Episode 8
I clicked my tongue softly and kicked the first demon who rushed at me straight in the stomach.
“Ugh!”
“You…!”
Another demon pulled out a knife and charged. I kicked his hand, then spun and kicked him in the face.
The large demon flew backward and slammed into the wall.
“Gah!”
The third one was the same. I struck his side and he rolled across the ground.
They were satisfying to hit.
“Nice impact.”
It had been a while since I moved this much. My stiff body felt looser.
I rolled my neck and looked at the child, who was standing there in shock.
“Kid.”
“Yes?”
“In life, when you receive something, you give something back. I helped you. What should you do?”
“Helped…?”
“You’re smart.”
“I don’t have money…”
He quickly hid the brooch. I rubbed his head roughly.
“I’m not taking a kid’s money. Not that. Do you know where the guild is?”
“The guild? Yes!”
“Then guide me.”
“Follow me!”
He led me out of the alley to a building on the main road.
“This is the guild.”
“Thanks. You can go now.”
After sending him off, I went inside.
The noise stopped. Everyone pretended not to stare at me.
A familiar atmosphere.
I walked up to the demon sitting at the bar. Clearly the leader.
“I want to make a request.”
I took out the letter I had written.
“Deliver this to this address.”
“The Kingdom of Akordo… You’d have to go through Fiducia to cross the border. Demons can’t enter. We’d need a special courier.”
“How long?”
“Two months. And triple the price.”
He made a circle with his fingers and grinned.
I scoffed.
“That’s poor skill.”
“What? You arrogant—!”
Swords were drawn all around.
Sigh. Again.
I threw a smoke bomb.
White smoke quickly filled the room.
“Ugh!”
“Ah!”
Thud! Crash! Bang!
I moved through the smoke, kicking, knocking them down, stepping on them, striking their necks until they lost consciousness.
When the smoke cleared, the guild was a mess.
“Cough! You coward—!”
“Want more?”
“N-No!”
The leader had become very polite.
“So how long?”
“O-One month!”
I stared.
“T-Two weeks?”
I kept staring.
“O-One week! That’s the limit!”
“Hmm.”
One week. Not perfect, but acceptable.
“Fine. And bring back a reply in one week.”
“Yes! Where should we contact you?”
“The Demon King’s castle.”
He turned pale.
“You’re the human recently hired there…?”
“Problem?”
“N-No! But we can’t contact the castle…”
“Then I’ll come back in a week.”
“And… the advance payment?”
“Ah.”
I reached into my clothes.
“Payment plus repair costs, right? Handle your medical bills yourselves.”
“Repair costs too? Thank you!”
He held out his hand eagerly.
I searched my left pocket.
Nothing.
I checked the right.
The leader looked suspicious.
“…It’s gone.”
Maybe I dropped it earlier.
Then I checked my pants pocket.
Also gone.
At that moment, Peter’s warning about pickpockets came to mind.
“That kid…”
It had to be him.
I sighed.
“Hey. Do you have some money?”
***
The next day, I went to the tower.
While wiping dust from the window frame, I briefly told Recht about yesterday.
“And about cleaning the tower. Peter said I should discuss the schedule with you.”
When I had asked Peter about cleaning, he had said,
“Talk to the person there…”
Talk to the hostage?
Strange, but I agreed.
Maybe because the hostage was a prince.
Or maybe leaving room for negotiation.
No. If there had been room, something would have changed in my past lives.
“I think Peter will bring your meals as before. I’ll clean once a week.”
“Why are you deciding that?”
“Because there’s nothing left to clean.”
“You should take care of the prince.”
“Recht. This isn’t the palace anymore. Endure some inconvenience.”
“You’re bold.”
“Call it what you like. I have my own work.”
“Cleaning?”
“Yes. There are only two maids in this huge castle.”
“Then quit.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because I get paid. I finish what I’m paid for.”
“Hm. Become my personal maid. I’ll pay ten times more.”
Ten times?!
That’s 200,000 Libra a month… 1.4 million a year.
I swallowed.
“Seems you have a lot of money.”
“Yes. Quite a lot.”
Lucky.
“Still no. Do you think the Demon King would allow that?”
“The Demon King is kind. He won’t care.”
…
I stared at him, then grabbed his head with both hands.
“You’ve clearly been brainwashed.”
There was no other explanation.
After that, I was kicked out of the tower.
He kept insisting the Demon King was kind.
“Definitely brainwashed.”
I walked back to the castle.
On the way to lunch, I met Estelle.
“Illy! Perfect timing!”
She smiled brightly.
The dining hall looked messy again.
And on the table was a green liquid and green lumps.
Freddy again?
“Illy! I made this!”
“…You?”
“They’re cookies. Try them!”
She handed me one of the green lumps.
“I love cooking.”
“Estelle. Which kingdom are you from?”
“Karuland.”
Karuland is a magic kingdom.
“Any alchemists in your family?”
“Huh? How did you know?”
Otherwise you couldn’t make this.
“What’s this?”
I pointed at the green liquid.
“Potato soup. I blended young greens for health.”
“Unless you’re trying to poison me, throw it away.”
She looked sad, but it was necessary.
Just then—
“What’s that smell?”
I turned.
A boy with black hair and red eyes stood there.
“Lord Daiban, you’re awake?”
The boy walked in and stared at the green cookies.
He reached for one.
I quickly lifted the plate.
“You’ll get a stomachache.”
He looked up at me with wide red eyes.
The young Demon King.
“Give it.”
Excuse me?
For a moment, I hesitated.
He was rude. But also the employer’s son.
“Say ‘please give it.’”
“What? Who are you!”
“Illy.”
“What?”
“Don’t call me ‘you’ so casually. You’ll get scolded.”
He looked shocked.
After a moment, he turned and left angrily.
That brat.
I handed the plate back to Estelle.
“Let’s throw it away.”
