After I – and the boys – had changed into dry clothes, I was interrogated for what felt like an eternity. It felt weird being dressed like one of the temple maidens, but not as weird as trying to explain to my interrogators – or kidnappers, more like it – that I really had no idea how it was possible that I was there with them.

How could I suddenly enter a fictional world? This world had real people, there was no denying it. Ulrike was the same Ulrike I had watched in anime-form, but now, right before my eyes, she looked just like a normal little girl, albeit with abnormally long hair, and abnormally non-childlike eyes.

She was wise, she was experienced; she was 800 years old. And the sage, he was even older, or at least something within his soul was. That is, if he was who he said he was. But why wouldn't he be, when all the evidence – not logic, but evidence – pointed towards it it?

Ulrike couldn't explain it any more than I could.

"I would know if there was an anime called 'Kyou kara Maou' and we all were in it", the sage insisted. "It's just not possible!"

"If it's not possible", I retorted, "then how do you explain that I know who you are? Have I just dreamed it, or what?"

"That… that is possible…"

The child-like priestess' voice was dreamy and gentle.

I hid my face in my hands, hoping that when I looked up again, everything would have gone back to normal. I was not that lucky.

"I don't know what to say", I said, "just… Please believe me when I say that I'm not here to cause you problems. I don't have any evil plans or anything, I have no reason to be here and no explanation. I'm just as confused as you are."

"I believe you", Yuuri said.

"Hm", his friend said. "I don't know; I might regret this later, but I believe you, too. But I do intend to go the bottom of this."

"I don't have anything to add", Ulrike said. "Perhaps His Majesty Shinou will talk to me later, but for now… it's a mystery. I don't think you have anything to fear from this girl, though."

"Then shall we bring you home?" Yuuri asked.

I opened my mouth to say yes, but before I knew it I had changed my mind.

"Please, can I stay? Even if it's just for a day?"

It was crazy, of course, but how often do you find yourself in another world? I couldn't leave without seeing a bit more of the real Shin Makoku, even if it was just going to be the surroundings of the temple.

All three of them thought about it in silence. I was getting nervous, when Yuuri finally said:

"What harm can it do? You're welcome to stay as my guest if you want to."

"Thank you!" I said. Then I remembered to consider the possibility that the real ruler of the country could be a lot more formal than the anime version of him. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"You can call me Yuuri", he said, and his smile was kinder than anything I had ever seen before.

"Yes, and you may call me Great Sage", said his friend solemnly. "Just kidding", he added with a laugh. "You already know that I go by the name Murata, and that's fine. And what Shibuya just said – I think it's best if we just introduce you as a guest, for now, a friend from Earth. We don't want to make the others worried."

"Thank you", I repeated. "I'm so excited about this. You have no idea how many times I've been dreaming of this – of going to another world!"

"Well, that is what many fantasy stories are made of", Yuuri commented, "so it's understandable. And perhaps there really is a reason as to why you're here, and we'll find out if you stay for a while. Besides, it'll be fun to have someone else from my world around for a change. I have been here a few years by now, but there are still things here that I'm not quite used to."

When that was settled, and Murata's suspicions were quieted, at least for the time being, by Ulrike's calm acceptance of the situation, we went to Blood Pledge Castle by carriage. As we journeyed, I looked out of the window and I saw the green hills and the trees and flowers. The vegetation was lush and deep green, and I thought it must be late in the summer. Not yet fall, but the summer had peaked and was thinking of its retirement.

I didn't want to admit it, but I was beginning to get very nervous. These boys were friendly enough, finally, but what was I thinking, planning to hang out with noblemen and ladies, who could all fight and use magic?

In an effort to hide my thoughts, I chatted excitedly with Yuuri about the flying skeletons; he even introduced me to one of them – Kohi – though how he could tell one from another was more than I could comprehend. I already knew that they were supposed to be friendly, but they were actually scarier to look at than what I could have imagined.

"Don't worry", Yuuri said, "you'll get used to them. I know what you're thinking; they're impossible to get used to, but I promise it won't feel so strange once you get to know them."

His enthusiasm was adorable but I wasn't entirely convinced. At least it had given me something to think about, and then it was time to step out of the carriage.

"Yuuri!" somebody called. "Why are you traveling like that? Why didn't you send for someone to meet you with your own horse?"

"Because we have a guest", Yuuri explained as he opened the door to step out, "and she's not used to horses, so…"

"She?" the voice said with obvious disapproval, and I suspected I knew who it was.

Murata nudged me and I had to get out and face whoever it was that was out there. This is going to be a great adventure, I reminded myself, and I haven't done anything wrong, so I don't need to be this nervous…

Yuuri introduced me as his 'friend' – which actually was very kind of him – to the young blond man who had come to greet him.

When I saw Wolfram von Bielefeld, I had to admit that he was a very handsome young man in non-anime form. His eyes weren't that big, although their green color was striking, and his hair wasn't that yellow, but definitely golden and shining. His features were sharp but well-shaped, and I supposed that it was natural that lots of girls were crazy about him. Girls in my world, that is – if he only knew how many fangirls would love to be where I was…

He was far from my type, though, and judging from the way he looked at me, he was just as unimpressed by what he saw. To be quite honest, he made me very nervous by looking at me like that, as if I was something the cat dragged in, and he couldn't wait until he could crush me under his foot. He probably suspected that by being Yuuri's friend, I was hoping for something more; in his eyes, I was nothing but an intruder… and to be honest, I sort of was that, wasn't I?

I decided that the best I could do was to just smile politely and say nothing at all. Soon enough he was going to see that I wasn't going to try to steal his fiancé.

"So", Yuuri said, "shall we go inside and meet the others?"

He gestured towards the entrance of the very big castle as if it was the most normal thing in the world to live in such a place, and I nodded insecurely. I had always loved castles, because I was interested in history, but I had always seen them as more like museums or even ruins. Blood Pledge Castle was, of course, neither, but a home to many people. Many demons, I reminded myself.

But we hadn't taken a step yet, when a voice from inside shouted:

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

It could only be Günter von Christ, I said to myself, and I saw no reason to change my mind when a very tall man came running, his long and silky hair flying behind him, and he wrapped his king in a tight embrace.

"It's good to see you too, Günter", Yuuri said and stood patiently still for several moments before he began wriggling to get loose.

Again, there were introductions, and unlike the fiancé, the adjutant seemed genuinely pleased to welcome a stranger from the Maou's first world. I tried not to stare at him too much, but I couldn't help that I compared what I saw with the images I already had in my mind. I decided that unlike Wolfram, I liked Günter better in flesh and blood. He was very handsome, very pale, and he had virtually glomped Yuuri, but he looked rather sensible and composed in my eyes. I was sure that the anime probably had exaggerated some things about him.

We finally went inside and there was a long corridor with portraits on the walls and our feet clattered against the stone floor. It wasn't cold, but a bit cool, and a couple of maids that passed us by gave me curious glances. I wondered if they were surprised to see a human in there, or if it was because I was dressed like a temple guard.

"Hey," I whispered to Murata as we followed the other three – both Wolfram and Günter seemed to have many things to discuss with Yuuri – "Lord von Christ seems to like Yuuri a lot, doesn't he? Is he, um… prone to nosebleeding?"

Murata looked at me as if I was completely out of my mind.

"What makes you say that? You really have been watching too much anime, haven't you?! We're real people here, you know!"

"Um", I said with a blush, "I'm sorry; you're right, I'm just confused…"

"Do you even know what it means when characters do that?" he continued. "And to think that Lord von Christ would – oh my god, please excuse me while I go bleach my brain!"

"I'm sorry", I said again, but I was satisfied with the response; I didn't like the idea of watching a real person spurt blood from his nose any more than Murata did, and now I knew that I wouldn't have to witness any such scenes. "Where are we going now?" I added after a moment; we had walked up a huge staircase and were walking in another corridor; that one with its floor covered with a red carpet that muffled the sound of our steps.

"We're on our way to Lady Cheri's parlor; I believe we'll find Shibuya's daughter there. She's always the first one he wants to see when he returns. Not that she's his natural daughter; she was adopted by him and von Bielefeld a couple years ago."

I bit down on my lip, hiding the words 'I know', and simply nodded that I got the information. Letting on just how much I actually knew of these people would probably only make his suspicions grow – and come to think of it, now that I walked side by side with him right in the middle of Blood Pledge Castle, I didn't really feel like I knew them at all…

Soon enough I saw a pair of double doors; closed, and Yuuri stopped as if to knock before entering, but Wolfram pushed the doors open without knocking.

"Greta, your other father is home!"

"Yuuri!" I heard from inside, and Murata nudged me to keep me moving as the others in front of me entered the room.

At first I was surprised by what I saw – I had expected Greta to be smaller. Then I remembered Yuuri saying something about having been there a few years already, so I supposed it made sense that Greta, being human, would be a 'tween' rather than a little girl of Ulrike's size.

Her brown hair was just as wild and untamed as it 'ought' to be, though, and her eyes shone with obvious affection for the young man she was hugging tightly.

"Welcome back, Your Majesty", a male voice said. "Who is your friend?"

"Oh, this…" Yuuri broke free from his daughter's embrace, and explained to everyone who I was, according to the story we had agreed on.

"And this", he turned to me, "is Lady Cecilie von Spitzweg, former Maou of Shin Makoku, Wolfram's mother and Greta's grandmother."

The gorgeous blonde smiled at me, and for a moment, all I could think was wow, her eyes are so green… Then I tried to pull myself together, as if my thoughts would be written on my face and visible to everyone. I turned my attention back to Yuuri.

"And here is my most valued soldier and bodyguard, my godfather and very dear friend, Conrad Weller, who by the way should know that he should call me by my first name…"

I smiled when I heard the familiar reprimand, and was once again overwhelmed with the conflicting feelings of being in a completely new and yet so familiar setting. Did I know these people or did I not?

I did not, I concluded as I took one more look at the still smiling Cecilie. If her youngest son made me want to keep my distance because his radiant beauty was so male and the opposite of everything I was attracted to, Cecilie made me want to come closer like a moth to the flame.

She was blonde and beautiful and green-eyed like Wolfram, but shining with warmth and softness; she was gorgeous, and so much better in person than anything any artist could ever imagine.

Sexy Queen, I thought, and hoped that I didn't blush. She was definitely the kind of woman who was way out of my league, and I was glad Yuuri had introduced me, because I would no doubt have stuttered over my own name if I had had to say it.

To try to compose myself, I looked at Conrad instead. Compared to the two blond ones, he seemed pretty normal and safe to be around. He looked kindly at me and invited me to sit down, and Cecilie went to ask a maid for tea and cake for everyone.

When I sat down, I was careful not to sit next to or opposite Yuuri, because it might have upset Wolfram. I also didn't want to sit next to or opposite Yuuri's intended future mother-in-law, because it might throw me off balance. Instead, I turned my attention to Greta, Conrad and Günter, who all seemed very pleased to have an unexpected guest. Greta wanted to know all about my friendship with Yuuri, and it worried me at first, but then I decided to try to stick to the truth as much as I could, and explained that I hadn't known him for a very long time at all.

"You must have formed a very special bond", Günter observed, "for His Majesty to want to introduce you to Shin Makoku after so short an acquaintance."

Was there suspicion in his voice, or just curiosity?

"Yeah, you know Yuuri", I said and tried to sound casual and carefree, "he's so easy-going, we just hit it off immediately, I guess…"

"That's so like him!" Günter agreed with a smile.

"It sure is", Wolfram added. "He likes everyone, because that's what wimps do. If Yuuri would remember more often that he actually is a king…"

"Hey", Yuuri protested, "I'm right here, so please don't talk about me as if I couldn't hear you!"

"Wimp!" Wolfram said, and smacked him – affectionately? – on the head, and then put his arm around his shoulder. Yuuri squirmed and pushed his arm away.

"Hey, don't push me!" Wolfram said, and pushed Yuuri right back.

"Uh-oh, pillow fight alert!" Murata said. "Lady Cheri, watch those embroidered cushions or they'll turn into weapons…"

"Cut it out, you guys!" Yuuri said, and glared at Murata and Wolfram. "We have a guest, remember?"

"As if she hasn't seen it all before", Murata muttered, and I hoped no one would notice or wonder what he meant.

What did the scene I witnessed mean, though? Was I supposed to be surprised to see that Yuuri and Wolfram really acted more like two quarrelling little boys than lovers?

I dared a quick glance at Wolfram's mother, and saw that she looked sad. She looked at the two young men as if she was looking at a sweet dream that was slipping away from her. Conrad, sitting opposite from me at the table, looked absolutely blank, as if he was spacing out completely. Maybe, I thought, he is tired of hearing his brother calling the boy he loves a wimp… Only, I didn't really know anything about that, and I reminded myself that I wasn't there to meddle in someone's lovelife.

The awkward silence lasted for a few more moments, until Greta began telling us a story about something she had done with Anissina the other day, and everybody seemed grateful for the interruption.

Then, Günter stood and said that he remembered that he had something to do. He disappeared from the room, and nobody seemed to be more than just mildly surprised.

"Günter works so hard when Gwendal is away", Yuuri commented. "He does more than his share of the extra work, but really, I should be the one to do that…"

Yes, that reminded me – some people were missing. I hadn't thought about it at first, because I had been so overwhelmed, but where was Gwendal? And Anissina?

On the other hand, it felt like I was surrounded by more than enough people already…

"He'll forgive you", Conrad said. "You've been to Earth, and you're entitled to a little rest before you get to work."

"Not really", Yuuri said. "It's not like I'm jetlagged. I have dry clothes on and I have eaten; I should join Günter." Then he remembered me. "Um… Will you be alright on your own? I'll see you at dinner…"

"I'll take care of her!" Greta beamed. "I'll show her around, it'll be fun!"

I smiled, "You haven't had a guest in a long time, have you?"

"No", she said, "so I hope you'll stay for a very long time!"

"We'll see about that", I replied, not sure how long it would take before my self-invitation had expired. For the moment, though, I was determined to make the most of my stay in Shin Makoku, and I was happy to follow the child out of Cecilie's elegant parlor.