Chapter7，Part1 – Chapter 7.1  

When I returned to the village to move on to the next step on the board, I noticed the presence of a presence that I had detected many times recently. I ask the male demonkin who is in charge of the village head about my absence without mentioning me, and he tells me that Sophia is here as I had expected, and that she was a visitor.

Countess Laud…… No, I should say「former」Countess since I heard that she recently cut ties with her family. She has been a female knight since Emi was socializing as「Remilia」and since Emi and her friends entered the school after she graduated, there is no indication in her memory that they interacted much.

However, she has been a frequent visitor to me since this pioneer village had only a single-digit number of residents. She went out of her way to talk to me because she felt uncomfortable with what she had heard over the years from her fiancé, David, about me and his reputation in social circles and what had happened since the Star Maiden appeared.

It’s ironic that an almost stranger who overheard that secondhand account could judge it more correctly than a childhood friend who spent years with him.

At first, a few demons had just begun to settle in the area, and I could not count humans among my people yet, so I told them only that「the castle is guarded here, and if you get involved with me, even you will be unhappy」and denied them. I didn’t know what was inside her because she was a complete no-name, someone who was not monitored by the messenger, and she could have been a spy with the Star Maiden’s command.

But she didn’t give up, and as she inquired about what I was doing in the village and camped out in the neighborhood on her own, she began to feel sympathy and compassion for「Remilia,」she was convinced that I had been falsely accused as she saw me taking in those who had no relatives, giving them jobs, and working alongside them. We know that via the messenger’s surveillance that was put on her during her first visit, she has since broken off her engagement to David, who was with the Star Maiden, and even cut ties with her family, who resisted to the last to let her marry scraps and daughters to keep them connected to the Knight Commander’s family. We went around to various dungeons, and at this time, every time we returned to the village, Sphere would make a pretense of wanting to talk to me. Perhaps she wish to move here or something… Well, it’s about time we had a piece that knew what it was about, so it’s perfect. I’ve been avoiding having humans around, but Pina seems to have used up that perfume, even the one I had on hand, so I don’t have to worry about her turning anymore.

Ahh, human children were invited to the village before that, but that’s okay. Because there is no possibility that Pina would use that perfume or love potion on a child with no relatives. That’s why they gathered all the girls and the boys who are not good looking. Besides, they had heard from the indigenous demon tribe about the actions of the Star Maiden before they came to this village. They said she had tricked me and banished me. They were angry that the star maiden had done such a thing to me, who had given them food and clothing, treated them like a mother or sister, and now missed and appreciated them as if they were real family. It will be impossible for that woman to turn this over again.

Sophia already has a firm dislike for the Star Maiden, so it’s a good time to bring them on board. And it would be…… wonderful to have a partner who has a strong sense of justice and says things clearly. I pretended to have no idea what the Sphere was about to say and invited her into the mansion.

I didn’t expect her to want to be my subordinate, let alone emigrate.

I’m grateful that Sophia, who was adored by young noble girls, including pseudo-romance like adolescent fever, is following me, but I’m not sure I want her to be…… my knight in shining armor.

Well, I wonder if…… it would make a more pleasant board this way? I smiled at her, showing my confusion at her sudden offer,「Well, I’d like to start this friendly, nice to meet you, Sophia.」I am sure Emi would answer like this. Suphia seemed to be very moved by the reply and looked up to the heavens, clutching her chest, saying,「I was not crazy in their eyes when I tried to be loyal to you.」Oh my, I can’t believe you are so loyal to Emi’s「Remilia.」I’ve had the feeling since I came here that you are as trustworthy as I had hoped you would be. That’s a far cry from David, who was tricked and betrayed by Pina.

Glad to see the unexpected harvest. I even have a feeling that this next move will yield better results than my plan. Don’t, I must not be proud yet. I will not lose my mind until Emi’s「Remilia」is happy.

「By the way, Mr. Village Chief, how are you doing?」

「Ahh, it’s Remilia-sama. Just fine, I like the idea of living off the grid…… We’ve had a lot of trouble, but we’ve had help, and we’ve managed to help each other out.」

「Good to hear. I have processed the magic stone I took again into a magic crystal stone, so could you please use it to fund the construction of the village? I think it’s about time we had a wider fence.」

「Thank goodness, we can now increase our cultivated land.」

A leather bag taken out of spatial magic is handed to the village chief, a former owner of a billing store in Royal Capital. I am so glad he folded his store fairly early on. This was one move that couldn’t be left out of the plan, so the sooner we got it done, the better.

There is a friend who has remained in hiding in Royal Capital for a little while to gather information, and just the other day he told me that「some nobleman’s private army had swarmed into what used to be a store and were investigating with the force of turning over everything inside.」According to the information from the messenger I released, it seems that Pina, who was no longer able to sell the items to increase her favorability, had grown numb and took steps to have the shopkeeper captured. He told me that he suspected that he was making illegal drugs through David, who had a contact in the Knights. I’m almost laughing at myself for being forced to ingest that supposedly illegal drug was produced for a Star Maiden in distress.

After that, she was going to have them manufacture the items in secret while they were locked up. However, the store, which sold other useful items, apparently had many customers. The reason why this store, which had many aristocrats among its customers, went out of business was that the aristocrats, who no longer had access to hair-growing and slimming medicines, came to resent Pina wonderfully after it was spread that「the Star Maiden tried to plunder and tame the store owner in order to monopolize his products.」 When Pina finished the first chapter in my absolution, called the school version, she used perfumes and secret medicines without thinking from the edge of meeting men who were gacha-joined characters. That’s even after the stores stopped selling them. They can’t stand it when they meet a new guy with a nice face.

She must have been impatient because she kept doing that and ran out of love potions on hand without being able to buy any from the store. There are no conversational events or choices in the real world, and getting close to people on their own terms in a proper way doesn’t seem to succeed as far as that woman was concerned.

Books, sweets, and alcohol, which were usually likable items, are even more highly prized among them if they are given as gifts in real life. Just as giving an economics book to someone who likes adventure stories will not please them much. That woman was not able to sense the subtleties of the situation, nor was she willing to learn her preferences. From what I have observed via messenger, she still seems to think that this reality runs on the same system as the game, and she often rants about things not going her way.

Unlike in the story, of course, they would have to be close enough to be「more than acquaintances and less than friends」to join the party and participate in the battle, where they may have to put their lives in each other’s hands in the first place.

And now she is kept in the castle, and even if she meets someone from another country, such as an adventurer, mercenary, or magician from an institution independent of the state, she will not be able to bring him into her circle.

That’s why that woman has practically eliminated the means of gaining people’s favor.

The owner was even happier to see that his trust in me seemed to have increased, saying,「I’m glad I escaped before the nobles caught me, just like Remilia-sama said,」and「She’s a hell of a woman who thought she was just a regular customer and was trying to enslave people.」

「So, Mr. Mayor. I have someone I’d like to pay a visit to.」

「Paying a visit? I don’t know anyone who knows such a great person, except Remilia-sama……」

「I want to meet His Majesty, the Demon King.」

「No matter how much I like to have you go there, Remilia-sama, it’s something……」

「Difficult, isn’t it? What if I told you that I have found a way to solve the『madness』that has been plaguing your people for hundreds of years?」

「! ……Can you tell me more about it?」

I smiled and turned my innocent eyes to the village chief, remembering Emi. Remembering Emi’s words,「If there’s a way to help, and I can do it, I’ll go help those in need.」

I wonder if I have the same expression on my face as Emi, who saved Claude’s father’s life with nothing in return.