t catch his eye, what am I supposed to do?!” 

“In the end, I believe that such romantic feelings stem from spending time together.” So give up, Euphemia meant. But that’s not how Risley took it. 

“Then that’s the answer!” 

“I don’t know what you mean. Are you planning on following Takatou again?” 

“Yes! There’s nothing else I want to do!” For Risley, who had suddenly woken up just as she was with no memories, her feelings for Yogiri were an irreplaceable part of her. 

“Understood. Then please allow me to go with you.” 

“Huh? Aren’t you in charge of the city?” 

“Most administrative matters are being handled by the city council already. I’m sure Theo will be more than capable of acting as a representative for the half-demons.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Of course. Do you really think you’d be able to track those two by yourself?” 

“I guess that’s true. I’ve just been relying on you the whole time, haven’t I?” 

“Before I am a half-demon, I am your loyal servant.” 

The sentiment may have been a compulsion placed upon Euphemia when she had first been turned into a vampire, but Risley’s feelings for Yogiri weren’t all that different. Those were simply the emotions they felt, so regardless of the reasons for it, Risley figured it was okay. 

“Then let’s go!” 

And so they set off to meet Yogiri once more. 



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