The girl holding a wooden staff calmly asked in return.

“I’m not certain what a ‘Yongyong’ is, but I do have a name of my own.”

At the girl’s response, Shin Jungho brightened visibly.

“Ah, is that so? I was actually worried I’d have to come up with a name again this time, so that’s a relief. I’m Shin Jungho. What might your name be?”

At Jungho’s words, the girl’s gaze lingered on Lea for a moment before returning to him.

“The name Your Highness bestows upon me shall be my name.”

“……Didn’t you just say you had your own name?”

The girl smiled sweetly and replied.

“I fear my explanation was insufficient and has troubled Your Highness’s ears. What I meant was that Your Highness must be the one to name me.”

Jungho felt an inexplicable sense of awkwardness.

Hmm….

Should I check first?

Jungho verified the information through his Summoning Stone.

– Summoned Beings: Lea, ???

……Whoa!

Thorough! So thorough!

“Is there anything at all you remember?”

“If you mean memories about myself, I can only tell you that I was the youngest court mage.”

“Huh? You have memories? Lea said she didn’t have any at all.”

At that, Lea suddenly bent at a perfect right angle and confessed everything.

“I apologize, Lord! When I was first summoned, restrictions prevented me from saying anything! The Summoning Stone received a blessing this time, which lifted some of the restrictions, but I still have very few memories I can share!”

Indeed, the magic girl also revealed she had no significant memories.

She only knew that she had shown exceptional talent for magic from a young age, became the youngest court mage, and had participated in numerous wars. That was all.

Jungho looked back and forth between the two girls.

They looked similar in appearance….

If he were to categorize them by race, like Eastern or Western….

The two definitely appeared to be from the same world.

Both had looks as if they’d torn their way out of a manga, for one thing.

Their world also seemed to have kingdoms.

“By any chance, do you two know each other?”

The magic girl showed no reaction whatsoever.

But Lea flinched and wore an expression of distress.

Yep, caught red-handed.

“Lea?”

At Jungho’s question, Lea confessed.

“That mage… could be called my longtime rival. In the kingdom I served, she was known as the Witch of Massacre.”

The Witch of Massacre….

Despite her calm and intellectual appearance….

She was quite a terrifying person, wasn’t she?

The Massacre Witch girl also seemed familiar with that epithet, simply smiling brightly and exuding confidence.

“Then you don’t know her real name?”

“I apologize, Lord! All the memories I possess are like blurry pictures, so there’s nothing I can say with certainty! I am sorry for being of no help!”

“Lea, you must be frustrated too that you can’t remember, so there’s no need to apologize. But aren’t you disappointed that your memories from life don’t come back clearly?”

“I am fine! Every moment I spend with you, Lord, is my most precious memory!”

Whoa….

That really hit home.

I really need to give Lea more happy experiences beyond just wrestling monsters.

“Thank you. I can’t tell you how happy I am that you came to me, Lea.”

Without Lea, how would he have survived Meteor Summoning?

“I-I’m s-sorry, n-no, th-thank you, Lord!”

Did I succeed at making my daily tomato today too?

Jungho chuckled and asked the Massacre Witch girl.

“Then do you remember anything about Lea?”

“It is the same for Sir Lea. Sir Lea was a knight known as the Frenzied Slaughterer in my kingdom. Even crying children would stop their tears at once when told the Frenzied Slaughterer was coming.”

The Frenzied Slaughterer….

He had noticed from the way she cut down zombies that she showed no mercy, but with an epithet like that, it made perfect sense.

That said, these fresh-faced girls had apparently done nothing but fight in wars since childhood.

How tragic.

And yet, how reassuring.

Left Frenzy, right Massacre Witch.

With just these two in tow, overthrowing the Blue House might be a trivial matter.

The Massacre Witch girl placed one hand demurely on her chest and made a request.

“I humbly beg Your Highness to bestow upon me a name that is beautiful, honorable, and wise.”

Phew…!

Has the unavoidable time come again!

It was already past 1 AM.

Exhaustion was pulling his eyelids down like automatic shutters.

In a daze, Jungho tossed out the first name that came to mind.

“How about Massacre Witch?”

Ppokak.

He wasn’t sure if he was seeing things wrong because he was sleepy.

But he felt like the first crack had appeared in the girl’s calm smile.

“……If Your Highness insists on bestowing that name, I would have no choice but to comply. However, as Your Highness appears to be greatly fatigued and struggling to maintain clear thought, I would cautiously advise revisiting this matter at a later time.”

This one had quite the talent for saying no in the longest way possible, didn’t she?

Honestly, he thought it might be better to just sleep as she suggested.

Tomorrow—no, today was a day off anyway.

Wouldn’t it be better to get a good night’s sleep and name her with a clear head?

But this was their first meeting, and a stubborn urge took hold—he should at least give her a name before calling it a night.

So what could he do?

He had no choice but to find a name she’d actually like.

……Two hours passed.

“……Maya. How about that?”

It apparently meant ‘illusion.’

Something about the captivating aura of her purple hair.

And with her class being a mage, it seemed like a fitting match.

The mage girl smiled brightly and said.

“I am deeply grateful for the precious and beautiful name of Maya you have bestowed upon me. From now on, my magic shall be the instrument that carries out Your Highness’s will, and my wisdom shall be the mirror that illuminates Your Highness’s decisions.”

Yeah….

She was finally satisfied….

Truth be told, he had suggested a few names along the way.

She’d rejected them all with polite yet verbose flourishes of language, that’s all.

“Now then, Maya, Lea. Say hello to each other. You might have been rivals in the past, but you’re on the same side now. You’re not going to fight each other when I’m not around, are you?”

Lea saluted and answered.

“Absolutely not, Lord. Past memories are just memories—there are no lingering feelings whatsoever!”

Maya too, adopting a dignified posture, replied.

“I feel the same way. Both Sir Lea and I are ones who must serve only Your Highness with loyalty. For such vassals to fight each other would be an act of disloyalty toward Your Highness.”

“That is correct, Lord!”

Fortunately, it seemed there wouldn’t be a catfight?

If their relationship had been bad, it would have been awkward to take sides, so this was truly a relief.

“Then both of you, shake hands and introduce yourselves.”

Lea extended her hand first and greeted her.

“Let’s bury everything we can’t even remember properly. All we need to do is serve our Lord with loyalty. I look forward to working with you.”

Maya too, gently clasping her hand, returned the greeting.

“I share the same sentiment. I trust Sir Lea will go to the front lines as Your Highness’s sword and distinguish herself. I shall remain by Your Highness’s side and support you with my magic.”

Lea’s brow twitched slightly.

It wasn’t wrong.

But for some reason… it rubbed her the wrong way.

“……Shouldn’t you also fight alongside us instead of just staying by his side?”

“I shall be the shield that protects Your Highness. What could be more important than Your Highness’s safety?”

That was also correct.

But.

Why did dissatisfaction keep building?

She had figured that if there was a guard knight protecting her Lord, she would dive into the horde of monsters and swing freely.

Even though she now had someone far more reliable than a guard knight, what was this contradictory feeling of not wanting to leave her Lord’s side more than ever?

Jungho looked at the two and thought.

You guys….

You said you wouldn’t have a catfight…!

“I’ll decide how we form our formation on a case-by-case basis.”

At Jungho’s slightly firm words, the two girls immediately backed down.

“Understood, Lord.”

“I am concerned only for Your Highness’s well-being.”

Still, they weren’t at each other’s throats, so this should be safe.

Above all, they seemed to obey his commands unconditionally.

He’d think about their relationship later. Should he check their abilities now?

“Maya, what kind of magic do you use?”

“I am a mage who commands the wind.”

“Ah, that’s the same as my skill, then?”

“Is that so? I suppose there was a reason I was summoned.”

Lea’s expression changed in a truly complex and subtle way as she listened to the conversation.

But… wasn’t that right?

Shockwaves were a type of wind, after all.

“Then could you tell me what spells you can use?”

“I can wield wind magic up to the 6th circle.”

Maya said she couldn’t remember what level the 6th circle represented in her world or what the maximum circle was.

Still, since she was called Lea’s rival, he figured she was roughly at the stage just before a Grand Mage.

The wind magic she’d mastered was mostly geared toward killing.

It seemed she had focused on anti-personnel magic for immediate deployment in war.

Anti-personnel magic… wouldn’t be particularly useful, would it?

Still, it wasn’t as if she had no practical magic at all.

1st circle, Whisper of Wind.

Magic to hear or transmit sounds from distant locations.

4th circle, Barrier of Atmosphere.

Defensive magic created by condensing air.

5th circle, High-Speed Flight.

Aerial movement that could be called the flower of wind magic.

The catch was that she could only fly alone.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t carry others, but doing so would significantly reduce speed and altitude.

In any case, the lower-circle magic was practical.

And the higher-circle magic was offensive.

He’d have to see their effects in action to know how useful they’d be, right?

It was early morning, but he’d already entered the Tower today, so he’d have to wait a day to challenge it again.

Still, the fact that he was now fully prepared was reassuring.

At midnight, summon Maya.

At 8 AM, summon Lea.

At 4 PM, summon both, and he could cover all 24 hours of the day efficiently.

The cafe part-time job was from 9 AM to 3 PM.

Plus, working five days a week.

The fact that sales were still substantial under these conditions was truly remarkable.

“Your Highness, I have a request.”

“What is it?”

Maya pointed at the object Lea was holding and spoke.

“Could you perhaps provide me with a smartphone as well?”

Hmm….

It was an essential item for modern people, after all.

But there was one thing he was curious about.

“Sure, I will. But how did you know the word ‘smartphone’?”

“While Your Highness was searching for my name, I briefly looked into it using Sir Lea’s device.”

Perhaps because she was a mage, she seemed to adapt remarkably fast.

“Is that so? Then I can just get you the same model as Lea’s, right?”

“If Your Highness bestows it upon me, I would gratefully receive even a scrap of paper. However, I have heard that modern people must pursue diversity. Therefore, would it not be better for me to choose an Apple phone and help Your Highness attain mastery over the principles of all things?”

……She just wanted an Apple phone.

But what was the correlation between choosing a smartphone brand and the principles of all things?

“I’ll get you an Apple phone later.”

“Your grace is overwhelming. I am truly in awe of Your Highness’s brilliant foresight.”

Yes.

That’s right.

After “Lord,” now it was “Your Highness” too.

He was growing afraid of himself, getting used to this way of speaking…!

“Maya, is it hard for you to change your speech pattern too?”

“I apologize, but my speech pattern is like a habit engraved upon my soul, so I cannot easily change it. However, if Your Highness commands it, I shall make every effort, even if it means my soul must be turned inside out.”

……Was it that serious?

“No, if it’s like that, then it’s fine. Please speak however is comfortable for you. Was it the same for you, Lea?”

“Regrettably so, Lord!”

Good heavens.

So he’d been forcing them all this time….

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. From now on, Lea, you can speak comfortably too.”

“Not at all, Lord! I shall do my utmost to reform myself to meet your expectations!”

Jungho smirked and asked.

“So you’ll keep calling me by that title?”

Lea’s face suddenly flushed red.

“If… if you wish it, Lord, I shall do so even at the cost of my life!”

Was it really worth risking a life over…?

“May I also understand what this conversation is about?”

Jungho briefly explained the anecdote regarding the title to Maya.

Maya then smiled demurely and asked.

“Your Highness, then would it be acceptable for me to call you ‘Oppa’?”

“Huh? Didn’t you say it was hard to change your speech pattern?”

“A mere title is no great burden to me.”

Maya continued, maintaining her calm expression.

“Shin Jungho Oppa. How does that sound?”

As much as he hated to admit it.

It had zero impact.

For one thing….

Could we do something about that historical drama speech pattern first?

Oppa plus historical drama speech.

What kind of horrifying hybrid was this…!

“Let’s… think about the title issue again later.”

“As you wish, Shin Jungho Oppa.”

……Was she doing that on purpose?

“For now, please go back to the previous title.”

“As you wish, Your Highness.”

It was the same with Lea.

This was the moment he got the distinct feeling that Maya wouldn’t be easy to deal with either.