The First Gate
Secily, her hair still tied in adorable twin tails and dressed in her maid uniform, asked with a cheerful tilt of her head, “Where are we heading this time?”
Nahen looked at her and replied, “You can stop with the disguise now, Secily.”
“Isn’t it the same on the other floors anyway?”
“Well, that’s true, but….”
In truth, Nahen had been hoping Secily would change out of that maid outfit into something else. Having both her and Secily accompany him as maids drew far too much attention. If the two of them had ordinary appearances, this wouldn’t have been an issue, but both possessed looks that naturally captivated people’s eyes. At that point, any disguise lost its meaning.
“It doesn’t seem like the disguise serves any real purpose.”
“Pardon?”
“Besides, while Glasyalabolas is nothing but a fool who only understands power—put nicely, a militaristic supremacist with strong convictions—it was manageable. But the other martial faction Demon Kings won’t be so easy to deal with.”
“Hmm….”
“And on top of that, sending only a single reaper to deliver such an important message? There are those who might take serious offense at that kind of slight.”
The highest-ranking Demon Kings possessed immense pride. If one wished to speak with them, they expected preparations befitting their status before granting an audience. While they valued strength much like Glasyalabolas, unlike her, brute force alone would not suffice. Only by showing proper etiquette and respect could one even hope to exchange a single word.
“So you’re saying it would be better if I stepped forward myself.”
“Exactly.”
“Who are we going to see?”
“First… Jepar.”
Jepar, who held the fifteenth rank. A martial faction Demon King positioned extremely close to the top twelve, he too was an extreme militarist. However, placing him in the same category as Glasyalabolas would be a mistake. Unlike her, he was far more politically adept. While Glasyalabolas, despite her tremendous power, had remained stuck at the twenty-fourth rank due to her bizarre convictions that drove away talented individuals, Jepar’s presence at the fifteenth rank spoke volumes.
“Is there a particular reason we’re meeting Lord Jepar first?”
“That’s an important question. Jepar already belongs to one of the factions. Do you know which one?”
“No?”
Secily likely wouldn’t know. Nahen had never taught her, and at her rank of fiftieth, she had no need to concern herself with such factional matters. Others hadn’t bothered to explain it to her either. But now, she needed to know. After all, they were about to meet one of the key figures who formed the core of that very faction.
“The faction Jepar belongs to is the Equites. In direct translation, it means ‘lower nobility.’”
“…It sounds like a group that would include people whose ranks aren’t particularly low, yet not especially high either.”
“Correct. You’ve understood it well. In addition to that characteristic, it’s a faction with a large number of martial faction Demon Kings. Jepar is one of its members, and the one who leads them is….”
One of the current pinnacles of the martial faction.
“Barbatos.”
Ranked eighth, Barbatos von Ischwar. Though a high-ranking Demon King, his position was somewhat ambiguous to call him an absolute apex. He was the leader of the Equites faction.
Upon hearing the name, Secily’s eyes lit up with understanding. “Ah, I see.”
“The Glasyalabolas we met this time shares a similar disposition but does not belong to any faction. Aside from Jepar and Barbatos, the group also includes Berith at twenty-seventh, Aini at twenty-second, and Saleos at eighteenth.”
“Then why aren’t we meeting those three you mentioned later?”
“There’s no need.”
“Pardon?”
“If we can persuade Jepar and secure a conversation with him, the matter will be resolved. However, we cannot meet Barbatos directly right away, so we’ll start with him.”
If they could convince Jepar, the lower-ranking members would naturally be more inclined to lend their support. Therefore, the first priority was persuading Jepar. After that, only two more Demon Kings needed to be met.
“Next, we’ll meet Lerajie at thirteenth and the leader, Barbatos. If Jepar is persuaded, it should connect naturally. Within the faction, Jepar has a particularly close relationship with Barbatos.”
“So the first hurdle we must overcome is Lord Jepar.”
“Precisely.”
Nahen looked at Secily, who absorbed everything so quickly, with a hint of pride. Secily stared at him intently for a moment before speaking again.
“Then I should change my clothes first.”
“Yes. Let’s stop by an inn for a moment.”
Nahen’s group stopped briefly at an inn so Secily could change out of her disguise. Nahen rented a simple room and told the two of them, “Go ahead and change. I’ll wait here.”
“Understood.”
Secily entered the room together with Secily. But moments later, Secily came rushing out with an urgent expression.
“Secily?”
“M-Master Nahen, I’m terribly sorry, but I need to use the restroom right away.”
“Ah… go ahead.”
Her face looked so desperate that Nahen sent her off without delay. Did she eat something bad?
The only thing they had eaten since leaving the colosseum was a meal at a nearby restaurant. Nahen himself felt fine, but it seemed Secily was not so lucky.
Is Secily okay?
With that thought, Nahen approached the door. He knocked, and a voice came from inside.
“Secily, is your stomach hurting or—”
“Ah, Teacher. Perfect timing.”
“Hm?”
“Could you help me for a moment? Secily was helping but suddenly had to run to the restroom.”
“What??”
When Nahen let out a deeply flustered voice, Secily let out a light laugh, clearly amused by his reaction.
“It’s fine. It’s not the kind of situation you’re worrying about, Teacher. I’ve almost finished dressing. I just need you to zip up the back.”
“…Then can’t you just wait until Secily returns?”
“It’s uncomfortable with the zipper open.”
Nahen could not refute Secily’s logic. It probably was quite uncomfortable.
“…Alright.”
It was a very simple task—just pulling up a zipper on the back. If he avoided even that out of excessive awareness, wouldn’t that be exactly what Secily wanted?
Having reasoned it that way, Nahen carefully grasped the doorknob.
“I’m coming in.”
“Yes.”
When Nahen opened the door and stepped inside, Secily was sitting on the bed. Her long, snow-white hair spilled carelessly across the sheets, giving her an inexplicably seductive aura. The curtains were drawn, perhaps out of concern that someone outside might see in, so only faint sunlight filtered into the room, leaving it somewhat dim. Perhaps that was why Secily’s eyes, as she gazed at him from the bed, seemed to gleam with an even deeper, more shadowy allure.
“Welcome, Teacher.”
“…Why are you sitting?”
“My legs hurt a little.”
“Come over here and stand so I can zip you up.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier if you came behind me, Teacher?”
“…Just come here.”
“Yeees.”
Secily clicked her tongue in clear disappointment. Not approaching the bed had been the right choice. Nahen inwardly praised himself for his good decision and braced for the next challenge.
“Ah.”
“!?”
Suddenly her uniform began to slip downward. Secily quickly grabbed it. It had been a hair’s breadth from exposing her bare skin completely to Nahen. Even though she had caught it in time, the dress had already slid down enough to reveal a dangerously tantalizing glimpse of her bare chest.
Nahen couldn’t hide his shock at the sight, but Secily simply smiled brightly and said, “The zipper won’t stay up, so it keeps sliding down.”
As if it were nothing at all. Her composed demeanor, carrying the relaxed confidence of a mature woman, made Nahen’s expression grow serious.
I must not get swept up….
The moment he let himself get swept away, there was no telling what might happen. With that thought, Nahen cleared his throat and said, “Right. I’ll zip you up quickly, so come here and turn around.”
“Okay.”
Secily lightly turned her back to him, and Nahen became utterly flustered.
“Wait….”
“What is it, Teacher?”
“No… I can’t see the zipper. Where is it?”
Secily’s long, voluminous hair completely covered her back, making the zipper invisible. Secily let out a small chuckle.
“Wouldn’t you find it if you felt around?”
“Don’t even think about it.”
Touching her here would be no different from caressing her bare skin. The glimpses of her pale back visible between strands of hair made that clear. Nahen stubbornly maintained that he would never do such a thing, but Secily smiled and said, “I don’t mind at all.”
“Stop talking nonsense and move your hair aside. Even if I find the zipper, we can’t have your hair getting caught while I pull it up.”
“…Pfft.”
Secily let out a soft laugh. Nahen tilted his head at her behavior, not understanding why she was laughing.
“You told me to do it, Teacher?”
“Huh?”
Secily reached both arms behind her and gathered her silky hair into one bundle. At that moment, Nahen finally realized why she had been laughing.
“Wait….”
When Secily finally swept the gathered hair completely over her shoulder, Nahen froze solid.
“Please zip me up quickly, Tea-cher.”
“…….”
Her smooth, snow-white back was fully exposed. And that wasn’t all—the zipper didn’t start from the upper back. Its end reached all the way down to her waist, meaning Secily’s back was practically bare. Since the outfit itself already exposed the shoulders, it was only natural for the zipper to extend that far down. Nahen, who had grown used to seeing her always wearing a cloak that covered this area, had been completely caught off guard.
“Teacher?”
“Uh, uhh!?”
“What’s wrong? Don’t just stand there.”
Secily giggled. “Could it be… you can’t take your eyes off me?”
“W-when did I ever say that!?”
“You’re not conscious of it?”
“…Of course not.”
“Then just zip it up already?”
Secily didn’t even turn to look at him. It was the relaxed confidence of someone who had completely seized the upper hand in this battle of wits. Nahen shook his head vigorously, trying to shake off the shock that refused to fade.
…Damn it.
Of course, shaking his head didn’t make the captivating female form designed to pierce a man’s heart disappear from before his eyes. Nahen furrowed his brow deeply and began hypnotizing himself internally.
This is nothing. I am the teacher, and this child is my student. My goal is to raise her to the pinnacle. I didn’t raise her for this. Therefore, what is in front of me right now is also nothing.
With that thought, Nahen let out a sigh and grasped the zipper that had slid all the way to her waist.
“Please pull it up gently.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
Secily spoke in a voice raised with deliberate sweetness, almost like a whisper. “It hurts when you pinch my bare skin.”
Nahen yanked the zipper up in one swift motion. His exceptional physical ability shone even now, pulling it up cleanly without once catching her skin. Secily clicked her tongue in mild disappointment, but for Nahen, it had been a moment that felt like it shaved ten years off his life.
Secily smiled faintly as she looked at him. Then, as if to show off, she fastened the button on the string that connected across her collarbones.
“Wait, that’s…?”
“There’s a fastener in the front too.”
“…What?”
“Obviously it wouldn’t only be in the back. With clothes like this, would there only be one fastening device?”
In other words, the excuse she had given about needing help with the zipper, and that heart-stopping moment when her clothes nearly slipped off…
…It was all staged?
When Nahen realized this, he was stunned, but the realization had come far too late. He had already been completely played according to Secily’s intentions.
Secily laughed lightly and draped the cloak that had been hanging on the rack over her shoulders.
“Shall we go now, Teacher?”
“…….”
A battle between spear and shield. The first victor of that contest was…
“…Yes.”
The spear.