Chapter 21

“This is just a regular spear! A complete waste of time!” Meline fumed. The rumored fourth spear turned out to be nothing special. At least, the papers said so. Thinking about it, it made sense. There were only three demonic pillars, after all.

“Hmm… Still… why were they guarding this in the first place?” Linda asked.

“They're guarding and researching it…” Kade added. The papers were written by the wolfkins. Some had disappointing comments about how the fourth spear was nothing special.

It didn't seem like a weapon that was supposed to be kept a secret. It looked like Meline's spears, yes, but a professional craftsman could create a similar-looking spear. Without the will, the magic that linked it to the demon lord didn't mean anything.

“It's nothing special, right? So why is the wolfkin there?”

Meline had told her the details regarding the fight, including how she took out the wolfkin members who guarded the spear. There wasn't supposed to be anyone there in the first place. The castle wasn't a tourist attraction.

Now, Meline regretted not sealing the old castle. She was born in the new castle, so she had no way of knowing the significance of the old one outside history books. Had she known, she would have sealed it.

“And they’re doing it underground as well,” Kade said. Underground, away from prying eyes, through a secret section that she didn’t know about. If anything, it was impressive how the wolfkins traveled in and out of the castle without anyone noticing.

“Maybe I should place some guards over there…”

“Are there no reports from the locals?”

Meline shook her head. “Silence so far. No complaints about the magic flow, either.”

The weapon in front of them had no magic, thus it shouldn’t be able to produce a magic flow. Someone there either did something to it, or the magic flow originated from a different item.

“Could the magic trace be hidden?”

Meline gasped. “The wolfkins did indeed possess magic spells of uncertain origins. It’s a part of their culture. They're a bit different, though.”

“Should we investigate that, then?”

Meline glanced at Kade. “You said you wanted to visit the village, correct? Let’s get prepared.”

•••

The old castle was visible from the village, but the road between it and the village remained devoid of people. The locals didn’t consider it as something important, leaving the tall leaves growing on the road. Considering that one of the paths below the castle headed south toward the village, the wolfkins must have used that path instead.

The three of them wore dark red cloaks. The wolfkins were friends with the arakins, and the arakins were well known for their dark red cloaks. They had cat ears, a feature easily replicable by the kingdom’s finest artist. Unlike the wolfkin, the arakins had a positive relationship with the nation. After Meline explained the situation, some of the arakins working in the castle assisted with the disguises.

Entering the village, they weren’t stopped. Arakins were known to not show their face to strangers, and the wolfkins respected this tradition.

Kade looked around. Many of the buildings were built into the mountainside. They carved large boxes into the walls, making the buildings nearly indistinguishable from the ground. They headed to an inn. They rented a room for the night, large enough for the three of them.

“Phew.” Meline checked the room before pulling down her hood. They received a room in the front section of the building, and Linda had already covered the windows. If they could get the ones further back, then that would be better, as those rooms lacked windows. Asking specifically for those rooms would invite suspicion, however.

Kade saw her wear the car ears, and she looked adorable with them on.

“... What is it?” Meline asked.

“No… I… I think you’re cute.”

“Come on now, don’t flirt with me here.”

Both Kade and Meline tensed up, turning toward Linda, who stared at them with a sheepish grin.

“Anyway. We’re heading straight back out, right?”

“We’re taking a break.”

“After the break, I mean.”

The walk here wasn’t easy, thanks to the abandoned roads.

“Do you even need one?”

“Being the demon lord doesn’t mean I don’t feel tired,” Meline quipped, throwing her body into the bed.

“Do you want to sleep?” Kade asked.

“Not really, I’m going to lie down a bit. Ten minutes should do.”

A smug grin appeared on Linda’s face.

“You two sleep together now? Sharing the same bed?”

“You know that’s not the case,” Meline replied. Linda lived with them; she should know that.

“Hmm…”

Meline closed her eyes. She was the one walking in the front, so she did the most work in stepping through the tall grass, cutting open a path into the village. They couldn’t teleport there, nor could they use any suspicious magic. The arakins believed in the importance of conserving mana. Any unnecessary use of magic would draw unwanted attention.

“You know… I always thought the demons had a good relationship between tribes,” Linda murmured.

“You do know that I’m not asleep, right?” Meline asked, her eyes remaining shut.

“Yeah. It’s just my curiosity, that’s all.”

“You humans aren’t exactly peaceful, either.”

The only times the different kingdoms came together were during the demon wars. Outside those times, the humans would fight among themselves. It had been relatively peaceful recently, but there was no guarantee how long that peace would last. Rumors floated about how other countries had planned to invade this kingdom after the demon’s invasion ruined it, but they cancelled those plans after realizing Meline’s strikes weren't harmful.

“But I already know that.” Linda folded her arms and leaned back against the wall. The walls were made of unpainted, smoothed rock. Kade reached out and touched the surface.

“... You want to look around, Kade?” Meline asked. They went straight to the inn after arriving, so Kade didn’t have the chance to travel.

“I’ll stay here, go enjoy your date.”

“It’s not a date,” Meline replied, rising up.

“Oh, uh, sure.” Kade followed her out of the room.

•••

Each tribe within Demon Lands had its own customs. For the wolfkin, they loved raw meat. Many of their dishes involved raw meat. While they weren’t cooked using regular methods, they were processed with magic. This meant that Kade could eat them safely. The restaurant they went to served such dishes. Kade gets to see the process with his own eyes.

They ordered chicken. It didn’t taste bad. Soft, a bit squishy, and salty. Certainly a new and unique experience.

“Is it common in Demon Lands to eat uncooked food?” Kade asked. They sat at the corner of the restaurant, away from the other customers.

“I wouldn’t call it common, not necessarily. Much more common than humans, however.”

This world also had dishes with raw fish, similar to sushi, but he never saw anything using raw meat.

“Didn’t Linda mention once that the people where we live simply don't eat raw stuff?”

“I guess.”

All the restaurants in Nordeux served cooked fish. If they wanted to make sushi with raw fish, they must do that themselves. Kade’s hometown, the place he first met Meline, didn’t even eat fish. Fish were a rarity, and in the times when he had cravings for them, Meline would take him all the way to Demon Lands.

“You want me to cook something similar? I’ve studied dishes from all over.”

“Yes, thanks.”

Kade realized what he was implying and averted his gaze. Meline tilted her head curiously.

“What’s wrong?”

“It's just… you're offering to cook for me… as if we're married.”

Meline let out a slight laugh. “I've been doing that for ten years.” She didn't seem to realize that her cheeks were also turning red.

“Yeah.”