Early morning, at the dining table.
Shendu looked at the large spread of dishes laid out before her and felt quite satisfied. It was a breakfast unique to this world, fairly abundant at that, with both meat and milk.
"Sister Shendu, I'm not sure whether this breakfast suits your taste. If you don't like it, I can have Rem remake it."
Emilia looked at Shendu earnestly, treating her with particular seriousness.
"No need. I can eat anything. Let's eat together."
Shendu responded politely before sweeping through the food on the table without the slightest regard for table manners. Emilia, however, did not mind at all. Instead, she dined gracefully according to noble etiquette.
As for her younger sister Felt, Shendu had decided to let her sleep her fill first and then have a hearty breakfast afterward.
Still, Shendu felt that Emilia lived a rather exhausting life. In order to participate in the Royal Selection, she likely had to train not only in etiquette but in every aspect of daily conduct, even something as simple as eating.
That said, the food of this other world was quite good—far better than what Shendu remembered eating in her past.
In her original memories, although she had ruled over the ancient Earth, the food she consumed consisted of insects and the meat of wild beasts. She had never had the slightest interest in humans.
The humans under her command only needed to obey her orders, and she would guarantee them enough to eat and wear. In that regard, Shendu felt she was practically a model worker among villains.
Compared to the other seven great demons, she was practically conscientious.
The meal ended with both of them thoroughly satisfied. Afterward, the maids cleared the table. Emilia turned her gaze toward Shendu, hesitated briefly, and then spoke.
"Sister Shendu, now that we've finished breakfast, would you like to take a walk with me? You can see the territory for yourself."
"Of course. Experiencing unique local customs is also part of my duty as a traveler."
Shendu smiled faintly and agreed to Emilia's request, which caused Emilia's eyes to light up with obvious delight.
Soon after, they stepped outside beneath the rising sun. Warm sunlight poured over them, bringing with it an indescribable sense of comfort.
On the distant hillside, lush greenery stretched as far as the eye could see. Insects chirped from time to time, and butterflies fluttered about, creating a scene almost poetic in its beauty.
The environment here was truly pleasant. If not for the mission she still had to complete, Shendu felt that living here for a long time would not be a problem at all.
"Sister Shendu, what do you think of the environment here?"
Emilia stepped lightly forward, then stopped and turned to look at her.
"It's a wonderful place. I like it very much. And you're kind and beautiful—quite pleasing to the eye."
Shendu offered her praise without the slightest restraint, instantly causing Emilia's face to flush bright red. She truly did not know just how shy this silver-haired half-elf could be.
Ever since interacting with her, Emilia seemed prone to blushing at the slightest thing, which Shendu found faintly amusing. She could not quite figure out what the issue was.
Felt, by contrast, behaved perfectly normally in front of her.
"Sister Shendu, please don't praise me like that. I get embarrassed..."
Lowering her head, Emilia felt that the girl's praise was excessive. She was quite ordinary—at most, merely kind.
"It's nothing. I'm willing to stand by you because you possess a unique brilliance of your own."
Shendu spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
In truth, aside from the mission itself, Shendu trusted this silver-haired half-elf girl quite a bit.
...
After chatting briefly, they walked all the way to the courtyard before stopping.
Standing in the center of the courtyard, Emilia's cheeks were still faintly pink, though she was no longer as shy as before. She raised her head and said to Shendu, "Sister Shendu, I'm going to communicate with the spirits here. Could you wait for me for a moment?"
"Of course."
Shendu did not refuse and readily agreed to Emilia's request.
Next, Emilia clasped her hands together as though in prayer.
Within just a few minutes, the once tranquil surroundings suddenly filled with countless glowing particles, like fireflies, gathering around the silver-haired half-elf girl.
With utmost sincerity, she began communicating with them. It seemed that Emilia had excellent affinity with spirits, able to converse with them and borrow their power for her own use.
As expected, Emilia truly was a kind and lovable person.
While Emilia was praying and communing with the spirits, the green pendant at her neck suddenly emitted a soft glow.
In an instant, a small gray cat appeared, floating in midair.
It opened its eyes and looked at Emilia as she communicated with the spirits. A distinctly human-like joy appeared on its face. Then it flew directly toward Shendu.
"Yo! Miss, you seem to be in good spirits."
Puck landed on Shendu's shoulder, looking at her with delight.
"Not bad. I'm quite satisfied with this new place."
Shendu glanced around at her surroundings, clearly pleased with everything here.
"That's good!"
Puck was very happy and held deep goodwill toward Shendu. When he had chosen to fall into slumber, he had entrusted his daughter to Shendu's protection.
Unexpectedly, she had truly accomplished it. Seeing his daughter safe and well, Puck was especially pleased.
Moreover, spirits were different from humans. They could more or less see through the hearts of others and even perceive the color of one's soul. From the very first moment he saw Shendu, Puck had felt extremely satisfied.
"With you by my daughter's side, I can rest much easier about her safety. Compared to that fellow Roswaal, you don't give me any unpleasant feeling."
At the thought of that man with painted makeup and a clownish appearance, Puck felt nothing but irritation.
But there was no helping it. At present, the only noble force supporting Emilia was Roswaal's faction, so they had little choice.
"Roswaal?"
Shendu silently repeated the name. She remembered that he seemed to be connected to the Witch and had apparently lived for a very long time.
"That's right. A very strange noble. It makes me uneasy. He should be back around noon or perhaps tonight. There's no need for you to pay him too much attention. Just deal with him casually."
There was not the slightest trace of respect in Puck's eyes—only vigilance.
"I understand."
Shendu nodded and replied offhandedly.
Not far away, the glowing motes surrounding Emilia gradually began to diminish. It seemed her communication with the spirits was nearly complete.
According to Puck, each of those points of light was a minor spirit capable of providing a certain amount of mana. That alone revealed Emilia's uniqueness—she was practically the darling of the spirits.