[TL/N: Read my new work - Anime Group Chat in a Doomsday World!]
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In the quiet of the night, the courtyard of Alexander's home had fallen into deep slumber. Everyone was fast asleep, and Yoshino had been thoughtfully placed next to Kanna-chan. After all, it wouldn't have been appropriate for Alexander to actually let Yoshino sleep in his arms.
While the house rested peacefully, a small figure began to stir in the dark.
It was Princess Syalis.
This little princess had been staying here for several days now. In her innocent mind, she seemed convinced that this was her so-called "Demon King's Castle."
One could only marvel at Syalis's carefree spirit.
In just a few days, she had managed to gather an assortment of materials, including but not limited to: perfectly cut wood (thanks to Gugalanna), a fast and reliable cutting tool (Zoro), and soft, comfortable feathers (courtesy of Gabriel's wings).
For the resourceful Syalis, life was comfortable. She had already accumulated all the necessities of life—daily items and even a four-piece bedding set. However, there was one thing still missing from her collection: delicious food.
"These demons never feed me! But thankfully, there's always delicious food hidden away in this cold box."
Standing on tiptoes, Princess Syalis stretched as far as she could to open Alexander's large refrigerator. As the door opened, the light from within illuminated a treasure trove of snacks, making her eyes sparkle.
"Wow…"
Without hesitation, Princess Syalis grabbed a large bag and began stuffing it with food like a determined little groundhog.
Potato chips? Take them!
Cookies? Take them!
Instant noodles? Take them!
Soda? Definitely take that!
Within minutes, she had loaded her bag with as much as it could hold. It was almost as large as she was, but that didn't deter her.
"Heave, ho! Heave, ho!"
Princess Syalis cheered herself on as she carried the hefty bag back to her room. Though visibly tired, she refused to leave a single snack behind.
As she passed by one particular room, something unusual caught her attention.
The air was warm.
Halloween had just ended, and the chill of winter had begun to settle in. Alexander's home didn't yet have central heating, so the warmth coming from this room was a surprise. While the cold barely affected the non-humans in the house, it was a bit much for someone like Princess Syalis, who had grown up in the lap of luxury.
"This room… it's so warm."
Curious, Princess Syalis carefully pushed the door open and peeked inside.
There, in the middle of the room, stood a massive red sword plunged into the ground. Waves of heat radiated from the weapon, warming the entire space.
This was the Aestus Estus: The Original Flame, a weapon whose owner had left for a nighttime mission. Heroic spirits could summon their weapons at will, so there was no need to carry them constantly. Nero, finding the room too cold the past few days, had summoned her Aestus Estus to warm it up.
But tonight, it seemed that the warmth would benefit a certain mischievous little princess instead.
Quietly, Syalis stretched out her tiny, "sinful" hand.
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The Next Morning
"Ahhh! My snacks! My potato chips! My soda! My fries! They're all gone!"
The sharp cry shattered the morning calm of the courtyard.
"What's all the fuss about, Hestia?"
Alexander and Tohru emerged from their rooms, still groggy. Hestia, clearly distraught, flung herself at Alexander and pointed tearfully at the empty refrigerator.
"It's gone! All gone! Woohoo!"
Alarmed, Alexander rushed to the fridge, only to confirm her words. The large, four-door refrigerator was completely empty.
"So many snacks… all gone…" he muttered. "This can only mean one thing!"
He turned sharply. "Kurama! Confess! Did you steal the food?"
"Huh?!"
Kurama, utterly indignant, snapped back, "How dare you accuse me out of nowhere! I, Kurama, would never stoop to stealing food!"
Not him?
Alexander frowned, his gaze shifting to Kanna-chan, who had just wandered out of her room, yawning.
He gently patted her on the head and said, "Kanna-chan, you know eating too many sweets at night is bad for your teeth, right?"
Kurama muttered under his breath, "Double standards! He's so gentle with her but accuses me right away. Just because I can't transform into a human doesn't mean I have no rights!"
Unaware of Kurama' grumblings, Alexander considered the situation. Other than gluttons like Kurama or Gugalanna, the only ones in the house capable of eating so much were Kanna-chan and Rin.
However, Rin had already returned home. That left only Kanna-chan.
"Kanna-chan, are you sure you didn't take the snacks?" he asked.
Kanna looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes and shook her head. "Kanna didn't steal anything! Kanna is very good!"
Her serious demeanor left Alexander baffled. Kanna wasn't the type to lie. But if it wasn't her… who could it be?
Could there have been an actual thief?