Night, in the guest room where Shendu was staying.
Shendu lay down on the bed and glanced at Felt beside her. She looked at the blonde girl strangely, then pointed at the large bed nearby, a hint of confusion rising in her heart.
"Felt, why aren't you sleeping over there?"
The guest room's beds were spacious. A single bed could easily accommodate three people.
The bedding was also of excellent quality. Though it appeared simple, lying on it brought a faint floral fragrance and a deep sense of comfort. Overall, the experience was quite pleasant.
"Nope. I want to sleep with Big Sister."
Felt hugged one of Shendu's arms and spoke in a spoiled tone.
"Very well."
Looking at Felt's rather unreasonable request, Shendu considered her current identity and nodded without refusing.
"Hehe, Big Sister is the best!"
Felt clung to her like a little kitten. Shendu gently stroked her head and found that she did not mind at all.
Having descended into another world, with Felt by her side, she did not feel particularly lonely. Just look at Natsuki Subaru next door—not every protagonist could earn the trust of a beautiful girl.
"By the way, what are you planning to do about Old Man Rom? Once the kingdom discovers the situation in the slums, they definitely won't ignore it."
Felt's eyes were filled with worry. There were countless slums across the kingdom, numbering in the millions. If Old Man Rom were to gather them together, it would certainly be dangerous.
Felt was mature for her age. Having seen too much of the darker side of this world, she could not help but feel concerned about the nobility.
"Heh. Anyone who dares meddle in my affairs is simply asking to die. I forgot to tell you—I can easily create magical weapons that ordinary humans can use. For example, this."
As she spoke, Shendu lightly raised her slender hand. An alchemical magic circle instantly appeared on the floor.
In less than a minute, a ring set with a sapphire materialized in her palm. The band was forged from silvery mithril, engraved with numerous runes.
Shendu held out the ring and handed it to Felt.
"Put it on and give it a try. Imagine flames."
She smiled faintly and made a small inviting gesture.
Following her instructions, Felt slipped the delicate ring onto her finger. The thought of fire flashed through her mind, and immediately, a small fireball appeared at her fingertip.
"Th-This... I can use magic now?"
Felt's eyes widened as a look of wild joy spread across her face. She turned excitedly toward Shendu.
"No. This is the ring's power. As long as you wear it, you possess combat ability. It's a beginner-level magic item. Besides this, I also have one-time-use magic tools with far greater destructive power."
"My servants can do the same. Building a force for myself would not be difficult."
The more Shendu spoke, the more astonished Felt became. Gradually, however, she relaxed.
Seeing that Felt was reassured, Shendu, having nothing better to do, created another ring. This time, however, the gemstone embedded within it was an emerald.
The emerald was a cursed stone known as the Emerald of Killarney. From memories of the Jackie Chan Adventures world, Shendu had discovered this interesting item and found that her own magic could reproduce it.
What made this gemstone intriguing was that once someone was struck by its power of misfortune, they would suffer continuous bad luck for an entire month. If their fate was weak, they might very well be ruined by it.
"Hehe, then from now on, I'll stick with Big Sister and become a big shot in this kingdom."
Having obtained a magic item, Felt was so happy she nearly jumped up. Now she was no longer a powerless little beggar.
"Enough. It's late. Time to rest."
Shendu patted Felt on the shoulder and lay down to sleep.
Felt's eyes darted playfully. Nestling close to Shendu, she soon drifted off as well.
...
Late at night, around two or three in the morning.
Under the gentle breeze, the surrounding leaves rustled softly. Everything had returned to silence.
Tap, tap, tap!
In the corridor, Rem walked without lighting a lamp. The oni clan possessed decent night vision, so she could see clearly enough.
Arriving at Emilia's room, Rem pushed the door open and found Emilia fast asleep. She was hugging a pillow to her chest, a serene expression on her face.
Bathed in moonlight, she resembled a goddess, untouchable and beyond reproach.
However, the blanket had not been properly pulled up. Seeing this, Rem immediately stepped forward, carefully covering Emilia before turning to leave.
"Honestly, why is Lady Emilia like a child?"
Rem muttered a quiet complaint before closing the door and walking away.
Though she spoke that way, Rem doted on Emilia greatly. She handled every matter with care for the kind-hearted silver-haired half-elf.
Thinking of the sudden appearance of Shendu and Natsuki Subaru, Rem could not help but feel uneasy.
Given the kingdom's current situation, it was certain that forces from other nations had infiltrated the royal capital, attempting to approach the royal candidates and influence the future balance of power.
The timing of Shendu's arrival was far too coincidental—silver hair and crimson eyes, the same hair color as Emilia, and reminiscent of the Witch from legend.
And then there was Natsuki Subaru, giving her even more reason to be cautious.
The only puzzling aspect was that Shendu was simply too powerful. With a single glance, she had annihilated three hundred men, summoned strange stone giants, and wiped out nearby bandits entirely.
Every movement she made carried the bearing of a monarch. Even Lady Emilia had felt a trace of hesitation upon witnessing it.
Yet in the end, she said nothing, tacitly acknowledging Shendu's actions.
But after dealing with those people, Shendu had revealed a delighted smile, which sent a chill down Rem's spine.
Terrifying. Truly terrifying.
Shendu's identity was mysterious, and her strength overwhelmingly so. Rem felt a certain pressure. Fortunately, the other party showed no hostility—otherwise, she truly would not be able to stop her.
I can only wait for Lord Roswaal to return and test her then.
Rem silently shook her head and put the matter aside for now.
Afterward, she quietly opened the door to Natsuki Subaru's room, chain weapon in hand, and glanced inside.
She saw Natsuki Subaru sprawled out like a salted fish, having kicked his blanket aside. Seeing this, Rem had no intention whatsoever of picking it up for him.
Casting him a look of disdain, she then went to check on Shendu. Finding nothing unusual, she finally returned to her own room and drifted into a deep sleep.