Though they appeared unguarded…
They had nowhere to run.
After all, not a single living soul had been seen in the last two hundred kilometers. Where could they go?
If they were dealing with ordinary bandits, escape might still be possible, fleeing into the forest and hiding. But that "girl" could fly. And she used magic.
Kiyomi Nagasaki didn't like being passive. But people rarely get to choose.
Shoko Toyokawa understood that too, biting her lip.
"Let's wait for the right moment. I believe in you."
"Yeah."
Shoko understood her teammate's intent.
She would slowly build up her understanding of this world.
Lower her profile. Wait for her chance.
She decided to explore the house a bit.
The hall, adorned with exposed skeletal frames, was shocking at first glance, and still shocking on the second.
There were over a hundred preserved skeletons of various fish species here. It looked like a museum. But there were hardly any signs of life. A strange, metallic tang lingered in the air.
On the second floor, she found the kitchen. A fireplace of the type used for baking bread in medieval Europe. A stove, frying pans, soup pots…
Kiyomi's shallow grasp of history couldn't pin down the exact era.
The cabinets were stocked with gilded and silver-inlaid ceramics, crystal bowls and glasses, heavy silver cutlery, and iron plates.
Completely baffling.
Except for the tea set, everything else was coated in thick layers of dust.
In the corner, a washroom, even a decently sized bathtub. There were signs of use, but it seemed more for soaking fish corpses than human bathing. A bitter medicinal smell lingered in the tub.
The toilet, however, was a godsend.
After handling those biological necessities, the two returned to the main room, having completed a rough tour.
The high window's glass was exceptionally clear, letting in ample light.
From there, they could see the vivid blue sea, not far away. It looked like a bay. The sound of the waves was crisp and distinct. Now and then, a seagull's call rang out.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Shoko leaned toward one of the thick, open books left on a desk. She didn't touch the others.
Even Miss Shoko knew better than to mess with "demon-sealing grimoires" or "soul-devouring tomes of forbidden knowledge."
Naturally, she couldn't read a word.
Kiyomi, with nothing better to do, glanced at his card and found that his points had increased by 80.
Huh?
Did something happen?
He mentally floated the card over for his teammate to see. Shoko glanced at it calmly, then opened her own.
She remembered Kiyomi's warning from that morning: be mindful of voice, eyes, body language, everything.
She had gained 20 points.
Why?
And why was there a 60-point difference?
She could only guess that Solitar had done something.
Could it be… she's actually a good person?
That question would soon be answered.
Solitar returned, with a teacher, and living essentials.
Right before leaving, she remembered: humans need food. And bathing. And clothes, or they'll freeze.
Thankfully, the convoy had all that. It took a bit of effort to load it, and she didn't know how long it would last.
She let the woman pick what she needed. Anything useful was taken.
To a high demon like Solitar, this was akin to buying a pretty fish on the street, and then grabbing a tank and food on the way home.
Even if she had to make these trips regularly, she didn't mind.
Solitar estimated this novelty would last at least ten years.
If they couldn't offer anything fun enough to keep it going?
Well then. Might as well enjoy the now.
The items the woman selected filled an entire wagon.
"This food will last about two weeks."
Solitar nodded.
"Good. Let's go."
The woman trembled slightly, dreading the future.
"We're here."
"O-okay…"
The woman carefully climbed down, holding her child close.
When it was just cargo, Solitar didn't need to hold back, so her speed increased.
Flying, to demons, was like walking for humans. This was just slightly heavier walking.
They'd chatted a lot on the way.
The woman used to be a noble in one of the southern nations. Her country had been overrun. They fled. A day ago, her entire family was slaughtered by slave hunters, only she and her child survived.
The south wasn't just plagued by demons. Humans kept fighting each other. These wars gave rise to dangerous extremists, the kind even demons feared. And then, surprisingly fast, they died off in their own civil strife.
Solitar enjoyed talking. Through these exchanges, she gained a better understanding of the south. She liked the learning process.
She'd more or less figured out this woman's personality, too. Just an ordinary mother. As long as her child lived, she would never resist.
In other words, a "mom."
Unfathomable.
Demons likely couldn't comprehend that concept.
Why develop affection for the one who birthed you?
Another subject worth studying.
The four sat facing each other in a second-floor room.
Strictly speaking, five. Or four, depending on how you counted.
Kiyomi noticed the tea set had been used. He gestured, asking if they had tea leaves.
They did.
Good quality, too. The tea came out beautifully colored, with a rich aroma.
Solitar took a sip and raised her eyebrows slightly.
Better than hers.
Kiyomi placed a cup in front of the woman, watching her carefully.
She was, without a doubt, human. Her child was just a regular baby, scared and trembling.
Across from Solitar, Shoko sat stiffly, accepting her tea.
Solitar chatted with the woman. The two of them couldn't understand a word.
"You're to teach these two the language, writing, etiquette, music, everything you know. Useful or not.
"Take it seriously. Otherwise, I'll have to find a new teacher. Your fate is sealed, but your child's… kids don't remember much, do they?"
She reached out and pinched the baby's cheek.
Nice texture.
The woman trembled, but suppressed her reaction.
"Y-yes, understood."
"And don't go too slow. Kids start remembering things at three? Four?"
"I understand." Her face was near tears, but she forced out a grateful smile. "Thank you… for your mercy."
"Teach them the way humans would be taught. No need to censor anything."
"Even things about demons?"
"Once they can speak fluently, teach them that too. No need to hide it."
Solitar kicked her legs playfully. She was looking forward to that day.
The woman relaxed slightly, lifting her cup with trembling hands.
She was clumsy, but the tea was wonderful. It reminded her of home.
The nightmare had paused before it could truly bottom out.
A demon would at least offer a clean death. Maybe better than being caught by slavers.
For now, she was still with her child. Three years from now? She didn't dare think that far ahead.
The woman's name sounded like "Eit."
Perhaps out of human kinship, she tried harder to communicate. After a few awkward attempts, they were able to convey meaning through gestures.
She also acted as a translator between Kiyomi and Solitar.
After some back-and-forth, the situation became clear.
First, Eit was here to teach them the language.
Second, escape was out of the question.
Third, they could move freely inside the house.
Anything involving the outside world, only Solitar could handle it.
Expected. And honestly, better than anticipated.
Wasn't this quite a lovely start?
Though it did remind Kiyomi of a 7+ coloring game. In it, there was a certain contract: bind yourself to a being, and gain fifty years of double resource yield. But when the time ran out, your entire faction was wiped.
If you couldn't overcome the crisis in time, your end was certain.
Kiyomi had a gut feeling.
He just didn't know how many years Solitar would give them.
Day one: everyone rested.
Kiyomi made lunch during afternoon tea, ate, then collapsed into bed.
Shoko helped Eit care for the child. The wailing baby felt oddly novel.
She noticed that whenever the baby cried too loudly, Eit would nervously glance at Solitar, clearly terrified.
Which meant that thing really wasn't a good person. Not that they could do anything about it.
But strangely, whenever that happened, the baby would calm down almost instantly.
In the afternoon, they rummaged through the house, digging out all kinds of amenities for human use.
The storage room was packed with miscellaneous items, furniture piled carelessly, some moldy but still usable with a bit of cleaning. The quality was solid.
Shoko felt it was better than the furniture in her old apartment.
Barrels of salted fish, bags of salt, various suspiciously expired liquors and flours… She ignored the useless stuff for now.
Just organizing all this took the entire afternoon.