“Junior!”
“Our interview, please!”
“Let’s do it!”
“Compensation will be—”
“—super generous! We promise!”
“Inside—”
“—let us in!!”
I paused for a fleeting moment of consideration.
Should I really let these twins into the room?
There wasn’t much to contemplate, really.
Without missing a beat, I activated the soundproofing spell on the panel beside the door, then returned to my bed.
I didn’t feel even a smidgen of interest in chatting with them when I knew I could be spending that time with Lily instead.
“Might as well clean instead.”
I reached for a mop to begin cleaning my room, which I’d neglected for a whole month.
“…Hmm? What on earth…?”
Following my usual cleaning pattern, I swept the room once, but couldn’t find even a single speck of dust.
The abnormal cleanliness was nothing short of eerie—certainly beyond what an ordinary human could achieve.
“Must’ve been Lily’s cleaning spell.”
I stared blankly at the mop in my hands.
“Seems like there’s less and less for me to do these days…”
Lily had taken care of the cooking, the cleaning, and even…
“Surely not… the laundry too?”
The small wardrobe in the corner contained a modest collection of my seasonal regular attire and school uniforms, yet all of them were folded with surgical precision, without a wrinkle in sight.
I couldn’t help but reflect on how much easier life had become. No more memories of preparing meals and accidentally burning my hands, choking on dust while cleaning, or suffering through winter handwashing that left my hands as stiff as blocks of ice. Even common people who avoided using magic when handwashing still found it to be labor-intensive and burdensome.
Back then, I had been full of complaints. But now? Lily had taken care of everything—effortlessly rendering all my old grievances irrelevant.
It was convenient. Too convenient.
Something felt off.
“Is this what they call ‘pampered husband syndrome’?”
Staying here for just a month, indulging in the comfort, might make me lethargic.
My daily life under Lily’s care—where I just received everything she gave—might actually feel… good?
When I thought we’d have a chaotic household with the number of people increasing, things were actually calmer when I lived alone. Memories of rushing around to balance studying, chores, and everything else flooded back. Back then, moments like this, spent idly sitting and daydreaming on the bed, were almost unthinkable luxuries.
All this time? It was made possible by Lily.
Lily gave me her time, her effort, and her heart—everything.
“…What have I given her in return?”
Life force, heart… nothing else came to mind. Surely there were other things, but they paled in comparison to those two.
While everything I’ve given her is undoubtedly precious, it still felt problematic that it wasn’t visible enough.
Lily’s time had turned into my time. Her effort had manifested in my peace. Her heart had become my entire world.
This couldn’t be right—but the comparisons were inevitable.
With a growing sense of unease, I posed a new question to myself:
“What can I give Lily?”
Material gifts? There was no way I could afford them.
Effort and time? Lily wouldn’t want those either.
Heart? I’d already given it entirely to her.
After pondering for some time, I slightly reframed my question.
“What does Lily lack?”
From what I learned during our last date, Lily was swimming in gems and goods. As a revered Outsider, it was unsurprising. She’d surely amassed great wealth through tributes.
So, the answer was clear.
Imbuing material gifts with meaning.
The first thing that came to mind was…
“Actually, we don’t have a ring!”
We had made the engagement verbal, but lacked proof, a symbol, of our commitment.
An engagement ring—it had to be the finest gift I could give Lily.
But.
The entire contents of my school uniform pocket revealed a bitter truth.
“…I’m officially broke…”
With this money, I could only fantasize about purchasing an extravagant jewelry piece.
Yet, wanting to give the best and most beautiful ring to the one I loved was an entirely natural desire.
‘I wonder if there’s some way—’
My gaze was suddenly drawn to the door.
After a second of hesitation, I shook my head.
“No. Can’t do that. No way am I dealing with reporters…”
And yet, the echoes of voices from before filled my mind.
“Compensation will be—”
“—super generous!”
Realizing my slip, I found myself already turning the doorknob.
“Ah!”
“Ah!”
The twin reporters’ heads popped out like meerkats.
“You’re offering compensation?”
“Yes, information fees are certain!”
“That’s our motto!”
“…How much?”
The male twin, Johnson, whipped out a pen and rapidly scribbled down something on his notepad before showing it to me.
It was a number, and upon seeing it, I—
“Deal. Let’s do this interview.”
Money wasn’t everything. But for achieving this goal, it was still indispensable.
—
Having agreed to meet later in the afternoon, I sent the twins off. As I took their cards, handed vibrantly to me, I could only look at them with bewilderment.
One card was set on a black background with white text, the other on white with black text—every detail about the two cards was identical except for the names.
‘…Why not just print them double-sided?’
There must have been no expense spared… but they could afford it, considering the money they just offered.
The thought of a winter break spent with Lily dimmed slightly as I realized I’d have to spend some time apart.
It couldn’t be helped. With this money, at least I could buy a decent pair of rings for Lily—to make the perfect gift worthwhile.
“Whose cards are these?”
“Kyaa?!”
I was startled by the voice from behind.
“Oh dear, sorry—I wasn’t paying attention.”
“I need a warning next time, please. I almost had a heart attack…”
Upon hearing my words, Lily’s fine eyebrows furrowed.
“…Don’t say that, please.”
Huh? Did I… Oh, the last heart-related event must have left a deep impression on Lily. She reacts right away even at the mention of heart.
“Sorry about that.”
Even as I bowed my head silently, Lily gently lifted my chin.
“Let’s have breakfast.”
As Lily smiled right before my eyes, my heart skipped a beat again. Even more intensely than earlier.
“…Lily, I’m not even hungry.”
“Huh? Uh… mmph!”
‘No matter what, I’ll accept every single interview! I’m going to give Lily the best ring!’
It took quite a while before we finally sat down for breakfast after I’d rolled around on the floor for a while.
—
The old-style steaks were truly a feast, the taste simply fantastic after so many days of bland preserved food in Dreamland.
I sampled a bit of the grilled meat Luke had prepared—but it emitted such a strong fishy smell that it was simply intolerable for human consumption.
Consequently, the delectable meal before me now felt almost angelic.
“Um… thinking of it, what are these ‘Old Ones’ exactly? We’ve been eating it often, but all I know is that they’re space creatures…”
“Hmm, summarizing them simply—space loafers? It’s a strange species that drifts from planet to planet, meddles in everything, and generally seems pretty foolish.”
“Space loafers? Foolish? What do they even do?”
I generally love stories. Even when I was alone, I used to pass the time reading novels. However, the prospect of learning about space life from an Outsider like Lily? That was beyond interesting.
“Let’s see… shall I tell you about Earth?”
“Earth? You mean our Earth?”
“In strict terms, it’s a slightly different Earth from another dimension, but yes, close enough. Did you know the original life forms on Earth were the Old Ones?”
“Really?! Are you serious?”
Completely new information. Lily was breaking news that archaeologists worldwide would be desperate to hear.
“Yep. The Old Ones came to Earth from space and discovered some kind of entity deep underground.”
“Wait, didn’t you just say they were the first life forms?”
“Precisely. The thing they discovered wasn’t exactly an organism but something more like me—an Outer God, or Outsider. This Outer God created simple single-celled organisms that evolved into all the current life on Earth, including humans, through their studies.”
I sat, mouth agape, engrossed in Lily’s tale.
“…Hold on. So the creation myth taught by the Holy Empire…”
“It’s a lie.”
“Ah… it’s a lie.”
Words that could summon the Inquisitors of the Holy Empire right away.
“Of course, the being that gave humans their dignity as people—those gods do exist. Those would be the gods of this world. But essentially, it all began as something created by the Outer Gods and the Old Ones.”
“Amazing.”
So, tracing the origins, this steak I’m eating right now was meat from my creator.
“It’s not over yet.”
“Huh?”
“The story gets better from here. The Old Ones lived peacefully at the southernmost tip of Earth until another alien species arrived. When those newcomers tried to claim their land, the Old Ones fought them, and eventually won.”
“Looks like they were a pretty strong species.”
“Exactly. Being creators of life and all, they were a formidable bunch. But problems arose afterward. There was a tectonic upheaval that destroyed their cities, and then, a Great Old One—more powerful entities even compared to Outer Gods—arrived from space.”
Great Old Ones, as written in the Necronomicon, were powerful beings, almost gods themselves, but not quite on the level of Outer Gods…
“The battle between the Great Old One and the Old Ones led to an agreement where they gave up half the Earth.”
“Nah, they seem pretty peaceful.”
“Probably not. They likely thought they couldn’t win if they continued fighting, so they declared it a draw.”
The Old Ones themselves would probably burst in rage if they heard this, right?
“Anyway, this Great Old One, along with the Elder Gods, took over the northern hemisphere of the Earth but eventually got sealed within their cities. As a result, the Old Ones managed to reclaim Earth.”
“Elder Gods? You mean like Nodens and Hypnos?”
Not much is known about them, but they don’t seem to get along well with the Great Old Ones or the Outer Gods.
“Anyway, there was a particularly funny twist involving the Shoggoths, a tool they created for excavations. Over time, these lifeforms gained intelligence through learning and rebelled against their creators—the Old Ones. The Old Ones suppressed the rebellion with great difficulty.”
“Rebelling against their creators?”
“Humans get cut by the knives they create, don’t they? It’s a similar principle.”
So from the perspective of the Old Ones, it was like creating a knife that later gained intelligence and attacked its owner. Understanding it this way made it sound terrifying.
“Then, during the time when the Old Ones were struggling with repeated Shoggoth rebellions, another alien race arrived seeking Earth’s minerals, which started another war.”
“…Again?”
For crying out loud, how many wars did they fight?
“In the end, they lost control of half of the Earth again.”
By now, I understood why Lily called them ‘fools’. These guys were—
“Then a new alien species arrived, and during the war, they suddenly vanished. As it turned out, the Shoggoths, whom the Old Ones thought they’d suppressed, took advantage of the situation and dealt a blow to the Old Ones’ backs. Failed by the Shoggoths, the Old Ones fled underground.”
Listening to Lily’s story, I was certain:
‘These guys were basically everyone’s punching bag!’
Everywhere they went—or rather, just staying in one place—they kept attracting trouble. Eventually falling apart under continuous external pressures, they disintegrated; it was heartbreaking to think about.
“How about that? Funny, right?”
“Funny, yes, but also kind of pitiful.”
“Really?”
“They created life forms, weren’t they? And then collapsed from repeated attacks. A touch tragic.”
Realizing the plate before me was now reduced to a skeleton, I had been caught up in Lily’s story and hadn’t paid attention as I unconsciously kept eating. Even their fictional lives seemed so pitiable.
The Old Ones might qualify as so-called ‘creators’, but respecting them as such was hard at this point. I’d already eaten them all.
After finishing the meal and savoring the golden bee honey drink Lily served for refreshment, I broached a new topic.
“By the way, Lily, can I go out this afternoon?”
Her eyes sparkled with interest, then she asked.
“Really? Where to? Got a destination in mind?”
“Not really… I just—um…”
In an instant, Lily’s expression turned grave, her crimson aura flaring.
“…Alone? Where?”
“Um…”
Oops. Slip of the tongue?
