There were plenty of inns in the ninth district, but, since they were aimed at merchants, the meals were questionable and the beds were small, all while the lodging prices were high. This was because lodging also came with stables for carriages and a warehouse to store one’s merchandise in. Security expenses figured into the lodging price, as well.

  The sixth district, where Alicia had prepared Diablo’s lodgings, was also known as the Entrance to the capital. The territories of the Kingdom of Lyferia were spread out from the south of the capital. Since most people entered and left the city from the southern gate, most of the stores aimed at the common person were there. It was also the district Adventurers frequented the most—which was also true in Cross Reverie.

  —I guess this really is fundamentally the same Seven Wall I know.

  While its appearance was significantly different, the map was pretty much the same one Diablo knew. The biggest difference was the city being much, much larger than it was in the game.

  In-game, all the shops the Adventurers would use were in the sixth district, while the city’s quests were spread out across the different districts. Diablo didn’t know how identical it was to the game, but some of the quests included looking for lost cats, or taking out bandits... Reminiscing of all the quests he’d completed filled Diablo with nostalgia.

  In Cross Reverie, the royal capital (and, more specifically, the sixth district) was where the game began; the first town.

  Spreading out the map, Diablo confirmed a single location, on the off-chance it was different from what he knew.

  “Where is the Church based, then?”

  The one who answered his question wasn’t Alicia, but rather Lumachina who was seated next to them.

  “The twelfth district, due north—that is where the Cathedral is.”

  Lumachina clenched her fists nervously.

  †

  The sixth district’s main street was also awash with people. The roads were so congested with them the carriage couldn’t advance, as it could have very well run someone over. Even sitting on the carriage, Diablo felt dizzy from looking at the crowd.

  “Going on foot would be faster than this...” Diablo whined.

  “No kidding~” Shera agreed, her tone tinged with exhaustion.

  “But if we got off, I feel like we’d just get separated and lost,” Horn said with a concerned voice. “And Rem’s still sleeping, too.”

  “Right...”

  Diablo wasn’t used to acting in a group, so the danger of “getting separated and lost” never crossed his mind. That on its own was fairly dangerous.

  The bad traffic reminded him of a commuter train.

  Rose whispered, “If Master wishes it, Rose could eliminate all those who stand in Master’s—”

  “Calm down and don’t do anything rash. Down, Rose.”

  “Woof...”

  “Paw.”

  “Woof woof.”

  “Good girl...”

  “Master will not ask Rose to beg?”

  “That’s enough, just sit down.”

  “They all seem terribly worked up... Did something happen?”

  Lumachina’s face was covered with a cloth so Diablo couldn’t tell what expression she was wearing, but the tension was obvious from her voice.

  “True, traffic shouldn’t be this bad...” Alicia cocked her head quizzically. “The sixth district is normally a rowdy place, but this is unusual. I’ve patrolled the district many times as part of my duties, but I’ve never seen the streets this congested unless there was a festival... Oh? What’s that?”

  Alicia pointed ahead. There was a dark-red object carrying something on the road ahead, large enough to take the whole width of the street, and was covered in spikes.

  Shera rose to her feet. “That’s a Dragon!”

  “What!?”

  Diablo fixed his gaze on the end of the street. His eyesight was no match for Shera’s, but the figure was large enough he could recognize it even from afar.

  There was no doubting it: The figure was a Dragon.

  Its scales were a yellow hue that were closer to gold. It was a Thunder Dragon, known as the fastest among all Large-class monsters. But it was just its head, placed on a wagon slowly making its way across the street.

  A flag of red, white, and purple adorned the wagon as well. The citizens were pushing and pulling at each other in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the giant dragon.

  “I believe standing in that display’s way could be troublesome,” Alicia told their carriage’s coachman. “Please move the carriage to the side of the road. I think the road should clear up once they pass.”

  No one seemed to object to her reasoning, and, considering Lumachina’s circumstances, staying out of sight for as long as possible was probably wise.

  Diablo and his group waited on the wayside, surrounded by the crowd, watching the dragon head being carried through the street.

  The wagon drew closer to them.

  “It’s...big,” Diablo whispered.

  It was bigger than the Large-class dragon they met in his dungeon, which meant it was probably a Huge-class. Once dragons reached Huge-class, they became too big to live in a cave or a burrow, and tended to live in ravines or rocky areas. Their strength was, of course, in proportion to their size.

  Six men and women stood on the wagon, receiving cheers and excited shouts from the crowd. They were dressed like Warriors and Wizards.

  —So those guys slayed the dragon.

  The crowd cried out their names repeatedly in praise.

  “Who are they?”

  “They’re newly appointed knights,” Alicia answered. “They wield special equipment no one has ever seen the likes of before, and complete the most challenging of quests with overwhelming power.”

  “So they’re not Adventurers?”

  “No, they’re known as the 《Order of Palace Knights》, and the seven finest Warriors in their ranks are called the 《Seven Heroes》.”

  “There’s only six of them, though... Was one of them injured when they fought the Dragon?”

  Only six of the knights stood in front of the Dragon’s head, waving at the crowd.

  “True, Sir Alan doesn’t seem to be present. I doubt someone like him would get hurt, though...”

  “Alan?”

  “Yes, his name is the same as the great hero who defeated the Demon Lord many years ago, so he is said to be his reincarnation.”

  “Is he truly the great hero’s reincarnation?”

  “It is beyond me to know, but...I believe it to be mere coincidence. It is not unusual for parents to name their sons after heroes.”

  Quite a confusing story, but he must be strong if people respected him enough to laud him as the second coming of a hero.

  “What kind of person is this Alan?”

  “Hmm... He’s a bit of an unusual one. I can never tell what’s going through his head...”

  On top of being a duke’s daughter and an Imperial Knight, Alicia was a Demon Lord worshiper who wished for the extinction of the races. She ranked fairly high on the list of “people you could never tell what was going through their minds.” Diablo assumed Alan would have to be quite the person to receive that sort of evaluation from her.

  “At any rate, Sir Alan is, without a doubt, the strongest Knight among everyone in service to King Delouche,” Alicia proclaimed.

  “Ohoh... Tell me, what does he look like?”

  “I see you’re interested in powerful warriors, Sir Diablo.”

  “Of course.”

  —I gotta make sure I stay out of his way so I don’t have to fight someone like that!

  Diablo had no desire of throwing himself into adventure and testing himself against Warriors stronger than him. In the first place, he was the type of person who preferred to shut himself in his room and never come out if he didn’t have to. If some crazy strong knight was walking around town, Diablo wanted to know what they looked like so he could avoid them.

  “Well, let’s see...” Alicia said pensively. “Sir Alan’s hair is...hmm, about that shade of platinum...”

  Alicia fixed her gaze at a certain point, and stiffened. Standing between the crowd, a young man in a red robe stood close to their carriage. His silver hair was spiked, like a character Diablo saw in some manga. He was apparently a Dwarf, and had pointy dog ears, like a Dobermann’s. He looked to be about seventeen, so he wasn’t bearded yet, but there were already long hairs extending from his face despite being so young.

  He grinned at them. He couldn’t exactly be called handsome, but there was something childish to his expression that made him seem amicable.

  “Heya, didja guys call fer me?”

  Alicia seemed to have been shocked speechless. Diablo felt uneasiness creep over him as well.

  “Is that him...? Alan, the leader of the Seven Heroes?”

  “Hmm? Yeah, I’m Alan, but I ain’t the leader.”

  “Weren’t you the strongest, then?”

  “I just don’t dig all this stiff, formal stuff. The cap’n talked to the king, see, and they decided we need to make this big speech in front of a crowd. But I can’t, man, I’m no good with talkin’ to people,” Alan said with a laugh, itching the root of his wrinkly dog ears.

  The young man seemed rather friendly, but Diablo was still cautious. Alan was a Knight of the kingdom, and a fairly powerful one at that. Judging from the longsword at his waist, he was probably a Warrior.

  Diablo didn’t mind close quarters combat, but this range put him at a disadvantage. Rem and the others were behind him, too. He wanted to avoid hostilities, if possible.

  He silently reached into a pouch on his back.

  Alan’s eyes narrowed. “Yer strong, ain’tcha?”

  —Did he sense my level!?

  In-game, the status screen would give a great deal of information, but this world didn’t have anything as convenient as that. Instead, it had something that didn’t come across from a computer screen: a player’s presence and atmosphere. Once one got used to that, it was possible to discern another’s strength.

  Diablo hadn’t felt this stressed out in a while. But no matter who he was up against, he couldn’t let his Demon Lord role playing slip for a second!

  “Heh heh heh...” He curled his lips into a vicious smile. “Would you like to experience that strength on your flesh?”

  Alicia looked shocked. Noticing something was wrong, Shera also turned her gaze toward Diablo. Lumachina had to keep her identity hidden, so she only followed what was going on with her eyes. Rose half-stood to her feet. Leaning over the cart, Horn kept looking at the Dragon, her eyes sparkling like those of an excited child.

  “Sure thing! Today’s quest was more of a cakewalk than I figured it’d be,” Alan said with a grin. “Kinda left me unsatisfied, know what I’m sayin’?”

  Brushing off his cloak, Alan reached for the sword at his waist.

  —What is this guy, some kinda combat junkie!?

  Diablo clicked his tongue internally. He couldn’t back down now and say it was a joke and he didn’t really want to fight. Considering Lumachina, Diablo didn’t want to do anything that would draw attention to them either, but...

  —No choice but to fight him now...

  Then a large man appeared behind Alan, just as he was about to draw his sword...

  “You complete and total idiot!”

  Bang!

  A huge fist rammed its knuckles against the top of Alan’s head, making a sound as if he’d been hit with a metal bar.

  “Yeouuuuuuuuuch!” Alan turned around in a hurry, looking up with a confused expression on his face. “Wh-What’s the big idea, ya doofus!? What if ya break something in there and make me stupid!?”

  “I doubt anything I could do would make you any more of a hopeless idiot! Why are you picking a fight with the crowd in the middle of our victory parade!?”

  Alan poked his finger in Diablo’s direction. “Naw, it’s just this guy, he looked kinda strong...”

  Diablo’s gaze clashed with the giant’s. The man was tall and gave an impressive, muscular impression, but the cloak hanging from his shoulders and the armor he was clad in hid any particular details from view.

  Race-wise, he was a Human. He had a macho build, but his face reminded Diablo of a science nerd. His black hair was parted to the side, and he wore black-rimmed glasses, with a face that would fit a math teacher.

  Noticing Alicia standing at Diablo’s side, surprise washed over his expression.

  “Oh, aren’t you the Cristela’s...? A-Are these your guests?”

  “Thank you very much for subjugating such a dangerous beast.”

  “I see we’ve caused you some trouble again...”

  “Oh no, perish the thought...”

  The bespectacled, nerdy giant turned toward Diablo. “I serve as commander and captain of the Order of Palace Knights. I go by Marquis Maximum Abrams.”

  “I think your subordinates could use some discipline, captain.”

  “I beg your pardon... It seems subjugating the beast left him with more vigor than he has use for. I apologize deeply on his behalf, so please forgive his disrespectful conduct.”

  “Hmph... I’ve lost interest in you,” Diablo said with a bored tone, sitting back on the carriage’s bench.

  It wouldn’t be odd if Diablo’s disrespectful attitude would earn him the Knight’s ire, but Abrams was apparently a reasonable man.

  “I thank you for your understanding.” Abrams bowed respectfully, and returned to the wagon with the Dragon’s head on it, dragging Alan by the collar.

  —I’m lucky I didn’t have to fight him... It’s a good thing Captain Abrams is an understanding man.

  It appeared the crowd noticed the presence of the two heroes who had stepped on the wagon. Aged citizens who clapped respectfully, women who burst into tears from the excitement, young lads who raised their voices enthusiastically... The crowd, made up of such people, stirred to life once more.

  Atop the platform, the women of the group of heroes apparently said something to Alan who laughed in embarrassment while Abrams sighed.

  The Seven Heroes had great synergy as a party. It was obvious they trusted each other and got along well.

  —Damn, now I wish I fought him!

  “While I understand your anger, please try staying composed for the time being,” Alicia appealed to Diablo. “Causing an uproar here would only complicate things later.”

  “Y-Yes... I am aware. I’ve lost interest in them.”

  Shera and Lumachina still seemed nervous, saying things like, “That was scary,” and, “Are you unharmed?”

  Rose was suppressing the bloodthirst she’d been silently harboring at what had just happened, while Horn tilted her head quizzically, only just now realizing something was wrong.

  “Did something happen?”

  †

  At the 《Firebird Inn》, in the sixth district—

  While it was called that, the Firebird Inn was more of a large, high-class hotel. As one might expect from the capital, even lodgings aimed at Adventurers were extremely impressive. Of course, there were cheap inns around, but the building in front of them was luxurious and extravagant.

  “Amazing!” Shera squeaked in excitement as she looked up at the building.

  “Super awesome! C-Can I come in, too!? I can, right!? They’re not gonna arrest me, are they!?” Horn seemed ecstatic, too.

  “...If we lodge here, our travel expenses would be gone before we know it.” Rem, who had finally woken up, shuddered in terror with her eyes wide.

  “Did we not just receive a bounty from Lady Laminitus, though?”

  “...A High Priest like you may not know it, but once you start spending money, it disappears before you know it.”

  “I-I do understand that much...”

  “...No, you do not. Spending this much just for a place to sleep is a waste of money.”

  Having finally regained freedom of movement after being confined to one place on the sand ship and carriage, Rose drew closer to Rem.

  “Whatever do you mean by ‘waste of money’? This is where Master will be resting, so anything below the absolute best would be unacceptable.”

  “...Are you trying to drive your ‘precious master’ into bankruptcy? I suppose whoever made you forgot to add a calculation function... All you’re good for is cleaning.”

  “Rose now sees your wallet is as lacking as your chest.”

  “Wha...? What does my chest have to do with this!?”

  Alicia tried calming the two down with a “Now, now...”

  “Pardon me for not making it clear earlier, Miss Rem. I’ve already handled the payment for your group’s lodging fees and meals. You may stay here without worrying about travel expenses.”

  “...Are you sure you are all right with that? There’s six of us, you know?”

  Trying to count them, Diablo realized there was someone missing: Diablo, Rem, Shera, Lumachina, Horn, and Rose were all here, along with Alicia.

  Alicia’s face took on a pensive expression for a moment—then she clapped her hands together.

  “I believe I have already told you before I am the daughter of the Cristela family, correct? While I may not be the family’s heir, I have already begun managing several businesses. In terms of private property, I believe I should be about as wealthy as a regional governor.”

  “...What?”

  “Should you deem it necessary, Sir Diablo, I could buy this entire inn for you.”

  “...Wh-Wh-What?” The worldly and wise Rem asked, her eyes as wide as saucers.

  Having come from an entirely different world, Horn couldn’t even keep up with the conversation. In contrast to that, Shera and Lumachina didn’t seem too terribly surprised as they were never pressed for money.

  Diablo was relieved, though.

  —It’s a good thing we don’t have to pay for the inn...

  There was no telling how many days it would take to resolve Lumachina’s situation. Like Rem, Diablo believed in the whole “once you start spending money, it disappears before you know it.” He had the sort of frugal, middle-class perspective telling him that, even if they had money saved up, staying in a high-class hotel is a luxury they probably couldn’t afford to make.

 

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