Volume 2 Epilogue

Epilogue Part 1

"…That was fun…"

The [Head Hunter] who had been continuing the investigation in the Great Devil's Nest after receiving the request, muttered in a small voice. However, that fun was coming to an end, and she was planning to no longer have the opportunity to come to this Great Devil's Nest.

While she still couldn't catch the existence of the person who saved Lexia, there was talk of inviting that person to the royal castle. The day of the invitation is finally approaching tomorrow. Nevertheless, she caught wind of the fact that Lexia and the others would be coming to pick up the mysterious person who saved Lexia at the entrance of this Great Devil's Nest.

[Head Hunter] was planning to eliminate Lexia and the mysterious person on that day according to the request of his client, a nobleman.

"…Is he doing well?"

What comes to [Head Hunter]'s mind right now is the image of a young man. The young man who had saved her from near death when a group of goblin elites attacked her during her first investigation─Yuuya. He is a mysterious young man with an extravagant atmosphere, and he has a black dog named Night with him.

"Fufu…"

No matter how many times I recall it, I can't help but laugh. The lie I had made on the spur of the moment… that I was coming to this Great Devil's Nest to train. If I really wanted to train, I wouldn't suddenly go to a dangerous place like the Great Devil's Nest. Because if something happened, I would be directly linked to death. [T/n: POV changed the narrator to Head Hunter.]

Besides, the Great Devil's Nest would not be suitable for training in the first place. That's because there are many monsters that act in groups such as the goblin elite, who can be a threat with just one of them.

No one would be foolish enough to train in a place where there is a swarm of monsters that can barely take on a single one. It's difficult even to defeat one of them. It's obvious that they would be killed on the spot before they trained.

That's why when I uttered such absurd words, I couldn't help but want to hold my mouth, but now that I've already said it, I can't take it back now. This will make me even more suspicious… yeah, that's what I thought.

"Eh? Ah, yeah… me too… that… training! I came to this forest to train as well!"

…I didn't think that there really was a person who was choosing this Great Devil's Nest for training. That made me behave strangely suspiciously, but since Yuuya never pointed that out, he probably didn't notice it.

And although I was on the side of being suspected before, this time it made me also suspicious as to whether or not Yuuya was really coming to the Great Devil's Nest under the guise of 'training'. However, after talking with Yuuya, when we challenged the Great Devil's Nest under the name of training together… I found out that Yuuya was telling the truth.

After all, he had eliminated a group of goblin elites… alone… or with only Night. If I think about it again, if he didn't have that much strength, he wouldn't be able to save me from that situation.

Anyway, when I found out that Yuuya had really come to this place to train, I was able to make friends with them little by little from there. Yuuya is a strange man, and although he looks and wears first class, and behaves like a nobleman or royalty, his knowledge is quite skewed.

When it comes to language and etiquette, he is no different from those of the upper class. Still, he doesn't know much about the Great Devil's Nest that he should have chosen as his training ground. On the contrary, he was unfamiliar with the common sense of this world itself.

However, I still didn't have a problem with it. While I entrusted my life to them, such things became a trivial matter.

…I genuinely enjoyed my time with them, even though I had accepted the request.

One thing I didn't expect here was that the item that Yuuya has, the item that made me fall in love with baths, a portable bathtub. A bathtub is a luxury thing that only noblemen are allowed to bathe in. In addition to his combat prowess, I was also surprised by Yuuya's possession of this as a portable item.

…I, who until now had spent every day just washing away the blood in the river, discovered the warmth of hot water. I was completely captivated by the magic of the warm bath that seemed to melt even the coldest of hearts.

Of course, I wasn't just indulging in the bath. Before I knew it, I could take on up to three of the goblin elite, and I think I've gotten pretty strong too. So I would like to continue to be strong with them in the future… I thought about that, but my work kept me from thinking about it.

I've already killed so many people. That's why I know that… Yuuya is clean. I doubt that he has ever killed a single being other than a monster. In comparison, I've buried a number of lives in order to survive. I was born as an orphan, and with the strength I've struggled to acquire to protect myself… I have survived.

Because I am a woman, I've been in danger many times, but I've come through all of it in one piece. And I gained strength so that no one could take anything away from me, and before I knew it… I became a feared being as a [Head Hunter].

I do not know how to live in this world. Hiding the fact that I am a woman, I only kill the target by force. That's the only way… I don't know how to live other than that. My hands are dirty. They are stained with countless amounts of blood. I can't have a clean Yuuya next to me like that. His hands should never be dirty.

"And yet… that guy was so dazzling…"

He has a purity that made me able to express the emotions of that moment honestly. I had killed my emotions to survive… so I found it so dazzling. I felt that I too could bask in the light and live… it was so bright that I was under the illusion that I could do so.

"But… that's not going to happen anymore."

When Yuuya told me that he was going to stop the training, I felt really sad and lonely. However, at the same time, I myself somehow sensed that the end was already near.

The reason was, after all, the story that Princess Lexia and the others were going to go to the Great Devil's Nest. It had already been rumored in the city before I heard from the nobleman who requested me. How could I, who belonged to the dark guild, not know about it?

And because of that request, I will not be able to stay with Yuuya…

"…What would Yuuya think if he knew the real me?"

I'm afraid to know the answer to that question, but I'd like to ask it. But that's not going to happen anymore.

"….."

I silently reached for my mask and put it on my face.

I am an assassin—a member of the dark guild, the [Head Hunter].

So──.

"──Goodbye, Yuuya."

I rush out of the city towards the Great Devil's Nest as if to hide in the darkness. As if to shake off the memories with Yuuya, I just moved mindlessly.

Even so, the days I spent with Yuuya…were irrepressibly precious memories for me. I have killed others in order to live. Feelings of wanting or not wanting should not accompany the act of killing. That is one of the respects I have for the people I have killed to live.

…And yet, I can't help but think.

"If… if Yuuya and I had met in a different situation than we do now…"

If my life was a normal life, unrelated to the blood of others…

"…Yuuya. Would I have been able to stand beside you with pride?"

My mutterings were swallowed up by the darkness.

＊＊＊

"Now then, Night. Shall we go?"

"Woof!"

After returning safely from the field trip, I decided to take Night and go to the entrance of the Great Devil's Nest as promised.

By the way, it's Golden Week from today, so I was able to take some time like this… In addition to this holiday, there's also a replacement holiday for field trips, so it's actually a longer holiday. I don't think I'll ever use this holiday weekend to its fullest, but if I have this much time off, I'll be able to get it done before school starts properly. But if it doesn't work, I can just use my magic to get home.

I'm more worried about Night now. When I met with Lexia-san and the others before, Night wasn't there, but now Night is my family. If it were possible, I would take him with me. There's no answer to this question here, so I have to ask in person now.

"Okay, we're off!"

The things I prepare are all in the item box, so I left with only wearing the [Bloody War Demon Series] armor on my body. Normally I would move deep into the forest in the exact opposite direction, but today it's in the direction of the entrance to the Great Devil's Nest.

I had gone on a monster hunt with Luna, which I was pretending to be training… but I guess the monsters would be a little less, right? No, I haven't been near the entrance during the field trip, so I shouldn't expect much.

"But then again, I wonder how Luna is doing?"

"…Woof." At my words, Night barked with an indescribable expression.

After advancing for a while, I unexpectedly sense the presence of monsters.

"Oops… it seems the number of monsters hasn't changed much after all."

"Woof."

I immediately activated the [Assimilation] skill and approached that presence with caution…

"…What's that…?"

There was one unfamiliar monster there. No, there are multiple monsters themselves, and… they are all bloody ogre. And the unfamiliar monster was an even larger body among the bloody ogre, an individual with a darker, reddish-black and more ominous overall appearance.

When I activated [Appraisal] on that individual while holding my breath…

[Bloody Ogre Lord]

Level: 500

Magic: 4000

Attack: 25000

Defense: 10000

Agility: 10000

Intelligence: 3000

Luck: 1000

Huh? I didn't expect it to be in the orc king class! When it comes to attacking power and agility, it's even more agile than the orc king!

…Apparently, this bloody ogre lord or something like that is definitely a higher-ranking species of the bloody ogre. What should we do… even though I'm planning to meet with Lexia-san and the others today, if we don't defeat this monster here…

"…Okay, Night. Let's take them down here. And if this monster moves towards Lexia-san and the others, it will be dangerous.

"Woof."

Fortunately, we didn't specify a time, and thanks to the fact that we're leaving the house early, I think we'll be fine on time.

"Alright… I'll give the signal and you, Night, will take care of the regular bloody ogre.

"Woof!"

"Then… Go!"

"Guruuoooooo!"

"Gugaaa!?"

With my signal, Night charged in with a growl. The sudden attack left the group of bloody ogres slow to react for a moment, and as it was, some of them fell prey to Night's claws. But, the bloody ogre lord is different and is not carelessly wary of Night.

──However, Night isn't the only one you're dealing with.

"There it is!"

I have been hiding my presence until now with my skill, and the moment the bloody ogre lord focused its attention onto Night, I threw the [Absolute Spear] with all my might. This attack couldn't be prevented even by the orc king, so perhaps the bloody ogre lord too…?

"Guooooooooo!"

"What!"

The bloody ogre lord caught the tip of the [Absolute Spear] I threw with both hands in between its hands! Moreover, it grabs the handle of the spear and throws it back at me!

"Whoa…"

As I hurriedly jumped back from my spot, [Absolute Spear] passed through the place where I was just a moment ago at a tremendous speed. Fortunately, [Absolute Spear] can only be handled properly by me, so unless there's a guarantee that it will definitely hit me, I didn't even have to worry about the bloody ogre lord returning it toward me. The [Absolute Spear] that the bloody ogre lord threw at me is properly back in my hand.

However, I didn't expect that the sage-san's weapon would be thrown back to me… I was seriously surprised by the unexpected attack. If it weren't for the restriction that only I could handle it, it would have been quite troublesome. I quickly stored the [Absolute Spear] in the item box and took out another weapon.

That is…

"Then… what about this one?"

"G-guoooooo!?"

I swung a giant hammer, more than my own height, at the bloody ogre lord without hesitation. The bloody ogre lord thrust out its arms to catch the attack, but the arms were easily destroyed and exploded without being blasted away.

[World Strike].

It's one of the weapons in the sage-san's house, and it is a giant hammer that is as tall as my height… that is, over 180 cm. All of the sage-san's weapons are the same, they don't have any special decorations on them, and if you just look at it, it is completely nothing more than a giant wooden hammer.

But the effect is tremendous. I myself feel this hammer weighs about the same as an adult male, but whoever I'm hitting with it will be hit with the same mass as this planet, which is the world. It is unlikely that there are any beings that can withstand being hit by a world. Or rather, what kind of weapon are you making, sage-san…?

However, there are disadvantages to this weapon as well. As I said earlier, it's the point that I feel the same weight as an adult male… with my current status, it still not enough, it still feels very heavy. That's why it's not dependent on status when it comes to the weight of this hammer, and I really feel it the same weight as an adult male in my hands.

Besides, since this hammer has to hit an opponent in order to be effective, it is not suitable for ranged attacks, and no matter how much I swing it around, it cannot cause massive results in terms of damage to the entire environment. Even so, it can still hit a single opponent with the same mass as the world, so if I hit it first, it will be the end…

…Well, if it's against an opponent with high agility, it's probably hard to hit them considering its weight. This is a weapon that has a rather sharp ability in this Great Devil's Nest, which allows for a lethal gap and a one-hit kill instead of a large swing.

Level-up

Suddenly, a message appeared announcing the level up.

"Whoa, it's a good start."

"──Woof!"

"Hmm? Ooh, Night, you've finished too!"

"Woof, woof!"

Night had destroyed the group of bloody ogres by himself before I knew it, and there were drop items scattered around. After collecting the bloody ogre drop items first, I now collect the bloody ogre lord's drop items.

And there were fangs, magic stones, and armor that were similar to the ones I got from the bloody ogre, so I decided to appraise them one by one.

[Bloody Warlord Demon's Great Fang] :: The fangs of the bloody ogre lord. The superior species of the bloody ogre, a strong fang worthy of a lord. When it comes to a lord, it doesn't use this fang to attack much, but its power is even more vicious than those of the bloody ogre.

[Magic Stone: Rank S] :: A special ore that can be obtained from magical beasts.

[Bloody Warlord Demon's Demon Helmet] :: A drop item from the bloody ogre lord. It is a helmet that resembles the face of the bloody ogre lord and gives the selected target an intimidation effect with a probability. This probability will increase the higher the difference in ability between the opponent and the target.

Oh, aside from the magic stone, aren't the fangs and the helmet both pretty good items? But unfortunately, I don't have the means to make effective use of the fangs right now. And this [Bloody Warlord Demon's Demon Helmet] is a full-face type helmet that fits with the [Bloody War Demon Series] I'm wearing right now.

How should I say it, it has two horns sticking out like an ogre, and depending on how you look at it, it may look like a sentai's* full face mask. No, maybe a villain in terms of color and shape? Anyway, I don't know what this intimidating effect is, but it wouldn't hurt to wear it.

I just put it on and show it to Night.

"How's it? Does it look good on me?"

"Woof!"

Yep, it looks good on me. But, well, I guess it doesn't look really good on me because it hides my whole face.

"Okay, let's go to the forest entrance again, shall we?"

"Woof!"

Although there was a bit of a battle after this, no bloody ogre lord class enemies came out, and we were able to reach the entrance safely.

Epilogue Part 2

"Okay, we've arrived now, but…"

I walked around the area outside of the forest, but I couldn't see any appearances of Lexia and the others.

"Hmm… Night, did we come a little too early?"

"…Woof."

"Hmm? Night?"

I called out to Night, but for some reason, Night just gave a small nod with a murderous sign. Could it be that he's wary because I'm not paying attention? I have to be more careful.

Just as I decided to do so, I saw something approaching from far away from the forest.

"Hmm? That is…"

If I look closely, I see a gorgeous carriage surrounded by many soldiers.

"Ooh, I've never seen a carriage before! But there's no proper path around here, is it okay?"

I've heard that you can ride in a carriage in some places on Earth, but at least I've never ridden in one or seen one, so I'm genuinely surprised to see a carriage. However, there is a lot of grass around here, not asphalt, cobblestone, or even gravel roads like on Earth, or anything that is suitable for carriage wheels.

It would normally break down if the carriage drove up here, right?

As I was worried about that, the carriage stopped when it got some distance away, and someone got down from inside and then approached us, followed by the soldiers.

When I got to a position where I could properly see their faces, I realized that the soldiers were Lexia-san's guards I had met before, and when I looked more closely, I could see Owen-san and Lexia-san as well.

And when they were about to reach me, I noticed something.

…Huh? I was standing here waiting… but shouldn't I be the one to head towards them? Ugh, I did something terrible…

I can't help but hold my head up, but Lexia-san and the others are already right in front of me.

…I guess this is what they call being inconsiderate. And the other party is royalty; it's not going to be disrespectful or anything… right?

As I waited, freaked out and scared, Owen-san noticed me and raised his hand, and then stiffened when he realized something. Hmm? What's going on?

As I was wondering, Owen-san spoke up while twitching his cheeks.

"A-are you… Yu-Yuuya-dono…?"

"Eh? Oh, I'm sorry! That's right; it's me!"

When Owen-san heard my voice, he showed a sigh of relief, and Lexia-san, who was behind him, for some reason had a twinkle in her eyes.

"Yuuya-sama, your helmet is fantastic! It looks great on you!"

"R-really? Thank you very much."

"Aah… right. So, Yuuya-dono. What's that helmet? I don't think you were wearing it when we met before…"

"This one? On the way here, I ran into a monster called bloody ogre lord, and I got it when I defeated it. It's the same design as my armor, so I thought it would be just right."

As I said that, the soldiers who were listening to our conversation began to buzz.

"O-oy, bloody ogre lord, he said…?"

"I think that was the name of the monster that destroyed a small country a long time ago…"

"If it shows up, isn't that something the country needs to defeat with all of its resources?"

"Yeah, but didn't he just say he had defeated it as if he'd gone for a walk?"

"he's in a different dimension…"

"Uhm…?"

Did I say something strange…? Ah, maybe what they are talking about is that this mask actually does suit me? Then I wish you'd say it clearly…

"Hmm! Ah… Yuuya-dono. In any case, we're going to the royal castle now… is that all right?"

"Oh, yes. It's fine."

"I see… Then, once again."

When Owen-san said that, the soldiers, along with Owen-san himself, took the form of a salute in unison. As I was overwhelmed by the scene, Lexia-san, who was in the center, bowed in a ladylike manner.

"Thank you for accepting our invitation. We will now escort Yuuya-sama to the royal castle."

"Y-yes…"

Um… I suddenly felt uneasy, but what should I do? Despite my nervousness, Owen-san and Lexia-san try to lead me to the carriage parked nearby.

"Then, over here."

"Yes… ah, I'm sorry! Please wait a minute!"

"Yes?"

I was so swallowed up in the atmosphere of Lexia-san and the others that I forgot to tell them about Night!

"Um, actually, there's another child I'd like to take with me──."

"Grrrrrr… awooo!"

"Kyaaa!"

"Lexia-sama!"

"Night!"

Just as I was about to introduce Night, Night, who had been out of sight until now, jumped on Lexia! As I rushed over to Lexia-san, I saw something pass by the place where Lexia-san had been standing a moment ago.

When I turned my gaze to the end of that passing thing, I saw the tree behind where Lexia-san had been standing a moment ago was cut down. If Night hadn't pushed Lexia-san down, she would be cut down like a tree in front of me right now.

"W-what's with this dog?"

"Lexia-sama, are you okay?"

"Y-yes. I'm fine, but…"

Despite the stunned Lexia-san and the others, I raised my alertness at once and looked around with Night.

"Night… was it because you were noticing this that you were erasing your presence?"

"Woof."

"I've got a lot of questions, but right now we're going to have to do something about it. In the meantime, let's take care of the guy who attacked…!"

"Woof!"

The moment I said that, I noticed the invisible something that attacked Lexia-san earlier, and I immediately took out the [Omni-Sword] and cut it off. Then, I feel a touch that seems to cut off something. This feeling is…a "Thread"?

Luna's face passes through my mind, but I quickly shake my head to erase that thought. No… that can't be her…

"Yuuya-dono! What's going on here?"

"I don't know what's going on, but it seems that someone is after Lexia-san! And the one who pushed down Lexia-san just now is the little guy I wanted to introduce to you; his name is Night..!"

"What? So the dog's on our side then?"

"Yeah! I'll explain the details later, so for now; please protect Lexia-san!"

"…I understand!"

For starters, this would reduce my need to devote a little bit of my attention to Lexia-san.

And then…

"…Night. Do you have any idea where the person making this attack is?"

"…Woof."

Night replied shortly and ran towards the entrance of the forest. I quickly followed him, and at the same time, I activated the skill [Assimilation], although I was not sure if it would work. And right after we entered the entrance of the Great Devil's Nest, that person was there.

"Wha….where did they disappear…?"

A figure in a dark green robe looks around busily, apparently having lost sight of us. He has a mask on his face as well, so we can't see his expression.

"Huh!"

"Wha-? Gaaah!"

As I approached the figure from behind, I saved my strength to some extent and blew the figure wide open. The black-masked figure was blown away and hit a tree, knocking him unconscious.

When I approached the person timidly, the mask on his face had fallen to the ground. And then──.

"…Why is Luna…"

The one who was fainting there silently was Luna, who had trained in this Great Devil's Nest with me. As I looked at Luna, who was fainting in front of me in a daze, I felt the presence of a person approaching from outside the Great Devil's Nest.

"Yuuya-sama!"

"Lexia-sama!"

When I turned my gaze towards the presence, Lexia-san ran up towards us. Behind her, I could see Owen-san and the others hurriedly chasing after her, so she must have come here on her own.

When Lexia-san came to us, she turned her attention to Luna, who was unconscious in front of her, and her eyes widened.

"Eh? She's…"

"…She's the one who targeted Lexia-san."

I wondered what I should do, but I still decided to be honest with her. I realized that lying here and defending Luna wouldn't help. However, Lexia-san, who noticed that I was acting strangely, looks at me with concern.

"Yuuya-sama? Could it be that… this girl is an acquaintance of Yuuya-sama?"

"...…Yes."

How could Luna… even if I thought about this or that, I wouldn't get an answer from a fainting Luna. However, if I think about it calmly, there were many things that were strange.

The fact that a normal-looking girl who didn't have a single weapon and was dressed normally was alone in the Great Devil's Nest where even Owen-san, the country's knight and soldier, was in danger, and above all, it's about Night's actions before finding Luna.

Probably because Night subconsciously sensed something about Luna, so when he found Luna, he didn't try to move willingly. When I realized this, I looked at Night and saw that he had an apologetic look on his face. Perhaps he thinks he should have kept me harder when I tried to help Luna. Because then I wouldn't have to meet Luna and I wouldn't have to feel like this.

I made a wry smile at Night for caring for me so much and stroked him gently. And then I approached Luna and picked her up as it was.

"…Lexia-san, I'm sorry. Can you wait for a moment?"

"Eh?"

"I just want to take care of this girl at my house."

"That's…"

"Will you allow me to have one last conversation with her? I just can't see this girl as a bad person by any means…"

I know it's a ridiculous request that wouldn't normally be granted. I'm asking her to leave the person who tried to kill her, even if only for a short while. Moreover, Lexia-san is royalty.

Even if I said I wanted Luna, who attacked Lexia-san like that, not only to talk to her but also to treat her, it would normally be──.

"It's fine."

"Are you sure?"

I was very surprised to hear her say that so quickly. Are you really sure to decide so easily? In spite of my confusion, Lexia-san laughed like a naughty child and shouted to Owen-san, who was following her from behind.

"Owen! I'm going to Yuuya-sama's house again for a little while!"

"Huh?"

"Huh… Huuuhhhh?"

"Lexia-sama, what are you doing?"

The soldiers were shouting in astonishment just like me. And Owen-san's face had turned pale. I was also stunned, Lexia-san patted me on the shoulder and said:

"Come on, let's go quickly! Otherwise, Owen will catch us."

"Eh, yeah!"

I still can't understand the situation, leaving me confused, Lexia-san is going deeper and deeper into the Great Devil's Nest. Seeing that, I realized that she was seriously following me home, so I hurriedly chased after Lexia-san.

Then Lexia-san says to me as I chase after her.

"I'm also curious about what kind of relationship Yuuya-sama and that girl have, so… if I don't know why, it's okay if I just go with you, right? And I am also wondering why that girl attacked me, too!"

"A-are you sure? It's just my subjective opinion that this girl isn't a bad person, but…"

Yes, in my subjective opinion, I just couldn't see Luna as a bad person. If she was really a bad person, it could be that Night would have defeated her without question, but…

"I don't care if it's subjective or not. I'll listen to you because I want to hear what you have to say! Just let's get away from Owen for now!"

Owen-san is approaching from behind us at an incredible speed, with Lexia-san running very happily as she says that.

"Lexia-sama! Wait… are you really going to go? Explain! Please explain it to meeeeee!"

As I heard Owen-san's voice shouting behind me, I did a dogeza to him in my mind. I'm really sorry. But there are some circumstances over here too…!

I frantically apologized in my mind and grabbed Lexia-san's hand.

"Eh? Yuuya-sama?"

"We' re in a hurry, so I'll use my magic."

"Magic…?"

I immediately activated my teleport magic and went straight back home with Lexia-san, Luna, and Night.

＊＊＊

"This is… teleport magic!?"

When I returned home with magic, Lexia-san, who hadn't been able to comprehend the situation at first, rolled her eyes in surprise. While looking at Lexia-san at the side, I move to put Luna to bed in the house in this other world.

And when I put Luna safely to bed, Lexia-san came over.

"…Yuuya-sama. Can you explain it to me?"

"….Yes. This girl… Luna is a girl I met by chance when I was living my life as usual in this Great Devil's Nest."

"By chance?"

"…No, considering what happened this time, maybe it wasn't a coincidence. Anyway, the fact is, I saved her from being attacked by a group of goblin elites at the entrance of the Great Devil's Nest. And then we started practicing together for a while."

At first, I thought she was a mysterious girl, but considering the circumstances, I guess she knew that Lexia-san was coming to this place today, and she was coming to the Great Devil's Nest as a prelude to aiming for that.

I then told Lexia-san about the training I've spent with Luna up until today, and properly explained my relationship with her. And then…

"It's not fair… it's not fair!"

"Huh?"

"Because she was with Yuuya-sama the whole time when she was training, right? I wish I could be with you, too!"

"E-eeh?"

I don't know how to respond to this unexpected reaction. However, despite my confusion, Lexia-san suddenly asks me with a serious expression.

"So, what are you going to do with this girl, Yuuya-sama?"

"As I explained to you before we came here, I'm going to treat her, and when she wakes up, I'm going to ask her about this case."

"But you were supposed to come to the royal castle today, right?"

"That's… I'm sorry. But I'll make sure to send Lexia-san to Owen-san properly."

I had made a promise to Lexia-san, but now I couldn't leave Luna sleeping in front of me. Did I disappoint her? As I was thinking about this, Lexia-san stood up vigorously.

"I've decided! I'll be here to nurse her too!"

"...….Eeh?"

For a moment, I didn't understand what was being said, and when I raised a dumb voice, Lexia-san said with a glint in her eye.

"If Yuuya-sama doesn't come to the royal castle in order to take care of this girl, then it's okay for me to stay here, right?"

"But isn't Lexia-san a princess…!?"

"All the more so, don't you think? I can't just leave the assassin who targeted that princess without being so easily placed under surveillance. So, I'll take care of her as well as keep an eye on her!"

I can only be stunned by Lexia-san's declaration.

"This is a bit like we are living together, isn't it?"

And Lexia-san gave a final, teasing smile.

＊＊＊

At the time when Yuuya was involved in a strange incident involving Luna in the other world, there was also talk of Yuuya in the entertainment industry on Earth.

"Hmm… he started keeping a black dog, huh…"

The female director of the agency to which Miu belonged muttered as she sat quietly in her chair.

"…Well, this is becoming more and more of a hot topic. According to Miu, it is an adorable puppy… and either way, there's still a gap between his appearance. We can target a wide fan base."

The director's eyes sharpened, like a predator that had found its prey.

"I won't let you get away, you know? Yuuya Tenjou…"

──Thus, on Earth as well, Yuuya is unknowingly caught up in a troublesome situation without realizing it.