The city of Pindos, a store that plays plays.

　There is a stage in front of it.
　Across from it, there is a space almost like a bar.

　It is a place where people enjoy the play while eating and drinking, a style that has become popular in the last ten years.

　I was watching the adventure story of a legendary mage named Io while eating and drinking at random.

Strange.

　A woman sat down next to me at the same table.
　I was surprised because shared seating is very rare in a restaurant like this, and there are still empty seats around me.

　Why?　I was even more surprised when I turned my head to the side to see him.

'You ... not you ...'

　I'm paraphrasing because that's the kind of status they're dealing with.

　Lina Mi Aegina.

　She came to us a while ago as an Inspector and is one of the royalty of the Aegina Kingdom to which the Cano family belongs.
　That Lina has somehow appeared in the city of Pindos.

'No need for manners,'
Okay.

　You don't want to be identified.
　Because if you're royalty, you're privileged. Some people don't like that kind of thing.
　Especially in a place of entertainment, such as this, there are even more of them.

　I called the waiter and lightly ordered more food.
　I talked to her while it was being brought to me, just to see if she was in a good mood.

'Why are you here?'　Another round of custody?
What are you taking a piss about?　I'm here for your inauguration ceremony next week.
Oh...

　He smiled bitterly.
　As a baronial family, the Cano family had to perform a certain ceremony for the new head of the family.
　Since the three older brothers died all together, they've been putting it off, and they've decided it's time to do it.

　Formal invitations are sent out to all the royalty and nobles in one way or another, but usually it's a ceremony about the size of a baronet's ceremony, have the messenger bring words and a congratulatory gift and that's it.
　That's what Lina herself came for.

'Thank you.'

　I thanked her anyway.

　She doesn't respond, watching the play without speaking.
　She doesn't even touch the food, only keeping her lips moist with her drink.

　Maybe she's a quiet, basically quiet person.

　If that's the case, I'd like to leave him alone, but it's difficult to do so.

It's a good thing that you're not the only one who can do this.

　I remember what Lina said to me the last time I was here.
　She knows, she knows that I'm hiding my abilities.

　I wasn't sure what to do with her, and then she started to talk to me.

"When are you going to get serious?

　He threw a straight shot to the ground.
　It's a hard fastball with no decoration, but it's a relief that it came straight at me.

I'm not letting him out.
The whole time?
Always.
Are you interested in being higher than a baron?
Not at all.
'Do you need anything?　Money or women?　And if you want the most beautiful woman in the royal family, I'll let you have her.

　Lina is totally trying to seduce me.
　Money, women, power.
　I'm not sure how many times I'll have to wait for one of those things to happen.

"I'm sorry,
It's too soon.
It's not a matter of timing.
I'm vindictive.

　Oh my God, he really looks vindictive.
　Although, it's the same as last time.

　Lina isn't in the mood to do anything about it here.
　She's in the mood to wait patiently.

　If you say so, well, no problem--

　Thud.

　With a small thud, something fell onto the table.
　When I looked, I saw that the cup that Lina had lifted and moistened her lips was lying on the table, its contents smashed on the table.

　Lina, who had removed the cup, was propped up on one elbow, slumped and shaking.

'Hey, what's going on!'
We'll make some noise, but it's always something.

　That's what Lina says, but her face is pale.
　You don't look like you're safe.

"Again, you know...

　Lina wobbled and tried to get up.
　I guess she's going to walk away like this, but she can't get up, and her hips are back in the chair as she nearly floats.

　He seems to be in such pain that he has trouble even standing.

'Are you sick?　Shall I bring a doctor?
I'll be fine... as usual.
I don't think so!
Quiet.

　Lina holds out her index finger and presses her mouth to mine.
　The people around me are so engrossed in the play that they don't look at me - but if they make any more noise, that's suspicious too.
　Lina tells me to stop acting like I'm drawing attention to myself.

　She removes her hand from my lips and flips her clothes up a bit.

　On the border between the clothes and the skirt, right next to my belly button, there was what looked like a black human face.

'This is...'
It's a parasitic demon, an old one, so I don't know its name.
"Parasites.
''It parasitizes both the soul and the body, endlessly sucking up magic and strength. It's just the way it is. Don't worry, it's not going to die. If the host dies, he'll die too.

　Lina has a paper-like complexion, but she's just enduring, and I get the sense that she's certainly becoming.

'....Why are you in that thing?
A mistake of childhood, that is. I was playing in the castle treasury and I broke the seal on the cursed treasure.
I see.
....

　Lina moans in more pain than before.
　It's like there are waves of pain, and that was one of the biggest waves.

'What's the matter!'
It was just something I did that was hard for me to do, and I don't want you to have to tell anyone.

　He looks up and glares at me with a snap.
　Even though it's quite painful, he glares at me with more eyes than that.
　You're so embarrassed, aren't you?

　

　I've seen people tormenting Lina in books.
　I know what to do.

　I took the cup that Lina had removed from her hand.

　Ten percent okay.
　I took the rim and filled the cup with something dripping from my hand and offered it to Lina.

'I won't tell anyone. Better yet, drink some water. It'll make you feel a little better.
Hmmm.

　Lina was in so much pain, she drank from the glass as she was told.
　She couldn't hold it on her own, so I made her drink it like I would do to a sick person.

　After she drank half of the "water" from the glass, steam rose from Lina's body.
　At the same time, something popped out from around her navel.

　I'm expecting it, and I flap my hand to drop it on the ground and stomp on it.
　I'm not going to be able to get rid of it.

"....

　Lina looked intently at her hands.
　Her complexion was incomparably better than it was earlier.
　Or rather, it's the normal state of a normal person.

　I'm aware of that myself, so I looked at my hands because I'm surprised that I'm suddenly completely healed.

'What do you mean, what's going on?'
It's a demon called Paracitos. It's a demon that possesses a human body and feeds on its bio-energy to keep it alive and kill it, and I don't need to explain that to you, who have been experiencing it for years.
And what did you do to it? You told me a lot of times you couldn't get rid of it.
Yeah, you can't get rid of it from the outside. If you do, it will cut your soul to pieces.
"Then,
But I can get them to leave on their own.

　I took the cup and showed him the remaining half of the 'water'.
　Water made by condensing about ten percent of the power, water that materialized magic power.

'If you feed him a higher concentration of magic power than usual all at once, he'll be surprised and come out. If you eat a lot of stimulants, you'll get sick to your stomach.
A high concentration of magical power........embodied in magic?

　Lina is astonished to see the "water" I have in my hand.
　Well, she's saved and I'll make it a point.

"I won't say anything about this for you, and you won't say anything about me today.
....

　Lina stared at me and then said.

''Okay, in the name of Lina Mi Aigina. I won't tell anyone about today.
Oops.

　It could be a gourd to a panel.
　I expected him not to say it, but Lina swore even more to her name on top of that.

　If the royals say that much, then it's okay.

　　　　　☆

　A few days later, in the hall of audience.
　A messenger from the kingdom arrived and read the king's edict in front of me.

'In recognition of your efforts in defeating the Slime Lords, I hereby award Baron Hermes Cano the Cross of Kushfos.
....

　I was poking around.
　The messenger received the medals on a tray from the attendant attendant's attendant's attendant's attendant's attendant's attendant's attendant's attendant's attendant's attendant's attendant's attendant's attendant's attendant's attendant's attendant's attendant's attendant's attendant's attendant's attendant.

'Baron Cano, accept it respectfully.
'What?　Why?　Why a medal?
The Order of the Cross is the highest and most prestigious award for valor and valor who has fought for the Kingdom. It is awarded to the person who has shown great military merit. By nature, defeating a slime lord is not enough.
What if,
Between you and me.

　The messenger's tone of voice dropped, meant to be confidential.

'His Highness Lina, the Inspector, insisted on it and asked His Majesty for help.
I'm hit.

　Lina didn't tell anyone about that.
　Instead, she gave me a medal for the slime lord's achievement that I did, indeed, and gave me a medal.

　Huh... well, it can't be helped.
　It's true that I did the Slime Lord, so I'll just accept it here.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about it if you take the order and keep it in your closet.
　It's a very important medal, so I'll take good care of it.

　Or rather, you could go around saying "I got a medal for defeating a slime lord" and say "there's no way I'm going to get that much for that".

　If you think about it that way, this medal is a good idea.

It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you want to do.
Yeah?　What is it?
His Highness will descend on you at your ceremony. I'm afraid to bring all my brothers and sisters with me.
Yeah.

　Oh, I don't remember saying that.
　No, you didn't tell me you were coming with your brothers.
　Did you decide to come afterwards?

One more thing.
Yeah?　Oh my God.
The Order of the Cross is the highest order of service, and as such, it is required to be worn at all official functions.
Heh.
You'll wear it well on your day, His Highness will want you to.

　No, wait a minute.
　The day, the Cross, a lot of royalty....

'You got me!