Chapter 247 To the Demon Lands (II).
Chapter 86: To the Demon Lands (II).
Kein's POV
"Kazari, how could you do that-?" (Iyashi) dries her hair with a towel she got out of her [Storage Ring] looking not happy to find herself being wet with water. It was after she got herself dunked on by her little sister with a cup just because she was fainting a lot.
"Apologies, nee-san. You're taking your time well. It's been an hour since you have fainted. We would appreciate it if… I know your condition, you can't control it but perhaps you can avoid fainting. We are barely halfway into your explanation about the structural map of the demon dungeon." (Kazari) gave her another dry towel to use, and her sister took it, understanding the reason for what she did.
"...Yes, apologies for the delay. I must've given the hero a fright with what happened. I hope that didn't ruin my first impression with her." (Iyashi) turns to Avery who hides her face hoping that it would help her slowly be comfortable with her.
"No problem- I'll just hide my face until you finish explaining." (Avery)
"You won't see the map then, Avery." I helped lower her hands with a chuckle, finally showing her face. She feels guilty and finds herself to be the reason why Sato Iyashi here is getting triggered to faint. "What I'm even more surprised to know is how come you know the whole schedule of the demon lord, little hero? Did you follow her everywhere in the dungeon like a stalker?"
I joked, I know that Avery wouldn't be that kind of person but well… it would actually be the opposite. It would be people stalking Avery.
"...?!" (Avery) looked offended with my words, eyebrows raised she places both of her hands to her waist. "Excuse me, stalking is beneath me! And for your information the demon lord… well- she's… Let's just say she gives me a free pass when I visit?"
The three of us hearing this blinked in confusion, what kind of hero gets a free pass visit inside the dungeon of the demons?
"A free pass…?"
Avery nods proudly, "Sometimes the demon lord lets me inside the other parts of the dungeon, like the treasure room I told you about. I did try a bunch of times attacking her there when her guard was lowered down but- I was binded with a spell that got me captured so I stayed there with her a lot of times-"
"Hold on, Miss Avery." (Kazari) stopped her with a shocked and widened look on her face looking concerned. "Are you serious?"
"Yes… about what specifically?"
"About your staying inside the dragon's lair- the demon lord's lair." (Kazari) calmly responded and the hero nodded back.
"What's wrong with it? Staying with the dragon in its lair I mean." (Avery) asked innocently that it made the three of us jump at that question.
"Avery, don't tell me that dragons just randomly invite you to their room for a slumber party?" I asked her and she shook her head.
"Of course not, what am I five? I'm not that dumb. I thought some dragons could be friendly enough to let other humans stay in their room." (Avery) replied, defending herself possibly looking towards the possibility of the demons and humans getting along.
"That's the problem- you're not just any other human out there. You're a hero! The demon lord's enemy! The slayer, the savior of humankind and summoned to bring peace in the country, isn't that right Kazari?" I turned to my companion for support, I don't why but I'm unsettled. Avery would be a good addition to our party but from how she views her morals- I don't think she would have the heart and will to kill the demon lord.
She says she can, but my gut says the latter.
"Dragons- they are selfish and a race that tends to hoard their treasures inside their cave." (Kazari) made me imagine a dragon being surrounded by piles of money and gold. "They never and ever rarely get out of their home. There have been records that anyone who enters their chambers would be killed- for you to be even alive right now that means…"
Kazari's face turned red, she covered her mouth, not being able to continue.
Avery shrugs not understanding what Kazari was implying, even though I got the gist of the story.
The demon lord, from the pieces of the tales they've been given, are not friendly creatures and would never let anyone inside their home.
If the dragon does… it's either entertainment or… a mate of interest.
"...?!" Light Bulb struck me and everything made sense.
Don't tell me Avery's passive charm skill also works on demons? Or the demon lord just fell in love with her in an instant. The possibilities of reasons are endless!
"That means the demon lord… don't tell me. Hahaha! I think this is just utterly hilarious!" I held my stomach trying not to burst from laughing too much.
"Hey! What are you laughing about Kein?! I was kept inside the dragon's lair without much consent. Eventually we just slept together-" (Avery) was cut off by a groan on the sofa, we turned to see Kazari's older sister mellowing.
"Excuse me?!" (Iyashi) hearing Avery's explanation was making her faint, for the third time in a row. "A-A hero… sleeping with the demon lord."
"Chill! Please, we didn't do that kind of sleeping together! All of you are dirty minded! Hell! The kind of sleep I was talking about is the regular kind where you try to replenish your energy okay, a few times before I used that to my advantage and tried killing her with my sword-"
"...pfft."
"Kein, stop. It's really not that funny, please. I meant my cursed sword over here whatever you could be thinking- stop it."
"Yeah… I'll try."
Avery sighs looking serious holding the hilt of her cursed sword, giving the three of us a scolding. "I want to go home, and I'm serious about it. I miss my family, I miss the food and I miss the people. Do you know how horrible it is to go on for two years in this world without wifi or any social media?!"
"I might be keeping up with smiles but deep inside I am homesick, I just don't want people seeing a hero they admire be all gloomy and depressed. I've matured… I think." she continued, plopping back down into the sofa and taking another box of pintxo to eat.
Avery holds the toothpick before stopping to look away, not meeting our eyes. "I had a lot of fun adventuring, saving people and finding some purpose. But… I really want to go home. I don't even know if the time passing is the same back as earth."
"For all I know… everyone I know has already aged- or even passed."
"If I may, time flows differently in different worlds." (Iyashi) stands up, looking dignified and balanced unlike before. We were a bit shocked that she suddenly joined in our conversation no longer looking mellow. "It is what my father has said before, that is why he did not pursue going back just like his other hero companions when they defeated the former demon lord of this world."
"As his descendants, we were given the honor to hear his story about what his old home was like. There were… films… phone booths and floppy disks in his time. I could tell that he missed everything about his home in Nihon." (Iyashi) smiles, fondly remembering the memories spent with his father.
"Hai, it always intrigued me on how there could be other worlds where my father has lived. Do you remember the story he told us about trains?" (Avery) chimed in and the two laughed together, having their own world.
"How could I forget… such an amazing invention yet with our world being built on magic we rely on it and rarely have the passion for inventing."
Avery nudged my sides looking confused, "Nihon? Kein, do you know where that place is?" she whispered to me and I answered while the two sisters were getting distracted by their old stories from the past.
"It's Japan, Avery. You know the land of the rising sun, it's what Japanese people call their country, Nihon." I explained it to her and she immediately got it. I pointed at Iyashi's clothes having well patterned kimono designs of gentle birds, and other accessories polished being made from wood. "Not going to lie. I would love one of those accessories as a souvenir to Rose and Vivienne."
Especially Vivienne, if they have any cute animal ones I would love to bring it back home to her.
"Same, maybe we can ask her if she has some more. It's pretty cool. I want to go to Japan someday. How about you, Kein? You know in your um… past did you travel a lot?" (Avery) took?a bite of her food, handed me one and I graciously took one from the box.
"I've been there- and settled there in the year 2045 at least."
"What's it like? I know that's twenty years in the future in my time."
"I wouldn't want to spoil it. You'll be in your early forties by the time you get back there. Hell, if you ever come back there, maybe we've met before."
"Us meeting on earth before, huh. That's a nice thing to imagine, I hope we do."
Hmm… I wouldn't hope too much but it would be cool if we ever met each other in different years and just stayed friends. If I wasn't too occupied with my time studying or priorities, I would've remembered Avery.
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