Vol. 5 Chapter 1.2 – Baseless Accusation

“Lisara, I understand that this is your family home.”

Sitting on the sofa, Kaga Ryousuke let out a breath, then slowly looked around the room as if trying to calm himself down. The fluffy bed, where just moments ago Ryousuke had been pinned down and pummeled by Lisara with a pillow, was as extravagant as a princess’s, complete with a canopy.

But it wasn’t just the bed that was extravagant—the sofa he sat on was upholstered in leather, and the desk in front of him was adorned with meticulous decorations here and there.

It looked like the kind of aristocratic room you’d expect to see in a Rococo-style mansion straight out of a maid manga or something.

“So, why is it that I can’t go out to look for Mina right away?”

Returning his gaze to Lisara, Ryousuke spat out the words with irritation.

Ryousuke was no longer restrained.

After being hit for several minutes with a pillow by Lisara, he had been promoted from perverted sex offender to guest thanks to a simple explanation from Kyuru. Thanks to that, he was now sitting on the sofa, even being served tea.

But all that mattered to him was Mina.

Ookura Mina, Ryousuke’s childhood friend.

A bespectacled girl known for her impressive bust, even among the top ranks at Momozono Academy, and quite popular. Though, to Ryousuke, she was more like a little sister and someone he couldn’t really see as the opposite sex.

Mina had been kidnapped to lure Ryousuke into the Shinigami world.

And right in front of Ryousuke’s eyes, no less.

“I came all the way to the Shinigami world just to save Mina. So why are you telling me I can’t act immediately?”

Ryousuke pressed Lisara with a barrage of words.

Standing straight beside them, Urs and Hild furrowed their brows and looked at Ryousuke. They probably had complaints about how he was speaking to Lisara, the daughter of the Restall family, but Ryousuke didn’t have the presence of mind to care about that.

“Wait, just wait a moment, Ryousuke.”

Lisara wasn’t just telling him to wait with words; she raised both palms, signaling with her whole body for him to stop.

“Listen, this is the Shinigami world. It’s not the human world.”

“I know that.”

“If that’s the case, you need to first understand that there are rules in this place.”

“Rules?”

“Yes, rules. First, I need to cast a spell on you, Ryousuke.”

As Ryousuke was about to say,『I don’t need any unnecessary things』, Lisara, having anticipated his feelings, quickly continued speaking.

“Do you want to be forcibly sent back to the human world?”

“Huh?”

“It’s just like how we Shinigami use the spell《Existence Bond Raise》to continue existing in the human world. Humans, who have strong spiritual presence—in other words, you, Ryousuke—are considered intruders, foreign entities in the Shinigami world. Unless I erase that rejection reaction, you won’t be able to stay in this world.”

Now that she mentioned it, he vaguely recalled hearing something like that before. Inorganic objects, or vegetables and animals with weak spiritual presence, could be brought here without issue, but humans and some animals, having strong spiritual presence, would be repelled by this world.

“Looks like you remembered. I already applied 《Existence Bond Raise》on Caesar. As expected of a dog among dogs, with a heroic name—he needed 《Existence Bond Raise》once every two days, but in my estimation…”

Lisara, as if to comfort him, gently patted Ryousuke’s shoulder.

“W-what is it?”

“For you, Ryousuke, once every three days seems to be enough.”

“……Yeah, I know. I know. Unlike Caesar, I’m not the number one dog that every female dog in the neighborhood wants to be with, nor am I the kind of dog whose mere presence makes all the male dogs clear the path. I’ve never been popular, I’ve even been shaken down for money by delinquents before… When a scary person comes along, I’m the kind of guy who gets out of the way. Yeah, I know… I know.”

At Kyuru’s feet, seated across from him, Caesar let out a big yawn—fwaaaah.

“Anyway, first, I’ll apply《Existence Bond Raise》”

“O-okay… I’ll leave it to you.”

Lisara placed her hand on top of Ryousuke’s head, closed her eyes, and chanted.

“《Existence Bond Raise》”

With a soft bwoosh, a membrane of light wrapped around Ryousuke’s body—and that was it.

“That’s it?”

“Yes, that’s all. It’s a spell that’s been used since ancient times, so all waste has been thoroughly eliminated, and it’s perfectly stable.”

“Is that so… Well, whatever. Anyway, now I can save Mina—”

Lisara silenced Ryousuke by raising her right index finger in front of his mouth, saying『Shh』.

“It’s still too soon for that. I’ve made it so you can stay in the Shinigami world, but that alone isn’t enough to find Mina.”

“——”

She brought her finger even closer. Lisara’s finger brushed lightly against his lips, making Ryousuke feel a bit flustered. Lisara was probably just naturally like this, though…

“Do you actually know who took Mina, Ryousuke? All you know is that she was taken by members of the Galdabroeg gang, right? Do you know who those members are or where they are? Without that, how do you expect to rescue Mina?”

He couldn’t argue back at all.

“After you fought Galdabroeg and won, Mina was kidnapped by several Shinigami who suddenly appeared. That’s right, there were several of them. Even if we find out where they are, do you really think just you and I could break in and rescue Mina from a group like that?”

Ryousuke, completely agreeing, just shook his head weakly and said,『I don’t think so』.

“Good. I’m glad you understand.”

Finally, Lisara moved her finger away from Ryousuke’s mouth.

“But still, what are we supposed to do then? How can we save Mina?”

Lisara gave him a gentle smile.

“Don’t worry, Ryousuke. I’m so worried about Mina I can hardly stand it. I want to save her as soon as possible. That’s how I feel. I’ll do everything I can, and I’ll use whatever I can to help. That’s why—”

Pausing, Lisara turned to look at her mother, Almeia, who was sitting in front of her, leisurely sipping tea.

“I chose my family, the Restall estate, as our transfer point to the Shinigami world. In other words, to save Mina, I’m going to use the power of the Restall family.”

Lisara declared with determination. Hearing this, Almeia set her teacup down on the table and smiled.

“So, you two have finally finished talking. But Lisara, if you want to use the power of the Restall family, you’ll have to properly explain the situation to me first. Only after that will I make my own decision.”

“Yes, of course.”

Lisara nodded firmly.

“Well then, first… I heard from Kyuru-chan’s explanation, but Lisara-chan, is it true that in order to obtain the spiritual power you use for things like 《Existence Bond Raise》and other spells, you stabbed Ryousuke-san next to you with《Broken Sword Gram》to draw on his life force?”

“Yes, it’s true, Mother. While we’re at it, Kyuru is also getting spiritual power from《Dragon-Slaying Ridill》 stabbed into Caesar’s soul.”

Hearing that, Almeia stared intently at Ryousuke. She was still in her negligee, though at least she’d thrown on a stole. Even so, Ryousuke couldn’t help but have his eyes drawn to her ample chest. Even worried about Mina, he couldn’t stop his lecherous heart from reacting…

“That was a bold move. If it were just《Ridill》, fine, but to actually stab that rampaging《Gram》and directly siphon spiritual power from life force…”

Almeia murmured, sounding both impressed and a little exasperated, then sipped her tea. After slowly setting down her teacup, she looked at Lisara with a somewhat more serious expression.

“So, I heard something about Galdabroeg… Are we talking about that Meiz Galdabroeg?”

Lisara nodded.

“He’s an extremely dangerous individual. He once betrayed the Restall family, stole one of the《Old Five》a—the《Tyrfing》athat our family has inherited for generations—and now he’s a criminal trying to destroy the order between the Shinigami world and the human world.”

The《Old Five》are powerful weapons said to have existed since before the world’s rebirth: the《Gram》 currently stabbed into Ryousuke, Caesar’s《Ridill》, the《Tyrfing》held by Galdabroeg, and so on.

“And not only that, he’s ranked in the Sixty-Ninth Stanza, one of the most formidable Shinigami in both power and intellect in the Shinigami world.”

Stanza—an honorary title given only to Shinigami who have achieved special merits or possess overwhelming power. Stanza ranks go from one to one hundred, and the lower the number, the greater the honor.

Furthermore, it’s an eternal title—your name remains even after death.

Because of that, up to six names can be listed in a single rank, but most of the Stanza ranks are already filled.

To be granted one of those rare seats—that was Galdabroeg.

“That Galdabroeg was hiding in the human world is surprising enough, but could you tell me how you came into contact with him?”

At Almeia’s question, Lisara closed her eyes for a moment to think, then let out a breath.

“I understand. I’ll confess everything. The reason I gave you for staying in the human world—the research on ancient spells—that was a lie. I went to the human world because I believed the information Kyuru brought about the Singular One, and I wanted to get ahead and form a contract with the Singular One myself. Contracting with the Singular One is an honor for any Shinigami, so I thought it would secure my position as the heir to the Restall family.”

Ryousuke felt a wave of mixed emotions at those words.

After all, if he hadn’t offered an umbrella to Lisara that day she came to the human world, soaked by the rain like an abandoned dog, he never would have ended up in the Shinigami world. No, considering that almost no human ever comes to the Shinigami world, it was likely he never would have, in his entire life. There were a lot of problems, but Lisara was a beautiful girl. Getting to talk with such a beautiful girl, even living together and having her make him lunch—those were things Ryousuke would have never dreamed of experiencing. And yet, here he was. In that sense, he felt incredibly lucky. With that in mind, Ryousuke glanced over at Lisara beside him, trying to convey his gratitude.

“What?”

Lisara looked back at him, puzzled, and Ryousuke reconsidered. If he hadn’t met Lisara, he wouldn’t be having his life force drained all the time, and he wouldn’t be unable to indulge in his lewd fantasies. With that, the look he gave Lisara quickly changed to one of reproach.

“Looks like you’ve got some complaints.”

Lisara glared at Ryousuke.

“I do. Any idea why?”

“No idea.”

She answered flatly and without hesitation.

“You really are something…”

“Um, Kyuru-chan already told me you’re living at Ryousuke-san’s house, and it seems you two are getting along. I’m relieved” 

Almeia said, nodding with satisfaction as she watched the two of them.

“How are we getting along? Things are actually getting tense right now!”

“Lisara is right. I, I… Because of her—”

“What about me!”

“What’s your problem!”

Lisara and Ryousuke’s eyes met, sparks flying between them.

“See, you two get along so well,” 

Almeia said with a cheerful smile. At this point, it felt pointless to say anything more…

“Anyway, never mind that. So, did you find the Singular One?”

Lisara looked away from Ryousuke and shook her head weakly.

“No. The information Kyuru got from the Zeria family originally came from Melro Life Insurance, but… we haven’t found them. Melro sent a Shinigami, even if only a lower-ranked one, to Momozono Academy, where the Singular One is supposed to be, so I didn’t think it was a lie…”

For reference, the Shinigami they dispatched is Fourth Rank Shinigami Paoi Malbec, who works as a temporary teacher at the same Momozono Academy that Ryousuke and the others attend.

“While searching for the Singular One, we came into contact with Galdabroeg. For some reason, he was regularly staging revolutions at Momozono Academy—experimenting with spells meant to destroy the order between the Shinigami and human worlds, and stealing spiritual power.”

And what’s worse, it was the absolute worst kind of spell, one that siphoned spiritual energy out from girls’ breasts…

“At that time, Ryousuke awakened『Gram』and drove Galdabroeg off.”

“He awakened『Gram』!?”

Almeia gasped in surprise, then steadied her breathing and gave a small shake of her head.

“And you managed to repel Galdabroeg… no, I’ll ask about that later. First, please explain everything from the beginning.”

“Yes. At that time, Galdabroeg seemed to think there was some secret hidden in Ryousuke’s soul… so he took Mina—Ryousuke’s childhood friend, Ookura Mina—as a hostage. He investigated Ryousuke’s soul and apparently discovered something.”

“He discovered something—the secret of Ryousuke-san’s soul?”

“Yes, though I’m not really sure what it is… But after that, other Shinigami appeared and abducted Mina, bringing her to the Shinigami world.”

“How do you know she was taken to the Shinigami world?”

This time, it was Ryousuke, not Lisara, who answered Almeia’s question. After all, he had heard it directly at that moment.

“Galdabroeg told me himself. He said he wasn’t the one who did the kidnapping, but that it was definitely meant to lure me into the Shinigami world. And he said he would stake his pride on keeping Mina safe.”

“Did he say anything else?”

Prompted by Almeia, Ryousuke searched his memory for a few seconds… then remembered.

“He said something like,『There’s something in my soul that rivals the Old Five…』”

That was what Galdabroeg had said as he was being forcefully transported away after his defeat.

“I see… Now I understand the situation a bit better” 

Almeia said, nodding with satisfaction.

“First of all, Lisara-chan. If you had consulted with me, I could have given you quite a bit of support, you know?”

Almeia pouted a little, sounding a bit sulky. Lisara, shrinking under her mother’s words, muttered a weak excuse.

“But, I thought even you, Mother, wouldn’t be able to freely choose the contractor for the Singular One…”

“Yes, you’re right, Lisara-chan. I’m not the head of the Restall family, just the acting head. So there’s not much I can do on my own.”

“Acting… head?”

When Ryousuke murmured that, Almeia gave a wry smile.

“I married into the Restall family from outside.”

“So, that means you’re not originally a Shinigami of the Restall family?”

“That’s right. Lisara-chan’s father—my late husband—was the real Shinigami of the main Restall family, and he was the head.”

Almeia explained this, not at all gloomy about such a somber subject.

“After my husband died, his father—Lisara-chan’s grandfather—resumed his position as the family head… but, well, he passed away a little while ago.”

Almeia’s expression turned slightly troubled.

“My only child with my husband is Lisara-chan. So, the only Shinigami in the main family now is Lisara-chan… but she just became a First-Class Shinigami, right?”

“She’s too young to succeed the family, huh?” Ryousuke guessed, and Almeia smiled brightly, as if to say he was exactly right.

“That’s why I’m acting as the head until Lisara-chan grows up to be more mature and respectable. However…”

Almeia let out a sigh.

“The head of the Restall family is almost always a man. There have been female heads, but they’re extremely rare. So, there are quite a few people who are opposed to Lisara-chan inheriting the title.”

“…Lisara, sounds like you’re having a harder time than I thought.”

Ryousuke’s words made Lisara shrug and respond.

“Relatives who would never have even been considered as candidates for successor are all aiming for the position of head now. By the way, Father only had a younger sister, so there are no men left in the main family line.”

“Now that I think about it, wasn’t Kyuru your older and younger cousin?” Ryousuke said.

“My, that’s quite sharp of you, Ryousuke-san.”

Kyuru set down her teacup and smiled at Ryousuke’s question.

“Kyuru’s mother is the younger sister of Lisara’s father. See, isn’t it natural for Kyuru to also aim for the head of the family?”

“Kyuru, you too?”

“Fufufu.”

At Lisara’s sharp look, Kyuru glanced at Ryousuke and just gave a meaningful smile.

Lisara watched this gesture with a bit of curiosity, then returned to the topic.

“In any case, Mother is just the acting head. That means, basically, nothing can be decided unless we convince the Restall family’s upper ranks.”

“What a pain—this family is like some kind of royalty” 

Ryousuke muttered, and Lisara turned away. Almeia looked at Lisara in surprise.

“Oh my, Lisara-chan. You haven’t explained anything about the Restall family or the Shinigami world?”

“Uh, well, I just called it a distinguished family and… almost nothing about the Shinigami world itself” 

Lisara said, looking embarrassed and scratching her cheek with her finger. That gesture made it clear to Ryousuke that Lisara had been hiding something from him.

“What’s going on?”

“Well, let’s see… I’ll have to explain about the entire Shinigami world, but it’s related to your soul too, Ryousuke-san, so I’ll explain” 

Almeia offered.

Both Ryousuke and Lisara simultaneously said, “Eh?”

“Ryousuke-san, how much did you learn about Shinigami while you were in the human world?”

“Uh, I learned that the Shinigami world gathers human spiritual energy and uses it as power, or something like that.”

“Yes. Shinigami themselves don’t have spiritual power, so they collect the lumps of spiritual power—『Life Jewels』—that are produced when humans die. They use them as spirit money, for both energy and currency. And the『Life Jewels』have higher purity if the person lived a happy life. That’s why Shinigami make contracts—Shinigami contracts—with humans, and in exchange for receiving the Life Jewel after death, they support humans to help them lead happier lives. That’s probably what you were taught.”

“Yes, something like that. Also, that there are support groups or organizations for Shinigami, and that usually each Shinigami makes contracts with ten to twenty humans, or so…”

“That’s it? Lisara-chan didn’t tell you anything else?”

“Uh, well… Lisara told me there are these『Singular Ones』—humans with enough spiritual power for a thousand or ten thousand people—and that Shinigami make exclusive one-on-one contracts with them and provide really thorough support. Melro Life Insurance’s Iria was also apparently targeting a Singular One like Lisara… Oh, and supposedly, the Shinigami exam even grades you on breast size.”

As Ryousuke recalled these details, Lisara’s face twisted in clear annoyance.

“…But Iria’s breasts were fake, weren’t they?”

“Yeah, to beat you and become top of the class, she invented a spell to make fake breasts. But in reality… yeah, they were really disappointing.”

“They were almost the same size as mine, though…”

Getting that dead-eyed look, Ryousuke honestly bowed his head and said, 

“Sorry.”

“Hmph.”

“Um, may I continue with the explanation?” 

Almeia said with a wry smile.

“With Ryousuke-san’s explanation just now, there’s basically no problem. In other words, Shinigami, who don’t have spiritual power themselves, get spiritual power from humans who do. In that sense, don’t you think Shinigami and humans are two sides of the same coin?”

“Two sides of the same coin?” 

Ryousuke didn’t really understand what Almeia meant.

“Shinigami can use spiritual power in the form of spells. But they have none themselves. Humans have spiritual power, but can’t use spells. Humans give their spiritual power to Shinigami, and Shinigami use it in spells to support humans. It’s a mutually complementary relationship.”

“I see… Now that you mention it.”

“But you know, there actually are beings who exist outside that circle of mutual support. And those beings are, fufu, the ones you mentioned earlier—royalty.”

“Huh, so… there’s a king in the Shinigami world?”

This was news to Ryousuke. He’d had classes about Shinigami, but—even considering how little attention he paid—he was sure he’d never heard this before.

“Yes, only a tiny fraction of people know. Royalty in the Shinigami world are, well, special… or maybe you could call them outliers… hmm, they’re just not normal.”

“Outside the circle?”

“That’s right. For some reason, only the royal males—just the males—have spiritual power in their souls, even though they’re Shinigami. In other words, even without getting spiritual power from humans, they can use their own spiritual power for spells. See? That puts them outside the circle of mutual support.”

Hearing that, Ryousuke suddenly remembered.

During his fight with Galdabroeg, Ryousuke had poured spiritual power into Ridill—a sword not even stabbed into his own soul—and used its power. Galdabroeg had been surprised by that.

Why could a human like Ryousuke channel spiritual power into Ridill like a Shinigami, using spiritual power like one of them?

‘Wait… does that mean, maybe I’m actually royalty? Lisara said my spiritual power is lower than normal, but could it be I’m actually amazing?’

He couldn’t help thinking that.

Goodbye, my ordinary life up until yesterday!

Hello, hero’s life starting today!

Ryousuke clenched his fist in happiness.

“What’s up?”

Prompted by Almeia, Ryousuke, still excited, explained what happened with Ridill.

“Yeah, yeah, just as I thought. Ryousuke-san awakened Gram, and Galdabroeg said there’s something in your soul that rivals the Old Five, right? I had a feeling it was something like that.”

“So… so does that mean I’m royalty? Wait, am I actually amazing?” 

Ryousuke exclaimed.

Lisara and Kyuru exchanged a glance—“No way.”

Almeia shook her head from side to side.

“Huh?”

“There was a royal line, but it died out a long time ago.”

“Huh?”

“There was one descendant left, but, well, he was so hopelessly loose with women that he was nothing but trouble. The Restall family took him in for a while, but… he ran away.”

Almeia let out a deep sigh.

“And when he left, he also stole one of the Restall family’s treasures, Fafnir. Both of them have been missing for a long, long time.”

“Well, but, you know, maybe there’s a descendant of his somewhere…”

Ryousuke tried desperately to hold onto the idea, but…

“Hmm, but Ryousuke-san wasn’t a Singular One, was he?”

Almeia said.

Lisara nodded. 

“After checking, his spiritual power is only about fifteen thousand…”

For reference, an average human has around thirty thousand. Singular Ones apparently have values in the tens or hundreds of millions.

“See? If you were royalty, you’d have at least a Singular One’s level of power” 

Almeia said, making Ryousuke slump in disappointment.

Goodbye, my dream of a hero’s life… It was such a fleeting hope.

“But Mother, then what does that mean for Ryousuke’s soul?” 

Almeia smiled as if she’d been waiting for that question. 

“Fafnir. Fafnir is sleeping within Ryousuke-san’s soul. I think that’s what Galdabroeg sensed.”

“Uh, so what is this Fafnir thing?” 

“It’s one of the Restall family’s treasures, just like the Old Five, inherited from the royal family. It’s said to have existed since before the world was reborn. Fafnir is a secret treasure that contains immense spiritual power, able to transform those it possesses into mighty dragons.”

At that, Ryousuke pressed his hand to his chest.

The thought that something like that could be sleeping inside his soul… It wasn’t that he was amazing himself; it was more that something he’d never seen or heard of was buried inside him. The idea left him feeling distinctly creeped out.

“But Mother, Ryousuke doesn’t show any signs of being a dragon or anything like that… Well, he does turn into a beast sometimes” 

Lisara said, glancing sidelong at Ryousuke.

“Ryousuke-san isn’t using Fafnir. I think it’s just sealed inside his soul. I’d be interested to know how that happened, though…” 

Almeia said, pressing her finger to her lips and falling into thought.

“So, the reason Gram awakened and went out of control wasn’t because of, uh… a lewd stimulus?” 

Lisara asked, her cheeks flushing a bit.

“I think Ryousuke-san’s life force trembled, and a bit of Fafnir’s spiritual power leaked out. Even a tiny leak would mean an incredible amount of spiritual power.”

Kyuru raised her hand. 

“Um, if that’s the case… shouldn’t we try to extract Fafnir from Ryousuke-san’s soul? I mean, Galdabroeg is after it, isn’t he?”

“That’s not something so easily done. Removing a part of a human’s soul requires the person who embedded it and the human’s consent, or an extremely skilled Shinigami. Galdabroeg, for example.”

“Doesn’t the Restall family have any Shinigami like that?” 

Almeia shook her head weakly. 

“There are, but they can’t be used. Fafnir’s power is truly enormous. If people found out it was in your soul, Ryousuke-san, there are those who would stop at nothing to forcefully take it and make it their own.”

Upon that pointed out remark, Ryousuke gulped audibly with a gokuri.

“Of course, within the Restall family, there are Shinigami who possess techniques related to the soul under their command. But there’s no Shinigami I can entrust this to with any confidence right now. After all, they’re all probably aiming to gain the power of 《Fafnir》 and use it to declare themselves the new head of the family, you see.”

“Ugh, so that means… my soul is gonna be left unattended for a while.”

Ryousuke pressed his hand against his chest once more.

It felt gross. But at the same time, he thought:

If that 《Fafnir》 thing was the one that awakened 《Gram》, then it had saved him more than once. Thinking that, he couldn’t help but feel a little grateful.

While Ryousuke was caught up in such thoughts, it seemed like someone mistook it for him being troubled.

Almeia lowered her head apologetically.

“I’m sorryyy.”

“Ah, no…”

“Even though I’m called part of the quasi-royal family, I’m only serving as the acting head, so I don’t really have any power, you seeee.”

“…Quasi-royal family?”

“Ah, that’s right. You haven’t really been given any proper explanations, have youuu.”

Almeia clasped both her hands in front of her face and said,『Oh myyy』.

“Just like in the human world where kings have nobility, the Restall family also has noble ranks.”

Ryousuke nodded in understanding.

“Kyuru-chan’s Zeria family is a marquis, and the Restall family is of the quasi-royal family.”

“Quasi?”

「That’s right. The Restall family originally has very deep blood ties with the royal family, you see. So it’s a family that monitors the royal household. Thanks to that, when the throne was left vacant due to various circumstances, the Restall family ended up being entrusted with important treasures. Things like the 《Ancient Five》 and 《Fafnir》, you know.”

“Wait, then… could it be that Lisara is actually a princess, despite how she looks?”

When he glanced sideways at Lisara, she had a sulky expression.

“The『despite how she looks』part is unnecessary.”

“Fufufu, it’s trueee.”

Almeia nodded, then suddenly let out a small『Ah』, staring intently at Lisara’s face.

“Could it be, Lisara-chan, you didn’t explain it to Ryousuke-san because you don’t like being treated like a princess?”

“T-That’s not—”

Lisara tried to shout a denial, but Almeia wasn’t listening.

“Oh myyy, I’ve done something naughty again.”

She laughed joyfully. Lisara let out a sigh,『Haa』and muttered, “It’s not like that… I just forgot to explain it, that’s all.”

She responded with a face that looked like she had given up on something.

“Can I ask you something?”

Ryousuke raised his hand like a student in class.

“Yes, what is it?”

“If they’re relatives, does that mean the quasi-royal family could become the royal family too?”

Almeia gave a bitter smile.

“I told you earlier, didn’t I. The royal family are special Shinigami who possess spiritual power themselves. In other words, to become the king of the Shinigami Realm, you have to be a Shinigami who naturally has spiritual power. Otherwise, the throne won’t accept you. That’s why it’s been vacant all this time.”

“I see……”

It seemed that things in the Shinigami Realm were complicated in many ways as well.

Then, beside him, Lisara raised both palms toward the ceiling and stretched her body.

“Maa…… nngh, fuu. That’s why, as far as I’m concerned, I think noble titles don’t really mean anything anymore.”

“Why?”

When Ryousuke asked, Lisara glared at him as if it should have been obvious.

“There’s no king who appointed us, right? Something like that doesn’t have any meaning anymore. Well, since it would be a waste to throw away a title we received, everyone just keeps using it. We don’t really use it in daily life. So it’s not like I didn’t explain it because I didn’t want you to be on guard around me, Ryousuke. I just didn’t explain it because there was no need to. Got it?”

It seemed the last part was the main point she wanted to drive home.

“I get it, I get it, so stop glaring at me.”

“I’m not glaring at you.”

After clearly averting the gaze that had absolutely been glaring at Ryousuke, Lisara started speaking again.

“But you see, there is still the status of a quasi royal family. That’s why the Restall family has naturally taken on a role like overseeing the Shinigami Realm. Because of that, the position of head of the Restall family is being targeted, or rather, things don’t go so smoothly.”

“A power struggle kind of thing?”

“Well, it’s not that blatant.”

Saying that, Lisara let her shoulders drop with a haa.

“Still, we can’t just hand it over to some low level Shinigami, right? There are many Shinigami under our banner, and for the stability of the Shinigami Realm, the power of the Restall family is necessary.”

“And that’s why you’re aiming to become the head.”

“Pretty much. I am part of the main family’s direct line, after all, so that should be the most unifying option. For example, if Kyuru became the head, other relatives would start thinking, us too, wouldn’t they?”

At Lisara’s words, Kyuru puckered her lips with a small 『Mu』.

“You’re pretty responsible, Lisara.”

To Ryousuke’s straightforward admiration, Lisara replied a little awkwardly.

“I it’s not that big a deal. I was just raised being told things like that, you know.”

“I see.”

“But in reality, there are relatives who have started showing ambition for the head’s position. Because of that, my mother’s words alone, as acting head, can’t decide anything. We need the agreement of the upper ranks.”

At Lisara’s words, Almeia nodded. Seeing that, Ryousuke’s tone inevitably became urgent.

“Yeah, but then what about saving Mina. I want to go look for Mina as soon as possible. You were the one who stopped me, saying we’d use the power of the Restall family. But if the Restall family can’t even move, then that doesn’t mean anything, does it?”

“It’s not that we can’t use anything at all. And if we ask, Kyuru’s Zeria family should help too.”

“……This is starting to feel kinda unreliable.”

Ryousuke couldn’t help but mutter under his breath.

“Fufufu, now then, everyone.”

Almeia suddenly called out to all of them.

“Do you all know about 《Týr Hagal, the Hail of the Thunder God》?”

Naturally, Ryousuke didn’t know. Caesar, of course, didn’t know either.

“What is that?”

Kyuru didn’t seem to know either. Lisara, however, appeared to recognize the name and spoke as if recalling it.

“《Týr Hagal, the Hail of the Thunder God》…… If I remember right, it’s some kind of terror group.”

“That’s right. That much is probably all they teach at Shinigami School. As for its true nature and how dangerous it really is, only the upper echelon Shinigami know about that, I suppose.”

Almeia said this in a carefree tone, completely at odds with the gravity of her words.

“《Týr Hagal, the Hail of the Thunder God》 is a secret society. Recently, it seems they’ve been moving in a very organized way, and it’s starting to become a problem. After all, their goal is to destroy the current relationship between the Shinigami Realm and the human world, and create a world where Shinigami stand above humans.”

“Isn’t that the same goal Galdabroeg was talking about…”

He had definitely said it.

That humans were nothing more than livestock from which Shinigami squeezed spiritual power.

“Exactly. He is one of the powerful executive members of 《Týr Hagal, the Hail of the Thunder God》.”

Almeia casually dropped that crucial piece of information.

“W-What… then, is there something going on with that 《Týr Hagal, the Hail of the Thunder God》?”

Lisara asked, her expression finally tightening.

“It’s simple. The fact that not just Galdabroeg, but multiple Shinigami were moving means that 《Týr Hagal, the Hail of the Thunder God》 must be involved. And in a place connected to 《Týr Hagal, the Hail of the Thunder God》, Ookura Mina-san has surely been abducted. Don’t you think so?”

“Ah, I see… that makes sense!”

Ryousuke sprang to his feet without thinking and fixed his gaze on Almeia.

“Could it be that you already have an idea of where she is!?”

“Oh my, oh my, don’t get so flustered.”

“How am I supposed not to!”

“There are a few places that come to mind. But it won’t be possible right away.”

As if sensing what was going on in Ryousuke’s heart, Almeia spoke gently.

“I truly understand how impatient you feel. But please, give me a little time. Just a very little. I believe that, within the limits of the power I can muster, I’ll be able to do something about it.”

With that, Almeia bowed deeply.

After being treated like that, there was no way Ryousuke could say anything more.

If he calmed down even a little, it was obvious. In the first place, the one who had barged in uninvited and made a selfish request was Ryousuke himself.

And yet, Almeia cooperated without showing a single displeased expression.

The one who should have been bowing was Ryousuke.

“No, I’m the one who should apologize… I’m sorry for being selfish. Please, I’m begging you. Help me save Mina.”

Once again, Ryousuke made his request properly.

Seeing him like that, Almeia smiled softly.

“I can understand Lisara-chan’s feelings, just a little, you know.”

“Mother?”

Seeing Lisara put on a puzzled expression, Almeia shook her head and said, 『No, it’s nothing』.

“I was just thinking how interesting it is that you ended up with a human who carries 《Fafnir》 in his soul, you see.”

“It’s not like I caught him or anything…”

Lisara only muttered her complaints quietly under her breath.

“That’s right, about 《Fafnir》… Ryousuke-san.”

Hearing Kyuru call him, Ryousuke raised his face, and then,

“…………”

She was just staring at his face absentmindedly.

“What is it, Kyuru?”

“…………”

She was still zoning out.

“Heeey?”

“Eh… o-ohwah!”

Kyuru suddenly panicked. Naturally, everyone’s gaze gathered on her at how flustered she was.

“Ah, no, um… well, you know, that thing, that thing.”

No one could tell what she was trying to say.

“I mean… ah… you see, Ryousuke-san has 《Fafnir》 inside him, right? And if someone like that and Kyuru were to be joined togeth… no, make a contract, then um, well, you see, the position of family head would be settled in no time at all!”

Don! Kyuru slammed her hand on the table.

“You’re still aiming for that?”

When Ryousuke said so, Kyuru replied with a clearly irritated expression.

“Yes, yes, I am aiming for it!”

“Honestly. Right now we’re completely occupied with Mina’s situation, so don’t bring up those kinds of ambitions.”

“…………That’s a mental struggle you can’t understand, being one step ahead, hmph, dear elder sister!”

For some reason, Kyuru was angry.

Seeing that, both Ryousuke and Lisara tilted their heads in confusion.

“Oh my, oh my.”

Watching the scene, Almeia smiled cheerfully. After laughing to her heart’s content, she gave some instructions to the maids, Urs and Hild.

“Ryousuke-san, I’ll have Urs and Hild prepare a guest room for you now, so please rest there tonight.”

“Eh, ah, yes.”

He nodded, but with Mina on his mind, he had little confidence that he would be able to sleep properly.

“Fufu, Ryousuke-san, you’ll be fine.”

Almeia smiled gently, as if to calm him down.

“Ookura Mina-san will absolutely be saved”

That warm smile and those words eased Ryousuke’s heart, if only a little.

※ ※ ※

“This room is incredibly lavish…”

Ryousuke looked around the private room he had been led to and muttered without thinking.

“It is a standard guest room, however.”

Urs said so, but to Ryousuke’s eyes, it hardly looked like a standard guest room at all.

To begin with, it looked to be about twenty tatami mats in size. The bed was simpler than the one in Almeia’s room he had been in earlier, but even so, the mattress looked to be about one meter thick, and this one also had a canopy. The floor was covered in a fluffy carpet with long pile, so soft that it would not have been strange to sleep on it like a futon.

On top of that, there was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

It was like a room where a nineteenth century British noble would live, straight out of a movie or television show.

As Ryousuke was admiring it all, the door at the back opened quietly and Hild came out.

“Eh, it’s not just one room?”

At Ryousuke’s surprise, Urs gave him a puzzled look.

“What did you intend to do about the bath and toilet?”

Hearing that answer, Ryousuke truly felt it sink in. Ah, being a quasi royal family after all, this really was a noble household.

“The bath has already been prepared. There are also sleepwear and such, so please use them as you like.”

Hild approached and explained.

“Ah, yeah.”

“Ryousuke-sama, if you require anything, please ring this bell.”

Urs pointed to a bell placed on the table.

Even calling it a table did not quite fit what Ryousuke had at home. It was matched to the height of the sofa, with sturdy, ornate legs and a glass tabletop carved with decorative patterns.

“Do you have any other questions?”

Prompted by Urs, Ryousuke slowly looked around the room. Every single furnishing was lavishly decorated. Even so, it was not overly gaudy, and the overall harmony of the room was well maintained.

There was a single window, and whether it was open or not, thin lace curtains fluttered lightly, hirahira. The breeze coming in was not very humid, but it was a little warm. It seemed the seasons in the Shinigami Realm and Tokyo were more or less the same.

“Um, is there something like an air conditioner?”

He did not think it was really necessary, but Ryousuke asked just in case.

“An air conditioner?”

Urs made a face that clearly showed she did not understand. Not only Urs, but Hild had the same expression.

I see, it seemed that there were no air conditioners in the Shinigami Realm. Or rather, thinking about it, he had not seen a single electrical appliance. Since the energy of the Shinigami Realm was spiritual power, it was only natural.

“Um, it’s a device that cools the room.”

“Ah, you mean climate control. In that case, please do not worry.”

When Urs gave a look, Hild quietly closed the window.

“With this, climate control will activate automatically. The entire Restall residence is climate controlled, but in rooms with windows, it shuts off when the window is opened.”

“I-I see.”

“If there is anything you do not understand due to differences between human world common sense and the Shinigami Realm, we sincerely apologize, but please ask Lisara-ojousama, Kyuru-sama, or Almeia-sama.”

“Why?”

“Unlike Rune Masters such as Lisara-ojousama, we did not attend Shinigami School. Therefore, we are not very knowledgeable about the human world.”

“Rune Master?”

It was a term he had never heard before.

“It refers to Shinigami who can use spell formulas by themselves.”

“Eh, um, but aren’t all Shinigami able to use spell formulas, um…”

As Ryousuke became confused and lost, Almeia’s voice echoed from the doorway.

“Ordinary Shinigami can only use spell formulas that are woven into tools, you know.”

“Almeia-san?”

“There was one thing I forgot to properly confirm.”

Smiling cheerfully, Almeia entered the room. Then, for some reason, she plopped down onto the bed with a posun. When she patted the spot beside her, she was clearly inviting Ryousuke to sit.

“Um, what does that mean?”

With no other choice, he sat beside her and turned his face toward Almeia.

“!!”

Seeing Almeia’s chest up close was, as expected, incredible. The cleavage was amazing. It looked so soft. On top of that, for some reason, the stole she had been wearing earlier was gone, and she was only in a negligee.

The stimulation was far too strong, and Ryousuke hurriedly turned his face away. Then he glanced back again anyway.

At his behavior, Almeia smiled and began speaking.

“Humans cannot directly control electricity either, can they. You use tools powered by electricity, right?”

“Yes.”

“Ordinary Shinigami are the same. By pouring spiritual power into tools woven with spell formulas, they receive those blessings. However, a small group of Shinigami called Rune Masters are different. In most cases, they are Shinigami who attended or graduated from Shinigami School, and only they can activate spell formulas on their own and directly receive the benefits of spiritual power.”

“I see. So Lisara and the others were actually among the chosen ones even among Shinigami.”

“Basically, all Shinigami have the potential to become Rune Masters, but even so, differences in talent do exist. More than anything, it requires the effort to properly study. Oh, right, right, I am a first class Shinigami as well.”

As she said that, Almeia somehow leaned her body closer to him.

“Aa-uum, Almeia-san, that um, you’re a little too close, I think…”

He desperately averted his eyes, yet no matter what, Ryousuke’s gaze kept flickering toward that Great Canyon like cleavage.

“Hey, Ryousuke-san.”

Almeia called out to him while moving even closer.

“Y yes!”

“Lewd stimulation is Ryousuke-san’s source of vitality, isn’t it?」

“Y-yes, that is correct!”

“If the stimulation gets too strong, that 《Gram》 awakens, right?”

“Yes, it does from lewd stimulation!”

From what she had said earlier, it seemed that when his overly excited soul trembled, the spiritual power of 《Fafnir》 leaked out.

“I wonder what kind of form it takes.”

With a coaxing gesture, Almeia twirled her fingertip and began to toy with Ryousuke’s chest.

“W-what kind, um, well…”

“Is it thick?”

“It’s thick!”

Ryousuke ended up shouting for some reason.

“Really hard?”

“Hard!”

“Is it powerful, I wonder.”

“I-I think so myself!”

“Fufufu, it’s been a while since I’ve felt like this… I kind of want to see it.”

As Almeia laughed seductively, a soft waft of perfume filled Ryousuke’s nostrils.

With the explosive sex appeal of a widow in full bloom, Ryousuke stiffened completely. His mind, his body, and that other place too.

“N-no, um, I mean, I’m here to save Mina, so um, right now I’m, well, here for that, so this kind of happy no, not happy, this lack of tension is a bit too much!”

“Fufufu, you don’t need to be that tense, you know? I just want to see, after so long, how Ryousuke-san reacts to lewd stimulation, that’s all.”

“U-um, this is about 《Gram》, r-right, ah um, wait a second, eh, huh, waaah, now, now is no gooddd!!”

Bofun.

Almeia’s arms wrapped around Ryousuke, and together they were pushed down onto the bed.

Hot, hot, his soul trembled.

Soft breasts wrapped in a negligee were pressed against his chest, and Ryousuke’s lewd soul broke through its critical point in an instant.

“F-fuooooooooooooooooooo”

“Araa, Araaa, turning this vigorous already…… fufu<3”

Before he realized it, at some point, Urs and the other maids had disappeared from the room……

※ ※ ※

“What was that?”

Feeling like she had heard something resembling a scream, Lisara pushed herself up in bed.

“That felt like a really unpleasant presence……”

Furrowing her brows, Lisara slipped out of bed.

The bed in the Restall family mansion, which she had returned to for the first time in a while, was just as comfortable as ever, and she should have fallen into a deep sleep almost immediately.

Yet for reasons she herself could not explain, her mind felt strangely alert.

“I’d better go check it out.”

Still dressed in her strawberry patterned pajamas, Lisara stepped out into the hallway. Without thinking, her feet headed toward the room that had been assigned to Ryousuke.

The Restall family mansion, one of the most prestigious households in the Shinigami Realm, was vast. Vast enough to be called enormous. It was not uncommon for guests to get separated from the maids and end up lost.

However, the private living area where the Restall family members resided was only a small portion of it. The room assigned to Ryousuke was located within that area. Naturally, it was not very far away, and since this was the house where she had been born and raised, Lisara was confident she could reach it even with her eyes closed.

“……It’s not like I’m worried about Ryousuke or anything. It’s just that if someone’s going to cause trouble, it feels like it’d be Ryousuke, that’s all, really.”

As she walked briskly down the hallway covered with thick carpeting, Lisara muttered to herself, speaking to no one in particular, when suddenly a voice called out from behind her.

“I don’t think you really need to keep making excuses like that.”

“Ky-Kyuru!?”

When she turned around, Kyuru was standing there.

“What are you doing at this hour?”

“What do you mean… um, you heard something like a scream too, didn’t you?”

Hearing Lisara’s words, Kyuru let out a puzzled sound. 

“Eh?”

“You didn’t?”

“No, I didn’t. I just went for a walk in the garden to organize my thoughts a bit.”

Now that she mentioned it, Kyuru was not wearing sleepwear but her regular clothes. She must have changed out of her pajamas and gone for a stroll in the garden.

“Your thoughts?”

“Yes. I came to the conclusion that I really should become equal to Onee sama’s position someday.”

“…I have no idea what you’re talking about at all.”

“Oh, is that so? Well, if that’s the case, that’s fine too.”

Lisara had absolutely no clue what Kyuru was talking about.

“Whatever. So you didn’t hear a scream, then.”

At Lisara’s confirmation, Kyuru nodded with a small kokun.

“That’s strange. I felt like I heard one though……”

“Where did it sound like it came from?”

“Um, from the guest room where Ryousuke is staying.”

Looking in the direction of the guest rooms, Kyuru let out a low『Uun』and clapped her hands.

“Now that you mention it, I saw Aunt Almeia heading that way earlier.”

“Mother?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t tell me that idiot Ryousuke did something to M-Mother!”

In an instant, an image flashed through Lisara’s mind of Ryousuke’s lewd soul going out of control.

A delusion of him exploding into a beastly frenzy.

“No way. Even Ryousuke san wouldn’t be that much of a beast, would he……”

Kyuru had just denied it when it happened.

“Aaaah, d-don’t grab that, Almeia-san, noooo!”

Ryousuke’s utterly shameless scream echoed through the air.

At that instant, Lisara and Kyuru looked at each other, and then immediately dashed toward Ryousuke’s room.

※ ※ ※

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

By the time he realized it, the canopy was already filling Ryousuke’s field of vision, and Almeia was straddling him. Perhaps it was simply a difference in experience, but he was made to lie flat on his back on the bed, fully exposing that thing to Almeia’s gaze.

On top of that, even though he had shouted,『Please don’t grab it!』, Almeia did not pay that plea any attention at all, and while shaking her overly generous chest, she firmly grabbed hold of it.

“Oh dear, oh dear, Ryousuke san, you’re much more impressive than you look. It’s already going dokun dokun like this, you know <3”

Almeia stared at it intently while squeezing it with her slender fingertips.

Dokun.

Heat welled up from inside his body.

More than anything, the sight of Almeia’s chest from below was overwhelming. Viewed from beneath, it was completely different from seeing it from above. Pulled downward by gravity, the soft curves were gently distorted, carrying such pressure that it felt as if they might engulf Ryousuke’s face at any moment.

It was truly a dream filled with dreams and dreamlike breasts.

Just thinking something like that made it throb dokun dokun.

Seeing Ryousuke like that, Almeia gave a sultry smile and squeezed even harder.

“Ufufufu<3 This is even bigger on the inside than I imagined, isn’t it……”

Gokuri, Almeia swallowed her saliva.

“H-hey, what are you thinking! T-that thing is dangerous if it comes out, I mean!”

“Araa, please don’t underestimate me. Those girls, fufu, Lisara-chan and the others can’t compare to my experience, you know?”

Saying that, Almeia moved her hand as if dragging it out. In other words, she had no intention of listening to Ryousuke’s attempts to stop her from the start.

“Now then, I’ll properly check what kind of form it’s in. Fufufu, it’s been such a long time since I’ve seen it. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Almeia murmured cheerfully.

“I-I told you it’s no good, ah, aaah, s-stop it alreadyyyyy!”

It was at the moment Ryousuke cried out like that.

Batan! The door flew open, and Lisara and Kyuru burst into the room.

“You came at just the right time!”

Clinging to hope, Ryousuke looked at the two of them.

But both Lisara and Kyuru were completely frozen stiff……

On top of Ryousuke, who was lying on his back on the bed, Almeia was straddling him and moving her hands around goso goso. What it must have looked like was immediately obvious.

Well, to be fair, it really did look like nothing other than a lewd act.

“You’ve got it all wrong, both of you, this isn’t it, it’s not like that! I I didn’t do anything wrong!”

Even as he shouted, his words never reached the ears of the two frozen girls. Rather, taking advantage of that opening, Almeia suddenly pressed the attack even harder. And for some reason, she switched to baby talk……

“AraAraa, you don’t need to be so stronnng, okayyy. Look, it’s all big now and feels squiiished, doesn’t it? Let’s say hellooo to the outside, okayyy?”

“Stop it, I’m not ready for baby play yetttt!”

It was at the moment Ryousuke screamed like that that Kyuru’s paralysis broke.

“Aunt Almeia, what are you doing to Kyuru’s Ryousuke-san!”

At Kyuru’s words, Lisara’s eyebrow twitched sharply. She immediately glared at Kyuru.

“What do you mean by Kyuru’s Ryousuke!?”

“Araa, oh dear. It just slipped out.”

“What do you mean, it just slipped out! How does it just slip out and suddenly become Kyuru’s Ryousuke!”

Lisara snapped at Kyuru, her eyes sharp and triangular. As if fleeing from Lisara, Kyuru pointed at Ryousuke and Almeia.

“More importantly, if we don’t do something fast, Onee-sama is going to end up having to call Ryousuke san『Father』……”

Gigi, like an unlubricated gear grinding stiffly and awkwardly, Lisara slowly turned her face toward the bed.

In Lisara’s field of view was Almeia, leaning slightly forward, gripping something belonging to Ryousuke.

What was she gripping?

As Lisara thought about it again and again──bon.

Bright red.

“O-Onee sama?”

“N-no way, seriously…… b but, um, th that…… eh, um, what on earth are you two doiiing!”

Lisara started running. But thinking that it might really be what she feared was terrifying, so she ran with her eyes tightly shut.

“Kyan!”

With Lisara’s charge, Almeia toppled over onto the bed, off Ryousuke.

“L-Lisara!?”

“Laying hands on someone’s mother, y-you perverted Ryousukeeee!”

Ban! Lisara brought her hand down on Ryousuke’s chest.

“Gehho!?”

“《Gram》, 《Broken Sword Gram》. In the name of Lisara Restall, awaken!”

Lisara suddenly shouted.

“W-wait a second, I didn’t do anything, I mean, I’m the one who got done to, or rather, in the first place I didn’t do anything lewd at all──”

“No arguments allowed!”

“That’s not faaaair!”

“《Gram》, hurry up and hand over your spiritual power!”

Kaaa, Ryousuke’s soul burned hot. From the very depths of his soul, it throbbed dokudoku, and something precious, something very precious, was drawn out into 《Gram》 that was embedded there.

That was his will to live.

The greatest desire that forms the very foundation of human life.

For Ryousuke, that was his lewd soul. His desire for lewdness.

That was absorbed by 《Gram》, converted into spiritual power, and passed over to Lisara.

All that remained was Ryousuke, drained of his desire for lewdness, with everything emptied out, withered away……

“Hafuu～”

Ryousuke gazed quietly up at the canopy. Somehow, he just did not care anymore. Even making excuses to Lisara felt like a pain.

“Hmph.”

“Um, Lisara-chan?”

Almeia looked up at Lisara in a daze.

“Mother, you too! Letting Ryousuke, that um…… do things to you, you’re far too careless!”

“Well now, don’t you think you might be misunderstanding something?”

“Misunderstanding?”

“Yes. I was only checking the 《Gram》 that’s embedded in Ryousuke-san……”

“Eh?”

Lisara blinked rapidly, pachi pachi, and looked down at Ryousuke’s crotch. The zipper was properly closed.

“Um…… eh?”

“Well, I did stimulate Ryousuke-san a little……”

Almeia’s sultry stimulation had greatly excited Ryousuke. Because of that, 《Gram》, which was lodged deep in his soul, in his very will to live, had grown larger. Enough that just the hilt was peeking out slightly from his chest.

“I had heard that Lisara-chan stabbed 《Gram》 into Ryousuke-san, and that it would awaken, of course. But I had never heard any stories about a human who had awakened it…… so I wanted to check whether it really would awaken, and whether the thing about 《Fafnir》 was true. Was there some kind of problem, I wonder?”

At Almeia’s words, Lisara scratched her cheek and shifted her gaze up toward the ceiling.

“W-well, um, you know… when 《Gram》 awakens, it goes berserk and all……”

“Araa, even your mother is, despite appearances, a first class Shinigami, you know. And you of all people should know my abilities well, Lisara-chan.”

“A-ah, th that’s true, but……”

「Hmmm, I wonder what the problem was.」

Lisara’s face color changed from the red of anger to the red of embarrassment.

“That would be it, Aunt Almeia.”

Kyuru slipped into the conversation with a mischievous smile.

“Kyuru-chan?”

“Lisara Onee-sama thought that Aunt Almeia and Ryousuke-san were doing something lewd──”

“Wah wah wah wah wah wah!!”

Lisara shouted loudly and started flailing.

“L-Lisara-chan?”

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing at all, I tell you it’s nothing! It was just a little misunderstanding on my part! Right, Kyuru!”

Lisara glared at Kyuru.

“Well, it doesn’t really matter though.”

Kyuru grinned slyly. Seeing that smile, Almeia clapped her hands with a pon.

“AraAraa, my, could it be that……”

“Mother, please stop jumping to weird conclusions too!”

The three of them started making a ruckus, yelling back and forth.

Watching the three of them, or rather, watching Lisara, Ryousuke realized something.

And quietly pointed it out.

“Lisara, you’ve got way too much of a service spirit.”

“Eh…… um, service spirit?”

At the sudden remark, Lisara turned around with question marks floating all over her face.

“That’s right. You’ve got way too much service spirit. And on top of that… it’s way too cruel.”

“Sorry, I seriously have no idea what you’re talking about…”

“A white pajama with a strawberry pattern.”

“Y-yes, that’s true, but…”

“…On that strawberry pattern, there are two. Natural strawberries growing there.”

“…………Huh?”

“Kuuu, I-I… even seeing those two strawberries, I don’t feel anything. Anything at all. Isn’t that strange? I should want to press them, want to touch them, right? On pajamas, on pajamas… on no bra pajamas, with two bumps sticking outtt!”

Ryousuke shouted.

“Aaa”

Lisara’s face flushed red.

Then, in a panic, she grabbed her chest with both hands, covering her breasts, covering her nipples.

“Nuuoooh. E-even that reaction alone should be more than enough of a reward, and yet I, I don’t feel anything at all. Normally I’d be freaking out thinking, hand bra! and getting super excited. But right now, all I think is, shouldn’t you just cover it with your arms properly? Lisara, you sucked out a man’s lewd soul and then hit me with this kind of fetish cruelty. Aren’t you being way too cruel, huh?”

“I-I couldn’t help it! I just came back to my own house for the first time in a while, and I ended up going without underwear like I usually do. When I’m at your place, Ryousuke, I always make sure to be careful properly…”

“Eh, then it’s not just no bra, it’s no panties too?”

“I am wearing something on the bottommmmmm!”

Lisara grabbed a nearby pillow and once again started smacking Ryousuke over the head repeatedly……

※ ※ ※

“It’s so breeezy!”

Late at night, Iria shouted all by herself in a back alley of the Restall family’s castle town.

The stone paved road was quite different from a human world townscape, with buildings made of bricks and stone lined up tightly with no gaps between them. There were streetlights here and there casting light, but nothing like power lines could be seen. Compared to the human world, it looked like a town straight out of post Industrial Revolution London.

“Why does someone like me have to walk around town with no panties on～～～”

Iria’s panties had fit Ryousuke’s head perfectly when they came to the Shinigami Realm. Having been dragged along into the Shinigami Realm just like that, there was of course nothing under Iria’s skirt.

In other words, she was going commando.

On top of that, since her everyday outfit leaned toward a mini skirt, she had spent the daytime sneaking around and hiding, and only after night fell was Iria finally able to move.

“Uuugh, I got dragged into the Shinigami Realm so suddenly, and I don’t even have any Spirit Money on me……”

Spirit Money. It referred to spiritual power converted into a form that Shinigami could easily use.

The energy that formed the basis of Shinigami activity, spiritual power, also functioned as currency in the Shinigami Realm.

Which meant that Iria was completely broke right now.

“This is obviously Restall’s town, no matter how you look at it. Which means that Iria, who graduated top of her class from the Restall Shinigami School’s first class Shinigami exam, and then defected to Melro together with Flotti chan, is probably suuuper hated here……”

Letting out a sigh, Iria looked up from the shadows of the alley at the magnificent Restall family estate.

While most buildings were at most around five stories tall, the mansion dominated the center of town with an imposing presence.

Tall, sharp spires rose at all four corners, surrounded by high walls. Inside those walls was a gently raised hill, neatly lined with trees rarely seen elsewhere in the town, and the ground was covered with carefully kept grass.

And at the top of the hill stood a mansion that looked just like a castle.

“No, no, Iria. No matter how desperate things get, I absolutely refuse to bow my head to Lisara, ever.”

She shook her head back and forth, bun bun, as if trying to shake off her own weakness.

“……Is all I have left this beautiful face and body……? Ahh, Iria, are you about to fall onto the bad path?”

Hugging her own body, Iria let out a soft yoyoyo as she gazed up at the night sky.

Indeed, Iria was a beautiful girl with an outstanding figure. While hiding the fact that she was a Shinigami in the human world, she worked as a model and also served as the promotional face of Melro Life Insurance, even doing gravure modeling. With a sharp, stylish short haircut that suited her cute, polished face, she still had a selfishly voluptuous body.

“If it comes to this…… maybe I’ll just trick some random lecherous old man.”

“What are you saying. You are a first class Shinigami and the direct head of the Melro Executive Joint Special Operations Office, Far East Branch.”

Suddenly being spoken to, Iria jumped back and immediately took a combat stance.

Then the man pulled out an accessory. Decorated with a cow, a rabbit, and a milk bottle, it was the emblem of Melro Life Insurance, the 『Moo Moo Rabbit』.

“Eh…… you’re a Shinigami from Melro?”

“Nir. Well, you could call me an intelligence operative. But if you are a member of Melro, please keep the 『Moo Moo Rabbit』 on you at all times, at least against your skin. It took extra effort to confirm your identity.”

Nir said this with an exasperated tone.

“I-I didn’t want to drop it in the toilet, so I took it off. And then g-gghhh, Kaga Ryousukeeee, how dare you come into the toilet without knockingggg!”

Don don! Iria stomped the ground violently on the spot. However, Nir did not react to her outburst and continued speaking calmly.

“Iria-san, a top secret directive has come down from headquarters for you.”

“Eh? Headquarters already knows I’m here? Has it been exposed already?”

“Of course. Malbec has already reported that you transferred together with Lisara Restall and the others.”

While staying at Malbec’s apartment, Iria had been sitting on the toilet when Ryousuke, Lisara, Kyuru, and Caesar had barged in. On top of that, the toilet had been a junction point connecting the human world and the Shinigami Realm. As a result, they had jumped straight between Iria’s thighs. Poor Iria had her panties stolen by Ryousuke and was dragged along with them into the Shinigami Realm.

“The mission is to infiltrate a certain count family.”

Nir informed her with a slightly tense expression.

“According to reports from Melro’s intelligence division, there is a possibility that a count family suspected of harboring an executive of 《Týr Hagal, the Hail of the Thunder God》 is making contact with one of Restall’s influential families, the Zeria family.”

“……The Zeria family?”

Iria recalled the face of that infuriating Kyuru. As far as Iria knew, Kyuru was supposed to be on fairly good terms with Lisara, who was a successor candidate of the Restall family.

“We have not yet grasped the details. Iria-san, I believe you are aware that our weak Melro organization has very few Shinigami with power equal to yours.”

“Ara, my, is that so. Well, I guess it’s true. After all, Iria graduated top of the class in the first class Shinigami exam at the Restall Shinigami School. Top of the class.”

That was precisely why Iria had accepted Melro’s headhunting offer, thinking she could rise through the ranks faster than at Restall.

“That is why upper management sees your transfer to the Shinigami Realm as an opportunity. Of course, this mission is outside your original duties. You are free to refuse, however──”

Before Nir could finish, Iria grabbed his hand.

“Of course, it’s all for Melro Life Insurance. Iria will do her very best☆”

Naturally, it was for the sake of promotion.

“When it comes to infiltration, don’t worry. I’ve managed to establish a pipeline with one of the council members of the Shinigami Maid Guild.”

“…You mean that absolutely neutral, with a reputation for complete trustworthiness, group?”

“Exactly. I closed the deal with a rare BL book. How about that? That’s something the stiff Restall and Grunash Shinigami Organization could never pull off!”

Don! Nir thumped his own chest.

“Wait, are you saying… you bought it, or… wasn’t that Malbec’s?”

It was Iria who had taken it from a bawling Malbec.

“Anyway, with that endorsement, you can infiltrate as a maid.”

Nir handed a bag at his feet to Iria.

“What’s this?”

“A maid uniform for the count family you’ll be infiltrating, and a pair of glasses with a disguise spell woven in. There’s also an accessory loaded with emergency Spirit Money. Ah, and one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“There are reports that large breasts may be dangerous, so you’re to release your『ample chest』spell and infiltrate in your original, flat-chested form.”

Iria froze, then crumpled to the ground on the spot.

“They found out… ahahahaha, they found out… ueeeeeeeeen!”