“Hmm...”
Lin Ling stroked her chin, staring at Lina and the woman named Miraka, completely lost in thought.
“Is something wrong?”
Seeing Lin Ling staring intently at the reunited family, Ivelia wondered if her Miss Saintess was feeling homesick.
This set off major alarm bells in Ivelia's mind. She wasn't afraid of Lin Ling wanting to return to the Demon King's Castle—they could go back there anytime.
What she feared was... Lin Ling wanting to return to her original world.
Staring intently at the pondering Lin Ling, Ivelia's mind began to spiral into wild anxiety.
“Hmm...”
“I was wondering, why don't Lina and Mrs. Miraka have any demon characteristics?”
Lin Ling scratched her head. Realizing she still hadn't seen all the different demon tribes, she felt a bit embarrassed.
After all, as the acknowledged Miss Saintess of the demons, she hadn't even met all of them yet.
She just didn't understand why a soft sigh suddenly escaped Ivelia's lips beside her.
Placing her hand against Ivelia's cheek, Lin Ling gently tilted her head up to look at her.
“Is something on your mind, dar-ling?”
Although Lin Ling didn't actually say the last words out loud, they were standing so close that Ivelia easily read her lips.
The lingering unease in her eyes instantly vanished at Lin Ling's smile.
Reaching out, she gently pulled Lin Ling back into her embrace, basking in the girl's warmth.
The wild thoughts in Ivelia's head dissolved. Why had she been so worried about Lin Ling disappearing?
Lin Ling had promised her that she would stay by her side, always...
Although she didn't know why Ivelia's mood had suddenly shifted, Lin Ling still gently hugged her back.
Perhaps the Demon King had simply been moved by the sight of the family reunion?
While the two of them were lost in their tender moment, a certain blonde youth sat in the tavern like a forgotten prop.
“She just asked about racial characteristics.”
“What is with all this hugging and cuddling? It's so unseemly.”
That was, if one ignored the water cup in Ichikawa's hand, which was already spiderwebbed with cracks from his tight grip...
“Regarding that question, it's probably because they belong to the demon race. That is Mr. Cecil's tribe.”
At some point, Kainster had walked over to Ichikawa carrying two cups of water.
“The demon race?” Hearing the name, Ichikawa's mind flashed back to Cecil, who seemed to provoke people at every waking moment.
“But doesn't Mr. Cecil have a very obvious tail?”
“Ah, you probably didn't know this, Sir Hero, but every member of the demon race has a different localized mutation.”
“For example, some might have thick tails, while others might have unique arms—there are even some who possess arms resembling those of the dragon race.”
“It seems that any group born from the union of demons and other races is collectively referred to as the demon race.”
Kainster expressionlessly drained one of the cups of water in his hand.
“As for little Lina, I heard from Mr. Cecil that she is the first child of a demon race and a human to be born and survive.”
Hearing Kainster's explanation, Ichikawa glanced back over at Miraka, who was currently talking to Lina about what they had been through.
But as he was watching, Kainster blocked his view with the other untouched cup of water.
“Staring at a lady like that is very impolite.”
“Besides, what does race matter? As long as they truly love each other, isn't that enough?”
“And if Mrs. Miraka weren't of the demon race, she might not have been able to leave Baron Will's Mansion alive.”
Kainster lowered the cup, revealing the Charis family's unreservedly happy smiles.
Taking the cup of water from Kainster, Ichikawa smiled.
“True. What does a difference in race matter? Having everyone in the world live in harmony is exactly what a Hero strives for.”
“Indeed. Then let's make Camillaya our first stop.”
Kainster raised his cup to Ichikawa, a smile playing on his lips.
For some reason, though, Ichikawa felt there was a hint of mischief behind that smile.
Clinking his cup against Kainster's, Ichikawa took a gulp, letting the cool liquid slide down his throat.
Crack!
The cup in Ichikawa's hand instantly shattered into pieces.
“You bastard, this is clearly alcohol!”
“Ah! Ow, ow, ow, that hurts!”
“I could've sworn it was water! Wasn't that the water you brought over yesterday?!”
When Lin Ling looked over, drawn by the commotion, Ichikawa already had Kainster pinned to the floor.
Kainster's hands were frantically tapping the floor in submission.
That's the third time he's been tricked into drinking alcohol today, isn't it? Lin Ling thought.
However, now was not the time to worry about Ichikawa. The sound of horse hooves was echoing from outside the tavern.
Jingle, jingle...
A carriage pulled to a smooth stop in front of the tavern, followed by Morg's voice.
“The esteemed guests are inside.”
“Please, watch your step. I shall take my leave now.”
“Thank you for your hard work. Have a safe trip back.”
A somewhat familiar voice drifted in from outside. Ichikawa, who had been repeatedly elbowing Kainster, suddenly froze.
“That voice... Why does it sound so familiar?”
Before Ichikawa could even react, Charis had already set Lina down and was heading toward the door.
“Apologies, sir, but the tavern is closed to guests today.”
“Oh? When Furni asked me to come, she was practically begging on her hands and knees. Did she not mention it to you?”
Hearing the cheerful tone of the voice and how casually they spoke Furni's name, Ichikawa quickly let go of Kainster and hurried toward the door.
Sure enough, standing outside was former Bishop Karl, who was supposed to be back at the Demon King's Castle.
Karl, who was chatting with Charis, was dressed like an old man on vacation, sporting a pair of sunglasses that looked completely out of place in these surroundings.
Goodness knew where he had even found such things.
Seeing Ichikawa's dumbfounded expression, Karl slid off his sunglasses and looked at him with a warm, grandfatherly smile.
“Yo~ If it isn't Hero Ichikawa. Shocked to see me?”
Karl chuckled. It was clear the former bishop had been living a very comfortable life during his time at the Demon King's Castle.
“So the person Furni mentioned who would manage these territories was you?”
Now he finally understood why Furni had been so confident.
Ichikawa actually had quite a bit of respect for Bishop Karl's administrative abilities.
When this bishop was in charge, the Holy See at least hadn't been filled with so many scumbags.
At the mention of Furni's name, Karl's face twisted into a look of clear disdain.
“If that dragon hadn't practically knelt and begged me through magic communication, I would never have given up my retirement.”
“But you still came, didn't you?”
Lin Ling appeared beside Ichikawa, offering Karl a smile.
“What can I say? I'm too soft-hearted.”
Feeling exposed, the elderly man turned his head away, refusing to look at the smiling group by the door.
“Just like how Bishop Karl used to personally deliver food to the border, right?”
Hearing his past deeds brought up, Karl looked at the smiling Lin Ling in surprise.
In the end, he simply chuckled.
“Ah, that's all in the past, all in the past.”
“You say Furni begged you to come, but in truth, you wanted to change the situation at the border yourself, didn't you?”
“Am not! Why do you keep bringing this up? I'm exhausted.”
Seeing that Lin Ling had read him like an open book, the old man felt a bit self-conscious and began walking into the tavern.
As he passed by Charis, the bishop's expression turned serious.
“Owner Charis, I look forward to a fruitful partnership.”
Patting Charis on the shoulder, Karl walked into the tavern with a smile.
He couldn't afford to make a scary face in front of a child; that would ruin his first impression.
Seeing Karl stroll into the tavern while ignoring them, the two Heroes standing at the door exchanged a glance.
If Bishop Karl was going to manage the border, they could indeed head to their next destination with peace of mind.
But... did Furni, that dragon, forget to tell them where their next destination actually was?
For a brief moment, their thoughts aligned perfectly.
Lin Ling shrugged.
“Oh well. In that case, let's welcome Bishop Karl first.”
With that, Lin Ling patted Ichikawa on the shoulder and stepped into the tavern.
Our next destination, huh... Ichikawa gazed at the dimly lit street, where only a few scattered lamps glowed.
“I really hope that one day, these streets will be brightly lit, just like during the demon festival.”
“Hey! Ichikawa, of course that'll happen in the future! After all, we are...”
“Heroes!”
Lin Ling turned around at the tavern entrance and smiled at Ichikawa, her confident expression making it seem like a promise that would absolutely be fulfilled.
Rate on N.U.
