TSMFTDG 46

Episode 46

In the Tesarus Empire, a large market was held in the capital square and smaller towns once every two months.

The unrest among the people had made it smaller than before, but it was by no means small.

Amid the bustling crowd, Riel and I pulled our robes tightly over ourselves and found a shaded spot to avoid being recognized.

“Do you know where Pamiel is?”

“Yeah, roughly.”

Pamiel was someone who easily felt loneliness and enjoyed mingling among humans. The place she liked the most, apart from the pleasure district, was the black market.

Generally, the better things ran in the capital, the busier the black market became. There, life was valued and sold, and the supply and demand flowed smoothly.

In the Empire, slavery was legal, and buying and selling humans was sanctioned by law.

“The more I see this place, the creepier it feels.”

Of course, many people disliked the idea of trading lives. But the world is wide, and there are many eccentric people.

There were no shortage of humans like Pamiel who enjoyed putting a price on life.

“If we stay here too long, we’ll be found out quickly. It’s close to the temple.”

“I know.”

The problem, however, was that we didn’t know exactly where the black market was held.

It would be difficult to wander around this vast area looking for it. It wasn’t as if it would be held somewhere easily accessible to the public.

“…Annoying.”

A wave of irritation surged over me at the thought of being toyed with by Pamiel. I clicked my tongue and studied the passing humans carefully.

Among those brushing past us in the crowd, one human in particular caught my eye.

A little girl holding her family’s hand stumbled on a stone and lost sight of her companions.

“Mom…!”

She quickly looked around, but her family had already been swept away by the crowd. In a place like this, losing track of one’s party made it nearly impossible to find them again.

Riel seemed to have noticed the girl too and was about to approach, but I grabbed his sleeve and shook my head.

“Wait.”

“Rerhel?”

She still has her uses.

He looked at me in confusion, then furrowed his brow when he saw the scene.

Two men were approaching the girl and leading her somewhere.

I exhaled softly at Riel’s tensed posture, ready to rush forward. That’s just his occupational instinct.

“Let’s follow them.”

We trailed them carefully, making sure not to be noticed.

The men, wearing masks of kindness, told the girl they’d help find her family and led her to a secluded spot.

They entered a modestly built shop in a quiet area. From the outside, it looked like a restaurant, but it was an entrance for goods sold in the black market.

“Is this the black market Pamiel mentioned?”

“Yes. It’s a place she likes. The child taken from the castle is probably inside too.”

“Let’s wait here. I’ll bring her out.”

“Not yet.”

I held Riel back to prevent him from rushing forward, hiding behind a wall to block him without attracting attention.

He looked a little annoyed, as if not understanding my actions.

“There’s no one else nearby. Pamiel will probably bring her here tonight. It’s better to wait quietly until then.”

“……”

“Do you hate waiting that much?”

I didn’t understand why Riel was angry. Curious, I asked, and he sighed before posing another question.

“…Rerhel. You knew they’d approach the child, didn’t you?”

Why ask that?

I didn’t understand him, just as he didn’t understand me. I tilted my head and replied.

“Of course.”

Even among slaves, their rank in the black market differed depending on gender, age, appearance, and health.

The cheapest were elderly men, then elderly women, followed by young men and women at higher prices.

Finally, those who emitted the rotten scent preferred young children. A child alone, separated from their family, was the most coveted prey.

“Following them is more efficient than checking each alley individually.”

“But that’s using an innocent child.”

“So what?”

Is using someone really that bad? Everyone uses others for their own benefit.

I didn’t understand what answer Riel expected from me.

“I thought of this because you dislike killing humans. Why are you angry?”

He opened his mouth to reply but ultimately shut it tight, signaling he didn’t want to speak further.

Even though we had been happy just this morning, these small clashes still hurt our feelings.

I bit my lip and stepped back slightly.

“…I’ll cool my head. Come sunset, she’ll come. Until then, act separately.”

Turning away from Riel’s gaze, I tried to push down the uneasy beating of my heart. I didn’t know why, so I told myself it was just my imagination.

❖ ❖ ❖

In a castle filled with lifeless skeletons, shadows of death stretching across every corner, Pamiel moved as if familiar with the place.

In the innermost bedroom, the Demon King of envy, Linefried, groaned in pain as he lay on the bed.

Pamiel approached and gently offered him a lap pillow.

“…Pamiel.”

“It’s okay, Line. I’m here.”

Sometimes, he suffered hallucinations accompanied by various pains—a symptom common among highly intelligent undead.

For those who shouldn’t be alive, it was a divine punishment. The only cure was death.

Pamiel alleviated his pain by overlaying other hallucinations, providing relief.

“It’ll be okay now.”

She brushed back his gray hair, and his groans softened slightly.

Seeing him rest comfortably, she held him with a mix of sorrow and care.

“…Line. Can you stop now?”

Unlike Pamiel, who cared little for power and pursued only pleasure, Linefried had ambition.

He wanted the crown—only one existed. To achieve this, he needed to become stronger.

Recently, he had been creating undead excessively. The more he created, the stronger he became.

“What’s the point of getting stronger if it hurts this much?”

Yet the stronger he became, the worse the hallucinations. One day, they might take over his body and consciousness completely.

Over time, Pamiel had grown attached to Linefried. But she had never confessed her feelings.

He was a fellow Demon King, a friend, someone she often spoke with. That was all.

‘He probably knows how I feel, doesn’t he?’

She knew he was perceptive, yet he acted as if he didn’t notice—a silent pretense, perhaps out of consideration.

Her heart gradually ached.

“I don’t want to see you in pain.”

Even without reciprocation, her growing feelings could not be stopped.

Wrapping her wings around him, she closed her eyes gently. The awaited time was almost here.

“I’ll be back soon.”

The strong hallucination she had cast ensured he would not awaken today.

She kissed his forehead lightly, then rose and spread her wings wide.

For the one she loved, she would do anything—even if it caused him pain.

❖ ❖ ❖

As the sun set, lights illuminated the dark streets and shops. Pulling my robe over myself, I moved through the glittering streets.

“Welcome, guest!”

Inside a building, a clerk greeted me cheerfully. Ordinary building, common goods, nothing unusual in the staff.

Everything seemed normal, which made it the perfect cover for hiding something.

“I’d like to see the new arrivals.”

This was a code phrase to enter the black market.

The clerk nodded silently and guided me to another area. I sighed inwardly as I followed.

—I’ll go through the back door. Riel, you watch from the front. I don’t know what Pamiel is planning.

Riel said nothing more, heading to the back door. Judging by how he avoided eye contact, he was still angry.

Why were we even fighting over this? Shouldn’t we be focused on understanding each other now?

Muttering to myself, the clerk stopped at the door as if noticing my impatience.

“Inside, robes cannot be worn. Please use this.”

He handed me a black mask covering the eyes.

“Because weapons are allowed inside?”

“Yes. We can’t have the goods damaged.”

Security seemed stricter than expected, with several humans stationed at the entrance.

Of course, nobles were likely inside, which required extra care.

I put on the mask and handed my robe to the clerk. With my hair already dyed black, no one suspected me.

“May you find a fine item.”

With a formal greeting, the door opened. Inside, the stench hit my nose, making me frown.

The scene resembled a theater stage with audience seating—a strange but ironic sight.

Scanning the room, I recognized someone familiar.

Even with her face covered by a golden mask, a wave of discomfort washed over me. I let out a hollow laugh and sat beside her.

“What are you doing here?”

And she held the title of Saint.