A town surrounded by walls about the height of a person comes into view. The houses line up closely, with a large mansion and a few slightly taller stone buildings, and a main street runs through the center.
Suddenly, Kiara, who was on the wagon, could be seen twirling her hand upward.
I let the wyvern descend a little distance away from the wagon, which was slowing down. The wind pressure from the wyvern’s wings was rather strong and might startle the horses.
“This is Lenant. I have a pass, so if I say you’re with me, we should be able to get in with a simple process.”
“There’s an inspection, right? I hadn’t thought about that. That’s a relief!”
My heart had been dancing with excitement about my new life. Big towns have inspections. How could I forget something so obvious? Besides, in my previous role as a court wizard apprentice, I had a free pass everywhere in the country and didn’t have to wait for inspections. In fact, sometimes the local captain or influential people would come out and greet me with hospitality.
“Would it be better if it’s not known that I am a demon?”
Belial glanced at Alesia.
“No, it seems that pretending to be human would cause more issues. I think it should be fine if we just say you’re contracted with me… maybe? I’ve seen people who’ve summoned demons, but I’ve never seen one as beautiful as you, who could almost pass for human…”
Alesia, deep in thought, crossed her arms as Belial looked at her with a satisfied expression. Normally, her might give her a cold look, thinking she was useless.
Oh, was he pleased to be called beautiful? She does have a rather simple side sometimes.
Realizing that thinking about it wouldn’t change much, we decided to head to the gate. It was already near dusk, and there was a line of adventurers seemingly returning from their journey, large groups of merchants with several wagons, and men carrying loads on their backs.
“…Must we stand in this line?”
Belial looked displeased, but when she noticed some of the women nearby stealing glances and talking about her, she flashed a charming smile.
There was a small squeal of delight. Well, he is handsome… Seems like she doesn’t mind being the center of attention, envied by everyone. I’ll just pretend I’m not involved for now.
“By the way, Alesia, you’re in business, aren’t you?”
“Oh, yes. I mostly make and sell small items, trinkets, and healing potions.”
“Yes! This necklace—my sister made it for me!”
Kiara showed the necklace hanging around her neck. It had a leather cord with a natural stone, a few beads, and a couple of star-shaped charms.
“It’s cute. Actually, I’d like to open a magic shop. Do you know how I could do that?”
When I made the bold request, Alesia looked surprised.
“Huh?! Iriya, aren’t you going to work as an adventurer or mage? A shop?!”
“Actually… it’s been my dream to open a shop and sell things I’ve made myself.”
Up until now, the only person I’d shared this dream with was my little sister. She’d said, “I’ll work as the store clerk so we can always be together!” She was so happy…
…Though that’s no longer possible.
“Like potions, magic-infused items, that kind of thing.”
“Potions!?? Magic-infused items?!”
Alesia suddenly interrupted, repeating my words in a loud voice. She grabbed my hand, looking thrilled.
“That’s amazing! You can really do that? Potions are always in short supply, and magic-infused items are rare—they’d definitely sell!”
“Really? Even though basic potions are so easy to make…”
“Adventurers are popular around here, and people with magic tend to become adventurers. Everyone wants to learn attack spells… Potions are often in short supply, and quality varies! If you make good ones, they’ll definitely sell!”
As expected of a businesswoman, she quickly shifted her thinking to sales. She continued her explanation enthusiastically.
“To do business in this town, you need to register with the Merchant Guild. Oh, there’s a registration fee and an annual fee. Even just setting up a stall requires it. Also, to sell potions, you have to submit a sample to the Guild, although regular medicines are fine. If you get the Guild’s certification, it’s easier to sell. I’m already registered with the Guild, so if you submit a potion, why don’t we sell it at my stall first?”
“…Yes, please.”
“…Sis, you’re pushing too hard. Iriya’s backing away.”
With that, our turn came up.
“Oh, Alesia! Is that man with you as a guard?”
“Malain, I’m back. Business didn’t go well, so I couldn’t afford a guard. These people helped me when I was attacked by magical beasts.”
The gatekeeper, a man, seemed to be familiar with Alesia.
“That must have been tough…! By the way, I don’t recognize these faces. Are they adventurers?”
“No, just travelers. This man is a demon I’ve contracted with as a guard.”
“…A demon?!”
The middle-aged gatekeeper in gray armor looked over Belial from head to toe with a shocked expression. I started to worry that demons might have a bad reputation.
“…”
Belial seemed uncomfortable with the rude staring. Would he mind less if it were a woman…?
After a pause, the man called Malain stroked his chin and nodded to himself.
“I really thought he was human! You’re a skilled summoner at such a young age. Could you briefly explain the terms of your contract?”
“Y-yes. He’s to help me and assist with daily life, and he can’t kill humans without my consent, except in emergencies. I can’t discuss the compensation.”
Rather than being suspicious, Malain seemed impressed. Apparently, it’s rare to see a demon who looks fully human in this town. Generally, a “demon that looks completely human” means a high-ranking one with a title, which isn’t something you encounter every day.
Other questions included our reason for travel, expected stay in the town, and our professions.
For our reason for travel, Kiara chimed in:
“Iriya came from a faraway country, fleeing from a scary bad man. She can’t go back! Please help her, sir!”
This effectively muddled the explanation. The guard even said to seek their help if needed, but as far as the world knew, I was dead, so it wouldn’t be necessary.
…Probably.
We’ve come this far, so if they ask me to slay a kelpie, deal with snow monsters, or handle a cyclops, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it.
Relieved that we were able to enter the town without issues, we headed down a well-maintained road to an inn that Alesia always uses when she stays here. It’s relatively affordable and run by a friendly landlady.
Unnoticed by us, a tall man with golden-brown hair and white armor watched our backs as we left. The fairy on his shoulder trembled in fear. The man quickly approached one of the gatekeepers checking passes and spoke.
“Malain, who were those men and women accompanying the sisters earlier?”
Returning a pass to a traveling merchant, Malain turned around in a hurry.
Seeing the upright figure of a knight standing tall, Malain immediately bowed his head.
“Captain! …Those people were apparently travelers from a distant land and a demon contracted by the summoner. I confirmed the contract includes a condition not to harm humans, so I deemed them safe to pass…”
“I see.”
“Uh, was that a mistake?”
The knight’s silence made Malain anxious. He’d only seen lower-ranking demons with horns or tails, so perhaps he shouldn’t have treated this one the same.
“No, you were right. Causing a scene could’ve been more problematic. So, what’s their reason for coming to this town?”
“Well… something about fleeing from a bad man and having nowhere else to go…”
“Fleeing from… a bad man?”
(Does someone reckless enough to pursue her exist, even with a contract to a demon of that rank?)
The man surmised that the demon was a high-ranking noble demon. He found it hard to believe someone traveling with such a contractor wasn’t here on government or official business.
“…For now, let’s keep an eye on them. Report anything unusual to me, no matter how small.”
“Y-yes…!”
Night had fully set, and shadows deepened as the torches cast flickering light. The town’s four main gates were closed, leaving only the main road from the capital open.
