What is the meaning of this?(Kurono)

The astounding contents of Count Redwings diary are just too much of a shock.

The name of the lover left behind in the very distant homeland of Japan by Count Redwing, the man formerly known as Akabane Zenichi.

Kurono Mana.

Why is the name of my aneki written here? Ah, damn it, I have no idea whats going on

Kurono-san, whats the matter?(Fiona)

Fiona, who is sitting in the seat right next to me, calls out to me and returns my consciousness that is trapped in my spinning thoughts back to reality.

You are wearing quite the surprised expression.(Fiona)

Ah, the contents are a little, no, considerably shocking To start off with, lets explain things in order.(Kurono)

Thats right, calm down. Lets calm down and get the situation in order.

This diary contains the events of when the count was in Japan, the same country as me, in his original world.(Kurono)

Im sure Fiona has been able to guess at least that much. She gives a nod.

According to this, it seems that the count lived in the same time period and even in the same town as me. But the most surprising thing is that the counts lover at the time was my aneki.(Kurono)

Your onee-san?(Fiona)

Come to think of it, I wonder how much Ive talked to Fiona about my family.

The time I first revealed to her that I came from another world should have been the first time. After that, I occasionally talked about Japan while we were making preparations for battle in Alzas and when we first started living in this dormitory in Spada.

Kurono-san, I have heard that you lived with your parents and onee-san, that you were a student and that you were suddenly summoned to this world without warning. But I have not heard many details.(Fiona)

For now, its enough that she knows that much.

The count was summoned to this world on the same day that I was.(Kurono)

If I am not mistaken, he passed away fifty years ago, didnt he? Assuming that this is true, that means that there is a large time lag between him and you, Kurono-san.(Fiona)

This is the first mystery.

There is no doubt that the count and I, in other words, the high school student Kurono Maou and the university student Akabane Zenichi, both suffered headaches of unknown cause and were summoned to this world.

I had a vague recollection of the date, but this diary clearly says that it was Monday, the 14th of May.

It was indeed right in the middle of the rainy season and it was also raining that day. I remember exchanging awkward greetings with the small Shirasaki-san who was holding an umbrella of an elegant navy-blue color at the pedestrian crossing.

That day, my mother made a mistake and handed me the obento my aneki made for her boyfriend. At lunch break, I ate Anekis embarrassing, handmade obento that had a heart drawn on it while my friends made fun of me, and according to this diary, the count ate the obento that was supposed to be for her younger brother me.(Kurono)

I see, so it doesnt seem to be a simple case of misremembering things.(Fiona)

The events of that day are accurately linked. If theres any difference, its that I was attacked by my headache when I visited the literature clubroom after school, while the count experienced his during the lunch break in which he was supposed to eat his obento a difference of just a few hours.

It seems that this world and that world do not share the same flow of time at all.(Fiona)

If this world and Earth shared the same time axis, Akabane Zenichi should have been summoned to this world just a few hours before me. If that were the case, he wouldnt have reached the social status of count yet. Not even a single year has passed since I came to this world, after all.

Either a year over there is equivalent to several decades over here, or its just random.(Kurono)

We would need to get more accurate statistics to figure that out. But then, we dont have any clues on any other people from your world.(Fiona)

We dont know about anyone else from my world other than Count Redwing, who I heard about fromm Will. If theres anyone else from my world other than me Damn it, its sickening to think about, but if theres anyone else, it would be the experimental subjects that that masked group called theWhite Sacramentare still continuing to summon.

But thinking about it, its doubtful as to whether they were Japanese people living in the twenty-first century like me.

If the people summoned to this world are chosen completely at random, while the young men and women that were the experimental subjects that I saw were Japanese people, I have no way of telling which era they were born in.

No, wait, why were there only Japanese people in the first place?

Hey, Fiona, black hair and black eyes are well-known characteristics of people from another world, arent they?(Kurono)

Yes, that was the case in the Sinclair Republic. I have not gone as far as to inquire about this in Spada, but it seems that it true here as well.(Fiona)

If people are summoned truly at random, not only should the time periods differ, but the races of the people should differ as well. No, isnt there a chance that people should be summoned from worlds other than Earth?

I could come up with any number of theories. But the reality is that all the people who have come from a foreign world are Japanese, and among them, two of them were summoned from the same place and same time period. I cant be sure; it might really just be a coincidence, but even so, I cant help but wonder.

That day, was there something special about the city I was living in?(Kurono)

This is the second mystery. Why are there such strict requirements regarding the time and place?

Had the people of your world observed the interdimensional distance to other worlds to be the shortest at the town that you lived in, Kurono-san?(Fiona)

But as Fiona asks this question in return, I quickly reject that theory.

No, I said this before, but magic didnt exist in the world I lived in. It was never observed or proved that there are other worlds beyond the dimensional wall; other worlds existed only in wild stories.(Kurono)

Thats right, if you apply Earths common sense, everything about the circumstances Im in now is completely impossible. Either way, even if there were some specific conditions lining up in that town on that day having a large influence on the other-world-summoning phenomenon, theres no means of proving anything. Even if magic really did exist on Earth and there was some secret organization of mages moving in the shadows, that fact doesnt change.

Anything I can come up with is nothing but a hypothesis.

Kurono-san, the mechanisms behind how people are summoned from your world are still not clear in the republic or in Spada, so there is no use in thinking about this any further.(Fiona)

Thats Well, you might be exactly right.(Kurono)

Theres no way that I can stay unconcerned about this after being thrust into those experiments.

The thing I had been avoiding remembering most of all, my family that I left behind in my home world, surfaces to my mind against my will.

For Aneki in particular, that means she lost her younger brother and boyfriend on the same day. That sadness Ah, I can truly understand the feelings that the count put in writing in his diary.

Her face was doll-like and expressionless, but she was always kind. That aneki of mine might be crying now. Thinking about that, I just cant stand it.

Even though I know I cant do anything about it, I cant help but remember (Kurono)

As my feelings of grief and homesickness rise from the depths of my heart and spill out in my words, Fiona stops me.

Even so, please try not to think about it. Forget about it Dont hurt yourself.(Fiona)

Fiona unexpectedly draws close to me. Her nearby golden eyes are looking up at me from near my chest.

I should be completely used to her gloomy gaze, but there is more of a mysterious charm overflowing from it than usual. Its startling. In addition to that, I notice that her soft, white palm has naturally placed itself on the back of my hand thats resting on the table, startling me even more. My heart is racing*.

TLN*: Bit of a play on words here. To be startled is /doki ttosuru. There are two instances of this term in this paragraph. /dokidoki suru (2x doki) = have a racing heart

You are here, together with me, Kurono-san. Is that not enough?(Fiona)

I thought my heart might stop.

Im just genuinely happy. Happy at the fact that Ive been accepted by someone.

Where I came from, the reason I came here, the principles that made it possible, none of that matters.

The memories weve made since we met on the highway leading to Irz Village, our relationship of trust. Those are undoubtedly the most important things Ive gained since coming to this world.

I know this without needing to be told. I know this, but still having it said straight to my face is unbelievably embarrassing. Im so happy that Im embarrassed. Its a reconfirmation that my feelings have gotten through.

Yeah, youre right.(Kurono)

Shes right. Shes right about everything. Really, everything is just as Fiona says. Theres no way I can deny her words.

And thanks to those words, my anxious trembling subsides.

Then(Fiona)

Fiona gazes at me powerfully, as if begging me. I wont let you say what comes next. No, let me be the one to say it here.

I wont go back.(Kurono)

She gives a slightly surprised reaction. Its a face that says, What are you saying all of a sudden? No, its one that says, How did you finally realize? Has Fiona been thinking that Im really that thick?

Ive now become a well-known Rank 5 adventurer, but my origins lie in another world. Im no longer a resident of that world; Im an outsider in this one. My very existence is irregular.

Ive become so familiar with this world that I even begin to forget that from time to time. From Fionas point of view, its something that she would never think about except in times like these.

I think thats why she suddenly felt anxious.

I wont go back to Japan, I wont ever go back No, even if there was a way, theres no way I could go back.(Kurono)

Well, if a way to go back was presented right in front of my eyes, I probably would think hard about it.

Sorry, Aneki. Even so, I have no doubt that I would decide not to go back.

Kurono-san.(Fiona)

Kuronooo! No, you cant go back! You have to stay here with Lily forever!(Lily)

Oh, Lily There, there, Im not going back, so its okay Hmm, Lily?(Kurono)

Before I know it, Im comforting Lily by patting her head as she lies on top of my lap, but I wonder what just happened. Up until now, it was just me and Fiona here.

Lily, just where did you appear from?

Ah, Kurono, Im back~(Lily)

She rolls onto her back like a kitten and smiles as she announces her return.

Y-yeah, welcome back?(Kurono)

This somehow doesnt make sense. But Fiona seems even more dissatisfied than I am confused. Of course, her face still has her usual sleepy, poker-face expression, but I dont know how to put it, theres this kind of sullen aura around her.

Lily-san Welcome back.(Fiona)

As Fiona says this, she picks Lily up off my knees. Now she sits Lily on top of her own knees and hugs her from behind.

Hmm, seeing them like this, they really do look like sisters.

Lily-san, you could have taken more time, much more time with your shopping.(Fiona)

Fiona begins squishing and playing with Lilys soft, small cheeks.

No~ Fiona, no!(Lily)

The child-form Lily struggles, but the witch Fiona has a clever hold on her and wont let her escape.

Come to think of it, I get the feeling that these two have been getting along better since they came back from their training in Avalon. Its very pleasant to see. How beautiful it is to have good friends.

By the way, Lily, what did you buy?(Kurono)

Since it seems that Fionas calmed down for now, I ask Lily this question. For a change of mood.

Rubbing her cheeks that have turned a little red due to the witchs evil influence, Lily gives an enthusiastic response to my question as if she has been waiting for me to ask it.

A bed!(Lily)

A bed?(Kurono)

I see, a bed. That is indeed necessary, isnt it?(Fiona)

Huh, am I the weird one for questioning the purchase of a bed? Thats what the atmosphere seems to indicate. Lily has a self-satisfied look on her face as if waiting for me to praise her, and Fionas response is as if she totally understands.

No, wait, I wont just go with the flow, Im absolutely not a man who goes with the flow.

Why did you buy a bed all of a sudden?(Kurono)

Hmm? You know, umm~(Lily)

This is probably a question that Lily wasnt expecting, judging from the reason that comes out of her mouth after thinking about it.

I wanted a new bed!(Lily)

I see, then I guess it cant be helped!(Kurono)

Jeez, if it was just that, she could have told me and I would have bought it for her. Thats right, I received the fight money from theCursed Carnivaland the monetary payment for completing the emergency quest in Iskia, so Im quite rich at the moment.

If Lily were to selfishly say that she wants something for once, I would definitely want to take the opportunity to give it to her.

So, what kind of bed did you buy?(Fiona)

Its really big!(Lily)

Oh, that sounds good. The bed that was originally in the room is quite small.(Kurono)

The meager complaint that I am finally able to express. With that bed, which was a little narrow for my body thats larger than most people, I would always worry about whether I might squash Lily if I turned over in my sleep.

Kurono, look, look! This is the new bed! Yup, here it is!(Lily)

Lily leaps up from Fionas lap, clapping her small hands as if unveiling something. Just as I think that shes going to summon the new bed from her light Dimension

W-who is this guy?!(Kurono)

In the next instant, I stand up with so much force that my chair topples over and prepare for a fight.

Because the lounge door has suddenly opened and an enormous man wearing a pitch-black surcoat has rushed inside.

The hard soles of his boots make loud footsteps against the worn-out wooden floor. With each step, a clinking metallic sound comes from inside his black clothes. This figure clad in chainmail and a surcoat reminds me vividly of the Crusaders.

But the thing that draws my attention the most is his face. The smile that I can see beneath the surcoats hood thats drawn over his head. Its certainly not a smile on a bare face; its a smile engraved on a steel mask.

His eyes are round dots and his mouth is drawn in a U-shaped curve. It really resembles a smiley face. Of course, Ive never laid eyes on such an awkward-looking, fancy item like a smiley face drawn on a steel mask back in Japan.

In the next moment, the strange, smiling-masked man vigorously raises both of his arms that are covered in steel gauntlets.

It doesnt seem like hes armed, but does he intend to fight?! Tch, I dont really know whats going on, but I need to make the first move here.

Ill make you regret attacking the home of the Rank 5 party known as theElement Masters.Eat this, Pile B

Is this the new bed? It looks quite good.(Fiona)

It does, right?! Its super fluffy!(Lily)

As I raise my fist thats filled with mana and fighting spirit on my own, the high-pitched voices of a Fairy and a witch echo out.

The smiling-masked man waves his arms as if giving signals, and two people enter, carrying a large bed.

Of course, both of them are also wearing black surcoats and steel masks with smiley faces on them. They look completely the same; even their builds are mostly identical. If they were to change places, there would be no way to tell.

But really, who are these guys Im the only one asking this question; Fiona is admiring the new bed thats been placed in the lounge whose size is its only redeeming feature, and Lily seems to be in high spirits.

The suspicious trio stand silently in the corner of the room, as if to say that theyve done their duty. Theres not even the slightest movement from them.

Hey, Kurono, look! Look at the new bed! Kyah!(Lily)

Lily bounces up and down on the mattress that seems to possess tremendous softness and elasticity, wanting to hear my thoughts.

I feel sorry for Lily, who is waiting for a favorable response with sparkling eyes, but Im not currently in a state of mind where I can calmly talk about how soft the bed is.

Im begging you. Im begging you, so please tell me just who those three guys are!

Kurono-san.(Fiona)

At this moment Fiona, calls out to me in a casual manner.

Ah, Fiona, youve figured out the questions I want to ask, have you? Thank you. Im sorry for calling you an airhead up until now. At the right times, Fiona can really read the mood

This bed is amazing. This is the famous Water Slime bed, used and loved by nobles and royalty, isnt it?(Fiona)

Fiona is Fiona after all. Sorry, its my fault for expecting so much of you.

By the way, Lily-san, isnt it alright to put those away now? With three of them there, they are taking up a lot of space.(Fiona)

Okay~(Lily)

The existence of the mysterious trio is finally acknowledged at the moment Im about to fall into despair, as if this timing has been carefully chosen.

Lily and Fiona were ignoring them so magnificently that I was actually wondering whether I was the only one who could see them, but it seems that Lily and Fiona just had no reaction to them because they already knew what these three were.

Ein, Zwei, Drei, bye-bye!(Lily)

Lily stands on the bed with one hand on her hip, reciting a mysterious incantation while her other hand gives a wave to accompany her bye-bye.

As if responding to her, the trio clumsily wave their hands that are wrapped in gauntlets in return. Their exaggerated motions are comical at first glance, but theyre completely silent.

Theyre incredibly ominous-looking men, but as a familiar magic circle of light appears over their heads, I begin to understand whats going on.

Thats Lilys Dimension. Its not that shes taking something out of it.

Words and actions of farewell. Thats right, those three are being stored inside the light.

Thats an unsummoning spell?(Kurono)

Yes, thats right, Kurono-san. Those are theLiving Deadthat Lily-san acquired as a result of her harsh training.(Fiona)

In other words, theyre Servants created through Necromancy.

The reason Im able to understand this immediately is no doubt because Safiel did the same thing before my very eyes just a little while ago.

That silver Undead knight turned into purple smoke and disappeared when it was unsummoned, but the trio in front of me now are turning into sublime particles of light.

The three large men wearing black equipment leave no trace of themselves behind, as if they never existed in the first place.

But I wish youd explained that to me first, Fiona.

Still, it seems that youre controlling living people instead of dead bodies. The characteristic presence that surrounds Undead wasnt there, and more importantly, I could feel life in them.(Kurono)

They are specially-made using Homunculi as a base, and it seems that Lilys Necromancy is an original technique that differs from normal.(Fiona)

Homunculi were briefly explained in theDungeon Exploration IIlesson that I once attended. Theyre artificially-made humanoid life-forms created through ancient magic, and apparently it isnt that unusual to discover them in ruins-type Dungeons.

Most of them are found dead in mummy-like states or turned into Undead monsters, but they can apparently be revived in very rare cases.

I see, special spell formulas were used with special corpses to create those three. It sounds questionable, but considering that its Lily, I can believe her without a problem.

Now then, this is where I want to hear a detailed explanation of Lilys amazing Necromancy, but

Mufufu~ Im going to roll around with Kurono!(Lily)

Since the bed is so large, I can sleep in it as well, cant I?(Fiona)

No, Fiona, you cant!(Lily)

Isnt it fine, isnt it fine?(Fiona)

Kyaah!(Lily)

Before I know it, Fiona has dived onto the bed to roll around on it with Lily. Damn it, I want to roll around with them as well

For now, lets enjoy the comfort of this new bed. Yes, lets do that.