Raban and Inian, who had just fought a fierce, chaotic battle, agreed to a ceasefire while gasping for breath. Watching each other nibble on triangular gimbap, the demon and the black magician thought:
‘Wow, that’s seriously pathetic.’
‘How can someone look so unpleasant?’
Chewing on his gimbap, the demon asked.
“So, what do you plan to do now?”
“Huh?”
“You tried to use me to eliminate that crocodile demonic beast. Once I return home, it will no longer be your world, will it? A wretch like you must surely have your next scheme prepared.”
“…Is that what you thought of me? Me, who was once your ace follower?”
Raban was deeply hurt. True, he had invaded Inian’s sanctuary so many times he could not count them on both hands, had swapped bodies to commit some fraud, had fought a life-or-death battle against him, had even been cut into sixteen pieces, and while being cut into sixteen pieces had self-destructed to blow away about half of Inian’s body.
But after the ceasefire, he had been quite obedient and followed instructions well!
How could such an unfair undervaluation happen!
“Bullshit.”
Inian cut through Raban’s nonsense in one breath. Right now, when returning home under his own power was difficult, relying on the most wicked black magician in the vicinity was only natural.
If he lent an ear to that ‘I’m so wronged’ appeal, he would get conned again.
Raban clicked his tongue. Just like a Grand Duke of the Demon Realm whose blood ran cold. No doubt he had secretly cheated and ruined the former chairman of Lamashute Holdings too.
“I don’t really have any plans?”
“Please stop talking nonsense.”
“No, listen. There’s a kid in this neighborhood harboring extraordinary negative thoughts, so I was planning to gently coax her and take those negative thoughts.”
“…? If it was such a peaceful plan, then why on earth did a demonic beast appear?”
“It seemed her uncle was trying to offer her as a living sacrifice. I interfered and, well.”
“That’s the black magician average.”
Raban slammed the desk—controlling his strength so the two unwrapped triangular gimbap did not fall—and sprang up, jabbing his finger at Inian.
“Apologize, demon! The black magician average is not that evil, slimy Charles fellow, it is this law-abiding Raban!”
“The black magician average just dropped even further.”
Raban plopped back down. That thick-headed Grand Duke of the Demon Realm was notorious for ignoring the sincere advice of a peaceful, exemplary black magician.
“Anyway. She’s a student at my workplace. I think she’ll come in for counseling soon.”
“A student comes to a dangerous object like you for counseling?”
“I somehow became the temporary person in charge of the counseling room.”
“You must have captured a fairy and brainwashed it.”
“If I had the mana for that, wouldn’t I be saving every bit of it to open a dimensional gate?”
It was nearly an hour later that Raban finished explaining the situation. Thanks to them taking jabs at each other with every single word, it had strayed infinitely far from constructive conversation.
“So it is true that your only plan is that adorable little scheme to steal students’ negative thoughts while avoiding the eyes of magical girls and the fairy race called mascots?”
“Yeah. If only there were no mascots watching, I’d have raided some plague-ridden ranch, stolen a herd of livestock, and offered them as sacrifices.”
Inian tapped his lips with his right index finger. In this situation, how could he recover his mana more quickly and conveniently?
If the student truly harbored such tremendous negative thoughts as Raban claimed, it would certainly help greatly in securing mana.
The future of a civilian with a black magician in the family was not very bright. This was a rational inference based on statistics.
“Do you think a black magician would give up on a sacrifice so easily?”
“If it were me, I wouldn’t stick my head back here for the time being.”
Inian nodded. Someone who would use their own family was already at the bottom of the barrel, even by black magician standards. Would such a person abandon their plans just because one base was destroyed?
“Mother Fairy personally unleashed that terrifying magic. If he has any sense, he will lay low for a while.”
“Ah.”
Inian massaged his eyelids with his right hand. His head ached for no reason. Seeing the Grand Duke of the Demon Realm utterly dejected, Raban shouted with all his heart.
“Thank you! For becoming a magical girl!”
Inian’s full-power uppercut exploded against the evil black magician’s jaw.
***
In the dead of night, while the demon and black magician bickered, those who had witnessed this incident were each lost in their own worries.
The guardian fairies were gathered in a marathon meeting called by the most senior member, while the Four Heavenly Kings of the Ivory Tower began a debate over whether the Shadow Magician had died in this incident.
And Charles, who had witnessed the descent of the crocodile demonic beast and the demon.
‘How unfortunate.’
He expressed his condolences for the fate that had befallen his junior in the magical world, a seeker of truth.
The junior had clearly underestimated Mother Fairy, or did not properly understand her authority. Thinking he could overturn the world with a summon from the demon realm, he must have put that thought into action.
The seed of the demonic beast he had hidden contained a massive amount of negative thoughts. The junior must have discovered it somewhere and used it as payment to summon a demon.
Charles had distanced himself from Hikarias as much as possible the moment he confirmed the demon’s descent. Because Mother Fairy would intervene.
He had considered returning to plant more demonic beast seeds, but eventually shook his head. Now that the fairies’ alert level had heightened even further, it was time to temporarily halt his activities.
“I shall have to postpone educating my pets.”
Recalling the four head of livestock he had left to graze in Hikarias, he raised his glass.
Having been given freedom for a while, they had forgotten even their master. Even if he could not discipline them right away, he would have to provide them with proper education when the time was right.
Before that, it would be best to make a few preparations.
Such as establishing a Hikarias branch of his “Foundation.” He would need to create a justification that would allow him to visit far more frequently as “Charles.”
This time, he would have to dispatch a more suitable person in charge. A loyal fellow who did not forget his master, like the current livestock in Hikarias.
***
Raban rubbed his beaten jaw as he contemplated the possibility raised by the Grand Duke of the Demon Realm.
“Charles’s counterattack.”
A magician of that caliber would have several means prepared to interfere with Hikarias from the outside. Even Raban could do it if he used his blood vessel familiars.
Even if he feared Mother Fairy’s gaze, using familiars would minimize the risk. Familiars were originally tools meant to die before their master.
For now, his public identity was simply a young man with amnesia, so he could not recklessly approach Naihyeon under the guise of protecting her.
He might get arrested as a suspicious person by the police before even reaching the mascot. As for secret protection through blood vessel familiars…
“Ha, if only I hadn’t used my familiars to start a fight between the magical girl and the Ivory Tower, it would have been a viable strategy.”
Right now, all of Raban’s familiars were no different from highest-priority wanted criminals within Hikarias. If he attached them to Naihyeon under the guise of protection and they were discovered, they would be eliminated on the spot.
Raban stared intently at Inian.
“Open your eyes nicely.”
“No, this guy suddenly picks a fight. Hey, Inian.”
With a hmph, Inian turned his head away with a fling. In that moment, he looked somewhat like an ordinary human girl.
‘Usually, his face is covered in snakes, so it’s hard to tell his expression, but like this, it’s a bit better.’
Nodding in satisfaction at the human-like appearance, Raban asked an extremely crucial and important question.
“Did you graduate middle school?”
While Inian stood blankly for a moment, unable to understand the question, Raban stroked his chin and corrected himself.
“No. I don’t know if basic education functions properly in the demon realm. My mistake. Do you know arithmetic?”
“…Is this mongrel scum mocking the Grand Duke?”
“Calm down, Inian! This is not mockery, ridicule, satire, or jeering! I want to, but this is a question with a truly rational and just reason!”
Inian looked at his clenched hand, took several deep breaths, and finally looked at Raban. Confirming that Inian had suppressed his anger, Raban slowly opened his mouth.
“I thought about it carefully, and I think you’re right.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Charles might target Naihyeon with familiars or something. Which is why.”
The preliminary procedures for a perfect plan surfaced in Raban’s mind. As soon as the sun rose tomorrow morning, he would go to the city hall, receive documents from the Mana Disaster Support Office on the third floor...
‘Hmm, thinking about it again, it’s perfect.’
“Enroll in Luxtiera High School.”
“Have you truly gone mad?”
***
It was a regrettable matter for Inian, but Raban was not mad. Rather, it was very rational.
“I! If I stick with a student, I’ll get reported! But you’re different!”
In other words, a secret bodyguard. Observing by Naihyeon’s side and preemptively striking and eliminating threats that approached without her knowing. However, there was a condition attached: do not befriend her.
“If she spends a fun, bright school life, won’t her negative thoughts decrease?”
“That is truly a logically garbage-like reason.”
“The reason you’re so twitchy is also an environmental problem from childhood. You can re-experience the youth you wasted ruling over the dark, desolate demon realm, which is extremely bad for adolescent emotions!”
Inian kicked Raban’s shin with all his might, but despite the successful punishment, he sighed.
Because the mad black magician’s proposal had sounded convincing.