Seeing that it wasn't one of his old companions, Momonga felt a slight pang of disappointment.
However, he quickly pushed that feeling aside.
After all, while the person before him wasn't one of his former companions, she was almost as good as one.
"Katisia?"
"It is Katisia, isn't it?!"
Overcome with joy, Momonga called out excitedly.
If [Emotional Suppression] hadn't been disabled, he would probably have been flashing green light like crazy right now.
His excitement simply couldn't be contained.
Katisia was the younger sister of his companion Yamaiko, and she had often been invited to visit Nazarick.
She had never been able to join the Guild because of its rules.
After all, there were two requirements for joining Nazarick.
First, one had to have already entered the workforce in real life.
Second, one had to be a Heteromorphic Race player.
Katisia was a Humanoid Race Forest Elf player, and she hadn't entered the workforce yet, so she failed to meet either requirement.
Even so, Momonga had always regarded her as something of an unofficial member of Nazarick.
Now that they had reunited in this New World, there was no way he wouldn't be happy.
"Brother Momonga, it's been a long time. You've changed a lot. Brother Herohero has too."
Akemi smiled sweetly at the Dragonoid Undead before her, though a small trace of disappointment lingered in her heart.
Fleurdelys was the alias she used in the New World.
Katisia was her in-game name.
Yamase Akemi was her real name in the real world.
Compared to her in-game name, Katisia, she actually preferred being called Akemi, her real name.
Still, the disappointment came and went quickly.
Akemi looked up at Naohara's profile, and her mood immediately brightened.
At least Naohara-nii had called her by her real name the first time they met.
"A lot has happened since then, but I never imagined we'd actually meet again. It feels like a dream."
Momonga couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
Herohero said nothing and merely nodded in acknowledgment.
He was neither particularly warm nor cold toward Yamaiko's younger sister. His attitude remained completely neutral.
His slime-formed face turned toward the Forest Elf clinging tightly to Naohara's arm, his thoughts impossible to discern.
"By the way, when did you come to this world? How have you been all this time? Has anyone been bullying you?"
Momonga fired off three questions in rapid succession.
She was Yamaiko's younger sister, and with her playful, mischievous personality, Momonga had sometimes treated her like a younger sister of his own.
At that moment, three figures quietly returned to Nazarick as well.
The Brightness Dragon Lord and the Vampiric Dragon Lord had barely stepped out of the spatial vortex when they overheard the conversation, and both immediately broke into a cold sweat.
[Good thing we played it safe back then and reported the situation instead of attacking directly. Otherwise, we probably would've been in serious trouble.]
The two True Dragon Lords exchanged a glance, suddenly feeling as though they had narrowly escaped disaster.
Being a subordinate really wasn't easy.
Sometimes you got scolded for doing well, and sometimes you got scolded for doing badly.
Ignoring the three True Dragon Lords skulking around nearby, Akemi thought for a moment before softly answering Momonga's question.
"I arrived four hundred years ago. As for how I've been... I suppose it's been all right."
Thinking back to Sea City, the city she had founded herself, Akemi felt somewhat nostalgic.
During her first century in this world, the ancestors of Sea City's native inhabitants had been driven from the homeland they depended on by war and had crossed the sea in search of somewhere new to live.
Then, under her guidance, those displaced people who had lost their homeland established a new home of their own there.
Akemi remembered that Sea City hadn't originally been called that. Back then, it had been known as Rinascita.
She wasn't sure when it had started, but over time, people gradually began referring to it as Sea City instead.
Akemi didn't particularly care either way. Whether it was called Sea City or Rinascita, it was only a name.
As long as it could bring her joy, that was enough.
And of everything there, her favorite was probably the festival she had personally founded, known as the Carnival.
"As for anyone who's bullied me, the Platinum Dragon Lord definitely counts~"
If she hadn't been wary of the Platinum Dragon Lord and those so-called True Dragon Lords, she never would have been half-threatened into accepting that agreement.
Nor would she have spent several centuries confined to a single island because of it.
Naturally, she held some resentment over that.
"The Platinum Dragon Lord, huh? I understand."
Momonga nodded. He was just about to continue questioning her when Naohara interrupted.
"All right, why are you asking all this out here? We can talk once we're inside. Besides, Akemi's probably hungry by now."
Naohara spoke with a hint of helplessness.
If he didn't interrupt, knowing Momonga's personality, the questions would probably never end.
Naohara had no intention of standing around like this forever. They could at least talk while eating.
"Oh, right! I completely forgot. Come on, I'll show you around Nazarick."
"You used to visit all the time, but Nazarick has changed a lot since the Yggdrasil era. I'll have the head chef prepare a whole table of True Dragon Lord dishes for you to try."
"They're incredibly delicious. Naohara eats them several times a day. Oh, by the way, do you prefer savory food or spicy food? Would you like juice or alcohol? Is there anything you can't eat...?"
Momonga asked cheerfully.
The way he behaved made him look exactly like an old father welcoming home a daughter who had been away for far too long.
Sensing his genuine goodwill, Akemi smiled in return. At Naohara's signal, she let go of his arm and followed after Momonga with light steps.
"I'll stay out of this. I wouldn't understand what you're talking about anyway, so you guys can chat."
Keno decided to leave.
Rather than listen to things that made no sense to her, she would be better off reading a few more magic books and learning some new spells.
She didn't particularly care about Akemi's presence either.
After all, when Zesshi Zetsumei had first come to the Sorcerer Kingdom, Keno had already made it clear that she didn't mind Naohara finding another woman.
[I wonder how Zesshi Zetsumei will react when she finds out. Angry? Furious from embarrassment? Hmm... she'd probably just grab her scythe and storm straight into the Sorcerer Kingdom.]
Remembering how Zesshi Zetsumei had been making occasional trips to the Sorcerer Kingdom over the past few years, Keno shook her head.
"Mm. Remember to balance studying with rest."
Naohara didn't stop Keno from leaving. He merely rubbed her head and casually reminded her not to overdo things.
Once Keno had left and the figures of Momonga and Akemi ahead had gradually moved farther away, Naohara finally began following at a leisurely pace.
Herohero walked beside him at the rear.
[Something you want to say?]
Naohara initiated Message and spoke first.
[Activate Dragonic Will first. Then we'll talk.]
[Hey, hey, what's that supposed to mean? Is that really necessary?]
[It's to keep you from losing your head, letting your lower instincts take control and cloud your judgment.]
[Tsk. That's pretty harsh.]
Although somewhat reluctant, Naohara still did as Herohero asked and activated Dragonic Will.
A flash of emerald green light swept over him.
The next moment, his gaze became calm and composed. Rational thought took precedence, leaving him unaffected by emotion.
[There. Happy now?]
[Mm. You saw Momonga's attitude just now. I want to know what you think. What exactly were you feeling when you brought Katisia back to Nazarick?]
[Sympathy, pity, happiness. That's about it.]
[No lust? No desire to get your hands on her?]
[...]
[Did I really look that bad earlier?]
Naohara gave him a puzzled look.
[More or less.]
Herohero thought for a moment before giving a firm answer.
[Tsk. Akemi's situation is a little unusual. Her mental state doesn't seem quite right. We'll have to observe her first before deciding anything.]
[Oh~ You're already calling her Akemi. Pretty affectionate, aren't you?]
[Careful, or I'll hit you.]
[I'm kidding. But let's make one thing clear. If something bad really does happen, I won't stand by and do nothing.]
[...]
[Mm. I understand.]
After receiving Naohara's answer, Herohero patted him on the shoulder.
If Akemi knew her place and behaved herself, he wouldn't mind allowing the younger sister of their former companion to remain in Nazarick.
"I hope you don't do anything unnecessary."
Watching the Elf girl's retreating figure ahead, Herohero murmured in a voice only he could hear.
***
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