Published: March 21, 2026
"Master, master!"
I woke to a voice in the night and found myself up in a tree. Night — shrunken — was sitting on my stomach, peering at my face with a worried look. It felt like it had been a while since I’d seen Night.
After the duel with Kirika some time had passed, and Night had slept up in the tree the whole time like he had no interest. When I told him to cheer for his master, he grinned defiantly and said, "There’s no way my master would lose to someone like that," showing some inexplicable faith. I was glad, but I wasn’t sure whether I should accept it at face value.
I climbed down from the tree and stretched. Night landed gracefully beside me. Of course — a cat. The tree had been uncomfortable to sleep in, but still better than the jagged floor of the labyrinth. I rarely tossed and turned, so there was little risk of falling. Also, it seemed this world had no mosquitoes; I wasn’t kept awake by annoying buzzing.
"Good morning, Night."
"Ah, good morning, Master. I’m glad you slept well. The others aren’t up yet — shall we take a walk?"
"It’s rare for you to invite me."
I knew Night liked to pace around the boss room calling it a walk ever since he woke, but it was the first time he invited me. His eyes were meaningful, so this wasn’t just a stroll. Was it important enough to wake me?
Night adjusted his size using his transformation extra skill. For a moment he glowed, and the kitten-sized Night suddenly grew to just a bit larger than a big dog. I watched him out of the corner of my eye and muttered.
"That extra skill is handy."
"If you ask whether it’s convenient or not, then yes, it’s certainly convenient."
Silence followed his words for a while. Night’s paw pads muffled his footsteps so only one set of footsteps echoed.
After a bit, Night finally spoke.
"Master, what do you plan to do from now on?"
"…That question — do you mean as a subordinate of the demon lord, or as my familiar?"
At that, Night blinked in surprise and gave a wry smile. Somehow his stride lightened.
"Of course as your familiar. My connection to the demon lord now is only through these five senses. I’m not going to betray him, but my current master is you."
"Is that okay? Weren’t you fairly high-ranked among the Demon Clan?"
It could have been demotion, but knowing serious Night, he probably didn’t mess up. More likely he’d been entrusted with this job because the demon lord trusted him.
Plus, having the extra skill "transformation" and being able to talk suggested he had some status. After meeting so many with extra skills, I almost forget how rare those skills are.
"He once told me that if something happened to you I could follow the demon lord, but I don’t intend to. …Back to the point: if you don’t have anywhere to go, there’s someplace I want to go."
"It’s rare for you to voice a desire. Where is it?"
I pretended not to be moved, but secretly Night’s words had touched me a little.
"The Continent of Beasts — 'Brute.'"
"The Beastmen continent, huh. Why there?"
"Many excellent blacksmiths live among the Beastmen. They should take a look at your sword."
I followed Night’s gaze and glanced at the jet-black hilt over my shoulder. The gift from commander Saran, which had seen me through countless life-or-death battles against demonic beasts that only magic could affect, was as worn as I felt. I’d never neglected maintenance, but it had certainly been pushed to its limits and was pretty battered.
"Yeah. Probably best to have it checked."
"See?" Night puffed up with pride, and I smiled wryly.
There were probably other reasons he wanted to go to Beastmen territory, but I’d ask later.
"Then we leave. Today."
"Today!?"
Even Night was surprised. It was a bold statement, but sometimes seizing the moment is best.
"Honestly, I meant to leave this island right after the Kirika mess, but timing was bad so I stayed. I don’t have business here anymore."
"…Alright, I’ll get ready."
A woman’s voice — not Night’s — answered, and a beautiful girl with white hair was there. Of course, Amelia. Her red eyes gleamed mischievously; she seemed satisfied at my surprised reaction.