Theorad Dreams

The demon realm. The Hell of Sexual Love.

In the grand duchess's audience hall, a dream demon named Seredi knelt with her head bowed.

“This lowly servant pays her respects to the great Grand Duchess who rules the Hell of Sexual Love!”

“Pays her respects?”

A short laugh sounded from behind an enormous red screen.

“How amusing. You can't even see my toes, much less my face. Who, exactly, do you imagine you're looking at?”

“Ah… I've spoken out of turn…”

“At least you know it. Otherwise, I'd have blown you to pieces a moment from now.”

Seredi's shoulders trembled.

Lerazie, ruler of one of the demon realm's seven hells, was the Queen of Dreams and a grand duchess favored by the great demon Baal. Meeting her was far more terrifying than Seredi had imagined.

But she hadn't risked coming to this palace merely to cower in fear.

Drawing several slow breaths, Seredi regained enough composure to speak.

“P-please forgive my rudeness, Your Grace…”

“Oh? Do you think there's any need to ask forgiveness? I was only joking.”

“Th-thank you…”

“Isn't it a little early to thank me? I haven't yet heard why you've interrupted my rest.”

Behind the screen, the seated figure shifted her posture. Seredi couldn't see Lerazie's face, but she felt the grand duchess's gaze upon her.

“The palace eunuch tells me you've brought some rather interesting information. Is that true?”

If she said no, she'd die.

Seredi immediately pressed herself flat against the floor.

“Yes! I've brought news that may interest Your Grace!”

“Really? Then let's hear it.”

“According to the minions I've made in the human world, something very strange has recently occurred in the middle of the Esteban Empire—”

“Wait. Didn't you hear me? Stop shouting. Speak quietly.”

The Queen's wishes were absolute. Seredi lowered her voice at once.

“Forgive me. To continue, an abnormal incident has been reported in the central Empire.”

“What sort of incident?”

“Bishop Leviham, who presides over the fifth diocese of the Church of Balance, has stopped eating and drinking altogether. For several days he's done nothing but mutter to himself now and then. In a word, he's become like a living corpse.”

“And? Is that all you came to tell me?”

An invisible pressure bore down on Seredi's back. Perhaps it was Lerazie's magic.

Terrified that she'd been misunderstood, Seredi shook her head vigorously against the floor.

“N-no! What I came to report is why Leviham was ruined!”

“Why?”

“His condition began immediately after he visited the Deharem mansion. I also heard that one of the inquisitors suffered something similar. It appears that Viscount Theorad, the head of House Deharem, is responsible.”

Theorad? Who was that? And where was this Deharem mansion?

Lerazie knew neither the man nor the place. Nevertheless, if Seredi was telling the truth, the news was interesting indeed.

The head of a church diocese was reduced to a living corpse in a single night? By a human?

That was difficult to believe. By ordinary reasoning, the human called Theorad must have acquired power by contracting with a demon.

But which demon?

A diocesan bishop would know divine magic. Very few demons possessed enough power to overwhelm such a person so completely, let alone bestow sufficient strength upon a human contractor to do it in their stead.

Could a contract really account for this?

Whether Leviham had been broken by a demon directly or by a human borrowing demonic power, the result was astonishing.

Hmm.

Lerazie folded her arms, thinking. Then a possibility occurred to her, and she smiled.

Could it be Eligos?

Eligos, Grand Duke of the Hell of Religion and Baal's closest aide, certainly possessed the necessary strength. Among the grand dukes of hell, none could rival his power except Baal himself. He had interfered in the human world before, stirring up conflict between the Church and the witches.

That wretch must be plotting something again.

He would profit from the fear, rage, and madness such turmoil generated among humans, raising his position in hell still further. It was a perfectly obvious scheme.

In that case, perhaps I should take a share of the profits myself.

She had no intention of letting Eligos claim all the glory.

Lerazie uncrossed her arms and gestured lazily toward Seredi.

“My child, Seredi. Your information really is interesting. So here's what I'd like you to do. Find out which demon has made a contract with the human called Theorad. Succeed, and I'll share some of my power with you.”

Her voice had grown gentler. Seredi, seeing an opportunity to advance beyond anything she'd dared hope for, answered with sudden enthusiasm.

“Yes, Your Grace! I'll go to the Deharem mansion myself and look into Viscount Theorad's mind!”

---

The next day.

I climbed out of bed with a long sigh.

Three more days…

Yesterday, I'd thought my threats made a fine show of confidence. Now the deadline I'd agreed to felt like a shackle around my neck.

I sat there in a daze for a while, then looked toward the window and started. Sunlight was already flooding the courtyard. It must be past noon.

Oh, no.

Yesterday's ordeal with the elf must have worn me out so completely that I'd overslept. The head of a household was supposed to set an example to its servants and slaves, and here I was sleeping away half the day.

Pull yourself together.

I slapped my cheeks lightly, washed my face, and dressed. After checking my appearance in the mirror and fastening my brooch, I left the room.

As I walked down the corridor, I met the elf coming around a corner with a bucket and mop. She was evidently on her way to wash the windows.

“Master?”

Just my luck. I hid my startled reaction and clasped my hands behind my back in what I hoped was an arrogant pose.

“What?”

“You woke later than usual today. And you don't look very well…”

That's because of you, you lunatic!

“It's none of your concern.”

“As you say… Ah, the chief chamberlain told me someone has come from the imperial family. They're waiting in the front courtyard for you, Master.”

“From the imperial family?”

Why would the imperial court visit the mansion? There was one possibility. I'd completed the artificial-rain spell, and the Empire had promised a reward.

“Master, then I'll return to cleaning the windows.”

“Hm? Ah, yes…”

The elf bowed and passed me in the corridor.

How strange. Usually she clung to me and demanded my attention. I was grateful for the reprieve, but I couldn't help feeling that something was missing.

...Does she mean to leave me alone until the day we agreed to have sex?

Perhaps she'd decided to behave like an ordinary maid until then. I wasn't about to challenge that. I watched her stretch up on tiptoe to reach the window, then went into the front courtyard.

The sight made me draw a sharp breath.

What?

Four wagons rolled into the courtyard under escort by imperial knights in plate armor. Each bore the white-lion crest of the imperial family. Even with the elf's help, all I'd done was complete a spell. Wasn't this an excessive reward?

I descended the steps, bewildered. Havid, who was speaking with Professor Roylen at their foot, turned and greeted me with a broad smile. I was relieved to see that his cold had improved.

“My lord! Did you sleep well?”

“I did. How are you feeling?”

“Much better. I'll be back to my usual duties. More to the point, Professor Roylen has something to tell you.”

Roylen turned toward me and gave a small bow.

“It's good to see you again, Lord Theorad. Please forgive our arriving without warning. Her Highness the Princess can be rather… forceful.”

“There's nothing to forgive. I'm only concerned that the imperial family may have rewarded me too generously.”

“My goodness. You completed a major magical undertaking, and you call this excessive? As I told you before, too much humility can become a fault. Besides, Her Highness ordered these gifts personally.”

“The Princess herself?”

“Yes. Her Highness has taken a great interest in House Deharem.”

Roylen smiled and surveyed the courtyard. With all four wagons inside, the place looked crowded.

“Two of the four wagons were sent at the Princess's own direction. One is filled with gold and silver treasures; the other, with books on art, culture, and scholarship.”

“I am deeply grateful, but what have I done to earn such favor?”

“Ha ha. How could someone like me presume to know Her Highness's mind? It would be best if you heard her reasons from the Princess herself.”

Hear them from her?

“Is Her Highness planning to visit the county?”

“I can't promise anything definite. But should an opportunity arise, she may well pay a visit to House Deharem.”

Why would an imperial princess want to meet me? Unease crept over me, but there was no chance I could say that aloud.

“I understand. As a subject of the Empire, I too would be honored to meet Her Highness. Please tell her I'm looking forward to the occasion.”

“Of course. Oh, and there's one other matter.”

Roylen drew a wand from his clothing and tapped the air.

Flash!

A light winked into being, and a book dropped from it. Roylen caught the volume neatly and showed its cover to Havid and me.

Secret Tryst with a Princess.

“Do you happen to know the author of this book? Her Highness has instructed me to arrest them, so I've been making inquiries.”

“Arrest the author? Why? Have they committed some crime?”

“Not exactly. But Her Highness is rather angry that the author hasn't released a new volume for three years. She said she'd kill the author if we found them. Of course, I don't believe she actually intends to have anyone killed.”

Roylen smiled. I found myself struggling to understand.

A princess who threatened to kill an author for failing to finish a book? What kind of person was she?

In any case, I had no idea who the author might be.

“I'm afraid I can't be of help to Her Highness…”

“Young master!”

Before I could finish, Beynon came toward us from the far side of the courtyard. He was dressed in a shirt, with a towel draped over his shoulder and his bangs wet with sweat. He must have been training on the open ground near the mansion.

“What's with all the knights and wagons? Young master, have you gotten yourself into trouble?”

“Beynon.”

“Ah, pardon me. I see the professor's here as well. But what's that in your hand…?”

“Oh! Do you know who wrote this book?” Roylen asked.

A flush spread over his face. Beynon dabbed his forehead with the towel and nodded.

“Of course. I wrote it. Three years ago, was it? After the previous head of the house suddenly fell ill, I was too busy looking after him to keep writing. I've more or less laid it aside since.”

Beynon wrote that?

It was the first I'd heard of it. Apparently I wasn't alone in my shock. Roylen and Havid stood frozen, their mouths hanging open.

“Ha ha, that takes me back. It was quite popular at the time, probably because I could draw on the historical knowledge I picked up during my mercenary days…”

Beynon's voice trailed off. He looked from one stunned face to another, increasingly puzzled.

After a long moment, he frowned.

“Why is everyone looking at me like that? It's not as if I've committed treason.”