Magic, Mayhem, and Mandatory Registration!

01

After my unforeseen presentation, I stared directly at the ground, my cheeks warm with embarrassment visible only to me. The silence hung in the air like a rope stretched to its limit. The moment seemed to stretch on, frozen in time.

That was when Donedoque's response shattered the quiet.

"I-Incredible! I've never seen a foreigner make such an impressive introduction," Donedoque exclaimed, his brown eyes shining with admiration. "You wouldn't happen to be a crimson demon, would you?"

At that moment, I lifted my head, prepared to answer, but…

"No, surely not. Your eyes… they're blue."

This information hit me as if I'd been plunged into icy water. Blue? Since when were they blue?

"What do you mean, blue eyes?"

"Blue," Donedoque reaffirmed, his voice calmly emphatic.

"No, they're not. My eyes are brown," I retorted, frustration growing in my voice. Donedoque examined me from various angles, his expression focused.

"Hm… no, definitely blue."

"You must be mixing up the colors," I countered, feeling my throat tighten. "I was born and raised wi-…" The sentence died on my lips as a chill of understanding ran down my spine. I remembered the goddess who sent me to this world, the possibility that she had not been cautious with the details of my rebirth…

"Forget it."

"Alright... So... are you or aren't you a crimson demon?" Donedoque asked, curious.

"Perhaps," was all I said.

"Perhaps?" He seemed surprised at my response.

"Well, I am, and I'm not, until it's proven that I am… or that I'm not!"

This answer intrigued him.

"Ok… that's weird, pretty weird, but you seem like a decent person. Anyway, come with me, Vitor."

"Come with you? Where to?"

"To the village's registration house, of course! Everyone who arrives needs to be registered. And whatever you are, if you were a threat, I would have already eliminated you right here with my powerful advanced magic!"

"What about the main entrance? Who will guard it?" I asked, slightly confused.

"Oh… right, I completely forgot about that… Ok, eh… that's fine. I'll cast a signaling spell so someone can come here and accompany you."

Huh, what a guy. The so-called gatekeeper almost forgot about the gate itself.

Then, Donedoque raised his hand to the sky and exclaimed:

"PULSATING SIGNAL!"

What followed looked like a series of fireworks. There weren't many, but they formed a pattern of dancing colors, which I believe made up a code for anyone who could interpret the message.

"Someone should arrive in a few minutes. In the meantime, you can sit there," Donedoque said, pointing to a red wall beside the gate.

"Alright…"

And so I did. I sat down and leaned against the wall, whose bright red color encircled the entire village territory, rising about three or four meters high.

From there, I could see the village in the distance. It was about one or two kilometers away. It was familiar, yet still hard to discern clearly.

02

I was sitting there, then Donedoque joined me after remaining standing for a while longer. I suspected he was waiting for another foreigner in order to reenact his show...

I decided to strike up a conversation.

"Is it true that the Crimson Demons' Village has some interesting tourist attractions?"

"Interesting? Our village has several exceptional attractions!! Including world-destroying weapons, Sealed dark gods, and much more!" Donedoque replied, his voice palpable with enthusiasm.

"Amazing! I've always wanted to visit this village. I've read so much about it. But I've never had the opportunity."

"There's always a first time, right? But did you come here just for the attractions? Why only now?"

"Well, it's complicated… I grew up far from here and only recently moved to this region."

Yes, reader, I know what you're wondering: why are we dragging this out? Why doesn't this guy just go to the village already? And what about Megumin? Has she gone completely mad and become the Demon King? Does Yunyun still have no friends? What about her school friends? We want answers!!!

I do too, but I can't just drop everything at once, right? Or can I?

"Hey, I've also read a lot about a crimson demon archmage who masters the - CALLING FOR BACKUP AGAIN, DONEDOQUE!?"

A young female voice cut through the air, sharper than a razor.

"Calm down, Amatilina! It was necessary this time!"

"Oh, you've caught a prisoner?"

"H-HEY! I'm not a prisoner!" I retorted, quickly standing up.

That's when I sensed a strange energy in the air.

"FREEZE RIGHT NOW! Or you'll be obliterated by my advanced magic, 'Saber Light'!"

"?!"

"RELAX, AMATILINA!!! H-he's just a visitor! He must register, but I can't leave the gate alone to accompany him."

"Oh, so that's all, I see."

I won't lie. A chill ran up my spine when I heard the words 'obliterated by my advanced magic, 'Saber Light'!' from that woman. I knew crimson demons were known to be a bit crazy, but this was far scarier in person.

"Y-yes, that's all," I stuttered, my voice coming out weaker than I'd have liked. My heart was racing, and I could feel the tension in the air slowly dissipating.

"And who are you?" the girl asked, looking at me with suspicious eyes.

"I… I'm Vitor. I'm here to visit the Crimson Demons' Village," I answered, trying to keep calm.

"Hmm, a visitor, huh? Well, I suppose I can accompany you to the registration house," she said, crossing her arms and sizing me up.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Amantilia," Donedoque said, nodding in gratitude. "And thanks for lending me another branch, you know?"

"We'll see how long branches are left to break on your tree, Donedoque," Amantilia retorted, rolling her eyes.

And so, I followed Amantilia to the registration house, leaving Donedoque behind at the village entrance.

03

I followed Amantilia along a dirt trail. Under the blue sky, her black braids danced to the rhythm of the wind, contrasting with her noticeably irritated mood.

"What a pain, Donedoque always abusing that signal! And right when I was in the middle of a snack at the village café…," Amantilia grumbled, casting a disapproving look toward the gate in the distance.

She then turned to me with a curious, nonchalant gaze. "Your name is Vitor, right? Where are you from, anyway?"

"Ah, yes… um… I come from far away… from… um… a region called Amerina," I replied, somewhat nervously.

Yes, in my nervousness, I thought of the woman's name and "America", and out came Amerina.

"Amerina? I've never heard of it… well, whatever. I hope you enjoy our village," Amantilia remarked, her tone wavering between disinterest and courtesy.

"Thank you," I replied, a little disconcerted. "And if I may, your name is Amantilia, right? I thought all crimson demons made introductions…"

"Eh… We usually do… but you know how it is, sometimes laziness strikes…," Amantilia replied, letting out a long yawn and stretching her arms. Her air of indifference was almost palpable.

As we approached the village, I got a better look at the local structures. An imposing tower rose in the center, standing tall against the clear blue sky. Further ahead, atop a... cliff? I could make out a mansion that resembled a prison... AHA! I know what it is! That's the Red Prison, the magical school of the crimson demons!!

Intrigued and wanting to strike up some conversation with the crimson demon, I asked, "Do you know a crimson demon mage who uses explosive magic?"

Amantilia laughed sarcastically and replied, "Heh, did you come to see a friend? There aren't many people who are idiotic enough to learn that magic… I do know one... I think her name is… Miramim? No… Megurim?" She shrugged:

"Never mind the name, whoever she is, if you've come all this way just to see her, I'm sorry to tell you that your journey was in vain."

"What?!"