We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
A casual trip to the forbidden territory.
“Elnea-kun, you’re so big…”
“Ah, Sefina-san. Don’t stare at me like that…”
“Elnea-kun, what on earth have you been hiding?!”
“Hahahaha! Madrine-sama. You’re too bold!”
Sefina-san and Madrine-sama gazed at me with enraptured expressions.
I, on the other hand, was blushing furiously and desperately trying to maintain my composure.
However, the two of them paid no mind to my predicament and aggressively pressed closer and closer.
“Ah, I can’t take anymore! I-I’m going to fall off!”
I desperately held back Sefina-san and Madrine-sama, who were leaning forward precariously.
If things continue like this…!
“Hey! If you lean any further, you’ll fall off Nimia’s back!”
That’s right, we were in the sky. Sefina-san and Madrine-sama, excited by the sight of our new home, which was finally visible, were gazing down at the ground. As for me, I was doing all I could just to keep them from falling.
Someone, please help me!
I looked back and pleaded with my wives for help, but Mistral simply looked at me with a relieved expression. Of course. The thought of them falling was a trivial matter. Mistral’s true concern lay elsewhere.
Yes, it was before we departed from the Demon Lord’s Castle.
“Elnea, come here for a moment.”
This was said by Mistral after the Giant Demon Lord had ordered me to head to the forbidden territory.
“Just to confirm, you do intend to take Sefina and Madrine with you, don’t you?”
“Yes, that’s my intention!”
I answered Mistral’s question without hesitation.
Her doubt stemmed from the fact that Oz, the magic beast, could enter the forbidden territory without issue because he had received permission from the Demon Lord himself. However, Sefina-san, Madrine-sama, and even Yunyun and Rinrin were different. None of the four of them had obtained permission from the one who managed the forbidden territory. Mistral was asking for confirmation as a precaution, since I intended to bring them along.
“I can understand about Yun and Rin, but are Sefina and Madrine really going to be alright?”
“I trust they will be. I’ve had many dealings with them, and I believe I know their personalities and characters well enough.”
“If you can say that with such conviction, then I will support you.”
“Thank you, Mistral. If anything happens, I will take responsibility!”
“Even if it means fighting Teruru?”
“Gnnnh… Besides, the Demon Lord seems to be tacitly approving of my actions, so I don’t think I’m making a mistake.”
The Giant Demon Lord could easily read my thoughts. He knew exactly what I was thinking. That is precisely why the Demon Lord granted entry permission only to Oz.
“The Demon Lord knew that not only Yunyun and Rinrin, but also Sefina-san and Madrine-sama would be accompanying me. Yet, he didn’t mention those four. I believe that means he’s leaving it up to me.”
Why did the Demon Lord only mention Oz? It was because I was agonizing over whether it was acceptable to allow Oz into the forbidden territory, unlike the other four.
I met Oz only recently, while traveling through Dragon Peak and escorting the Mother’s Federation. Oz, who is now by my side with Priscilla-chan and Nimia, has an unclear background. He claimed to be a demon race and was involved in suspicious matters concerning the Nine-tailed Fox Shrine.
I trusted Yunyun and the other three, and was convinced that their entry into the forbidden territory would be without issue. However, I was still undecided about Oz, as doubts remained. The Demon Lord made the decision in my stead. Conversely, this meant that anyone I accepted could be summoned to the forbidden territory at my discretion.
Mistral nodded after I explained my thoughts again.
Nevertheless, we were all tense when entering the forbidden territory. I was trembling, half-expecting the sky to split open and Teruru-chan to appear. However, nothing we feared happened, and we were able to reach our new home.
Nimia headed towards the main entrance of a colossal mansion that encompassed two lakes.
…Why “main entrance”? Because there were multiple entrances! The mansion was so enormous that not only the bathrooms, kitchen, and restrooms, but even entrances were installed in several locations. Among them, we designated the most splendid entrance as the “main entrance” or “front entrance,” and decided to use it as our primary point of entry.
Carrying Sefina-san and Madrine-sama, who were leaning so far forward they seemed about to fall off Nimia’s back, I descended to the plaza in front of the main entrance. From above, it appeared undamaged, despite the winter’s disuse. We haven’t fully grasped how harsh the mid-winter in the forbidden territory is, precisely because we haven’t used it much during winter. If it snowed as much as on Dragon Peak, we’d have to clear the snow to prevent the roof from collapsing. However, no such damage was visible.
“It’s been a while since we could relax.”
“It’s been a while since we could truly unwind.”
“Yufi, Nina. But first, cleaning!”
“Come on, let’s go back to Mist’s village!”
“Come on, let’s reunite with our mothers in Mist’s village!”
“Yufi and Nina, you really don’t want to clean, do you?”
“Elnea-kun, you want to clean this huge mansion, don’t you?”
“Ugh, Ruiseine…”
“Elnea-sama, it would be best if you cleaned it with me!”
Why do unused buildings get dusty so quickly? Ah, I hate cleaning! Moreover, how many days would it take to clean this enormous mansion! My cry of despair was in vain.
With a slightly gloomy mood, I stepped through the entrance and into the interior. Surprisingly, it was as clean as if it had been cleaned every day.
“Speaking of which, didn’t the legendary carpenters who built the mansion install some sort of mechanism?”
“That’s right, I’d forgotten.”
According to the Demon Lord, the mansion had a magic spell cast upon it to keep it clean, so it wouldn’t accumulate dust even when unused. We inspected the rooms we would likely be using during our stay and were relieved to confirm that they were all neatly arranged.
“Elnea-kun, may I look around a bit?”
“Elnea-kun, is it alright if we go exploring?”
“Sefina-san, Madrine-sama. Are you two Priscilla-chan?”
The two of them’s eyes sparkled. I was sure they’d go even if I tried to stop them.
“Um, Priscilla will guide you?”
And the young girl was also eager to go!
“Yunyun, Rinrin, please look after the children.”
“Leave it to us!”
“Leave it to me!”
Was it my imagination, or did Rinrin’s voice, and Yunyun’s too, sound excited? The “Mansion Exploration Team” immediately headed towards the inner parts of the building, with Priscilla-chan leading the way. However, I made sure to secure Nimia, who was lounging on Priscilla-chan’s head, and Oz, who was wagging his two tails in my arms.
“Nyah?”
“You! What are you doing!?”
“Oz, you’re not here to play.”
“?”
Oz, whose scruff was firmly grasped, looked at me quizzically. Nimia also tilted her head.
“Mistral, sorry, but we’re going out for a bit.”
“Yes, have a good trip. Will you be back late?”
“Hmm, I don’t know about that. But we’ll be back before sunset.”
Mistral didn’t ask where we were going. Well, I had explained the reason for bringing Oz to the forbidden territory before our departure. Priscilla-chan waved energetically to Nimia and Oz and set off on her mansion exploration with her companions. Normally, Mistral would reprimand the excited members, but she didn’t try to stop them. She understood. Anyone would want to explore such a large and wonderful mansion. We ourselves had explored it at first.
Then, managing to appease the Twin Princesses and Laira, who were naturally trying to follow us, I left the mansion. I then had Nimia grow large again, and we soared back into the sky of the forbidden territory.
“Hey, brat, let go! Where on earth are you taking me!?”
“Is he food for Teruru, nya?”
“Komu… Nimia-dono, who is this Teruru you speak of?”
“A Thousand-Handed Spider, nya!”
“Nyaaa!”
Oz thrashed about in response to Nimia’s answer. I held him tightly so he wouldn’t fall and laughed.
“Now, now, Nimia. It’s not nice to pick on the weak.”
“Nyan.”
“And Oz, what was your purpose for traveling again?”
When I asked him, Oz stopped struggling abruptly, puffed out his chest, and said with a haughty air, “I am on a journey to create a new mirror to be enshrined at the Nine-tailed Fox Shrine.”
“That’s right. That’s why I brought you here.”
“?”
Oz looked at me as if to say, “What are you talking about?” With a sigh, I added.
“To make the mirror, you need a pure spring, right?”
“Oh, indeed.”
To create the mirror, one must polish a stone found at the bottom of a spring that has remained untainted for hundreds of years. And the forbidden territory has been managed without corruption for a long time. Furthermore, there are countless lakes scattered throughout the land. The forbidden territory was precisely the kind of land that matched Oz’s description, which is why I had been contemplating whether to bring him here.
“Well then, shall we search for a lake that matches Oz’s description?” I asked Nimia. From the sky, we would search the countless scattered lakes for a location that met the criteria.
“Nyah~”
Nimia, flying at a low altitude, went here and there. She enjoyed a stroll while circling the lakes, her journey taking her across the endlessly spreading, nature-rich landscape of the forbidden territory.
“Mumumu, that lake!”
“That’s the Poison Lake. Everything from the water quality to the creatures living in it is poisonous!”
“How about that one!?”
“A dangerous aquatic magic beast lives there?”
“Y-y-yes, that one…”
“Try going into it. You’ll be boiled alive in an instant.”
Good grief. Is Oz really looking for a pure lake? He only seems to react to suspicious places.
“Ah, I see. Oz is a magic beast…”
“I am a demon race!”
“Yes, yes, you’re a demon race. So, what about it?”
“Well. Oz, you originally have the ‘demonic’ attribute, right? That means, perhaps you can’t find sacred places that are the opposite of that…?”
“!”
Oz’s eyes widened at my stare, and he slowly averted his gaze. It was a direct hit!
“Honestly, what am I going to do.” I could only sigh. How on earth was Oz planning to find a pure spring or lake?
“B-but, conversely. The places I am not interested in are precisely…”
“If you don’t react to them, you won’t even notice them, will you? But, I see. Maybe I should check the places Oz dislikes?” Evil loves evil. Conversely, it should dislike or avoid sacred things. If that’s the case, the places Oz feels repulsed by might be the untainted destinations.
“Come now, Oz. Show me the places you dislike!”
“Huuuumph… I believe this is a wonderful land no matter where I look!”
“You useless creature!!” I almost threw Oz from the sky in my frustration.
“I guess there’s no other way, nya. In the first place, according to Elnea-onii-chan’s thinking, Oz should have felt uncomfortable as soon as we entered the forbidden territory.”
“That’s right. An untainted place isn’t just about the lakes; it applies to the entire forbidden territory.”
Perhaps this was my mistake. I couldn’t blame Oz entirely, so I regained my composure and had Nimia circle the lakes again. However, we couldn’t find any place that satisfied Oz. Finally, as the sun began to set.
“Let’s head back to the mansion for today.”
“Nyan.”
The sun was about to hide behind the sacred mountain, which spread its gentle slopes to the west. I told Nimia and changed our course for home.
“Hey, brat.”
“Yes?”
“What’s over there?”
Oz pointed west and asked me.
“There are no lakes over there. Beyond the sacred mountain is the forbidden territory, but the lakes are only on the east side of the sacred mountain.”
“Hmmph.”
Perhaps it was because we had been flying along Dragon Peak to the east. Oz seemed interested in the west as well.
“Then, let’s just take a quick look over there before we go home.”
“Understood, nya.”
Despite Nimia flying all day, this was her last job for today. Nimia flew west, crossing over the sacred mountain. However, what we saw there was unexpected.
“Th-this is!”
The summit of the sacred mountain was deeply hollowed out, unlike ordinary mountains. It was just like the Dragon Altar where Airi-san lived. And the hollowed summit was very wide, with a faint layer of water at the bottom.
“There’s no doubt about it, this is the place revealed to me! Brat, put me down!”
Oz thrashed in my arms. However, I was also surprised for a different reason and couldn’t fully react. My eyes, imbued with dragon energy, caught sight of a person standing in the shallowly submerged hollow.
“A woman, nya?”
Nimia seemed to have noticed as well. That person is…
“Ada-san?”
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