Eating my favourite dark garlic fries while lying down on my bed was a supreme bliss.

  I couldn’t imagine myself from stopping that kind of enjoyment. Thus, let’s change the topic.

  「Come to think of it, I’ve never have a meal with my dear father… Buhihihi.」


  I tried to somehow changed the topic with a forceful smile on my face.

  「Good grief, you haven’t changed since you were a child. Always trying to divert the topic whenever you feel it’s inconvenient to you.」


  Grandma heaved a sigh as she spoke.

  It seems she’d seen through my intentions.

  「Your highness, why don’t you have meals with Mode- I mean, with His Majesty?」


  Master asked me with a worried look on his face.

  His expression was serious.

  My heart was about to burst when he looked at me with such eyes.

  「Eh! That’s… you see. We were quarreling in the past and I haven’t… seen him again after that…」


  My heart pounded even faster as I replied to him.

  「I see… Come to think of it, Your Highness. Do you know His Majesty’s favourite food?」


  After pondering for a while, Master suddenly asked me about my father’s favourite food.

  It seems he had some idea.

  What was the meaning behind his question? Honestly I couldn’t understand it. But, I replied at once.

  「Uhm, my father loves kraken dishes…」


  I replied while recalling the matter of the past.

  I mean, my dear father did enjoy the liquor while eating dishes made from kraken.

  「I see. Well then, Your highness. How about we catch some kraken for His Majesty?」


  「M-Master, what’s the matter with you having such an idea out of nowhere!!??」


  I went into a panic.

  Kraken were giant sea beasts who lived in nothern sea. I heard that catching one was really hard. The degree of difficulty was too much for a weak shut-in like me.

  「You can give that kraken to his Majesty and have a meal with him. And while you’re at that, how about using that chance to mend your relationship?」


  Master was nodding with smile on his face as he said those words.

  It was an extremely refreshing smile.

  ◆Silver Witch; Kuna

  Kuna and the others were in Kuroki’s mansion in Nargol.

  This mansion was ill-suited for secret talk since the female knight, Guno, and co were also standing by in this place.

  But, since I literally had abandoned sweet’s castle, I had no choice but to receive the secret report in this mansion.

  I ordered Guno and co to stay away from the room so I should be able to receive the secret report safely for the time being.

  「The hero and co are too slow in making their move. What in the world are you doing, Zand?」


  「U~hm. I’m also puzzled by their actions, Kuna-sama. But, they’re definitely heading toward the sweet’s castle~.」


  Zand the clown replied so while bending his body.

  His movements made me even more irritated.

  According to Zand’s report, the hero and co were definitely moving toward the sweet’s castle but their speed could only be considered as a snail’s pace.

  Kuna really hated it when anyone aside from Kuroki made her wait.

  Just what in the world was that useless hero doing right now?

  In fact, I’ve really been looking forward to the sight of that idiot Datie fighting against the hero and co.

  「Zand. Kuna really hates to be forced to wait like this. Investigate the cause for the delay of their arrival. And if possible, force them to make their move.」


  「Yes, Kuna-sama.」


  The clown vanished after he said so.

  「Geez, just what in the world is that idiot hero doing.」


  Kuna left the room after the matter was dealt with.

  Well then, there was still sometime until Kuroki returns. What should I do to kill time until then.

  「KUNA-SAMA!! KUNA-SAMAAAAAAA!!」


  A moment after I was pondering what I wanted to do to kill some time, Tibel the fairy came flying toward Kuna in hurry.

  「What’sthe matter, Tibel?」


  She was always noisy but her current state was clearly abnormal no matter how I looked at it.

  「BAD NEWS KUNA-SAMA!! IT’S A REALLY BAD NEWS!!! THE GREAT FROG IS COMIIIIIIIING!!」


  「What?!!」


  Even Kuna was caught off guard hearing that news.

  There was only one person who called great frog by Tibel: Archwitch of the wetland; Heqet.

  Heqet’s kin, Toadmen and Empusas, were the nemesis of Tibel and the other fairies. No wonder she’d fallen into this state upon knowing that the big boss of her tribe’s nemesis was coming in person.

  Upon listening carefully, I found out that it wasn’t just Tibel. All the faries in this mansion had fallen into the same state as her.

  「You’re noisy, Tibel. Since you don’t want to meet her, hide yourself when I go out to meet her.」


  Kuna headed toward the parlor after she said so.

  Kuna intended to recieve Heqet in this place.

  「Sorry for intruding. The mansion is rather noisy.」


  Heqet, who was guided by the female daemon Guno, entered the room.

  Archwitch of the wetlands; Heqet was a personage that was highly revered even by the demon king himself. Let alone the likes of Guno, she had no qualifications to shoo Heqet away.

  Thus, she could only guide Heqet into the mansion.

  「Heqet… Is something the matter?」


  Kuna welcomed her while still sitting in her chair.

  Honestly speaking, the one who should sit in this master chair was Kuroki. But, Kuroki was absent right now.

  Thus, Kuna, as his mistress, was the one who sat in this chair to welcome Heqet.

  「Call me master, Silver. Good grief, both Mona and you are the same in this regard. It seem all the goddess’ clones have the same warped personality. Maybe it was really a great mistake on my part to impart the secret arts of creation. I should warn that boy Modes about this matter later.」


  Heqet took a seat in the guest seat while shaking her head as if to say “Good grief.”


  Kuna studied under Heqet some time ago.

  Though I couldn’t bring myself to like this woman, her knowledge rivaled that of Loughas and even surpassed him in some areas.

  It was also thanks to this witch that Kuna gained the ability as a bug user.

  I guess I need to show a little courtesy to her as my master.

  「Fine then. Is something the matter, Master?」


  Kuna asked as she released intimidating air toward Heqet.

  Regardless, this witch was as composed as ever.

  「Cease your vigilance, Silver. Ribbitribbitribbit. I simply came to see you. I even got permission from that Black Storm of yours.」


  Black Storm was Heqet’s nickname for Kuroki.

  In this part, I really wished that Kuroki would rebuke her.

  「I see. Since you wanted to see me, I guess you’ve already fulfilled your purpose. Now you may leave, Master.」


  「Can’t be helped then. RibbitRibbitRibbit. Which reminds me, what are you trying to hide from me?」


  All of Heqet’s six eyes were locked on Kuna. She might be laughing but her eyes were dead serious.

  「It’s not like I’m trying to keep it a secret from you.」


  But, Kuna didn’t back down and glared back at Heqet instead.

  「Not trying to hide, huh. You only don’t want to tell me about it, right?」


  「About what?」


  「About the Blue Forest. And the fact that the Hero and co are heading toward that place. Are you sure that you’re not going to tell Black Storm about this matter?」


  「!!」


  Honestly, I was really surprised.

  Good grief, I really couldn’t hide anything from this witch.

  Currently, the matter regarding the hero and co was being handled by Kuroki, including the information gathering.

  Nevertheless, since Kuroki was really bad at gathering information, that task ended up being handled by Kuna.

  Thus, properly speaking, I should tell Kuroki about the hero coming to blue forest.

  Could it be that Heqet knows the reason why I didn’t tell Kuroki about this piece of information?

  「Well, I only knew about this a while ago. Those fairies are chatterboxes after all. All I need is a little magic to eavesdrop on their conversation. RibbitRibbitRibbit」


  Heqet was smiling as she spoke.

  「There’s no need to report this matter to Kuroki. It just my way to make Datie pay for her transgression.」


  Datie’s transgression was trying to trick Kuroki by taking Kuna’s appearance.

  But, even if Kuroki knew about this matter, the gentle Kuroki would most likely forgive her since it was only an attempt.

  Thus, Kuna simply kept this matter as a secret from Kuroki.

  「Well, it makes sense I guess. This might become a good lesson for that s*x maniac. But, that idiot goblin is still this old woman’s apprentice. You don’t mind if I give her a little assistance right, Silver?」


  Datie was also Heqet’s apprentice. That was the reason why the former knew how to create an aphrodisiac.

  Heqet seems to want to at least keep Datie alive.

  「Yeah, do as you wish, Master. But, the hero is strong. More than you.」


  According to the story, she was supposed to face the hero and co when they arrived at the demon king castle before, but since Kuroki wiped the floor with the hero and nearly cut the hero in half, she didn’t get the chance to fight him at all.

  But I was sure of one thing, the hero was most likely far more powerful than Heqet.

  Heqet was strong, but I don’t think she could win against the hero.

  In the first place, it should take someone at Kuroki or the Demon King’s level to beat the hero.

  「Indeed. Well, I’ll escape once things get dangerous. I have some plans to make use of that fella’s power. RibbitRibbitRibbit.」


  Heqet laughed as she spoke.