The town of Licorice.
What a nostalgic place.
I still remembered it.
This was the first town where I'd become an adventurer on the Demon Continent, and a town full of memories with
We'd ultimately been driven out, which left a bad taste… but the experiences I'd had here weren't all bad.
This was where I'd learned that it's better not to overthink things, not to worry too much.
I descended the slope, circled around the outer rim of the crater, and headed for the entrance.
At the entrance, just like last time, two guards stood watch.
Back then, we'd made Ruijerd wear a head covering so he could walk freely through town…
"Hey, there are guards. Are you sure this is fine?"
"It's fine. Basically, towns on the Demon Continent don't turn away anyone who comes."
"But they look kind of intimidating, don't they?"
Just as
Pitch-black full-body armor, topped with a full-face helmet.
The armor was covered in spikes, giving them a thoroughly menacing look.
When I'd stayed in Licorice, the soldiers hadn't been equipped like this.
They must have changed uniforms in the past few years.
"Halt."
As we tried to enter town, one of the soldiers stopped us.
"Yes?"
"Well, it's about that woman…"
The soldier was staring at
Cliff stepped forward as if to shield her, positioning himself one step ahead.
Elinalise, for her part, stood tall and proud.
"What is it?"
"…What do you think?"
The other soldier pulled out a piece of paper.
He compared it to Elinalise several times.
I glanced over, and it was a drawing of a bewitchingly beautiful woman who looked like a succubus.
Tall, large-chested, with distinctive wavy hair.
The drawing was black and white, but I could see the resemblance to Elinalise.
Well, except for the chest. Elinalise had absolutely nothing there.
"It's not her."
"Yeah, not her."
The soldiers put the paper away.
"Sorry for the trouble. You may go."
"What was that about?"
"That's none of your concern."
We were dismissed brusquely, and left without another word.
"Someone must be searching for a person, it seems."
"Seems like it."
Maybe a criminal had fled into this town.
Well, it had nothing to do with us.
Still, we should keep our eyes open.
Running into a killer in an alleyway while looking for someone else—that'd be no joke.
"So, what do we do first?"
"Let's make some money. We'll head to the
"Understood."
With that brief exchange, we set off down the street.
"Whoa, amazing…"
Cliff let out an exclamation of wonder at the open-air market near the entrance.
Just like always, the place was brimming with vitality.
Merchants and adventurers of every race.
They rode on lizard-like magical beasts.
But what they were doing wasn't all that different from the area near the entrance to the magic city Sharif.
Merchants bickering with adventurers, townsfolk walking around gawking at things, beggars clamoring up to merchants hoping for charity only to get kicked away.
Same stuff, everywhere.
Cliff had surely seen scenes like this before, so it was probably the sight of so many different races mixed together that was novel to him.
But there was one thing that caught my attention.
Soldiers in black armor were standing everywhere.
Each time they spotted Elinalise, their faces would sharpen, and they'd pull a paper from inside their armor.
But they must have been able to tell from a distance that she wasn't the right person, because they never approached.
"Cliff-senpai's wife is popular here too, huh."
"H-Huh… is that okay?"
"That depends on whether Elinalise did something in this town in the past."
I looked at Elinalise as I said this.
She shrugged.
"I haven't done anything untoward."
Her eyes shifted just slightly.
She'd definitely done something naughty.
--- The Adventurer's Guild hadn't changed at all.
It looked a little more weathered, maybe—exposed to rain and wind.
No, actually, I think it had always looked like that.
When we walked in, every eye turned toward us at once.
What a nostalgic feeling.
Last time I'd been here, I'd put on a big act and become the laughingstock of the place.
It helped Ruijerd fit in faster, but in the end it ruined everything.
The stares faded quickly enough.
A party of a long-eared race and a human was probably unusual, but different races alone wasn't enough to warrant sustained attention.
We headed to the reception desk and exchanged some
Nearly a hundred green-ore coins clinked into the coin pouch without so much as a count.
Back in the day, I used to make a ritual of opening my wallet and counting each coin one by one. I'd changed, all right.
Well, not really—I'd just gotten wealthier.
While I was at it, I also filed a search request with the Adventurer's Guild for Kishirika.
"Appearance: small girl. Hair: purple. Wears bondage fashion. Claims to be the Demon Empress. Characteristic feature: produces a mad laugh."
The search had a low rank since it was a missing-person request, but the reward was generous.
As I watched it get posted to the bulletin board, I noticed something at the edge of the request board—the Fittoa Region search notice.
The Millis search party had already disbanded, but the notice was still up here.
The contact information was still listed as
If someone saw this and went to all the trouble of traveling to Millis, they'd be left completely stranded.
I went to the reception desk and had them change the contact name to Alphonse at the refugee camp.
They were probably still taking in refugees.
I could have put down my own address, but I wasn't willing to take responsibility for strangers.
"Alright, that takes care of things on this end."
"What do we want to do next?"
At Cliff's question, I considered our options.
Of course, we should be searching ourselves.
Stay about a week, gather information.
Use both hired hands and our own legs to be thorough.
The Adventurer's Guild request was simply insurance for when we couldn't be there ourselves.
"Information gathering first," I said, scanning the area.
Just then, a man was walking toward us.
A man with a horse's head.
I remembered this guy very well.
He was the one who'd set us up in a trap.
Because of him, we'd been run out of this town—well, not quite. We'd broken the rules ourselves, after all.
"Hey there!"
The horse-faced man—Nokopara—greeted us with the same energetic cheer as ever.
Did he make a habit of talking to every new face he saw?
But it turned out he wasn't addressing me—he was addressing Elinalise.
"Long time no see! You and
Elinalise looked at Nokopara with a puzzled expression, but then, as if something clicked, she clapped her hands together.
"Oh! You're one of Roxy's former party members."
"…Huh?"
Roxy's former party member?
What now?
"
Prompted by Elinalise, I stepped forward in front of Nokopara.
Eight years ago.
This was the man who'd tried to exploit us.
Roxy's acquaintance. Former party member.
Which meant—had he exploited Roxy too?
I'd never heard anything about that.
"Hey, I'm Nokopara. Can you understand me?"
He didn't remember me, did he.
Can't be helped. Eight years had passed, and I looked nothing like I used to.
Nokopara didn't seem to have aged either… though I wouldn't know what a horse's aged face looks like.
On the flip side, Nokopara probably couldn't tell one human face from another all that well either.
"Yes, Nokopara. I can understand you."
"Rudeus, this man knows the ins and outs of this town. Would you mind asking him to help with our information gathering?"
"…"
I knew this guy's information-gathering skills and his persistence. He was a man who watched other people's movements closely.
In terms of intel, he could be useful.
We'd nearly been screwed over by him once before.
But then again, he'd also publicly soiled himself.
For all I knew, he might hold a grudge.
Rather than digging into that and inviting trouble, I figured it was better to keep my identity hidden and simply use him.
"My name is Doronuma. Nice to meet you."
"Oh, Doronuma, huh… Hm? Have we met somewhere before?"
"No, I doubt it."
If Eris had been here, she definitely wouldn't have forgiven Nokopara.
But I was willing to let bygones be bygones.
He hadn't known that Ruijerd was of the Superd race, and we'd left ourselves vulnerable—it was as much our fault.
Besides, I didn't have time to dwell on old grievances and create unnecessary conflict.
"We're looking for someone. Would you be willing to help?"
"…How much will you pay?"
It was annoying, but if he did a halfhearted job for free, that'd be worse.
"Two green-ore coins now, four if you find the person."
"Four?! Y-You sure?!"
Ah, I'd offered too much.
It'd been so long that I'd forgotten the local going rate.
Oh well.
"That's how desperate we are."
"Heh heh. But if Elinalise is the one asking, I'll do it for half."
Nokopara snickered and rubbed his nose.
--- He said he'd pass along any information on Kishirika and that he'd "get back to us in half a day," then vanished into the bustle of the town.
"You showed impressive restraint."
After Nokopara's back had disappeared, Elinalise spoke to me.
"What do you mean?"
"I just remembered—you were set up by that guy once before, weren't you?"
"You're very well-informed."
"Last time I was in this town, I overheard something. That Nokopara had tried to trap a 'Dead End' and nearly gotten himself killed. I don't think Roxy knows about that, though…"
So she did know.
Well, it wasn't as if she could have missed it. A Superd showing up in town—that was front-page news.
"It was an unfortunate accident, basically."
I'd tried to take the easy way forward, and it came back to bite me.
Nokopara's scheming disgusted me, but I wasn't exactly in a position to take the moral high ground.
If Nokopara looked at me and didn't recognize me, that was fine by me.
"In any case, I have no intention of doing anything to Nokopara.
Unless he tries to set us up again, of course."
They say even the Buddha only forgives three times, and I'm no Buddha.
If he crossed me twice, I definitely wouldn't forgive him a third.
"By the way, what's the deal with Nokopara being one of Roxy's former party members?"
"Ah, that—"
Hearing about the relationship between Roxy and Nokopara left me with complicated feelings.
Well, just because someone's a good kid doesn't mean they'll grow up to be a good person.
--- Half a day was a busy stretch.
First, we needed lodging.
This town had plenty of inns for adventurers.
Everything from beginner-friendly flophouses to high-rank establishments.
This time, I booked a high-rank inn.
Booking an expensive place also served as a security measure.
Well, even if something were stolen, Demon Continent currency was cheap, so it wouldn't hurt too much.
On the way to find the inn, we passed by the "Wolf's Claw Inn."
The one where we'd stayed before.
Just then, three young men who looked like beginners were coming out of the inn, chatting away.
It was a bit late for quest hours—maybe they were heading out shopping?
Come to think of it, what had happened to those beginner adventurers who'd stayed at the same inn back then… Kurt and his crew.
One of them had died because of my poor judgment, but were the others still doing well?
Well, eight years had passed.
He might not even be alive anymore.
But if we happened to run into each other somewhere, I'd love to catch up over old stories.
Oh, right.
I should also look up the Pee-Hunters.
Their names were Jaril and Veskel.
Small-time crooks who were good at finding pets.
We weren't looking for a pet this time, but Kishirika was practically an animal herself, so maybe they could help.
"I think I'll start by visiting an old acquaintance's shop."
"As expected of Master—wide network of contacts."
"That's the only one I know, actually."
With that thought, I headed for the shop the Pee-Hunters had run.
A pet shop.
I was pretty sure it was around here—I walked the streets guided by my hazy memory.
My recollection was vague, and the townscape had changed.
But I'd walked this road enough times to have a general sense of the landmarks.
However, when I got there, there was a different shop in its place.
A butcher's shop that processed and sold magical beast meat.
A man with hedgehog-like quills was tending the counter, so I asked him.
"Welcome."
"There used to be a pet shop here, I think. Do you know what happened to it?"
"Oh, Jaril? He died two years ago. Failed to tame a magical beast."
He died? Seriously?
"And what about Veskel?"
"Veskel? He left town about a year ago. Said he couldn't do the job without Jaril."
Veskel was gone too.
And Jaril… dead.
I knew the Demon Continent was harsh, but hearing about an actual death still made me a little lonely.
In the end, he'd betrayed Ruijerd, but we'd worked together.
And we'd gotten along well enough.
"I bought this shop from Veskel. Were you two acquaintances of theirs?"
"Yes, something like that."
"Gotcha. Well, I'll give you a deal then."
I picked up some information on Kishirika and bought a piece of dried Emperor Tortoise meat as an information fee, then left.
Emperor Tortoise meat was still as terrible as ever.
--- I spent the next half-day gathering information.
The information gathering itself wasn't all that efficient.
After all, I was the only one who could speak the Demon God language.
So it was basically just me going around asking questions alone.
Maybe I should have brought Roxy along after all.
Then again, when it came to searching the town, one person or two didn't make much difference.
I could leave the real information gathering to the specialist—Nokopara.
That's what I told myself as I went around asking, though…
"A small girl, purple hair, bondage fashion. Claims to be the Demon Empress. Characteristic feature: produces a mad laugh. Have you seen her?"
"Oh, that girl? Yeah, I saw her. It was a while ago, though… maybe about a year ago?"
I got a lot of responses like that.
Surprising.
Truly surprising.
I might have hit the jackpot on the very first try.
"We struck gold!" Cliff exclaimed happily.
He was practically saying it was a done deal.
But Elinalise shook her head.
"But they're saying they haven't seen her recently."
That was right.
"She was seen about a year ago."
To add to that, many people also said "she hasn't been around for the past six months or so."
She might not even be in this town anymore.
If that was the case, the next thing to ask was "which direction did she go?"
Licorice sat at the northeastern tip of the Demon Continent.
If she'd headed to the next town, it would be south or west.
Southwest had mountains, so she probably wouldn't have gone that way… although, this was Kishirika. I didn't really know her well enough to say.
But she did seem like the type to stir up trouble.
If she'd avoided the main roads, there was really no way to tell which direction she'd gone…
"Let's hear what Nokopara found out first."
"I doubt half a day would yield much…"
Either way, we returned to the Adventurer's Guild.
We'd just seized a table and were about to settle in with some food when Nokopara showed up.
"Hey there. Sorry to keep you waiting."
He wore the same cheerful expression as when he'd left.
Well, I couldn't really tell a horse's mood, but he always looked upbeat.
"I couldn't track down the person herself, but I did gather some intel."
"Let's hear it."
Information you could get in just half a day could only be so extensive.
Basically, most of what Nokopara had dug up was stuff we already knew.
But he'd done a thorough job—compiled the most frequently sighted locations, the last confirmed sighting, all neatly organized.
Impressive, that he could pull all this together in half a day…
He was either regularly collecting information on his own, or he had connections with people well-versed in the local happenings.
And depending on the type of information, he'd cherry-pick and compile it.
Guy'd be great at Guild work.
"So, about this Demon Empress—the Demon King is apparently looking for her too."
"The Demon King?"
"Yeah, for about a year now. The Demon King from the neighboring territory has been coming here. All the way from there."
Apparently, the Demon King was currently staying in the castle in the center of Licorice—Old Kishirika Castle.
The soldiers in black armor patrolling the town were the Demon King's personal guard, or knights, or something like that.
"Could this Demon King's name happen to be Badigadi?"
"No, not Badigadi. It's Attofe. Badigadi's elder sister—a terrifyingly scary Demon King."
Badigadi had an elder sister?
I imagined a black Amazon.
"Is she scary?"
"Of course. She's a combat-type Demon King who fought her way through the Laplace War. If you do something careless, your head flies off in one shot."
Hard to imagine, given how easygoing Badigadi was.
But if that was the case, I definitely didn't want to get too close.
Wait—being related to Badigadi meant she probably had the Immortal attribute.
If she'd been alive since ancient times, she might know the cure for the Doraine disease.
Should I try to get an audience and ask her, even at this point…
I wasn't sure if I'd even be able to meet her, though.
"Come to think of it, Badigadi hasn't come back yet?"
"Not yet… But hey, you're technically a Demon King yourself, so you shouldn't call him by name. No dropping honorifics."
"My apologies."
Badigadi apparently still hadn't returned.
Where in the world was that guy wandering off to?
Well, he hadn't been in this town eight years ago either.
Wandering around was practically his hobby.
I gave the others a condensed version of what I'd heard.
"But if they're looking for her, the portrait they have is quite wrong, isn't it?"
Now that he mentioned it, that portrait looked nothing like the Kishirika I remembered.
The Kishirika I knew was a little girl.
When I'd first seen the drawing, I hadn't made the connection, but now that I thought about it, that beautiful woman in the portrait did bear some resemblance to Kishirika.
Was this what Kishirika would look like when she grew up?
Or had Kishirika actually grown in the past few years?
No, wait—the other way around. There had been reports of someone seeing a small girl.
Which meant the Demon King didn't know that Kishirika was a child?
Hmm…
I should ask Nokopara.
"The portrait the royal guards have doesn't match Kishirika's actual appearance. What do you make of that?"
"Demon Kings tend to be pretty casual about that kind of thing. They probably didn't think age mattered."
"Ah, I see."
Badigadi had been casual about it, so maybe Attofe was the same.
"Then let's go have a talk with this Attofe."
I stood up to make the declaration.
Nokopara panicked.
"W-Wait, hold on! Don't do it! Attofe is bad news—you really shouldn't meet her!"
"No, this is a necessary step. As long as we don't rude, it should be fine."
It should be fine, right?
I wanted to believe it would be.
If things went south, I'd use Zanoba as a shield, attack, and flee.
Just like I'd done with Badigadi—hit her once and run.
Then find Badigadi somewhere and have him intercede.
Alright, that was the plan.
"If you're seeking an audience, leave it to me. Allow me to use my standing."
Zanoba stood up with a smile.
He was technically royalty, so maybe he could handle this kind of thing.
Though if that was the case, it might have been better to bring Ariel along…
Wait, actually, given how he'd handled Perugius, Zanoba might actually be more likable to the other party.
Ariel tended to try a bit too hard to build connections, and people could sense the ulterior motive, which bred contempt.
"Is Attofe well-versed in artistic matters?"
"Huh? Art? I'm not sure. Well, Demon Kings tend to have some kind of hobby or another."
Badigadi's hobby… what was it again?
I didn't think he'd had one.
Or maybe drinking was his hobby?
He'd always been drinking expensive liquor.
If she was scary, maybe the same approach I'd used with Badigadi would work.
"Alright, let's go."
Once the plan was settled, Elinalise and Cliff stood up as well.
--- One hour later.
We stood frozen in place with the castle in view.
Let me cut to the chase.
It didn't work.
Zanoba showed the crest of the Kingdom of Shirolone, and I requested an audience through translation, but…
"We don't know any such country! Lady Attofe is very busy! She does not grant audiences to just anyone!"
We were turned away at the door.
If it had been the
But the Kingdom of Shirolone was a small country, so I couldn't really blame them.
It'd be like a Japanese person name-dropping some obscure African nation.
And we hadn't even made an appointment.
Can't say the outcome was surprising.
"My apologies. It seems my country's prestige is lacking."
Despite being rudely dismissed, Zanoba didn't get angry. Instead, he actually bowed to me.
"No, it was my fault for not thinking it through."
"I had a feeling they wouldn't know us…"
Zanoba's brow was furrowed as he said this.
Zanoba wasn't the most patriotic person, but having his country looked down on must still sting.
"…Hey, how about we take a break?"
Cliff leaned against a nearby wall and sighed.
I still had energy to spare, but…
"Indeed, I'm a bit tired."
Looking over, I saw that Zanoba was sweating too.
Looks could be deceiving—these two were indoor people, after all. A full day of walking around was bound to take its toll.
My mind had started to feel a bit sluggish from all the moving around too.
Might as well rest.
"You're right. Let's grab a bite to eat, shall we?"
We hadn't had time for lunch.
The dried meat we'd snacked on midway wasn't enough.
I didn't really want to eat the local food since it was all terrible, but…
"Master, there happens to be a street stall right over there. Let's eat there. Cliff, does that suit you?"
Now that he mentioned it, I'd been smelling the good aroma of grilled meat for a while now.
The source was a street stall selling spicy skewers—characteristically Demon Continent—loaded with spices.
There wasn't exactly a line, but about three customers were waiting.
"I have no objections, but eating while standing… isn't that bad manners?"
"Since when do you care…"
While the two of them debated, Elinalise had already slipped to the back of the line.
"I'll wait in line. In the meantime, Rudeus, why don't you procure some chairs?"
"Will you be okay not understanding the language?"
"I can use my fingers to show the number."
So there were things that transcended language barriers.
Just as she said, I channeled my magic and generated a bench at the side of the road.
Standing was fine, but since we were resting anyway, I wanted to sit.
I personally didn't mind the ground, but…
"I'll join the line too."
Cliff lined up alongside Elinalise.
I finished setting up quickly and sat down on the bench with Zanoba.
"Phew."
Sitting down, I felt the exhaustion hit me all at once.
Now that I was sitting here, the whole endeavor felt futile.
Kishirika might not even be findable.
Even if we found her, she might not know us.
The odds of not knowing us were probably higher, actually.
Badigadi was one thing, but those people all seemed to live long lives and never get sick.
"…Master, you mustn't overthink it."
"Hmm?"
"There is no need for you to take responsibility for Lady
I wasn't responsible.
Yeah, that was true.
But it wasn't about responsibility.
It was about how I felt.
"You're right."
"Still, I do understand to some extent the desire to return to one's homeland while still alive, which is why I'm helping. That said—"
"You are? I thought you were happy with your current life."
"Of course I am. But it's also true that, from time to time, I'd like to see the landscapes of my homeland again."
So Zanoba experienced nostalgic feelings too.
I'd thought that as long as he had his doll, everything was the same wherever he was, but Zanoba was only human after all.
"…Lady Nanahoshi is so desperate about it, she must have left something precious behind in her homeland."
"Someone she loves, and family… something like that."
Both were cliché, but incredibly heavy things.
Very, very heavy.
"Those two things are a bit hard for me to understand."
"They'd be like dolls to you."
We talked like that while idly watching Cliff and the others.
Cliff and Elinalise.
Those two had changed so much since I'd first met them.
Cliff still couldn't read the room, but he'd gotten much better at paying attention to others.
Elinalise—I almost missed the days when she was only chasing after men.
If those two were ever separated, they'd both fight with everything they had to get back together.
"…"
The customer in front of Cliff bought some meat.
A beggar wearing a tattered hood approached, probably hoping for some leftover change, and got kicked away by the customer.
Cliff's face tightened with irritation.
But Elinalise held him back, and it didn't escalate into a fight.
Cliff was a good guy, so he'd probably give that beggar some food.
As I was thinking that, sure enough, Cliff bought extra meat skewers and handed them to the beggar.
The beggar said thank you, thank you, and wolfed down the skewers.
Eating and eating.
After finishing, the beggar shamelessly asked for more, and Cliff handed over more skewers.
The beggar took Cliff's hand and shook with what seemed like overwhelming emotion…
Wait.
This was giving me déjà vu.
No—didn't that beggar just say "thank you" in human language?
The instant I thought that, the beggar burst into loud laughter that echoed through the area.
"Fah-hahahahahaha!"
Then he threw off his rags and proclaimed in a booming voice!
"My name is Kishirika Kirishis! Known to the world as the Demon Empress!
You have saved my life. Now then, make any wish you desire!"
My vision blurred.
--- The Demon Empress Kishirika.
She stood there looking exactly the same as the last time I'd seen her.
Knee-high boots, leather hot pants, a leather tube top.
Pale skin showing her collarbone, flat torso, navel, and thighs.
And crowning it all—a voluminous wave of purple hair, and goat-like horns.
Everything was a few degrees filthier than when I'd seen her before.
But there was no mistake.
It was Kishirika Kirishis.
"Fah-hahahahahaha! Fah-hah! Fah-hahahahahaha!"
Cliff was standing there, dumbfounded.
It was the first time I'd ever seen Elinalise's eyes go wide as saucers.
I didn't quite understand what had just happened either.
The only one who remained composed was Zanoba.
He was the only one standing there with his hand on his chin going, "Oh my, so that's the object of Lord Badigadi's affection."
"…"
No good deed goes unpunished.
That phrase suddenly popped into my mind.
Cliff was living proof of it.
Giving things to beggars was easy to say but hard to do.
After all, they were beggars.
Ragged clothing, a pungent stench when you got close, grimy skin caked with dirt, red and rotting teeth.
Could you look at them with sympathy and hand over the food you'd just bought?
I probably couldn't.
I wouldn't kick them, but I didn't exactly possess a spirit of universal benevolence.
But Cliff had that spirit.
When I'd first met him, he'd seemed like a narrow-minded person.
But someday, he'd make a great priest.
Long live Cliff.
Alright, that's enough Cliff praise.
Why was Kishirika living as a beggar in a place like this?
"Come, come! Don't be shy! Tell me your wish! But first, state your name!"
"Uh? Uh… Cl-Cliff Grimoard."
Cliff looked at me with a pleading expression, facing the girl who had suddenly declared herself Kishirika.
Meanwhile, Kishirika continued speaking, striking an imperious pose before Cliff.
"Cliff, is it! Your contribution of feeding me is a great one! I haven't eaten anything for half a year!"
I approached them and spoke up.
"If you'd like, we can get you more to eat?"
"Oh! Generous of you! You're a magnanimous man! Magnanimous men are splendid! They go far!"
For the next little while, Kishirika devoured Emperor Tortoise skewers.
The amount that disappeared into that tiny body was absurd.
She ate, ate, and ate some more.
"Whew! I'm full, I'm full! This'll last me another year!"
Kishirika patted her belly and ended up eating every last piece of meat the stall had.
The stall owner was probably thrilled with the business.
Now then…
"It's been a while, Lady Kishirika."
"Who are you?!"
When I bowed my head, Kishirika glared at me with a humph.
"Hm? Oh?"
Then her eyes rolled around, and she clapped her hands together.
"Oh! It's you! The man who, despite being human, has that unsettling magic!
Of course I remember! The one I gave the Magic Eye to!
Your name was—let's see, ah…Ruu, Run, Runba…Runbaus, it's been so long!"
"I'm Rudeus Greyrat."
I'm not a Roomba.
"Rudeus, it's been so long… You've gotten quite big, haven't you? So, how have things been going!"
Kishirika patted me on the thigh.
Like some company manager.
"Thanks to the Magic Eye you gave me, Lady Kishirika, my life has been saved many times over."
"Fah-hahahahahaha! I should think so!"
Kishirika nodded, looking pleased.
She was simple.
Easy to handle.
"But! I only grant a reward to one person! To one alone!"
With a sharp snap, Kishirika pointed directly at Cliff.
"You! Cliff Grimoard! Say whatever you wish!"
"…"
Cliff swallowed hard as he was singled out.
A faint "wait, could it be" thought flickered through my mind.
The Demon Empress Kishirika Kirishis's reward was said to be the Magic Eye.
That was a pretty famous story in this world.
And Cliff had his own goal.
If he had access to the Magic Eye, it might help him with making magical implements.
Even I could think of it.
So.
Could it be…
"Th-Then, I'd like to know the treatment for the Doraine disease."
"Oh?"
"Someone I know has contracted it. Right now they're holding on, but there's no sign of it getting better. If you know anything, I'd like you to tell me."
Relief washed over me.
Here I'd been worried for nothing—and being rude about it, to boot.
I'd have to treat Cliff to a meal when we got home.
"Hmm, the Doraine disease. What a nostalgic name. To think someone still catches that these days—how surprising."
I exchanged a glance with Zanoba, and we both nodded.
Kishirika apparently knew about the disease.
"So, can it be cured?"
"Of course it can. You just brew Sawkas grass leaves into a tea and drink it, and it comes right out with your stool."
I felt a smile creep onto my face.
Excellent.
Kishirika might be mistaken, but for now, I had the information.
Brew Sawkas grass into tea and drink it.
So basically, boil it and have the patient drink the decoction.
"Sawkas grass? I've never heard of it. Where can I find it?"
"Hmm… the Phantom City of Myao."
"The Phantom City of Myao?!"
That was bad.
Any city with "Phantom" in the name was usually impossible to find.
You could only visit it in your dreams, or it was constantly migrating through a desert…
"North of there, at the edge of the Red Dragon Mountain Range, there's a valley called the Red Dragon's Tail. Inside that, the Dragon Tail Cave. Deep within, Sawkas grass grew in abundance."
"Dragon Tail Cave."
So after all this, it was a fetch quest.
No, fine. It wasn't the worst outcome.
Better than not finding Kishirika and searching for years on end.
Hm?
Wait—was there actually a place called the Red Dragon's Tail in the Red Dragon Mountain Range?
"Where exactly is this place?"
"Well, at the end of the Second Human-Demon War, a battle between the Dragon God and the Fighting God tore a massive hole in the continent, and it was destroyed."
"…Wait, what?"
So it was…
Gone? Completely?
And the story I knew was different.
Wasn't the massive hole in the continent caused by Kishirika and the Golden Knight's battle?
Well, Kishirika's combat ability wasn't supposed to be that impressive…
Oh well.
Legends got bent to suit whoever was telling them.
Right now, the Sawkas grass was what mattered.
That was the priority.
"So the Sawkas grass no longer exists?"
"No—I only said the Dragon Tail Cave was where it was first discovered."
Kishirika slowly shook her head.
First discovered—which meant it might be growing elsewhere too.
"Sawkas grass grows in the deep recesses of caves where sunlight never reaches."
Deep caves where sunlight never reaches.
A labyrinth, probably.
Would I have to go into a dungeon again?
If so, I'd better assemble a proper party next time.
Twenty people, maybe… or I could just put out a bounty and recruit adventurers—aim for a hundred or so.
"That's why I ordered it grown in the underground chambers of each Demon King's castle!"
"…"
"After all, Sawkas tea is delicious. And everyone who drinks it lives a long life. The blood relatives of the Immortal Demon Kings all drink it, you know! Fah-hah-hah-hah!"
"…"
So in other words.
It was being cultivated beneath the castles where Demon Kings lived?
No—it was an ingredient in a high-end tea, so it might even be sold around here somewhere.
"Fah-hah-hah-hah-hah!
Thought you'd have to go on a journey to find it, did you?
You thought that, didn't you?
Too bad! They grow it right here at Kishirika Castle!
Fah-hah-hah-hah-hah!"
Should I kick this woman?
Just as I was thinking that, Cliff clenched his fist and stepped forward.
"This woman!"
"Wait, Cliff-senpai! We need to make her tell us everything first!"
"O-Oh right."
Oops—the truth had slipped out.
Besides, if it was at the castle, that solved everything.
No problems at all.
She'd ticked me off, but I'd chalk this up as a learning experience.
Alright, stay calm.
Humility.
"Then, Lady Kishirika, would you be so kind as to share some of that Sawkas tea with us?"
"Very well! But there is one problem."
"A problem?"
"Yes. Right now, there's an annoying person at Kishirika Castle. Not the sharpest, but a troublesome one. I've been hiding from that person for the past six months. Ah—"
Kishirika cut herself off and looked behind me.
"Hm?"
I turned around too.
There stood soldiers in black armor.
Five, six, seven… there were at least twenty of them.
And from the streets ahead, from the alleys, more were filing in…
In total, nearly thirty of them had surrounded us.
--- The soldiers glared at us, radiating menace.
Elinalise stepped forward, her hand on the sword at her hip.
Cold sweat beaded on her forehead.
There were too many of them.
This was bad. No escape route.
Should I grab Zanoba with my right hand and Cliff with my left and fly?
That would leave Kishirika and Elinalise behind.
What to do.
The man at the front took one step forward.
His voice was slightly hoarse but still carried force.
"We are the personal guard of the Immortal Demon King, Attofelattofe, rulers of the Gaslow territory."
He spoke fluent human language.
He must have accommodated us.
"This is by Attofe's command. Hand over Kishirika and come to the castle immediately."
Behind him, the black knights compared their portrait to Kishirika, then looked at each other with a "Wait, what?" kind of reaction.
Just as Nokopara had predicted—the portrait was off because the person who ordered it had been careless with the description.
But even if the portrait was wrong, Kishirika had screamed her own name at the top of her lungs, so there was no hiding it now.
"And if I refuse?"
The instant Elinalise murmured that, everyone drew their swords simultaneously.
The metallic ring of blades clearing their scabbards.
It overlapped in layers, ringing so loud it pierced the ears.
"We will show no mercy."
I didn't have any ability to gauge someone's strength at a glance.
But even without that, I'd accumulated enough experience over the years to know when someone meant business.
These royal guards were, without a doubt, the real deal.
They had the aura of fighters you couldn't compare with any ordinary knight order.
"N-No! If you're caught by these people, there's no telling what they'll do to you!
Attofe is the single biggest idiot among all the Demon Kings!"
Kishirika's words made me frown.
I had no intention of letting an "idiot you can't predict" catch me.
Besides, I had no more business with this Attofe.
We should find a way out of this…
Ah, but the grass was supposedly growing under the castle.
So I could sneak in later… though I wouldn't even know what the plant looked like.
While I was deliberating, one of the soldiers removed his helmet.
"Please."
He was an old warrior with graying hair.
He offered a gentle smile and bowed his head.
"If you don't come, we will be punished by Lady Attofe. We mean you no harm—I implore you…"
His posture was utterly sincere.
I was the kind of Japanese person who couldn't say no.
Well, not anymore, but still.
When someone said "please" with that kind of sincerity, even a little voice inside you started to lean toward agreeing.
"D-Don't listen to what he says!
Attofe isn't someone who can be reasoned with!"
Kishirika's face was drenched in cold sweat.
Something was clearly off.
"We have heard all about it. Sawkas grass is also cultivated in the Gaslow territory, so we know how to grow it. If you'd like, I can even prepare potted plants. Please…"
The old soldier's lowered head.
He radiated sincerity.
They could have just dragged us away by force, but instead, he was bowing and asking.
I didn't know much about Attofe, but from what I knew, Demon Kings were like Badigadi.
If this was the kind of subordinate she had, working with her would be exhausting.
"By the way, why does Lady Kishirika dislike Lady Attofe so much? I'd like to understand why she's been pursued for six months…"
"About a year ago, Lady Kishirika drank an entire shipment of Gekra territory liquor that was supposed to be delivered to Lady Attofe—by herself."
"Oh."
The old soldier heaved a sigh.
"Lady Attofe had been very much looking forward to that liquor, so she was furious. She summoned us, the royal guard, from the homeland and ordered us to search for her. But we didn't know what Lady Kishirika looked like now, and the portrait was as you see, so we couldn't catch her…"
"I see. Understood."
I used magic to put handcuffs on Kishirika.