Published: March 21, 2026
"Truly, master is terrible at handling familiar users..."
"Demon Clan handlers aren't any better~"
The night streets were almost empty—only a plump black cat padding along and the non-human who followed it. No one else was around.
Uruk's nights were far quieter than those of other countries' towns.
In other towns there would still be lights at this hour and a few people walking about.
Uruk, by contrast, had no open shops, not even streetlamps.
But because of that, the stars looked especially beautiful.
"I really didn't expect Lady Lattice Nail to come along," I said.
The Lady Lattice Nail I know is a free-spirited princess who follows no one and refuses everyone's requests.
She was so free that the demon king used to wrap his head in his hands every day.
Every day she would play some prank on the demon king and inconvenience someone.
Even Mahiro couldn't handle Lady Lattice Nail's mischief.
"I'm always in pursuit of fun~. I just follow whatever I think is interesting. I followed you because I thought it would be more fun to be with you. And your lord is particularly amusing. Maybe he even expected I'd tail you?"
I still couldn't make sense of her.
I've long thought that she and I just wouldn't get along.
I can't understand her way of life or her way of thinking at all.
Lady Lattice Nail narrowed her wisteria-colored eyes with amusement and looked around.
"Alright, big brother asked, next is to corroborate the information, right?"
I forced myself not to sigh and nodded.
Her manner of speaking always made me feel unmoored.
"Yes. Expose the crimes of Uruk's Adventurer Guild master, Gram. Specifically, find the so-called 'enhancement drug' that seems to be being produced by Gram or people around him, and trace where it has been distributed... or so I've been told."
If we could also find out whether any of it had been delivered to Reytis Castle, that would be excellent.
Really, master has terrible taste in familiar users.
Without Lady Lattice Nail, this would have been impossible.
As she said, she probably anticipated that she'd follow me.
After separating from my master, we used her extra skill 'magical power concealment' so that she, appearing as a human at first glance, could approach the target while I slipped inside and gathered information.
If my presence were discovered, she could get us out with her skill 'charm'.
She herself didn't like using 'charm' because it felt like robbery, but I hoped she'd do it for my master’s sake.
Mari and Uruk had been handled the same way when we'd been asked to corroborate information before.
It would likely work in Uruk too, but this country had an alarmingly early bedtime.
There were probably almost no people still awake.
And that was all because Lady Lattice Nail had dawdled everywhere—if not for her, we should have reached Uruk before nightfall; instead we were far behind schedule.
At this rate, we wouldn't be able to fulfill my master's request.
"Come on, Yoru-kun."
I looked up at Lady Lattice Nail's voice. She was staring at the Adventurer Guild building in Uruk with a suspicious expression.
What was she planning?
"Ready?"
"...Um, what exactly are you—"
She slipped around to the back of the Adventurer Guild building and suddenly grabbed the back of my neck, lifting me up.
"Alright, off you go!!"
With that she hurled me with all her strength.
"Wh-what are you doinggggg!?"
I shouted as I landed on the roof.
I shouldn't have called out where others could see, but I wasn't to blame.
The person who threw me without any consultation was at fault.
I was about to complain, but when I looked down Lady Lattice Nail was looking off in some odd direction and laughing.
"What on earth—"
I followed her gaze and suddenly drew a sharp breath.
"You!! At this hour, what are you doing in a place like this!!!"
Light drew near in a swarm, and Lady Lattice Nail was immediately surrounded by soldiers.
While the soldiers wore grim faces, she grinned inanely.
"Oh, I'm a traveler, first time in this town today, and before I could find a place to stay everyone left and I got lost! I'll sleep under the stars tonight, so could one of you escort me to the edge of town? Or, uh, where is this place?"