Chapter 20 - It Seems Like I"m One Foot Away from Having a Personal Connections Cheat
By the time we returned to the road, which was completely shrouded in the darkness of the night, and arrived at Lilia-san’s mansion, it was almost midnight already.
[Welcome back, Miyama-sama.]
[Lunamaria-san. Sorry, I’m late.]
[No, My Lady and the others have just returned a short while ago, so it’s not that you’re that late.]
I apologized to Lunamaria-san, who probably heard the sound of the carriage at the door and came out to greet me, even though it’s already this late, but I was told that Lilia-san and the others had also coincidentally just returned a few minutes ago.
[How was the dinner party?]
[Yeah, I had a lot of fun.]
[I’m glad to hear that. My Lady has been worried about you a lot so……]
We continued down the hallway while lightly bantering with each other.
Hmmm. It kind of feels strange, but comparing the two of them once again, I feel that the atmosphere between Ein-san and Lunamaria-san is different. Ein-san has polished her abilities to the limits, not having any gaps in her work while on the other hand, Lunamaria-san is a little more laidback, how should I say this, she’s treating being a maid as work. They’re both maids but they have different atmospheres—- or perhaps, is it just Ein-san that’s strange……?
As I was thinking about this, I was led to the dining room, and after greeting back Lilia-san and the others, we had tea together and talked about what had happened to each of us.
[……I see, a demon that used to be an otherworlder huh…… That’s a really rare instance.]
[Yes. I’ve heard that there were some of those who hold the role of Hero who wanted to live here permanently in the past. but for one to have reincarnated as a demon……]
[Or rather, in the first place, is there even a way to reincarnate a human into a demon?]
In the middle of our conversation, as expected, Lilia-san and the others were particularly interested in the story of Neun-san, a former j.a.panese.
Neun-san said she was reincarnated with Kuro’s power as if it’s normal, so I had only been aware that it was actually possible for such a thing to happen, but both Lilia-san and Lunamaria-san had surprised looks on their faces.
[I can’t say that there isn’t a way. In fact, there was a human with the same description as Kaito-san described, but she has lived hundreds of years before. Among the high-level demons who have lived for so many years, there are many who have their own secret techniques that are still unknown to us humans.]
[However, to have such power that’s able to change not only their lifespan, but also their original race…… The high-ranking demon that Miyama-sama got to know must have been at least an “Earl-rank”…… It can even be a “Duke-rank” high-ranking demon.]
[That rank stuff you’re talking about, is that the ranking between the demons?]
[Yes, the Demon Realm doesn’t have the same aristocracy and ranking system as the Human Realm, but it’s not uncommon for a single powerful demon to be compared with a t.i.tle to rank their strength for the sake of convenience. The strength of an Earl-rank demon alone would be enough to rival a country. They’re also equal or more powerful than high-ranking G.o.ds in the G.o.d Realm. There are only a handful of the Duke-ranks in the vast Demon Realm. At the very least, they aren’t ones who you can just meet even if you want to.]
There’s no doubt the Kuro is a high-ranking demon with tremendous power, but it seems that she’s even more extraordinary than I’d imagined.
However, if she’s that extraordinary, I don’t think it would be strange if Lilia-san and Lunamaria-san was able to recognize her name, is what I thought but……
[……Ah, I hadn’t told Kaito-san and the others yet, but a lot of high-level demons often use Information Concealment Magic regularly, so a third party wouldn’t be able to get information about them.]
[Eh? What does that mean?]
[Using our earlier conversation as an example, Kaito-kun, even if you normally tell us the name and stuff like that about the high-ranking demon, that magic would prevent us from hearing about it. We would be able to hear it if we’re aware of each other’s existence, but we won’t be able to get any information from Kaito-san.]
[From Miyama-san’s story earlier, the only ones we’ve been able to hear are Neun-sama, Acht-sama, and Razelia-sama. As for the other people you mentioned, we didn’t hear about how many they are, their appearance, or the contents of your conversations.]
[I- Is that so……]
Information Concealment Magic…… I see, speaking of which, Acht told me that high-ranking demons are basically lone wolves who often make their subordinates move in their stead and don’t move themselves, and Kuro only appears when I’m alone.
Indeed, if we a.s.sume that Kuro is a high-ranking demon higher than or equal to Earl-rank, she would be an existence that has the power to rival the country’s war potential alone, and if she were walking around town, it might cause a commotion.
[For instance, me and Luna naturally knows the name and appearances of the Six Kings but…… For example, if Luna mentioned the name of the Underworld King-sama, it would be like our words wouldn’t be recognized in Kaito-san and the others’ brains, as if you didn’t hear anything at all.]
[The Information Concealment Magic is a very advanced type of magic, and if it’s always deployed, it consumes a tremendous amount of magic power, making it impossible to normally use unless you’re a high-ranking magician. So, whether or not someone can use Information Concealment Magic is one of the criteria for judging their rank. Well, there is no one who can use Information Concealment Magic among the humans, so there’s still a lot of unknowns for us about the effect of that magic……]
Lunamaria-san added to Lilia-san’s explanation.
Hmmm. In other words, among the people I got to know this time, Neun-san, Acht and Raz-san are ordinary demons, while Sechs-san and Ein-san are cla.s.sified as high-ranking demons.
[Well, there are some beings who don’t go as far as to use Information Concealment Magic…… “War King Megiddo Argetes Borgnes-sama”, “World King Lillywood Yggdrasil-sama”, “Dragon King Magnawell Baskus Lardo Kurtzvald-sama” doesn’t use Information Concealment Magic, so everyone should be able to hear their names……]
Whoa, a bunch of awfully long names was given in rapid succession. No matter which world it may be, would it be as I thought, that all kings would have long names?
Come to think of it, one of the names there sounds familiar. Wasn’t the Dragon King’s name the one that Acht had used as an example to how big he was?
[I can tell just from hearing their names that they sound like great people, but why aren’t the three of them using that Information Concealment Magic?]
As I was thinking about this, Kusunoki-san expressed the same doubts I had.
[The reason is different for each of them. Though it isn’t like we asked them directly about it either…… but it’s simply because the War King doesn’t like things like hiding. The World King has a large number of followers, and I suppose she herself is an object of faith in some areas. As for the Dragon King…… He has physique so huge that it could even be mistaken for a mountain range, so it wouldn’t make much sense trying to hide at all.]
[……I think I’ve learned once again how outrageous of existence these Six Kings are.]
The Dragon King was even bigger than I imagined!? Saying that he’s around the size of a mountain range, that’s like over thousands of meters!? Compared to that, even the 5-meter tall Acht really might look like a child. If a being of that size were to move around, I think that just walking around would be enough to cause an earthquake……
[Well, we won’t have the chance to meet the Six Kings in person for the time being, but you can still see them during the Festival of Heroes.]
[That is… I don’t know if I should look forward to it or be frightened for that day……]
[Normally, even n.o.bles don’t have the opportunity to get to know high-ranking demons. Moreover, you even ate together with them…… That’s quite an odd situation you got into, isn’t it, Miyama-sama?]
[I guess you could say that you have talent in having good connection with others. If a high-ranking demon remembers your name, you could even say that alone will give you some kind of power…… Please do treasure those connections that you’ve built up.]
[Ah, yes.]
Hmmm. If you certainly look at it that way, I guess I’m quite lucky even just being able to interact with these tremendous beings. Unnn, I have lots of things on my mind, but let’s just think that situation is a plus for me.
How someone that even n.o.bles weren’t able to get to know very often, comes to visit me every night and would even teach me magic…… thinking about it again, that’s quite an outrageous situation I am in.
[Putting that aside, wouldn’t it be better for My Lady if you could get a bit of Miyama-sama’s talent?]
[Ugghhh…… Indeed, Kaito-san’s social skills are something to be emulated. If you have some tips you could partake, would you please teach me……]
[……Ha- Hahaha……]
For some reason, I can’t help but bitterly smile back at Lilia-san, who’s looking at me with respect.
I— I can’t tell them…… I can’t tell them that I was just a loner who didn’t even have any friends in my former world. These relationships I currently have is just the result of being swept around by Kuro, and my communi-power is actually as small as a water flea……
Dear Mom, Dad—– I was supposed to be an elite loner when I was back on Earth, but some reason—– It seems like I’m one foot away from having a personal connections cheat.
(T/N:
Advanced chapter post, not bonus chapter lul.
-LazyCat