“…Fine.”
Hearing that cold voice from behind her, Histori breathed a long sigh of relief in her heart, and her tense nerves finally relaxed.
‘I knew it! A creature like a Hero, no matter how cold and aloof she looks on the outside, is surely a soft-hearted do-gooder with a sense of justice deep in her bones!’
After hearing about her pitiful situation — about how she was being forced against her will and chose self-exile because she might lose control and hurt others at any time — how could Amir possibly leave her alone?
This tactic of retreating to advance was truly tried and true!
However, even though Histori was already cheering in her head, she maintained her tearful expression on the surface.
She slowly turned around, looking at Amir with dazed, reddened eyes.
“What is it, Master Hero? Is… there something else you want to ask me?”
“I should be the one asking you that question.”
The anger in Amir’s pitch-black eyes had already vanished, replaced by her original calm and indifferent demeanor.
She shouldered the Pitch-black Greatsword that had been resting on the ground and asked Histori nonchalantly, “Histori, where exactly do you think you’re going?”
“Eh? I’m doing this for your safety, I plan to—”
“I already said it.”
Amir interrupted Histori’s miserable defense and stated flatly, “Since I promised to help you turn back into a human, I will never do things halfway.”
“R—Really!? Master Hero!?”
After feigning a gasp of surprise, Histori pursed her lips and lowered her head, using her left pinky to gently hook the red mark on her right wrist.
“…But, I truly am a dangerous existence. If that voice appears in my ear again, I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself and will try to hurt you…”
“Then, as a Hero, I have even more reason not to let you leave my side.”
Amir tilted her head slightly and began to analyze the situation calmly for Histori.
“If it’s as you said, and you fall into a frenzy whenever the Curse acts up, there’s no other option but to keep you by my side, is there?”
As she spoke, Amir stepped forward and gently patted the top of Histori’s head with her palm.
“After all, besides me, I’m afraid there aren’t many people who could suppress you after you’ve gone berserk.”
“…”
‘What is this? Some kind of overbearing CEO declaration?’
Before Histori could decide whether she should act touched or shy, Amir reached out toward her again.
“Let’s go, Histori. How much further is it to that town you mentioned?”
She draped the cloak back over Histori’s head and smiled.
“After all, if I’m really going to take you to the United Kingdom, I have to find a way to help you hide your hair and eyes first.”
—
Starting from the broken bridge that had been intact only 30 minutes ago, they followed the road until they finally saw the town Histori had only seen on the maps in the Demon King’s Castle.
Its name was Shadow Abyss Town, a gloomy settlement built against a massive rocky rift.
The walls of Shadow Abyss Town were made entirely of pitch-black bricks, and it earned its name from its proximity to that bottomless abyss.
However, although Shadow Abyss Town was clearly marked on the map of the Eternal Night Territory, it was far too distant from the Demon King’s Castle.
No formal army of the Demon Race governed this place, so Shadow Abyss Town was actually more like a gray area that was part of the Eternal Night Territory in name only.
There weren’t even guards stationed at the town entrance, only a simple wooden board with “Enter with Caution” crudely painted in dark red.
Yet, after entering the town, the scene inside was much livelier than Histori had imagined.
The narrow streets were lined with all sorts of eerie signs, and the air was thick with the smell of low-grade tobacco, pungent alcohol, and some kind of indistinguishable, cheap incense.
Furthermore, the most unexpected thing was that it wasn’t just the Demon Race and Orcs common in the Eternal Night Territory walking the streets.
Dwarves wearing horned helmets were charging through the streets carrying ale barrels larger than themselves, two or three Dark Elves wrapped in black robes were adding strange ingredients to their cauldrons, and there were even many Human merchants sitting boldly at their stalls, hawking goods from the United Kingdom to passing Monsters.
“…Eh? Isn’t this the territory of the Demon Race? Why are there Humans selling things? Aren’t they afraid of dying?”
Histori blinked in silence, eyeing the passersby like a country bumpkin, though they didn’t seem surprised at all.
“Of course not.”
Amir seemed accustomed to this chaotic scene.
She casually picked up a strangely shaped fruit from a roadside stall, wiped the dirt off with her fingertip, and handed it to Histori behind her.
“As long as the profit is high enough, even the haughty Wood Elves will step into a black market, let alone the numerous and greedy Humans.”
She turned and tossed a copper coin to the indignant stall owner.
The Human merchant immediately bowed and scraped as he caught it, then cupped his hands flatteringly toward Amir and Histori.
For some reason, despite being a Human Hero, Amir seemed more familiar with this town than Histori, the nominal daughter of the Demon King.
After observing at the street corner for only 10 seconds, she seemed to have seen through the environment and began leading Histori skillfully through the messy alleys.
Next, after smoothly avoiding several groups of brawling drunks, Amir finally stopped in front of a dilapidated, shaky tavern.
The windows of the tavern were nailed shut with broken boards, yet the sounds of clinking glasses and coarse cursing still drifted out from within.
“…Um, Master Hero, have you been to Shadow Abyss Town before?”
“No.”
Amir shrugged at Histori and draped a dark gray cloak over herself that was identical to Histori’s.
“It’s just that basically every town has a few remote corners set aside for certain people to conduct shady business.”
Hearing this, Histori’s lips quirked helplessly.
‘Even if every town has one, the fact that you found this place in a few minutes isn’t normal at all!’
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.