Part 1
The next day—Elchea royal palace. A small conference room.
Within were Sora, Shiro, Steph and Jibril, along with Kurami and the elf.
Sora wore a sarcastic smile, Shiro her usual lidded expression, while Kurami surveyed the scene with calm eyes.
They looked nothing like the wrecks that had cried themselves to sleep yesterday.
Upon closer examination it was evident their eyes were slightly red, but they had more or less regained their normal conditions.
"......So, why did you call us here?"
Steph voiced out the underlying question.
As if waiting for that, Sora replied.
"I have some understanding from Kurami's memories, but we share a common cause. We should introduce ourselves."
———A [common cause].
Yesterday Kurami had been coerced—to become a [double agent to Elven Gard].
Jibril and Steph, exchanging knowing glances, also looked over at Kurami. Kurami—sweeping her jet black hair aside, with black eyes full of intelligence, spoke plainly.
"—I am Kurami Zell. Nice to meet you."
............
It was evident she would say no more. Reluctantly, Sora continued.
"Eh, she's 18 years old, the same age as me. Height is 158cm, three sizes from the top down are—"
"Y-you!? That's low!!"
In a hurry, Kurami shouted at Sora who was rattling off her personal information.
"She also pads her bra, and her actual size is—"
"I-I get it! I get it so please stop and I'll do it properly!!"
Everyone except Kurami noticed she appeared to be half crying again, but kept quiet.
"B-but before that—I'll have to introduce 'Fii'......"
At Kurami's glance, the elven lady called Fii opened her mouth.
"Helloo, I'm Fiel Nilvaren"
With golden hair spilled from a fluffy looking cowl, as well as the characteristic long ears of the elves, the girl who looked to be in her mid-teens spoke in a wholly unexpected voice.
"All of you except that devil over there, please feel free to call me Fii~"
So this is what a smile like sunshine looked like. Towards Fii who was radiating fluffy softness, the so-called demon Jibril tilted her head and asked.
"Oh my, I appear to be quite hated. I do wonder why."
——Could that possibly have been a gag.
As everyone eyed Jibril, Sora rested his cheek on his hand.
"That's quite something for the one who fired 'Heaven's strike' at the capital to say."
It seemed as if Sora's point had been almost unexpected however.
"Eh, as I've already explained, that's not something which can be blamed on me—"
"Like hell it can't! Destroying the capital because you bumped your head was going too far!"
At Sora's retort, Fii jumped in all smiles.
"Not to me~ntion, you also ran off with all the books a~fter. Regaining the magic we lost at that ti~me took over 800 years you kno~w?"
Sora's fingers drummed the table like hammers.
"——Defendant Jibril, please present your case."
"Even if you say that....elf heads are just rarity 2, and I used up so much power calling down the 'Heaven's strike', it totally wasn't worth it at all. I mean I wasn't even able to use magic again until five years later you know?"
Although it wasn't quite sure exactly what this 'Heaven's strike' was, it was evident this attack had *wiped a city from the map*.
That such power came at a cost even to one of the Flügel had secretly been a relief to all humanity.
......Setting aside whether five years truly was adequate compensation.
"So to make sure I at least had something to show for it, I slowly took all the books back with me. In fact after the [Ten Oaths]—ehehe, come to think of it that was quite the haul indeed ehe, ehehehe~"
"Defendant Jibril——guilty."
"Why!?"
Sora ignored Jibril who sought an immediate appeal.
The issue was whether or not someone could forgive the one who had massacred so many of her people.
"Umm, so could I call you Fii then?"
"Yes go ahead?~"
"Seeing how we'll be working together, I'd like to eliminate any potential ill-will. Could you possibly forgive Jibril?"
At Sora's cutting straight to the point, Fii considered and replied in her airy voice.
"Nn~, that will be quite difficult~."
However, Kurami closed her eyes, and folding her arms spoke up.
"......Fii, for Sora's plan to work, her powers will be indispensable. I ask this of you as well."
Uuu......sighing as if there was no other choice, Fii relented.
"Then~, if you say 'please forgive me Fiel-sama' while licking my feet, I'll forgive you~♥"
"Oh my~ Here I thought you'd puffed up to the heavens themselves, but it was just your long ears Miss Elf ♪"
The two laughed blackly at each other.
But Shiro, who had until now been dismissively fiddling with a mobile game on Sora's lap, murmured out.
"......Ji, bril......guilty......*punishment*"
"Eeehhhhh, are, are you really going to make me lick the feet of this animal—"
"......Punishment"
"U, uuuu......I can't agree with this at all, but if master says so......"
Jibril said as she crouched down at Fiel's feet.
Lick lick......
"—Please forgive me Fiel-sama (monotone)"
"Oka~y, I forgive you~"
Just like that, Fiel smiled beatifically, as if she had truly forgiven her, and folded her hands together.
—Was this good enough.
Sora suspected she didn't really care about the past, and had just wanted to harass Jibril. Well whatever.
"M-m-m, master, m, may I speak for a moment!"
As if reading Sora's thoughts, Jibril rushed over to him like she had had a revelation.
"L-licking the feet of a lower creature like that and apologising, I thought it would be the height of shame, but I wonder why! This—when I consider it's an order from master, it's strange......I feel chills running all over me! The reason for this absolutely must be—"
"Alright Kurami, please go on with your introduction—"
Sora ignored her and tried to get on with the discussion, and yet.
"Um, if you're talking about a weird feeling, I'm getting that too."
"——Eh, Steph? What's up?"
Pointing at Kurami's impassive face, she declared.
"What's up—isn't this the person who used magic to trick and defeat me!"
"It's your fault for being deceived. Now Kurami, please continue."
"Hey!?"
Ignoring Steph who was dismissed with a word, Kurami spoke.
"Fii is......my childhood friend. To be exact—she's my *master*."
Shiro seemed confused for a moment, so Jibril explained.
"Elven Gard is a democratic country, but in the areas that they annex the other races are made to make a pact with them—in short, a system akin to [slavery]."
"Eh......then Kurami is......"
Steph was unable to stop herself from blurting out, and Kurami nodded.
"Yes, since my great grandfather's generation we've been *slaves* to the Nilven family. I was both born and raised in Elven Gard."
Smiling bitterly at Steph who was lost for words, Kurami went on.
"It's no big deal......everyone has their own struggles."
As she looked at Sora, both Steph and Jibril had the same question concerning Fii floating in their minds.
For Kurami herself to say it was 'no big deal', could she have been coerced—
"......Well, something like this really isn't uncommon. Fii was the only one who treated a slave like me as her friend."
Expecting that atmosphere, Kurami continued her story to divert the flow of the conversation.
"But since treating a slave like a 'friend' would have stained the family name, officially she's not allowed to show such behaviour of course."
"Personally~, I'm reeally not cool with it you kno~w?"
Fii's fluffy voice was tinged with anger this time. Kurami continued.
"The Nilven family is well known within Elven Gard. They've held a senatorial seat for generations, and ever since the family head passed away last year, Fii has been the de facto head—"
Hearing up to that, the response was—
"......Then Fiel-san, until the next election you're an acting senator......eh, for a senator to plot a slave liberation movement—isn't that treason!?"
—It would be a huge scandal in the largest country in the world.
But more than that, everyone gazed over at Steph. They were looks of surprise.
"—S, Steph, do you have any idea what you said just now!? Don't tell me, another fever!?"
At Sora's speaking for everyone, Steph maintained her momentum and turned around.
"Could you stop thinking of me as an idiot already!? If someone isn't managing all the state affairs that *you two* great kings don't deign to do, nothing would be working properly!"
Well, setting that amazing sight aside.
Sora looked into Fii's eyes and asked.
"......Are you really alright with this, Fii."
"Ye~s? About wha~t?"
"If you work with us, it will lead to Elven Gard's downfall, you know?"
—Indeed, just as Kurami said, Sora's target was first the Eastern Union—however.
"Ye~s, well, that's a matter for another time~"
Fii's smile never wavered.
"Whatever it is, as long as Kurami isn't hurt I'm fine with it~ Honestly, I could care less about my family and the like......all the old men are so damn noisy, I'd really like to throw all that away if possible~"
Her smile remained as carefree as the clouds.
"Although even I had thought it'd be too soon to talk about destroying the country, ehehe~"
"S-suddenly she's so nasty......"
At those words coming from that angelic smile, Steph backed away a step.
......If it were for Kurami, she's willing to destroy even her own home.
Originally, Sora would have doubted those words......however.
Perhaps due to receiving some of Kurami's memories, he could feel there was no falsehood there.
Their relationship was......when compared with *himself and Shiro*—he was able to empathize with them in mysterious ways.
"If I take my eyes off Kurami, she secretly starts crying, so I want to always be by her side~"
Fii spoke while rubbing Kurami's head.
"I, I don't cry! You can't call that crying!!"
"Well I mean, when you lost the King selection game, you were crying like a baby—"
At Sora's point Kurami glared momentarily, but Fii didn't stop stroking.
"So that happened~ Kurami is too eager, I've always said that~"
Squirming, but not shaking the hand off, Kurami spoke.
"I, I wasn't crying already, you know!? Just because you've know