Chapter 193

“Well, time to eat.”
We reached the town and entered a tavern that looked to be thriving more than the others.

Then I ordered food that wouldn’t take long to prepare.
And as soon as it was served, I began devouring it.

“Old man, get me everything from here to here.”
I had always wanted to do that.

Shop without looking at the price…well, eat without looking.

The menu was written on wooden tags that were hung on the wall.
And so I ordered everything on the top row.

“Sir Golan.”
“Eh?”

“People are staring at you.”
“….Well, it can’t be helped.”

After evolving, my body had grown so large. Perhaps a little too large.
And while some associated size with strength, it wasn’t really true when it came to the advanced races, or those who could use magic.

And so in a way, people like me were not that common in the Demon World.

“Besides, it’s not the only reason that people are staring at me.”

I was in Demon King Tralzard’s country.
However, I was from Lesser Demon King Mevlis’s country.

My Orb of Control connected me to King Melvis, not Tralzard.

Residents of the Demon World could determine how strong someone is by how much mana they had, and they could also tell who you were connected to and if you were from the same country.

And so they would have realized it when they looked at me.

“I very much doubt they will do anything, so perhaps you should ignore them.”
“That’s true. No one else sticks out as much as I do. And clearly…I’m no merchant… I wonder who they think I am?”

“It would be natural to assume you are a messenger from another country.”
“I see.”

Because people could immediately tell where you were from, it was difficult to infiltrate a country as a spy.

As for how much you stuck out, it would be like taking someone from the Edo period and putting them on the busy streets of modern Tokyo.

That’s how big a difference there was.
At the very least, you could tell that they were outsiders.

Foreign merchants brought goods and information, and were valued. However, they were almost always of the non-combat races.

I had never seen a merchant that looked like me.
If you were this specialized for fighting, then you would definitely want to be a soldier instead of a merchant.

In this case, I was with Stomel, so it was natural to assume that I was a soldier or messenger from another country.

“Ahh, I’m stuffed.”
Ultimately, I had to make two massive orders before I could finally feel satisfied.

“After this, I will send my subordinates to buy more food. Then we will leave this town.”
“I see. I’m sorry you can’t take it easy after eating, but thank you.”

Stomel was my Adjutant, so he stayed with me all of the time.
As for the two servants who carried the baggage, they moved at times like this in order to make the journey as comfortable as possible.

I felt like some kind of retired gentleman who traveled the world with his servants for pleasure.

“We planned to meet up at the town’s exit, so we can take a short stroll until they arrive.”
“Indeed. But I’d prefer a place that isn’t crowded.”

I didn’t mind being stared at. However, it would be very troublesome if anyone tried to harass us.
“Then we should go towards the lakeside. It’s very quiet there, and I think you will enjoy the relaxed atmosphere.”

That was Stomel for you.
He was Rig’s replacement, after all, and quite capable.

“I could take a nap while looking at the lake. Yes, let’s go.”

Perhaps because this was the most inland area of Tralzard’s country, there was no gate for entering the town.

It was as if houses had been randomly built near each other and the place had eventually grown to the size of a town.

I walked at a leisurely pace as we headed to the lake.
It would be nice to rest my bones once in a while.

Or so I thought…but then I became a witness to some bullying.

“Hey, Stomel. Are they playing? Or is this training? Is it some kind of exercise that I’m not aware of?”

Winged creatures were flying in the air above the lake.
And they were being targeted with magic attacks from people on the shore.

Typically, the flying races did not have very high combat ability.
On the other hand, there was a lot of diversity when it came to races that could use magic.

Every kind, from the highest to the lowest.
But from what I could see, the people by the lake shore did not look very strong.

Perhaps they were in the medium to lower range.

“The flying ones are Jewel Pigeons. They have a settlement in the nearby mountain where they live.”

Jewel Pigeons? What an interesting name.
When they flew, their wings glimmered brightly, and it looked like they were covered in jewels.

“And I suppose they are a non-combat race?”
“Yes. They are very weak. And it’s because they have wings instead of hands, that they are not grouped in with races who can fight.”

If you were considered to be a non-combat type, then you were exempt from conscription.
Instead, you might do desk work or make food, carry baggage and do any other jobs there may be on the battlefield.

Normally, these races would hunt for food, plow fields or fish.
And among those that were producers, there were some who were overly trusting and honest. And so it was the job of us combat types to protect them.

“…Well, I’m supposed to protect people like that. But what are they doing?”

There were only three Jewel Pigeons left flying above the lake.
The others had all been hit by magic and knocked out of the air.

You could see water splashing high into the air as they swam.
There seemed to be four or five.

“Perhaps it is due to the stress of the long war. Or maybe they weren’t chosen as soldiers and this is how they deal with their frustration… Regardless, it is not something that should be allowed.”

Most residents of the Demon World were hot-blooded.
And so if you wanted to fight, there were plenty of people who would oblige you.

There was no reason to seek out and target people who could not defend themselves.

“As this town is under General Krunya’s control, we should talk to whoever is in charge here and… Sir Golan?”

I snuck up behind the people that were cackling as they unleashed their magic attacks, and kicked one of them right in the back.

“Oh. Look at him go. This reminds me of when I used to skip stones over the water as a kid.”

“Eh?! …!”

“You?! …!”

“You bastard…!”

I succeeded in making them skip over the water. Four times in a row.
Apparently, I hadn’t lost the knack for it.

“Sir Golan. What are you…?”
“It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine at all… This is General Krunya’s…”
“They won’t die from that. They’ll be back on dry land in no time.”

“And how will you explain this?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll break their spirits first. And then comes the lecture.”

Of course, the lecture will be in the language of fists.

And so I watched them splashing in the water, and thought about how I would lecture them.

Next Chapter

Makai Hongi