The day after the Human God's advice.
I wandered through the back alleys with both arms full of skewers purchased from a street stall.
Everything in my hands was skewers.
Skewers of what looked like scallop adductor muscles, salt-grilled fish that resembled horse mackerel, and a few skewers of unidentified seafood.
I'd been told to buy food at a street stall, but there were no specific instructions.
So I'd prioritized things that were easy to carry.
Last time, I overthought it.
Like an amateur who tries to add their own twist to a dish and ends up ruining it.
I thought too hard and dug myself into a hole.
This time, I'd try the opposite — just follow along obediently.
Do as I'm told, buy provisions mindlessly, and then simply accept whatever event might occur in these back alleys.
Mindless.
This is role-playing.
What happens next is a coincidental event.
Don't overthink it — just handle it straightforwardly.
He enjoys interesting things.
Overthinking is exactly what he's after.
If I just go along with it, he won't find it entertaining.
Thinking this way, after wandering for a few minutes, I suddenly realized.
"Hang on… isn't this exactly what he wanted?"
I'd been deceived, I thought.
Seduced by his clever rhetoric, I was being manipulated to act exactly as he planned.
Now that I'd noticed, it was incredibly irritating.
I'd been dancing in the palm of his hand.
Remember your original intention.
The feeling you had when you first met him.
That guy must never be trusted.
All right — letting him have his way ends now.
This time I'd observe and act according to his advice, but next time I absolutely would not comply.
I was done being the Human God's puppet. End of story.
--- I made my way through the back alleys.
Alone.
Why was I alone?
That must be the crux of today's advice.
A situation where
I wouldn't think too deeply about it.
I'd tell myself I'd be happy if it turned into something risqué — keep it at that level.
I'd told Ruijerd and Eris we'd be splitting up for the day.
Since it'd be dangerous to leave Eris alone, I'd asked Ruijerd to act as her bodyguard.
Right about now, the two of them might be heading to the beach.
"Wait… isn't that basically a date?"
In my mind, I pictured their silhouettes disappearing behind the rocks on the shore.
No, no, no, no.
Impossible.
W-w-w-wait, calm down.
That Eris and that Ruijerd?
It's nothing that scandalous.
It's babysitting. Babysitting.
Aaagh!
But Ruijerd is strong!
And Eris seems to really respect him!
Meanwhile, I've been reduced to a pet owner!
No, no…
What am I getting worked up about?
Phew…
It's fine, right, Ruijerd?
Nothing like cheating is going on, right?
Right…?
I'm not going to come back and find them weirdly close together, am I?
I-I'm trusting you here!
…In any case, I started simulating what a fight against Ruijerd would look like.
In close combat, I stood no chance.
If I wanted to eliminate him, I'd need to get out of the detection range of the gem on his forehead.
And to defeat him, I'd use water.
He'd ruined my sea bath.
To make him pay, a water attack was in order.
Create a massive amount of water and sweep him all the way out to sea. Done.
Let him drift until he died. Heh heh heh…
But don't get me wrong.
I trust Ruijerd.
It's just… how should I put it.
You know what they say — love is war.
--- The back alleys were quiet.
Normally, when you hear "back alleys," you'd picture unsavory characters loitering around.
In reality, when an innocent, pure, and naive child like myself walked through them, kidnappers would immediately take notice.
In this world, kidnapping was one of the most popular and profitable criminal enterprises.
If someone tried to kidnap me, I'd crush both their hands and feet, then interrogate them for the location of their hideout, take everything of value, and then hand them over to the authorities.
"Heh heh heh — hey there, sweetheart. Come with me and I'll fill your belly!"
A voice called from an alley.
I peeked around the corner.
A rough-looking man was pulling at the hand of a girl sitting against the wall.
The composition was almost too obvious.
Strike first, win first.
I readied my staff and adjusted the velocity so the impact would match a pro boxer's jab.
I fired a rock bullet at his back.
Over the past year, I'd gotten much better at this kind of fine-tuning.
"Iiee!"
He turned around — and I fired another shot.
This one a touch harder.
"Gaaah!"
With a satisfying crack, the rock shattered against the man's face.
He staggered groggily, then crumpled to the ground.
He wasn't dead.
My calibration had worked out nicely.
"Are you all right, miss?"
I put on the friendliest face I could manage and extended my hand to the girl who'd nearly been dragged away.
"O-oh…"
She was a young girl in a revealing black leather outfit.
Knee-high boots, leather hot pants, a leather tube top.
Pale skin, collarbones, a short torso, navel, thighs.
And topping it all off, voluminous wavy purple hair and goat-like horns.
One look and I knew.
A succubus.
And a young one at that.
She was definitely younger than me.
Could this perhaps be a reward from the Human God for my diligent efforts?
Even he occasionally did something suave.
…No, wait — succubus was off the table.
In this world, succubi were classified as monsters.
I'd heard they inhabited the Begaritt Continent.
I remembered
I was sure that if I actually encountered a succubus, I'd be helpless against her.
Succubi were the natural enemies of the
But setting that aside — There were no monsters in this city.
Which meant she wasn't a succubus.
Just a demon child wearing a scandalous outfit.
"O-o-o-o-o… wh-what have you…!
What have you done?!"
The little girl was trembling violently.
"This man — this man was…"
Her expression said she couldn't believe it.
It was the face of someone saying, "Wha— what have you done to me?!"
"Ah, sorry — do you know him?"
Even as I asked, I tilted my head.
The middle-aged man's face didn't look like someone who was greeting an acquaintance's child.
He looked exactly like an aroused middle-aged lolicon.
Look at that flushed face, that lecherous grin even while unconscious.
He was the type who'd bring a little girl home, provide her with a lavish meal and a warm bed, and in return expect her to provide a heated night.
"This man… he was going to give food to this starving concubine…"
From somewhere came a gurgling sound.
Like the rumble of an earthquake.
The moment the sound ended, the little girl collapsed to her knees.
"Are you okay?"
Without thinking, I crouched down and caught her.
Any excuse to touch a little girl shouldn't be wasted.
But don't get the wrong idea.
I was here to save her on the Human God's orders.
Completely different from that middle-aged creep.
"Guh… uuu… Three hundred years since my revival…
To think I'd collapse in a place like this…
This must never reach Laplace…"
Some kind of bizarre little act was starting up.
Maybe this outfit was some kind of cosplay.
"A-anyway, eat this and get yourself together."
I shoved three skewers into her mouth in one go.
"Mogu mogu mogu."
The instant they were thrust in, her eyes flew wide open, and in the blink of an eye, she devoured them.
Then she snatched the remaining skewers from my hand.
There had been twelve left — ten vanished in an instant.
"U-uuuuuaaah! Delicious!
First meal in a year and it's amazing!"
The little girl perked right up.
With nothing but back strength, she sprang off the ground, spun once, and landed on her feet.
Her physical abilities were surprisingly high.
"Saved! You've saved me! With this, I can last another year!"
The little girl finally locked eyes with me.
Heterochromatic eyes — purple and black.
Were those cosplay too?
No, colored contact lenses didn't exist in this world.
Her eyes must have been like this from the start.
"Hm?"
Her right eye spun around.
In that instant, the color shifted to blue.
Th-that's creepy!
"Whoa! Whoa! What are you?! That's so creepy!
What is this — what is this?! Bwahaha! I've never seen anything like this!"
The little girl looked at my face and started prancing around excitedly, saying exactly that.
…Well, naturally I was shaken.
It had been a while since someone called my face creepy.
But honestly, I found her creepy too.
Let's call it even.
"Was there something like — you were a twin in the womb, but one died at birth or something?"
…What?
What was she talking about?
"No, I don't think there's any such history."
"Oh?"
"No."
"But your mana capacity… it's above Laplace's."
Above whose what?
"Never mind! State your name!"
"…
"Very well! I am Kishirika Kishirisu!
Known to the world as the Demon Emperor!"
She placed her hands on her hips and thrust her chest out, pushing her crotch forward.
Her thighs suddenly appeared right in front of my face, and without thinking I licked them.
Stinky, but sweet!
"Uwah! What are you doing! So disgusting!"
The little girl went bowlegged, rubbing vigorously at the spot I'd licked while glaring at me.
But I see.
The Demon Emperor Kishirika Kishirisu.
I'd heard that name before.
The immortal Demon Emperor who led the demon race in the Human-Demon War and suffered a crushing defeat.
Was this the real deal?
I'd come here on the Human God's advice.
There was a possibility she was the real Demon Emperor.
But would the real Demon Emperor collapse from hunger at the edge of the Demon Continent?
…That seemed like a stretch.
Right.
Children on the Demon Continent often played pretend as historical figures.
The most popular one was the Demon God Laplace.
To someone who knew the truth, he was a revolting figure, but he was incredibly popular.
He'd lost the war, but he'd unified the Demon Continent, given the demon race a certain status, and brought peace.
He was said to be the greatest figure in demon race history.
What children imitated were the stories of Laplace.
Especially his battle against the immortal Demon King — I'd seen that episode countless times on the way to Windport.
Kishirika the Demon Emperor was also a great historical figure.
But perhaps because her era was so old, I'd never seen anyone playing pretend as her.
This girl was probably a passionate fan of the Demon Emperor, but she didn't have any friends to play with, so she was alone in the back alleys.
That was the smarter way to think about it.
Hmm.
Being alone is lonely, isn't it.
Can't be helped — I'd humor her.
"A-a-hah! Please forgive my discourtesy, Your Majesty!"
I made a grand show of bowing, dropping to one knee in the salute of a loyal subject.
"Oh? Oooh! Splendid, splendid!
That is the kind of response I was expecting!
Young people these days have no manners!"
Kishirika nodded along, clearly delighted.
Yeah, yeah.
She really did want someone to play with.
"I had no idea you had been revived, and I acted with terrible disrespect. Please forgive me."
"You are forgiven. You saved my life. You may make one wish."
Save your life? I just fed you because you were hungry.
"Um… then, incredible wealth."
"You fool! Look at me — I'm skin and bones!"
I said anything…
No, maybe this was part of her setting.
There might be an episode where you ask for money and she says she has none.
"…Then give me half the world."
"What! Half the world! That's enormous!
But it's halfhearted. Why only half?"
"Well, I don't need men."
Oh no — that slipped out.
Not something I should be saying to a little girl.
"I see, so despite your youth, you're a lecherous one.
But I'm sorry — in truth, even I have never conquered the world…"
Well, every war Kishirika had led ended in defeat for the demons.
"Then… your body is fine. You can pay with your body."
"Oh? Your body? To be so lecherous at your age — I worry about your future."
"Ha ha, of course I was just ki—"
I was about to say "just kidding," but Kishirika's hand went to the button of her hot pants.
"Truly, you cannot be helped.
This is my first time since being revived, so be gentle?"
Kishirika blushed and unfastened her hot pants.
Wait — seriously?
I was joking.
No, but at this point, I couldn't exactly back out with "just kidding."
The proper move was to appreciate the little girl's striptease at length, then modestly decline, saying that embracing Her Majesty's body was far too presumptuous.
"Oh wait, no."
But Kishirika stopped.
Don't stop — I was about to see everything!
"This time I already have a fiancé.
Sorry, but this one's off limits."
The hot pants that had nearly been pulled down were hauled back up.
It felt like my pure heart had been toyed with.
Money was no good, the world was no good, her body was no good.
"…So what IS available?"
"You fool! The Demon Emperor Kishirika's gift can only be a Demon Eye!"
A Demon Eye.
A Demon Eye, huh?
So that's how it worked.
I was pretty ignorant of this world's heroic tales.
Come to think of it, hadn't Guerillain's eye also been a Demon Eye?
But a Demon Eye, huh.
"A Demon Eye — one that lets you see the death lines of your target, and cutting them ensures a kill…?"
"Scary! What is that?! Nothing that scary exists!"
Apparently not.
The only other Demon Eyes I knew of turned whoever you looked at into stone.
Eyes that shoot beams — Eyes that shoot lasers — Probably didn't count as Demon Eyes.
"You'd want something that dangerous…
What is it — do you have someone you want to take revenge on?"
"No, not really."
"Revenge bears nothing. I've been killed twice myself, but now I hold no grudge against those who killed me.
If you bear grudges against people, those grudges chain onward.
That's what sparked the Human-Demon War."
I was getting lectured by a little girl.
Well, it didn't matter — I had no intention of bisecting any vampires.
"Actually, I don't know much about Demon Eyes.
What kinds are there?"
"Hmm? I've only just been revived, so I don't have anything impressive, but — Mana Eye, Identification Eye, Clarity Eye, Farsight Eye, Precognition Eye, Mana Drain Eye… those are the famous ones, I'd say."
Just listing names didn't help.
"Could you explain each one?"
"Hmm? You don't know? Young people these days really need to study more…"
Even as she said that, Kishirika explained patiently.
• Mana Eye Lets you see mana directly. The most common type — about one in ten thousand people has one.
• Identification Eye Looking at something reveals its details. However, only within what I know. Things I don't know will show as unknown.
• Clarity Eye Lets you see through walls and such when you look at them. Can't see through living creatures or areas dense with mana. Basically lets you see women's naked bodies at will. Perfect for a pervert like you.
• Farsight Eye Lets you see far away. Focusing is difficult, though. Since you can only see and can't act, I can't really recommend it.
• Precognition Eye Lets you see a few seconds into the future. Also hard to focus. But I do recommend it.
• Mana Drain Eye Drains mana. It even absorbs your own spells, so I can't recommend it.
Kishirika knew a lot about Demon Eyes.
Where did she learn all this?
Were her parents knowledgeable?
Maybe there was a comprehensive guidebook on Demon Eyes or something.
"Then I'll take two and make them both Demon Eyes."
"Two right off the bat — you're greedier than you look…"
"Here, I'll give you two more skewers."
I held out the last two skewers, and Kishirika accepted them with a beaming smile.
"Wheee. …Nom nom. But I can't recommend taking two."
"Why not?"
"Normally you'd wear an eyepatch to block one, since seeing it all the time would be inconvenient.
You couldn't function with both blocked."
"Ah — come to think of it, an acquaintance of mine did wear one."
Guerillain had worn one too.
So hers had been a Demon Eye as well.
"Someone who's lived for hundreds of years might learn to control them, but if a child like you suddenly gets two, you'll go mad."
Go mad, huh…
So it really did put strain on the brain.
That was scary.
"Then let's not do two."
"That's wise. So — what'll it be? I'd recommend the Precognition Eye…"
A Demon Eye — if I could get one, which would be best?
Mana Eye was a bit wasteful.
Apparently a lot of people had them.
It might be convenient to see mana, but…
I didn't really need the Identification Eye.
I hadn't been inconvenienced by not knowing what something was.
And it seemed it could only show what the Demon Emperor herself knew.
I could predict it'd be useless when it mattered.
I didn't need Clarity either.
Before I learned to control it, I'd probably end up seeing Ruijerd's full naked body.
Farsight might be convenient if I had it.
But I'd never felt a particular need for it.
If I took it now, I could check on Ruijerd and Eris, but all I'd probably see was Eris getting into a fight with someone and Ruijerd intervening.
Precognition — now that was a solid recommendation.
Currently, I couldn't beat Eris or Ruijerd in close combat.
The creatures in this world were fast.
Being able to see even one second ahead would be a huge advantage.
Mana Drain was out of the question.
It would negate my advantage as a mage.
But it was good to know that Demon Eyes like these existed.
I'd nearly been caught off guard with all my abilities neutralized.
Thinking seriously about it, any of them could be useful depending on how they were used.
Well, whatever — it was all pretend anyway.
"I'll take your recommendation."
"You're sure? Every time I recommended this before, most people chose something else.
They'd say, 'What good is seeing a few seconds ahead?'"
"If I could see one second ahead, I could conquer the world."
That said, the swordsmen in this world were fast.
Even one second of foreknowledge might not be enough to win.
There were light-speed slashes and whatnot.
"You don't want the Clarity Eye? You'd get to see women's naked bodies at will!"
This little girl didn't understand.
Sure, if I could see every beautiful woman and girl I passed as naked, it'd be exciting.
But only at first.
I'd get bored quickly.
That kind of thing was enjoyable because of the process of undressing them and imagining what they looked like underneath.
The little bumps visible through clothing — they weren't fun if they weren't wearing clothes.
"Oh? Oh my, then come closer."
"Okay."
"There — now hold still."
Kishirika suddenly jammed a finger into my right eye.
Searing pain shot through me.
"Guaaaaahhhhh!!!"
I tried to scramble backward.
But Kishirika grabbed my hair and held me in place.
She was surprisingly strong.
It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts!
"Gaaah! What are you doing, you little brat!"
"Oh, hush — you're a boy, aren't you? Show some backbone."
She poked and prodded at the eye socket.
After a while — she yanked her finger out.
I'd definitely gone blind.
"The color of the Precognition Eye is a bit different from your original eye color, but from a distance no one would notice."
"You little shit — there are things that are okay to joke about and things that aren't!"
"I am the Demon Emperor. I don't give Demon Eyes as a joke."
Damn it — my eye, my eye…
Aaahhhh… wait?
I can see.
Things are doubled…
What is this — this is so creepy.
"If you channel mana in the right way, you should be able to make it as faint as possible.
Well, work hard at your training."
"Huh? Wait — what does that mean?"
"That means it's up to you."
Kishirika watched my confusion with satisfaction.
There was an afterimage when I nodded.
But it wasn't just an afterimage — the shadow version was actually darker.
What was this — so creepy.
"All right, all right, you can see properly.
Well then, I'll be going now. I need to find Birdgard.
The food — consider it a fair exchange."
With that, Kishirika leaped straight up to the rooftops.
"Then farewell, Rudeus! If you're ever in trouble, come find me!
Fahahahahahaha! Fahahaha! Fahahahaha-haha-hahoho…"
Her cackling receded into the distance, trailing off with a Doppler effect.
I just stood there, stunned.
Wait…
…The real deal?
And just like that, I'd obtained the "Precognition Eye."
--- From the middle-aged man's perspective "Ugh… my head kills me."
I'd drunk too much yesterday.
A long job had wrapped up, and we threw a party with the crew.
Drank until morning.
So much that I was worried the bar might run out of sake.
And then — nothing.
My memory from around the time I left the bar was blurry.
I was pretty sure I'd cut through the back alleys as a shortcut…
Right.
There was a little girl sitting there.
When I talked to her, she said she was hungry.
In my good mood, I invited her home.
My wife was supposed to have breakfast ready.
Unfortunately, I was still too hungover to eat.
She'd be furious if I left food on the table.
I'd fill this girl's stomach, and my wife wouldn't even be mad.
Even in my drunken haze, it seemed like a great plan.
Yeah — after that, I had nothing.
Looks like I passed out.
My wallet was… intact.
They hadn't stripped me of anything.
Looking up, the sun was still high in the sky.
Well, I was something of a local celebrity in this town.
Nobody here could fail to recognize this face.
Besides, everyone in town would have known about the new ship's completion.
And of course, the launch celebration.
They must have let me sleep peacefully.
"Wait — it's almost noon already.
Ugh, what a drag…"
Shipbuilding Guildmaster Bakkas Lunders clutched his throbbing hangover head and hurried home.