“Canconel is dead?!”

  Seraphim bellowed.

  Isarfe had come to Seraphim’s chambers to report on the recent battle. Learning of Canconel’s death had sent Seraphim into a towering rage.

  “Does that girl—Lilia’s daughter—possess such fearsome power?!”

  “No… she herself is merely human. A fragile creature you could crush in your grip. In a straightforward fight, she’d have been no match for Lord Canconel whatsoever.”

  “He underestimated her completely, didn’t he?”

  Isarfe bowed his head.

  “That is correct.”

  “And you, Isarfe—how dare you slink back here so casually.”

  Seraphim’s barb didn’t seem to faze Isarfe in the slightest. He maintained his composed expression.

  “I was never suited for combat to begin with. I judged it better to return alive with intelligence than to die fighting. However, if you wish to punish me, I will accept whatever you deem appropriate.”

  Seraphim furrowed his brow and sighed.

  “…Forget it. More importantly—what was the girl doing in those woods?”

  “Lilia had hidden grimoires there.”

  “Grimoires?”

  Seraphim’s eyes bored into Isarfe.

  “Don’t tell me—lightning magic?”

  Isarfe smiled pleasantly.

  “I’m afraid so.”

  Seraphim gave a small, knowing nod and groaned.

  “Lilia was a lightning wielder herself. Like mother, like daughter, I suppose.”

  Isarfe nodded.

  “We mustn’t be careless. That said, Mina’s control is still crude, and the spells she can use are the most basic of basics. It would be wise to capture her before she matures.”

  Seraphim nodded in grim silence.

  “Still—you’ve gathered impressive intelligence. How did you manage it?”

  “I simply watched them in secret, Lord Seraphim.”

  Even Seraphim looked slightly surprised at that.

  “Bold of you. I see you were serious about this.”

  Isarfe dipped his head with a smile.

  “I couldn’t very well return empty-handed.”

  Seraphim smirked.

  “And the familiars?”

  “It appears they were injured in the battle with Lord Canconel. They’ve been asleep for a full day.”

  “Healing magic?”

  “They seem capable of beginner-level spells. Patching themselves up little by little.”

  “And their movements—do you have a read on them? Where do you think they’ll go next?”

  “Without question, they will head for the Lucariel Ruins.”

  “What makes you so certain?”

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  “They’ve just departed for the Demon Realm. If they obtain information about the ruins there, Mina will naturally turn her attention to Lucariel’s ruins first.”

  “That’s rather thin reasoning.”

  “It is speculation, I’ll admit. But I’ve taken certain measures.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I made contact with one of Verglies’s subordinates. Slipped some information into casual conversation.”

  Seraphim’s eyes flashed.

  “You intend to use the fallen angel Verglies?”

  “His faction has been amassing influence within the Demon Realm as an anti-Queen movement. The sudden appearance of Mina—the Queen’s granddaughter—is bound to draw their attention.”

  Seraphim rubbed his chin in thought.

  “Very well. I’ll work that angle from a separate channel on my end.”

  “A separate channel, you say…?”

  “The Mediator, Lord Auerios.”

  Isarfe looked up.

  “That individual has ties to Verglies?”

  Seraphim fixed Isarfe with a sharp look and nodded.

  “You are to pursue the girl immediately and report her every move. I’ll have Batanel handle the ambush at the ruins.”

  “Understood.”

  Isarfe lowered his face—and grinned.

  ◆

  It took Mina and the others roughly two days after passing through the gate to reach the Demon Realm’s capital, Pandemonium. That said, they were still on the outskirts.

  According to Arc, once they cleared the forest they were currently walking through, they would arrive at the city center where Pandemonium Castle stood.

  Arc wanted to arrive before sundown, so the three of them kept up a brisk pace.

  “Hey, Arc… wouldn’t it be faster to just fly?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. The whole point of this forest is to sharpen your magic skills through combat.”

  Arc turned around and looked Mina dead in the eye.

  “Your magic skills!”

  “Ughh…”

  “I have to say, though—I never expected you to evolve into a lightning mage. Color me surprised.”

  “O-oh, shut up! It’s cool, right? Perfect for me!”

  “But couldn’t you have picked up something a little more… practical?”

  Mina drooped and shook her head.

  “Everything else was a total bust.”

  “I see. The techniques you did learn are all pretty tricky to use, though.”

  Mina’s eyebrows shot up and she glared at Arc.

  “Are you saying they’re useless?”

  The intensity of her glare made Arc backpedal hastily.

  “That’s not what I meant! You learned three new techniques, right?”

  Mina nodded, and Arc continued.

  “First is Electric Trap. You run a current into a puddle or similar surface, temporarily charging it so that anyone who steps on it gets shocked.”

  “That’s great! Traps have tons of uses!”

  “Sure, but the charge dissipates over time and eventually fizzles out.”

  “Even better! No cleanup required!”

  Mina protested desperately.

  “Second was Thunder Armor.”

  “It’s a suit of electrical armor that protects me! What’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing wrong with protection, but if any of us get close and touch you, we get shocked too.”

  Mina’s eyes darted away.

  “W-well, yes, but still!”

  “Which means if something happens to you, we can’t help.”

  Mina fell silent, as if the wind had been knocked out of her.

  “Urgh… okay, that is a problem.”

  Arc folded his arms.

  “The third one, Thunder Wire, seems more useful. But even that feels less like restraining the enemy and more like tying them up and electrocuting them…”

  “Oh, be quiet! I can use it like a taser!”

  Seeing Mina’s frustration, Arc smiled and tried to calm her down.

  “Sorry, Mina. Nobody likes having their new spells criticized. But we’re saying this because we’re worried about you.”

  Mina let out a heavy sigh.

  “I just wish there’d been a weapon in my box too.”

  Arc reached over and lightly touched her hair.

  “You’ve got that hair ornament, don’t you? That’s a magical artifact too.”

  “Oh, this?”

  Mina remembered the halo-like object that had become a permanent fixture in her hair.

  “It hasn’t done a single thing lately, though.”

  Arc looked like he wanted to say something, but held his tongue.

  Nox came over and looked up at Mina with a bright smile.

  “But Mina—you can fire lightning without any tools at all.”

  Mina formed her fingers into a pistol and struck a pose.

  “You mean this?”

  Nox nodded.

  “If you lose a tool or someone takes it, you’re done. But magic you’ve made your own can never be taken away.”

  “Hmm, I guess that’s true.”

  Coming from Nox, it was hard to argue. Maybe this was fine after all. Mina felt a little better.

  “Anyway—just focus on improving your Thunderbolt accuracy.”

  “D-don’t make fun of me! I’ve gotten way better, you know!”

  Mina protested with her face bright red. To her surprise, Arc actually apologized.

  “Sorry, Mina. I don’t mean to put you down. Your Thunderbolt packs serious punch—it’s going to be your trump card.”

  Mina listened, caught off guard by the rare compliment.

  “But here’s the thing—your emotions throw you off. When your feelings run wild, your aim goes with them. Sooner or later you’ll end up hitting Nox or me. You need to learn to stay calm.”

  Mina’s blood rushed to her head.

  “You stupid jerk, Arc!”

  She swung a fist at his face, but he sidestepped it easily.

  “Wait, wait—Mina! Look over there!”

  “What now?!”

  “The castle—we’ve arrived!”

  Mina looked up. Against the sunset sky, the silhouette of a jet-black castle rose into view. A castle of commanding presence—Pandemonium.

  Mina was moved by the beautiful contrast between the setting sun and the dark fortress.

  “My grandmother is in there…”

  Arc nodded.

  “Yeah. You’ll see her soon.”

  Tears spilled from Mina’s eyes.

  “Mom and Dad are both gone, but… I never imagined I’d get to meet my grandmother.”

  In her mind, Mina pictured a kindly old woman with streaks of white in her hair.

  Most grandmothers in the world are gentle with their grandchildren.

  Surely, hers would dote on Mina too.

  Her heart swelled with anticipation. She gazed up at the castle silhouetted against the orange sky, and smiled.