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Chapter 149. A Stroll Through the Demon District

Outing with Leila. Let’s take a look around the demon district while we’re at it.

Liliana was unsure whether to bring me along since I might stand out, but she decided to let me stay behind, sinking into my bed and starting to snore.

I didn’t particularly bring any guards. We were right in the heart of Reiju Territory—much safer than the Demon Lord Castle, to be honest. There are hardly any people in the Reiju Territory stronger than me at this point.

Formally speaking, Viene and a few Night Elves serving as attendants are tagging along.

—The capital city of the night. This city was known as Delma in the human kingdom of Venandi around 200 years ago.

However, the kingdom was attacked and destroyed by the Demon Lord Army, and the capital was seized by the Reiju Tribe. Now it has been renamed “Reiju Capital,” a name lacking any charm or elegance. It’s great that it’s easy to understand, but…

It appears that it used to be a solid fortress city surrounded by stone walls, but since they’re just a nuisance, it seems they’ve all been taken down. The new district built by the demons centers around the elder’s mansion, with some remnants of the old town still remaining.

“A demon city, huh?”

As I walked along the main street, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

It vaguely reminded me of the bustling streets of some human kingdom—the differences being that it was nighttime, and the majority of the residents had blue skin and sprouted horns.

Given that snack time had passed, the streets were lively with demons. Despite being savages, they had the audacity to run shops. It seemed that the owners were demons, and most of the employees were Night Elves.

The small number of beastmen was probably because they’re naturally diurnal. I heard they busied themselves with cleaning the streets and farming while the nocturnal residents were asleep during the day.

“There are various shops here.”

Leila was walking along, her eyes keenly focused on the crystal glass storefronts.

“Yeah… Leila, how is it walking through a place like this?”

“It’s my first time! Walking through the city and looking at the shops like this…”

That made sense. It was a nonsensical question on my part. Leila hadn’t had the chance to freely stroll outside for a long time.

I couldn’t help but wish I could show her human cities instead of demon ones; perhaps that was just my selfish desire.

Anyway, it’s not like there’s a city where the two of us with horns could walk around freely other than the Demon Lord Kingdom…

Still, “it’s my first time looking at shops,” huh? It’s understandable that her eyes would shine with curiosity. I even had a vague memory of a general store in my hometown—at least I think I did. What was it like seeing something I only knew conceptually up close for the first time?

“Shall we try buying something?”

“Eh?”

Leila’s eyes widened as if asking, “Is that even possible?!”

“Ugh… But I didn’t bring any money!”

“Hmm.”

Now that she mentioned it, I realized I didn’t have a wallet either. I glanced at Viene, and she quickly pulled out a leather pouch from her pocket and nodded. It looked like there were indeed funds available. Having a loyal attendant is a blessing.

“Well then, could you accompany me while I do some shopping?”

“Ah, yes!”

Leila seemed to perk up a bit, and I felt delighted.

But then again, what should I buy?

There were many shops lining the main street, but excessive decorations were considered weak in the Demon Lord Kingdom. Even though Reiju Territory was slightly more civilized, it still seemed like sturdy and practical designs were preferred.

The first thing that caught my eye was a general goods store selling cooking utensils. There was a clothing store dealing with noble attire (in a barbarian style) as well. Oh, there’s even a rental bookstore. I should tell Sophia about it later… although she might know already?

Among the shops on the main street, the largest one—true to the demons—was a weapon shop.

Inside the brilliantly polished display window, a magical spear crafted by dwarves was ceremoniously displayed under the light of a lamp. The passing demons occasionally glanced at the spear, showing faces filled with desire. Dwarven-made weapons truly are a status symbol.

“Nice…”

“Really cool!”

“I’m gonna charge into battle with that spear one day!”

In the midst of that, a few well-dressed demon children were pressing their faces against the window, chattering excitedly. While I sensed their childish innocence, I also felt a complex sentiment, knowing that by the time they went to battle, they’d become a significant threat to humans.

“Huh? Who’s that?”

Then, I locked eyes with one of the children.

“Don’t see your face around here. What a cocky little brat.”

He shot an annoyed glare at me. “Says the brat.”

Before I could feel the vibe of trouble brewing, he was getting pummeled by the pale faces of his friends in a flurry of punches.

“Idiot, don’t you know his face?”

“Your horns will get broken!”

“Run away!”

Dragging the groaning kid along, they all made their escape.

I thought it was kind of merciful they didn’t just leave him behind.

“By the way, your reputation precedes you,” Antendeixis said, sounding exasperated. Yeah… well, I didn’t care what the demons thought of me.

Looking over at Leila, she had her eyes cast down, appearing somewhat ambiguous. She was probably stifling a laugh to avoid being seen as mocking the demons in public.

—With all that going on, we ended up entering a nearby grocery store.

Demon shops really felt weird… Unlike trinkets and miscellaneous goods, food isn’t subjective. Thanks to ice magic, preservation and transportation were easy, so the selection was incredibly vast. Who would’ve thought ice cream would be sold in some corner store…

I was also a bit culture-shocked by the smiley Night Elf employees. It was striking to see them slightly intimidated around my attendants, Viene and the others. Just like how there seemed to be a hierarchy among the demons, something similar might exist among the Night Elves as well, with elite and non-elite divisions?

“This looks tasty.”

“Oh, I’ll get this as a souvenir for Garunya…”

As Leila and I talked aimlessly, we ended up buying several baked goods.

Hmm.

For some reason, this is fun.

Actually, shopping with a girl might be the first time in this life, while counting my previous life as well…

“You really did have a pitiful life, didn’t you…”

Nah, I didn’t have time for that.

I have a vague memory of competing with some female Sword Saint for the last piece of jerky as a merchant during wartime, but counting that is…

“No… that’s… not quite right…”

That’s not quite right, huh…

Taking a bite of the sweets we bought, we exited the shop. It was funny to see Leila getting suddenly excited, saying, “T-This is what eating on the go feels like…!”

And so, after enjoying some unexpected shopping, we walked for a while longer.

I passed through the city center and entered a section with a very different atmosphere.

—The old town.

 

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