Night had fallen. The sky loomed dark, and crickets sang in waves.
Dan and Nora walked quietly through the dimly lit corridor of the academy, heading home.
“…You were eavesdropping, weren’t you? I thought fists were about to fly.”
“If they had to, I was ready, Mr.Fury.”
“…Honestly, that girl isn’t a bad person.”
“She’s not someone who wishes ill on anyone, Mr.Fury.”
Rafinya just chased strength in her own way—ignoring those weaker than her—but she never wished anyone ruin or went out of her way to torment others.
In truth, Rafinya could’ve easily blown up the gossip about seeing Nora and Dan coming out of the theater together that day. But she didn’t.
She wasn’t that kind of person.
She just didn’t care.
“But she was right about one thing… I did snatch a scholarship from someone more deserving.”
On that point, Rafinya saw it clearly, and no one could argue. That was why she didn’t like him—she hated unfairness.
“…Still, thank you so much… I don’t know how many times I need to say it. This weekend, I’ll ask Freya to fish up the biggest one in the river and offer it to you.”
“No need, if it helps give you more time, I’m always happy to help, Mr.Fury.”
“Get home safe, Nora.”
“See you tomorrow, Mr.Fury.”
Back at home.
Dan set his bag down. His things.
“….”
He paused.
The windows, usually left open to let in moonlight, were now sealed over with thick black fabric. No view of the outside remained.
Spiky bamboo traps were laid across the entrance. Even the chimney was stuffed with a massive log.
“Freya?! What the hell is going on?!”
“Oh? You’re home early tonight, Your Highness.”
“Are you building a bunker?! Who are you hiding from?!”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
…
Right now, his bodyguard was not in human form.
She was in her true form—Freya—one of Fury’s four Royal Guards.
All 1.9 meters of her shifting weight through the house, a jellyfish-like demon body with two legs and a mass of twitching tendrils slinking across every piece of furniture.
Especially the bed.
When Dan looked closer…
Freya had stuffed every open gap beneath the bed with random junk—like she was trying to block something from hiding there.
“…Are you trying to keep someone from crawling under?!”
“I swear, if it shows up again, it’s not getting me this time, Your Highness!”
“You’re still obsessing over that nonsense?”
“I’m serious!!!”
Suddenly, the jellyfish demon grabbed his 165-centimeter frame and hoisted him like a ragdoll.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“I SAW A GHOST!!! A real one!!!”
“You’re saying it already got in the house, and you think a few cloth covers will stop it?! I don’t think that’ll help.”
“DON’T SAY THAT!!! You’re scaring me, Your Highness!!!”
As a ruler, it was important to be compassionate toward your subordinates… but some of them spouted so much nonsense it was hard to stay sympathetic.
Freya was one of those.
Usually, if it was one of her daily bullshit, she’d stop after half a day—no matter how ridiculous.
But this time seemed different. She genuinely looked scared… She hadn’t stopped yapping about ghosts since morning. Even though she herself couldn’t confirm if it was a dream or reality…
She didn’t even know for sure. But still—it was probably best to do something to calm her down.
“…Put me down, Freya.”
Thud.
“I’m not going back to training tomorrow or Friday. I’ll stay with you in the morning. If I see anything strange, I’ll wake you. Deal?”
“Really?”
“If it helps you sleep, then yes.”
Fury sighed deeply… and then—
He noticed a sticky goo clinging to the window frame.
“…Did you…”
He wiped it with a cloth.
“Did you smear poison all over the house?!”
“Especially on our bed. If it climbs up tonight, it won’t stand a chance. I’m a genius, right?”
“How am I supposed to sleep then?!”
“I’m staying in this form tonight.”
“…Are you serious?!”
“Relax, no one will see me in here.”
“That’s not the problem! What about me?! I’m gonna die from poison fumes first!”
“Who said we’re sleeping in that bed?”
Freya pointed to a bean bag—one of those Zentinel invented couch Nora had gifted him.
“Tonight we’re sleeping on that. We’re gonna outsmart the damn ghost, my prince.”
“Oh come on—this is insane!”
“Shush! I planned your sleeping spot already!”
With that, Freya dropped all 100+ kilos of her mass onto the bean bag. Fwoomp!
She spread out—arms and elbows wide, legs sprawled, looking like a smug boss.
“Come here. Right here in the middle. C’mon~”
“You really think I won’t suffocate from the poison fumes?!”
“In ten hours tops, you’ll just wake up a little numb. I coated the whole house. What’s on me is just mild…”
“…This shouldn’t even be happening to begin with.”
“Don’t care. We’re sleeping like this tonight.”
“Freya…”
“I’m serious!!”
“Please don’t make me do that.”
“No!!!!”
“I’m a prince!”
“And?”
“…And!?! What do you mean, ‘And’!?”
“Come here, baby~”
“Go eat dirt.”
Walks away.
Dan shook his head and stepped out the front door toward the firepit outside.
Back to the peaceful silence of the woods.
He carried a basket of beans, sat down, and began munching while gazing into the fire… taking a moment to be alone with his thoughts.
Trying to get close to Professor Foden seemed hopeless… and there was no guarantee she even knew anything about Casca… Even Lamar barely knew anything… Should I just give up on this?
It felt like a dead end.
But if he gave up… then what other path was left?
And then… the voice from his memory, ten years ago, echoed again.
The day Fury was in hibernation mode, deep in his own lair within the Demon Palace—
<< Your Highness!!! >>
His crimson eyes flickered to life. Woken from semi-hibernation. The voices of demon servants echoed through the corridors. Something serious had clearly happened.
<< Your Highness! >>
One of the servants, a blob-like being with tentacles for legs, entered and bowed trembling.
For them to interrupt his stasis… if it wasn’t an emergency, they’d be dead by now.
<< Something’s happened! >>
“What is it?”
<< At the front gate! T-The coast! >>
“…?”
The soldiers’ voices were trembling with fear. Fury didn’t wait for a reply—he headed straight for the national entrance himself.
The border of Diablo, an isolated island surrounded by ocean, marked by cliffs and shorelines…
And when he arrived… on the beach…
There were over a dozen demon battalions assembled, with an entire elite unit that followed him directly.
They had all formed a defensive wall—facing one direction.
Toward her.
A lone woman, dragging a small wooden boat loaded with supplies onto the sand.
And when she pulled back her hood…
Fury understood immediately why the coastal guards had let a human land unchallenged. Because even if they gathered half the island, no one could stop her.
So they called the one man who could.
Surely, the news had already reached the Demon King and his siblings.
With short, snowy white hair, glowing golden eyes, and smooth caramel-toned skin…
It was none other than—
“…General?”
General Casca Saint-Maximin.
“…Your Highness.”
Fury raised an arm, signaling all his troops to fall back.
“What’s going on, General?”
“This?”
Casca glanced at the fragile little boat. She tossed the rope aside and trudged barefoot up the sandy hill to meet him.
“This? This right here—”
“…?”
Crimson lightning flickered—Fury was preparing to fight, scanning for signs of a Luminus army…
But strangely, there was none. She was alone.
“This is… THIS IS!!!”
FLOP!!!
Casca dropped her travel sack and collapsed to her knees, bowing her head before the prince.
“LET ME STAY HERE PLEASEEEEEEEEEE!!! UWAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! ”
“…Huh???”
“Your Highness!!! I have nowhere else to go!!! Please let me lie low here I beg youuuuuuu!!!!!”
“Wha? …Wait… what?????????”
“Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!!!”
“HUHHHHHHHHH?!?!?!?!?!”
