Chapter 3: Going to the Capital (Again)
Sylvie headed back to the Adventurer’s Guild. Putting her work aside from the morning apparently meant she’d be overwhelmed with it in the evening. She also said she’d need to question the three they’d captured.
Diablo visited a skilled engraver Sylvie had recommended to him, a dwarf called Rombert.
Another dwarf?
Maybe it was natural. Work requiring nimble fingers was commonly done by dwarves, though human craftsmen weren’t uncommon either.
“Rombert’s Jewelers” was a brick structure with a metallic door that had a subtle design etched onto it. Diablo pulled this door open.
“Welcome!”
He was greeted by a woman’s voice. They were a slightly older-looking woman with glasses and large breasts. Dwarven women were short, busty, and had dog ears and tails. Her ears were triangular and chestnut-colored, like a shiba inu’s.
“I’m looking for Rombert?”
“Ah, that’d be me. How can I help ya?”
“Oh, a man’s come to shop here? Unusual...” said a human man standing by the counter. There weren’t many of them in the southern district. Maybe he was a regular client?
Diablo ignored the man and took the Eternal Mythril out of his pouch, placing it on the counter in front of the shopkeeper.
“I want you to handle this.”
“Whoa, incredible!” Rombert said, putting her glasses back on. “Is this real?!”
“If you can’t tell that much, I’ll take my business elsewhere.”
“No, no, it’s fine. But for a man to bring one of these in... Is it for a wedding ring?!”
Diablo recoiled on the inside, but remained expressionless. Demon Lords didn’t get embarrassed!
“Hm.”
“My! Well, congratulations!”
Meanwhile, the human regular was staring not at the Eternal Mythril but at Diablo.
“Hm? Hey, are you... Could you really be...”
“Hm?”
“...Diablo the Hero?!”
“Ugh...”
“Yeah, you gotta be! How many demons with horns on their head could there be in this town?!”
“And if I am?” Diablo asked darkly to hide his awkwardness.
This human was either extraordinarily dense or terribly brazen, because he didn’t seem to notice Diablo’s menacing tone and approached the “hero” with a smile.
“Thanks to you, the Fallen didn’t kill us all! The whole city’s grateful!”
“Ah, hmm...”
Rombert the engraver also grew excited. “Whoa! I didn’t think I’d be getting work from a hero! Wait till the folks back home hear about this!”
Hey, that’s personal information! Haven’t you heard about confidentiality?!
Small businesses in this world didn’t seem to comply with such professional ethics.
Diablo sighed, lamenting at how being a hero brought him nothing but trouble.
“I’m only here to discuss my request. When will it be ready and how much will it cost?”
“Aww, I can’t take money from the hero who saved the town,” Rombert said with a smile. “I’ll put the rest of my work aside and get started on it right away. It’ll be all ready for ya tomorrow morning!”
“Hm.”
...Hey, being a hero’s pretty cool.
“Ehehe...” The human man took a medal out from under his jacket. “This here’s a business a buddy of mine runs. Stop by if you get the chance. If you show them this medal, you’ll get in for free.”
“Hmm?”
Having been poor for so long, “free” enticed Diablo. He accepted the medal without hesitation.
The medal itself only looked to be worth about a copper coin or so. A mermaid was drawn at its center and letters (that Diablo couldn’t read) were written around its circumference.
“What type of place is it?”
The man snickered, and whispered as if sharing a secret:
“A monster girl café.”
“...Wh-Wh-Whaaat?” Diablo stared at the man’s face, dumbfounded. His snickering smile gave the impression he was like a kid telling a dirty joke.
“It’s in the royal capital, though.”
“The capital...”
“It’s a place where you can get reaaal up close and wet with monster girls.” The man swung his hips pliably.
“Disgusting!” Rombert scolded him with a frown.
“Aww, c’mon. I got you an order from that place, you know?”
“You can’t send a customer who showed up to buy a wedding ring to a store like that!”
“You just don’t get how men work, Rombert.”
“...A hero at that!”
“Heroes have battles to fight in the bedroom too.”
Leaving the two to their squabbling, Diablo left the jeweler’s behind him, medal in hand.
A monster girl soapland?! It’s got such an indecent ring to it!
He was filled with the kind of excitement he’d feel when standing before a new, unexplored dungeon.
†
Five days after the new year’s festival—
The carriage rattled as it rolled down the road. Diablo held the reins with Sylvie sitting at his side.
“Isn’t Rombert a great craftswoman?”
“If you ignore how chatty she is.”
“She’s actually pretty tight-lipped, so long as booze isn’t involved.”
Can’t shut her up when it is, huh.
“I have no complaints about the craftsmanship.” Rombert had indeed made him a pair of gorgeous wedding rings.
“I sure was surprised when you decided to go to the capital as soon as the rings were done♪”
“Hmph... It has little to do with the rings having been completed. Besides, I’m the surprised one here. I didn’t think I’d be getting a guildmaster along with the fodder.”
He’d gone to the coach where he left his carriage to get the horses prepped for the trip, only to find Sylvie waiting for him there the next day.
“I said I’d come with you, didn’t I?”
“What about your other duties?”
“Hmm... Well, I figured it’d be a good time to get the new guy used to the job. Having him act as my proxy will be a good lesson for him.”
“Proxy?”
“Yeah, Emile.”
“That idiot?”
“He’s actually pretty shrewd when it counts, you know?” Sylvie smiled wryly.
“That doesn’t make him a good fit as a guildmaster.”
“Ahaha... Well, you see, popularity is what’s important.”
Diablo shrugged; popularity wasn’t a fond topic. Emile was often surrounded by his party members, and had the social skills to gather people together.
“I’m the type to give instructions from behind the scenes,” Sylvie said, gazing at the scenery. “But Emile’s the type to tackle crises head on, and he always has his friends with him.”
“Hm...”
“He’s kinda like you, actually.”
“Hmph... I don’t recall ever leading any ‘friends.’”
“Really?”
“I need only myself when the time comes for battle.”
When the Demon Overlord Modinaram attacked, he felt at ease with Sasara and Rose handling the vanguard. But they weren’t here now. In the end, it was all dependent on the situation, or so Diablo thought. Same as the weather and the terrain, there was a fighting style one could adopt with vanguards to help, and a fighting style for when one didn’t have them.
Yet Diablo could never understand those who were dependant on others despite their own strengths, who said things like, “We can’t challenge this boss because the healer isn’t around” or, “We’re scouting out a dungeon so I want to have a seeker around.”
“Even if this world is built on cooperation, I work alone.”
“But I’m here with you right now.”
“I can’t trust you.”
“Wow, rude?!” Sylvie’s face was practically ruined with tears.
...Crocodile tears.
That’s why I can’t trust you.
Diablo scratched his ear with one of his fingers, as a way of cutting the conversation off.
“You can’t do that, Diablo!”
“Do what?”
“Ears are very delicate!” Sylvie’s own rabbit ears twitched excitedly.
Grasswalkers had an excellent sense of hearing. Their ancestors lived out on the plains and developed the scouting abilities and agility necessary to escape larger predators. They were also rather zealous when it came to tending to their ears.
Beyond that, Diablo pondered about how this was the first time anyone had scolded him since he came to this world. Many people opposed him, and many more were angry at him. He’d faced individuals who were out for his life more than once...but he couldn’t recall ever being scolded.
“Let’s stop for lunch, Diablo♪”
“Lunch? It’s far too soon...”
“There’s a river over there, and the weather’s so nice. I feel like eating something really good.”
“Hm.”
It wasn’t like he had any plans to see the king. Rather, the store he’d heard about interested him and he decided to go check it out. Thus, he went out of his way to visit the royal capital. He wasn’t in a hurry to get there, so he stopped the carriage as Sylvie had asked. She took the cooking tools from the wagon as she got off.
“I’ll stoke the fire, so you go get water for the pot!”
I have to help too...?
When he was with Rem and Shera, they usually had jerky and fruit. They sometimes even made soup, since Rem knew enough elemental magic to start a fire, so he always ended up just staring at them as they worked. The only time he was ever involved in cooking was in his personal dungeon.
At Sylvie’s instruction, he washed the battered iron pot in the river, then scooped it upward from the water. When he came back, Sylvie had already made a simple kiln with a few bricks.
“Thanks, Diablo!” She smiled. “Next, I need you to wash the dishes.”
“...Hmm.”
By the time he’d returned, there was already fire under the pot. Sylvie was skillfully cutting vegetables on a cutting board before dropping them in it. This was what an experienced adventurer looked like.
“Mm hmm mm♪”
Sylvie took some yellow powder out from under her “clothes.” A faint scent tickled Diablo’s nostrils.
“Is that curry?!”
“Oh, I’m surprised you know. You really live up to your name, Diablo. From what I’ve heard, it’s a dish from the southern countries.”
She sprinkled the powder on top, and, after simmering the contents for a while, her soup curry was ready. Sylvie poured some into a plate and handed it to Diablo.
“Just be careful, it’s hot.”
“Hmm.”
He tore off a piece of hard bread, dipped it into the curry, and bit into it. A great taste filled his mouth. Sylvie did the same and her ears twitched with delight.
“Mmm~ It’s so spicy and good!”
“Hm.”
Diablo’s tongue tingled. The flavor was a bit thin, but the spice was certainly there. It hadn’t been simmered for that long, but the potatoes and carrots were soft and easy to eat. Upon closer inspection, they weren’t simply cut into mouth-sized bits, but sliced so meticulously that they’d be easier to eat. It was a process called scoring.
To think one’s skill with cooking would make such a huge difference even when cooking outdoors...
“Haah, it’s been so long... Eating this really gives me that ‘I’m out on an adventure!’ feel.”
“Do you always make this?”
“When I have the time and proper ingredients.”
“Though it’s not much of an adventure this time.”
“That’s not true. There’s no telling what might happen by the time we get to the capital.”
“...Something more dangerous than the Demon Overlord?”
“Maybe. Who knows.”
Her response was more serious than he expected, making him shrug.
“You’re a cowardly one.”
“Sure am. That’s why I’ve lived for so long. All my brave friends went ahead and died already.”
When Diablo was summoned to this world, he’d already had most of his strength; he was never weak enough to die that easily. There were times when he was backed against a wall by a powerful enemy, but he never had to look at things with cowardly caution. He’d exercised efficiency in this world, just as he did in the game. Even if he took damage or exhausted himself, he prioritized the results first and foremost. But if he were to die, there wouldn’t be any restarts. This aspect wasn’t like the game.
Diablo slowly chewed the well-simmered, soft carrots of his curry soup, and swallowed.
“...I suppose there are still many things to learn.”
“Hm? What?” Sylvie grinned at him.
†
After packing up their cooking utensils, the two set off once more. Unlike stage coaches, which would switch out horses every time they’d make a stop, the two could only rely on the one horse they had right now. They couldn’t overwork it, and decided to set up camp soon after. While there was the option of going to an inn-town, it was fairly peaceful out on the highway, and the weather was nice. They bought water and fodder for the horse and decided to camp out on the outskirts of town. They still sat in the carriage’s wagon, however, which was more comfortable than a cheap inn.
After leaving the carriage for a moment, Sylvie went back in.
“I set up some traps around camp. If a wild animal comes near, the traps should make some noise to alert us.”
“So you didn’t go out to use the restroom.”
“N-No...” she replied, her face turning red.
“It’s nice not having to stay so on guard with just the two of us.”
“When you guys go out, do you alternate shifts?”
“That’s what we usually decide, but Shera keeps sleeping in. We usually avoid quests that require us to camp out for days.”
Diablo laid down on the bench. It was a bit cramped for a bed, but it was much better than the moist ground or scraggy gravel.
“Your MP doesn’t recover if you don’t sleep, after all!”
Sylvie quickly scooted over to where Diablo rested his head.
“...What?”
“You were picking at your ears today, right? I figured I’d show you some proper ear caring techniques.”
Thinking back, she’d scolded him when he scratched at his ear with his finger.
“That’s not necessary. I’m not a child.”
“Now, now, my ear cleaning procedure is something special. I’ve even thought about starting an ear cleaning parlor once I retire.”
“It’s already night.”
Sylvie snapped her fingers, and a light appeared above them—a light spell. Sorcerers in this world possessed weak magical energies and couldn’t get much firepower out of elemental magic, so they looked down on it. However, they still learned some basic elemental magic as part of their foundation, the kinds that would serve as necessary functions in everyday life.
“What should I do then?” Diablo followed along, albeit with some suspicion.
Sylvie sat at the edge of the bench and tapped on her slender thighs. “Just rest your head right here.”
“...Are you serious?”
“I wouldn’t joke about something like this, Diablo. Hmmhmmhmm...”
She didn’t seem to be teasing him, so Diablo laid down and rested his head on her lap.
“Ah, your horns are getting in the way... Any way you could take them off or something?”
“Th-They don’t come off, I’ll have you know!”
Saying they were decorative this late into the game would be lame (and it obviously went against his Demon Lord role play).
“Oh well. Then look away.”
His cheek pressed against one of her thighs. Judging from her speech and conduct, she was much older than Diablo, but her skin was as soft and smooth as a child’s. He knew grasswalkers retained childlike appearances no matter how old they got, but apparently their skin remained the same too. It was a bit odd, if only because they had the same lifespans as humans.
Her body heat was as hot as a human’s, too, and he could feel it against his skin. Looking closer, he could spot superfine hairs, like a cat’s whiskers, on her kneecap. They were white, so he couldn’t tell they were there without looking so closely.
Then, something touched the tip of Diablo’s ear.
“Ugh...”
“Oh, did it hurt?”
“It does tickle...”
“Ahaha... Bear with it for a bit.”
“Well...it’s not that bad...”
“First, I’ll use this wooden earpick to get the earwax out...”
She began gently cleaning his ear out.
“Hmm, hmm, hmm♪ Next, I’ll use this cotton swab to get all the dirt out...”
“A cotton swab?!”
“This.” She presented a small tool consisting of a thin, wooden stick that had cotton wrapped around its tip.
“O-Oh...” In his old world, cotton swabs were a bit different. They were made of plastic with absorbent cotton adhered to their tips.
Diablo experienced a soft, pleasant sensation as Sylvie continued cleaning his ears.
She rubbed the interior of his outer ear and asked, “Does it hurt?” She then propped her hand up against the other side, and used her slender fingers and the swab to gently trace the ups and downs of his ear. She was only touching his ear, but when coupled with the heat of her thighs, it gave him the sensation of floating in hot water. He felt like he was melting in both mind and body.
“All right, I’ll finish by putting in some Jojoba oil!”
She produced a small bottle filled with a transparent yellow fluid, which she dripped onto her finger and smeared all over his ear. Diablo felt his own body heat rise for some reason.
“Good! Now, turn the other way.”
“...What?”
“I need to clean your other ear, too.”
“R-Right...”
“Look that way for me.”
She’s just cleaning my ear. There’s nothing suspicious about it...
Repeating those words like a mantra, Diablo turned sideways, facing Sylvie’s stomach. The cheek that had touched Sylvie’s thigh until now rapidly cooled down, while the other cheek began heating up. This time, though, Diablo’s nose just barely touched Sylvie’s belly button.
The way she’s dressed, she’s pretty much walking around naked...
Owing to her small body frame, it ended up being an ear cleaning session with tons of skin contact. It almost felt like his face might get buried in her smooth stomach.
It was overall a warm sensation. His ears felt open, and her humming sounded like a lullaby. With the day’s exhaustion weighing in on the matter as well, Diablo felt his consciousness rapidly sinking into slumber.
Aaah. This feels so good... I guess that’s a guildmaster for you...
†
Lyferian calendar, year 165, first month, ninth day—
After a few days’ journey, Diablo’s carriage arrived at the gate of Sevenwall’s ninth district gate. The guards called him over.
They mistook me for a Fallen last time...
It had brought up some unpleasant memories. However, before things could get bothersome, Sylvie presented a gold staff decorated with a crystal.
“I’m Sylvie, guildmaster of Faltra’s Adventurer’s Guild. Will you be inspecting our cargo?”
“No need! You may pass!” All the guards gave an orderly salute. Diablo heaved a sigh of relief inside.
“Just what I’d expect from a guildmaster.”
“They didn’t have these citizen identity crystals before, so it could get really annoying. People wouldn’t believe me when I said who I was.”
“That sounds hard.”
They quickly passed through the gate and rolled onto the street full of shops. The wheels rattled and rumbled against the tiled ground which was larger than Faltra’s main street, but was still overflowing with people. Seeing so many of them made Diablo feel queasy.
“Tch...” Diablo hated being around large crowds. “Is there some sort of festival going on?”
“The new year’s festival. For the first ten days of the year, people drink, sing, and dance. There’s a ton of stalls that are unique to this festival too.”
“Is the new year really such a reason to celebrate? It comes around every year...”
“Ahaha... I suppose. But at the end of last year, there was news of the Demon Lord’s revival. There were also rumors that this was a doomed war for us, so they’re probably celebrating more than usual.”
“Hmm...”
The victory celebrations in Faltra had lasted for a few days as well, but Diablo was surprised that the news traveled this far.
“It’s all thanks to you, Diablo,” Sylvie said with a light smile.
“I didn’t fight to save these people. I only reduced Modinaram to dust for attacking my base of operations.”
“And you saved everyone in the process,” she interjected with a serious expression.
Diablo could feel himself getting embarrassed, so he changed the topic.
“Where would Rem and Shera be?”
“I’m not in touch with them, but...they’re probably at Castle Grandiose. They did head to the capital for an audience with the king.”
“I see.”
“Usually, you have to wait a long time in the castle for an audience. The king is pretty busy at the start of the year, so they’ll probably have to stay there for another ten days or so. Want to go see them?”
“No, I have no intention of doing so.”
He’d come to the capital, but still had no wish to meet with the king. Sylvie was aware of that, and didn’t bother him further.
“We’ll need to find somewhere to stay, then. I could stay at the capital’s Adventurer’s Guild, but you don’t like places full of strangers, right?”
He nodded silently. They hadn’t traveled for very long, but she realized that much already. Maybe she’d seen through his Demon Lord role play too.
Still, I have to stick with it. I can’t hold a conversation otherwise...
“...Rem said they’d meet Alicia and Lumchina in the capital,” Diablo said after a moment’s pondering. “Perhaps we should get in touch with them.”
“Then I’ll try to contact Lumachina. Let’s find an inn and I’ll write her a letter.”
“I leave it in your hands.”
Sylvie didn’t trust Alicia, which was perhaps natural, seeing as she’d plotted Klem’s awakening as the Demon Lord Krebskulm. She was an Imperial Knight, but was at the same time a Demon Lord worshiper who desired the destruction of the races. She’d since reformed and swore her allegiance to Diablo, but her hatred for the races still ran deep.
She’s a pretty dangerous person...
Even Diablo would still treat her as an enemy if Rem hadn’t forgiven her. The same held true for Shera, but those two were far too kind and naive for their own good... They were humanitarians to the core, despite being adventurers. While Diablo didn’t dislike that about them...
In the end, Diablo and Sylvie decided to stay at an inn in the ninth district, since many of the inns had stables attached to them.
“I think this place looks good!”
Sylvie pointed at an inn called The Princess Lafina. Its name was impressive, but the storefront looked quite old and unfashionable.
“Have you stayed here before?” Diablo asked, tilting his head.
“It’s a great place! It’s old, but a neighboring country’s princess, Lafina, once stayed here. They’ve renovated the place three times since.”
“That’s too old.”
“They’ll house the carriage, they’re really cheap, and their food is tasty.”
“Hmm.”
Cheap was good. After defeating the Demon Overlord, Diablo had received a good amount of coin from the nobles to “prepare for the celebratory feast,” but not so much that he could freely throw his money around.
So, for lack of a better option, they decided to rent a room at The Princess Lafina. The interior was just as old and frugal as the exterior.
Did royalty really stay in this place? Must’ve been a pretty poor princess. Or maybe it’s just made up...?
The room was fairly wide, and was equipped with two small beds.
“We’re sharing a room?”
“Don’t worry about it~ The Faltra Adventurer’s Guild will pay for our stay.”
“... So you’re monitoring me.”
Diablo’s defeat of Modinaram increased his worth...for better and worse. He could easily imagine the Adventurer’s Guild becoming more wary of him.
“Well, I won’t deny that.” Sylvie waved her hand in a casual fashion. “Your achievements were just that grand. But you won’t experience any bad treatment from me, all right?”
“Do whatever you want.”
Being monitored was an unpleasant thing, but running around behind her back was even more bothersome. Either way, it seemed she meant him no harm for the moment.
Sylvie picked up a pen and paper. “I just need to contact Lumachina, right? I’ll also inform Rem and Shera we’ll be staying at this inn.”
“Yes. And tell them I don’t intend to meet the king.”
“I’ll write it down.”
Apparently accustomed to office work, Sylvie ran the pen over the paper in fluid movements. Diablo laid down on the bed as she did so. He’d come all the way to the capital, but...when push came to shove, he was too timid to visit that store. He had no experience playing those sorts of...“games.” That said, he was never the type to actively go out and look at the sights. He was interested in this relatively unfamiliar city, but the crowds outside were so large he only wished to stay holed up at the inn.
“I’m going to sleep.”
“It’s still only noon.”
“I’m tired.”
“...I suppose it was a long journey here. Well, good night, Diablo.”
He closed his eyes...and instantly dozed off.
When he came to, it was already dark out the window. The western sky was still faintly red, with the sun apparently having just set. He thought he’d wake up before dinner, but he was surprisingly tired from the trip and overslept. He was also alone in the room.
I guess Sylvie went out.
His stomach grumbled.
“I came all the way to the capital, so I suppose I’ll try their food.”
The capital had many places that offered unique food one couldn’t find in Faltra. Though the last time he was here, he was in hiding, and while that hotel’s cooking was wonderful, he still wanted to eat out.
†
One of the inn’s workers had told Diablo, “You looking for something to eat? The tenth district is open until late at night. It’s a lively town, but it’s not the safest place around, so be careful while you’re out there!”
It was the next district over, so it’d take thirty minutes to walk there. Diablo pondered if going that far just for dinner was worth it, but...there were apparently carriages making rounds for free.
The capital’s pretty amazing. How convenient.
Diablo was the king of Greenwood, only a small kingdom in the remote countryside, there was probably something to be learned about administration here. However, Diablo’s firm stance was to never get involved in politics.
As he waited at a carriage station, which functioned like a bus station, a large box-shaped carriage arrived and picked him up. They didn’t operate on a set schedule, so his trip was fairly easy-going. You didn’t need a ticket to get on, and when you wanted to get off, you either did so at a stop or jumped off on your own accord when you reached your destination. It was a somewhat wild sort of infrastructure, to put it mildly.
At the tenth district—
The central area was a large entertainment district. Multiple roads extended in all directions, with bars and restaurants lined up side by side, making for a very lively place. Voices echoed all around, inviting people in to visit certain businesses. Drunks loitered on the roadsides, singing or chattering with each other. There were men and women, young and old folk...
Diablo was shocked at the sight of a child downing a bottle of alcohol! But upon further inspection, realizing it was a grasswalker, he suspected they were likely older than he was.
I don’t know if I’d call this lively or just disorderly and chaotic...
Diablo surveyed his new surroundings. The city’s infrastructure was larger than he remembered it being in Cross Reverie. The game’s version of this city was far more simplified, which was to be expected. If the starting town was thirty times bigger than it was, it wouldn’t be a fantasy world adventure RPG but a city adventure where you solved cases around town. If it took you an hour just to get from the castle to the city gates, it’d be one hell of a shit game.
This fantasy world in particular was based off of Europe’s Middle Ages, but the capital, Sevenwall, was larger than any town in that time period. Perhaps the existence of the Fallen and magical beasts made people gather more easily. But at the cultural level of the Middle Ages, having people gather in one place required agricultural land and pastures, which limited the population a city could adequately support. Now, the royal capital didn’t seem to have any food problems, so perhaps they grew something that yielded bountiful crops? Maybe they’d established some larger scale means of transportation? While Diablo had no interest in politics, he liked the concept of fantastical worlds and had some interest in urban organization.
“That aside, I should find some place to eat... Hm?”
As he walked down the main street, a sign entered his line of sight. He couldn’t read the letters, but he recognized the mark it displayed.
A mermaid!
Diablo hastily took out his medal. There was no mistaking it...
It’s the monster girl soapland!
Diablo started sweating bullets.
What do I do?!
The place looked sort of suspicious... However, the door was closed. Maybe they were closed for business...? No, the letters that formed the word “open” were on the door; he could read that much. In this world, businesses often had their doors closed even during normal working hours, and had the word “closed” displayed when they were...well, closed. This meant the place was still open.
“Nnng...”
But what if it’s one of those really weird shops? I’m scared...
As he stood frozen in place, the door swung open from the inside, and a woman dressed in an outfit that greatly exposed her chest exited. She had long ears, like an elf’s, and her long, golden hair covered half her face. Elves had slender bodies and flat chests, and her skirt had a very provocative slit that reached up to her hipbone. It seemed to naturally draw one’s gaze to it—and so his eyes met hers.
“My, are you a customer? Welcome. We’re available, so you can come in now.”
“No, I, erm...”
“Oh! That medal!” She pointed at the object in his hand.
“Ah, no, this is...”
“That’s proof you’re a special guest! Now come in, come in!”
“N-No... Wait...”
“Don’t mind the fee; you can check out the girls to your heart’s content. Come, come hither!”
The lady wrapped her arms around Diablo’s arm. He thought she was flat-chested, but hers had a distinct softness to it. When she drew her face close to him like it was some CG graphic from a game, Diablo’s thoughts screeched to a halt. Elves were said to be a beautiful race, so much so that they were “close in likeness to God.” She was irresistible. Or rather, he wanted to give in to the temptation.
Before he even realized what was going on, Diablo had entered the store. He passed through a red curtain which led him into the dim interior.
“Ah?!” he let out inadvertently.
Reclining on many circular sofas were girls unlike anything he’d ever imagined. He figured they’d be young ladies in monster costumes, but he was merely being naive. One girl looked like an oni, with what looked to be a very real horn protruding from her skin. Another green-haired girl was apparently a...dryad? It was a type of female monster that appeared in Cross Reverie. Another had the lower half of a snake, likely a lamia. The sounds she made were all too realistic to that of a snake.
“What...is this...?!”
Monsters, in the middle of the peaceful capital?!
“Heheh...” The elven lady who’d invited him in stood behind the reception counter. “Which monster girl suits your fancy?”
Diablo swallowed audibly, the sound of his heartbeat thundering in his ears. He was sweating profusely, not able to focus his eyes for whatever reason.
“...My...fancy?” was the most he could squeeze out of his throat.
The lady nodded and brought her lips to Diablo’s ears, whispering those honeyed words with a glossy voice and a sweet tone once more.
“That’s right. What. Girl. Do you. Want. To do~”
“Wha?!”
Upon closer inspection, Diablo concluded that if he had the sort of personality that would actively attend this type of establishment, he wouldn’t have bailed from his first night with Shera or kept Rem waiting for three whole days. He didn’t have an ounce of confidence, which was why he was so terrified of doing anything that would expose him for who he truly was.
What if I screw up because I’m inexperienced?! Won’t they laugh at me? Won’t I embarrass myself? No, I’ll definitely embarrass myself!
His body was shivering like a leaf, and the lady seemed to catch on.
“My, my, I thought with the medal you’d be more... Well, how about we just make do with a massage instead?”
A...massage?
Diablo regained his cool. Calming his breath, he asked the receptionist lady, “Are those real monsters?”
“Oh dear... This really is your first time, isn’t it, sir? Those are therianthropes. They’re not much different from the races, they just aren’t acknowledged as such. Their numbers are few, and they ended up opposing the races.”
“Since they’re identified as beast-type monsters...”
“But all the ones here are very good girls who love the races very much~”
“Hmm...”
There were some among the races who desired the races’ annihilation. Was it not strange that some who were treated as monsters were friendly to the races?
“They’re all good girls who love the races’ ●●●●● very, very much♪”
“Pffft?!”
“My, my, my... I didn’t think you’d be so naive from how you look. Are you a virgin, by chance?”
“N-N-Nonsense!”
It seemed there was no fooling a pro. He gave it all away far too easily.
“Well, fine then. Let’s see this as a first-timer’s course and just make do with a massage, all right?” The lady pushed him from behind.
“A massage...”
“It does wonders for stiff shoulders, eyestrain, and lower back, joint, and muscle pains. They’re also great for one’s skin and help prevent aging.”
It felt like she was just spewing marketing buzzwords. Diablo was led to a bed that was partitioned off with a curtain, and the lady was replaced by the monster girls he saw reclining earlier.
“Welcome, welcome♪”
“De...mon... Unusual...”
“Is that something we should be saying thooough~”
Respectively, the oni girl had a high-pitched voice, the dryad was speaking in broken sentences, and the lamia girl seemed to slur the end of her lines.
“Let’s just take off your armor for now.”
“Steel... No like...”
“Mister, you’re a hottie! Your skin’s so smoooth!”
They’d removed his armor with skilled swiftness as Diablo stiffened in place, overwhelmed by the situation.
So this is the power...of monster girls... Impressive...
“Hey, now, it’s just a massage.”
“Won’t...hurt...”
“You might feel like you’re going to heaven thooough~”
Is this really, truly just a massage...?
Such a thought crossed Diablo’s mind, but he didn’t put it into words. The oni girl was finger-massaging his shoulders earnestly, and the sensation was something between pain and pleasure.
“Uuu...”
The dryad’s hands touched Diablo’s cheeks. The scent of the forest wafted into his nostrils, and his body felt like it was covered in moisture. His muscles relaxed. It was the first time he’d felt such a sensation that clung adhesively to his skin.
The lamia girl was touching Diablo as well—with her tongue.
“Schluuuuuurp...”
“Uuu, kuh...” The soft, warm stimulus finally elicited a moan from the rigid Demon Lord.
“Ah, this is a massage, too, you knooow?” the lamia girl said bashfully. “My haaands~ They’re kinda weeeak~ And my scales would just feel painful, so I make people feel better with my tooongue~”
“It just looks like you’re tasting him to me,” the oni girl spoke up as she continued pressing on Diablo’s shoulders.
“Booo~ If anything, try not to break his bones this tiiime~”
“I’ve been practicing a bunch, so it’ll be fine.”
“And I’ve practiced a bunch toooooo~”
“Yeah, except you did it so you don’t end up peaking just from giving someone a massage.”
“Ehehe, heheheee~ Mmm, nnn, schlurp...”
“Uuu...” Diablo moaned some more, overcome by three distinct sensations mixing together into a blend of pleasant, sensual pain.
Diablo felt his body heating up. This had happened before where, when he was extremely worked up, his magical energy seeped out on its own. Right now, his magical energy was flowing toward the monster girls touching him.
“Haaah?!” The lamia girl who lapped at him with her tongue stiffened and shivered.
“W-Wait, what are you... Nnn?!” Next, the oni girl massaging his shoulders arched her back, her eyes darting about in surprise. “Wh-What is this?! Magical energy?! Th-There’s so much...”
But even as she shivered, she didn’t let go of Diablo. Her face was flushed, her voice noticeably coquettish.
“Kaaaha?!” The dryad recoiled. “Magical energy... So much...”
“Haah, haah, haah...” Diablo’s breathing came out in rough, shallow bursts. His consciousness was hazy from the inexplicable stimulation. It was said that a good massage could make one sleepy, so he may have been experiencing something similar.
He unintentionally reached out and grabbed the Dryad girl’s arm.
“Eek?! Nnnnnn!” Her body twitched as if she’d been struck by electricity and sank limply to the floor.
When Diablo came to shortly after, the monster girls all looked utterly exhausted.
What the heck happened here...?
“What?! What happened to you, girls?!”
“Ugh... Sir... So good...”
“I...finished...”
“Haaaha, mooore~”
The oni, dryad, and lamia lay limply with intoxicated, climactic expressions on their faces.
“Impossible...” The elf turned pale. “You did this...so quickly?! But it should’ve just been a massage!”
Diablo was, frankly, just as clueless as she was, but he’d apparently done something. He hurriedly fixed his outfit in the meantime.
“Hmph... That was a fairly pleasant experience, but it appears it was far too soon for them to challenge the likes of me!” he proclaimed grandly.
“J-Just who are you...?!” The lady stepped back in awe.
“Listen well and carve it into your heart, for I am Diablo! A Demon Lord from another world!”
Even he had to stop and wonder if introducing himself so pompously even meant anything in this kind of establishment... If he was capable of handling this tactfully, his life would’ve been that much easier...
The lady took another step back. Her expression flushed and she looked at Diablo with glittering eyes.
“The Demon Lord...of the bedroom!”
Uhh, no?!
It didn’t feel like correcting her at this point would do any good, though.
“Ahahahahahaha!” Instead, he simply gave a hearty laugh, so as to hide his embarrassment.
The aftereffects of the monster girls’ massage still lingered. While his vision still wavered a bit, his level 100 warrior body wouldn’t lose its balance that easily.
“Demon Lord, sir!” The receptionist lady ran after him as he left the store. “Please, come again! We’ll have more cute monster girls waiting for you♪”
She was a pro. However, Diablo grew maddeningly embarrassed as the gazes of those around the district gathered toward him.
“Hmph...” Diablo suppressed the blush trying to overtake his cheeks and smiled indominately. “Tonight was quite the feast.”
Even though all he did was get overwhelmed and receive a massage with his mouth hanging wide open...
He then recalled his own inexperienced conduct and burned with shame. Yet another epic case of failed communication. Diablo distanced himself from the shop as quickly as he could.
†
“Haah... Haah... Haah...”
Despite not having run or fatigued himself in any particular way, Diablo felt more exhausted than he did after fighting the Demon Overlord. He was sweating profusely and his heart was beating fast. The memory was far more embarrassing than the act itself, and his body was reacting oddly to it.
“...Idiot,” he cursed at no one in particular.
It was directed at nothing but his own timidness. If only he had a bit more backbone, he’d be able to spend his time better with those monster girls... But he couldn’t imagine himself handling a girl properly.
“Kuh...”
I wish I could speak to them more...properly...
There were so many things he wanted to ask about those monster girls. But instead of curiosity, he was now full of regret.
Then, he felt someone approach him. As he hung his head, a pair of loafers entered his sight.
A girl...?
Diablo raised his head. A Pantherian girl stood there, a cherubic expression on her face.
“Hello, mister. Um... Would you like to buy a flower?”
Diablo felt his heart skip a beat.
“Ah...?!” His eyes widened.
She had small, triangular cat ears, orange hair tied into twintails, and long, entrancing eyelashes. She was dressed in a green, modest robe, with her tail sticking out from its hem. The basket in her hands was full of violet flowers.
“Hmm...” Perhaps he’d been staring at her too intensely, because her cheeks flushed pink.
“Y-You’re...?!” Diablo reflexively grabbed her by the shoulders.
“Ah?!”
A large bulky man (by the standards of the races) had just grabbed a relatively petite Pantherian girl. It was as suspicious as it seemed. The girl didn’t shriek, but the passersby were certainly turning to look at them.
“A-Ah...” Diablo hurriedly let go of her. “I apologize. Pardon me.”
“Do I...know you?”
“No... Um...”
They didn’t so much know each other as she’d asked. The Pantherian girl Diablo knew was a “Flower Seller” NPC who appeared in Cross Reverie. Diablo gazed at the girl, all while minding not to frighten her.
She really does look like her...
The Pantherian girl tilted her head in even more confusion.
†
“The God of Destruction Europa Raid Event! A time-limited quest for the summer holidays!”
Such was the announcement for this unique raid event the admins had set up for high level players.
“An extremely powerful monster has been summoned inside the mage academy within the capital! Form a party with other high level adventurers and defeat this overwhelmingly powerful beast! (Event duration is between August 1st and August 31st. Participation in the quest opens after completing the newly added story section.)”
Of course, Diablo didn’t form a party and tackled it solo...
That part was just fine.
What wasn’t fine was how absorbed he was in that event’s story. Ever since the start of Cross Reverie’s service, the Flower Seller NPC was always in the main square of the capital. She was just one of the city’s civilians, unremarkable in every way. If the girl before Diablo’s eyes were to be made into a 3D model, she’d likely look exactly like that NPC. The game’s rendering potential was never that realistic, and often focused on bringing out certain visual quirks in the characters. All she’d ever done was repeat the line, “Would you like a red flower?” with her naive appearance. However, flowers were never really sold in the game, not that Diablo wanted them to be, but...
Said NPC gained somewhat of a cult following among the players. Just a pure, innocent flower seller. However, some foul-mouthed players made stupid claims that selling flowers was Middle Ages jargon for prostitution, which triggered more than a few flame wars. And Diablo’s stance?
I thought she was just an innocent little girl. You have to have a dirty mind for that NPC to look suspicious! What nonsense.
However!
After the God of Destruction Europa raid event began, the flower seller actually did begin selling an item called “The Violet Flower.” The flower you actually obtained wasn’t the right color, though, which gave players a feeling something was off. At the same time, players would receive a quest from the mage academy’s headmaster stating, “Thirteen of our pupils have gone missing. Please find them.”
Well, why didn’t you ask for help before so many of them went missing?!
Cross Reverie wasn’t a mystery game or anything, so just a bit of investigation made it clear some suspicious mage was doing the dirty work. Tailing him led the player to an older, suspicious campus building where, in a magic circle drawn on the floor inside it, the missing students were kept. Among them, clad in a school uniform, was the flower seller NPC! She was apparently a student of the academy. As the adventurers tried to rescue her, the culprit appeared and activated his ritual. In a classic example of a cinematic where the players couldn’t do anything, the girls were sacrificed to summon the God of Destruction Europa from the underworld.
What followed was a battle, and just as the admins had advertised, it was a very challenging boss. Some even claimed it was harder than fighting the Demon Lords. Diablo failed his first time against it and was forced to retreat. But the rewards were very much worth it, making the event rather popular. Diablo challenged it over and over, but no matter how many times Europa was beaten, the sacrificed girls never came back. The reward for beating it would drop, but that was it.
Some players complained about the story not allowing them to rescue the girls despite their best efforts. But in the end, they were all just nameless NPCs. A victim in the story was used to hype up the battle; your stereotypical “Passerby A.”
The oddly sympathetic players hated it, and Diablo did understand how they felt... Being greeted by this NPC’s smile every time they spoke to her likely brightened up their days. And so Diablo kept wondering...
Wasn’t there some way to save that girl...?
†
Diablo gazed at the girl in front of him as a frightening thought crossed his mind.
Does this mean the God of Destruction Europa raid quest is in progress right now?!
But how could he confirm it? Diablo was bad at talking to girls. Really, though, the answer was quite obvious: his Demon Lord role play was his only choice.
“I am Diablo,” he declared, crossing his arms grandly. “A Demon Lord from another world!”
“Huh?!” The girl’s eyes darted with surprise at his sudden proclamation.
“Speak your name, lass. I’ll allow it!”
Diablo was used to welcoming challengers, so his tone wasn’t that suitable for speaking to dainty flower sellers.
“I-I’m Mercie...” she said nervously.
“Hmph. So, Mercie...you sell flowers?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Very well. Then I shall buy one.”
“...Huh?”
He only intended to investigate and see if the event was ongoing, but the question slipped off his lips... It was something he wanted to know back when he was still a player since it was the subject of much ardent debate.
But Mercie seemed hesitant.
“What is it?” Diablo glared at her. “Will you not sell me one?”
“...U-Um... How much do you have on you...?”
“Hmph, do not belittle me.”
He took a sack out from his pouch and produced several coins from its interior. There were a mixture of bronze, silver, and gold coins in there.
Incidentally, a gold coin was worth 80,000 friths. One could live off a single gold coin for a month if they were frugal. There were ten such coins resting in his hand. Diablo didn’t know the market price for flowers in the capital, but he doubted it cost more than this. They were the kind of flowers one could find blooming on the roadside outside of the city.
“Gold coins?!” Mercie’s eyes widened. “A-And so many! You’re really rich, mister...”
“Diablo.”
“Haven’t I heard that name somewhere...? Oh, never mind. Come over here then!”
“Hm.”
...This is about selling flowers, right? Besides, aren’t the flowers in her basket all ones you can find in the flower shops around here? I’m pretty sure they are...
Diablo followed her to a narrow alleyway between buildings. The moonlight just barely illuminated the place.
“Heave-ho...” Mercie took off her green robe.
Diablo was taken aback. Beneath her robe was an outfit as detached as it could be from her purity before. It was a sensual outfit greatly exposing her cleavage. She looked up at him with moist eyes, her pink tongue licking her pale lips. She pulled up her skirt with her hands, revealing a pair of violet panties.
“It’s 10,000 friths to use your mouth. If you want to go all the way, it’s 30,000. If you just want my panties, they’ll be 5,000 friths★”
“...Oh.”
Diablo looked up at the starry sky silently.
The moonlight kinda stings for some reason...
Beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks.
“You better decide quickly.” Mercie leaned her body forward. “If the imperial knights find us, you’ll be in trouble, too, you know?”
“Ah, no...”
