Leaving the deathly silent audience chamber behind, I walked slowly down the marble corridor.
Perhaps because the King had become nourishment for beautiful black roses, the castle seemed to have fallen into a terrible panic. From afar, I could hear scream-like angry shouts.
"The King is...!"
"Is it a surprise attack by the Demon King's army!?"
"No, a monster came from the Summoning Chamber!"
A monster? What a terrible thing to say.
In my previous life, I didn't have any special talents, nor was I a biologist doing complex research. I was just a completely normal, ordinary person living a peaceful everyday life.
All that happened was I died, fell into Hell, and spent a slightly long time becoming a devil. At my core, I am still just an "ordinary person" who loves a quiet life and sweet things.
"...Even so, it's quite difficult to walk here."
From the other end of the corridor, heavily armed soldiers came running in a cluster. As soon as they saw my figure, they pointed their spears and swords at me with bloodshot eyes.
I let out a small sigh and made a shooing motion with my hand.
With just that, an invisible pressure spilling from my fingertips struck them, and they shattered like thin glass, snap, thick steel armor and all. Not a single drop of blood was shed. They turned into pretty red sand, softly piling up by the moonlit window. I'm just glad it saved me the trouble of cleaning up.
Passing through the castle's main gates, the cool night wind swayed my silver hair.
It wasn't completely pitch black; a large, pale blue moon hung perfectly in the sky. The moonlight dyed the surrounding scenery silver, allowing me to see clearly at my feet. Rather than places that are too dark, I prefer nights like this, gently illuminated by moonlight.
Suddenly, something like a translucent blue board floated up right in front of my eyes.
[Name: Yulie]
[Level Up]
[Title Acquired: Kingslayer]
[Title Acquired: Walking Calamity]
[Mana Value has exceeded the measurable limit. System Error occurring.]
"...Oh my?"
I stopped and tried poking the blue board with my finger. My finger slipped right through.
It's a strange string of letters, somewhat like a game. In Hell, power simply welled up on its own the more souls you ate; there was no system that kindly informed you with text like this.
So this world has these kinds of strange laws, I see.
"[Kingslayer]? What a scandalous thing to say. I merely wanted to return to my room."
I swatted the blue board away with my hand. The words 'System Error' were blinking on and off, but that had nothing to do with me. Right now, quenching my thirst was far more important.
After walking a little way from the castle, I arrived at a quiet forest spreading across the outskirts of the royal capital.
There were absolutely no terrifying monsters or ominous beasts of darkness. Only normal, cute squirrels and deer were running between the moonlit trees. Well, they did froth at the mouth and faint from terror due to the overwhelming presence of death drifting from me. I felt a little sorry for them.
"Now then, shall we take a little break around here?"
Finding an open clearing, I stopped.
Devil or not, sitting on the hard ground or a tree stump is simply unacceptable as a lady's etiquette. I have a certain level of fastidiousness when it comes to furniture and furnishings.
I drew a circle in the air with my fingertip.
A magic that weaves the miasma of Hell and converts it into physical matter. With a cute poof, splendid furniture appeared right in the middle of the moonlit forest.
A cabriole-legged tea table made of the finest mahogany wood with a deep, rich hue. And an antique-style armchair upholstered in thick velvet fabric that looked incredibly comfortable to sit in. I had detailed rose carvings applied to the backrest and adjusted the firmness of the cushions to my liking.
"Yes, it is perfect."
I sat down in the plush armchair. The way the cushion sank in to envelop my back soothed my tired body. It would be best if I could just return to my room now, but I can't ask for luxuries at the moment.
The furniture was ready, but the most important thing - the tea - was missing.
I could brew it myself, but for a tea party, one truly needs someone to serve it.
"...It can't be helped. It's a bit far, but shall I call for her?"
I gently slipped my hand into the black shadow spreading at my feet. Deep within the shadow, across the dimensional walls, I connected my magic power to my mansion in Hell.
"Lyra. Can you hear me? Please come brew some tea for a moment."
The surface of the shadow rippled like water, and from it, a single girl rose up soundlessly.
Clad in a maid outfit, her name was Lyra. She is my exclusive personal attendant, and a devil possessing some of the highest capabilities even in Hell.
She is by no means an entity bought with money or souls at a slave market.
Back when I had just awakened as an Archduchess of Hell, she came to our home as a "pure gift" from a certain influential Greater Devil to my adoptive parents in Hell who were raising me.
Having treated her with care as family and my most trusted friend, she harbored a slightly... no, a rather excessive amount of loyalty toward me.
"——Did you call for me, my beloved Lady?"
Completely stepping out of the shadow, Lyra elegantly performed a curtsy in front of me.
Translucent white skin and blood-red eyes. She had small, bat-like wings growing from her back, but aside from that, she looked like nothing but a perfect human maid.
"I'm sorry, Lyra. To summon you so suddenly."
"Not at all! Responding to your summons is my supreme joy, My Lady. ...But where exactly are we? This is a lowly world with terribly thin air, filled with a nauseating light."
Lyra looked around the surrounding forest and narrowed her red eyes. Under her gaze, the trees shed their leaves as if in fear.
"I was summoned here without my permission. I cleaned up everyone in the castle for the time being, but I've grown thirsty."
"What...! You mean to say the lower lifeforms of this filthy world dared to interrupt Your Ladyship's precious nap time!? They deserve ten thousand deaths = no, a hundred million deaths! I shall reduce this entire planet to ashes for you right this instant!!"
Terrifying black flames that distorted space itself rose from Lyra's hands. This is the only part of her that is slightly short-tempered.
"Now, now, Lyra. You must not. If you do that, you'll burn up all the delicious tea leaves too, won't you?"
"Ah...! P-Please forgive me, My Lady! What a foolish thing for me to...!"
When I lightly chided her, Lyra immediately extinguished the flames with a poof and made a face like an abandoned puppy.
"It's fine. More importantly, could you prepare the usual tea? With some sweet cookies, too."
"Yes! I shall prepare the ultimate tea time for you at once!"
Lyra deftly pulled a beautiful pure-silver tea set from her shadow and began brewing tea with water boiled by magic.
The refreshing scent of bergamot spread through the moonlit forest. The Earl Grey she brews is a masterpiece, better than any brewed by the devils in Hell.
"Thank you for waiting, My Lady."
Receiving the teacup Lyra reverently offered, I took a sip.
Perfect temperature, perfect aroma. My agitated heart slowly began to unwind.
"Delicious... As I thought, your tea is the absolute best, Lyra."
"Your words are too kind...!"
Lyra teared up, completely overcome with emotion.
As I nibbled on a cookie placed on the mahogany table, I looked up at the moon in the night sky.
Far in the distance, I could see the light of torches approaching the forest, likely attempting to track me down. The metallic clatter of armed knights could be heard faintly riding on the wind.
"My Lady, it seems some insects are approaching. Shall I go 'dispose' of them?"
Lyra asked in a cold voice, her fingertips sharpening like knives.
I drained the last drop of my tea and chuckled, leaning deeply into the plush armchair.
"Let's see. But it's such a lovely moonlit tea party. I'd rather avoid anything too bloody."
"As you wish. Then I shall cast a wonderful illusion that makes them 'voluntarily' sink into a bottomless swamp."
"Yes, please do. ...Now then, I've had my cookies, so shall we look for a path to return home?"
In the peaceful forest bathed in moonlight.
With the muffled, agonized screams of the knights beginning to echo in the distance as our background music, we continued to enjoy our elegant tea time.