After meeting up in the park, I, Higan and, Alstroe-nee dilly dally in the whole city. We go from stall to stall, store to store and district by district.

Weird enough, there’s a grave district where zombies and skeletons live. In each grave, you can see a large hole in it. When we tried to peek inside of it, there’s a zombie guy who is chilling out on a sofa…

In some store, we bought this chorizo and nachos. Both tasted oddly delicious. The chorizo is a long meat filled with cheese and stuff. The nacho comes with a sinister green dip which really goes well with the snack. 

After satisfying ourselves, we return to the governor’s mansion…

What we saw, an identical mansion beside the ruin mansion… Wait!?

We are dumbfounded on what we are seeing. Did they just rebuild a mansion from a scratch?

Lirin is standing by the gate expecting our return. As we approach, Lirin opens the gate for us and beckons us to follow her.

To the place that Lirin escorts us, a garden with a big field. The garden is filled with lots of flower and plants but next to it, there’s a big battlefield. Master and Gria is sitting in the middle of the garden in a bench while talking about something.

“Lord Gria, the guests have returned.”

“Ay, Welcome back chicas.”

The lord of the city himself greets us back. This guy is really lax…no formalities and such. There is something I really need to ask which I know Higan and Alstroe want to ask too.

“L-Lord Gria, how did this mansion sprouted like a mushroom?”

“Oh! We built it.”

“…How?”

“By carpentry.”

“No, no, no! I mean, rebuilding the whole mansion from nothing. Not even half a day passed and there is another mansion built. I mean, how did that happen?”

“I ask the thousands of zombie workers. They don’t tire out and they just keep working with a just minimum wage. I told them I can give them more but they refused since they are thankful for me.”

“…”

I can’t imagine it. That’s impossible however I think of it.

All I can do is let out a sigh. I’ll just leave it at that. Lord Gria then speaks.

“Oh yeah, there’s another guest here beside you is here, and later my daughter will arrive from her adventuring. I’d like you, girls, to meet them. Lirin please call him.”

“Yes.”

With a questioning face, I look at Gria. Master is just sitting there, yawning.

As we wait, we go around the garden, appreciating the beautiful flowers and elegantly trimmed trees and bushes. There are so many unknown flower and plants. But there is one plant that catches my attention, a cactus.

The cactus itself is normal, it only has flower sprouting from it. But as expected, it’s full of needles. Curiosity struck the fox, she ran over her hand on it.

“WAAAH!”

“You shouldn’t have done that…”

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She let out a shriek when she pricks herself from the cactus needle. There are some stuck on her palm. I gently pick them out.

Whenever I pick out one, her whole body jerks. Even with her deadpan face, you can see the face of regret.

After treating Higan, Lirin comes back with someone…

Hahahaha! What the hell!?

Lord Gria spoke while introducing him…

“Chicas! This is my adoptive son, Balrog.”

“Eh…um… Nice meeting you girls…”

“Ah! It’s mister beef!”

“Don’t call me that please.”

The one who was introduced is none other than Balrog, who was also introduced as Gria’s adoptive son. Balrog has a really complicated face upon seeing us.

“Balrog, these chicas are Asagao, Higanbana, and Alstromeria. They are with Mrothgir.”

“What?! They are Lord Mrothgir’s companion?!”

“In fact, those two little girls are his disciples.”

“…”

The atmosphere turned weird. Balrog doesn't know what to say. After contemplating for a while, Balrog speaks.

“Nice to meet you girls, I am Balrog as what my father introduced earlier. I am a worker for welfare development office in the demon capital which goal is to enrich the lives of our people especially the poor and the children. Due to my long stay in the capital, I don’t speak like father, nor the other residents of this city. I believed all of us met in the arena today…”

“Eh? You’re not an undead?”

“Do I look like dead to you girls?!”

“”…””

He is seriously saying he is an office worker with that body. I really thought he’d be something like a demon lord general or something worst.

I guess size is irrelevant to combat in this world. Alstroe for example…

“Um..well…why did you kick us out earlier?”

Gria and Master intercept my question.

“Well, first of all, if Balrog did that to you, it means he cared for your safety, but he can’t come up with a better way of doing it.”

“And for him, the bullfighting is a sport and to relieve stress for him. It’s one of his entertainments once a month.”

“Please stop that, father and Lord Mrothgir. That silver haired girl gave me a fairly good beating earlier too.”

“Miss Alstroe did…?”

“Anyway, those two little girls there, they are your disciples right, Lord Mrothgir?”

“Yes. Well, they are still weak, to be honest.”

“I believe…Miss Alstroe is on another level since…you call her with so much formality, but what about these two girls? What are the things that they can do?”

He asks those questions to master. Master’s evaluation of us goes like these, for me, my uniqueness as someone who can only use four magic, while excluding the enhancement.

While my creativity with my barriers is splendid, I lack any real offensive magic and my barrier’s defense still loses against master. For Higan…

“Higanbana is a magician who uses unmixed elemental attack and completely no deviation to it. But you can say that her magic is refined due to repetitive use and does not try to compound skills. What’s more, she trains in elemental enhancement usage, albeit it’s really inferior to your full body elemental enhancement Balrog.”

Wait, there’s something new to us! Higan asks about it.

“Full Body Elemental Enhancement?”

“Yes. Your elemental enhancement is just a usage for something like your fist or in a weapon. Balrog uses it on his whole body. Although he can only use fire since he has a high tolerance to it. If you were to use something like, you need to have a good control over your magic power not to hurt yourself. In extreme cases, if you can also use spirit magic, you can summon elemental beasts.”

“Eh? Master…please repeat! I need to take down notes!”

I somehow understand the concept myself, but I am unable to use something like that. I can flexibly use my barrier but to put it simply, it’s not to the point that I can use it for a real offensive attack if the enemy is extremely tough, big and heavy.

Come to think of it…if I fought with an enemy who is a battle veteran and smart. I don’t think I can hold my ground against someone like that.

Right now…I just thought of Nil. Just thinking about him instills fear to me. I don’t know how strong Nil is but, I can already picture myself…defeated…and…

“Hey, Asagao, are you okay? Your lips are getting paler.”

“Eh? M-master?”

“You’re thinking of something again are you?”

“It’s nothing…please don’t mind me…”

Master is always quick on the uptake… I honestly feel under the weather right now but that’s nothing to worry about… Higan and Alstroe look at me worriedly. I just smiled at them and told them that it’s nothing.

Gria and Balrog just kept quiet on the scene. I guess they know when not to cross the line. Balrog’s face is saying like “Fess it up before you hurt yourself.” Gria is just looking at me with mix expression of worried and curiosity.

Gria was about to say something when suddenly, Maid Lirin call out to him.

“Lord Gria-, the lady has arrived.”

“Oh! Yeah! That’s! Please lead her here.”

“As you wish.”

At the news that was conveyed to us, Balrog knits his brow. Master just let out a sigh and Gria seems to loosen up.

“Father, why didn’t you tell me that she is coming home today? I would have slept in an inn or something!”

“I just wanted for us to be together again like old times…”

“Seriously…father…”

After a while, Lirin comes back with a girl.

She is quite tall. Taller than Alstroe-nee. She wears a tunic layered by a breastplate. She also has steel gauntlets and wearing steel greaves. A cutlass hangs from her leather belt that is worn under her pleated skirt made up of strong fabric.

She gave off a noble aura from her as she walks with daunting dignity.

Her facial features are beautifully proportioned. Her eyelashes are long and her eyes are sharp. The colors of the eyes are different from one another. In the left, it’s visibly red. In the right, it’s green. She is really pale but her lips are pinkish in color and there are fangs peeking out from it.

Similar to Gria, her hair is blond and comb to the back, meaning, her beautiful forehead is in sight. Her hair flows up to before the waist. It’s also fashioned with braids from the center of her hair.

The girl who looks like in her late teens spoke…

“Hmph. I see you have brought young girls to prey again father.”

“I-It’s not like that…”

“Don’t be rude to father!”

“You’re also here Balrog, annoyingly loud and big as ever.” 

“Please…stop you two…please get along well…and Diyu…introduce yourself please…”

“Hmph. I am Diyu Hellbeing, the daughter of that pathetic man over there.”

This is going to get sour…