The school was silent for the vacation. The cradle of learning fell into a deep slumber, waiting for tomorrow when it could stretch its limbs.
But not everywhere was asleep.
There was a presence in the student council room. A pink-toned girl sat in a chair, looking over the report from the Knight Order.
“Is it a Cult?”
A devil dressed in a suit scowled as he read alongside her.
“‘This can’t be right. Surely the investigation results are wrong? The Cult just collapsed not too long ago. There’s no way they could be rebuilt already.’”
“What exactly is the Cult?”
“It’s a group that denies the Personal God and worships the Evil God. During the religious void when revelations from the Personal God ceased, they rapidly gained power and threatened the temples.”
Pastel frowned, mimicking the devil’s scowl.
“Is it a religious conflict?”
“I suppose it could feel that way. But it’s different. The Cult worships the Evil God but is more akin to a self-serving organization. They pursue personal wealth and glory in exchange for favors from the Evil God, unflinchingly using murder and terror.”
“So they follow the secular contract of the Evil God instead of the ethical teachings of the deities for their own benefits, huh?”
“That’s right. It’s no proper religion.”
“Heh.”
Pastel stared at the devil with a strange expression, meeting his red eyes and giving a peculiar smile.
“The Cult’s activities aren’t much different from a devil contract, then. You do what the devil asks, and you get wicked power in return.”
“Fairy tale-wise, that is correct.”
“Heh.”
Pastel poked the devil.
“Don’t tell me you can’t do that?”
“I want wicked power, too.”
“Something like chopping up an airship in one swift stroke and taking off with it.”
The devil gazed down at her, complexities swirling in his expression.
“Don’t fall into pointless temptations. It will only lead to your ruin. Solid power comes with diligent effort.”
Pastel sulked suddenly.
“Not very devilish of you.”
“Shouldn’t you be recommending a devil contract in this situation?”
“Oh, never mind! I’ve always known that you, Demon Lord, aren’t much help in my life! It’s just the same this time!”
“What?”
The devil looked dumbfounded.
“Start your morning by making your bed and then say such things. Who do you think will tidy up that crumpled blanket?”
“It’s my bed! The bed friend gets along with me so well that it even helps tidy the blanket! Didn’t you know? I did! The dreary Demon Lord has no friends!”
She stuck out her tongue.
“Bleh!”
“Hmph!”
Pastel turned her head sharply and scribbled with her quill.
“Cult, Cult, Cult, Cult, Cult.”
“The group that caused my loyal retainers to perish.”
“And shamelessly played with me.”
Her frantic scrawl smeared the report. Ink bled and tangled. The quill tore at the paper. She snatched the ripped report. The sound of tearing paper followed in succession.
“Wicked worshippers of the Evil God.”
“I will definitely slay them.”
Pastel lowered her head deeply.
The air grew heavy.
The devil hesitated to say something, then moved his hand. His hand pressed down on the pink hair.
Time passed.
Pastel exhaled.
“I’m sorry. I know you always help me with my bed.”
She wiggled her fingers.
“I just… got so frustrated that I let the ones I should have gotten revenge on go free… I should not have taken it out on you, Demon Lord.”
“What rudeness is this towards the ever-helpful Demon Lord?”
“It’s fine.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
Pastel picked up the torn pieces of paper, one by one, and started tidying them.
“Was it right to fight back then? Should I have carried out my revenge as the head of the family instead of suppressing my emotions like a coward?”
“You made a rational decision.”
She shook her head.
“I feel unworthy to be the head. Why did I not die to protect people like me—”
“Little Craft.”
His hand gently stroked her pink hair.
“Don’t lose yourself to life. The outcome isn’t determined solely by your choices. Humans are powerless in the face of the world to blame themselves. You did your best at that moment. It was merely a matter of timing and luck not favoring you. Aim for the next opportunity. There are plenty.”
“Ugh.”
The Demon Lord’s kind advice.
Is this the whisper of a devil?
If I can’t get a devil contract, shouldn’t I at least rely on the devil’s whispers?
Seems that way.
Pastel purposely took a deep breath.
Then she shouted with all her might.
“I got it!”
She raised her arms high.
“Hormone Friend! Let’s wait for revenge together! We’ll show that even the weak can do it strong against strong!”
“Don’t run away alone!”
“Fighting!”
“We can kill!”
Adrenaline burst forth.
Her Hormone Friend responded excitedly.
“Yeah! Next time, let’s chop up the opponent! It’s all about dismemberment! Fighting!”
“Oh?”
A reliable response.
“Oh yeah!”
Pastel clapped her cheeks.
“We can do this!”
She looked back at the devil.
“Demon Lord! Demon Lord! Let’s work hard on this smuggling business! We’ll hoard a ton of money to strengthen our power and topple that wicked Cult!”
The demon, who should have matched the atmosphere, hesitated for a moment. A clunky word had come up out of nowhere, leaving him flustered.
“Eep?”
Pastel’s eyes widened.
“Demon Lord? Are you saying you can’t take down that wicked Cult? Really?”
“Eep?”
Is the Demon Lord not better than my Hormone Friend?
The devil hastily responded.
“Of course we have to take it down. You can do it.”
His hand patted her pink hair.
Pat, pat.
Feeling that touch, Pastel nodded vigorously.
“That’s right! I can smuggle well!”
“No.”
“Demon Lord also approves of my smuggling! I will work hard!”
The devil was at a loss for words. His thoughts seemed complicated.
Seeing that expression, Pastel felt a surge of pride.
Good.
Seeing the Demon Lord flustered certainly brightened her mood. The gloom had lifted.
Is this the joy of a little troublemaker?
Hehe.
That sense of betrayal feels nice.
Pastel laughed and grabbed her quill.
Her mood lightened.
She took out new paper and began to write.
Tasks for the vacation were calmly noted down.
First, I need to secure the Demon King’s inheritance hidden under the basement while constructing the dormitory.
The Demon King’s inheritance?
Until not long ago, I wanted to replicate gems, but my mind has changed.
I’d like to find something that my Hormone Friend would like.
For example.
Something like a chainsaw!
With the sound of the saw whoosh~!
“An underground passage?”
She walked alongside the construction supervisor.
“When we exposed the floor, we found a passage that wasn’t on the blueprints. It looks deep so we didn’t go inside yet.”
“Oh, that.”
Pastel pretended to know better.
“As you know, this used to be a training ground for officers, right? There are military secrets here. Please stop construction for now. We, the student council, will take a look and get back to you.”
Exercising her student council authority, she soon arrived at the dormitory construction site.
The old dormitory had been demolished, leaving only the floor behind. The supervisor had taken the workers away.
Pastel was left alone. She peered down the dark underground stairs that stood solitary. A musty, chilly air greeted her. It smelled of fish.
“What kind of facility is this?”
When she tossed a stone, it echoed.
“Eek?”
From the sound, it seemed quite spacious.
“This doesn’t look like a military facility.”
Pastel clasped her hands and shouted.
“Yay!”
The sound echoed back.
“Yay, yay~!”
Wow.
She shouted again.
“Pastel is smart~!”
Listening intently.
The sound came back.
“Pastel is smart~.”
Gasp.
Pastel’s eyes widened.
“Demon Lord! Demon Lord! They say I’m smart!”
“Pastel, super smart.”
The underground facility friend recognized her too.
The demon paused for a moment before ignoring Pastel and speaking again.
“It doesn’t look like a military facility. It was probably a sewer made before the officer training ground was established. They must’ve just buried it and built the military academy on top.”
Gasp.
Our friend is a sewer?
Wait, I’ll correct that.
Underground facility friend → Sewer friend.
Misunderstanding resolved.
👏👏👏
“This place is, to put it simply, broadly speaking, a holy land for the Demon Race. After humans pillaged it, they built the officer training ground in mockery. An officer trained in the holy land of demons invading the Demon Realm, you see.”
Pastel, who had been half-listening, froze.
“Eh.”
What kind of sinister intent is that?
Humans are totally evil.
“They hardly filled up the sewers before building the training ground. I see why the legacy is here. The Demon King must have hidden it somewhere in the sewers during the Sky Island War.”
Pastel became morally outraged.
“Humans are really nasty! Even though I’m human, the idea of establishing a training ground on a holy site is too much!”
Although there had been a war, even until now without returning it, the academy had risen again.
“Bad people! Bad people! Even though it’s long ago, the bad people might be in the grave, but if I ever meet them, I’ll be sure to scold them!”
Swish, swish!
The devil’s voice turned complicated.
“The one who pushed for that was Craft.”
“Oh?”
She learned about the sinister history of the clan.
Pastel’s mouth dropped open.
She awkwardly turned her gaze and whistled to diffuse the situation.
“T-this is awkward.”
Time to apologize and bend my waist~.
“100-degree bowing Pastel~.”
“More importantly, let’s set off. It’s not good to keep delaying the construction. It’ll just draw unnecessary attention.”
“Oh, right!”
Pastel rushed in. The long, dark tunnel continued. It was damp and humid, but the sewage itself seemed to have evaporated.
As she ventured deep, the light from the stairs faded away, making it difficult to see ahead.
She squatted down and fiddled with the oil lantern she brought. The pink-toned girl fumbled around in the darkness.
Fumble, fumble.
“Ah! Got it!”
She found the flint and steel that had been stuck to the lantern. Striking them together sparked a flame. After several tries, she managed to get it to light the oil-soaked wick.
The lantern brightened, casting a soft light in the passage.
“Phew.”
Pastel wiped her forehead for no particular reason.
“It’s super hard to light a lantern.”
Maybe it’s not my forte.
“From now on, light it in a bright place before coming in.”
Gasp, is he a genius?
No wonder it felt difficult.
“Oh ho ho.”
Pastel burst out laughing alone, then held the lantern forward.
“Darkness, begone!”
The soft light was bright.
“Whoa, whoa!”
Holding it like a sword, she declared, “With light by my side, I fear nothing!”
“Bring it on, whatever it is!”
“I’ll face it with my Ultra Super Sword Skills!”
She explored the sewer. Passing through forked paths, she zigzagged through the maze-like layout.
Then, just as she wished, she encountered something.
Darkness filled the opposite end with unknown eyes densely packed.
“Oh?”
She raised the lantern. Before her was a scene of mice up to her kneecaps flooding the passage. Countless eyes stared at Pastel.
“Whoa.”
“Hello, Squeaky Friends?”
“I squeak too.”
“You squeak, too.”
“We all squeak.”
A large rat opened its mouth as if in response. Its blood-stained teeth were visible.
“Oh, dear? Are we friends…?”
“Based on what I see, there are dozens of eyes. At least several hundred of them. Run away. A swarm of rats is a natural disaster.”
The large rat squeaked loudly.
“Eep, super cute.”
An echoing wail filled the passage. Countless eyes turned towards Pastel from the dark passage beyond. Hundreds of eyes stared at her.
“Eep, not cute at all.”
The rat’s cries rang one after another. The passage trembled. A black wave approached.
“AHHH!”
Pastel turned around and dashed away.
“There must be an entrance to the ruins somewhere. If you find it, you will survive.”
The chase began.
“Save us, Pastel!”
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