Sensing the scent of mazoku, Teiou, who had captured his first Mazoku* in the Human World was planning to return to the Celestial World with only one of the the three civil magistrates. They were his chaperones and was separate from the three soldiers who accompanied him.
"...This is an 'official mission' given to you by your brother, and you would like to return already. A soldier and myself can take back just one Mazoku, Teiou-sama. I must complete the report anyway..."
The tone in his voice hints, 'do you want to report your first accomplishment yourself that badly?'. Yes. For Teiou, this was his first accomplishment under his official mission. However, Teiou was not as happy as he had imagined.

The Mazoku Teiou had captured was a 'humanoid' man, and able to use transformation spell as well as a spell using the wind. This was proven when he shot an air cannon was shot towards a monster bird.
Civil Magistrate came later and did not see this, but Teiou observed the entire incident. Its power and accuracy was no match for someone of the General class but more than sufficient as a weapon toward an average Celestial soldier.
There is no way that his 'uppers' will allow this to slip by.
If Teiou does not personally take him to Tenshutou* first, this Mazoku will certainly be erased. Even if Teiou had written a letter of plea to King Soryu, he will certainly be killed before the letter can reach King Soryu - after being questioned by the inspector as to why he was in the Human World and how he had gotten there.

"That's OK. I'll take him to meet Shugoshuten first. He wanted more information about the Village of Ooe, and he seems to have been involved."
Teiou posed the idea as 'for the Celestial World'. Civil magistrate raised an eyebrow dubiously.
"...To Shuten? Isn't is better to report the capture of this Mazoku to our country first?"
"Tenshutou is on the way. It'll be fast. OK?"
Not yet with an official title, Teiou was relieved when the Magistrate reluctantly nodded. He was able to do so because there was only one chaperone. Surrounded by three chaperones in the human world, Teiou was even more disgusted than in the Celestial World.
Just then, the Magistrate winced as a cold object hit his face.
"Oh, snowflakes. We had better set up barrier"
It was the 'source of rain' that the King of the Western Country who controls water sent to earth on a regular basis.
By the time it reaches the ground, it turns into rain, but right now, they were moving through clouds. This happened regularly while passing through clouds, but the Mazoku in tow stared at the specks of ice as they hit his body, taking them into his hand.

"...Is ice unusual? Or are you thirsty?"
Teiou asked as he held out a small tube of bamboo toward the Mazoku's mouth. It was filled with cold water.
The Mazoku did not even look at the tube. Undaunted, he continued to speak.
"This becomes rain when it falls to the ground. Don't you know? When ice melts, it becomes water. Aren't there places with ice and snow in the Demon World too?"
"...I know nothing about such places. I can't answer about the weather in the Demon World or to much of your questions."
"Why? You don't want to betray your friends?"
When Teiou said this, the corner of the Mazoku's mouth lifted slightly as he stared as the water droplet in his hand, making it seem as though he smiled.
"I have no friends. I've never even met anyone from a 'pack'"
Teiou assumed that a 'pack' must be something like a group.
He had secretly visited the Demon World several times and quietly observed such groups from afar.
"When ice melts..."
Hair without pigment now had numerous water droplets. Without a barrier, Teiou was also attacked with numerous painful drops.
"When ice melts...what?"
"It becomes spring. That's about all I learned in the Human World."
With these words, Teiou remembered that like the Celestial World, the Demon World had no change of seasons.

"Spring... Did you like spring?"
The Mazoku turned toward Teiou for the first time, with a dubious expression on his face. He stared at Teiou.
"...When the weather turns warm, the herbs grow. That's all there is."
"How about flowers? Didn't you like seeing flowers?"
Teiou muttered with a wry smile as the Mazoku stared even more suspiciously at him.
"Spring is a time when living things wake up and be born. Could I assume you are more sensitive to such things?"
"...What are you trying to say?"
Mazoku turned his head, averting his eyes from Teiou.
He did not open his mouth again.
Teiou removed his cape and draped it over the cage with the Mazoku in it. He set up a barrier over it along with his body to avoid the ice droplets.

When ice melts, it becomes spring....
The statement that seems simple, but Teiou was quite surprised that such words came from a Mazoku's mouth.
He felt he had unexpectedly found a small amount of hope toward the man who answered 'it becomes spring' instead of 'it becomes water' when ice melts.

END

*Translator's notes:
Mazoku - inhabitants of the Demon World
Shugoshuten - guardian of the Celestial World. Also called Shuten.
Tenshutou - the tower where Shugoshuten lives.