Unseen Chains
Nahen walked toward the front courtyard of the Demon King's castle alongside Sitri, his mind occupied with plans for the days ahead. I should recall Dane. There was no longer any need to keep watch over the 55th floor. Once they became allies, the surveillance would be pointless anyway. The fact that they had been willing to accommodate even his most unreasonable demands from the start left little doubt—they wanted this alliance. He would summon Dane back and redeploy him to the human realm. With Eri at his side, they could stir up enough trouble there to draw the gaze of the celestial gods. That should buy us a little more time before the Celestial-Demon War begins…
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
Sitri’s question pulled Nahen from his thoughts. She pointed over her shoulder with her thumb. “Isn’t this the spot?”
“Yes, this will do.”
Nahen set his concerns aside for the moment and stepped in front of her. Startled by his sudden approach, Sitri instinctively took a step back.
“…Where are you going?”
“N-no, it’s just… you came at me so suddenly.”
“What does that have to do with me backing away…?”
Sitri rolled her eyes, then spoke again. “…Can I be honest?”
“Please do.”
“You’re kind of scary.”
“……”
Nahen stared at her in disbelief. Was this really coming from a former twelfth-ranked Demon King? His expression grew peculiar, and Sitri, perhaps to shake off her embarrassment, raised her voice.
“O-of course you’re scary! You walk around with that bizarre monster whale, you’re ridiculously strong, and you somehow know things no one else could possibly know…!”
“…Haa. I understand. But that only applied when Her Majesty and I had no relationship at all, didn’t it?”
Sitri blinked. “…What do you mean?”
“What else would I mean? We’re allies now. Why would you be afraid of an ally?”
“Ah.”
Sitri scratched her head, then let out an awkward laugh. “I thought you were setting the mood because you liked me or something~.”
Though she had said it half in jest, Nahen’s face twisted in genuine disgust. Sitri quickly backtracked.
“A-all right, I get it! I won’t make jokes like that again, so wipe that look off your face!!”
“…I was seriously considering whether I should even teach you at this point.”
“I-I said I’m sorry…”
“Let’s just begin the magic lesson.”
Nahen spoke curtly and drew out his mana. An Archdemon’s body possessed an enormous number of circuits; naturally, the amount of mana available to him was immense. Sitri had felt it firsthand. Sensing the vast power flowing from him, she cried out in alarm.
“H-hey! I told you I can’t do that training again…!”
This time, however, his mana did not press down on her. Sitri blinked in surprise. Nahen spoke as if it were obvious.
“Of course I’ll make sure it has no effect on you.”
“Huh…”
“I’ll keep it simple.”
He intended to teach her a practical, ancient spell. Before he could begin, Sitri stepped in front of him.
“Wait!!!”
“What is it now?”
“You said ‘simple.’ I refuse!”
“…Pardon?”
Sitri remembered the magic Seere had used against Belial. This was a rare chance to learn ancient spells—she wanted something impressive, not basic.
“Teach me something as powerful as what Seere used!”
“…Your Majesty.”
“Hm?”
“Even if I taught you something like that, you wouldn’t be able to use it.”
Sitri stared at him blankly for a moment, then her face flushed crimson.
“W-what do you mean!? Are you saying I can’t understand it as well as Seere can!?”
“That’s not it. You simply lack the mana.”
“…What?”
“Seere possesses far more usable mana than most her age. And as you know, the Devata bloodline can store external mana in their hair and draw upon it later.”
It was common knowledge thanks to Seere, so Sitri was aware of it as well.
“Ah… right.”
“However, Your Majesty Sitri has no means of storing external mana.”
“Still, my usable mana…”
“While it has increased considerably through our training, without recovering any of your sealed power, it remains far from sufficient.”
Nahen summarized it plainly. “Even without counting external mana, Seere’s reserves are vastly superior.”
“Kuh…!”
Sitri hated to admit she was outclassed by a child, but she had no choice.
“That is why you must learn spells suited to your current level. Otherwise, what use would they be?”
“Then teach me the strongest spell I can use! Something like a finishing move!”
“…Hmm.”
Nahen considered which spell would be appropriate. While he pondered, a voice that belonged to neither of them spoke up.
“…Tea…cher?”
Seere’s voice was low and carried an unsettling edge. Nahen flinched. Sitri reacted similarly. When they turned, Seere stood with her head tilted slightly to one side.
“What… are the two of you doing here in secret??”
“S-Seere. We were just…”
“Ah… I was teaching her magic. And we weren’t exactly hiding…”
“Magic, you say.”
Seere glanced at Sitri. The twelve-year-old—soon to be thirteen—wore such a chilling expression that even Sitri, a former high-ranking Demon King, felt a chill. Seere’s gaze shifted back to Nahen.
“Why are you suddenly teaching Sitri?”
“She said she didn’t want to do the usual training, so instead…”
“Hmmm.”
Seere judged their words to be true; Nahen’s mana was clearly at full strength. She felt a quiet sense of relief. So it wasn’t what I was worried about. Neither Nahen nor Sitri knew what she had been thinking. Her expression softening, Seere made a suggestion.
“Then I’d like to listen too.”
“Hm?”
“You can teach us a spell that neither of us knows yet, right?”
Seere looked at Sitri as she spoke. “What do you think, Sitri?”
“Huh? Ah… I-I’m fine with that!”
“She agrees, Teacher.”
“…Very well.”
Nahen accepted the proposal. It did seem like a reasonable arrangement. The only issue was… Isn’t this during work hours? It bothered him, but he decided against bringing it up. He didn’t want to risk another unpredictable reaction from Seere. Instead, he clapped his hands to gather their attention.
“All right, I’ll demonstrate quickly.”
Mana gathered in each of his palms. Ancient runes shimmered into existence as the spells took form.
“Target Designation.”
『 Objéctum Dēsignátĭo 』
“Binding.”
『 Sérvĭtus 』
Both spells manifested. Nahen pressed his palms together and chanted once more.
“Target Binding.”
『 Objéctum Sérvĭtus 』
A single combined spell activated. Invisible chains instantly wrapped around both Seere and Sitri.
“Ah!”
“W-what is this!?”
“It binds whatever the caster designates as the target. The chains are colorless, odorless, and invisible. Those caught cannot break free on their own.”
Sitri’s eyes widened. “What? Then this solves everything!”
“Hardly. There are drawbacks, of course. First, if the target possesses more mana than the amount invested in the spell, the chains will break.”
Nahen turned to Seere. “Seere, did you understand the spell?”
“Mm… I think I can try it.”
“Then cast it on me.”
Nahen snapped his fingers and released Sitri’s bindings. Seere replicated the process exactly.
“Target Designation.”
『 Objéctum Dēsignátĭo 』
“Binding.”
『 Sérvĭtus 』
Despite her uncertain tone, her reproduction was remarkably accurate—she had understood nearly everything from a single demonstration. She pressed her hands together and chanted.
“Target Binding.”
『 Objéctum Sérvĭtus 』
Formless chains coiled around Nahen. He felt them and released his mana; the chains shattered instantly, just as he had described.
“You see?”
“Ah, yes…”
“This spell is best used against opponents you are clearly stronger than.”
“I suppose so.”
“You can designate at most two or three targets, and it consumes a surprising amount of mana. Those are its flaws.”
Even with those limitations, Sitri felt she had learned something valuable. She asked for another demonstration.
“Show me one more time.”
“Try it from memory.”
“…What? Hold on!”
“Seere managed it. You can as well, Your Majesty.”
“J-just one more time!”
While Sitri pleaded for another demonstration, Seere watched Nahen effortlessly dispel the chains and thought to herself, She still has a long way to go… Yet she also saw potential. Nahen had said the chains would break if the invested mana was lower than the target’s reserves. That meant the reverse was also true—if the caster’s mana exceeded the target’s, the chains would be unbreakable. Seere smiled at Nahen.
“Teacher.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you for always teaching me such useful spells.”
Nahen returned her smile. “You’re welcome. Hearing that makes me happy as well.”
“I have work to finish, so I’ll be going back. And…”
Seere looked at Sitri. “You should probably return as well, Sitri.”
“Ah, well…”
Sitri glanced between Nahen and Seere, then nodded. “…All right.”
Back in her office, Seere narrowed her eyes slightly. She spread her mana outward, then drew it back in. Several strands of her snow-white hair turned crimson.
“Secily.”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Is Teacher an attractive man?”
Secily was momentarily flustered by the sudden question, unsure whether it was casual or probing. Seere anticipated her hesitation and spoke first.
“I’m not testing you. Objectively speaking, what do you think?”
“…If you’re asking whether he has charm, then of course he does. Nahen is highly capable. Beyond that, his appearance and personality are both excellent.”
“Yes… that’s true.”
Seere murmured to herself. “Then Sitri… that woman probably…”
“Pardon?”
“Never mind.”
Seere’s eyes narrowed. She would have to keep a closer watch on Sitri’s behavior from now on. At the same time, she reaffirmed one truth in her heart.
Teacher belongs to me alone.