Lisa, the brown cat-eared beastie. She is apparently an acquaintance of Toa's.

　An alley on the outskirts of town. I set Lisa down on a bench there in the shade of a tree and I administered the healing. All the while, Toa was watching over her with concern.

'You know, Toa, by the way. You do know each other, don't you?　Was it Lisa?

'Yes. My house, my maid ... my friend, the only friend who didn't avoid me ...

　You're not going to avoid me, are you? ...Was life in the Toa's castle so closed off?　I've heard that she's a princess, so I'm assuming she's somehow privileged to that extent, but not so much?

I see.

　When I checked his expression with a sideways glance, I detected an emotion like guilt from within Toa. But I don't know the meaning of that 《I'm sorry》.

　Does Sufilia care about the time of the carriage?　He is somewhat restless in his mind. He doesn't even seem to be interested in Lisa-san.
　Surprisingly - is it not?　Perhaps Sufilia has a shy side that is hard on strangers.
　In contrast, Nem is sympathetic. Knowing that she is Toa's friend, her expression shows her concern and anxiety for Toa.

'Hey Toa?　By the way, I have a feeling he's not sick.

'What?　What does that mean...

What's to say my healing doesn't work?　Which means it's not an injury or an illness.

　I deactivated the magic and looked at Lisa's condition.
　As for the medical treatment, of course, nothing is tamed, but it doesn't seem to have a fever to the extent that it touched my forehead, and it doesn't seem to be injured. Then why did this person collapse?　I tried to think about it, but I couldn't think of anything.

　Then she woke up, though the healing shouldn't have worked, but then she woke up.

'Ugh ... um ...'

Lisa?

　Toa hugged her with an impulsive force, spontaneously shedding tears against Lisa, who woke up slightly.

''Ugh....................To, Toatrica, sir? .....

　Then he looked at her, who looked distressed for a moment, and backed away, distraught, and still couldn't take his eyes off her, Toa.

'Yes?!　Me?　It's Tor?!

　From the looks of it, I could understand the relationship between the two of them, Toa and Lisa-san.
　Toa was seriously worried about Lisa-san, and Lisa looked at Toa in front of her and smiled loosely, her eyes empty but reassured.

'I'm sorry, Lisa. I was going to leave right away, but...

Toa, Master Trika I....

　Lisa then let the words slip out of her mouth in anguish.
　She hadn't reacted at all while she was healing, but for some reason, she woke up naturally and noticed Toa.
　Lisa-san's expression was listless. She is not traumatized, but she is weak. She's trying to exert her strength and tell me something, even though she's broken off as much as possible.

I waited for the next words to be uttered while keeping an eye on Lisa-san's condition.

''........''

'What?　What did you just say?

　Toa put her ear close to Lisa's mouth, trying to listen to the whispered voice.

'My stomach is ... hungry ...'

What?

　I was stunned. At the same time, I knew why the healing hadn't worked.

'My stomach?!　Lisa, did you just say that?

Yes, yes....

　I mean, are you just hungry?　For now, we'll hear the detailed reasons later, but that means that Lisa-san had collapsed in the square from hunger to the point of losing consciousness.
　Apparently, healing magic doesn't work on an empty stomach. It was a good lesson.

　I then bought some spit-roasted meat, vegetable sticks, and fruit juice from a stall that I could see from a stone's throw away. Toa fed them slowly to Lisa and nursed her until she recovered, giving her the juice.

　For me, the best way to stay healthy was to drink.
　The booze disinfects the throat and cleanses the stomach. --though I don't think I can.
　When Lisa finishes eating her meat and vegetables and her condition has calmed down to some extent, I take out the "Old Gelt" and a glass of glass, which will be used to fund the founding of the country, and I hand her a glass of wine directly after she's recovered enough to speak normally.
　Then Lisa took a sip of the wine in the glass without caution, though we had never met before. Then she liked the taste and gulped it down with satisfaction.

　After that, I applied the "State Anomaly Healing (Effect Heal)" to completely sober Lisa up just in case.

'Lisa-san, right?　Now that you're settled in, I'd like to know a little bit about your relationship with Toa.　Why was he lying there?　But I could tell that you were hungry.

　Then, first of all, the question was answered by Toa.

'Lisa is one of the maids in the castle's service.

　While fixing Lisa's robe, which had fallen apart and was lightly opened, Toa spoke apologetically for some reason. Toa seemed to have an idea of why Lisa was here.

And then?　Why is that maid in Dames Aldan?　That means the castle is from the demon kingdom, right?

I've been looking for a Lady Toatrica.

　I asked Toa, Lisa muttered.
　The answer didn't surprise Toa, and what was on his face was guilt. There was no need to sense it.
　Toa had been harboring this emotion in no small part since he found her. He must have known it from the beginning.

'Have you come to bring Toa back?　But still, how did you know you were in this country?

That's because I saw this article

　Lisa then takes out a magazine from her robe pocket.

''Is this a magical communication?''

　It was the latest issue of Magical Communications.

''Yes. Here's the fact that there was a war between humans and the Demon King Cassandra-sama. And that the cause of the war was Toathrika-sama. All of that was written down.

What?

　The first time I heard those words, I didn't immediately understand what they meant. It's because I was more irritated than I understood.
　I'm sure I told Francesca and Dolly the hard way when we first met. -- if you're going to post a picture of me, you can't have my bare face, but I'll allow it over the mask. And as for my companions, I said the pictures were stupid and I wouldn't allow them to write about it.
　I suppress my irritation and flip through the pages of the demonic communication. Then I carefully checked the front page on that one.

'Err, well, it has information about Toa, right?　As far as I can tell, I don't see it? ........or rather, I've told the two of you that I won't allow that, in case you're wondering......

　I look through the article, a mixture of questions and mutterings.

　Lisa-san is a beastman by all accounts, but she's a maid of the Demon Kingdom. Will the citizens of the Demon Kingdom also see the demonic communications?　Demonic Communications is, to say the least, an information magazine for the human world. It is unlikely that it is circulating in the demon kingdom that exists apart from the human world. But Lisa-san knows about it, and probably the demon tribe also knows that Cassandra was killed. The question is whether they also know about the person who killed her. It is clearly marked here as 《Hero Nito》.

''Ah........''

　And that's when. When I opened a page, I noticed an unmistakable fact.

　My finger flipping through the page stopped at the front page with my photo - the red-black full-face mask I'd had made based on the dwarf chief's mask.
　It must have been taken while I was being interviewed. I'm sure I nailed those two guys that I wouldn't allow them to post the image or information about my friends, but this is Dolly....

--that's where the Toa was reflected.

'I see, I see.'

　However, that is enough to make it obvious at a glance that it was a mistake.
　The 《Nito》 was published in large print in the center of the page. Behind it, Toa's face is reflected in a state of disorientation.
　But if it weren't for Lisa, Toa's friend, this probably wouldn't be noticed.

''Huh........''

　With a sigh that leaks out, I show it to Toa. Nem was looking at the photo from behind it.

''Ah ... it's me, right?　This? The Toa confirms.

'Yes, Master Toatrica. I could see it at a glance.

　Then Lisa replied categorically.

'So that's what you mean. "It's a bit of a misnomer to say 'everything', but in other words, Lisa, you saw these photos and knew of Toa's existence and expected him to be involved in this one?

''It's a little different from what I expected. I knew from Lucius that Lady Cassandra had requested Toatrika as the next Demon King, and I also knew that Lady Cassandra was attached to Toatrika. Therefore, even that one photo is unmistakable to me.

This Lucius...

"The late Mr. Toatrica's father, the late Satanic King of Ursula, the late Mr. Toatrica.

　I've heard that story once before.

　The cameraman is Dolly, and this is his mistake. And if I made one mistake, it could have been a big one.
But speaking of important, what could be more important than the fact that the Demon King is attacking the Toa?
　If that was the intent, I would have to advise you again. But this was clearly a mistake. I think a simple "be careful next time" would do the trick.
　I've been overly emotional lately. I realized that after a night's sleep. The Kristoff situation, for example, is a particularly good example of this. It must have affected my relationship with Schneizel somewhat, I'm sure. I don't regret that, though.
　But the Dolly case is different. This isn't something that is exaggerated enough to kill. It shouldn't be a problem to make that decision.

'You mean ... Dolly, was it?　He ignored Master Nito's advice and posted the picture without refusal. So that's it, isn't it?

　Then all of a sudden, it was Sufilia who asked that with an obviously unhappy look on her face.

''Well, it's not like I ignored your advice, I mean, I'm completely out of sight of Toa's body, maybe I didn't check enough, right?

　What is it?　Sufilia's eyes seem to be set. What is he angry about this much?

Are you not sure?　Okay, that's a good enough reason for a purge, isn't it?

What?　Purge?

'One wrong move and Master Nito's true face could have even been transmitted to the world. Those fools who fail to check, need to be punished.

'Punished for what?　Is that a big deal to you?　Well, actually, Lisa found out about Toa from this picture, but I'll give you a heads-up later through Francesca with a reminder, so you'll be fine, right?

If you say so, Nito-sama, I won't say anything else. But information is a weapon. I believe that Nito-sama, who has become a great mage, needs to be even more vigilant in the vicinity than ever before. He needs to eliminate anything that could threaten his safety, no matter how small it may seem. By the time things get important, it's too late.

　You're in a very bad mood today, aren't you?　Or do they care about the time of the carriage?

'Sufilia?　If it's time for the carriage, I don't have to worry so much about it. Worst case scenario, we can just spend another night in the dungeon.

Yes, I understand.

　I tried to tell her not to worry about it, thinking it was probably true, but Sufilia's crispness bothered me. What in the world is she angry about?

'By the way, Lisa?　The reason why Lisa-san was looking for Toa was to bring him back to the demon country. So that's it, right?

'Yes, yes, but...'

Then it's just right, we were going to head to the Demon Country now. I heard that there is a carriage that can go from this country to the vicinity of the Devil's Country, so I'll make it fit for Lisa-san's health condition, but let's leave here today or tomorrow.

Is that a carriage?

'Yes, sir. On a lighter note, I'm going to go through the country of Detritus. The time is ... Sufilia?　How long is this going to take?

I'd say about two weeks, give or take.

That's right. So don't worry. We'll send Toa safely to the Devil's Land, and Lisa will go with us.

　Then, as her physical condition improved considerably, Lisa stood up there - "No, there's no need for that. I'll travel to the demon country with spatial transfer magic," she cut off.

''Eh?　Is it shifting magic?

　I didn't expect the word "spatial transfer" to come out of the mouth of the woman who was nearly dying in the wild from hunger just now. Then why didn't she just go back to the country before it happened like that?

　Then Lisa-san took out a certain one, the 《Black Staff》 from her pocket.

''In my case, transference magic can only be used once with this magic tool entrusted to me by Lucius-sama. But only once.

　Apparently, it's a wand that allows for transference.

Then Lisa-san looked at Toa, "There is a reason why you came here," she said, and after preamble, she began to explain.

''I couldn't get any information, but just as I was thinking of returning to the demon kingdom for once, just to get some information about the human world for now, I received a call from Lucius-sama. Hundreds of troops led by Lady Cassandra have headed to Fischanatika and have begun their invasion.

　You'll be hearing from the Demon King himself?　Apparently, Lisa-san is trusted by the Demon King.

　Afterwards, Lisa-san visited Fischanatica and learned of Toa's existence through demonic communications. Perhaps we've been mistaken for each other.
　Then she learned of Toa's existence and used the information to lead her to this country, which is relatively not far from Fischanatica.

'Is Lisa the only one you're looking for?

No, of course, there's more than just me.　This is a search party formed around me, sir.

　Who the hell is this person?　According to Toa, she's a friend and a maid who serves the castle, but it's strange no matter what you think. The magic power that leaks out of this 《Range of Robe Tinged with Strange Magic》 is also unnoticed by the other three, but it emits an oddness that makes it hard to believe that it belongs to a beastman. It's a magical power like that of a demon race. Isn't this person a beastman?

　The Toa Search Team, led by Lisa, is said to have once gathered in Fischanatica. However, it is said that at that point in time, the battlefield was a completely empty shell.
　After that, they sent many of them back to the demon country, and then split up with the rest to continue the search.
　Some headed for Grayberg, and Lisa happened to be headed here in Dahms-Ardan.

'Isn't it too early to arrive for that?

Well I can't tell you much about my transportation. I can't tell you much about my transportation, but I acted without sleep or rest. I'm ashamed to say that I was unconscious by the time I arrived here. It's very shameful. I had no idea that I would be bothering you, Lady Toatrica and I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you.

'Don't apologize, Lisa?　I'm the one who made them go through all the trouble. If I hadn't even gone into the treasure room, all this would have happened...

The World Mirror is still under investigation. Perhaps we should destroy that one after all.

　What are you talking about?
　But still, this is the first time I've seen the Toa in such a silly mood. I can't help but wonder if this is what Toa was like when he lived in the castle.

　Even so, he's a messed up person to be insomniac. But he must have felt for Toa that much. His emotions are hard to detect, which means he's filled with positive emotions.

　As for the means of transportation that he said he couldn't talk about, it's probably transferable magic.
　For example, the heart of the dragon has a transference network set up in various places. It's not just a matter of time before you are able to get your hands on it. In other words, the demon kingdom may also possess such a thing. If that's the case, I understand why they can't talk about it, because it's a matter of national security.

I think it's time for us to go back to the demon kingdom. Lucius is waiting for you. Is it safe to say goodbye to everyone?

'What?　Goodbye?

　Then Lisa suddenly says something like that. Toa's eyes widen at the unexpected words.

''Yes. I can't thank you enough for protecting Toatrica-sama until now, but I can't take someone from the human world to the demon kingdom. Besides, the capacity of this staff is limited to two people.

Wait a minute?　I can't be the only one, then I'm not going!

　What is it?　The conversation suddenly became troublesome. It seems that the demon race hates humans, after all. They say they are grateful, but "we can't take the humans with us", right?　
　But I'm used to this kind of negotiation. Just in time, Toa is putting up a one-sided stance of "I'm not going". If this is the case, Lisa-san will be in trouble for not being able to finish her mission.

'Lisa-san?　May I have a moment?

...Yes, what is it?

I guess she has some idea of what I'm about to cut out. Lisa-san was slightly alarmed.

I'm sure you're not going to be able to find out what's going on. But Toa says he won't go. Do you really want to force them to go with you?

It's not... no.

Then you can take us with you. If not, you can transfer us to the other side of the demon kingdom immediately. If the Demon King says no, we'll go home. And while Nem Nem is a beastman, Sufilia and I are what you demons call the weakest of our race--humans--and I don't think the Demon King will be too upset if you two walk in here by mistake. We'll follow your instructions when we arrive. So, could you please?

　It's important to this man. That's more important to him than anything else, the Toa. If you try to force him to go with you, the Toa will resist. I'm sure he doesn't want to hurt Toa either. I'm a princess, and I'm here to help.
　Then this proposal is not a bad one. And more importantly, we're weak. From this person's point of view, there's no need to be alarmed.
　But just in case, I'll let Toa and Sufilia know.

''--Toa!　Sufilia!

I threaded the earring in my left ear and sent a telepathic message to both of them.

'Huh?'

"Yes.

''Don't say my name, just 'Masamune' for now. Unfortunately, Lisa-san doesn't seem to realize that I'm Nito.

　Since a while ago, Sufilia has been saying that to me many times, "Nito". But are the demons unfamiliar with human names?　Or is this guy just caught off guard by meeting Toa?　It should have been mentioned in the demonic communication, but this person is not wary of me. Apart from that, I feel an atmosphere of discrimination peculiar to the demon race, like I felt from Kaiser before.
　In other words, Lisa-san probably doesn't understand that I'm the 《Hero Nito》 who killed Cassandra's army. Is it because of this magical power?　Apparently, the magic power of Lv. 8 is quite good for concealment.

''Uh, yeah. I understand.''

Okay. Well, I'll just keep my mouth shut.

You don't have to tell Nem. Since he only calls her 《Master》 to begin with.

''Lisa-san, that magic tool?　It's a common one, isn't it?

Yes, yes....

　-- I'm still upset. Even when I said earlier that we have a "capacity of two", there was an uncomfortable feeling of emotion in the air. Perhaps he is lying.

　In terms of magic power, this magic tool has a certain amount of leeway. What I mean by this is that the magic tools are used to pour a certain amount of magic power into the tool in the first place.
　For example, let's say the "Saint's Wrath", even if you put more magic power into it, the number of magic balls that are released will only increase and the power of each shot will not change. This is the reason why you can't improve the quality of the magic.
　If this logic is applied to Lisa's magic tools, which she said were 'common', then Lisa's explanation that the capacity is two people could be a lie.
　If the figure of "two" is sort of true, for example, then it might be possible for four people to be transferred at the same time if they poured in two rounds of magic power.
　The magic tool--the 《Trifal》 expert Sufilia had said before. ''Magic tools don't improve in quality. It just increases in quantity in proportion to the amount of magic power.''
　Of course, if the amount of magic power increased, it would also become more unstable. It would be necessary to promote stability in the magic circle. But theoretically, as long as you have magic power, any number of people can be transferred.

''It's not that I don't know about magic tools either, and whether they're from the demon race or not, they're probably not that different from human ones. From that expression on Lisa-san's face, I can somehow tell that my words are not wrong.

I lied when I said "look". I can read emotions.

"The Toa won't go without us, will they?

But the transition...

We know now that transference is possible. I'll lend you the magic.

But...

'It's your call, Lisa. I'm not going to say anything else. I won't force you to trust me, and whatever decision you make, I'll leave the rest to you.

　Talking like this reminds me of those days when I preached to Sabrina and Oswald about stupidity. Even now, it's the worst memory I have.

　Lisa was having a hard time making a decision. Her emotions were in turmoil. Perhaps, but she is choosing what is in the best interest of the situation. Her expression is nothing, which is a big deal, but her mind is not able to maintain more than a little bit of composure.

''........Okay. I'll take you all in.

Then Lisa made her decision sooner than she expected. But I feel a bit of regret lingering in her heart.

'It's okay, I'm just going to see Toa's father for a bit, and if he turns me away, I'll leave quietly.

　Of course, I had no intention of going home without telling them.

　By the way, this persuasion is useless from the start.
　The three of them have been given black rings made by the dwarfs. In other words, I can connect the dungeon's vortex to the location where the three of them are, even from far away. If Toa goes to the demon kingdom first, he can head there afterwards.
　But if you use too much crazy magic, there's a chance that you'll end up in war as soon as you reach the demon kingdom. I have no intention of messing with the demon tribe in the first place, and I want to form a friendly relationship with them. It's impossible to fight with them right from the start.
　That's why I went to the trouble of doing something like this.

''Well then, everyone. Let's go to the demon kingdom.

　Lisa-san didn't seem to be convinced by the end.
　But even so, she didn't oppose us and let us into the magic circle, saying that even though we are human, we are still friends of the Toa, and she must have trusted us. I want to believe that.

　After that, we are surrounded by the light of transference and leave Dahms Ardan. We are headed to the Demon Kingdom. With this, we can finally go to the Demon Kingdom.
　By the way, Lisa-san's race........well, I'll have to confirm this with her at a later date.