It's been a week since the last time I spoke with Demon Princess at the school compound where Elise was able to pass away from Siofon's ruthless control. Despite my recent knowing about the awful truths of Golems being the result of pure human souls having unfair deaths (with most of them being murder victims), I still attend at Kyōko High for I don't know what I'll do if I were to get depressed, cooping myself up at Suzuki's apartment room.

Speaking of Suzuki, she and several residents of the apartment mourned for the landlady's passing at her funeral. The old lady was really kind to her, mainly not being strict with the rent payment's deadline. One day, Suzuki received a visit from a certain lawyer who claims to be an official witness of the old lady writing her will. He told Suzuki that in some miraculous way of growing money, the old lady has exactly a million yen in her bank savings. She had no relatives as far as we were told of.

He also mentioned that the old lady had recently purchased an abandoned, but tidy house as if she looked like she was doing her final deed for Suzuki. He assured us that he's telling the truth by bringing us to the mentioned house. It was located several miles from the apartment we're staying at. The will claimed the old lady wanted Suzuki to have the house to herself for she had a hunch she'll have a family someday.

To be more accurate, the Demon Princess and I aren't exactly family material, but my inner thoughts reluctantly agree. After all, we may need some more space to move about though I was having a hunch that someone will come visit us. I don't know, but it's best we take advantage of the spacious house we were presented with.

As for the million yen inheritance, Suzuki told the lawyer to donate all of that to the apartment's residents. How they use the money is unknown, but she trusted them to use the money wisely and for necessary stuff.

Back to present time, I've just finished placing Suzuki's bookshelf on the right side of the television in the living room. Of course moving Suzuki stuff is easy thanks to Willow's Pocket Pouch which she's able to carry one-room stuff in it.

It's already Thursday, and there's no sign of Purple Lady coming back at this hour. Ever since she and I had argued (or whatever it is called), I only see her at school though I didn't want to talk to her, not after what agony she has made me go through with her keeping many secrets to herself.

For the past one week, she keeps on disappearing at night time. Even though Suzuki is close with her, she proclaims she has no idea where exactly she has disappeared to.

"Well, there's no point worrying about Nelly, Francis," Suzuki assures me with her calm voice.

"I guess…," I reply with my voice letting out a little bit of "suspecting something" kind of tone. "But her being somewhere else at night? That's not normal."

"Normal, huh? I admit I'm still unable to find out what she's thinking about at most times, but given her personality, I should get used to whatever she does in my world."

"You seem too calm to accept everything about her, Suzuki. Especially the magic abilities and battles that woman and I have brought upon…"

"Hmm~ maybe I got used to listening to those fantasy stories my father used to read to me. Plus, those Isekai (another world) light novels I've read some time ago may have helped me comprehend the sudden appearance of you two in my life."

Now I think about it, I've never thought about how Suzuki actually feels. She's always polite and easy-going with us living at her home, not to mention I never see her get upset or angry with either of us. Either way, I really think Purple Lady and I should return to Branshire...though I need to speak to her because I speculate she knows how we're going back there.

"Francis, you're sweating quite a lot. I'm sorry for making you carry and move the heavy stuff around this house."

"Don't mind me, Suzuki. Besides, I'm the freeloader so you've the right to ask me to do hard labor. Right. I'm gonna take a bath now."

"Okay! I shall start cooking the ramen now. Is three packets enough for you, Francis?"

I walk away until I stop by the living room's entrance space. I stare at Suzuki putting and tying an apron on her. I'm about to ask her whether she's angry about Siofon killing the landladybecause of me; unfortunately, I refrain myself from asking that question because I believe I'm not ready to see Suzuki looking sad...

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ah~ It feels good. When was the last time I had a calm, relaxing bath?

With the warm bathwater releasing the tension my naked body has been making, I close my eyes; my head leaning backwards against the bathtub and my long blond hair being wet. After a few moments, I open my eyes, staring at the ceiling, the light at the end of the bathroom's corner reflecting its whiteness to the max.

Right now, all I can think about is everything that happened in this world feels like a dream. To think I enter this world just to chase the Demon Princess, I must've been so stupid that I didn't stop myself to think about what's gonna happen next if I found her.

Maybe if I didn't meet her, would I have felt uncertainty back in my world? Two years ago, I became the Hero. I thought that with the intense training I get from the King and his soldiers, I could face anything…"

I give a long sigh while I look down, scratching my head with my right hand.

"Man, Francis. You shouldn't feel this way! After all, it's all that woman's fault…"

"I hear you're doing well, Plank."

Huh? Why am I hearing her monotone voice…

As I lift my head up, I'm seeing the Demon Princess sitting down inside the bathtub water in front of me. Seeing her bare shoulders can only mean one thing…

"Y-y-y-y-YOU!!," I exclaim. "Why are you…"

I refrain from asking anymore as I nearly was about to jump out of the bathtub. It's a good thing my muscles are able to stop me from getting up completely. I don't know if the bathwater is making me feel hotter than usual. I mean, sure we're fully naked in here, but there are limits! Though how I'm gonna get out is proven to be a difficult mission, there's something that catches my attention and it's in front of me: The Demon Princess's sunglasses…

"Hey. Why are you wearing that accessory? Who on earth takes a bath with their sunglasses on their eyes?!"

"Oh. These...", she replies with her monotonous voice which is irritating me at some point. "They're TINTED GLASSES. I recently bought them."

"Tinted?? Your glasses don't look the same as Suzuki's."

"Of course not, Plank. I scribble a permanent black marker all over these lenses until they're 100% tinted."

Is this really the same woman who kicked my butt at Tolldon? Because this conversation she's initiating makes her sound like a fool.

"Why would you do that to your newly bought glasses?"

"There was a time when I knocked on the bathroom door to make sure nobody was in there. I assumed the coast was clear, but when I entered, Ranjō suddenly woke up from his sleep in the bathtub. He felt humiliated having his scrawny body being seen. I feel guilty back then for I was the only one wearing my underwear…"

"Ok, that's enough! So you're saying you knocked on my bathroom door...I didn't hear you asking whether I'm in here…"

She must've done that while I was in deep thoughts, thinking back about what happened at school last week. To think I wasn't able to hear her haughty voice...

"Correct. That's why I'll always wear these tinted glasses as a precaution."

Precaution, my foot! The problem is happening already! We're both naked! If Suzuki accidentally sees us in this state...be-being in the same bathtub, her brain is gonna go haywire, that's for sure!!! It's best I get out of the bath first. I mean, this woman isn't lying about her tinted glasses so…

I wanna believe the reason I'm feeling hot now is the bathwater I'm in is being too hot for me, but I know that's a lie. I proceed to leave, but then, I get intervened by the Demon Princess's words which made me stay still.

"Right! I'm lea…"

"Anyways, Plank…"

"Wha-what?"

"I wanna ask you a serious question and it's best if you answer honestly."

I reply with a hesitated "Yes". For some reason, my hunch is telling me that I should stay here a while longer.

Seriously...what am I doing…

"What's your favourite colour?"

There's silence in the air for a few moments. Then, I proceed to reply with the sound of obvious sarcasm in my voice.

"If buying me briefs will clear away your guilt of seeing Ranjō's embarrassing moment, I don't know how the Demon Lord was able to have a decent conversation with you all this time."

"Uhm~ I was gonna buy you a phone, Plank. Hence, I want to know what colour you prefer for the phone."

"Th-that's...so sudden! Why do I need a phone anyway?!"

"For you to contact anyone, mostly me and Sensei…"

"Man! Having this weird conversation with you is making me doubt that you're a monster. Yeah, I don't think you like killing people. Only a killing machine does that."

"I am a killing machine, Plank."

I gasp quietly. Hearing that sentence coming out of her mouth is giving me that heavy feeling again. This time, it's the feeling of fear. I try to keep cool, but I feel deep furrows on my brow. Yet, I try to converse with her as I feel my heart is telling me to get an explanation on what she had just said.

"I...was joking, woman. You don't have to lie..."

"It's the truth. Just when I wanna stop my "killing without thinking" ways, she noticed the change in me…"

"Uhm...Who is "she"?..."

I somehow notice Purple Lady here is frowning for the first time. Whoever she is, it seems Purple Lady hates talking about her.

Oh boy. This has become gloomy like that time. I wish something happens…

"You...pervert bastard!", a medium, high-pitched voice says in this bathroom.

"Huh?", I ask. As I turn around to the right, asking "Who are you calling…", I should've known it was the most stupid, clumsy mistake I've ever done. When I turn to face that said person, that person, who is as tall as Purple Lady, appears in a black cloak. Seriously...am I getting déjà vu or what?...

"Hey... whoever you are, it's not what it looks like…", I explain though I get a feeling that this explanation isn't enough to ease the boiling temperature in this room. And the cause of it isn't the obvious bathwater... it's the cloaked person in front of me.

"D.D.", the Demon Princess says the cloaked person's name, despite how stupid it sounds like Ranjō's. "What are you doing here?"

You would think she might be angry about why that cloaked person is here, but it's hard to tell because she's not taking off her tinted glasses. I wish she does because I really need her purple eyes glaring at the intruder in this bathroom right now.

In fact, I'm feeling loads of frustration that I didn't realise I stand up immediately and yes, the cloaked person's mouth forms into an upsetting frown.

"Demon Princess! You better explain who the heck is this…"

"That's it! The fact you're not wearing anything and in that bathwater with Nell…die, pervert bastard!!"

Though it's all chaotic with the sound of explosion along with the sound and sight of the walls crumbling, my body is able to react to run away fast from his Bomb Magic (or whatever it's called).

I'm sure that anybody can hear and notice the current chaotic attack I'm avoiding with all my strength regardless of whether I care about the fact that I'm still naked. Good news is that there's a lot of gray smoke coming from the effects of explosions on this floor. Suzuki calls out to me, asking what the heck is going on. I reply a "I don't know either!" answer to her. She watches my silhouette jumping up and down avoiding all those blast attacks coming from the cloaked person.

Now, the bad news is the smoke is quickly dispersing. Before I can find anything to cover my "dignity", I notice Suzuki has a pair of sunglasses...or so I thought.

"Nelly, what's going on?", Suzuki asks with the sound of panic in her voice. "I can't see a thing…"

"Step aside, Sensei."

Once Suzuki steps aside, the Demon Princess, who's actually wearing beige underwear the whole time, throws eight darts, four in each of her hands. Despite my telling her to wait and refrain from throwing those darts because she can't see a thing with those "tinted glasses", it's too late. I duck down to avoid those weapons. I hear a yelp that's obviously coming from the cloaked person who eventually falls down way near my left side.

As I'm unable to contain my anger at this person who refuses to listen to my further explanation, I flip the cloak's hood backwards, only to see it's a boy. A demon boy to be precise with pale blue skin and little blue horns at each side of his temple.

Seeing the two darts have landed and injected on his right shoulder, I turn around to face her and Suzuki who are just standing and obviously waiting for me to say something. Of course I converse with Demon Princess in an agitated tone.

"Hey, woman! Tranquilized darts... How would you know some of those darts will land on him? You can see something after all, can't you?!"

Before I can accuse her of being the actual pervert, my vision becomes blurry. It turns out it's possible that I got some of her darts landed on me. And I see one. It landed on my right thigh. The next thing I know is that I faint for the third time in this world and I'm not happy with how a strong being like me can faint because of one measly tranquilized dart.