As soon as I stepped into an unfamiliar black space, the next moment, I emerged into a bright place.

My eyes flickered from the sudden change in light... Huh? This place, I feel like I've seen it somewhere before...?

“Fwaaaah… So sleepy… It’s warm, and the sun is so nice and cozy… zzz…”

“…Katya?”

It turned out to be a familiar space.

A room in the Marquis’s mansion that I had visited many times before.

It was Katya’s room, likely custom-made by the doting Marquis, and was noticeably larger than the other rooms.

At the far end, a canopy bed was visible, and a cool breeze flowed in through the open window. The room was designed to make good use of natural light, ensuring that even without artificial lighting, the desk remained well-lit.

The study desk, equipped with a magical light for reading at night, had an open textbook on it.

Sitting in a comfortable-looking leather chair, Katya was nodding off, swaying slightly as she dozed.

But it was understandable.

Even though she was still underage, she had been running around all over the place.

“I must be so sleepy that I'm even hearing things… There's no way Bruno would actually be here… Mumble mumble…”

“Sorry for dropping in so suddenly.”

“What are you saying? You and I are close, aren't we? One day, when I have a stunning figure, at that time… mumble mumble…”

...Stunning figure?

What is she talking about?

While wondering about that, I stood beside Katya and then took a few steps back.

This position—watching over her from slightly behind—was my usual spot when acting as her bodyguard.

As I reminisced about the past, a smile unconsciously spread across my face.

Those old memories were so dazzling that they lifted even my current mood.

“Munya…?”

Perhaps hearing my footsteps, Katya slowly turned her sleepy face towards me.

Her drowsy, half-closed eyes met mine directly.

“Bru… no…?”

“Yes, it’s me, Bruno.”

Katya tilted her head slightly.

Her unfocused eyes gradually regained their clarity until, finally, she blinked in recognition.

“Wha—”

“Huh?”

“Wha-wha-wha-wha—why is Bruno here!?”

With a loud rustling sound, Katya scooted backward in a hurry.

Just as I was about to apologize to the flustered girl and explain the situation—

“Mii!”

With a lively cry, Ivy entered Katya’s room.

Katya, upon seeing the black space that appeared when Ivy entered, seemed to grasp the situation.

“I see, so this is Ivy’s magic as well.”

“That’s right!”

“Hey! Don’t mimic my way of speaking!”

“Oww! Sorry, sorry!”

Her sleeping face just now, drooling and all, was so cute that I couldn't help myself.

“C-Cute!?”

Oops. Seems like I accidentally said that out loud.

Katya’s face turned bright red.

Sorry, my bad.

“—Y-You dare toy with my purity! You must take responsibility, Bruno!”

R-Responsibility…?

Not fully understanding, I decided to just apologize.

Trying to reason with an emotional girl never gets anywhere.

In times like these, it doesn’t matter who’s right or wrong—the guy should just apologize until she calms down.

Following the wisdom my father once shared about handling a girl’s mood, I continued to profusely apologize to the ever-changing expressions of Katya.

Fortunately, the advice seemed to be spot on, as Katya, after venting for a while, finally forgave us.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I was just glad I managed to escape the situation unharmed—

“Phew, that was rough…”

“Mii mii.”

As if saying “there, there,” Ivy patted my head soothingly while we returned to the mansion.

After that, I gathered even more information from Icicle regarding the Demon King's Ten Fingers. The difference between knowing and not knowing this information was huge.

I’d have to prepare some kind of thank-you gift for Icicle later.

By the time we got back to the mansion, Sanshita had already recovered from his spherical form and returned to his usual sleek griffon shape.

But if Ivy could use that teleportation magic (or whatever it was) that Quattro had used, the whole situation would change drastically.

It seemed that the magic could only transport to places Ivy had been before.

So first, Ivy would go to Demon King's Island.

Then she would return, gather our allies, and teleport back to the island together.

If we could do that, then the biggest obstacle—reaching the island—would be solved.

The strength of the Demon King’s Ten Fingers was formidable. Even against the Fourth and Fifth Right Fingers, who were considered top-tier monsters, I wasn’t confident I could win.

All five of the Right Fingers were still alive, as well as the Fifth Left Finger.

We would have to somehow take down these six powerful monsters and then fight the Demon King himself.

“We need allies…”

I've learned to fight in a way that doesn’t hinder her, but my full strength is still far from matching hers.

I could probably provide support, but my role would be to handle at least one of the Ten Fingers and make sure nothing interfered with Ivy’s battle against the Demon King.

Even if I took on one, that would still leave five more.

We needed enough allies to handle them.

The first choice was undoubtedly Rey.

I later heard that Rey had struggled in a fight against the Left Second Finger, one of the weaker members of the Ten Fingers.

However, legends say that a hero is supposed to become strong enough to defeat even the Demon King.

With her determination, I believed she could become a hero capable of fighting the Ten Fingers.

Next was Sanshita.

When Ivy and I talked about heading to Demon King's Island, he immediately volunteered.

“Of course, count me in.”

Through continued training with Ray and Ivy, he had already become far stronger than an ordinary griffon.

Icicle, Maria, and Hamill had also offered their assistance if needed.

But even with all of us… we still weren’t strong enough to fight the Ten Fingers.

Pondering our next move, I decided to ask someone who always had answers.

“Hey, Ivy. Can you make us strong enough to fight the Demon King’s Ten Fingers?”

To my unreasonable request, my reliable partner tilted her head slightly in thought, then—

“Mii!”

—puffed out her chest with confidence.