"Beatrice, help me find some grimoires regarding Yin and Yang Magic."
"You scoundrel, don't think you can just order Betty around! Letting you stay here is already an exceptional mercy, I suppose. Hmph!"
"Please, Beatrice. This is very important to me."
"…Honestly, you're nothing but trouble, I suppose."
Inside the Forbidden Library, packed with countless tomes, Beatrice wore an unwilling expression. Nevertheless, she stood up, walked to a nearby shelf, and pulled out several thick volumes.
"Since Betty specializes in Yin Magic, the relevant grimoires are kept where they are easy for her to find," Beatrice said, placing the books on the table. "Conversely, the Yang Magic grimoires are on the innermost shelf. If there's nothing wrong with your eyes, go find them yourself, I suppose."
"That's a huge help. Truly, thank you, Beatrice, my dearest friend." Aomori picked up the books from the desk with a beaming smile.
"Hmph, 'dearest friend' indeed. You won't even tell Betty your real name," Beatrice huffed, turning her back to him. Her twin drill-tails bounced with her annoyance.
"So that's what you're upset about." Aomori flipped through a grimoire while explaining, "It's not that I'm unwilling to tell you; it's that for you, the harm of knowing would outweigh the benefit. Names are just symbols anyway. Knowing that 'Klein' represents me is enough, just as 'Beatrice' and 'Betty' both refer to you."
"Hmph, Betty isn't angry about such things! Betty doesn't even want to know your real name, I suppose. Fine, Betty is going to read now. Do not disturb her." Beatrice opened her book and hid her face behind it, signaling she was done talking.
Aomori chuckled and stopped teasing her, focusing instead on the magic texts in his hands. For a long time, the only sound in the sealed library was the rhythmic rustling of turning pages.
After a while, Beatrice lowered her book and stole a glance at Aomori. Seeing him so engrossed that he truly wasn't paying her any mind, she couldn't help but huff internally: 'You weren't nearly this obedient a moment ago, I suppose.'
Naturally, she wouldn't be the one to break the silence. Steeling herself, she picked up her Book of Wisdom. The book that once revealed her future was now a blank slate, save for that one line of text on a single page.
Beatrice reached out and traced the words, stealing another quick glance at Aomori. Seeing his posture hadn't changed, she lowered her head again. After a moment's hesitation, her finger began to slowly trace new strokes behind that line, a faint smile blossoming on her face.
"What's got you so happy?" Aomori's voice suddenly rang out right by her ear, causing her face to instantly flush crimson.
Beatrice slammed the Book of Wisdom shut in a panic and shouted, "Betty isn't happy at all! Didn't she tell you not to disturb her reading, I suppose?!"
"Oh, sorry." Aomori waved the grimoires in his hand. "I've finished these. I was wondering if there were any others."
"You finished all of them?" Beatrice asked, sounding annoyed. "It's barely been any time. Are you playing a joke on Betty, I suppose?"
"Even if I wanted to play with you, I wouldn't joke about this." Aomori opened his palm. Two small spheres, one black and one white, resembling ping-pong balls, instantly materialized.
"This..." Beatrice knew exactly what she was seeing. A powerful mage could bypass incantations and condense mana spheres purely through exquisite micro-control. They looked small, but they contained a massive amount of mana; if they detonated, they could easily level the Forbidden Library.
"What does this prove, I suppose? Many people can do this."
"But I've been practicing magic for less than a month." The black and white spheres bounced rhythmically in Aomori's hand.
"Are you trying to say you learned this skill right after reading those grimoires?" Beatrice squinted at him, puffing out her cheeks. "Do you think Betty would believe such nonsense, I suppose? Betty isn't a fool."
"You must know that geniuses exist in this world. The gap between some people is larger than the gap between a person and a dog." Aomori returned the books to their shelves, then stood before Beatrice. Looking into her eyes, he said, "Besides, I wouldn't lie to you. Trust me."
"Wh-Why should Betty trust you, I suppose?" Beatrice turned her reddened face away and said crossly, "Whether you're a genius or not has nothing to do with Betty!" She pointed huffily at a shelf. "The books are over there. Get them yourself, I suppose."
"Thanks. An insincere Beatrice is quite cute too."
"Sh-Shut up! Stop disturbing Betty's reading, I suppose!"
"Alright, alright."
…
Happy times are always fleeting.
As dusk fell, Beatrice set her book down and hopped off her chair. She shot a look at Aomori and said, "Betty is going to have dinner, I suppose."
"Oh? I'm curious, do spirits need to eat?" Aomori also put down his book and walked over to her.
"Betty eats if she wants to! It's none of your business, I suppose!"
"Fair enough. I'm actually a bit hungry too. Let's go together."
"Hmph."
The two left the Forbidden Library and turned a corner into the dining room. Frederica, the maid with the serrated teeth they had seen before, was just placing steaming dishes on the table. She was quite pretty; if she didn't open her mouth to speak, she would surely be the object of many boys' affections.
Seeing Beatrice, she bowed happily and respectfully. "Beatrice-sama, I am glad you are well. I saw a broken window earlier and was worried an intruder might have broken into the mansion."
As she spoke, Frederica's eyes drifted to Aomori. She was clearly curious about the stranger. "Is this a guest?"
"What could possibly happen to Betty, I suppose? Just do your job. As for him, ignore him. He's a pervert who likes little girls like you."
"Huh?" Frederica gasped, covering her mouth. "I wouldn't have guessed. But surely he would like Beatrice-sama more than me, since you are much cuter."
"Wh-What are you talking about, I suppose?!" Beatrice's face turned as red as a ripe apple.
"Hahahaha!" Aomori laughed heartily. "You hit the nail on the head. I absolutely adore Beatrice."
"You pervert! Get away from Betty, I suppose!"
After a bit of bickering, they sat down to enjoy the meal. Because of Aomori's presence, Frederica offered to prepare more food, but Aomori stopped her.
"Don't go to the trouble. I'm actually not very hungry; a light snack is enough."
This was the truth. Having mastered the use of life energy, he had consumed massive amounts of food before entering the dungeon to store energy in his body. He could go six months without eating or drinking if necessary.
"Frederica, ignore him. If he goes hungry, it's his own fault, I suppose," Beatrice said.
"Very well... but if you need anything, Guest, please let me know at any time." Frederica compromised.
"Sure, no problem." Aomori nodded. "By the way, where is that fellow Roswaal?"
"Don't ask Betty; Betty doesn't know, I suppose." Beatrice wasn't surprised that he knew of Roswaal.
Frederica thought for a moment. "Roswaal-sama does not come here often. He visits Beatrice-sama only three or four days a month. He is likely busy with affairs elsewhere."
"I see." Aomori stroked his chin, falling into thought. Could it really be that coincidental?
…
Aside from humans, this continent was home to many other sapient humanoid species—Minotaurs, Werewolves, Fox-folk, and more. They were collectively known as "Demi-humans." Among them, the twin-horned Oni tribe was once hailed as the strongest race.
Today, however, the Oni tribe had long since dwindled. They lived in seclusion in a hidden part of Margrave Roswaal's territory, their village shielded by a dense forest. Because the forest was infested with Witchbeasts, few outsiders ever reached the village. They lived a life isolated from the world.
Despite this, in the hearts of the elders, revitalizing the Oni tribe remained a lifelong pursuit. They had been heartened when a genius was born to the tribe six years ago. The only flaw was that this genius was one of a pair of twins, and each was born with only a single horn.
"What a shame. If only they weren't twins."
"The elder sister is so strong, yet the younger sister is so weak. She's just a burden."
Hearing these words, the blue-haired girl bit her lip and ran into the forest without a word. Her heart felt incredibly heavy.
Onee-chan, Onee-chan... everyone only cares about Onee-chan. Rem wants to be acknowledged too. Rem, the Oni girl, quickened her pace, heading deeper into the forest. Witchbeasts have been appearing lately, and several people have gone missing. If Rem kills those beasts, the Chief and my parents will surely acknowledge me!
Even if her talent didn't match her sister Ram's, she was still stronger than the average tribesman. Unfortunately, under the brilliant sun-like radiance of her sister, people simply couldn't see her.
Her small body nimbly sprinted and leaped through the brush. Familiar with the terrain, Rem soon found the tracks of a Witchbeast.
"I'm close. I'll find it soon." Rem took a deep breath to calm her nerves. This was her first time facing a Witchbeast alone.
However, when she finally found the beast, she saw only a field of carcasses, and a very handsome man.
"Yo, little miss. Are you lost on the road of life?" Aomori smiled and gave a friendly wave to the girl with the striking hair color.
Looks like I made it in time. The Oni tribe hasn't faced their catastrophe yet.
Three days had passed since Aomori met Beatrice. His main body was still in the library reading and teasing her, while his clones searched the deep woods for the Oni village. Today, he had finally found it, and happened upon the adorable little Rem.
Thinking about it, am I running into too many little girls?
Seeing such cute children, Aomori could understand why "Lolicon" was a thing. But he could swear he wasn't one.
So many Witchbeasts... and he finished them all alone... Rem stared warily at the stranger, slowly backing away. In Oni education, outsiders, especially humans, were big liars who loved to deceive. The more handsome they were, the better they were at lying.
"Don't be so nervous. I don't mean any harm," Aomori said, raising his hands.
"…" Rem pursed her lips, then suddenly pointed behind Aomori and shouted, "Look out! A Witchbeast!"
The moment she finished speaking, she didn't wait to see if he fell for it. She turned and bolted. In this forest, Rem was confident she couldn't be caught.
"Uh..."
She stared wide-eyed as Aomori appeared directly in front of her. She spoke for the first time: "How are you faster than me? No... wait, do you have a twin brother?"
If that were the case, it would make sense. Rem couldn't help but look him over; it was her first time seeing another pair of twins.
"Sorry, wrong guess. I'm an only child. No brothers, no sisters." Aomori spoke as he slowly walked toward her.
"You humans really do love to lie." Rem straightened her arms, aiming her palms at Aomori. "Stop right there, or I won't be polite!"
"Oh? And how will you be 'impolite'?" Aomori ignored her warning, his pace steady as the distance between them closed.
Looking nervous, Rem shouted, "Fura!"
A small whirlwind blasted from her young palms, striking the ground in front of Aomori and kicking up a cloud of dirt.
"Did you see that? If you take another step, you'll end up just like that dirt, smashed to pieces!" Rem threatened him on purpose, but her sweet voice wasn't exactly terrifying.
"Heh." Aomori smiled. In the blink of an eye, he vanished and reappeared behind Rem, lifting her up by the waist.
"In my presence, you should just stay a normal child."
"Curse you! Let Rem go, or Rem's sister will come and teach you a lesson!"
"We'll talk when she gets here."
"I am already here." A flat voice rang out, and another little girl appeared before Aomori. She looked identical to Rem, except her hair was pink and her clothing featured pink floral embroidery.
"Onee-chan!" Rem cried out in joy upon seeing Ram. She had feared this "villain" would kidnap her and sell her to another country, and she'd never see her family again.
"Rem, be patient. I will save you right away." Ram comforted her sister before turning a cold gaze to Aomori. "What is your goal? Why have you kidnapped Rem?"
"Hmm, my goal? I suppose it's to pack you two cute twins up and sell you off to another country."
"I knew it! No! Rem doesn't want to be sold to another country!"
"…" Aomori thought to himself: You didn't believe me when I told the truth earlier, so why do you believe me now?
"Ram will not let you take Rem away."
"And what do you plan to do? If you make a move, I can't guarantee your sister's safety. As long as you are obedient, I won't hurt you." Having not played a villain in a long time, Aomori was a bit rusty. His tone and emotion were slightly off; honestly, his performance was a bit of a letdown.
"…" Ram fell silent for a moment before giving up her resistance. "Fine. You win. Ram only asks that you keep your word and do not harm Rem."
"Good. It's a deal."