Look.

I didn’t ask to get put into this situation. I didn’t ask for this horribly clichéd position that’s present in nearly every work of fiction to be reenacted. In fact, if I could’ve done something about it, I would’ve.

But I couldn’t.

I was unconscious.

And now that I could finally open my eyes, I found myself resting upon the pillowy thighs of a beautiful woman.

Up close, she looked even more stunning. Her eyes were a startling crimson and her slit-pupils only added to her mysterious charm. However, what had really captivated my attention was her small but pointed ears and what looked like two nubs growing out of her forehead.

“A-Ah! You’re awake!”

Oh. Her surprised expression is cute too!

“Uh... Are you alright?”

She nodded.

“Awesome.” I paused, thinking of what to say after that. “How long was I out for?”

“Oh, um... Perhaps an hour or two?”

“I see.”

Her replies had been short and succinct. Probably because she was feeling rather embarrassed about my sudden awakening while she was giving me a lap pillow. Honestly, I was starting to feel a little embarrassed too.

We both remained silent as we contemplated our next moves.

And then my stomach grumbled.

“Hey, uh... Got food?” I asked a little sheepishly.

She nodded and produced a loaf of bread from a sack that sat by her side. I nodded gratefully and immediately began devouring it after sitting up.

Unexpectedly, I earned a giggle from her.

“Sorry, I, uh, haven’t eaten for dweeks. I mean days. Or weeks. I dunno.”

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH! What the hell am I even saying!? If I knew my social skills were going to be just as bad as they were on Earth, I would’ve invested more in charisma!

“There’s plenty more in the bag.” She laughed again, the sound as bright as the noonday sun.

“Oh yeah, speaking of which, where’d you find all that?”

Now that my stomach wasn’t constantly bothering me, I noticed that the room had four wooden doors identical to the one that I had just come through. The girl had just pointed to one of them.

“That’s the storeroom. They had some food and clothes in there.”

I nodded and asked her if she knew what was behind the other doors, but she simply shook her head and said that they were locked. I was pretty sure then that one of them led to an exit.

After scarfing down a few more loaves of bread, I stood and dusted myself off. My clothes had been in dire need of repair the last time I checked, but they were perfectly fine right now.

It turns out that she’d fixed my clothes with magic. I was tempted to use [Complete Analysis] on her, but I felt like that’d be a little rude. Instead, I simply headed to one of the locked doors and kicked it open.

Inside was a small library. There were books on various subjects, but most of them pertained to topics like torture, ritual sacrifice, and all sorts of other nasty things that I really didn’t care about.

However, resting in the center of the room atop a lectern was a thick, leather-bound and jewel encrusted grimoire. Flipping through the book quickly revealed that it was some sort of religious manuscript dedicated to Agunta, the Lord of Moths.

According to the book, Agunta was the origin of Forbidden magic and sent his moths out to snuff out the “lights of the world by forsaking their lives.” Whether or not this was an allegory referring to his disciples, I didn’t know.

However, what I did know was that I wasn’t in any hurry to meet more of his disciples.

“Um... You’re a human, right?” Her slightly timid voice came from behind me.

“Yeah. Why?”

“Earlier... What you used was [Demonic Enhancement], right? This may be presumptuous of me, but I must ask where you learned such a technique. Only those among the eastern tribes are capable of mastering it.”

Although she was polite, I could sense a tinge of suspicion in her words. I had no doubt that she would’ve already run off if not for the fact that I saved her. 

But then again, she had waited for me to wake up and searched for food. Perhaps she felt indebted to me for saving her life, but honestly, it was the other way around. I would’ve starved if not for her.

“I have a few... special circumstances.”

I couldn’t exactly tell her that I was a transmigrator from another world who was capable of learning skills at the drop of a dime. At best, she’d be thoroughly confused. At worst, she’d leave right then and there.

“I see... Regardless, you saved me even though I am a Demon. Is there something you desire that only a Demon can grant?”

So that’s the reason behind her suspicion. I didn’t blame her. She’d just been captured by a bunch of humans and used for some weird ass ritual.

I closed the grimoire, giving her my full attention now. Her pointed ears and the twin bumps on her forehead had completely slipped my mind until now.

Ah... So they’re horns, huh.

“No, not really. I just thought you were hella beautiful. And besides, you already more than repaid me with the food. I’m the one that owes you now.”

She blushed fiercely. “O-Oh... Um... Well, since that’s the case, would you mind giving me a hand with something?”

“Shoot.”

She touched a hand to the center of her chest and lowered her head solemnly. The atmosphere in the room suddenly grew a lot more tense.

“I am Lucrezia of the Zaltsel clan. Just two weeks ago I was kidnapped by slavers who entered the eastern region of the continent. You would do me a great honor if you would be my escort as I journey home.”

Well that certainly puts a dent in my plans. I was hoping to stop by the nearest city and get myself registered as an adventurer, but I couldn’t possibly refuse a request from such a beautiful woman, especially after I just told her that I owed her.

Interestingly enough, it didn’t seem like she was making the request entirely because she needed my help. She was trying to test me. I just didn’t know what she was prodding at.

“I’m Mikado Ryuuko. Let’s go.”

With that, I busted open the other door which led to a long staircase going up.

It would be a long walk, and I didn’t know what the future would hold for Lucrezia and I...

But for the first time in years, I was looking forward to the future.