Volume 9 Chapter 5 Demon King's City
Since Sur had cleared out the soldiers, our party had almost no trouble getting through the gate.
Just as I had announced earlier, we scattered in all directions as soon as we passed through the gate. I'm traveling with Sur, my master and the others, as well as the demon siblings.
"Ah, it's great to see my disciples growing up. While I'm sleeping, you can take care of Hel's subjugation too."
"You're not working, Mudi."
Mudi was slacking off, so I used my Chakra to manipulate things and kicked him in the butt. "Whoa!?" he exclaimed, taking damage. Yeah, that was good.
Anyway, we entered the city of Demon King's Castle.
"Well..."
I looked around, taking in the sights of Demon King's Castle city.
Demon King's Castle city was a place with a strong, stone-built cityscape, always covered in a layer of snow, giving it a unique atmosphere.
Around us, demons with horns were walking around, looking like ordinary humans, enjoying themselves. On the other hand, we frequently passed by soldiers in military uniforms with stern faces.
That was the scene on the main streets. But the back alleys were a different story.
As I walked around, observing my surroundings, I stumbled upon a side street where a demon was being killed by another demon.
A large demon was devouring a smaller one, and he glared at me, saying,
"What are you looking at? You shouldn't be seeing this!"
"...Sorry about that. Please, go ahead."
I raised my hands and let them be. The reason was that the smaller demon being eaten was smiling wickedly, holding a knife, and was about to strike the larger demon's neck.
A scream echoed. A loud, wild scream. The soldiers glanced over, but they didn't seem interested in anything except the main streets, and they walked away, chatting and laughing.
The city of Nilfheim, always shrouded in darkness, was faintly lit by the lights peeking out from the windows of the towering buildings.
It was cold, but lively. At the same time, it was strong and harsh. A hellish Christmas. Nilfheim.
"Wade."
It was Sandra who approached me. Her blonde side-tails swayed as she gazed at me with an expressionless face, her eyes sparkling.
"This place is interesting. I'm getting excited. There's always a sense of chaos in the air."
"Sandra, you're really suited for hell, aren't you?"
"I'm being praised. I'm happy."
"Are you being serious...?"
Sandra remains unchanged whether she's on earth or in hell. There's something about her that makes me feel a little at ease.
On the other hand, I looked at Ice.
"―――..."
With her pure white long hair flowing, Ice walked through the city streets. The demons couldn't help but steal glances at her captivating beauty.
I've always thought Ice was cute, but lately, she's become even more beautiful. Especially since she started living in hell.
It's not like something has changed about her. Ice is still the same as she was on earth. But that's different from Sandra.
"..."
Sandra doesn't need to change. Her common sense is already inclined towards Nilfheim, so she can live freely on earth. That's why she doesn't change.
On the other hand, Ice is different. While she has a slightly extreme side, her common sense is inclined towards earth, just like Clay and Toxy.
Clay and Toxy have changed. During their time in hell, they adapted to the environment and showed a change in their behavior. That's why they can do some pretty extreme things without batting an eye. They've been like that since just before we set out on our journey.
But Ice is―――
"Wade, kun?"
Noticing my gaze, Ice approached me. As she tilted her head, her silky white hair flowed down.
"What's wrong?"
"...It's nothing. We just need to secure a base for now."
"Yeah...!"
From the opposite side of Sandra, Ice wrapped her arms around my arm. Sandra followed suit, and Toxy exclaimed, "Ahh! You two are getting too lovey-dovey!" as she wrapped her arms around me from behind.
Then, Clay, who had approached us, said.
"You're still being loved by your wives, huh?"
"Yeah, I need to take good care of them."
We laughed and joked as we walked through the city streets of Demon King Castle.
After finding a suitable inn and entering, the shopkeeper, who was stretching his neck, said...
"Alright, long-term stay, huh? Then, hand over all the women you're with as sl*ves to me!"
"Yeah, I'll show this guy the real hell!"
"Ahahaha! Wade~, isn't Nilfheim already a real hell?"
"That's right, hahaha."
"Gah, agh, gyah!"
I exchanged light banter with Toxy while pinning the shopkeeper's face to the counter, slamming him multiple times.
There wasn't a single human or demon who made a fuss about it. Instead, the demons drinking at the tavern were impressed, saying, "That guy's fast hands are amazing. I mean, the shopkeeper was pretty strong, wasn't he?"
"Stop, I, I, got it! It's fine, you could stay here forever!"
"Oh, thanks. Then, let me kill you once."
I used my gravity magic to increase the force, slamming the shopkeeper's head onto the counter. What a gruesome sight. But soon, the shopkeeper emerged from the door behind the counter, looking displeased.
"Ugh, can't you come at me with a stronger attitude? You look like someone I can negotiate with from the start."
"That wasn't a conversation earlier. These girls are my wives, you know."
"Wives!? Aren't they sl*ves!? You're lying. It's been decades since I've seen someone build a relationship with their sl*ves beyond master and servant."
"Demon, you're not just socially awkward, are you?"
Anyway, we successfully secured our base.
As the members residing in this inn, we have our usual party. There's me, Ice, Clay, Toxy, and Sandra.
Next, we have our masters, Mudi and Philia, and our guide, Sur.
And for some reason, Renril and Rollo tagged along.
"You guys didn't scatter, did you?"
"It's more comfortable to stay close to our master, so there are more benefits."
"There are more fun things too~♪."
Renril, who's trying to appear intimidating but is actually scared, is standing upright. Rollo is looking at me with a provocative gaze, swaying her hips.
Most of the hatred from my wives is directed towards Rollo.
"Ice... is that okay?" "If their education is lacking, I can add some extra training..." "...still observing, I suppose."
"...I'll behave."
And Rollo caved in to the pressure, shrinking away. Yeah, I get it. That was scary even for me.
"You stupid disciple, calm down and focus!"
"I know, you annoying master!"
I shot back at Mudi, who was being a smart aleck.
I cleared my throat and looked around the room. We had kicked out all the customers from the inn's tavern and taken it over for ourselves. We even paid the owner to leave, so now it was just us.
So, the only ones left in this tavern were us. As for the other demons... well, they could do as they pleased. If we needed them, we could just call out and they'd come running if it seemed interesting.
I opened my mouth.
"For now, let's take a break and catch our breath, everyone. We really struggled with managing those demons... seriously, it was tough."
"Ah, haha..."
Ice forced a laugh, and the others looked like they were struggling too.
"For now, let's just focus on getting this demon management thing under control. From now on, the demons will move as they see fit. Of course, you won't do it happily, so you'll have to be careful."
When I said that, the demon siblings cheered, "Yeah, we'll have a blast! We'll go wild at the festival!"
"Anyway, for now, let's decide on our next move."
I laid out what needed to be done so everyone wouldn't get confused.
"First, we don't know anything about this city. So, for the next few days, let's focus on gathering information."
Everyone nodded in agreement with my words. I nodded back and started discussing the details.
"The specifics are up to you. For example, I'll search for an adventurer's guild and work there while gathering info, or buy a guidebook and go out."
"When it comes to gathering information, we can move freely, right, Wade-kun? For example, I could work as a merchant and earn money while gathering info."
"That's right, Clay. Anyway, we don't know what kind of place this Demon King city is, what we'll need to invade the Demon King's castle, or what kind of obstacles we'll face. Gather that information for us."
"Sounds good to me!" "I agree!"
Toxy and Sandra showed their agreement. The others looked like they were on board too, with no one opposed.
"Alright, it's simple, but it's settled for now. Everyone, just enjoy yourselves in this city for a while. If anything happens, probably nothing will, but if things get bad, report to me or give me a signal, okay?"
When I say that, everyone looks at each other and bursts out laughing.
Well, yeah. Except for the demon siblings, we're a team that can take down a whole city on our own. I guess I didn't need to say that.
"So, I'm tired, so I'll take a nap and then get moving. If you need me, wake me up."
As I say that and stretch, Ice calls out, "Clay-kun, Toxy-chan..." Sandra seems to be nowhere to be found.
Mudi starts scratching his head and yawns, "I'm gonna take a nap too," and Philia and Sur head back to their rooms. The demon siblings also start preparing to leave, saying, "It's been a while since we've been to the city below" and "Haven't been here in hundreds of years?"
In the meantime, Ice gives me a quick glance. Ice slightly narrows her eyes, then takes Clay and Toxy with her and leaves the room.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)