Chapter 6

The girl in the comic, Havi, had just awakened her powers, just like me.

Beside her floated a fairy that looked like a mummy dried in the fires of hell.

Havi: I can feel a mysterious power!

Fairy: Congratulations! Havi, you’ve finally become a true member of the Clavis family! With that power, you can help people in need and defeat evil villains!

Havi: Wow! How do I do that?

Fairy: That power is called Opening and Closing. You can open a jar lid that won’t come off… or close the blood vessels of trash wearing human skin, causing an arrhythmia and killing them…

Snap!

I immediately slammed the book shut.

Bleached Demon Lord looked at me proudly.

“So?”

“Isn’t it amazing?”

“…”

A demon was still a demon.

* * *

The next morning…

“Wake up! Get up!”

Bleached Demon Lord banged the lid of an iron pot with a ladle to wake us.

“AAAH!”

“W-What?!”

We jolted awake like people having seizures and staggered into the yard.

“You.”

Today, Bleached Demon Lord was wearing a bright blue silk shirt.

Once again…

He pointed at Uncle Modi.

At this point, I was convinced he had personal feelings for him.

“Formation.”

“…Pardon?”

“Formation!”

“F-Formation…?”

Uncle Modi repeated blankly.

“Everyone spread your arms!”

“Keep proper spacing!”

“Line up!”

Soon we were standing in four neat rows.

“Morning exercises!”

“Begin!”

Following Bleached Demon Lord’s movements, we cheerfully exercised to a song about a man who regretted breaking up with his ex and showed up at her wedding too late.

After the exercises ended, everyone gathered around the strange box that had played the music.

It was a radio.

“Demons really own fascinating things.”

“Is it some kind of magical tool?”

“How does it work?”

“Bleached Demon Lord, can I touch it?”

“Don’t touch it!”

“You’ll break it!”

The moment he shouted, everyone burst into laughter.

“Hmph.”

“Humans really do climb all over you the moment they get the chance.”

Even while grumbling…

The corners of Bleached Demon Lord’s mouth curled upward.

Pretending not to notice, I said,

“I want to make a wish.”

“Oh, good.”

“You came at the right time.”

“I was about to leave anyway.”

Bleached Demon Lord fastened a watch around my wrist.

It looked exactly like a smartwatch.

He tapped the black screen with one finger.

An upside-down five-pointed star appeared.

It reminded me of the strange red winged eyeball from the exile camp.

“Come to think of it…”

“The long-haired Demon Lord gave me that winged eyeball.”

“Oh, that?”

“Do you know what it is?”

“It’s a surveillance artifact created by our Lord.”

“Originally, Exilium was basically a playground for his familiars.”

“He used it to check whether they were doing well.”

Apparently…

The monsters living here were all snacks for those familiars.

Wow.

Being someone’s pet really is the best life.

If there’s a next life… I want to be a rich family’s dog.

I’d even accept getting neutered.

“This watch…”

“…is basically a free pass.”

“Oh?”

“It means you won’t have to spit every time you summon a demon.”

“Eek!”

Bleached Demon Lord lightly pressed down on my head.

Apparently he still hadn’t forgotten that I’d been spitting to summon demons.

How petty.

He said the book Everything About the Clavis Family in One Book explained all the watch’s functions.

“So…”

“What’s your wish, little ant?”

“Please make these.”

I carefully listed everything the people from the exile camp had requested.

A large wagon.

Various farming tools.

Real swords.

Armor.

Shields.

Summer vegetable seedlings.

And several other things.

After reading through the list…

Bleached Demon Lord asked,

“So…”

“You plan to earn money yourselves?”

“And eventually leave this place?”

“Yes.”

“If that’s your goal…”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to simply wish for…”

“If we keep relying on wishes…”

“Eventually we won’t be able to do anything on our own.”

“…”

“We’re not ready to leave yet.”

“So while we’re here…”

“We should prepare ourselves.”

“We can’t stay helpless baby birds forever.”

“So…”

“You’re retraining yourselves to live in society.”

A huge hand ruffled my hair.

“Well done.”

Bleached Demon Lord smiled brightly.

Embarrassed…

I simply stared down and lightly kicked the dirt.

Soon white smoke and dazzling light began gathering around his feet.

It was time for him to leave.

Before disappearing, he told me about the demon butler he planned to send.

“He’s quite strong.”

“If you want to train…”

“Ask him to help.”

His body gradually became transparent.

I hurriedly asked,

“When will the health checkup results be ready?”

“They’ll arrive by mail in one week!”

“…We don’t have a mailbox!”

“Then build one!”

And just like that…

Bleached Demon Lord disappeared.

In his place…

A huge pile of everything I’d requested had appeared.

* * *

That morning…

We chose an empty field and started farming.

We plowed the soil and planted seedlings.

Tomatoes.

Potatoes.

Corn.

Peas.

All vegetables that could be harvested during the summer.

The people from the exile camp also each picked an empty house and moved out on their own.

At last…

Everyone had a private space of their own.

At first they all felt awkward.

But once they stepped inside their new homes…

They couldn’t hide their happiness.

I decided to keep living in the first house with Ribi, Ian, and Mrs. Dallis.

After all…

A seven-year-old child and a mentally unstable woman both needed someone to look after them.

Bleached Demon Lord only stayed for one day…

Yet the place already feels empty without him.

Hiding my disappointment, I picked up my book and headed toward the playground.

The residential district had a playground that had once belonged to the children who lived here.

The long-haired Demon Lord had restored that place too.

“Oh?”

“Where’s our little lady going?”

“It’s our adorable Hebenia from next door!”

“Have you eaten lunch?”

Every time I passed someone, they waved warmly.

“I’m going to study!”

When I proudly held up the book…

The adults smiled and told me not to overwork myself.

My steps toward the playground became even lighter.

I sat on a bench shaded by a large tree.

Before opening the book…

I first examined the watch on my wrist.

“I wonder what kind of civilization demons have…”

It looked exactly like the smartwatches made by famous smartphone companies.

I searched the book’s table of contents for Watch.

Once again…

The heroine Havi was asking the fairy questions.

Havi: Look! Demon Lord gave me this watch as a gift!

Fairy: Amazing, Havi! You’ve earned the trust of the Demon Lords! This watch is called the Chosen Trust, allowing you to summon demons under any circumstances!

Havi: Under any circumstances?

Fairy: Register a summoning circle inside the watch, and you won’t have to draw one every time you summon a demon.

Besides that…

The watch also had:

• A clock
• A calendar
• Telephone functions
• Heart rate monitoring
• Step counting
• Music playback
• Camera functions

…It’s literally a smartwatch.

Seeing modern technology again after so long made me strangely happy.

“Then…”

“Let’s try summoning one.”

Since I wanted to save the summoning circle in the watch…

And also summon my new butler…

I drew a summoning circle in the dirt using my shoe.

Hopefully someone kind and cool appears.

Since they’re supposed to be a butler… maybe they’ll be an older adult.

Bleached Demon Lord said they’re strong, so maybe they can help train me.

And…

As I finished drawing the upside-down star…

My foot slowly stopped.

Could Ian Oppa train too?

Among the things I’d requested…

There had been real swords and shields.

Those had been Ian’s request.

He said he’d been betrayed by his fellow knights…

He had watched them frame him with his own eyes.

Even after such betrayal…

He didn’t hate knights.

Instead…

He was happy just to have the chance to practice swordsmanship again.

Even so…

The lonely smile he’d shown still lingered in my memory.

Actually…

Everyone from the exile camp had worn that same bittersweet expression when they looked at the things they’d requested.

The world really is unfair…

And cruel.

I raised my left hand.

Using the watch’s camera…

I saved a picture of the completed summoning circle.

“Now then…”

According to the book…

When using the watch to summon a demon…

You simply had to shout,

“Summon!”

That sounds exactly like a magical girl’s transformation phrase.

This is embarrassing.

Still…

I’d always wanted to try saying something like that.

Gathering my courage…

I shouted,

“S-Summon!”

At that moment…

A comforting scent of fresh earth filled the air.

It smelled exactly like a summer morning after rain.

The summoning circle began glowing faintly.

Something suddenly shot high into the sky…

Then landed gracefully.

Soft wheat-colored hair fluttered in the breeze.

“Hello!”

A smiling male student stood before me.

He wore a school uniform with a hoodie underneath.

“It’s an honor to meet you…”

“And an even greater honor to serve you…”

“Lady Clavis!”

* * *

I’d once heard that demons always took on the most physically perfect appearance possible…

To charm humans.

Maybe it was in a movie.

Either way…

Every demon I’d met so far had been stunningly attractive.

This one was no exception.

He had a gentle, handsome face.

A tall, athletic build.

Friendly manners.

And an incredibly pleasant voice.

He looked exactly like every schoolgirl’s first love.

He looks like a middle school student.

About fifteen years old?

Since I’d imagined a mature adult when I heard the word “butler”…

His appearance caught me completely off guard.

“Y-You look really young…”

“That’s right!”

“I’m the famous baby-faced butler!”

“I beat countless competitors to earn this position!”

“Ahem!”

The school-uniform demon proudly thumped his chest.

He was so cheerful and polite that I immediately liked him.

My surprise quickly disappeared.

Warmth took its place.

Suddenly…

I thought of my younger brother from my previous life.

When we were little…

He had adored me.

But as he grew older…

He became the one who insulted and hurt me the most.

He always shouted that he didn’t need someone like me.

Maybe he’s happy now.

If my old body still existed…

I honestly hoped it would hurry up and die.

I never wanted to return to that world.

I feel a little sorry for the original owner of this body…

Then…

I tilted my head.

The school-uniform demon tilted his head too, smiling just like me.

Come to think of it…

Bleached Demon Lord seemed to know I’d come from another world.

The long-haired Demon Lord also knew.

Does this demon know too?

Unable to resist…

I asked,

“Do you know about reincarnated people?”

“You mean transmigrators?”

“Of course!”

He answered as though it were obvious.

“We demons communicate with many different worlds.”

“There’s more than one world.”

“So we’ve met transmigrators many times.”

“Then…”

“Yes!”

The school-uniform demon smiled brightly.

“Any transmigrator we discover…”

“…is executed immediately.”