The morning arrived, due to taking turns to sleep, as they weren’t sure if they could trust the knights yet. Vermillion slept while Akira continued thinking about the deal. Surely it would have been better to have slept, but he wouldn’t be able to sleep under such conditions anyway.

He considered what Vermillion had told him, the comparison with Lapis, but everytime he tried to imagine that, the image of Princess Ulrika kissing and licking, and getting turned on from pain with a masochistic face… It didn’t match, it just gave him a headache… And a hard on, but nonetheless, he was sure Princess Ulrika was not like that.

And then, the sun rises, for some reason, this is the first time Akira noticed the dark and orange sky beyond the hills. During the night, the sky is black, during the day the sky is blue, yet, during the transition, it’s orange… Why is the transition of something so natural looks so strange now… He took a photo to remember that.

A few more hours, soon Vermillion should wake up, but just before that, Akira saw Prince Orlando and Princess Ulrika approaching, and he decided to climb down. The prince had a friendly smile, his hands to his back, and a straight posture of an important prince, meanwhile, the princess looked downhearted, even her steps were silent.

As they faced each other, Akira looked at the Princess first, but she just averted her gaze, which wasn’t very successful, as Akira was way shorter than they both, so right now, in this angle, trying to lower her head will just face up with his, but lifting it up was something that she couldn’t do. Akira’s face was also unlike the one from the previous night, his face expressed that he had things in mind.

“It seems the yesterday’s conflict has lead to a lot of thinking on both sides. I apologize for my behavior. And I ask if you have a reply to my proposition.”

The prince led the conversation, he is a good talker, as expected of the First Prince.

“It’s an honor to marry the princess, but I don’t think I have any authority in the Demon World for it to hold any true meaning, besides-”

“Hero Akira, that’s where you are wrong, hahaha, sorry if it looks like I deceived you, but my intention of having you marry my sister was not actually related to your position in the demon world, that was just an excuse.”

“... I see, but I guess I’m not the Hero you guys wanted, as you said, I changed sides, I’m aiming for something else. And-”

The Princess looked resolutely at him, walked right in front of him, knelt down, took Akira’s hands, and looked at him face to face, and then her right hand slowly patting on his left cheek..

“You are a great Hero, don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise, it was my own stupidity who didn’t let me see that in you… I fully regret everything I had done, but I don’t want to inconvenience the Hero anymore, you found a good princess, one that granted you so much more than I ever could.

I’m honored to have met you, my… I mean, Hero Akira…”

In the middle of her words she started crying, she stood there for a few seconds, until she released her hands, and moved to the back of her brother, but with her back directed to them, and her arms constantly moving towards the face that he couldn’t see anymore.

“... I don’t know…”

“I see, I knew you wouldn’t be able to give me a proper answer, I mean, you certainly are already engaged with Princess Vermillion-”

“W-Wait, that’s not the case either, we are friends feeding from each other, but we have not reached that level-”

“Yet, right? Not a problem, I can understand, but the results were better than I expected. So I have another proposition, this one you can’t refuse if you want to keep our peace treaty on.”

“I’m not sure what you are thinking, we have our own limitations.”

“I’m sure you will. I would like to have someone that I trust to see the conditions of the Demon World. How can I say, although I can trust both of you, I need to be sure you 2 are not being used by the 'Evil Demon King', so I would request you to take my sister with you back with both of you.

Of course, for her own security, I will send her own bodyguard who you seem to be already acquainted with, but I would request that both of you also protect her as my emissary. We will proceed on our side, but only after she returns and we get a positive report, we shall properly finish the deal. What do you say?”

“I-...”

“Sure.”

From behind Akira, it seemed that Vermillion had woken up and somehow listening to the conversation. The prince takes his hands from his back, and rises a microphone.

“I was wondering if you would notice one of your artifacts missing, I mean, you have a lot of those, seems I was able to, huh.”

Vermillion continued.

“And I apologize to your sister, it seems I said something bad, it wasn’t my intention.”

Princess Ulrika slowly turned around, but her eyes were closed. She bent her upper body.

“I should first apologize to Princess Vermillion, I’m sorry that I misunderstood your worries for me, there is still a lot for me to learn.”

A couple seconds later, she goes back to behind the prince and turns around again.

“... Still, it’s me who can decide if it’s possible for her to go back with me. And I say yes.”

“Thank you very much, Princess Vermillion.”

“... I have been called Princess a lot around here, do humans place so much importance in this title.”

“Indeed we do, I’m sorry if that’s inconvenient for you Princess, but they are somewhat important in human society. I would advice to keep that in mind.

Still, I believe we will need to prepare things for the travel, like clothes, armor against monsters and so on. Hero Akira, since you have crossed it 2 times at least, could you give me a list of what is needed?”

“... Sure…”

The prince receives a pen and some paper from the knights, then offers them to Akira, who starts thinking and writes everything as it comes to mind.

-----

While Akira was writing and discussing it with Vermillion, Prince Orlando approached his sister.

“I did what I could to help you, but I don’t think I have any better card now. Will you be fine by yourself?”

“... Thank you, brother.”

-----

Akira gives the items back to the Prince, who reviews the list.

“I see, we will have to go back to the palace then to get most of it.”

Vermillion who heard that through the microphone meddles in the discussion.

“I can reach the capital in a short time, I won’t enter the city, but I can at least give you guys a ride if you want? But I know, I would probably look scary...”

“Hmmm… Certainly, but it could also be our way to introduce our new allies. Princess Vermillion, if you don't mind, could you carry my carriage to the entrance of the Castle City? People will certainly be aware, but since you won’t do anything else, once we enter the city, people may be curious, and we will just tell the truth.

Depending on the situation, we can also send a carriage with all of my sisters needs to her journey, and you could pick it up from the same place, or we send them here.”

“I like it, I could also wait there if you don’t mind, I would like to see a human town from up close, but Akira said I would scare the animals and people.”

“I won’t object to it, the result could be more interesting too, so I’m not against. Hero Akira, what about you?”

But Akira seemed to be getting groggy, he hadn’t slept yet due to his worries and the fact that they were taking turns.

“Sister, it seems the Hero needs to sleep, would you take care of him while I deal with Princess Vermillion?”

“A-Ah, wouldn’t Princess Vermillion b-be more appropriate?”

“Hm? I don’t mind, I know you won’t do anything against him. That reminds me, Akira said he wanted to ask Orlando if this world had a … Ralem setting or something.”

“Ralem? I have no idea what… Oh, I see, I will tell you the answer later, then you tell him, he probably won’t remember if I answer him right now. So, should we go? Sister, take care of the Hero for us.”

And so the Prince and Princess Vermillion went to the castle by themselves, Knight Anastacia went together since she would have to make her own luggage, and prepare those of the princess, she didn’t like the idea of having to fly so high to reach the capital though…

And Princess Ulrika and Hero Akira were the only ones that remained in that hill, thanks to some of the artifacts Akira had prepared, they wouldn’t be attacked by beasts, and Vermillion’s luggage still served as a waymark.

The princess slowly patted the small head of the hero that she adjusted in her lap. And she sat there, while waiting, having no haste, on the return of her brother, her knight friend, and the other princess.