Flio’s Busy Day

The world of Klyrode is a world of swords and sorcery, of magic beasts

and demihumans—a world where humanity and demonkind had been at

war since time immemorial. But then the Dark One Yuigarde abandoned his

throne, leaving the ancient veteran skeleton soldier Calsi'im to take his

place as Dark Regent.

Taking advantage of the chaos, the devil Zanzibar rallied his rebel army

to assault the Dark Citadel, but Calsi'im sought aid from the Wolf of Justice

and his companions—mysterious heroes who had interfered time and time

again with the Dark Army's designs on the human-ruled Magical Kingdom

of Klyrode. The Wolf of Justice agreed to help on the condition that the

Dark Army make peace with the Magical Kingdom. With the Wolf of

Justice and his companions as allies, the Dark Army overcame seemingly

impossible odds and brought an end to Zanzibar's rebellion.

The Dark Regent Calsi'im kept his word to the Wolf of Justice and

drafted a treaty with the Magical Kingdom. For the first time in history, the

Dark Army and the armies of humanity were at peace. And so, our story

begins...

◇Houghtow City—Fli-o'-Rys General Store◇

Houghtow City was a fair distance from the capital, but it was a hub for

merchants and adventurers on the road, as it stood at the midpoint of the

highway leading from Castle Klyrode to lands abroad. And just outside of

one of its markets lay the Fli-o'-Rys General Store, managed by a man

known as Flio. It was on the opposite side of town from the city gates, a bit

out of the way for visitors from outside. One might have expected it to be a

quiet shop in a less busy part of town, but that couldn't be further from the

truth. The Fli-o'-Rys General Store was packed with customers from the

minute they opened, day after day. Today was no exception.

The proprietor, Flio, was standing by the register. Flio was originally a

merchant from another world and had been summoned to Klyrode as a Hero

Candidate. He had received a truly potent blessing when he'd arrived in this

world, giving him mastery of every skill and every spell in existence. Now,

he ran a general store with his wife Rys (a demon who had once fought for

the Dark Army).

Two regular customers, who seemed to be friends, stepped up to the

counter. "I'm looking for a sheath for the sword you fixed last time I was

here," one of them said. "One you wear on your back, please."

"I need a pack for carrying my stuff," said the other. "The one I've got

now is a bit too small. I had a look around the shop, but I was wondering...

Do you have anything bigger than the ones on display?"

Flio smiled. "A back scabbard for Mister Sireul and a large pack for

Mister Wreek..." he said. "I believe we have some items that may interest

you." He waved his hand towards the counter behind him, and a number of

back scabbards and large packs appeared, seemingly from thin air.

The items had come from the Bottomless Bag Flio wore on his belt—the

one he used to store inventory for the shop.

Originally, in order to do this, the owner of a Bottomless Bag would

need to go through the following steps:

Call up the Bottomless Bag's display window.

Select item for retrieval.

Retrieve item from the Bottomless Bag.

Repeat steps one through three until all desired items have been

retrieved.

Flio, however, had omitted steps one through four and selected every

item he wanted at once, retrieving them all instantly.

It shouldn't have been possible to use a Bottomless Bag this way. Only

Flio, with his perfect memory of the shop's inventory, could have pulled off

such a trick.

While Flio was showing the merchandise to his customers, Belano was

busy with the display shelves. Belano was a teacher at the Houghtow

College of Magic, but she had finished her work early today and come to

the Fli-o'-Rys General Store to help out. She had once been a witch serving

in a company of knights at Castle Klyrode, but she had quit the army and

was now living at Flio's house and teaching defensive magic at the local

school. She would occasionally stop by to lend a hand like this on days off

from school or when she didn't have many classes to teach.

Lord Flio's amazing, using a Bottomless Bag like that... she thought,

gazing at him with admiration. Belano's father and brother had both died in

the war against the Dark Army, and Belano had come to see Flio as a standin for her departed family. She idolized him—revered him, even.

Her cheeks flushed red as she continued to watch. If only Lord Flio were

my husband... We could research magic together...and—

Her thoughts were cut off as she felt something behind her: a presence,

not unlike a wolf stalking its prey. She jumped, her body shaking

uncontrollably. But when she looked, nothing but the display case was

there. Belano's face was pale. Cold sweat ran down her back.

"Wh-What was that...?"

◇Meanwhile—Flio's House◇

Rys looked up from where she was cleaning the living room and stared

fiercely at a spot on the wall.

Rys was Flio's husband, a lupine demon. She had belonged to the Dark

Army until Flio defeated her, at which point she chose to walk alongside

him as his wife. She was very fond of her husband and had already had two

children with him—twins named Elinàsze and Garyl.

A demonic aura welled up behind Rys. Her eyes became even more

wolflike.

Needless to say, she was staring in the direction of the Fli-o'-Rys

General Store.

How strange... she thought. I could have sworn I felt the presence of a

woman lusting after my lord husband. Just my imagination, I suppose...

Suddenly, she returned to herself and resumed sweeping, more vigorous

than before. "Oh, I mustn't get distracted like this! If I don't finish the

laundry soon, it won't be dry by this evening!"

◇Back at the Fli-o'-Rys General Store◇

While Belano recovered, Flio pointed to the items on the counter, an

easygoing smile on his face. "Here's some items we had in storage," he

said. "Do any of them strike your fancy?"

His customers stared with wide eyes. "Whoa! A-Already?! You really

are something else..."

"You took all those out at once...?"

As stunned as they were, however, it didn't stop them from looking over

the inventory.

Almost immediately, however, a great flock of adventurers descended on

Flio—dozens of them, at least.

"Hey, Mister Flio... I wanna buy this axe!"

"I need a number of magic wands..."

"I have a question about this potion..."

"Excuse me, I need my shield repaired!"

There's so many of them! Flio thought, hiding his nerves behind a smile.

I can't deal with them all at once... I might need Uliminas's help...

He looked over to Uliminas's register. Uliminas was a hellcat who had

assisted Ghozal when he had been the Dark One before Yuigarde. Ghozal

had abdicated his throne and quit the Dark Army. Now, he too was an

employee of the Fli-o'-Rys General Store, and Uliminas was one of his two

wives.

Flio tried to get Uliminas's attention, but she seemed to be busy with a

problem of her own.

"I want one of those Wolf of Justice masks you have on display!"

"Me too!"

"I want one too!"

"Give me one!"

"I would like one as well, please!"

A great horde of happy children had gathered before her, clamoring for

the Wolf of Justice masks on display behind the register. Uliminas worked

quickly, smiling fondly at the kids as she retrieved the masks from the

wooden box by her feet. "Meowne sec!" she said. "Sorry to keep mew

waiting! Blue Wolf of Justice masks for everymeowne!"

Flio had originally designed the Wolf of Justice mask to conceal his

identity, but now that the Wolf of Justice had become a hero whose exploits

were sung of the world over for bringing peace between the Dark Army and

the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode, it had become a best-selling item. Most

of the buyers were children, but some people bought them as protective

talismans for their homes or for long journeys. Right now, it was the most

popular thing for sale at the Fli-o'-Rys General Store.

They even sold plush versions of the great white wolf who fought by the

Wolf of Justice's side. This was Rys, of course, in her wolf form. But she

made for a very cute toy. There were also reproductions of the red wolf

mask Wyne wore and the black one worn by Ghozal.

Uliminas, behind the counter, had her hands absolutely full with the

kids. She noticed Flio's glance in her direction, but all she could do was

shake her head apologetically. I'm a bit purreoccupied right meow...

Flio raised his hand apologetically. Maybe I should ask Balirossa, then...

he thought, looking across the store to see Balirossa jogging by with a large

wooden crate in her arms.

Balirossa was Ghozal's other wife. She had once been a knight from

Klyrode Castle, but she had quit along with the rest of her company and

now lived at Flio's house.

Balirossa set the crate down in front of a case and began setting out its

contents for display. But she had scarcely set them down when the

customers, who had been waiting for that shelf to be restocked, immediately

began snatching them up.

Balirossa looks pretty busy too... Flio thought. Maybe Mister Ghozal...?

He glanced over to the wall by the register where Ghozal stood.

Ghozal had once reigned as Dark One under the name Gholl, but he had

abdicated in favor of his younger brother Yuigarde and now lived as a

freeloader at Flio's house, disguised as a human. He and Flio had become

something like best friends. Right now, he was standing still, watching the

scene at the register—the children gleefully accepting Wolf of Justice

masks from Uliminas. He seemed to be muttering something under his

breath.

"I mean," he said to himself, "I can't really be surprised that the Wolf of

Justice mask is the most popular...but Wyne's, Hiya's, and Damalynas's

masks have been selling, and those plushes of Rys... How come nobody

wants to buy my Black Wolf mask...?" It was already a fair way into the

day, but not a single person had purchased a Black Wolf mask.

Flio smirked wryly. I guess Mister Ghozal's busy in his own way, he

thought. All right. I'll just handle this on my own. He turned to face the

crowd of customers when a magic circle appeared on the wall behind him.

Two feminine figures stepped out.

"Exalted One," said Hiya. "Forgive my impertinence, but if you are in

need of assistance, your humble servant Hiya stands at the ready."

"I'll help too!" said Damalynas.

Hiya was known as the djinn who commands the origin of light and

darkness. Their magic power was vast enough to destroy the entire world,

but after being defeated by Flio, they became part of his household and now

called him the "Exalted One." Damalynas was the Grand Magus of

Midnight, master of the dark arts. She had been defeated by Hiya, however,

and now spent her time training with the djinn in their mindscape.

"Oh!" said Flio, breathing a sigh of relief. "Thanks, you two."

"There is no need for thanks," answered Hiya. "To serve you is nothing

less than the very reason for my existence."

"Of course!" Damalynas said. "It's the least I can do."

The two turned towards the throng of customers. Hiya and Damalynas

answered questions about potions or magic items while Flio dealt with

customers who needed weapons or anything else. With the effort of three,

the work went much faster, but no sooner did one customer leave than

another would take their place. It looked like the store was going to be

packed for a while yet. In fact, at some point, a line had started to form,

leading all the way out the entryway and onto the street.

◇Fli-o'-Rys General Store—Wagon Staging Area◇

Behind the Fli-o'-Rys General Store was the wagon staging area, large

enough for ten wagons at a time. A number of women dressed as

adventurers were busily moseying about. Some of them were loading goods

onto wagons, while others were double-checking the inventories of the

wagons that had newly arrived.

One of the women seemed to be especially busy. This was Greanyl, a

shadow demon. She had once been a member of the Silent Listeners, the

Dark Army's intelligence apparatus, but the Silent Listeners had defected en

masse and now served as the Fli-o'-Rys General Store's supply team, with

Greanyl at the head.

Greanyl stopped in front of an empty wagon. She looked between it and

the papers in her hand. "Where's this wagon's cargo?" she asked.

At those words, a woman who had been working in the storehouse ran

up to her. "I'll have it loaded right away!" she said.

"Be quick," said Greanyl. "We'll have more wagons returning in a

minute."

"By your command." The woman bowed and ran back to the storehouse

at top speed.

When she was gone, Greanyl boarded the driver's seat of one of the

wagons. "I'm off to make the delivery to Klyrode Castle," she said. "I'll

leave the rest to you."

"Understood. Take care." The women nearby bowed as Greanyl

departed.

Greanyl's wagon was pulled by a great demon horse, much bigger than a

common horse. Greanyl took the reins and set her sights on the road ahead.

The demon horse turned his head back to speak to her. "So I'm with the

leader of the supply team herself today," he said. "It's a pleasure."

"The pleasure is all mine," Greanyl said, bowing her head. "It's an honor

to work with Sir Dalc Horst, captain of the demon horses."

Dalc Horst was once the direct subordinate of Sleip—a member of the

Dark Army's Infernal Four—and was the leader of his elite guard. He,

Sleip, and the rest of Sleip's elite guard had all left the Dark Army and now

lived at the stables outside Flio's house. These days, they pulled wagons for

the Fli-o'-Rys supply teams.

"But it's strange..." Greanyl said, looking curiously at Dalc Horst. "I

was sure that I was scheduled to work with your subordinate Alchechino..."

"Ah, my apologies... I'm afraid there was a bit of trouble. It's nothing

you need to worry about. We should focus on our own work." Dalc Horst

spoke quickly, like he was nervous about something.

Greanyl cocked her head. "I see..." she said. "Well, I don't have any

cause to complain, but..."

"A-Anyway!" Dalc Horst said, in a hurry to change the subject. "The

shop's been busy lately, hasn't it? We're making deliveries to cities all over,

and the storefront's packed to the brim every day..."

Greanyl nodded. "It's because our work delivering supplies to the front

for Klyrode Castle went as well as it did. Now that the Dark Army and the

Magical Kingdom of Klyrode have signed that peace treaty, Klyrode Castle

has declared us a trustworthy establishment with first-class products. Ever

since then, customers have been pouring into the store nonstop, and we've

been getting large delivery requests from cities and towns all over the land."

"I'm glad for it," Dalc Horst opined. "It gives us demon horses plenty to

do."

"I understand..." Greanyl said. "I'm forever grateful to Lord Flio for

taking the Silent Listeners in when we had nowhere else to go. I'm happy to

work to repay the favor." She took the reins in her hands and held them

tight.

Dalc Horst nodded. "Well said," he agreed. "By the way, Greanyl. Do

you think we can take some time to ourselves once our work at the castle is

finished?"

"I suppose, if it isn't too long."

"Then why don't we have dinner together?" Dalc Horst said. "My

subordinates told me about a restaurant in Klyrode Castle that serves

amazing food..."

"A meal?" Greanyl's expression was blank. "No thank you. I need to

complete my observation of the castle town. But feel free to go yourself."

"O-Oh..." Dalc Horst said, sighing to himself. "Okay..."

Greanyl looked at him curiously. Maybe it was just her imagination, but

it looked like Dalc Horst's head was slumped dejectedly as he trotted along

the road. Regardless, she took out her paperwork and began looking over

her next tasks.

Before long, they had passed through the city gates and continued on

down the highway towards Klyrode Castle.

◇Houghtow City—Flio's House◇

That evening, Rys stood in front of the house. She was checking on the

laundry she had left out to dry on a pole in the garden. "Hmm..." she said.

"Nice and dry. That's a relief." Satisfied, she smiled and began to retrieve

the laundry. It was hard to imagine that this woman had once been the top

pick for the next Infernal.

"Now, I had best get this in quickly so I can start on dinner. My lord

husband and the others will be back from their work at the shop soon, and

Garyl and Elinàsze will be back from school..." She hurried along, bringing

the laundry inside.

Currently living in Flio's house were Flio and Rys, their twins Elinàsze

and Garyl, and Wyne, who had ended up becoming their adopted daughter

at some point. Then there was Ghozal and his wives Uliminas and

Balirossa, and Sleip and Byleri, who weren't technically married but might

as well have been. Finally, there was Blossom and Belano, formerly of the

knights of Klyrode, and the household pet Sybe. In total, there were twelve

people and one pet living under the same roof, and Rys was responsible for

doing the housework for all of them.

Hiya and Damalynas, as well as their new companion Maglion, a djinn

from the Realm of Evil, had living quarters inside Hiya's mindscape. They

had no need for laundry or the like, but would join the rest of the household

for meals, making Rys's task that much more difficult.

"Like, Lady Rys!" Byleri, who had been working in the large pasture in

front of Flio's house, noticed Rys taking in the laundry and ran over, a big

smile on her face. "Do you, like, want any help with the laundry?"

Byleri had been the archer of the company of knights that left Klyrode

Castle and now lived with Flio. Byleri excelled at taking care of horses and

spent her time looking after horse-type magic beasts when she wasn't

enjoying her blissful relationship with Sleip.

Byleri ran as fast as she could—which wasn't very fast, owing to her

excessively girly running style. A demon horse trotted up to her. He was an

enormous black stallion with red markings in a flame-like pattern across his

body.

"Care for a ride?"

"Oh, Lord Sleip! Like, totally! Thank you!"

Sleip—the stallion—picked Byleri up by her collar and plopped her

down on his back. Sleip had once been one of the Infernal Four, but like so

many others, he had quit the Dark Army and now lived at Flio's house,

looking after the horse-type magic beasts. He was very old, but his age

didn't seem to be a problem for Byleri. They were very much in love.

"Like, thank you, Lord Sleip!" Byleri said, blushing and wrapping her

arms around Sleip's thick neck.

"No need to mention it," Sleip said. "It was nothing!" In spite of his age,

he sounded quite excited.

On Sleip's back, Byleri reached the laundry in no time, but...

"Wh-What?"

"Like...huh?"

The two stared blankly. Rys was gone, and the laundry was nowhere in

sight. Only the pole remained. In the time it had taken Sleip and Byleri to

reach the front of the house, Rys had finished with the laundry and left.

"She works as fast as ever, I see..." Sleip said.

"Like, seriously! I just looked away for, like, a second..." added Byleri.

The two smirked at each other.

Just then, a cart rolled up, pulled along by Sybe in its psychobear form

as Blossom walked alongside it. "Hm?" Blossom said. "What brings you

two here?"

Sybe had once been a wild psychobear who happened to randomly

encounter Flio. Realizing immediately that it had no chance of victory, it

surrendered. Since then, it had lived with Flio's household as their pet. It

spent most of its time in the unicorn-rabbit form Flio had given it with his

magic.

Blossom, meanwhile, had been the heavy fighter of Balirossa's old

company in the knights. She was Balirossa's best friend, and had quit the

company alongside her to live with Flio. Blossom came from a farming

family and was a pro at farm work. She used those skills to run the large

farm outside Flio's house.

"Oh!" Byleri said. "Like, hi, Blossom! Hi, Sybe! Are you, like, bringing

those veggies in for dinner?"

"Yup, that's the idea. It's around the time Lady Rys usually gets a start

on dinner. I thought I'd bring her some of our freshly harvested

vegetables!"

"Like, lemme help! I wanna help Lady Rys, like, cook for us!" She got

down off Sleip's back. "Easy does it..."

When Byleri's feet were back on solid ground, Sleip transformed into

his human form. "Then I'll go take care of things in the pasture," he said.

He turned and headed back for the stables.

"Lord Sleip!" Byleri shouted after him. "You, like, forgot something!"

"Hm? I did?" Sleip came running back to find Byleri facing him with

her eyes closed, lips puckered up. "O-Oh! S-So, you mean..." A kiss... he

thought. But... Sleip glanced over at where Blossom was standing.

"I'm not lookin'!" said Blossom, covering her eyes with her hands. "Go

ahead and kiss her!"

"Gwowrf!" agreed Sybe, following suit.

"V-Very well..." Sleip knitted his eyebrows, but he couldn't resist Byleri

when she was right there in front of him, waiting for a kiss with her lips

puckered up so adorably. He slowly drew close and touched his lips to hers,

silently kissing her.

Suddenly, Wyne appeared right beside them. "Whoa!" she said.

Wyne was a dragonewt—the strongest warriors among dragonkind. She

had collapsed from hunger and was saved by Flio and Rys. She had since

become part of the family and was a doting big sister to Garyl and Elinàsze.

"Wha—?! Wyne?!" Sleip pulled away from the kiss in a hurry.

"Hey, butt out, Wyne!" cried Blossom. "Things were getting good!"

"Gwor! Gwor!" agreed Sybe.

In truth, both of them had been peeking between their fingers.

"What?!" Sleip was indignant. "I knew it! You were looking!"

"Hey, hey, um," Wyne was looking at Sleip, puzzled. "What were you

doing with By-By, Slei-Slei?"

"Ngh! Wyne, you're too young for things like that."

"Come oooon!" Wyne protested, doing her best to wheedle the answer

out of Sleip. "Tell me! Tell me! I wanna know!"

"W-Well!" Byleri announced. "I'm, like, gonna help Lady Rys in the

kitchen!"

"B-Byleri!" said Sleip. "Don't leave me here!"

"Like, bye! Good luck with the pasture, Lord Sleip!" Byleri bolted, her

face red, as Sleip fruitlessly reached an arm out towards her.

"I guess we'd better get the veggies to the kitchen, huh?" said Blossom.

"Gowrf," said Sybe.

The two ran off after Byleri.

"Y-You too?! W-Wait!" Sleip tried to follow, only to find his hand

caught in an iron grip. Wyne was a lot smaller than him, but despite

appearances, she possessed the unimaginable strength of a dragonewt. Sleip

was stuck.

"Hey, Slei-Slei! What were you doing? Tell me!"

"I-I... That was..." he began. "You're too young for this, you know."

"Meanie, meanie!" Wyne complained. "I wanna knooooow!"

Overwhelmed by her pleas, Sleip faltered. "Y-You..." he said. "Damned

dragonewts and their ridiculous strength... This isn't something that would

interest you!"

"Huh? Well, just tell me!"

Sleip continued to fumble for words. Seeing him like this, it was hard to

imagine that he was once the longest-serving of the Infernal Four.

◇ ◇ ◇

Some time later, Rys and Byleri were busying themselves setting the big

table in the middle of the living room and preparing for dinner.

"Hooray!" Wyne cheered. "Food! Food! I love mama's cooking!" Even

after they had gone indoors, Wyne hadn't let up on Sleip, begging him

again and again to tell her what he'd been doing with Byleri. But now that

dinner was on the table, the target of her attention had switched. Sleip

glanced at her with an exasperated expression on his face as Elinàsze,

wearing an apron, placed a heaping plate of food on the table.

Wyne stuck her face right up against the plate and took a deep breath,

inhaling the scent of the food as deeply as she could. "Mmmm! It smells so

good! Can I eat it? Can I eat it?!" She looked up at Elinàsze, her eyes

shining. Her dragon tail, which she usually kept hidden, materialized,

wagging like she was an excited dog.

Elinàsze smiled dryly at her older sister. Elinàsze was the older of Flio

and Rys's twins. Because her mother, Rys, was a demon, she was growing

at an astonishing pace. "You'll have to wait a little longer, big sis Wyne,"

she said. "Everyone should be back from their work at the store soon."

"Aww..." Wyne pouted. "When's dada and everyone getting home? I

wanna eat..." She pressed her face right up against her plate, a line of drool

dribbling down from the corner of her mouth.

"You sure are a ravenous one, Wyne," said Blossom, smirking at the

young dragonewt from her seat.

But Wyne wasn't listening. She was breathing heavily, her eyes fixed on

the plate of food before her. "When's dada and everyone getting home?"

she repeated. "When's dada and everyone getting home?!"

Just then, Garyl, the younger twin, burst into the living room. He was

growing up quickly, just like his sister Elinàsze. "Whoa!" he said. "That

looks amazing! Can I have a bite yet, sis?" He brought his face right up

next to Wyne's, breathing in the scent of dinner.

Elinàsze placed her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. Then, she

poked her brother on the nose, holding her finger there for a good long

time. "Garyl!" she said. "You're meant to wash your hands when you come

in from outside! How many times have papa and mama had to tell you?!"

"Oh, crap! I forgot!" Garyl jumped out of his chair and bolted towards

the bathroom.

"Wha?!" Wyne also sprung to her feet. "I forgot too! I gotta wash my

hands!" She ran off after Garyl.

"Big sis Wyne, not you too..." Elinàsze said, smirking as the two ran off.

"Honestly..."

"Ha ha ha!" Sleip laughed merrily. "Even the mighty dragonewt Wyne is

helpless before Elinàsze!"

"Now, now, grandpa Sleip," Elinàsze said, smiling happily. "Wyne is our

beloved big sister. Her being a dragonewt has nothing to do with it."

"Hmm..." Sleip thought. "You're right, of course." He nodded. She's so

trusting of Wyne, a full demon... he thought. She really is a good kid.

"Like," said Byleri, "I hope our kids are as good as her, y'know?"

"Yes, indeed!" Sleip began, nodding. "Wait...Byleri?! When did you get

here?!" At some point when he hadn't been paying attention, Byleri had

settled into the chair next to him.

Byleri blinked. "Like, just a bit ago?" she said. "Is, like, something

wrong?"

Sleip cleared his throat very deliberately. "N-Not at all!" he said.

"Everything is fine. Yes." Have I gotten that much worse at sensing

someone's presence? he wondered. Or is Byleri actually skilled enough to

evade my senses...? Sleip looked over at Byleri, who turned red and smiled

cheerfully when she noticed him glancing her way. Ahhh... But when I see

that smile of hers, I feel like it makes no difference either way. Strange... He

smiled back.

Before long, Rys had brought the final plate to the table, just in time for

a magic circle to appear on the wall of the living room. It shone with golden

light, and a door appeared. The door opened, and there stood Flio and

company. The now-dark Fli-o'-Rys General Store, which was closed for the

day, could be seen on the other side of the portal.

Rys and Elinàsze ran over when they saw Flio, smiling happily.

"Welcome home, my lord husband!" said Rys.

"Papa! Welcome home!" said Elinàsze.

"Oh! Dada, you're back! You're back!" said Wyne, who had just

finished washing her hands.

"Dad! Welcome home!" said Garyl. He and Wyne ran up to their father

as well.

Flio was surrounded by his adoring family, unable to move away from

the front of the door. "Thank you so much for welcoming me home,

everyone," he said. "But can you step aside a bit? Otherwise everyone else

won't be able to make it through the door."

"Yeah!" Uliminas chimed in from right behind Flio. "Mew've got us

trapped in here!"

Rys glanced at Uliminas. "Oh! My apologies. This way, my lord

husband..." She took Flio's arm in hers and led him to his usual chair.

Elinàsze clung to his other arm, and Wyne wrapped herself around his back.

Garyl walked in front, as if he were guiding them.

"Hold on a moment!" Flio said. "I need to wash my hands first." He

stepped towards the bathroom.

"I'll go wash my hands with you, my lord husband," volunteered Rys.

"I'll wash my hands too, papa," said Elinàsze.

"Let me come! Let me come!" begged Wyne.

"I guess I'll wash my hands again too then!" declared Garyl.

And so, the entire family headed off towards the bathroom together.

"They're as ameowrous as ever, I see..." said Uliminas, grinning as she

watched them go.

"Yes, I suppose so..." said Balirossa, nodding in agreement. "I would

like to have a family like that one day..."

The two turned their gazes to where Ghozal was sitting, his arms folded

as he waited silently for dinner. He was glancing at them out of the corner

of his eye.

"Ghozal..." Uliminas asked. "Did mew wash meowr hands yet?"

"Hrm?" answered Ghozal. "I'll do it with magic. It'll only take a

second." He muttered a spell under his breath and his hands began to glow.

An instant later, they were purified.

Uliminas and Balirossa heaved a heavy sigh in unison. "Mew

purromised not to use meowgic to wash meowr hands..." Uliminas said.

"For the children's education..."

"H-Hrm?!" Ghozal sputtered. "That's right! I had forgotten!" He sprung

to his feet and ran off in the direction of the bathroom.

Once more, his wives sighed as they watched him go. "I'm worried

about meowr future children..." Uliminas said.

"You're right..." said Balirossa. "I suppose you and I will have to be the

responsible ones, Ser Uliminas..."

"It's gonna be a huge pain with a husband like that..."

"I can't disagree, I'm afraid..."

Ghozal's wives shared a knowing grimace.

◇The Shack Behind Flio's House◇

After dinner, Flio went out behind the house, where a two-story shack he

had built with magic not long ago stood. He stepped inside, into a large

room where a person was working alone, making the same merchandise

sold at the Fli-o'-Rys General Store. He worked at an alarming pace,

producing multiple swords and shields as well as other items a minute.

They were all of exceptional quality, but rather than spending inordinate

amounts of time on each item, the person moved on to the next as soon as

one was done.

It would normally have taken several skilled blacksmiths more than a

week to make even one of those items, but the person in this room wasn't

only making them in a matter of minutes—he was also enchanting them

individually with healing or fire or other enchantments. The wooden crates

behind him were full of completed masterworks.

"Thanks for working late today, Minilio," Flio said, stepping forward.

Minilio stopped working and looked up at him.

Minilio was a magic doll of Flio's creation. He looked exactly like a

younger version of Flio, so Flio had taken to calling him Minilio.

Sometimes, he used magic to appear to be the same size as regular Flio and

deal with customers at the Fli-o'-Rys General Store in Flio's stead.

Minilio bowed deeply.

"Good job," Flio said, placing a hand on Minilio's head. "That's enough

for today." A light shone from his hand, enveloping Minilio. Flio was

charging the magic gem that served as Minilio's energy source with his own

magic power. It was that magic that gave Minilio the superhuman ability to

produce high-quality weapons and merchandise in such vast quantities.

Minilio smiled. Perhaps being charged was a pleasant sensation.

At this point, Rys stepped into the shack. Her eyes went wide when she

saw the mountain of merchandise filling the room. "Goodness, Minilio!"

she said. "Did you really make all this just today?"

Flio smiled and nodded. "Having Minilio in charge of producing

merchandise has been a real lifesaver," he said. "He works fast and doesn't

need much."

"If magic dolls are so extraordinary, why don't you make two or three

more of them?" Rys asked. "Would that not reduce your workload still

further, my lord husband? With your ability and magic power, I'm sure you

would be able to..."

"That's true..." Flio said. "I could make more magic dolls if I wanted

to...but I've already decided that Minilio will be the only one."

"You have?" Rys looked confused.

"When I first made Minilio," he said, "I had the thought that creating a

magic doll isn't so different from creating a human. I don't think I should

go around making living creatures for a selfish reason like helping me with

the shop..." Flio smiled at Minilio, and Minilio smiled back.

"I see..." Rys looked over at the two. From what Ghozal said, magic

dolls are used like tools until their magic jewels run out of power and then

disposed of. But my lord husband says that they're living beings like us...

Minilio, now fully recharged, began to work again, but Flio stopped

him, a forbearing smile on his face.

He is such a kind man, my lord husband...

◇That Night—Flio and Rys's Room◇

After making sure everything was in order, Flio used magic to send the

items Minilio had made to the Fli-o'-Rys storeroom. Then, he, Rys, and

their children all took a bath together before he retired to his room with his

wife.

Rys was sitting in front of the dresser, doing her hair. She glanced over

at Flio. "The Fli-o'-Rys General Store has been doing quite a lot of business

lately, hasn't it? I believe I heard Uliminas screaming for joy just the other

day."

Flio sat on the bed, giving Rys one of his easygoing smiles. "It has," he

said. "It seems word's gotten out about all the orders we've filled for

Klyrode Castle. We've been getting enormous requests from cities all over,

and I swear more customers show up every day."

"Are you holding up all right?" Rys asked, a worried look on her face.

"Perhaps I should help out at the shop as well..."

"No, that's all right," Flio said. "You have your hands full at home, after

all."

"Not at all! I can have it done in a heartbeat! I can do anything if my

lord husband asks it of me!" She grinned, flexing an arm.

So she says... Flio thought. But she's already doing all the housework

and laundry, and even making lunch for Greanyl and the rest of the Silent

Listeners...

Rys walked up to Flio as he watched her pensively. "My lord husband?"

she said, sitting down next to him on the bed. "You know I have no greater

pleasure than serving you, do you not? If there is something you need of

me, please don't hesitate to ask." She smiled.

"Of course," Flio said, smiling back as he pulled her into his arms.

"Let's both do our best, Rys."

"Yes, my lord husband." Rys smiled up at him. "You know, I overheard

Uliminas and Balirossa saying that Fli-o'-Rys might be opening a branch

store?"

"We've been working on it. But there are so many cities who want us

there, and lots of hassles to take care of. We need to figure out where to

build it, and then there's the issue of staff... We could hire people for the

new store, but it's hard to find good merchants who aren't already

employed somewhere..."

"Then perhaps you could offer a larger salary than other businesses and

try to pull away some skilled workers?"

"The merchant's guild has all kinds of rules and regulations about that.

It's not that easy."

"I see..." Rys said. "It's a common practice for demon merchants to lure

away talented people with great sums of money, but I suppose humans are

different..." Rys pressed her index finger to her lips and inclined her head in

thought.

"It'll be all right," Flio said. "Everyone's already working hard at the

one store. I don't want to open a branch before we're good and ready."

"I see... Well, I'm sure you'll be able to do it." Rys smiled softly and

nuzzled close. "You always seem so excited when you talk about the shop,

my lord husband..."

Her cheek pressed up against her husband's chest, Rys gently closed her

eyes. Slowly, Flio brought his lips to hers. They held each other tight in a

loving embrace, kissing tenderly as they lay down on the bed. Flio gestured

with his index finger towards the magic lantern and it went out, leaving the

room in darkness.

◇ ◇ ◇

Day broke, and Flio opened his eyes to find that Rys, who had fallen

asleep with her head on his arm after a night of lovemaking, was already

gone. He heard Blossom's lively voice from outside the window. "Good

morning, Lady Rys!"

Flio, who had fallen asleep naked, changed into the night clothes that

Rys had neatly folded and placed at the side of their bed and ran to the

window. He opened the curtains to see Blossom and Sybe, pulling its cart in

its psychobear form. The two of them had stopped to greet Rys, who

seemed to have just returned from the forest.

Rys was in her lupine demon form, and on her back was a great bounty

of game she must have hunted. "I see you two are hard at work early in the

morning again," Rys said. "Today's hunt was very fruitful—I hope you're

ready for an incredible breakfast!"

"Yeah!" Blossom cheered. "I can't wait! Meat really is where it's at."

"Gworf!" agreed Sybe as the two gave each other a high five. Rys

watched and cheerfully wagged her tail.

"Rys is a lot of help..." Flio said to himself as he watched from the

second-story window. "But she really is pushing herself too hard. And

things are only going to get busier from here. I should probably help with

housework more often..."

Flio changed into his usual outfit with magic and teleported down to the

first floor.

"Oh! Good morning, my lord husband!" Rys, who had made it to the

back door leading into the kitchen, bowed her lupine head low as her

husband appeared before her. She must have been happy to see him—her

tail started to wag with even greater intensity.

"Good morning, Rys," Flio said. "Are you planning on preparing that

magic beast meat right away?"

"I was."

"Let me help you, then."

"My lord husband?!" Rys exclaimed, turning into her human form.

"That would never do! You need to take care of your precious body! After

all, today will be another busy day for you at the store! I can handle this on

my own."

Rys ran to the kitchen to get the tools she needed to prepare the meat.

"R-Rys!" Flio said, blushing furiously. "Wh-What are you...?"

"Hm? O-Oh!!!" Rys went extremely red herself and hastily covered up

her chest with her hands—she had forgotten that she was naked.

Demihumans and demons generally didn't wear clothes in their beast

forms. Unfortunately, that meant they ended up naked when they

transformed into their humanoid forms. Rys knew this, of course. She had

even left a change of clothes for herself in the shade of a tree by the back

entrance. But she had been so happy to see Flio that she had completely

forgotten.

"I-I'm so terribly sorry, my lord husband! That was unthinkably

shameless of me!" She ran to the tree and began to get dressed.

"N-No, it's okay..." Flio said, averting his gaze. "I-I mean... Sorry."

The two of them were both quite red.

◇Dark Citadel—Dark Regent Calsi'im's Chambers◇

The Dark Regent's chambers were on the second floor of the Dark

Citadel, the same floor as the chambers used by the Infernal Four. The Dark

One's chambers were adjoining the throne room, but as the Dark One

Yuigarde was still missing, the skeleton Calsi'im was now in charge, and he

preferred to stay in the chambers he had used as an Infernal.

"Hmm..." Calsi'im sighed ponderously as he looked over the mountain

of paperwork on his desk, tilting his head left and right.

"Calsi'im, is something the matter?" Calsi'im's minion, the magic doll

Tia, walked up to him.

"Oh, Tia!" Calsi'im exclaimed. "Nothing's the matter at all! I was just

thinking about the former rebels..."

"If I'm not mistaken, they pledged loyalty to you and rejoined the Dark

Army after the fall of Zanzibar. Is there some problem?"

"Well, I suppose you could say that..." Calsi'im handed Tia a piece of

paper.

Tia looked it over. "Dark Citadel Expenditure Report..." she read. "This

must be a report prepared by our department of finance... O-Oh, goodness!

This is..."

Tia was at a loss for words. According to the expenditure report,

although the cost of retaining the Dark Citadel's personnel had gone up

considerably, income hadn't increased in the slightest.

"Yes, well, you see," Calsi'im said, "it was a great expense for us to

reemploy all of those former rebels. And our vassals are still waiting to see

what happens! It seems that many of them haven't made up their mind

whether to pay tribute or not!"

"M-My..." Tia said, her shoulders shaking. "It was already quite a grave

offense for them to wait and see when the Dark Army needed their help...

But for them to continue with such opportunism now that the rebel army

has been suppressed..."

The Dark Army had originally accepted tribute from their vassal demon

clans in exchange for the Dark Army's patronage and permission to hold

territory within Dark Army lands. These tributes were the basis for the Dark

Citadel's operations.

"Calsi'im!" Tia said, enraged. "This is proof that they are not taking you

seriously as the Dark Regent! I will take Good Sir Caw-lins and go

immediately to gather tribute!"

Good Sir Caw-lins, the dire crow who was perched on a tree in the

middle of the room, flared his wings in anger and let out a mighty "Ca-caw

—!"

"Now, now," said Calsi'im. "Both of you calm down. There really is

nothing we can do about it! Many of our subjects didn't approve of me

making peace with the humans on my own when the Dark One Yuigarde

was away..."

"Nonetheless!" Tia said, bolting to her feet. "We would have had no

need to do so if they had come to our aid, as they swore to do! These

demons only care about protecting their own positions! In fact, is not their

failure to assist us in repelling the rebel army enough reason to demand they

pay restitution? It's not too late! Just say the word, Calsi'im, and I and

Good Sir Caw-lins will—"

Calsi'im stepped in front of Tia and placed a bony hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you so much for worrying about me, Tia. I really appreciate the

concern."

"C-Calsi'im?"

"But even if we reproach our subjects and demand money, we don't

know when Lord Yuigarde will return. Without him, Lady Yorminyt, and

Lords Hugi-Mugi, there would be little to stop another rebellion if we anger

them too much! Perhaps I should ask the Wolf of Justice for his help one

more time..."

"Ah..." Tia didn't know how to respond. It's true... she thought. If

another rebellion happens, it will be Calsi'im's responsibility as Dark

Regent to handle it... But the last time we asked the Wolf of Justice for help,

he wanted us to sign a peace treaty with the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode

as equals... Now that we've given him what he wants, what conditions will

he place on his assistance...? Tia gulped. "C-Calsi'im," she said. "What

should we do...?"

"Hmm... I wonder..." Calsi'im rested his jawbone on his hand. "Well, it

takes a thief to catch a thief, as they say. Perhaps there is someone I should

speak to..."

Hobbling on his cane, the old skeleton left the room.

◇Dark Citadel—Dungeon◇

Beneath the Dark Citadel was an underground dungeon. In one corner,

guarded by the pandaman Rayne and the spider demon Iuki, was a cell

holding a single, solitary demon.

"Well?"

The prisoner looked with exasperation at Calsi'im, who had come to

visit him. "So the Dark Citadel is having money problems," he said. "I

suppose I'm not surprised that the other demon clans haven't been paying

tribute. But why would you come ask me about it? Am I not the leader of

the rebellion you and the Wolf of Justice destroyed?" The prisoner—the

devil Zanzibar—curled the corners of his mouth into a smirk.

"Oh dear, I'm afraid you've got me dead to rights!" Calsi'im said,

scratching his skull. "It's quite embarrassing, but I know very little about

making money, you see. I thought perhaps I might ask your opinion! You're

quite the expert at it, I hear."

Zanzibar's smirk grew even wickeder. "You are a strange one, all right,"

he said. "Most Dark Ones would have a rebel leader beheaded the moment

they were in their power, but you've been feeding me three meals a day in

this cell, even with your money problems. And now you're coming to me

for advice?"

"You are quite right!" Calsi'im said. "But I have heard that you are a

cunning businessman, famed even among devils for your vast riches. I

thought perhaps that you might let me borrow just a little of your

wisdom..."

"Hmph." Zanzibar sighed heavily. So he'll even listen to a former rebel

leader if what they have to say is useful... He didn't hesitate to go to the

Wolf of Justice either... He secured a powerful ally by signing a peace treaty

with Klyrode. He's certainly more open-minded than Yuigarde. Better

judgment too...

"Fine," Zanzibar said. He reached into his hair and pulled out a small

scroll he had kept hidden. "Take this."

"What is it?" Calsi'im asked as he slowly opened the scroll. As he did

so, it suddenly grew in size. It was a map of the area around the Dark

Citadel. Here and there were a number of places marked with a red X.

"The marks on the map are the villas where my wealth is hidden,"

Zanzibar said. "First, you should recover the treasure there. That should tide

us over while we reconsider how the Dark Army should operate from here

on."

"Wh-What?! T-Truly, Mister Zanzibar?!"

"Why not?" Zanzibar said. "Someone will find the treasure sooner or

later. I would much rather it be the man who defeated me." He grinned

fiendishly.

"I see, I see!" said Calsi'im. "Although I don't know if I'd say it was me

who defeated you. Thank you! I will use this money on behalf of everyone

in the Dark Citadel!"

Calsi'im held out his hand. Zanzibar reached through the bars of his cell

to give it a firm shake.

◇Klyrode Castle—Conference Hall◇

While Calsi'im and Zanzibar were shaking hands, the various persons of

import in Klyrode Castle had gathered for a conference. The Maiden Queen

sat at the head of the table, speaking to the assembled crowd between

glances at the paperwork in her hands.

"And therefore," she continued in her stately voice, "now that we have

signed a treaty of peace with the Dark Army, I believe it is a favorable time

to pay visits to the parts of the land I rarely have a chance to see, to learn

more of conditions there. Of course, with all my duties, I must keep these

visits somewhat brief. I will take Knight Captain MacTaulo and Boralis, the

captain of the Queen's Royal Guard, with me for security. I believe it would

be best to have only a small guard of elite soldiers so as not to raise too

much alarm."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" MacTaulo and Boralis, who were seated at the foot

of the table, both rose and bowed deeply.

The Maiden Queen nodded, satisfied. "Thus concludes my report. Does

anyone have a question they wish to ask of me?"

"Terribly sorry to bother you, Your Majesty..." A number of ministers

raised their hands at once. The Queen called them to speak one at a time

and gave coherent, logical answers to all of their concerns. Needless to say,

most of the questions were about the peace treaty with the Dark Army.

◇ ◇ ◇

Before long, the conference adjourned. The Maiden Queen left the

conference hall, walking through the castle hallways alongside the Third

Princess.

"It seems the meetings have all been about the peace treaty lately, my

sister the Queen," the Third Princess said, pursing her lips in discontent.

"And after I researched matters so thoroughly as to answer any questions

they might ask... I can't help but feel a little disappointed!" As if to testify

to the truth of her words, she was carrying a truly massive stack of papers in

her hands.

The Third Princess was the Maiden Queen's considerably younger sister.

She had graduated at the top of her class from a famous academy attended

by many children of nobles and ministers. She had become her sister's aide

the very instant she graduated and served as an invaluable asset in internal

administration. She was very capable, and although she had been employed

for only a short amount of time, there were few who knew more of the

affairs of the kingdom.

The Maiden Queen laughed. "I greatly appreciate your work," she said.

"You've been a tremendous help to me."

"I-I have?!" A dopey smile crossed over the Third Princess's face at the

words of praise from her beloved sister. "But my sister, when you were

First Princess, you did many times the work I am doing now to utmost

perfection! C-Compared to you, I'm afraid I still have a lot to learn..."

The Maiden Queen gave her sister an indulgent smile.

"My sister the Queen," the Third Princess went on. "Might I be

permitted to ask a question?"

"Of course! What is it?"

"Just something that's been on my mind... You say you intend to visit

'parts of the land you rarely have a chance to see,' but where specifically do

you mean? You haven't given me any documentation, or even a solid

itinerary..."

The Maiden Queen twitched. Her face went stiff. "W-Well," she said.

"A-About that. I still haven't finalized my plans, I'm afraid. That's the only

reason I haven't yet let you know..."

"Ah," said the Princess, breathing a sigh of relief. "I see. I hope you'll

let me know when it is officially decided."

"O-Of course! Certainly!" the Maiden Queen said, oddly flustered. WhWhat do I tell her? she thought, racking her brain. I'm going to spend most

of the time observing Houghtow City...but if I tell her that, she's sure to be

suspicious! Nonetheless, it is important that I inspect the College of Magic's

new lower-grade classes, and I must pay a visit to give my thanks to the Flio'-Rys General Store for all of their assistance. I happen to have a good

reason to prioritize Houghtow! I-It certainly isn't because I would like to

see Garyl again...or speak with him...or...

"What's the matter, my sister the Queen?"

"Wah!" the Maiden Queen exclaimed.

"Your face has gone red! Are you certain you don't have a fever?"

"I-I... No! Not at all!" The Queen hurriedly hid her face behind her

hands. Ahhh! Every time I think of Garyl, my face goes all red...

Much to her chagrin, it was some time before her face returned to its

original color. All she could do was hide behind her hands.