The Port Town Of Northpton

After avoiding the sudden Demon King attack, I returned to the shop.

I had to think of a fundamental way to deal with him, but for now, I had to go to Northpton and the Luktia Holy Papal State.

I had to bring back the Dwarf Duke’s daughter, who had run away from home. After that, I had to obtain the jewel orb in Luktia.

When I entered the shop, Rubel was still there. She glared at me with her brows furrowed in a bad mood. She looked like she wanted to say something.

At the counter was Teti, delighted after receiving signed books.

“Hyah~, a signed copy addressed to me~. This is basically a treasure now, isn’t it?”

As if carrying a treasure, Teti busily carried the books to the table in the back of the shop.

Liricia was there too, but she was standing by the wall. Her cute face was clouded with worry.

I signaled to Liricia and Rubel and headed toward the back of the shop while calling out to Teti.

“Teti, I’m leaving the shop to you.”

“Okaaay, Alec-sama. I’ll do my best.”

After clearing the counter, Teti spread out manuscript paper and sat down. She began moving her pen with a serious expression. She was probably writing the novel she planned to submit.

I entered the wardrobe at the back of the shop.

Liricia and Rubel followed after me.

Rubel was walking with her arms crossed, looking displeased.

“What were you thinking, letting the Demon King escape?”

“That’s because…”

I told her the reason why I could not defeat the Demon King.

It was because I did not want to part with Liricia.

We walked down the passage lit by pale blue light while talking.

After hearing me out, Rubel shrugged her delicate shoulders.

“You are quite a selfish hero.”

“No matter what you say, I’m not defeating the Demon King.”

“Then what do you intend to do?”

At Rubel’s question, her red hair swaying like flames, it was my turn to shrug.

“I’ll think of some way to gloss it over. If necessary, we could even make something like a ceasefire agreement.”

“I cannot imagine that noisy man obediently making an agreement.”

“Do you have any good ideas?”

When we reached the hall, Rubel stopped.

The flame dungeon passage was connected to the wall of the hall.

At that entrance, Rubel stopped and cutely twisted her mouth while keeping her brows furrowed.

“It would be good if he had some weakness. Well, I’ll think about it… By the way, where is Edgar? He was here, wasn’t he?”

“You noticed? He said the children called him, and he went somewhere.”

“Then I shall go home for today as well. I have preparations to make.”

“Preparations?”

Rubel, who had stepped one foot into the flame dungeon, raised one thin brow in suspicion.

“It is a dungeon world war, you know? It would be better to gather supplies and provisions from now.”

“Ah, right. A dungeon from another world is going to attack soon…”

“If it becomes a long battle, various things will become difficult. It will also become hard to judge dungeon expansion after the fighting begins. Alec, you should prepare now as well.”

“Thanks for the advice—though since that one is broken, I have no idea what to prepare. Liricia, do you know?”

“I am sorry, Master. I do not know about dungeons.”

Liricia, who was suddenly asked, was surprised and rounded her eyes.

Rubel put a shrewd smile on her cute face.

“Heh, it cannot be helped. I shall tell Kou for you.”

“That helps.”

“Please do, Rubel-san.”

“Leave it to me.”

Rubel smiled with a grin over her shoulder and headed toward the rear hall.

I took out the sub-device and spoke to Kou.

“Kou, Rubel is heading over there. Please listen to what she says.”

“Roger that!”

“Also, connect us to Northpton.”

“Aye, sir. All done nice and quick!”

“Thanks.”

After putting away the sub-device, I took Liricia and headed for the entrance.

The port town was bathed in noon sunlight from directly overhead.

White seabirds flew as if drifting through the bright blue sky.

The town sloped gently down toward the sea. At the harbor along the shore at the bottom of the slope, several sailing ships were docked.

White-walled houses continued on both sides of the slope, and their red and orange roofs shone vividly.

The sea breeze rushing up the slope stirred my black hair and Liricia’s silver hair.

It was a pleasant wind.

As I stepped onto the gentle downhill slope, I muttered to myself, not quite speaking to Liricia.

“Now then, where could the dwarf young lady be? I wonder if she’s staying at some luxurious hotel.”

“Since she is traveling incognito, she may be at a cheap inn in a rough area. Let us search somewhere out of sight.”

“Should we get an inn? …Though I am curious about the bookstore.”

I said this while looking over the bright townscape. I passed by dockworkers carrying buckets filled with fish.

Liricia nodded beside me while walking with her white nun’s habit swaying.

“The Mao Mao Bookstore Chain, yes.”

“It looks like it’s not just a shop, but part of the Demon King’s world conquest plan to open branches in various countries.”

“Master, you previously had doubts about the detailed maps, but to think they were for evil deeds.”

“Yeah, he’s a terrifying man despite how he looks. I suppose that’s what you’d expect of the Demon King.”

“Perhaps his appearance is also meant to make his opponent lower their guard. As expected of the Demon King.”

“I’d like to somehow win him over.”

“Yes… Though I still do not know how we should do that.”

Liricia answered with a melancholy look on her beautiful face.

I could only nod with a serious expression too.

When we descended the slope, we came upon a main street. It intersected the road we had come down at a right angle.

The main street was paved with cobblestones and was wide enough for several carriages to pass one another. Carriages and carts came and went while drivers shouted.

Among the townspeople, I could also see many people from foreign lands.

There were merchants wearing turbans, elves wearing swimsuits with cloaks over them, and beastman warriors with animal ears on their heads.

Since there were more people, we walked down the main street while holding hands.

Looking at the bustle, Liricia’s violet eyes shone with curiosity.

“As expected of a port town. It has a different liveliness from the Royal Capital.”

“The townscape is beautiful too… though the smell of fish bothers me a little.”

“It seems there is a local specialty dish—ah, there is a dwarf too.”

There was a girl walking with a grim expression. If she were human, she would have looked like a girl in her early teens. However, I could tell the difference from her adult build and pointed ears.

Liricia casually peered through her monocle and raised her voice.

“Master! That person is Hilda-san!”

“What did you say! Let’s chase her—whoa!”

Because the dwarf girl was walking on the opposite side of the street, when I jumped out into the road, I nearly got run over by a carriage.

“Bro, that’s dangerous!”

“Sorry.”

A wagon loaded full of wooden boxes slowly passed in front of me.

This time, I crossed the street while properly checking left and right.

However, the girl was nowhere to be seen.

“Where did she go!? Liricia, can you tell?”

Liricia furrowed her brow and looked through the crowd with a serious gaze through her monocle.

“Yes, please wait—um… ah, there she is! Over there!”

She stretched out her slender arm and pointed ahead down the road.

Through the gaps between the bodies of the adults, I could see the girl’s small back.

“Let’s go!”

“Yes!”

We pushed through the people and ran at a light jog.

However, we could not easily catch up. Perhaps because the girl was small, she smoothly made her way through the crowd.

“Damn. We can’t catch up.”

“Let us let go of each other’s hands, Master.”

“But if we get separated…”

“We can contact each other with the sub-devices.”

“Ah, that’s true.”

I let go of her hand and ran at a light jog.

Or rather, I still had not mastered how to use the sub-device.

The distance closed, but the girl turned onto a side street.

“Sorry, please move aside!”

“Excuse me, could you let me through? Thank you.”

I hurried down the road while apologizing. I could also hear Liricia’s voice from behind me.

While pushing through the people, we chased after Hilda, who had turned into the side street.