Chapter 24: The Leader’s Quirky Welcome

While not afraid of what was to come, the Nun felt a distinct tremor of nervousness. Her nervousness caused her hand, clutching the iris pendant, to tremble, the copper chain around her neck appearing precariously close to snapping.

“What are you trembling about?”

Hearing the familiar voice, the Nun opened her eyes to see the Harpy standing opposite her.

“Didn’t Big Sister go to report to the Leader?”

“Yes, and haven’t I returned now?”

“So quickly?”

The Nun’s beautiful eyes widened.

“Little fool, you who cannot fly will never truly grasp the swiftness of those who can.”

“Then… does the Leader intend to see me?”

“Hmm, let me make myself clear first: I spoke with the boss, and she did not explicitly permit you to ascend the mountain.”

“Is that so…”

Though uncertain of the reason, the Nun genuinely felt she had messed things up. Even without having seen what the Leader looked like, she concluded the problem lay with herself.

The Harpy noticed the Nun’s disappointed expression, realizing her misconception, and explained:

“Don’t misunderstand. My Lord did not explicitly permit you to ascend the mountain, yet neither did she explicitly forbid it.”

The ambiguous attitude implied two paths for the individual to choose from.

As the Harpy stated:

“The boss has left the decision entirely to you. You are free to return the way you came, or, if you’re so inclined, to foolishly attempt the ascent.”

The answer was already decided, the course of action long determined; the Nun had no intention of backing down now.

“I want to see Big Sister’s Leader!”

Seeing such resolute will displayed by the frail girl, the Harpy ceased her attempts at dissuasion.

Without a word, she turned her back to the Nun, bent low, and unfurled her magnificent wings.

“What is Big Sister doing?”

“Taking you up the mountain, of course! Even if a human were to sprint with all their might, how fast could those two legs truly carry them? They are no match for these perfectly capable wings!”

“Big Sister… you’re actually very kind-hearted, aren’t you?”

‘Speaking without careful thought sometimes came at a cost!’ After uttering that sentence, the Nun recalled the terror of having her face pinched earlier, and the pain that followed.

****

After being carried for a while, the Nun arrived at the mountain peak in short order. As perhaps the first person on the entire continent to ever ride a Harpy, she sincerely believed that Big Sister had a soft heart – and wonderfully soft feathers, too…

“There, My Lord resides within. I have brought you this far; now, you must enter and see her yourself.”

Upon dismounting the Harpy’s back, the Nun spent a moment carefully scrutinizing the cave entrance before her. Had it not been for the torches lining both sides of the cave walls, the interior would have been utterly pitch-black.

“Thank you for your help, Big Sister! I’ll go in now!”

The light cast by the torches served as the Nun’s guide as she ventured forward. This particular cave, while not necessarily deep, was indeed remarkably long and narrow.

As she walked deeper, the Nun’s mind incessantly churned with curious thoughts, wondering what kind of demon the leader of the demon race truly was. Perhaps their entire face was dominated by a single, colossal eye; perhaps they were born with four or five heads and seven or eight arms. The Nun decided she needed to mentally prepare herself.

Otherwise, if she were to react with an undignified display of fright upon finally meeting the boss, it would surely be a grave insult to their pride.

Finally, the lamb-like girl stepped one foot into the boss’s chamber, immediately met by a blinding flash of light that assaulted her eyes. Illuminating crystals bathed the room in brilliant light, sweeping away the previous gloom and replacing it with countless reassuring rays.

The Nun’s shoes had thin soles, so as her feet met the animal hide rug on the floor, she immediately felt a comforting softness, as if walking on a sponge.

“This room alone is much larger than my house…”

The Nun walked around, her head tilted upwards. Preoccupied, she failed to watch her step, and soon her knee collided with something hard, bringing her progress to an abrupt halt. If she had only glanced down, she would have realized she had bumped into a large bed, her knee striking the edge of the bed frame.

Having found the bed, it was natural to find the occupant lying within. There, sprawled face down on the bed, was a woman whose silhouette remarkably resembled that of a human.

‘Strange, how could there be a human in a demon’s dwelling?’

“While I believe it’s highly unlikely, could you possibly be the Leader of the demon race?”

“Hoo-hoo-hoo.”

The Nun’s query was met by a snore, neither too loud nor too soft, leading her to speculate:

‘Is it because I didn’t arrive sooner that the boss grew impatient and fell asleep on the bed?’

“I’m not asleep!”

The Nun was just beginning to feel embarrassed by her tardiness when the woman’s shout echoed through the room. She then saw the figure on the bed, without moving her legs, prop herself up on one arm, resting the side of her head on the back of her hand as she slowly turned to face the Nun.

“I wasn’t sleeping. I was simply bored, lying in bed with my eyes closed, and decided on a whim to snore.”

The woman brushed aside the black hair that fell across her cheek, sweeping it over her shoulder, and faced the Nun with a half-turned profile.

“Oh, Little Eagle mentioned some foolish woman wanted to see me, and now you’re standing before me, with no one else around…”

“Um…”

The Nun couldn’t help but raise her hand, a gesture to attract attention and seek clarification.

“Excuse me, who is Little Eagle?”

“The Harpy you just met.”

“Is that Big Sister’s name, then?”

“Not her name. But I’m accustomed to calling her that, and over time, it’s replaced her true name.”

“I see.”

With her question answered, the Nun once again became docile. The Leader stared at her for a moment, then made a final confirmation:

“The silly woman Little Eagle told me about… could that be you?”

“Ah, you are the Leader of the demon race?”

“I am indeed the boss here.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

The Nun stepped forward to shake her hand. Subsequently, the Leader’s right hand, extended from beneath the covers, bobbed wildly up and down between them, a clear sign of her uncontrolled strength.

“There’s something I want to say: I don’t think I’m stupid!”

“If I say you’re silly, you’re silly. Your objection is invalid.”

Abruptly, the Leader threw back the covers, swung her legs over the side, and stood upright before the Nun.

“Oh, your clothes!”

With a startled cry, the noisy girl instinctively clapped her hands over her eyes. She wasn’t merely pretending not to look, nor did she peek through a gap in her fingers; in truth, the Nun had her eyes tightly sealed by her hands.

“Clothes?”

The Leader looked down at herself.

“Ah, yes, I’m so used to doing as I please that sometimes I don’t wear clothes in my room.”

“Please put your clothes on.”

“We’re both girls! What’s the point of such a request?”

“It’s not right to casually look at other people’s naked bodies, even if they’re girls!”

“While I am undressed, it’s not full nudity! I’m only without my top; my trousers are still on, aren’t they?”

“Please put your clothes on!”

The Leader found the young girl opposite her incredibly troublesome. However, a guest was a guest, and this woman, roughly the same age as the Nun, grudgingly pulled on her animal hide attire to satisfy her visitor’s sensibilities.

“I’ve put on clothes. Happy now? Open your eyes quickly.”

“Are you serious? You’re not tricking me?”

“Serious.”

“Truly serious?”

“Stop nagging, open your eyes.”

Hesitantly, the Nun tentatively moved her hands from her eyes, looking straight ahead. At that very moment, the Leader dramatically lifted her top (which, being animal hide, had no buttons).

The full, rounded mounds were once again revealed before the girl, causing her face to instantly flush crimson.

“You tricked me! That’s so mean, you have no integrity!”

Observing the girl’s intense reaction, the Leader mused that the coming days promised to be rather entertaining.