Chapter 1182: Bonds Deepened at the Tea Party ⑤

As I was having a conversation with Lillywood-san over tea, I decided to ask her something that I was curious about.

[Speaking of which, Lillywood-san, as well as the other members of the Six Kings all used to live together, right?]

"Yes, we used to live in the Central Demon Realm, which is now called the Forbidden Lands".

[I've heard a little bit about it, but I don't really know much about what it was like back then... so I was a bit curious.]

I frequently had the opportunity to hear about those times, but I haven't really heard about it in detail, so I was a bit... no, I was quite interested in hearing about it.

No, I did actually hear some things from Alice before, but Alice was the last of the Six Kings to join Kuro's family, so she didn't live with her for as long as the other members of the Six Kings.

That's why, I don't know much about what happened before Alice came to this world, and Alice couldn't tell me about it because she wasn't interested about what had happened at that time.

"Let's see. Were you aware of the reason why the Central Demon Realm is called the Forbidden Lands in the first place?"

[If I'm not mistaken... Wasn't it because it was a dangerous place with tremendous residual magic power due to the fact that the Six Kings used it for training?]

"Yes, that is indeed one of the reasons. But in fact, even when we were living in that place, that place was already called the Forbidden Lands. The reason why the Central Area was referred to as such was because of the existence of our Leader, Kuromueina."

[Kuro?]

When I tilted my head at the explanation given by Lillywood-san, who looked somewhat nostalgic, she nodded once before continuing her explanation.

"In those days, when neither the title Six Kings nor Peerage system had been established, Kuromueina was called "Demon Realm's Strongest"... Even in the Demon Realm filled with conflict, she was recognized as a completely extraordinary existence. She was so famous under such a title that no one in the Demon Realm doesn't know about her."

[W- Was it really that great? Kuro said that she didn't have much interest in intervening in the state of the Demon Realm at that time...]

"Yes, Kuromueina indeed was not interested in the power struggles, nor did she take part in them. She would arbitrate a battle when asked, but she never actively wielded her power."

From what Kuro told me, the Kuro of that time... Before she fought Shiro-san, was just watching over the state of the Demon Realm. Well, even if she didn't, it didn't seem like she was interested in the battle for hegemony...

"Anyway, since such a Kuromueina lived in that place, the Central Demon Realm became some kind of inviolable territory. That's where we lived, but of course, it isn't that all of us lived there from the beginning."

[I suppose so. If I'm not mistaken, the one who first lived there with Kuro would be Ein-san, right?]

"Yes, I heard that Ein and Kuromueina lived together at the beginning. To be more precise, Ein had been raised by Kuromueina since she was young. And then, I heard that it was Megiddo who joined them."

[Ahhh, so the second one to join her family is Megiddo-san huh. That's a little surprising.]

Although I was just making my own assumptions, I had thought Megiddo-san would be joining later. I mean, I thought Magnawell-san would at least be much earlier than him...

"Well, though it seemed that there was a reasonable amount of time between Ein and Megiddo, I heard that there isn't such a big difference from Megiddo onward. Incidentally, the one who went Kuromueina's home after Megiddo was Isis."

[I see. So, Isis-san came before Lillywood-san huh.]

"Yes... However, this is a rather complicated matter to say. You see, the World Tree, my true body, had already been growing near Kuromueina and Ein's house before Megiddo came along. However, it was only after Isis arrived at Kuromueina's place that my ego was born and established within that World Tree."

[Ahh~~ Indeed, if you were to consider that, it would be complicated to say who came first.]

If we consider the years she spent in that place as the World Tree, she would be in Kuro's family before Isis-san, but if you only count the years Lillywood-san had been born as a Spirit, she would be in Kuro's family after Isis-san...

Well, when you have lived as many years as Isis-san and Lillywood-san, it doesn't seem like they're concerned about seniority that much.

"After Isis comes me, then Magnawell... then Megiddo brought Ozma home, and around the time Kuromueina just created Zwei, Shalltear joined and all of the Six Kings were then present."

[It sounds like quite a lively scene.]

"Yes, it was actually quite bustling and fun. Even when I was astounded while watching Megiddo and Shalltear fight a lot, thinking about those days now makes me feel nostalgic."

Just like that, Lillywood-san continued to tell me some of the stories from that time. How should I say this... It seems that all of them were having fun with each other's company, and the good relationship between the Six Kings hadn't changed, whether it's back then or now.

Then, going with that flow.... The story moved on to after Lillywood-san had left Kuro's nest.