Chapter 150
Chapter 150. The City or the Graveyard
Most of the buildings in the Demon Race are made by the Korvto Tribe.
Using their bloodline magic, Stone Manipulation, they can mold and freely control stone materials as easily as children play with clay, creating houses and castles.
As a result of their aversion to excessive decorations unique to the Demon Race and the serious temperament of the Korvto Tribe, the buildings crafted using Stone Manipulation are typically seamless, flat, rough, and linear.
Thus, the capital of the Reiju Territory has become, in a good way functional, but in a bad way, somewhat monotonous.
However, the old town is different.
In a way, it feels familiar to me—it’s a place that maintains the appearance of a human town. The cobblestone streets adorned with scattered mosaic patterns. Houses built from hewn stones and bricks.
These structures are built by human hands, unable to easily mold or stick stones together. Moreover, they represent a rather old style. It seems that the streets from when the kingdom was annexed remain largely intact.
Some of the houses are poorly maintained, with chipped or cracked stone walls, leaning slightly. In stark contrast to the lively center of town, there’s a somewhat sunken atmosphere.
“………”
Even the bustle of the main street feels somewhat distant. I felt like a terribly out-of-place individual.
The baked treats I stuffed into my mouth were sickeningly sweet—
“The atmosphere is completely different.”
Leila said, half bewildered, half curious, glancing around.
“Yeah…”
I nodded.
It doesn’t look bad… but it feels a bit “desolate.” It’s also somewhat deserted, but I feel it’s lacking in vitality.
“You’re not imagining it.”
Antendeixis spoke.
“In the central area just now, there were numerous powerful individuals, yourself being one of them. However, this area is different.”
…I see. The pressure of magic—
“Is extremely low. The emptiness feels that way because there aren’t any strong demons around here.”
I get it now. I absentmindedly stroked my own horns.
Though I’ve grown accustomed to perceiving magic vividly, in moments like this, I still hold onto human senses, I think. Should I be glad or dismayed?
Still, the lack of magical pressure is quite evident. Wasn’t this area still supposed to be inhabited by demons? I heard that the residences of night elves and beastmen who serve are located just a bit outside the city.
“What about this area?”
“It’s the old town.”
When I turned to Viene for conversation, she replied seriously. I already knew that.
“…I was hoping for a bit more detailed information.”
“Just kidding.”
You’re lying; you totally answered that seriously just now. Aren’t you getting elbowed by your fellow night elf next to you?
“When the Reiju Tribe conquered this land, the surroundings of the current tribal leader’s residence were heavily damaged, leading to the formation of a new street layout by the Korvto Tribe, as I’ve heard.”
Viene began to explain nonchalantly. That is what you call the new district, the central area.
“Naturally, houses made of concrete have superior physical and magical strength, so powerful individuals all flocked to occupy them. And the old town, which was simply repaired by the human slaves of that time, became the residence for the rest.”
Choosing her words carefully, Viene.
So the stronger ones got shiny houses in the center, and the weaker ones were left with the leftovers. I see.
In other words, this old town is inhabited by the descendants of the weak Reiju Tribe back in the day—this disparity is quite stark.
Speaking of which, “the human slaves of that time”—I recalled the farms I had seen on the way and felt a pang in my chest.
Considering the racial ratio in the current territory, it’s easy to imagine the dreadful fate of those human slaves who were made to serve back then.
They must have felt quite regretful—standing from their perspective, suddenly this desolate old town looks like a tombstone for the people. Furthermore, the audacity of it all; it’s inhabited not by humans but by demons. Those parasites…
“…Huh.”
I consciously regulated my breathing. If it were just me, I could stew in my anger for ages.
“Shall we go?”
I composed myself and smiled at Leila beside me. It would be unfair to her if I was sulking just when we had gone out.
“I’m with you, you know?”
Of course, you’re always with me.
“Hmph, well as long as you understand…”
Taking Leila’s hand, we started walking. She smiled a little sadly, saying nothing, yet gently clasping my hand in return. The slight pressure of her fingers felt like she was trying to support me—
Alright, let’s quickly escape this stingy area. With that thought, I picked up my pace a bit—
“Ah, Your Highness!”
At the corner, I bumped into a very familiar face.
“Is that Albar?”
It was Albar Aoril, carrying a spear. What’s he doing here?
“Hello. What brings you here, Your Highness…?”
“That’s my line.”
“No, I live around here…”
What? This parasite—well, anyway.
So it turns out the reason he received such an unfairly low evaluation despite his skills and guts was related to some family issues…
Damn it, the fact that I asked Viene about the circumstances is making this a bit awkward.
“I was just strolling around the city. Since I returned home, I’ve been stuck in training and haven’t seen much of the capital.”
I tried to keep my tone casual and told him my situation while subtly wrapping my arm around Leila’s shoulder.
“And… I wanted to let Leila, who has been stuck in human form, fly in the sky. I was thinking of heading to the forest on the outskirts.”
So I said, in a way that suggested I would be leaving—
“Oh, Your Highness is also going to the forest! What a coincidence, I was thinking of going hunting too! I’ll accompany you partway!”
Albar’s face lit up with a smile. There wasn’t a hint of malice, just 100% goodwill and loyalty…
“O-oh…”
I couldn’t brush him off, so I started walking with him added to our group.
“If you go this way, it’s a shortcut. That path may seem straight, but it actually veers to the right at the bottom of the hill, moving away from the forest.”
As expected from a local, his directions were spot-on. He guided me through paths I likely wouldn’t have taken alone, smoothly moving ahead without a hitch.
Though occasionally, it was striking how he picked up trash from the side of the road that was left unattended, trying to keep it out of my sight.
I spotted some residents now and then, but they looked shabby compared to those in the center. (So there are poor demons too?) I was genuinely surprised. Were they not supposed to be part of the noble class in this country…?
No, if I think about it calmly, there were certainly nominally poor nobles in the alliance territories as well.
“…There are many poor folks around here. This isn’t really a place for someone like Your Highness to visit.”
Just as we were almost through the old town, Albar suddenly said, almost as if he was murmuring.
His eyes were fixed straight ahead, but— I felt like his awareness was directed at me.
“What do you think, Your Highness?”
In a somewhat careful tone, Albar asked.
“About the poor, the weak…”
His voice held a rare, earnest resonance, quite unlike the usual brightness of Albar.
