That's right—the strongest denizen of the underworld, Naegleria, was now living on Earth as a doujin manga artist.
In that sense, she and Eriri could be considered peers.
After placing Naegleria in the chair by the desk, Eriri placed her hand on her pale cheek and infused a stream of energy into her body through her palm.
Eriri's goal wasn't anything else—it was to cure Naegleria's narcolepsy. And that goal was achieved in an instant.
Then, Eriri gently patted Naegleria's cheek.
"Nini, wake up."
Hearing Eriri's voice and feeling the touch on her cheek, Naegleria immediately awoke from her sleep.
"Ah... I wasn't sleeping, I wasn't sleeping," she murmured groggily.
But she soon noticed a change in her body, and her dazed expression quickly turned alert.
"Eh? Why do I suddenly feel so awake? Not even a trace of sleepiness."
As she spoke, Naegleria pinched her cheek in disbelief, as if to confirm she wasn't dreaming.
But the slight sting confirmed the reality.
Seeing her expression and actions, Eriri easily guessed what she was thinking.
So she smiled and said, "Nini, I've already cured your narcolepsy. You no longer need to worry about suddenly falling asleep."
With that, Eriri left Naegleria's side and sat with Eu at the low square table in the room.
Though manga and empty bottles were scattered around, the floor was still clean enough to sit on comfortably.
So both Eriri and Eu simply sat down on the floor.
Hearing Eriri's words, Naegleria's face instantly lit up with joy.
Though she could force herself to ignore drowsiness during battle, narcolepsy had always been a major nuisance in daily life.
Now that it was resolved, she couldn't be happier.
"Ah, thank you so much, Eriri! Now I can finally put all my energy into my doujin projects," Naegleria said gratefully.
"No need to thank me. It was nothing," Eriri said nonchalantly, waving her hand.
Then Eu, seated beside Eriri, suddenly asked, "Nini, are you drawing manga right now?"
"That's right! Though I haven't been doing it for very long. I've put a lot of effort into improving my art skills~" Naegleria said proudly.
"Why did you choose to draw manga?"
"Well, being able to illustrate the stories I envision with my own hands... don't you think that sounds wonderfully fulfilling?"
As she said that, Naegleria seemed to remember something, and her tone paused.
"Speaking of which... Eucliwood, I was just thinking of turning your story into a manga."
Hearing this, Eu looked intrigued.
"My story?"
"Yup. But it would be a reimagined version. Like, what if the King of the Night never did what he did, and you regained your voice and emotions like now? What kind of beautiful, happy ending would unfold? I really want to see a happy end like that..." Naegleria said, sounding a little embarrassed.
Eu fell silent at her words.
Seeing her reaction, Naegleria immediately waved her hands nervously.
"Ah, it's just a rough idea for now! If you don't want a story like that to exist, I'll absolutely give up on it..."
But before she could finish, Eu interrupted her.
"It's okay. I want to see that kind of happy end too," Eu said with a gentle smile.
Hearing this, Naegleria looked at her with a gaze full of warmth and nodded earnestly.
"Mm! I'll pour my heart into this project. I definitely won't let you down!"
Just then, Eriri, who had been quietly listening to Eu and Naegleria's conversation, raised her hand and interjected.
"I have a suggestion about this, want to hear it?"
Naegleria nodded immediately. "Of course! Feel free to share any thoughts you have, and that goes for Eucliwood too."
"How about incorporating Eu's current and future life into the story?"
Naegleria blinked. "Future life?"
"That's right. Life after she became part of my family. And I'm confident that her future will be even happier than the story you were planning to draw~"
"That's a great idea, but I wouldn't know what your future life looks like."
"Well, that's easy. Why don't you come live with us? Then you can observe everything firsthand and know exactly how to depict it~"
Hearing that, Eu nodded in agreement. "Eriri's suggestion is a good one. Nini, you should consider it."
Neither Eriri's proposal for the story nor the idea of Naegleria living with them received any objection from Eu.
She was no longer the girl who avoided contact with others. After Eriri resolved her internal magic issue, she stopped rejecting human interaction.
So now, she was genuinely hoping her old friend could live together with them.
Naegleria wasn't one to hesitate. Seeing that Eu shared the same opinion, she readily agreed.
"Well, if even Eucliwood says so, I won't hold back. I just hope I won't disrupt your lives~" Naegleria said playfully.
"Of course you won't. But there is something you should know first—I'm actually not from this world."
Eriri paused for a moment, then added, "Ah, and by 'not from this world,' I don't mean another isekai like Velier. I mean a world from a completely different universe."
Upon hearing that, Naegleria's eyes widened, her face filled with astonishment.
She was well aware of what the term 'universe' meant, and knew that Earth, the underworld, Velier, and other otherworlds all existed within the same universe.
So she understood just how unbelievable Eriri's words were.
"Wait... Eriri, you're not joking, are you?" Naegleria asked, stunned.
"Of course not. Since you agreed to live with us, whether you choose to stay here or come with us, you'll definitely visit another universe. Then you'll know whether I was telling the truth."
"Wait a second... what do you mean by 'whether I choose to stay or not'? We're not all living in the same house?"
"Ah, that's what you mean. So here's the thing..."
Eriri then briefly explained the World Gate and the chat group member mechanisms to Naegleria.
After hearing it all, Naegleria finally understood what Eriri meant.
"Eu will definitely be returning to my world with me. As for you, whether you want to come with us or stay here is entirely up to you."
"With the World Gate, it doesn't really matter where you live. It's just like being separated by a door—you can always pop in for a visit."
"I see..."
Upon hearing Eriri's explanation, Naegleria fell into deep thought.
But it didn't last long. Within a few seconds, she made her decision.
"Anyway, like you said, it doesn't matter where I live. So I think I'll stay in this world. There are still some things I need to keep an eye on."
Though Naegleria had been living on Earth for some time, she still paid close attention to the underworld's affairs.
Eriri wasn't surprised by Naegleria's decision. It was exactly what she had expected.
"Alright then, pack up your things. We'll move you in shortly," Eriri said, getting to her feet.
"No need to rush~ I don't have much stuff. It'll be packed up in no time."
Naegleria stepped forward and grabbed Eriri's arm, her eyes shining with excitement.
"Let's chat a little more first. I'm really curious about your world and these other universes."
"Well, I suppose we have time."
Eriri didn't reject her suggestion and sat back down with her.
So, over the next little while, Eriri gave Naegleria a rundown of the multiverse, and along the way, she also explained the chat group.
Even though Eu had already heard it all before, she still listened with great interest and didn't find it boring at all.
...
While Eriri and Naegleria were deep in conversation, Kyoko had finished packing up and was ready to return to the new house.
As for her old apartment, she didn't bother canceling the lease or collecting the deposit. She simply left the key in a prominent spot in the living room and walked out of the building, making her way cheerfully toward her new home.
By the time she arrived, it was just past 11 o'clock.
"I'm back~"
After unlocking the front door of the luxurious detached home, Kyoko called out brightly from the entrance.
She quickly swapped into her indoor slippers and skipped cheerfully toward the living room.
Even before entering, she could already hear the sounds of a variety show coming from the TV.
But once inside, she found no trace of Eriri or Eu—only Haruka, lying on the couch, completely absorbed in the TV.
Kyoko walked over and plopped down next to Haruka.
"Haruka, where did Eriri and the necromancer go?"
Hearing her voice, Haruka finally turned away from the screen to look at Kyoko.
Meow meow meow (Master took Eu to meet an old acquaintance.)
"Aww, come on! I rushed back so quickly, and they just left me behind to have fun? That's so mean~ sob sob sob~"
Meow meow meow (Don't worry, Kyoko. I'll keep you company at home.)
Haruka padded over and patted Kyoko's thigh gently with her paw.
"Aww, Haruka, you're the best! Come here, let me cuddle you~"
Kyoko was instantly overjoyed by Haruka's cuteness and reached out to grab her.
But before her hand could touch Haruka, the cat agilely dodged.
Meow meow meow (No cuddles for you! Only Master is allowed to cuddle me!)
"Don't be like that! A quick cuddle won't hurt. How about this—if you let me hug you, I'll make you some super tasty dishes later, okay?"
Kyoko wasn't discouraged by Haruka's rejection. She reached for her again while tempting her with food.
Meow meow meow (Grr... Just a few tasty dishes? That won't tempt me at all!)
Haruka once again dodged with ease, successfully resisting Kyoko's culinary bribe.
But that audible gulp betrayed just how tempting the offer was.
"Haha, gotcha, Haruka! Showing your cat paw already? If a few dishes aren't enough, how about this—I'll take charge of your meals for the whole next week!"
Meow meow meow (Hmph! Still not enough! Master will make me perfect meals, way better than your so-so ones!)
Haruka hadn't forgotten Eriri's critique of Kyoko's cooking the night before. Though she found Kyoko's food delicious, she had absolute faith in her master.
Her words hit Kyoko like a critical blow.
"You little rascal! Just wait until I catch you! I'll pluck off a whole layer of your fur!"
The next few minutes saw Kyoko and Haruka chasing each other around the room in a playful game of tag.
Of course, Kyoko wasn't using her real strength. If she did, catching Haruka would be a breeze.
When the game finally ended, Kyoko and Haruka returned to the couch, watching the funny variety show together.
Kyoko gently stroked Haruka's back with her right hand as the two relaxed side by side.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven