While the entire city fell into silence, Guysitel was the first to come to his senses.
After being dazed for a moment, he seemed to realize his rudeness and hurriedly slapped himself in the face, then turned around and shouted at his corps members who were walking along with the palanquin, making a path around him.
"What are you doing! Hurry up and run off! The demons around seem to be bothering him. Get rid of them quickly!"
The expressions of the corps members changed subtly in an instant.
'...I don't know much about Commander 0, but no matter how I look at it, I think he'll be more bothered by Guysitel than over there.'
Because he kept talking nonsense and flattery that didn't work. Even if that wasn't the case, he had a headache, and when he started talking next to him...
Of course, they didn't say those words out loud. The corps members, who did not feel the need to get caught by telling their superior information that was not clear to their subordinates, simply answered quickly and approached the surrounding demons as if they were herding sheep.
The demons, who had already heard Guysitel's remarks, looked annoyed and quickly retreated. He didn't forget to curse with his eyes.
'Should I be satisfied with having seen the rumored Commander of Corps 0 in person?'
Most people thought this and retreated obediently, but they thought, 'Looks like they'll be staying for a few days, so I guess I'll just hang out near where they're staying. Then maybe we can at least see the face...'
Some people thought this as they watched the colorful palanquin starting to move again from a distance.
Dvelania, feeling these gazes, chuckled.
"Hell is going to have a hard time."
***
Get out.
This was never what I meant. This was force majeure.
Those were words that came from deep within my heart without me even knowing.
As the palanquin moved, Ben on the left asked intermittently whether my head still hurt or if I had any other discomfort other than the head. On the right, Guysitel asked if I was comfortable in the palanquin or if there was anything I didn't like. How could I not go crazy when he is giving me mind-numbing flattery, such as saying that it feels like a halo is shining from behind when I sit down?
'Please get out of here, you bastards... I'm fine, I'm fine...'
So I unintentionally let out a whisper. Get out of here.
I had no idea it would grow this big.
"What are you doing! Hurry up and run off! The demons around seem to be bothering him. Get rid of them quickly!"
No. There's no need to go that far.
Are you planning to make the entire city's demons my enemies? All you have to do is go away, just you!
I could feel the stinging stares. As I slowly rolled my eyes, I saw the demons' distorted expressions.
It was dizzying. They were retreating, swearing with their eyes at the absurd order of the 10th Corps Commander.
First, I looked at the 10th Corps members who were kicking them out, then at Guysitel, and then the place where their gaze settled was none other than me.
'...I don't feel comfortable living in this city.'
Haha. Ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha. Anyone can see this situation right now, it looks like it happened because I gave an order. Of course they felt annoyed with me. If I continued to stay in this city, I don't know when and where there will be people looking to stab me.
So I holed up in my lodgings – a splendid mansion that Guysitel had taken from the city manager.
Oh, and thinking about it again, the palanquin was really the worst.
To what extent, you could tell by looking at me now.
'...Fuck.'
I was lying blankly in my room, and as a memory suddenly came to me, I quietly pulled the blanket up to my head.
Then, using the blanket as a medium, I struggled with all my might to escape the embarrassment.
Puk puk puk!!
"Ugh, fuck!"
I sprained my ankle.
I sprained my ankle while kicking the blanket. I can't even talk about it.
I was rolling around silently, groaning and clutching my ankle, and then boom! And the door opened. I quickly straightened my posture and turned my head, but I couldn't help but be startled by the figure that caught my eye. There was a doctor there who radiated tremendous energy.
Ben looked around the room with his eyes shining brightly, then walked towards me with long strides and started talking rapidly.
"Demon, what's going on! Do you have a headache again? Or is it a surprise attack? No, there's no way you'd let out a moan just because of a surprise attack... If that's the case...!"
"It's nothing!"
I quickly stopped him for fear of another misunderstanding. Even so, Ben narrowed his eyes and looked at me, as if he still didn't trust me.
As I looked at his face, yesterday's events came to mind again. Yes, that. I was riding in a palanquin...
I was embarrassed and lowered my head, but they started making a fuss about it, asking if I had a headache, how much it hurt, what the aftereffects were, etc., so I had to raise my head again and fix my eyes straight ahead.
As I was wondering how to let him know that I was okay, Dvelania stuck her head out from the hallway beyond the open door.
"Ben, when you look at him, it seems like you are looking at Demon too weakly?"
"...Isn't it natural since I am the attending physician?"
"Anyway, it's 'that' Demon."
"..."
"Well, it doesn't matter to me anyway. Rather than that, it's Demon."
She lightly shrugs and looks back.
The voice was more sinister than usual, so I suppressed my body from jumping up and barely answered. The soft voice returned as if it had been waiting.
"There are curious rats snooping around outside. Are you feeling uncomfortable? For example, you didn't want to go out to buy clothes because it was annoying..."
"That..."
Even if that wasn't the reason…
"Did you say you didn't want to go out to buy clothes?"
Where did you come from again?
Guysitel suddenly appeared from the ceiling, unfolding and folding the bat wings behind his back as if asking me to look at him, and clapped his hands twice toward the outside.
Chrrrrrr.
Chrrrrrr.
"..."
"Oh my?"
"Maybe it's annoying! So I called the designers in advance! ...Actually, that is the only reason to come to this city with the Commander of the 2nd Corps…"
I could hear it all. Dvelania's clothing purchases were also famous here.
I looked around the room at the designers who were smiling with their faces turning pale and the corners of their mouths quivering. It was obviously empty except for the bed and closet table, but it quickly filled up with clothes.
If the first city was a 'city of entertainment', the second city was a 'city of shopping' or a 'city of trade'. There were certainly many different types of clothes. In the human world, you could see everything from Northern-style clothing to Southern-style clothing.
'...But strangely, it looks more Southern.'
Now that I think about it, I think the Southern culture particularly caught my eye in this city.
The new clothes that Dvelania gave me when I just arrived in the demon realm, as well as the clothes hanging here in addition to the damn palanquin.
'Well, was there a passage connected to the South discovered somewhere?'
Oh, no way. The Demon King didn't go out of his way to tell me unless it's something I need to do, so even if that were the case, the Empire would have already known and taken action, so there's no way the news wouldn't come to me.
'It's probably just a coincidence.'
***
The Empire, no, the Emperor, was going crazy. It was said that after leaving internal affairs to the Crown Prince, he personally went into battle and wielded his sword. The king of a small kingdom in the South, who was on high alert due to the situation, touched his forehead and sighed at the new news that followed.
Sadly, it seemed like heaven was about to give their kingdom a trial.
"A path to the demon realm has been discovered?"
Here in their kingdom?
"Why, in this situation..."
Under normal circumstances, he would have reported this to the Empire and discussed a plan together.
The Empire was implicitly in charge of matters related to the demon realm, and other kingdoms, who did not want to waste their attention or energy, accepted this without much opposition.
But he couldn't do that now. In a situation where the Empire was running rampant for no reason, wasn't it a situation where if they conquered the kingdom they were currently facing, the next opponent might be their kingdom?
They could not hastily hand over such important information to a country that may be their enemy.
The King, who had been leafing through documents while sighing, twitched his eyebrows as if he had discovered something.
"No major accidents?"
Demons had come over and were wandering around here and there wearing clumsy robes, but there were no major incidents.
"Yes, they are mainly seen snooping around markets and places where small festivals are held, and other than the occasional theft of clothes or items, they do not cause any serious trouble."
"So there have been no serious crimes such as murder yet?"
"Yes."
"Whoa, okay. First of all, I guess I should say that we are fortunate for that alone."
For now, they will have to increase their own surveillance and vigilance and hold off on informing the empire. The current Empire could not be trusted.
The King, who had been skimming through the documents, thinking that this fact should be kept a top secret because he could not add more anxiety to the kingdom's citizens who were already anxious due to the war, stopped when he read the report on the demons' clothing.
Without exception, all demons were different from humans in some way. For example, it would be a horn or a tail, or if we take the Demon Lord as an example, it would be 'eyes'.
So, if they wanted to come to the human realm, they had to cover their teeth well, but these clumsy demons...!
'If you have a tail, you should cover it. Why cover your face?'
If there was a tail, they should hide the tail. Why were they so obsessed with the robe hood? Why does a guy with horns pull the front of the hood tightly when talking to people? Don't the horns stand out more!
Fortunately, since it was a festival at the time, it was considered nothing more than a prop, and they avoided it being made it known that there were demons roaming around here.
'Do these guys have any intention of hiding it?'
It felt like fatigue was already building up at the thought of having more things to worry about.
***
"First of all..."
I looked around at the clothes that filled the room.
...Well, it's also burdensome.
"Let's put these away first."
"Yes? Are you sure you don't have any clothes you like at all?"
Guysitel's eyes widened in surprise and soon turned sharp and turned to look at the designers.
The designers' faces turned white as if they had been squeezed. Even though it wasn't pale, it became even whiter, so it was almost like being coated with flour.
I hurriedly waved my hand in fear that he might be bothering the designers.
"No, no. It's not that..."
"It's not that?"
"..."
Despite Guysitel's question, I trailed off and just kept my mouth shut.
How could I just say I'm not interested in clothes? There was a demon next to me listening to the conversation with his eyes open and blue.
When I glanced at Dvelania, out eyes met surprisingly. She must have read something in my gaze and nodded and opened her mouth.
"Thank you, but I think Demon wants to go around the store and look at the clothes in person. When you come to a city, it's fun to walk around and see things."
"Ah... I was foolish. I'm sorry, Demon."
"Oh yes... Well..."
...I don't want to go out. Let's leave that mess behind...?
Dvelania's eyes narrowed as she was unable to speak and just mumbled as she willingly left.
She kept looking out the window and at me with her arms crossed, nodding as if she understood something. Then she opened the window of the room, put one leg over the sill, and smiled.
"Then I'll take care of the rats outside first."
"Yes? No, wait!"
When you say rats, you're referring to the demons wandering around nearby, right?
I quickly stopped Dvelania and sighed, fearing that I would create another needless grudge relationship. I guess she thought the reason I was mumbling was because of the demons outside.
Damn it. Okay, I'll go out. I'm leaving.
"There is no need to do that. Let's just go out."
I waved the designers away and took the robe from Ben's hand and put it on. Ben, who didn't leave me alone on a day like this because I look like such a child, naturally reached out and straightened the hood and tied the knot of the robe tightly. It was a very skillful and natural touch.
'...Why can I feel Ed's touch in this guy's touch?'
Since Ed was a lieutenant with nothing to do, he said he would do this. Even so, why was he doing this?
Since the two of you encountered each other so often, have you unintentionally become similar?
As I stood there in a daze, thinking that if either Ed or Ben heard my thoughts, a fight would immediately break out, shocking words pierced my ears.
"Ah, are you trying to leave? Then, take the palanquin..."
"You're crazy... No, no need... Um, it's okay."
The rejection engraved in my spinal cord jumped out immediately. I had a bit of trouble expressing what was supposed to be a swear word in a friendly way, but judging by Guysitel's reaction, it seems to be okay.
If you looked at his face, it was not an angry expression, but a pale, tired face.
"Ah, he just swore..."
Haha, that's right. There's no way it's okay.