Vol 4 Chapter 6: Demon Continent At Last

"Anchors away!"

The sound of chains rattling down could be heard through the air, followed by a plunging noise when the heavy steel hit the water.

And just like that, the time for our voyage had come to an end.

We now had arrived at Ul’nemo, the port town on the Demon Continent. And from what I could see from the ship, it didn’t look too different than Vermouth. It had the same wooden warehouses, used to store the goods owned by the city’s various merchants before they could be distributed to their shops. Only they were a tad smaller, meaning, this town probably didn’t have as much of a bustling marketplace as Vermouth did.

With the anchors down, we just had to wait until they set up the bridge that would allow us to leave the ship.

Or, I could just lift up Felicia and fly down there with my magic, but we weren’t supposed to draw attention to ourselves.

We decided to make it so we left the ship in the middle of the crowd, not too far forward but not too far back either. It was the best way we could blend in, in case anyone would be looking for us. Felicia even had a washable hair dye that we could use to make both of our hairs’ all black. We didn’t use it before since the ingredient was surprisingly rare in the northeastern region of the Holy Continent. And hair dyes were certainly not a common trend amongst the masses.

Wearing our cloaks, we waited in line with the rowdy crowd, waiting for said bridge. To make sure that it didn't get overloaded by the weight of us passengers, we were instructed to walk across in small groups. Surprisingly, most of us did as instructed, with the exception of only a couple of men and women who decided waiting in line was too much of them. And they paid for their insubordination by the angry shouts of the sailors overseeing the process, as well as the other passengers whom they had skipped.

I was really tempted to throw them off into the water with my wind magic when they were crossing the bridge, if I were to be honest.

Eventually, it was our turn to cross. We made it to the other side with no problem.

Finally! After a week on a ship, we’re back on land!

Aah, I can already feel it! The demonic mana in the air! Marina was right! It really was similar to the feeling I got when I traversed the Great Fairy Forest in my dreams! Though, I can still sense a big difference between the two. The mana pulsating in the land of the fairies is much more chaotic, for a lack of a better term.

We then made our way to the customs, which was the large gate at the far end of the landing section of the port. It was the only way to leave this section, at least without climbing over the tall walls separating it from the rest of the port. Once again, I could just fly us over with magic, but that would immediately get us trouble with the guards.

Oh boy, this isn’t good.

Soldiers. Soldiers everywhere. And not just ordinary soldiers, mind you. Temple knights, standing around with the symbol of the Heavenly Dragon emblazoned on their armor.

Some of the human cities in the Demon Continent had a stronger relationship with the Church compared to the others. And one such city was Ul’Nemo. So it wasn’t that odd for Church soldiers to be walking around in the open, especially with the rising tensions against the Demon King of Wisdom.

They’re looking for us.

My eyes met with Felicia. I didn’t need to say anything. We both knew we now had to be extra careful. I kept my hands close to my sword and wand. If things got worse, I wouldn’t be caught off guard.

We now had to stand in another line as the soldier in front of the gate asked the passengers one by one about their identity and the reason why they came. We already planned for this, of course. We would use our real names, Hugo and Felicia, since our old fake names should be the ones known by the Church. We would say that we were mere adventurers, and if we were asked for our Guild Cards, we would bring out the fake ones Felicia had made. You see, the guilds in the Demon Continent issued cards as well, but their cards were nowhere near as secure as the ones issued by the guilds in the Holy Continent. So it was easy for her, who had researched the matter far beforehand ever since she began planning her trip here, to make forged cards.Hopefully, the soldier checking them wasn’t some hyper attentive, detail-oriented person that could tell her forgery apart.

Soon, it was our turn. We walked forward, introduced ourselves to the guard, and gave him the cards, as we had practiced.

“Hmm… Hugo Greenwood and Felicia Myne, eh?” He mumbled as he held each card with each hand. “Adventuring buddies, I take it?”

“Lovers, actually,” Felicia admitted with a proud smirk.

“Lovers? With this little brat?” The soldier’s befuddled stare landed on me. It quickly turned into a glare. I only responded with a smile.

You know, might as well just say how jealous you are that a kid like me can land a hot chick like her.

“Of course,” Felicia kept her smirk. “I like them young. They’re fresher that way.”

“Fresher?” He looked at her before giving a sigh. “Oh, fine. Here’s your cards. Get out of my sight. I swear every adventurer I met is an oddball one way or the other.”

And just like that, we passed through the checkpoint with no problem whatsoever.

Or so we thought.

“Hold it! You two! Come here!”

We only had walked a couple of steps before a woman’s voice called out of us. We turned to see the source and saw that it came from one of the Temple Knights. She was a tall woman in full armor, covering every inch of her body except for her face.

I exchanged a firm glance with Felicia. I’ll pick you up and run as fast as I can the moment anything goes wrong.

Walking over to her position, I now saw how the woman was actually quite the looker. Wavy, auburn hair with a large chest, it's really a shame she's an enemy. I'll be honest, I would hesitate more if I have to kill a pretty woman compared to an ugly man. Just a little though. I'll do whatever it takes to protect myself and Felicia.

Heh, look at me, casually speaking of killing. I still remember how traumatized I was when I first took a human life. And that was just two years ago.

Still, if I could, I would rather not kill anyone.

"State your name and occupation."

"I'm Hugo and she's Felicia. We're just humble adventurers, Milady." I gave my best, most adorable smile. What are the chances of this knight lady being a shotacon?

"Hugo and Felicia. A swordsman and a mage." She didn’t even bother trying to hide her suspicion, with that harsh glare of hers. "Where did you come from?"

"We hail from the small kingdom of Arata," Felicia answered. "Mayhap you have not heard of it, since it's one of the many tiny nations on the northern part of the Holy Continent."

"The Feuding States, I take it?"

"Yes."

The knightess paused, glancing back and forth between me and Felicia. Oh boy she's slowly recognizing us, isn't she? There should be posters of us after all. Slowly, my hand inched closer and closer into my pocket. Should I attack first? Get the initiative?

"Excuse me! Is there a problem with these two?!"

That voice!

I turned to look at the source and sure enough, it was the elven knight from the ship.

"Hmm?" The temple knight faced her as well. "And who are you, elf?" She frowned. No doubt she was displeased by her interruption.

"These two—they are my servants, you see. Whatever they might have done wrong, the responsibility fails to me as their mistress."

"Oh really?" An ominous smile appeared at the temple knight's face. "Then, you shall come with them to our office for questioning."

"I apologize, but we don't have the time for that."

The elven knightess then took out what looked like a crest from her sling bag. She handed it over to the temple knight, who proceeded to examine it in her palm.

"What's this? If you even think on bribing—" Her eyes widened. "T-this is… You're—" She looked up with a bewildered expression towards the elf. "A-apologies. I understand. I made a mistake, Milady." She gave the crest back before bowing and leaving in a hurry.

...What? What just happened?

With a smile, the elf put back the brooch inside her bag. "Now." She turned to face us, still with a smile. "You two are going to accompany me. I shall treat you to a delicious meal. And I won't take 'no' for an answer."

---------

We made our way out of the harbor, entering the city's market district. All the while the elven knight walked in front of us, humming cheerfully without a care in the world.

Why were we going along with her, you may ask? Simple. Felicia recognized the crest she showed.

It was a crest of the House of Relfatia, one of the seven feudal houses who ruled over the human city-states of the Demon Continent.

Did she steal it? Or get it from somewhere? Perhaps a forgery? All of that are indeed a possibility.

But it is also possible that she was the real deal. The crest was a family crest, only given to those that had blood ties to the family it represented. For all we knew she could be the daughter of the current Lord, making her akin to the princess. And so, it was risky for us to disobey her.

And besides, with her naivety, it shouldn't be too hard to make her play into our hands. She seemed to have forgotten the fact that I humiliated her completely, showing that she really was an airhead. Perfect for some smooth talk.

Damn, you're starting to sound like a villain, Hugo.

Oh shut up, my conscience. It's not like I'm hurting her.

And besides, I'm willing to be the bad guy if it means keeping Felicia safe.

Though there's no need for that. She's smart enough to know that this knightess is easily manipulable as well.

------

"Here we are! Jacqueline's Emporium!"

I could scarcely believe my sight. Instead of a high-end, fancy restaurant, it was a small and dingy diner, not fit for a noble in the slightest.

Really? This is seriously the restaurant she picks?

Maybe she really is a fake. No noble will ever willingly eat in a place like this.

I exchanged looks with Felicia. She nodded, tapping her staff gently, sending her shadows into the shop.

"It's clear. Nothing suspicious inside."

Figures. Her idiocy really doesn't feel fake at all.

Inside, we were greeted by an empty establishment. Even though it's near lunchtime, it's this empty? Hey, airhead knight. Are you sure you want to eat here? I'm now beginning to get concerned about food poisoning.

She promptly went to the counter and rang the bell placed there.

"Coming!"

A melodic, feminine voice came from deeper inside. Before I could even react, the owner of the voice appeared.

A-an arachne?!

Standing before me was a tall and beautiful dark-haired woman wearing a tunic and an apron. Her entire lower body was one of a spider, however, dwarfing the size of her human torso. She had four eyes—two human ones and two spider ones above that. As she smiled, I could see fangs in her teeth.

"Welcome, dear customers! Welcome to Jacqueline's Emporium!" She spread her arms wide and raised four of her eight legs off the ground. "What would it—wait, you're Lady Ashleen! Oh how honored I am that you deign to visit our humble establishment once again!"

"No, Jacqueline," The knight smiled. "I am now Miss Ela. In my travels, I have been humbled by my experience. It is now clear to me that I am still far too early to be Ashleen.”

There she goes again. Is this girl roleplaying a character from a book somewhere or something? I glanced at her with a tired look.

"Alright then, Miss Ela." The arachne smiled. "What will it be?"

"Three roasted spider eggs please!" She replied cheerfully. "Oh, and make it spicy! I love spicy foods!"

Wait, spider eggs? But she herself is a— Don't tell me that she's using her own eggs! Are they even eatable?

...Hah! If someone like her can eat it, then I can too! Don't be a coward, Hugo!

As the arachne went to the back to prepare our food, Felicia finally had the chance to ask what she had wanted to ask for a good while.

"You're neither Ashleen nor Ela, aren't you?" Her eyes narrowed. "You're a member of House Relfatia. Let me guess. A runaway daughter, wanting to see the world and become an adventurer. Thus you donned that armor, and you pretend to be some character from some book you read or a poem you heard. Am I right?" She leaned back and folded her arms under her chest—all with a smirk on her face.

I knew it. Felicia has the same suspicion as I am. A runaway noble's daughter in a fantasy world is just too damn common. Not to mention it explains her lack of common sense as well.

The knightess absentmindedly blinked a couple of times before opening her mouth to answer. "Oh no, you're mistaken." She placed a hand on her chest. "I am Ela, the apprentice to the legendary knight Ashleen. Who you speak of — that is my twin sister, Victoria Fay Relfatia."

Twin sister? Is this girl for real? Urgh, this is why I never found chuuni girls appealing.

"Alright then, Ela." I sighed. "About your twin sister, what is her position in House Relfatia?"

"Position?" She tilted her head. "She's the youngest of the three daughters of Lord Relfatia. A sad, lonely girl that can't do anything on her own. As her estranged twin, I pity her."

Hearing that, I immediately knew what's wrong with this girl. Major self-esteem issues, to the point of constructing a persona to hide from her true self. The way she nonchalantly insulted herself, that's a sign how worse her illness has gotten.

And I don't think there's any therapists that can help her with it. Even back in Japan, mental illness is still a major health issue.

...Ah, if only Nicole was here, she might be able to help. With her composure and angelic smile, she'll make an excellent therapist. She did help me after all.

"So." Felicia spoke, still with her smirk. "Why did you bring us here? I assume you have a business with us?"

"You are correct, Miss Felicia." The knightess smiled. "Thank you for cutting to the chase."

At this point, our conversation was halted for a bit, as the arachne had returned, bringing us our meals.

"Here you are! Three roasted spider eggs!"

When my plate came, I was naturally quite reluctant to eat the dish. It really is just a plate of tiny spider eggs… No wonder no one comes to this place.

Looking at Victoria chomping her portion down, however, I resolved myself. Gah, stop being a baby and just eat it, Hugo. You don't want to lose to her, do you?

With the spoon provided, I brought the eggs into my mouth.

T-this taste! It's… it's…

It's delicious!

I ate another spoonful. And another. And another.

H-how can spider eggs be this delicious?! The crunchiness perfectly combines with the salt and pepper! It just melts in my mouth!

Across the table, Felicia was eating her fill as well. She ate it slower than Victoria, but she clearly enjoyed it as well, just by the smile she had on her face.

It didn't take long until we finished. After handing out three glasses of water, the arachne left us on our own once again.

"Now that our bellies are full, let us resume the conversation, shall we?" The knightess smiled. "My request is simple. After seeing the prowess of you two in combat, and my own weakness as a holy knight, I require your aid. I wish for us to form an adventuring party, and together, we shall have exciting adventures together."

What.

"Oh, do not worry." The knight continued. "It would be temporary. You see, there's a certain place I really, really want to go to. Have you heard of the Starswept Observatorium?"

That's— that's where we're going!

"Of course," Felicia responded, now seated upright with a frown. "One of the so-called World Dungeons. It is located in the outskirts of Arborea, which should be where you came from. After all, it's the city-state ruled by your family, House Relfatia."

"Yes! I'm glad you already knew that, Miss Felicia!" The elven girl beamed. "My proposition is this. Take me to the 500th floor. I want to see the Starlight Rafflesia with my own hands."

"Starlight… Rafflesia?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Oh, you don't know?" The elf tilted her head.  "It's the giant flower that is said to be so beautiful it drives bards and poets to tears just by its sight. As an adventurer, I would love to see it with my own two eyes."

I paid a glance to Felicia. As expected, she had a frown on her face.

"Frankly speaking, you're asking a lot from us." She reclined on her seat once more, folding her arms under her chest. "Reaching the 500th isn't an easy task, even for an experienced adventurer. Bringing you along with us — that means we'll be babysitting you the entire time."

"If it's money you want then my twin sister can provide!" The elf swiftly answered, still keeping her smile.

"Money isn't the only thing we require." Felicia's lips formed a small, almost imperceptible grin. "I wish for you to introduce us to your twin sister — make us be her servants."

Protection. That's what we need in case the Church comes after us. Just like how Felicia obtained the protection of the king of Fiania, she wants protection from House Relfatia. Sure, the Church has little to no influence in their territory, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't use this opportunity.

I wonder how she would take it when she knows Felicia's an ex-necromancer though.

"Of course!" The elf readily answered. "You'll be my bodyguards after all! So my twin sister will certainly be happy to make you part of her household!"

"Then, excuse us for a moment. We shall have to discuss this matter on our own."

The redhead stood up, glanced at me to stand up as well. I did as I was told, following her outside the tiny restaurant. Standing beside the door, still with her arms folded, she opened the conversation.

"What do you think, Milord? Should we accept her offer?"

"Well, we're going there anyway, aren't we?" I argued. "I need the Dream Orb to contact Myrilla so she can take us to Sherry's village. And since Dream Orbs can only be found inside the higher floors of a World Dungeon, why not escort her in the meantime?"

"She would be a burden," Felicia bitterly stated. "If she dies, I know you will get all depressed from it. You're too kind for your own good, Milord."

I smiled. "You're right. I will get depressed if I fail to protect someone I promised to protect. Not just her, but you as well."

Blush rapidly spread on her cheeks. She quickly looked away. "Hmph, this is not the time to tease me, Milord. And besides, you’re making it sound that you care about her just as much as you care about me.” She huffed. Here she goes again with her jealousy.

"Don't worry." I rested my hand on her shoulder. "A girl like that — she's not my type. She's just too annoying for my taste." She might be a big-boobed elf chick, a dream for any fantasy enthusiast, but I don't think I can stand her chuuniness for long.

She gave a short glance at me before letting out a sigh. "Fine. You're right. It's better for us if we can gain the favor of House Relfatia, especially since we don't know how long we would be staying there. And since we're going to try spreading your name as well, it really should be a matter of time until the Church puts two and two together."

Ah, yes, my plan B. Basically, since Myrilla is also an adventurer, if she hears my name being thrown around by other adventurers, there's no doubt she will seek me out on her own.

With the matter decided, we went back inside and told the knightess of our decision to accept her offer.

"Brilliant!" She clapped her hands together. "Then, we should depart at once. Don't worry. I've paid for the meal when you two were outside. In fact, you can leave all the traveling funds to me. Thanks to my twin sister, this squire isn't poor in the slightest!"

I exchanged looks with Felicia. Did she just call us poor?

-------------

We made our way to the other end of the city, where the only gate to the outside wilderness was located. Like every single human city in the Demon Continent, there were tall walls surrounding the entire place, made in mind to keep monsters out. Ballistas were placed every few steps, with enough space that an entire battalion of archers could fit. Well, they certainly aren’t taking any chances, are they? Not that any of them were at use during our visit. The monsters outside seemed to know better than to get close to the city.

At the gate, just like at the port, we had to undergo inspection by the guards as well. This time, however, they weren’t dressed like the temple knights we encountered before. They seemed to be ordinary soldiers of this city instead.

"Adventurers, I take it?" One of the guards asked. "Where are you heading?"

"To the south," I lied. I had told Victoria beforehand that I would lie here so she wouldn’t raise any complaints. “Fontaine, to be exact.”

“Fontaine?” The guard raised his eyebrows. "I won't recommend that." The guard shook his head. "Haven’t you heard? Thanks to the disputes between Fontaine and Ixon over the mythril mines, it’s only a matter of time until a full open conflict happens. Unless you want to be involved in that mess, I suggest you go somewhere else instead.”

Fontaine was one of the human city states, located quite a way south from here. Ixon, on the other hand, was the city built and ruled by the Wisdom Demon King. It's located even further south. Knowing how precious mithril ores are, it's not really that odd that they would eventually fight over it. Weapons and armors made out of it are far stronger than those made out of ordinary steel.

“Don’t worry.” I smiled at the guard. “We can take care of ourselves just fine.”

“You are correct, my faithful servant!” Victoria butted into the conversation with a smug smile on her face. “As legendary adventurers, there’s no adversary that we cannot overcome!”

Legendary adventurers? Oi oi, what are you talking about, you delusional brat? The guard seemed to share my sentiment too, judging by his confused look.

“Alright then, do whatever you want.” He sighed. “You three are free to leave.”

Felicia threw a glare towards Victoria before grabbing her hand and forcing her to follow her. I quickly followed.

When we were a good fair steps away from the city gate, only then the ex-necromancer stopped.

“I told you before, didn’t I? You’re not to speak unless I tell you to.” Felicia folded her arms under her chest with a frown. “As part of our contract, you have to follow the instructions of me and Hugo to the utmost letter.”

“Oh? I am not wrong though,” Victoria tilted her head with a questioning look, completely unfazed by Felicia’s displeasure. “You two are legendary adventurers for sure. Only legendary adventurers can slay a monster that big like you did on the ship. That’s why you’re on the run from the Church, right? They want to force you to do their evil biddings. But there’s nothing to fear.” She smiled. “My twin sister’s family always stands up to those bullies.”

Felicia threw a glance towards my direction. I merely shrugged as a response. Well, this saves us the trouble of inventing the reason why the Church wants our heads.

And thus, we began our journey in the Demon Continent, with a chuunibyou elven knightess as an unexpected addition to our little party.