Part 3
Tidying up the food, they once again departed.
Unlike stagecoaches where a substitute horse would be prepared at the location, they would be relying on the current horse that was pulling for them.
They couldn’t work it too hard.
They decided the camping site ahead of time.
There were also post towns, but as expected of a highway that connects to a large city, its public safety was good, and the weather wasn’t bad either.
Buying only water and horse fodder, they decided to sleep outdoors on the outskirts of town.
Although they were sleeping outdoors, it was was in the carriage’s passenger cabin. It was more pleasant than a poor inn.
*Fura* Sylvie, who had gone outside, had came back inside of the carriage.
「I set a trap out around us. One where a sound will be made if any wild animals or thieves come close.」
「So you didn’t go to the toilet.」
She blushed.
「N, no I didn’t.」
「It’s just the two of us. It really helps that we don’t have to do a night watch.」
「Diablo-san, does your group always go with the shift system?」
「That’s how it is, but Shera often ends up falling asleep on her turn. That is why we avoid quests where we would have to sleep outdoors for several days.」
While saying that, Diablo lied down on the bench.
Although it was cramped as a substitute for a bed, it was several times more pleasant than the damp ground or the rugged gravel.
「MP won’t recover unless you sleep after allー.」
Sylvie came over to near Diablo’s head.
「What is it?」
「Today, you fiddled with your ear, right? I’ll give you some real ear care.」
He remembered──
Come to think of it, when he scratched his ear hole with his finger, she scolded him harshly.
「That’s unnecessary. I am not a child.」
「Now now, my ear cleaning is pretty good you know? It’s enough where I was thinking that opening a ear cleaning store might be good if I retire as an Adventurer.」
「It’s already night, you know?」
When Sylvie snapped her fingers, a light was lit at the ceiling. So it was the magic 《Light》.
In general, the magical power of the Magicians of this other world was weak, and with there not being much firepower, the meager Chemical Elemental Magic was neglected.
However, the basics of Chemical Elemental Magic was studied as basic learning. It was only at the level where it could be a replacement for daily necessities though.
It was hard to sleep with it being this bright.
Diablo gave up and decided to leave things to her.
「What should I do?」
「Well then, lie down placing your head here.」
Sylvie sat at the end of the bench, and patted on her slender thighs.
「......Are you serious?」
「Diablo-san, I wouldn’t say something like this as a joke to youー.」
「Mumumu.」
It didn’t seem like she was teasing him.
Lying his body down, he placed his head on Sylvie’s lap.
「Ah, your horns are a bit in the way. Can’t you take them off?」
「Th-th-there’s no way I could take them off, right!?」
Saying "actually, they’re for decoration" at this late point in time──something like that was way too uncool, and was impossible in terms of his Demon King role play.
「Well, that’s fine. Now then, turn to the side.」
Sylvie’s thighs touched his cheek.
Going by her speech and conduct, she should be older than Diablo.
However, just like the skin of a child, they were smooth and springy.
It’s said that the race called Grasswalker will keep the appearance of a child no matter how old they get, but it seems that even their skin will remain unchanging.
Since it’s said that their life span isn’t any different from that of a Human’s, it is really mysterious.
Even her body temperature was high like that of a child. It was steadily being transmitted to him.
And then, looking closely──hair that was like superfine cat fur was growing on her kneecaps. Though, maybe because they were white in color, they couldn’t be noticed unless one was this close.
Something touched the hole of Diablo’s ear.
「Ugh......」
「Ah, did it hurt?」
「It tickled.」
「Ahaha......just endure it a bit.」
「Well......It didn’t tickle that much though......」
「First, I’ll take out the earwax with an earpickー.」
She gently cleaned his ear hole.
「......」
「Hnhnh～n♪ Next, I’ll take out the small dirt with the cotton swab.」
「Cotton swab!?」
「It’s this thing.」
What he was shown was a tool where cotton was wrapped around the tip of a thin, wooden stick.
「Ah, yeah......」
In his original world, when speaking of cotton swab, it was something where absorbent cotton was attached to a plastic stick, but this was something different.
She carefully wiped his ear hole.
It was gentle and felt good.
「It doesn’t hurt, right?」
She also rubbed the inner part of his external ear. Putting her hand at the back of it as support, she carefully traced the ups and downs of it with cotton that wrapped around her thin finger.
It was a bit ticklish, and pleasant......
Even though she was simply touching his ear, there was also the body temperature being transmitted from her thighs, so it felt like he was submerged in a bathtub at a hot spring.
It felt like both his soul and body were melting.
「Finally, I’ll finish up with Hohoba oil.」
Putting only a drop of a transparent, golden oil from a small bottle onto her fingertip, she spread it on his ear.
Diablo felt that his body temperature increased a bit.
「Alright! Now then, turn the other way.」
「......What?」
「I also need to do the other ear.」
「Th, that’s true but.」
「Turn this way, ’kay.」
──This is ear cleaning. There is nothing to feel guilty about.
After reciting that was something like a chant in his mind, Diablo turned his face towards the direction of Sylvie’s stomach, lying down sideways.
The heat that was being transmitted to the cheek that was touching her thighs just a little while ago disappeared and it became cold.
The other cheek was warmed up.
And then, this time, Sylvie’s stomach slightly touched his nose.
──Come to think of it, her appearance is pretty much similar to being naked.
With her body being small, it turned into an ear cleaning where she got really close to him.
It were as if his face was buried in her smooth stomach.
So warm.
His ear felt comfortable, and her humming was like a lullaby.
With the fatigue of the day also being a factor, Diablo felt his consciousness descending into sleep.
──Ahh, this ear cleaning, feels really good.
As expected of a Guildmaster.
Part 4
Lifelia Calendar, Year 165, January 9──
After a few days, Diablo’s carriage arrived at the city gates of the Royal Capital Sevenwall’s 《Ninth District》.
The guards called them to a halt.
──Last time, this was where I was mistaken for a Demonic Being.
An unpleasant memory was resurrected.
Before things became troublesome, Sylvie showed a crystal wand that was decorated with gold.
「I am the Faltra Adventurer Guildmaster, Sylvie. Will you check our cargo?」
「No need! Please head on through!」
The guards lined up and made a well-formed salute.
Diablo breathed a sigh of relief in his mind.
「As expected of you.」
「In the past, this crystal system didn’t exist and things were really troublesome though. I, wasn’t trusted all that much back then.」
「It must have been hard for you.」
They passed through the gate.
They slowly went down the street that was lined with stores.
The street was tiled, and the wheels made a *goto goto* sound. Even though it was wider than Faltra City’s main streets, it was overflowing with people despite that.
He felt like he might get sick from all of the people again. Diablo was bad with crowds of people.
「Tsk......Is there some kind of festival?」
「It’s the New Year’s Festival. For about ten days at the beginning of the year, they would drink alcohol, sing, and dance. There are also a lot of stallholders that only come out at this time of the year.」
「What is there to celebrate over something like the start of a year. It is something that happens every year, isn’t it.」
「Ahaha......That’s true, but at the end of last year, there was information of the Demon King’s revival, and there was even rumors of a lost battle after all. I think that’s reason enough to get excessively excited, you know?」
「Mu......」
Faltra City also made merry for several days in the victory celebration, but it was surprising to see that it was transmitted this far.
Sylvie moved the ends of her lips and expressed a smile.
「Diablo-san, it’s all thanks to you.」
「It is not like I fought for the sake of the guys here. It was merely because Modinalaam attacked my base that I kicked him about.」
「Everyone was saved.」
She told him that with a serious face.
Feeling like he would become bashful, Diablo changed the topic.
「Where are Rem and Shera?」
「Although I haven’t gotten in contact with them......I think, they’re probably at the royal castle Grandios. It’s because they headed to the royal capital for the sake of an audience after all.」
「I see.」
「Normally, an audience would make make them wait for a long time inside the castle. Since the king is also busy right after the year starts, I’m guessing that their stay will last for about ten days. Should we try going there?」
「No......I have no intention of doing that.」
He had come as far as the royal capital, but he didn’t feel like he wanted to meet with the king.
Seeming like she accepted that, Sylvie didn’t press the matter.
「Well then, we’ll need an inn. If it were just me, I could rely on the royal capital’s Adventurer’s Guild, but Diablo-san, you don’t like places where there are a lot of people that you don’t know, right?」
He silently nodded.
They hadn’t been acquainted all that long, but he was completely exposed.
By some chance, she might have also suspected that his Demon King role play was an act.
──Even if that’s the case, I have no choice but to persist in it.
It was because he wouldn’t be able to even have a satisfactory conversation without it.
After pondering for a bit, Diablo spoke.
「......Rem and Shera said that they would meet with Alicia and Lumachina in the royal capital. I suppose I should try getting in contact with one of them.」
「Well then, I think Lumachina-san would be good. Once we’ve decided on the inn, let’s send a letter.」
「I leave it to you.」
Sylvie didn’t seem to trust Alicia.
Thinking about it, that was only natural since when Krum was awakened as the Demon King Krebskrum, the one who plotted it was Alicia.
Despite being a State Knight, she was a Demon King Worshipper that schemed for the destruction of the Races. Although she was now reformed and had sworn her loyalty to Diablo, her hatred of the Races still remained.
──Putting it plainly, she’s a dangerous person.
For Diablo, if Rem hadn’t forgiven her, he would have treated her as an enemy.
Shera was the same, but those two of them were kind, or rather naive......Even though they’re Adventurers, they are humanitarians.
He didn’t hate that but......
In the end, Diablo and Sylvie ended up staying at an inn in the 《Ninth District》. It was because that was where there were a lot of inns that would take care of carriages were.
「I think that this place is good!」
Sylvie pointed her finger.
Inn 《Princess Lafina》──
It had quite the name, but its appearance was old and uncouth.
Diablo ended up tilting his head.
「Have you stayed here before?」
「It’s a good inn, you knowー. It’s a long-standing place where it was said that Princess Lafina of a neighbouring country had stayed here long ago. I think that it’s already been rebuilt three times though.」
「That is way too long ago.」
「They’ll look after the carriage, it’s cheap, and their breakfast is delicious.」
「Fumu......」
Being cheap was an attractive point.
When he had defeated the Great Demon King, he had received "money to cover the cost of the victory celebration" from the Faltra City nobles, but it wasn’t so much that he could waste money.
Since they didn’t have any other ideas, they rented a room at the 《Princess Lafina》.
Just like the outer appearance, the inner appearance was also old and simple.
──Did royalty really lodge here? Were they really poor royalty? Or could it be a made-up story?
In the reasonably wide room, there were two smallish beds.
Diablo shrugged his shoulders.
「So we’re in the same room?」
「Don’t worry about it, don’t worry about it. The inn fees will be paid by the Faltra Adventurer’s Guild after all.」
「......So it’s for monitoring.」
Having defeated the Great Demon King Modinalaam, Diablo’s evaluation increased. Whether it be in a good sense or a bad sense.
Even for the Adventurer’s Guild, it wasn’t difficult to imagine that they strengthened their vigilance.
Sylvie flutteringly waved her hand.
「I won’t deny that, you know? That’s just how big of an accomplishment that you’ve brought about. You won’t be treated badly, okay?」
「Do as you like.」
Being monitored, wasn’t something pleasant.
However, sneakily running and hiding was a pain. Besides, there didn’t seem to be any malice to it for now.
Sylvie prepared a pen and paper.
「I’ll try getting in contact with Lumachina-san, okay? Is it alright if I tell Rem-san and the others that we will be staying in this inn for a while?」
「Right. Also──that I have no intention of meeting with the king.」
「Then I’ll be writing it.」
As expected, seeming to be accustomed to clerical work, Sylvie had her pen running without any hesitation.
Diablo lied down on the bed.
He had gone out of his way to try coming to the royal capital but......now that he had, he had lost the nerve to go to that rumored store. He didn’t have any experience in having that sort of fun after all.
That being said, he didn’t have an active personality where he would enjoy sightseeing either.
He did have an interest in a town that he wasn’t used to seeing, but the crowds on the streets were too dreadful, and he already felt like shutting himself in the inn.
「I’m going to sleep.」
「It’s still noon, you know?」
「I’m tired.」
「......It was a pretty long journey after all. Have a good rest, Diablo-san.」
He closed his eyes──
For a nap.
By the time he noticed, the outside of the window was dark. The western sky was faintly red, so it was after the sun had sank.
He thought that he would wake up before dinner, but it seemed that he had surprisingly accumulated fatigue from the journey. He ended up taking a long sleep.
He was alone in the room.
──Did Sylvie go out?
He remembered his empty stomach.
「Since I’ve gone to the trouble of coming to the royal capital, I guess I can eat some food.」
It seemed that there were a lot of stores in the royal capital that served rare cuisine that wasn’t found in Faltra City.
Last time, he had to keep hidden, and since the hotel cuisine was wonderful, he hadn’t gone out to eat, but he had a fair amount of interest in it.
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