Demon Sword Master of the Holy Sword Academy - Volume 7 - Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

CASINO MISSION

The sun dipped below the horizon, and stars began twinkling in the sky. Since ancient times, night was seen as belonging to the undead. Corpses would rise from the graveyards to wander the streets, and animated skeletons raised their swords on battlefields.

However, humanity had since conquered its fear of the dark, smiting it with the shining radiance of mana lamps. The Shangri-la Resort’s pleasure quarter, Night Town, was on a floating island a short distance away from the hotel. Its flashy, colorful mana lights reflected against the gigantic pool’s water.

This area, which opened only after sundown, was even more alive with activity than other streets during the daytime.

“L-Leo, should we really be in a place like this?” Riselia looked around, her hand anxiously gripping Leonis’s.

Although this was Leonis’s first time here, he was familiar with locales of a similar atmosphere.

Vices are the same, no matter where you go. The glorious Rognas Kingdom’s castle town had also sported a pleasure district.

Lurking behind the ostentatious glow of Night Town’s bright lights was a deep, viscous darkness. Yet standing at the brightest spot in the area, dotted with many of its own lights, was the massive structure of Casino Phillet Vomacht.

This twenty-two-story building had been named after the very first count of the Phillet family, and its first eighteen floors were all for gambling.

“Look at how pretty it is. I like this place.” Veira raised her hands, beholding the ostentatious edifice with sparkling eyes.

She was dressed in a white camisole shirt and shorts, the same attire she wore when Leonis took her on a tour of the Seventh Assault Garden’s commercial district.

“…You think? It doesn’t mesh with my tastes much,” Leonis replied, raising an eyebrow. Be it in a human or an undead body, he found all these lights blinding. The silent depths of Necrozoa’s Grand Mausoleum felt much more soothing.

But I suppose dragons are drawn to shiny things.

Many of them guarded over treasures in their dungeons, though they never put those treasures to use.

“Say, Leo…” Riselia spoke up.

“Yes?”

“What are we going to do about her ID?”

“ID?” Veira turned around, looking at the other two with curiosity.

“The guard at the gate can’t let you in without an ID.”

“Oh, that. Well, it’ll work itself out,” Leonis said dismissively.

“Work itself out…?” Riselia repeated, bemused.

“Leo, don’t tell me you never taught your minion how to charm others using sorcery,” Veira said, frowning.

“Er, well… No,” Leonis replied awkwardly. “Charm sorcery is fairly advanced; it’s too soon for her.”

That was partially a lie. Charming was high-level magic, sure, but given its utility and compatibility with a Vampire Queen, there was precedence for Riselia to learn it right away despite the difficulty.

Why had Leonis refrained from teaching it, then? It was because of this odd, murky feeling Leonis couldn’t quite understand. For some reason, the idea of Riselia bewitching others didn’t sit well with him.

I suppose this is just selfishness on my part, he mused.

“Hmph. Fine. I’ll just have to show this unskilled minion how it’s done.” Veira cast the other girl a proud grin.

“How what’s done?”

“Watch and see.”

The trio stood before Casino Phillet Vomacht. The blinding mana lights burned Leonis’s eyes.

“Shallow Grave, commencing the mission,” Leonis whispered into his communication terminal.

Shallow Grave was the Undead King’s code name when infiltrating enemy territory. Incidentally, Blackas’s code name was Creeping Shadow.

“Shallow…? Uh, yes, be careful,” Elfiné’s voice replied through the terminal, sounding a bit confused.

“L-Leo… Th-this is my first time going into a place like this…,” Riselia said, looking very flustered and tense.

“We’ll be fine,” Leonis assured her, squeezing her hand.

They passed through the lobby and held up their Excalibur Academy student IDs at the entrance gate. An attendant dressed in a tailcoat scanned their cards over a magical apparatus.

“Mr. Leonis Magnus? Everything seems to be in order.” The staffer bowed his head respectfully. “You are required to leave all information terminals here at the entrance.”

“Yes, here you are,” Leonis said, handing over the fake terminal Elfiné had prepared for him ahead of time.

Leonis had stored the terminal containing Cait Sith in the Realm of Shadows.

“Next will be you, miss…”

“O-okay!” Riselia replied, handing over her terminal.

“Hmm, the young lady over there…” The staff member turned to check Veira’s credentials next.

However…

“Let me through. Your lord orders that you let her pass.”

Shiiiiiiine—

…Veira’s golden eyes shone with burning, ruby light.

“Ah… A-as you wish… Go…ahead—,” the staff member stammered vacantly.

Riselia gawked. “Huh?!”

“Don’t make a big deal out of it. A Vampire Queen should be able to do that, no problem,” Veira told her smugly.

“I told you not to do anything conspicuous,” Leonis chided her, sighing.

Having gained entry, the three took an elevator to the third floor and stepped out into a noisy, crowded hall. A fancy chandelier hung from the ceiling, and countless nobles were engaged in gambling and games of luck. Pretty women dressed in bunny outfits walked among the tables, carrying trays of drinks.

“Ah! Eeek!” Riselia covered her face with her hands at the sight of the bunny girls. “This really is a place for grown-ups!”

“I think the way you dressed back during the Holy Light Festival was much more provocative, Miss Selia,” Leonis whispered impishly.

“L-Leo, you dummy!” An embarrassed Riselia rained light punches on his shoulder.

This was payback for her forcing him to dress as a girl back then.

The trio made their way to a service counter, and after Riselia and Leonis showed their ID cards, they exchanged some of their credits for casino coins. Leonis offered half of his gambling currency to Veira.

“Take this and go play. But remember, no rampaging here,” he warned her.

“One coin will do just fine.” Veira flicked the little thing into the air and caught it. After a spin on her heels, she vanished into the crowd, waving good-bye.

“…” Riselia watched the Dragon Lord go, looking somehow anxious.

“All right, I need to take care of the mission. What are you going to do, Miss Selia?”

“Hmm, well…” Riselia brought a finger to her lips.

She seemed conflicted for a moment. Ultimately, she made a decision, nodding to herself.

“Leo…” She bent down to look at Leo at eye level.

He expected her to ask if Veira truly was his minion.

What do I tell her? Some part of him wanted to clear up the misunderstanding, but he couldn’t reveal that Veira was one of the Dark Lords. Exposing her would reveal his identity as well.

“Leo, I know you have a lot of secrets, and that’s fine. If you ever want to talk about it, I’ll listen. So…” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I want you to rely on me more.” Riselia’s clear, ice-blue eyes wavered, determined and a bit sad.

Rely on her?

This was something his minion had likely been grappling with for a while. Leonis recalled how Veira had called him overprotective. Perhaps overprotectiveness was just the other side of a lack of trust.

“…Understood. I’ll try to depend on you more, Miss Selia,” Leonis replied.

The girl smiled and nodded. She straightened up with renewed vigor, silver hair fluttering.

“Where are you going, Miss Selia?”

“I’m off to have a duel,” she declared with a smile.

“Huh?”

Offering no more, Riselia paced away into the throng.

“M-Miss Selia, wait!”

Leonis nearly went off after her but stopped at the last moment.

I need to trust her, he reminded himself. For now, I should focus on Miss Elfiné’s mission.

Leonis walked between the tables. All he needed to do was activate the terminal near one of the magical apparatuses in the casino, and Cait Sith would automatically sneak into the network. Unfortunately, there were no such magical apparatuses in sight.

So these are the devices known as slot machines…

He wove his way through the many people, looking around, when…

“Hello, little boy. You want some juice?”

…a pretty lady in a bunny suit approached with a drink tray.

“No, thank you,” Leonis declined politely.

“Oh, that uniform. Are you from Excalibur Academy?”

Leonis’s voice fell to a mumble. “Er, yes…”

“I see! Well, have a good time!  ” The woman walked off to speak with another patron.

Fool. How dare she approach a Dark Lord such as myself so casually?

Not a moment later, another voice called to him.

“Um…”

“I don’t want any juice!” Leonis snapped angrily as he turned to face this latest irritation.

“E-e-excuse me, my lo—I mean, sir!”

“Wh—Shary?!”

Standing there, holding a tray of snacks, was none other than Shary. Her usual maid’s uniform was nowhere to be seen, however. She wore a hair band with bunny ears, a fluffy tail, and was dressed in a bunny suit complete with fishnet stockings. Coupled with her dusk-colored eyes, she looked like a real bunny.

“Sh-Shary, what is this…getup?!” Leonis demanded, astonished.

“Y-you ordered me to infiltrate this place, so I dressed appropriately!” Shary explained in an embarrassed manner, pouting all the while.

“R-right, I did tell you to do that. I suppose your usual attire would stand out too much.”

Leonis cleared his throat and picked up one of the sandwiches sitting on her platter. He ushered his assassin maid to a corner of the room while he ate.

“Did you gather any information?” Leonis whispered.

“Yes. There’s a secret room only chosen nobles can enter.”

“Hmm. I see. This really is more than just a casino.”

“So it would appear… Omnom,” Shary replied, taking a moment to munch on a sandwich herself.

Leonis raised a questioning eyebrow. “Shary, are you sure you’re allowed to eat that?”

“Mm… Is it a problem?” she replied indifferently.

“Well, it doesn’t matter to me. Which floors have active magical apparatuses?”

“Those would be the fourth, fifth, and seventh ones. Each offers different forms of gambling, but they’re all managed by the same Artificial Elemental.”

“Excellent. I’ll head to the upper floors, then. Continue your reconnaissance.”

“Understood!”

At Leonis’s order, Shary left him and returned to her duties.

Is it around here?

Getting off the elevator on the seventh floor, Riselia looked for Veira. Unlike the third level’s glamorous décor, the seventh looked more like a chic bar. The lighting was dim, but that didn’t matter to a Vampire Queen.

Riselia stood on the ends of her toes, scanning the area. She figured that Veira’s beauty and flame-like crimson hair would garner a lot of attention. And indeed, there was a crowd assembled around one of the back tables, with Veira as its center.

She was playing roulette and sipping a drink. Three mounds of coins sat before her on the table. A fact that the dealer did not look pleased about.

She only took one coin, though.

Riselia took a deep breath and, mustering all her courage, approached the table. By some unfortunate coincidence, Veira looked the other girl’s way right as she approached.

“Ah.” The sharp glint of Veira’s gaze made Riselia stiffen in place. There could be no faltering here, though. Not after she’d worked up the nerve.

To Riselia’s surprise, Veira smiled upon seeing her and beckoned with a hand. Clenching her fists, the argent-haired girl marched over. When she reached the table, Veira motioned for her to take an adjacent seat.

“Right here, minion girl.”

“It’s Riselia.” Ice-blue eyes peered unflinchingly into Veira’s golden ones. “Riselia Ray Crystalia. Leo’s guardian.”

“Right. Selia, was it?” Veira used the same nickname Leonis did. “I’m Veira. That said, few people recall my name anymore.”

“…”

While Riselia settled into her chair, Veira called a waiter over.

“Get this girl a Bloody Rose cocktail.”

“N-no!” Riselia shook her head. “I—I’m only fifteen…!”

The undead couldn’t get intoxicated, but there were academy regulations to consider.

“You are?” Veira remarked. “For claiming to be his guardian, you’re still a child.”

“…You don’t look much older than me,” Riselia said indignantly.

The two had to be of similar age. Veira couldn’t have been more than a year or two older.

“You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover,” Veira stated with an alluring smile while sipping from a glass of liquor. “Get her some tomato juice.” With the order made, she directed her full attention at Riselia, golden eyes aglow. “So you wanted something?”

“Yes.” Riselia glared back stoutly, albeit with a hint of nervousness. “I want to challenge you to a match.”

“A match?” Veira licked her lips, interest showing through in her expression.

“Yes, that’s right. We have a score to settle.”

“We do?” Veira asked quizzically. “Oh… Yes, now I recall.”

The dim light couldn’t hide that Veira’s cheeks flushed slightly. During their water-shooting bout, Regina’s shot had knocked off the top of Veira’s swimsuit. Immediately after, a Demon Sword user crashed their battle, and their result was forever undecided.

“Fine, then. I’ll accept your challenge.” Veira nodded magnanimously. “But it’s no fun without risking something, right?”

Riselia’s eyes widened slightly. “Er, really?”

“Hey, I know.” Veira brought a finger to her well-shaped chin. “If I win, I get to keep Leo. How does that sound?”

“What?!” Riselia’s eyebrows shot up. “W-we can’t! Leo’s not an object! We can’t gamble for him!”

“We can’t?”

“Of course not!”

“Hmm… Then how about we play for the position of his number one minion?”

“Wh-what does that mean…?”

“It’s exactly as it sounds. Whoever wins gets to call herself his top subordinate.”

“B-but that’s…”

“I’ll even throw in a little something extra,” Veira added, holding up an index finger. “If you beat me, I’ll tell you any one thing you want to know about Leo.”

“…!” Riselia gasped and clutched a hand to her chest. “You know…secrets about Leo…?” she questioned.

“Of course I do,” Veira stated confidently. “I’ve known him for much longer than you have.”

“…”

“So what will it be? I don’t mind either way.”

“Fine,” Riselia decided. “I agree to your terms. Let’s do this.”

“We’ll play this game to decide our match. Do you know the rules?”

“Yes.”

Veira tapped on the table with her fingertips. Roulette was a staple of casinos. The wheel had red and white slots, each with its own number. A dealer spun the wheel and sent in a ball. Customers staked coins on where the little sphere would land.

“And you?” Riselia asked.

“The dealer taught me earlier,” Veira explained, toying with a piece of casino money in one hand. “Let’s bet on the next game, shall we?”

“Okay.” Riselia nodded and gazed at the table.

The dealer threw the ball in with practiced motions, and it spun around the many red and white slots.

I have to win this. Riselia clenched her fists.

This was a matter of feelings.

Veira isn’t my true opponent here.

Riselia was up against something much vaguer—her timidness, her feelings of inferiority. This battle was about coming to terms with those emotions.

No, that’s not it. If I keep avoiding how I really feel, it won’t matter whether I win or lose, she realized. I’m…jealous of her.

The wheel of fate kept on turning. Riselia followed the ball carefully. After a deep breath, she called “White,” and placed three coins down.

“I’ll go with red, then,” Veira replied.

The dealer looked at the crimson-haired girl with genuine astonishment. Riselia stared with just as much surprise, and for a good reason. Veira was betting all of her coins.

“W-wait! I thought people go for multiple rounds with games like these!”

“Really? Is that the kind of match you want?”

“…” Riselia went silent, but she knew that Veira was right. Winning after multiple rounds would feel meaningless. “Fine. I bet all I have on white, then,” she declared, pushing all of her gambling money forward. She’d never intended to entrust this showdown to chance anyhow.

If I don’t throw everything I’ve got at this, I won’t stand a chance!

Beneath the dimmed lights, Riselia’s silvery hair shone faintly, fluttering as it filled with mana. Her ice-blue eyes took on a crimson hue. Under her gaze, the ball started accelerating.

“What…?!” The dealer raised his voice in shock.

“I’d expect nothing less,” Veira remarked, her golden eyes faintly shimmering as flames.

This time, the ball’s speed suddenly fell.

“…!”

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzt…!

Riselia’s mana clashed with Veira’s, and the roulette ball stopped dead where their powers met.

“…Kuh… Ugh!”

Riselia clenched her teeth, pumping more mana into the little sphere. Veira, however, remained cool. Casually traced a finger over the edge of her glass. “Hey, why won’t Leo try to dominate you?” she asked.

“What?”

“Don’t you think it’s strange? A pact seal makes it easy to control a minion.”

“Well…” Riselia wondered why Veira would broach a subject like that now.

“Wouldn’t it be easier for him to just make you completely obedient to him and use you like a disposable pawn?”

“L-Leo would never…do something like that…”

He never treated her as expendable, and often he threw himself into danger to save her.

“I see. Then I guess Leo expects you to fill some other kind of role.”

“Another…role?”

The ball spun about, enveloped in mana and scattering sparks into the air. Riselia had to focus, even when she spoke, to keep the little thing from falling into a red slot.

“Minions are meant to defend their liege, but you don’t have that kind of power.”

“…?!”

Riselia faltered, and the ball was slowly pushed back.

“That’s… That’s not…!”

“However, there are minions with another purpose.” Veira’s tone was soft and kind, like she was guiding her opponent. “Some are permitted to speak freely to their liege. They carry a duty to right their masters when they veer off the correct path, by risking their lives, if need be. Such servants are more than common underlings who obey orders blindly.”

“…!”

Riselia felt the mana pushing against hers suddenly vanish. The ball popped into the air…and dropped into a white spot.

“Looks like I lost.” Veira shrugged and pushed her mountain of coins to the dealer. “Well, I promised. I’ll tell you any one thing about Leo.”

“…” Riselia paused to think before finally selecting her question. “Can you tell me one thing Leo likes to eat?”

“…Are you sure that’s what you want to know?” Veira asked with a frown.

“Yes. Can you answer?”

“…Wh-why would I possibly know that?”

“All right. Let me tell you, then,” Riselia said with a little smile. “Leo likes ground beef steak and pasta.” With that, Riselia stood from the table.

“What about your coins?” Veira inquired.

“You can have them,” Riselia replied, walking off victoriously. Ultimately, she didn’t really care which of them was Leonis’s number one minion.

I guess I lost. Riselia shrugged. It was a bust. Yet at the same time, her heart felt lighter. She’d wanted to ask Veira a more serious question but elected to wait until Leo was ready to tell her himself.

“This is Shallow Grave. I’ve successfully snuck Cait Sith in.”

Having stepped out to an empty emergency staircase, Leonis made his report to Elfiné.

“Thank you, Leo. I’ll handle the rest.”

“I’ll be going back, then.”

Leo ended the call and stowed his terminal in a pocket of his uniform. The catlike Artificial Elemental no longer showed on the screen. By now, it had probably gotten into the casino’s network and was gathering information.

“A simple enough mission,” Leonis muttered as he returned to the bustling hall.

“Ah, Leo!” Riselia, who’d apparently been looking for him, hurried over. “There you are. I couldn’t find you anywhere. I was this close to asking a staffer to make an announcement.”

“P-please don’t! That’s embarrassing!”

Riselia bent forward and whispered to him, “So did you do what Miss Finé asked?”

“Yes, it’s all done,” Leonis replied quietly.

“Good. Let’s get out of here, then.”

“Yeah.”

Truthfully, Leonis had hoped to increase his wealth with a few games, but Riselia didn’t seem interested in sticking around longer than necessary.

“By the way…where’s Veira?”

“Hmm, she’s probably still drinking.”

“Oh. Let’s leave her to it, then.” Leonis started to walk away, but Riselia grabbed his arm firmly.

“Miss Selia, please. I’m not a child,” Leonis insisted, craning his head back to look up at her.

“…No.”

Riselia held fast, refusing to let go.

It was dinnertime. The meeting room table was filled with Regina’s homemade dishes. The platoon had eaten out on their first day, but restaurant food every day made for poor nutrition. Thus, Regina had whipped up a feast in the hotel kitchen.

When it came to eating right, her work couldn’t be beat. Vegetable and clam soup, venison cooked in wine, whole wheat bread, udo and mushroom salad, white fish marinade, penne gratin, and three kinds of cheese.

The Spirit Forest was one spot on the continent where Voids never appeared. It was a rare habitat for living wild animals and was more abundant with resources than the Seventh Assault Garden. Area VI had a float dedicated to aquaculture, providing the population with a supply of fresh fish.

Leonis reported on his mission’s success.

“So you guys were out having fun while I was stuck cooking dinner?” Regina asked with clear envy. “Lady Selia going into a casino! If Duke Crystalia were still alive, he’d be scolding me nonstop.”

“I—I didn’t go there to play around!” Riselia protested.

“But speaking of, where did you go after we split up?” Leonis asked.

“Huh? Erm…” Riselia trailed off awkwardly.

“Ah! You were totally goofing off!” Regina exclaimed.

“Gambling, eh? I wish I could have gone, too,” Sakuya remarked, listening with rapt attention.

Incidentally, according to Shary’s report, the Sovereign Wolves’ negotiations had fallen through. Sakuya and Arle had come to blows with the other group’s guards. Veira’s attack began in the middle of that, and both sides parted during the chaos.

The prospects of expanding the Dark Lords’ Armies looked unpleasantly grim. It seemed that the Undead King himself would have to handle the negotiations.

Riselia took out a notebook and opened it to a page detailing a busy schedule. “I’ve adjusted our training regimen for tomorrow. I’ve also made appointments for matches with students from other schools, so we’ll have sessions that’ll be close to real combat!”

After a hearty meal, Leonis went to the bath. Much like the rest of the thirteenth floor, it was reserved for the eighteenth platoon. Initially, Leonis scoffed at the bath’s pretentious name: the Starry Sky Palace. Yet true to its name, the washroom was set on a balcony that granted patrons a view of the sea and the sky above. The bath itself didn’t have a railing, creating the illusion of no border between it and the ocean.

“What a view.” Leonis sighed as he settled into the steaming water. “It’s a match for the Rognas Kingdom’s hanging gardens.”

A lot had transpired on his second day in Camelot, and although he was the Undead King, Leonis’s body was still that of a ten-year-old. He was quite exhausted.

Well, that’s mostly Veira’s fault.

Stars dotted the sky overhead. At present, the Star of Calamity, which shone red as blood, wasn’t visible.

Another matter to fret over…

Leonis had doubts about whether that star was even a genuine celestial body. Proper stars moved in set cycles, but there was no regularity for when that one deigned to appear.

Whether it held some correlation to the existence of the Voids was unknown. However, existing data suggested that whenever the Star of Calamity appeared, the chances of Void attacks went up.

Had that wicked star not appeared on the day of Regina’s birth, she would be living as a princess. It had shone when Sakuya’s homeland, the Sakura Orchid, was destroyed, too.

And also…

The Nothingness has chosen me as herald of the Star’s gospel.

The world shall be reborn with the Star of Nothingness.

Leonis pondered Arakael Degradios’s words.

There’s no telling if he spoke of the Star of Calamity. The world and the heavens have changed in the past one thousand years. Would that I had access to the Azure Hold’s astrological observation device, the Almagest. Then, perhaps, I’d be able to learn more.

An abrupt splash pulled him from contemplation.

“…Miss Selia?!” Leonis turned hurriedly toward the entrance, but there wasn’t anyone there. “…?”

“Over here, Leo,” a voice called to him from behind.

A nude woman sat with her legs crossed on the edge of the bath, illuminated by the faint moonlight. Her crimson, flame-like hair shone brilliantly in the dark.

It was Veira.

“…When did you get here?!”

“While you were looking at the stars. You didn’t notice me at all.”

Veira kicked up some water, splashing it at Leonis. Her leg was smooth and pale.

“Wh-what are you doing?!” Leonis sputtered out.

“Has seeing my fair body made your heart skip a beat?”

“Th-that would never happen!” the Undead King protested, yet he looked away with a beet-red face.

“Oh? Then are you disappointed that I’m not your minion girl?” Veira needled him.

“What…?”

Before Leonis could argue, Veira sank into the bath and swam over to him. Her red hair spread over the water’s surface like a crimson flower. Her head emerged directly before Leonis. Droplets fell from her face as she peered at Leonis with her glowing golden eyes.

“That girl challenged me in the casino, you know.”

“What?” Leonis narrowed his eyes. “For what purpose?”

Riselia hadn’t mentioned this at all.

“Who knows? Maybe it had to do with her pride.”

“Pride?”

“For such a good-looking thing, that girl’s a pretty sore loser.”

“Yes, that much I know,” Leonis replied.

Veira grinned. “She’s a promising minion. I like her.”

“She’s my minion.”

“Say, won’t you let me have her?”

Leonis shook his head. “No. Riselia Crystalia is mine.”

“…I see.” Veira glared at him and then leaned against the edge of the bath and muttered, “I’m jealous, though.”

Jealous?

It went without asking whom she was envious of.

Veira’s eyes peered into the horizon toward the Azure Hold, where dragon warriors lay in eternal slumber. Her minions had all perished during the battle with the Six Heroes. They’d sacrificed themselves to defend their castle and the Dragon Lord.

Even Veira, as merciless and tyrannical as she could be, was beloved by her servants.

“Are you leaving?” Leonis asked.

“Yes,” Veira replied, although her gaze remained where it was. “I can feel it. They’re coming after me.”

“I can’t sense anything,” Leonis remarked.

“A dragon’s senses are different from a human’s.” Veira finally looked away from the dark horizon. She placed a hand on Leonis’s cheek and then brought her face closer, pressing her forehead against his.

“V-Veira?” Leonis asked, stunned.

“It was your scent, Leo…,” she whispered. “When I lost myself in the Azure Hold, I… For some reason, your face came to mind.”

“…”

“I think my dragon instincts brought me here. I was unconsciously drawn to your scent—your mana from when you were a Dark Lord.”

Her fingers toyed with Leonis’s hair.

“H-hey…,” Leonis muttered.

“Hey, Leo… Before I go…”

“Leo? Is someone in there with you?” asked a familiar voice.

“…?!” Leonis jolted in place.

The door to the bath slid open. Leonis turned and saw Riselia stride in with only a towel concealing her body.

“Leo— Ah!” Riselia’s jaw dropped upon spotting Veira. “Wh-wh-what are you doing?!”

“Me? I’m just taking a bath with Leo,” Veira replied with a smile, raking a hand through her wet hair.

“Y-you can’t…!” Riselia puffed out her cheeks and hurried over.

She cast her towel aside and hurried into the bath.

“M-Miss Selia?! I, erm, I can see…your chest…”

Heedless of the remark, Riselia marched over to Leonis and wrapped her arms around him. The Dark Lord felt a slippery softness press against his back.

“Ah… Uh…” Leonis could only helplessly stiffen in place. His face turned deep red.

With an indignant expression on her face, Riselia glared at Veira. “You might be his number one minion, but I’m still Leo’s guardian!” she declared.

“M-Miss Selia, I can, hm, I can, feel…on my back…your chest…,” Leonis whispered in a fidgety manner, but Riselia only tightened her embrace.

“…”

Veira eyed the two of them. “Heh-heh… Fine, I get it, Miss Guardian.” She smiled. “You better protect Leo well, then.”

“…Huh?” Riselia was taken aback by the unusually calm reply.

Veira turned around and walked to the edge of the bath. Then she hopped atop the wall at the end.

“Ah, wait, that’s dangerous!” Riselia called out to her.

“Selia.” Veira turned around, her crimson hair fluttering. “The story about me being Leo’s minion was a lie.”

“…?”

“Leo and I are old friends—no, old rivals.”

Red flames billowed out from Veira’s body, enveloping her. The water in the bath evaporated into white steam, obscuring everything. And when it cleared…

“What…?!”

…the red-haired girl was gone.

Whoosh!

A massive, crimson dragon beat its wings and soared up into the starry night. A great surge of wind rattled all of the hotel’s windows.

“Wh-whaaaaaaat?!” Riselia exclaimed, the surprise finally getting her to release Leonis. “L-Leo, is that…the dragon from…?”

She pointed up at the great creature, trembling all the while.

No talking my way out of this one. Leonis sighed and shrugged.

“Yes, she’s an ancient being known as the Dragon Lord. She’s not human.”

“…The Dragon Lord.”

Veira flew off, leaving a beautiful trail of flames in her wake, like a shooting star.

“Where is she going?”

“To a battlefield,” Leonis replied.

“A battlefield…? What is she going to fight? The Voids?” Riselia asked.

“No, she will face…a far more terrible opponent.”

The Lord of the Seas—Rivaiz Deep Sea. The strongest of all Dark Lords.

Veira might match Rivaiz as a Dark Lord, but…

At present, the Dragon Lord had yet to regain her full strength, and the Lord of the Seas wasn’t going to be her only adversary.

Leonis’s astute minion noticed his tone and realized what he wanted. “Go with her, Leo,” she urged with a smile.

“Miss Selia…”

“She’s an old friend of yours, right?”

“…”

He’d never intended on letting Veira go alone, but he hadn’t known how to tell Riselia. Her suggesting it was unexpected.

Leonis peered into Riselia’s eyes. “I don’t know if I’ll be back in time for the Holy Sword Dance Festival.”

“Are you going that far?”

“Yes…”

Leonis didn’t know how close the Lord of the Seas was, but it had to be more than a day’s journey. Likely more than two. Riselia seemed pensive for a moment and then patted Leonis on the head.

“Don’t worry. I’ll figure something out.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Yes. But…” Riselia brought her lips to Leonis’s ear and whispered, “Come back as soon as you can.”

“I will.”