After helping Ren and the others settle into their rooms, Natsuki went straight to rest.
Although there were still plenty of mysteries surrounding Ren, from what she had seen so far, this human from another world didn't seem to have any malicious intentions.
That said, letting someone like him wander freely and do whatever he wanted was definitely out of the question.
No matter how you looked at it, Ren was dangerous. Even if he didn't intend to cause destruction, if some reckless idiot provoked him, things could go very badly, very fast.
And then there were Remilia and Flandre…
Remilia was one thing. For this little girl who liked to act all dignified, Natsuki didn't find her particularly dangerous. Compared to her younger sister, Remilia was practically a well-behaved child.
But Flandre? Flandre was a giant question mark.
No one knew when she might lose control.
Just earlier—if Natsuki hadn't blocked those barrages in time, Itogami Island might've suffered massive destruction. Cleaning up after that kind of disaster wouldn't be so easy.
If Ren had heard Natsuki's internal thoughts right now, he probably would've laughed out loud.
Sorry, but the people from Gensokyo are all walking natural disasters no matter what world they land in. Of course someone like you—just a civil servant—would find them an absolute headache.
That's because Gensokyo valued one thing above all else: extravagant danmaku battles.
Ren still remembered the nightmares he had back when he played through the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil and Imperishable Night games…
Instead of returning to their own rooms, both Remilia and Flandre were currently in Ren's room.
"So it's true… you really are in this world just to work on making that food stuff."
Although she had spoken with Ren before, Remilia had only learned the basics.
For example, that she had arrived in this world through a contract with Ren.
And also, that Ren came from a different world, and summoning random pets from various worlds was his unique ability.
However, he hadn't mentioned anything about that crystal just now, or about what he was trying to accomplish in this world, nor about the time-limited nature of their contract. Remilia had planned to ask about the background of this world too.
She found this world rather interesting.
It was just a shame that Sakuya and Patchy didn't come with her. Without her maid at her side, things felt pretty inconvenient.
"There's more to it than that. Our contract is time-limited. If we don't complete the mission in time, the temporary contract can't be made permanent... What a hassle..."
"You're surprisingly honest about it. From the looks of it, other than bruising my pride a little, I don't seem to be suffering any real loss. I get all the benefits without paying anything. Right now, I'm practically mooching off you... my new master…"
Remilia gave Ren an amused look.
She certainly acted childish, to the point that the "dignified vampire" image barely held up.
But no one could deny that Remilia, as the mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, was indeed capable.
After losing her parents, she single-handedly took care of her near-uncontrollable younger sister, befriended Patchouli, recruited Sakuya Izayoi, led the vampires into Gensokyo, and when she noticed some of the vampires acting recklessly, she negotiated with Yukari Yakumo and together they staged both the Vampire Incident and the Scarlet Mist Incident—letting outsiders see a show that allowed the Scarlet Devil Mansion to live in peace within Gensokyo.
All of that had been orchestrated by Remilia. While Patchouli's advice helped, as a leader, Remilia had proven herself. It's just that after settling into the comfort of life in Gensokyo, she hadn't needed to show her serious side much anymore.
Life in the Scarlet Devil Mansion had become very stable, and she didn't have to live as tensely as before.
But after coming to this new world, Remilia brought out her serious side again.
"There's no need to hide anything… For someone like you, isn't it obvious that purposeful kindness is easier to accept than unprompted kindness?"
Remilia was different from Kuroka and Fou.
Fou had the attitude of "I'm here, I'll make peace with it." You give me benefits, I'll be your pet—it's fine.
Kuroka had resisted at first, but after being overpowered by Ren and experiencing the benefits, she found being a pet wasn't so bad.
Remilia was neither the type to just roll with things, nor the kind to attack first and ask questions later. And this contract with Ren really was different from before. So she simply decided to be upfront about everything.
Just as Ren had said: between blind generosity and beneficial cooperation, most people would accept the latter more easily.
Not everyone is a saint.
"Besides, even if I didn't tell you, wouldn't you have come to me for help eventually? So rather than playing games, it's better if we both lay our cards on the table. Makes things easier between us, don't you think?"
That last line finally eased some of Remilia's wariness, and she nodded in agreement.
"You're right. No matter what your motives are, I need something from you. In that case, I look forward to working with you… my new master."
"You're taking this pretty calmly."
"If sacrificing my pride is what it takes for Flandre to recover, then what's the problem?"
Her words made Ren glance at her with a bit more respect.
This wasn't just about being a sis-con... this was something deeper.
To Remilia, the Scarlet Devil Mansion was the most important bond in her life.
Everyone there was like family to her. Giving up a bit of dignity for her family was hardly a difficult choice.
"Since I'm calling you 'master' now, there's something I'd like to ask of you."
A rare glint of pleading flickered in Remilia's eyes.
Ren frowned slightly, but didn't refuse. He just asked calmly, "What is it?"
"Patchy—my best friend, Patchouli Knowledge. Back then, she used most of her life force to help suppress Flandre's power. As a witch, she's naturally frail and has congenital asthma. That Lunarian from Eientei said she doesn't have much time left... Do you have any way to help her?"
Seeing Remilia's anxious expression, Ren's face turned complicated.
So... the Gensokyo that Remilia came from was messier than he'd thought.
Let's see—Sakuya, a human doomed to live barely 100 years; Patchouli, a witch who's now on the brink of death; and Flandre, destined for self-destruction if she loses control...
Without his intervention, would only Remilia and Hong Meiling be left standing in the end?
Could this be one of those grimdark fan-made Gensokyos created by some twisted writer obsessed with the inevitability of death?