Volume 7, Chapter 05

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Translator: Manga0205


 There were many even within the castle town who had noticed Eric on the terrace.

 The fact that a person who they had never seen before was in a place where someone of the Demon King Army would normally appear might have been rare for them.

 Among those people who noticed, there was also the group of Sylphids who were in the middle of touring the castle town’s shopping district.

 From their perspective, it wasn’t from curiousness like the citizens of the Zadark Kingdom’s citizens, but rather from noticing that a face that they knew very well was in a place that stood out.

「Oh, isn’t that Eric-sama?」

 One silver haired Sylphid pointed at the Demon King Castle. The tourists other than the specially treated Eric and Luuty just happened to be about to receive an explanation of the Demon King Castle from their Mazoku guide right now.

「Oh, it’s true. Oh man, it looks like the view is so good from up there.」

「Hahaha, makes me a bit jealous.」

「Okay, okaーy, quiet downー. I’m going to start my explanation.」

 Saying that, the female Mazoku guide──Moka clapped her hands.

 Where they were at right now was in front of the Demon King Castle’s main gate. A beautiful garden could be seen from the gate that was left open, and that scenery was very far apart from the repulsiveness that the words 「Demon King Castle」 would make people imagine.

「Now then, the castle you are looking at is the Demon King Castle that the Demon King who acts as the great king of our nation, Vermudol-sama, dwells in. In fact, currently, it has implemented a complete remodelling, and it has made free use of the Zadark Kingdom’s latest construction techniques. When the day turns to night, there is an event that could be said to be Arkverm’s special product but……I will leave that as something for you all to look forward to in the distant future.」

「I have a question, but may I ask it?」

 In response to the one Sylphid man who declared that after waiting for a pause in the explanation, Moka turned a smile towards him and nodded.

「Just now, you said something about the latest construction techniques but……even the Demon King Castle that was in the era of the legend, I heard that it was a castle packed with various magic techniques that were said to be impossible to reproduce even now. May we think of it as being the latest on that sort of aspect as well?」

 Hearing the Sylphid man’s words, the other Sylphids also went “now that he mentions it……” and remembered that.

 Certainly, in the legend, there were things a gigantic barrier that covered the entire castle, and doors that would deny intruders that didn’t have the qualifications to enter. There were various mechanisms where there was no telling if it was all the truth or just exaggerations.

「I cannot answer you in detail since those would be national defense secrets……but, I will only say that the Demon King Castle is the crystallization of the latest technology in all sorts of meanings.」

 In actuality, there were a considerable number of techniques that were lost in the era of legend──in other words, in the era of the previous Demon King Gramfia, and there were naturally techniques that were treated as unnecessary and weren’t used as well.

「I see……」

 The man’s interest was in “whether or not that would become a target in trade after this”. He simply didn’t say that out loud since it would be inappropriate to say that here, and the man’s eyes were glued onto the Demon King Castle that stood towering over the surroundings.

 No, it wasn’t just that man. Even the other Sylphids, they were nobles that were in some sort of field that was related to the Jiol Forest Kingdom. This was due to the fact that only nobles who possessed the desire to develop their country were elected, and they were charmed by the unknown possibility known as the Zadark Kingdom that was just before their eyes.

 In the Hero legends, the Dark Continent was depicted as a primitive land, and with the point of contact with the Zadark Kingdom being the single diplomat called Nanalus, there was a limit to what they could see of the Mazoku country that he had spoken about.

 For those who had actually seen the country known as the 「Zadark Kingdom」 with their own eyes, there was only the king and a portion of the cabinet ministers, and even if the other nobles were to hear their stories, they could only be half-convinced.

 That is why they couldn’t get rid of the mental image that it was a primitive land, and even if the main imported goods from the Zadark Kingdom were agricultural crops, that was instead the natural thing to think.

 In that sort of meaning, this was now their first time understanding the country called the 「Zadark Kingdom」.

 The Zadark Kingdom, which was a 「not really understood place that Mazoku lived in」, was revised to a 「friendly nation and promising trade partner」 within them.

 The fact that the Zadark Kingdom’s Mazoku were intellectual was known to a certain extent if one was a Jiol Forest Kingdom noble. Even so, considering their position with external nations, there was a part to them where they couldn’t publicly say that they had a friendship with the Mazoku.

 Even within the Jiol Forest Kingdom, there were many who loudly shouted that people were planning on destroying mankind by supporting the Mazoku, and the fact that using 「they’re actually pretty nice guys if you try talking with them」as a rebuttal towards such voices did not get through to them was a matter of politics, and of diplomacy.

 But, once it was known that the Zadark Kingdom was a nation that possessed a culture level that wasn’t inferior when compared to the other nations, the story was different. Possessing a mature culture and vast territory, the Zadark Kingdom was worthy as a friendly nation, and if world peace could be maintained by forming a friendship with them, that would obviously be for the best.

「Now then, next, we will be moving on to the inside of the shopping districtー. This shopping district is called Arkverm’s First Shopping District, and it’s said that it all originated when a single blacksmith opened shop, but as a matter of fact, we don’t really know if that’s true. Many of the stores were made at generally the same time, and no one has really minded it after all.」

「No, but still……wouldn’t making it clear be for the sake of things hereafter?」

「Nnー, that isn’t really the case. Besides, rather than something like that, all of the stores here want their own place to be called number one at this point in time after all. So stuff like historical information, just the parts that I had told you all just now is good enough.」

 Hearing Moka’s words, the Sylphid closed their mouth.

 Certainly, titles like the 『originator』 and the 『founder』, they nothing more than things about the 「past」. Unless it was something that guaranteed the quality of the goods, it wouldn’t be proof that they were currently the best.

「Now then, here is an important point for this place. Since it’s full of nothing but stores like that, I ask that you never ask about which store is number one or any similar conversation! Today in particular, since every store had made preparations since yesterday and throughout the night due to guests from the outside coming to visit, a careless remark could bring about an unnecessary disturbance. Please understand thatー.」

「Unnecessary disturbance……? We aren’t foolish enough to disparage something after expressly coming to another nation though.」

 In response to the one Sylphid who said that sounding displeased from thinking that she was looking down on them, Moka waved her index finger while saying “tsk tsk”.

「That’s not it, that’s not it. Things like number one and the best, it’s those kinds of words that are dangerous. It’s because everyone here thinks highly of themselves and that they themselves are worthy of those words. And so, when talking about your impressions, normal impressions are fine. Since they’re nothing but a bunch who want to be told “this is seriously the best” that they can’t help themselves, please don’t give them any unnecessary bait, okayー.」

 In response to the guide who said “it’s a promise, okay”, the Sylphids looked at each other.

 After hearing just that story, it seemed to the Sylphids that the shopping district was like a group of young, up-and-coming craftsmen. However, it looked like there were some normal restaurants in the shopping district in front of them as well. Surely it wasn’t like all of the stores were like that.

 Watching the Sylphids, who thought her words were strange, with a smile, Moka suddenly erased her smile.

「……I said that in all seriousness, okay? Each and every one of them is like that, okay? Please be careful in what you say, okay?」

「……Y, yeah. Understood.」

 The Sylphid at the head of the group unconsciously nodded from her intensity.

 And then, the Sylphid saw it.

 Further beyond their guide, a store lined up in the shopping district. From within there, there was the face of someone peeking out and pulling back in.

「Ehー, well then, I’ll start my explanation. Basically, there aren’t any street stall style stores in the Zadark Kingdom. Due to that, every place has a store set-up no matter what kind of shop it is. They’re typically in a face-to-face meeting style, where only stores with a bit of confidence have customer seating prepared……」

 Even while listening to Moka’s explanation, the Sylphid couldn’t help but be bothered by the gaze of someone who seemed to be a shopkeeper.

 That wasn’t a curious or queer gaze towards mankind. It was clearly, a gaze of expectation.

 As for what it was expecting, they understood all too well what it was after listening to Moka’s explanation.

「……And so, that is why the craftsman’s efforts could be said to be the foundations of the development of the grilled skewer in the Zadark Kingdom. Currently, grilling with salt is in the minority and grilling with sauce has become the basics, but how the flow of returning to the origin of making the best of the flavor of the ingredients is born is also quite the interesting phenomenon and……」

 They were being watched.

 The Sylphid couldn’t help but feel creeped out by that gaze. Indeed, like this, they certainly couldn’t say anything carelessly.

「Now then, although there are still plenty of places I should introduce you all to. Since I’m pretty sure that just having it all explained is just boring, why don’t we actually visit a couple of shops! Which place would you like to go to……」

「Ah, no. Please wait a second!」

 Don’t joke with us, there’s no way we could which store we’re fine with in this sort of situation──Receiving the Sylphid’s desperate stop that had that sort of feeling packed into it, the guide raised her voice and laughed.

「Ahaha, no no. I was just wondering if you’d like to go to either a food-type store or a souvenir-type store. Whoops, please hang on for the weapon and armor-type stores, ‘kay!」

 At the same time that they felt that the gazes of a portion of the stores had vanished, the Sylphid felt that the gazes from the other stores became even stronger.

「Come on, let’s go. It’s fine, it isn’t scary at allー!」

 You liar──The Sylphids gulped down those words.


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