Li Zihan was an SP.
This was a fact Miss Stargazer was able to confirm after being dragged to Kirie Kagarino's villa and then shoved into the changing room.
The ruler of the Huang Kingdom stood before the mirror, silent for a long, long time.
Reflected in the glass was a girl dressed in a Japanese-style maid outfit.
Her long, silver-white hair cascaded down smoothly.
She wore a short skirt that was impeccably tailored, flattering her figure, and adorned with a profusion of ruffles, lace, and a large bow.
A skirt this short...
If the wind were to pick up, she would surely be exposed.
The girl, a cat-ear katyusha that was clearly meant for cutesy appeal perched on her head, stared at her reflection, her face flushing a shade of red that was nearly the color of blood.
This is so humiliating!!
In order to save her world, Miss Stargazer had chosen to seek out a certain person to ask for the cultivation method of Demon-Man Forging—Eternal Destruction.
"Everything has a price."
A certain toy salesman from Snezhnaya, who wished to remain anonymous, had once said something to that effect.
And the price she had to pay was...
"Isn't it beautiful?"
The youth, who was actually a great admirer of maid outfits, looked at the adorable girl and exclaimed in admiration.
Just like Kirie Kagarino, the girl in the mirror likewise had a bow tied at her waist, outlining her slender figure.
The light blue skirt flared gently, revealing a pair of beautiful legs wrapped in white stockings, their curves captivating.
Lowering one's gaze just slightly, one could see the zettai ryouiki, the meandering straps of the garter extending up into the skirt, and the large swathes of pale, charming skin exposed between the garter belt and the edge of the stockings, stimulating a primal desire.
I am satisfied.
The youth, who was always honest, quickly picked up a camera and took a few close-up shots.
Beautiful moments, after all, must be recorded with an instrument.
"So, is My work from this point on to be your attendant?"
Although she did not know what a camera was, the girl could clearly sense that certain fellow's ill intentions. She pressed down on her skirt, her expression wooden.
"More or less," the youth, who had previously demanded that Gudako serve as his maid, nodded.
"The scope of your duties will likely be washing clothes and cooking. Of course, it would be even better if you could play the guzheng for Me each day."
It's that simple?
Miss Stargazer was suspicious.
Compared to the so-called method to "reverse all of creation," the price he was asking was ridiculously low.
This went far beyond any privilege a "pretty girl" might have.
There was no shortage of beautiful girls in the world; if every single one of them could obtain the method to reverse all of creation, then "Demon-Men" would be a dime a dozen.
The girl looked at the youth, whose attitude toward her had clearly shifted the moment she had handed him the map. Her eyes flickered with thought.
Could it be... that there really is some kind of fated connection?
"If we're speaking from the perspective of the relationship between you and me, you can call me 'Husband'."
Recalling the "fate" he had mentioned earlier, and the Immortal who seemed to be deliberately tormenting her, the girl's face grew extremely uncomfortable.
Hey, hey, hey, surely not.
If that's the case, doesn't that mean I'm going to marry this scoundrel?
I might even have to marry him as a concubine!
As she looked at the youth—at times a dissolute rake, at others a figure of terror—and vaguely recalled the faint hostility in the Immortal's eyes, an unprecedented wave of panic washed over her.
This is simply too absurd!
No, it must be a different kind of fate.
The girl muttered to herself, as if trying to convince herself.
Perhaps the Immortal and the scoundrel before her were connected to her grandfather, or an even earlier ancestor. His teaching her was merely to fulfill a promise made to her forebears.
Yes!
That must be it!
"Next, Kirie Kagarino will show you to your quarters."
Looking at the girl whose face was flushed crimson from who-knows-what wild theories, the youth shrugged his shoulders and spoke.
"Who is Kirie Kagarino?" the girl asked hesitantly, remembering that Li Zihan had mentioned from the start that he was only a temporary resident here.
"The previous owner of this place."
Quite calmly, Li Zihan admitted to having occupied Miss Kirie Kagarino's temporary home.
"As one of the undying, she feared being purged by me, who holds the divine office of the Underworld. So she proactively offered me lodging and became my maid."
The youth, who had in fact proactively demanded that Miss Kirie Kagarino become his landlord, spoke on.
That vampire who fishes for victims must have run into a lifetime of bad blood by meeting this guy.
But speaking of which, is Kirie Kagarino really that resistant to hunger?
The youth scratched his head. He vaguely recalled that ever since he had arrived, the maid hadn't once mentioned needing to drink blood, despite the fact that she would lose her sanity if she abstained for too long.
Oh well. It's not a difficult problem to solve.
The youth, who could swat Kirie Kagarino to the ground with one hand even if she were to undergo some super-evolution, stretched lazily.
The worst that could happen is he'd have to buy her a blood bag after an incident.
What to do next?
The youth, who was genuinely looking forward to Miss Stargazer's guzheng skills and cooking, glanced at the time with a hint of regret.
Miss Stargazer still needed to acclimate to her new environment; she couldn't yet wash her hands to prepare a meal or play her instrument in song.
So, I might as well go look for an old friend.
A slight smile graced the youth's lips as he vaguely recalled that the true king of the Dead Apostles was still wandering this world, and seemed to be stirring up trouble.
Back when he was but a mere magus, he had made a contract with the Black Princess in order to gain the enhancement of his Origin and to kill the old pervert of the Araya family. In exchange, he had freeloaded the Black Knight's power and a massive amount of the Black Princess's magical energy.
According to the terms of the contract, he should have then gone on to serve the Black Princess for ten years, hunting Phantasmal Species in the Spirit Tomb Albion to provide her with the blood needed to restore her strength.
However—
As long as I can summon a top-tier Heroic Spirit, and then use special means to expand their Saint Graph and superimpose it onto myself, as a Pseudo-Servant who holds a fragment of the Second Magic, I have absolutely no reason to fear an injured Black Princess, do I?
The man, who had long ago prepared the fur of the Nemean Lion, a page from the Indian epic Mahabharata, and a statue of the God-King Ra, had unilaterally torn up the contract.
She must really want to beat me up.
The youth mused, figuring the Black Princess probably had the urge to skin him alive.
I really want to see the look of pure frustration on her face when she wants to thrash me but finds she can't.
A slight smile touched the lips of the youth, whose encounter with the Black Princess had clearly predated the awakening of his Origin.
So, let me give her a little surprise.
The youth's eyes took on a dreamlike hue as he expanded his God's-eye view.
And then—
A girl, dressed in the magnificent formal attire of Shenzhou, flashed past his vision.
"Eh, eh—"
Translator's Note: The author made a slight mistake in the raw text, referring to the "Norfield Family" (原野家 - Yuányě Jiā) in one chapter and the "Araya Family" (荒耶家 - Huāng yē Jiā) in another when referencing the same backstory event. The Araya family (specifically Souren Araya) is a known antagonist from Kara no Kyoukai, making it the more likely intended name.