When they arrived at Natsuki Minamiya's residence—a luxurious apartment—Shichen merely stepped through the entryway and instantly felt how poor his café had seemed by comparison.
The apartment was spacious, with tiled walls and floors, multiple rooms, plus a kitchen, bathroom, and a large living room. But it lacked any real sense of lived-in warmth.
That was only natural—Natsuki had been living here on her own all along.
Officially, Natsuki Minamiya was a high school English teacher. This was her identity in "normal" society. Her other identity, however, was that of a government Attack Mage (a special anti-magic officer) and also a training instructor for the Special District's Security Force—an active professional in the field of demon combat.
Of course, among demonkind she was better known as the "Witch of the Void," a name that struck fear into most demons.
Now Shichen found himself on Itogami Island, an artificial island on the ocean. The temperature there remained above 20 degrees Celsius year-round, with a total population of about 560,000. While technically called "Tokyo Metropolitan Itogami City," it functioned as a special administrative district—a "Demon Sanctuary"—established to protect endangered demons while conducting research on their unique physiques and abilities.
On the island, most residents were researchers or demons (and their families), creating a society where humans and demons coexisted. Demons had certain legal rights, and humans were not afraid of them—demons were registered, wearing wrist devices that both limited their powers and served as an alarm, making them easy to identify.
In this city of human-demon coexistence, Natsuki, as an Attack Mage, held considerable status—her personal strength, too, was among the top of humankind. Not to mention her special identity.
Hence, a large apartment like this was only natural for her.
Shichen briefly surveyed the living room, forming an impression of his future home, then sat on the couch.
"Phew—"
The sofa was so soft that the moment he sank into it, he felt nearly swallowed.
"You sure don't hold back," Natsuki remarked, watching him settle in so casually. She seemed at a loss for words.
"What's there to hold back for? You clearly don't like all that formal stuff," he retorted with a laugh.
"How do you know? We literally just met today."
"I'm good at reading people."
"Whatever… as long as you behave. First, get up; pick out whichever room you like. Decorate it however you want—there's a storage room full of stuff. I'm not helping."
"No problem. Oh, by the way, which one's your room?" Shichen asked.
"Why?" Natsuki eyed him suspiciously. "Don't tell me you're planning to share mine?"
"Nah, not yet, anyway. I just want to be next door."
"Not yet…" Natsuki muttered, her lips twitching.
Had she just let a wolf in the door? Then again, no real need to worry—she wasn't some frail, powerless woman. Plus, this guy didn't seem the type to force anything.
"My room is the one at the very end," Natsuki said, pointing to the farthest door.
"Got it. I'll take the one right next to it, then."
"Suit yourself. Hurry and get settled in. I want to see how well you can brew black tea."
"Okay!"
Shichen sprang up and went to the storage room to grab supplies. Beds, bookshelves—there was every piece of furniture imaginable, plus bedding and pillows. Incredibly well stocked, even though Natsuki supposedly lived alone. Did she expect visitors?
Shichen's strength was decent, so he quickly set up his room. It felt spartan, but he had no special needs. In the past, having a bed and phone was all he required; now he just needed a bed.
Granted, in this world he was still effectively off the grid and completely relying on Natsuki. He was lucky she'd agreed to take him in. The True Ancestor body from his mission perks had at least given him the ability to pique her interest. If he'd had no special worth, Natsuki wouldn't have bothered. He certainly couldn't rely on just his looks.
Now that he'd successfully stepped across her threshold, half the battle was won. He had no grand schemes other than to earn her trust. Living together day in and day out—feelings would naturally grow unless one side was hopelessly incompatible.
But was the True Ancestor body really originally his own power?
Shichen kept mulling over the words from that voice in his head. He had a notion but doubted it could be true.
"You done daydreaming? Hurry up and make some tea," came Natsuki's voice.
"Sure, I'm coming." He pushed aside his thoughts and went back to the living room.
Natsuki was seated primly, one leg crossed over the other, a stern, aloof expression on her childlike face—a rather contradictory image. If not for that black Gothic Lolita dress… If she weren't so petite…
"Use that," Natsuki ordered, pointing her fan at the tea set on the coffee table. "I'd like to see if you actually can brew a proper cup of black tea."
She still half-suspected his claim was a lie. At a glance, he didn't look like a housework type at all. On top of that, he radiated a True Ancestor aura—who'd have guessed he'd do chores? If he was telling the truth, interesting. If he wasn't, she'd adjust her attitude accordingly.
"No problem."
Shichen headed to the table, glanced at the packaging of the black tea leaves—some brand he didn't recognize, labeled "Kandy" as origin. He wasn't sure whether it was premium, but Natsuki probably wouldn't buy cheap stuff anyway. Confident in his skill, he carefully went through the familiar motions of brewing black tea.
She watched him work quietly, occasionally nodding at how practiced he seemed. After all, seeing him so serious about it gave her more reason to believe he wasn't lying. Something about Shichen's calm focus, paired with his unusual air, made her momentarily imagine him in a butler's uniform—it would suit him well.
"All set. Give it a try," he said, pushing the teacup toward her with a hopeful smile.
"Mm." Natsuki nodded, picking it up. She inhaled the rich aroma, then took a small sip. That thick fragrance washed through her, a pleasant warmth suffusing her entire being. Yes—this was why she loved black tea.
She took another sip, savoring it with her eyes closed.
"How is it?" Shichen asked, smiling.
"It's fine. Passable," she replied, setting down the cup.
"Whew, glad you like it." Shichen exhaled in relief. Now he could rest assured she'd let him stay.
"You learned these skills where? Self-taught?"
"Pretty much. Though it may sound unbelievable, I used to run a café."
"…" Natsuki shook her head. He hardly looked like a café owner. But since he seemed mostly honest, perhaps it wasn't impossible.
"You can really do this every day?" she pressed.
"What's the big deal? It's not hard at all, plus I'd like some myself."
"All right. As long as you behave, I can keep your identity under wraps."
"Don't worry, I'll be perfectly well-behaved," Shichen promised.
His priority was to get along with Natsuki and build her trust; everything else could wait. Though at some point, he needed to explore how his True Ancestor body worked. He'd come here to gain more power, after all. If he could fully unlock that body, he'd jump straight to top-tier strength.
The might of a True Ancestor was nothing to sneeze at: vast mana and near-apocalyptic beast-vassals. The future Fourth Primogenitor turned out so easily bullied only due to particular circumstances. But for him, to truly become a True Ancestor, he needed real mana and beast-vassals. Or, perhaps, he might usurp someone else's mana?
"You, give me your measurements," Natsuki suddenly said, standing up.
"Hmm? Natsuki-chan, what for?"
"Don't call me that… never mind. I'm going out to buy you some clothes. Unless you plan to wear the same thing every day?"
"Natsuki-chan, you're so sweet. Want me to come along?"
"No need. I'll pick them out quickly on my own," she replied flatly.
"Alright…"
He rattled off his measurements.
"One more thing: I'm arranging a teaching job for you. You said you were a teacher—hope that wasn't a lie?"
~~~
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