Chapter 200: & Announcement!

Chapter 200: & Announcement!

The world swirled around Esmerelda. Swathes of darkness danced amidst fading orange and brown. Distant sound pricked at the back of her ears and she groaned, her eyes fluttering. Something cold, wet, and rough was pressed against her forehead.

A towel.

More sound returned with her growing awareness. The towel pulled back to let a flicker of dim light wash across the counter before her. Ifrit and his guild were gathered around her, concerned expressions on their faces.

“Esmerelda!” Rodrick exclaimed, the warrior’s voice booming in her ears.

The demon beside him smacked him on the shoulder. “Hush! Don’t be too loud. She just passed out.”

“Shit,” the warrior said in a much lower tone as he winced. “Sorry. Are you okay, ma’am?”erelda’s lips were dry and gummy. An imp shifted in the shadows at the edge of her vision. The monster was far from dangerous to her, but it only served to prove without a shadow of a doubt that she hadn’t somehow hallucinated something.

It should have been impossible. Devils had entered the realm before, but it was impossible for them to remain for a long period of time. They had no physical form. The only thing they could do was temporarily possess a body.

Some could keep their hold for years before their grip evaporated and the body collapsed, but that was it. Esmerelda had absolutely no problem with that. Their games were fun, and they broke up the monotony.

This was different. Ifrit was a devil made flesh. More than that, he’d already established a foothold in the city. Her mind reeled in disbelief. Calling this a foothold was a misrepresentation. It was more than a mere foothold.

The demon — Lillia — beside Esmerelda was strong. There was no doubt about it. The way the shadows clung to her skin was unique to a rather powerful skill, and Esmerelda had lived for long enough steeped with magic to feel the subtle differences in it.

It was difficult to describe the feeling Lillia gave her but Esmerelda was willing to bet everything in her shop that she was no average demon. On top of that, their merchant was a literal vampire.

Vampires were some of the most dangerous monsters due to their resemblance to humans. They could disguise themselves nearly flawlessly until they opened their mouths and revealed just how truly foreign they were to human societies.

And somehow, Lillia and the vampire weren’t the only things that were out of place. Magic was present in almost every single one of the guilds’ weapons. She couldn’t tell how much there was or what it did. It didn’t matter. Their reaction to her pendant had said everything.

They hadn’t found it worthwhile. A pendant that almost anyone in Milten would have been drooling over was nothing more than a novelty to them. The pendant was far from the strongest item Esmerelda possessed, but it was ill omens for a devil to already be this powerful.

Do I act? I care little for most people, but an incursion like this into the mortal realm could be dire. This goes beyond me having a little fun at the cost of a few lives. The devil has grown incredibly powerful in what must have been a short amount of time. I refuse to believe he’s been present for longer. I would have noticed.

But... the devil invited me here. If I try to escape too quickly, they will catch on. And even if I do leave, do I truly care enough about this city to bother warning anyone? My own cover will be destroyed in the process.

“Are you okay?” Ifrit asked, waving a hand before Esmerelda. “You took quite the thump there. I’m sorry I didn’t realize you were unsteady. I should have caught you.”

“I’m fine,” Esmerelda said as she finally found her words and shook her head. “I was merely surprised. I didn’t expect—”

“I’m not a real demon,” Lillia said with a sheepish smile so convincing that Esmerelda almost bought it. Almost. The demon gave her tail a small tug. “This is a costume. The imps are made from shadow magic.”

That is most certainly not a costume, and you most certainly are a real demon.

Ifrit reached up to his helm and pulled it off, revealing a relatively handsome face with a long scar beneath an eye. “I hope we didn’t scare you too much. I really should have properly warned you.”

“Five silver. My prices raised a bit recently,” Lillia said.

Esmerelda blinked. “What?”

“Oh, this one was free,” Lillia said hurriedly as she picked the plate up and handed it to an imp that stepped from the shadows. “I wouldn’t take advantage of you like that. It was a gift. But more are five silver.”

“...Five silver?”

“Yup,” Lillia said. “Six if you want a drink. Well, it could be a bit more depending on the drink, but that’s what it generally ends up being.”

Silver? That’s it? Is it a fake word?

Esmerelda’s hand shot into her pocket and into a small dimensional space sewn into it. She pulled a gold out and set it on the table, watching Lillia warily. “Could I—”

“Coming right up.” Lillia smiled and scooped the coin off the table. She deposited five silvers in its place, then shot off to the kitchen. She paused at the doorway and stuck her head back out. “Make sure you lot don’t overstress her. She needs to rest.”

“We won’t,” Rodrick promised.

Lillia disappeared into the kitchen. Esmerelda stared at the coins in front of her. They’d literally just wanted money. Now she was even more confused.

I am missing something. The devil brought me here... to sell me food like this for five silver? Perhaps I hit my head harder than I thought.

“How are you feeling?” Ifrit asked with a concerned frown that looked strikingly true. Devils were masters of manipulation. Esmerelda was more than aware of that, but he was good. Very good. It really looked like he was concerned.

“I’m fine,” Esmerelda said with a shake of her head. “There is no cause for concern. I just haven’t gone out much as of late.”

“That makes sense,” Ifrit said with a knowing nod. A smile drifted across his lips as he looked over to the kitchen, his eyes sparkling. “Lillia’s food will fix you right up. She’s something else.”

Master of manipulation indeed. Devils can’t feel emotion like this, but Ifrit genuinely seems to be in love.

Esmerelda swallowed her thoughts back. The faster she found out what they wanted, the better. She couldn’t handle the uncertainty any longer.

“What is it that you thought I could aid you with?” Esmerelda asked.

“Ah, right.” Ifrit clapped the vampire on his shoulder. “As I mentioned earlier, this is Madiv. He’s our merchant, and he really needs a supplier. He’s been having some trouble getting stock.”

That could be just what I need. Some proper business talk to get my mind back in things.

Esmerelda shook herself off and then blew out a short breath. A practiced smile crossed her face and she turned her attention to Madiv. Vampire or not, everyone had something they wanted. Something they needed.

She just had to find out how much he was willing to give up.

“In that case, let’s get to it,” Esmerelda said. Words she’d said to countless adventurers. Most of them hadn’t gotten fortunate enough to hear them a second time. “What can this humble old woman do for you?”