Chapter 49
Yuurai stood alone in her room, facing the full-length mirror.
Her murky white hair reached down to her waist, and her skin was a pale purple, giving her an unhealthy appearance. Her black eyes were familiar to her, but in this world—or at least in this region—they seemed to be relatively rare.
Her slender arms and legs peeked out from the black one-piece dress, and while her appearance was that of a fourteen-year-old, it was both beautiful and alluring. Her chest still had room to grow, but Yuurai thought it wasn't bad as it was.
She probably wasn't even 150 centimeters tall. Her small stature was part of her charm, and there was still a chance she might grow taller.
"Hmm... I'm actually pretty cute. If I had a smartphone, I might've gotten hooked on selfies."
Yuurai spun around in front of the mirror, striking a few slightly calculated poses.
If she could sing and dance, she might've made a good idol, but unfortunately, she didn't have those skills.
"...If singing and dancing could bring a peaceful life, I'd do it. But yeah, that's not gonna happen."
She quickly gave up on the idea.
"Time to get changed... Morning's for town cleaning, and in the afternoon, it's Dungeon exploration, I guess..."
She stripped off her one-piece she had used as pajamas and put on a blouse, a pleated skirt, and a crimson robe. It looked like a junior high school uniform with a mage's robe worn over it.
The robe was apparently made from Scorching Sheep wool, so it stayed warm even in midwinter. While it didn't match the Red Phoenix robe that had gotten a hole in it, it still had high magic resistance.
"...Well, not bad. Let's go eat."
It had been ten days since she awoke as the Dark Lich Princess. About three months had passed since she regained consciousness in this world. Checking her appearance in the mirror had become a habit. Maybe because she looked like a cute girl, she naturally started caring about it.
"Maybe I'll get into fashion or something. Still not interested in guys, though—it's just for my own fun."
Leaving her room, Yuurai headed to the dining hall.
"Good morning!"
When she called out, greetings came back from the usual group already gathered: Claire, Lipia, Ragvela, Jeevy, and Ceres.
Ceres wasn't actually one of Yuurai's companions, but she said it seemed more fun here and had stayed around. She'd started to blend in enough to at least exchange greetings.
Since she wasn't causing any harm, there was no need to forcibly kick her out. Besides, if necessary, Yuurai could use Mental Manipulation to turn her into a pawn, so if she wanted to stay, that was fine too.
(I'd rather not have a situation where I need to make her a pawn, though.)
At one end of the long table lined with breakfast, Yuurai took a seat between Claire and Lipia.
By the way, she was sleeping in Claire's room along with Lipia. However, when changing clothes or such, Yuurai returned to her own room.
She could have changed in Claire's room, but she'd started to feel a bit self-conscious about Claire's gaze. Claire had said she didn't have romantic feelings, but her gaze seemed to carry a hint of lust.
(Well, I wouldn't mind ending up with Claire. If it happens, it happens. But before Claire says something decisive, I don't want to confuse her unnecessarily.)
Thinking that, Yuurai looked to her right at Claire.
Her deep blue hair reached her shoulders, and her skin had a faint blue tint. Her black eyes met Yuurai's gaze, and Claire smiled gently. Yuurai thought she saw something dark and murky in those eyes, but she didn't pay it much mind.
(Maybe she's gotten more obsessed with me since I resurrected her? Well, she's an ally, so it's fine.)
Yuurai then looked to her left at Lipia. Lipia was also looking her way. Though she had no eyes, the Eyeless Tribe turned their faces toward what they focused on.
Tilting her head slightly, her long blue hair swayed as Lipia smiled. Sharp teeth peeked through her lips, and the single black horn extending from her forehead gave her a presence close to that of a Monster.
(Lipia's just as obsessed with me as Claire is... And she and Claire don't get along very well... I hope things don't turn into some weird love triangle.)
"Sorry to keep you waiting, you two. Let's eat."
"Yes."
"Yeah!"
As Yuurai gave the signal, Claire and Lipia began eating. She'd told them there was no need to wait, but those two always did. The others ate on their own.
"Hey, Ragvela, Jeevy. Do you think the villagers still won't come here?"
Eating as she spoke, Yuurai asked the two. The one who answered was Ragvela, the swordswoman.
"I've talked to them a few times since returning to the village, but they're scared and won't come near this town... They think Yuurai is a dangerous Monster. And they suspect that we might be under your control..."
"I see... Well, I did kill a lot of people..."
Aiming to rebuild the town, Yuurai had tried to invite the Eyeless Tribe. She'd asked Ragvela and the others to help, but it wasn't going well.
While she hadn't harmed the Eyeless Tribe directly, the fact remained that Yuurai was a Monster who had committed mass slaughter, so they remained wary.
(If I were in their shoes, I wouldn't want to go to a town ruled by a vicious Monster either... Especially when there's a chance of being attacked from outside—it makes sense to stay away.)
"...Are the other demi-humans the same?"
"Yeah. I tried contacting them briefly with communication magic, but they still can't trust Yuurai."
Apparently, the various demi-human races maintained loose connections and contacted each other when needed.
"...Can't be helped. Until I earn their trust, I'll just have to keep a low profile... If I went to meet them myself, I'd probably just scare them..."
(Looks like the restoration of Grimoire is still a long way off. It might be lonely for a while, but I have to endure it.)
"Well, we'll keep trying to recruit them bit by bit. I'd like to know what's going on in nearby towns and the world at large... The scouts should be back soon..."
In this world without TV or internet, getting information was a major challenge.
While there were Magical Tools for communication, even if she tried to reach out, other towns wouldn't respond.
Gilka's subordinates had gone to check on the nearby towns, but just going there and back took about ten days. And with the light snowfall, it might take even longer.
"Would it have been better if I went myself?"
In response to Yuurai's murmur, Claire answered.
"It might be good to travel around once. But even if you hide your identity, I think there will be at least one person in each town who'll recognize you. You should be prepared for the possibility of needing to fight—or even accidentally killing someone again."
"...It's not like I want to fight. Let's wait for Gilka's subordinates' report and decide then."
It looked like things would remain as they were for a while.
Cleaning up the town, exploring the Dungeon, and improving her combat abilities.
(...I haven't told anyone about talking to the Evil God yet. Saying I formed a connection with It would probably freak everyone out... But I do want to meet the Blessed Child who's supposed to be in the Holy Capital... From my perspective, they're part of the enemy organization, but I think we can talk it out. There's no need to fight. I hope so...)
She didn't want to fight someone from her own homeland.
Hoping to avoid unnecessary conflict, Yuurai continued her meal.
Then, just as the meal was ending, Gilka burst into the dining hall with a report.
"My subordinate got captured, and they said if we want him released, we have to hand over the Dark Lich's head."