Chapter 71 - Trouble at the Tavern

'Hmm...'

Galahad gave a thoughtful hum as he passed through the gate. He had expected the mana concentration to be high with so many Demons gathered together. The problem was that it was even higher than he had anticipated.

THUMP! THUMP!

The Egg of agony responded vigorously. His heart pounded with every breath. A sense of comfort washed over him, like a fish returning to the water after being stranded on land.

It was a familiar sensation.

'The Demon Realm.'

This was nothing like the Demon Realm the Black Magic Society had opened at the Seventh Battalion. It was closer to the real Demon Realm he had entered with Adrianna. The mana concentration was so high that the air felt almost sticky.

'The North is quite a mess, too.'

In a way, it was only natural. The North had spent long years at war with the Demons. Its land was barren, and the Empire had reduced its support. In the process, the North's decline had become all but inevitable.

Even so...

'I never expected to find a Demon city.'

Galahad narrowed his eyes. He had never imagined there would be a Demon city down below.

RATTLE.

The stupid helmet shook violently. Its wearer seemed quite shocked.

Galahad clicked his tongue and surveyed his surroundings. Through the thick ash, the city came into view. Smaller than a human city, it was still far more than a village. The buildings had doors but no windows. Everything was monochrome, as though every trace of color had been killed.

Then floating lights resembling lamps caught his attention. At first glance, they looked like the mana lamps in the capital, but this was the Demon Realm. Mana lamps could not possibly function in mana this concentrated.

'An authority.'

Demons wandered beneath them, their attire strikingly varied. Some were completely naked, while others dressed like northern warriors. There were even some dressed as ordinary farmers.

They all shared one trait.

'No expressions.'

Every face was blank. It felt as though he had entered a city populated by dolls.

'There are humans, too.'

Behind the Demons were people struggling to conceal their expressions. They trailed closely after the Demons, like dogs out walking with their owners.

'Quite a few of them.'

The Demon had told him there were humans here. What remained unknown was how the Demons would react to the Special Operations Unit. Galahad had therefore watched their reactions closely on the way.

They showed no interest in the unit he had brought along. A few swallowed hungrily, but none did anything of note. He had even released some mana and tried greeting them, yet they remained quiet.

The reason was clear.

'They think I'm a Demon.'

They did more than merely regard him as a Demon; they treated him courteously. They seemed to consider him a fairly high-ranking one. The cheap egg's growth had clearly had an effect.

He had discovered something else, too.

'Demons don't suspect one another.'

More precisely, they had no interest in one another.

'So they aren't interested in each other?'

Galahad murmured under his breath.

RATTLE.

He turned to find Adrianna a little closer. He caught a glimpse of blue eyes through her helmet. She seemed to be warning him of the danger.

She was right.

Demons roamed everywhere in an environment no different from the Demon Realm. They had literally walked into a Demon city.

'This could be dangerous.'

If their identities were exposed, they would be stranded in a city of Demons. Still, this was a world where safe places were harder to find than dangerous ones. They could not turn back now.

"What's the plan—"

A quiet voice came from behind him. Gilberton. Every nearby gaze swung toward him at once. The Demons looked at him with considerable hostility.

'Like they're looking at a dog barking too loudly.'

Apparently, human rights were held in rather low regard here.

"Shut your mouth, human."

Gilberton's brows furrowed, but he closed his mouth without protest. Only then did the Demons look away.

'Hmm. So that's how it works.'

Galahad nodded.

For now, Damian was the priority.

'I need to gather information first.'

Galahad set off without hesitation.

* * *

'Dear God...'

Tom silently called upon God and tightened his grip on his shield. Everywhere he looked, there were Demons. He could feel their piercing stares from every direction.

The Demons were watching them. That alone was frightening enough, but they were licking their lips as they stared, as though delicious food were walking past.

It felt like being thrown among starving predators. Since these were Demons, it was even more dangerous than that. Sweat streamed down Tom's back.

The other members were in much the same state. The Special Operations Unit huddled together more tightly than usual. They could hardly do otherwise, surrounded by Demons who regarded them as food.

Yet Galahad strode ahead without hesitation. Watching him, Tom almost wondered whether he knew his way around this place.

'Just who is this man?'

The sight of the Demon bowing to Galahad and opening the gate was still vivid in his mind.

And on top of that...

'Why does he look even more excited than usual?'

Tom forced himself to swallow the words. All he could do was keep his eyes on Galahad's back and follow.

They arrived at a clean tavern.

DING.

A cheerful bell announced their entrance. The interior was all black and gray. Demons sat scattered about, one to each table.

A neatly dressed Demon bowed to Galahad, its gaze briefly sweeping over the Special Operations Unit. Having inspected them, it pointed at the unit and asked,

"Will you be having them right away?"

Tom stifled a scream that nearly escaped and gripped his shield tightly. Gwen gave a small hiccup. Gilberton stepped half a pace forward, taking hold of his sword hilt. Adrianna's armor rattled.

Then Galahad stepped forward. The sight of his immaculate back reassured Tom.

'No, we have Commander Galahad with us. It'll be fine...'

He murmured to ease his nerves.

Then Galahad spoke.

"Oh, do you extract it on the spot, too?"

'...?'

Tom trembled slightly at the carefree question.

"Yes. In exchange, we take a little of the blood."

"How much?"

"About two parts in ten."

"That's quite a cut."

Watching Galahad chat with the Demon, Tom grew frightened before anything had even happened. He could almost imagine Galahad pointing at him and saying, "Now, give Tom a hand for all his hard work. He's going to quench our thirst one last time."

Fortunately, Tom's fears did not come to pass.

"A pity, but I have another use for these."

"Ah, I see. Allow me to show you to your table."

The Demon treated Galahad as courteously as it would a noble. They followed it farther into the tavern.

The tavern was full of handsome men and beautiful women. At first glance, it seemed a splendid establishment, but a closer look sent a chill through him.

No one smiled. It was quiet enough to hear people breathing, and the glasses on the tables were full of red liquid. Bottles containing the same red liquid lined the walls.

He would swear it was a horrifying tavern.

"Taking four around with him, no less."

"That woman looks fresh."

Bizarre appraisals poured in from every direction.

Their table was round, carved from a thick slab of gray stone, with hard chairs around it. It stood in the very center of the tavern.

Every gaze in the room was directed at them. Galahad, however, was as relaxed as ever. He sat down first and looked around. He even waved.

"What would you like to order?"

"What do you have?"

"We have ten-year-olds through thirty-year-olds. We have younger ones as well, if you wish, but they are considerably more expensive."

'Ten-year-olds? Thirty-year-olds?'

Tom did not understand the exchange, but it sounded terribly ominous. He swallowed hard.

"Hmm..."

"We also have a six-year-old male. Expensive, but the flavor is renowned."

The Demon spoke smoothly, as though describing fine cuisine.

Gilberton ground his teeth. The Demon turned its gaze toward them. Gilberton was gripping his sword hilt, apparently struggling desperately to restrain himself.

The Demon gave a small nod at the sight of him.

"You even bring a knight along. Impressive. Knight's blood is exquisite, too. Though his looks would lower the price a little."

Galahad gave a slight wave of his hand. Gilberton clamped his mouth shut, his face so red it looked ready to burst.

The tavern was silent. Everyone was watching them. Their identities seemed on the verge of being exposed. Tension mounted.

Then Galahad looked up at the Demon and spoke.

"Do you have any Demon blood?"

The Demon's expression stiffened slightly. Then it shook its head.

"... We don't serve that."

Galahad frowned.

"None?"

"No. We pursue fine dining here."

"Fine dining, is it..."

The corners of Galahad's mouth rose. The Demon took a step back, but Galahad leaned forward instead.

"Do you extract it from Demons on the spot, too?"

"If you wish."

"Excellent."

The Demon nodded with a peculiar expression.

Under the Demons' lingering stares, Tom desperately kept his eyes lowered.

'Why a tavern, of all places...?'

Taverns were places where fights broke out frequently. People picked fights even in ordinary taverns, and they had walked into one full of Demons. The chances of trouble were high.

Of course, the commander must have something else in mind, but there were so many things here that could go wrong. Someone might seize on some trivial excuse to pick a fight...

"I don't like the look in your eyes. How many glasses have you had already?"

Tom shuddered at the exchange beside him. Just as he had feared, someone seemed to be picking a fight. He hurriedly tightened his grip on his shield. But as he prepared for combat, he realized something was wrong.

'Wasn't that the commander's voice?'

Tom turned, his mouth falling slightly open.

As expected, there was trouble. The problem was that no one had picked a fight with them.

"Are you asking for a fight?"

Galahad was the one starting it.

* * *

'As I thought. They don't care.'

Galahad glanced around. Even when he openly picked a fight, there was no particular reaction. Not even the Demon employee showed any interest. Its attitude suggested this was none of its concern.

Utter indifference.

'A colony, was it?'

Galahad recalled what Adrianna had told him. Demons did not usually travel together, and only high-ranking ones and above formed colonies to live in.

'Do they only care about members of their own colony?'

It was a hypothesis he needed to test.

Galahad surveyed the tavern. There were twelve Demons in all. With Adrianna on their side, that was a manageable number if things went wrong.

He quietly snapped his fingers a couple of times. He looked down at the Demon in front of him. It looked calmly back up at him.

'Can Demons distinguish magic from authorities?'

This was the final hurdle in passing himself off as a Demon. They already regarded him as one, but would they continue to do so if he used magic?

Considering that the Demons he had killed had called him a Demon in their final moments, there was a strong chance they could not tell the difference, but...

'I should make certain.'

Galahad had not picked a fight for no reason. This was a step toward testing those assumptions.

He glanced back at Adrianna. The stupid helmet rattled. He gave a slight nod, and Tom tapped Gilberton and Adrianna.

"Are you going to share some blood?"

The Demon rose from its seat as it asked. Its table was littered with empty glasses.

"Which one do you fancy?"

"I'd like that—"

Galahad casually snapped his fingers. An Ice Spike lodged in the Demon's jaw before it even had time to react.

It choked and gurgled. Galahad snapped his fingers again. Another Ice Spike struck, and the Demon crumpled.

Grabbing it by the back of the neck, Galahad surveyed the room. The eyes watching him were as dispassionate as ever.

'Demons are individualists.'

Galahad's lips twisted into a smile.

"Shall I extract it for you?"

The smooth voice came from beside him. It was the same Demon employee.

'Perfect.'

His assumptions confirmed, Galahad nodded.

"Please do."

"Certainly."

The Demon waved a hand. Galahad sensed a blunt flow of mana. The fallen Demon shook violently, then flattened as though someone had stepped on it.

'An authority.'

Blood poured out. Galahad picked up a glass from the table, emptied the blood already inside it, and swept it through the air. It filled in no time.

Looking at the Demons around him, he tossed back its contents.

Only then did their gazes scatter. Tongues clicked around the room.

"What utterly vulgar taste."

"Drinking that foul stuff..."

An amusing reaction.

The extraction was soon finished. What had once been a Demon now filled a large glass bottle.

"Ah, keep that here for me."

"My apologies, but we don't handle cheap goods."

"Really? Hmm. I'll have to choose something new, then."

Galahad pointed his index finger at the seated Demons, one after another. Co-ca-Co-la...

"We'll store it for you just this once."

The Demon nodded and waved its hand. The full bottle floated into an empty space on the display shelf, in the farthest corner.

"Ah, could you tell me a little about House Proxel?"

Galahad set down his glass as he spoke.

The face of the Demon who had been conversing so amiably with him froze. The other Demons hastily turned their heads even farther away.

It was almost as though...

'They react as if I've asked about some high-ranking noble.'

These Proxel fellows seemed to wield more influence than he had expected.

The Demon asked a question, far more cautiously than before.

"... May I ask what your relationship with House Proxel is?"

Galahad smiled and answered boldly.

"It's my child's family home."

* * *

'What in the world...?'

Adrianna murmured as she adjusted her stifling helmet. She could feel Demons watching from every direction. She was now surrounded by dozens of them.

'How did we...?'

Even though she had witnessed everything, she could not understand how they had ended up here.

And naturally, the cause was...

"There certainly are a lot of Demons. I wrote to the Grand Duke saying I thought this was their backyard, but I ought to correct that. It's their bedroom, not their backyard."

Galahad, speaking with perfect composure. Adrianna tapped her constricting helmet, producing a dull sound.

"Ah, you can speak now. I've surrounded us with magic."

"This is dangerous. Even now—"

"You want us to run?"

"You should run. I'll handle this."

Adrianna spoke with a resolute gaze.

The only reason she had not drawn her sword was that it would endanger the others. Otherwise, she would have drawn it long ago.

The number of Demons did not matter. Adrianna was the sword that burned Demons.

"I'm sorry, but we haven't found Damian yet. Besides, I can't leave a lady behind on a date."

"... This is no time for jokes."

"Jokes? I'm always sincere. I guarantee it."

His sudden seriousness left Adrianna a little flustered.

'Sincere?'

They were surrounded by Demons. The slightest mistake could cost them their lives, and he was calling this a date?

"... We're in danger."

"Dates are supposed to make you nervous. You mistake the increased heart rate caused by tension for love."

"Pardon?"

"It's a thing. Ah, there it is."

Galahad pointed to one side. A building several times larger than the others stood there. It was a gray mansion with an extremely elaborate exterior, as though imitating a noble's castle. This was the House Proxel mansion the Demon had told him about.

A large terrace jutted from its upper floor. Demons dressed like nobles stood on it, and among them was a familiar face.

Damian of the Special Operations Unit.

He looked considerably different from the last time they had seen him, however. In the Special Operations Unit, he had been a grubby boy. Now he wore an expensive suit, his hair swept back. He looked as aristocratic as the scion of some great house.

The long table before the boy was laden with appetizing dishes, from meat to glossy bread. Even at a glance, the food filling it looked expensive.

The boy was shoveling it down indiscriminately. The Demons around him seemed to be waiting on him.

"Damian's come up in the world."

Adrianna nodded at Galahad's remark. Demons attended him, and food abounded. The once-scrawny boy's face gleamed with grease.

"But material things can never replace the emotional fulfillment of the Special Operations Unit. Damian, we'll rescue you soon. Just hold on a little longer."

Adrianna tilted her head.

'He seems to be doing better than before...'

"Don't worry! I'll save you even if I have to tear this city down!"

Galahad's next words sent a strange chill through Adrianna.

His voice was utterly sincere.