On the streets of the Sorcerer Kingdom, a young woman of about twenty walked at an unhurried pace.
Her skin was brown, and her hair was done in three braids that fell over her shoulders like a brown waterfall.
She wore a high-slit maid outfit, and the enormous, unusual holy staff embedded with a holy seal on her back was especially eye-catching.
"Yo, how's business been lately?"
The young woman stopped in front of a stall selling vegetables, fruits, and the like. Her voice was as clear as silver bells, pleasant enough to lift one's mood.
"Not bad. At least it's more interesting than being an innkeeper."
"Lupusregina, if you have time later, you should come have a drink. Yesterday I ran into two clueless human cubs and made a tidy little profit."
Seeing the young woman, the Doppelganger named Dias greeted her familiarly.
"Tricking innocent girls is wrong, you know."
Hearing this, Lupusregina immediately put on a reproachful expression, stern as a strict teacher and enough to make one feel a little awed.
"I was just testing whether I could talk them into it. Who knew they'd hand over the money without a fight? What was I supposed to do?"
"You wouldn't be so cruel as to send the Quagoa after me, would you? If that happened, those guys would laugh me to death."
Dias spread his hands helplessly, his tone full of grievance, like a child who had been wrongly accused.
Thanks to the Supreme One's mercy, there were many idle NPCs like him disguised throughout the Sorcerer Kingdom.
Some had become chefs, others adventurers, and most were scattered in various corners of the country.
With little to do, they gathered almost every day to share their experiences and see whether anything interesting had happened.
Dias loved watching entertaining scenes.
But if he himself became the entertainment… well, better not.
"Hehe. That depends on how sincere you are."
"After all, you wouldn't want to be caught by the Quagoa, would you?"
The corners of Lupusregina's mouth rose, and a sly gleam flashed through her eyes.
Hearing this, Dias immediately pulled a bitter face.
He knew there was a good chance his wallet was doomed.
Damn it. He should apply to try a different job later.
...
Having made a small profit, Lupusregina hummed as she continued toward her destination.
In some ways, she was quite similar to Renner.
Her behavior and manner changed depending on whom she was dealing with.
At times she spoke with a warm, cheerful air. At times she revealed the side of a seductive beauty. At times her smile shifted into a serious expression.
The frequent changes in atmosphere and tone gave her an inorganic, unsettling quality.
After passing through the crowded streets, Lupusregina entered a quieter area.
A little farther from where she stood was a large house.
The house was mostly pale blue, with a large courtyard where many pieces of playground equipment could be seen.
This was the orphanage run by the Sorcerer Kingdom.
Most of the children living here were orphans gathered by the Sorcerer Kingdom from various places, generally ranging from one to eight years old.
There were four main members responsible for running the orphanage.
They were Head Maid Pestonya, Combat Maid Yuri Alpha, and Area Guardian Nigredo.
And…
Guardian Overseer Albedo, who had been forcibly put on leave by the Supreme One and therefore could not leave.
...
Knock, knock, knock.
A soft knocking sound rang out.
Inside the clean and tidy office, Albedo, who had been writing a report on the orphanage's construction progress, stopped her pen.
"Come in."
As her voice fell, the door opened, and Lupusregina walked in.
"It's been a while, Albedo-sama."
Lupusregina waved her arms and greeted her with full energy.
"Oh, Lupusregina. What brings you here?"
Albedo asked with a smile.
She always wore a gentle smile and spoke with grace and refinement, giving off the air of a proper lady.
"I came to see Sister Yuri, but I heard your mental state hasn't been too good lately, so I brought a gift from Nazarick while I was at it."
As Lupusregina spoke, she presented a music box.
"This is…"
Albedo accepted the music box curiously and gently turned the spring. A beautiful yet hair-raising melody suddenly rang out.
It was the sound of despairing screams, as though the voices within were suffering indescribable pain.
The sound was like a special song filled with sorrow and terror. Every note stabbed into the heart and sent chills down one's spine.
The music box's sound echoed through the room, as if it intended to swallow the entire space.
As the music continued, thick black mist began to rise.
Within it, one could vaguely see infants crying helplessly, their eyes full of despair.
"What a pleasing melody. It brings me peace and calm from the bottom of my heart."
When the song ended, Albedo opened her eyes, feeling a comfort she had not felt in a long time, as though a spring breeze had brushed across her heart and smoothed away her weariness.
"Thank you. I like this gift very much."
Albedo could not help showing a sincere smile.
"You're welcome, Albedo-sama."
Lupusregina smiled and waved her hand.
This music box had actually come from her younger sister, Solution.
As a being created by Herohero-sama, she greatly enjoyed observing the process of life melting away.
To Solution, slowly and carefully melting a living person, preferably a pure child, was a pleasure.
She was the type who paid attention to preventing suffocation, avoiding damage to the throat, and so on, placing importance on the "human" until the very end.
Even the Floor Guardian Shalltear-sama greatly admired her for that.
The music box before Albedo was Solution's handiwork, specially recorded so it could be used to relax during free time.
The reason Lupusregina had brought it this time was also because they had considered that Albedo-sama might grow bored or feel down at the orphanage, so it could serve as entertainment and relaxation.
It could only be said that the NPCs of Nazarick truly cared about one another.
"Mm. Recently, a few children at the orphanage have died unexpectedly. Could I trouble you to take care of them on your way out?"
Albedo nodded, then spoke with deeper meaning.
Courtesy demanded reciprocity. Since the other party had given her such a gift, she had to offer something in return.
A few young children dying by accident was perfectly normal, right?
Unfortunately, Demiurge had recently needed pure Souls. Otherwise, the number could have been raised a little.
After all, the original purpose of this orphanage was to serve Nazarick.
At most, because of her elder sister Nigredo, children under two years old would temporarily be left out of consideration.
As for those above two years old who had talent, they would be given priority and provided to Herohero-sama. That Supreme Being was famous for enjoying [snacks], especially fresh ones with a good chew.
Naohara-sama might have some minor objections, though.
However, as long as things did not go too far, he would likely turn a blind eye.
Thinking this, Albedo smiled calmly.
Everything was moving in a good direction.
"So, for the sake of the great Supreme Beings, let us continue working hard."