Mushoku Tensei (LN) - Volume 6 - Chapter 13.1

Interlude:

The Two She Encountered 

Roxy Migurdia arrived in the town of Krasma, located at the tip of the northwestern part of the Demon Continent. It was a thriving town, albeit not as robust as Rikarisu. Though it looked unremarkable at first glance, this entire area was ruled by a Demon King. One with intimate ties to the the seafolk, allowing the town to trade with them. With the seafolk came seafood, and with the demons came strong, fragrant spices unique to the Demon Continent, and it was in the town of Krasma that you could taste the delicious food that resulted from the combination. The town boasted such flavorful cuisine that it regularly tied with Wind Port for the title of the place on the Demon Continent with the most delicious food. 

“This food really goes great with some alcohol!” 

Ever since they arrived in this town, Talhand had been in good spirits. Krasma didn’t just have the bitter alcohol of the Demon Continent, but the sweet alcohol of the seafolk as well. Talhand, being a dwarf, loved alcohol, and as long as the drinking was fun, he didn’t seem to mind how bad it tasted. When he went to the pub, he invariably hit it off with the ruffians there and drank enough alcohol to fill an entire bathtub. Pubs were everywhere in Krasma, so between that and the good food, Talhand was in paradise. 

As for Roxy, she still had the tastes of a child despite her age, so the cuisine of this town didn’t agree with her. The food and seasonings of the Demon Continent weren’t her thing, on the whole. She liked sweet things. 

The saving grace was the seafolk’s specialty, which was sweet alcohol. It came as quite a shock to Roxy, who’d only ever associated alcohol with bitterness. The liquor had an airy, seashore-like fragrance to it, and if you took a drink, an indescribably sweet flavor would spread in your mouth. The aftertaste left a bit of saltiness, which only made you want to snack as you drank. 

“Now that’s a rare sight! So you’re drinkin’ too, eh, Roxy?!” 

“Yes, I am.” 

“Yer in a good mood today, eh?” Talhand watched as Roxy drank and cheerfully put in his next order. “Barkeep, bring us a cask! I’ll teach ya how to drink like a dwarf!” 

In times like these, Roxy thought they were sure fortunate that things were so cheap on the Demon Continent. You could drink and eat as much as you wanted and still cover the cost with one Asura copper coin. 

“Old man, you’re really chugging that down good!” 

“Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink!” 

“Just what you’d expect from a dwarf!” 

“Mmkay, let’s have a competition! Barkeep, bring me a cask, too!” 

Incidentally, Elinalise had already disappeared into the night with some man she’d hit it off with. This was normally the point where Roxy would start to feel a bit alienated, but before she realized it, she and the girl sitting next to her were both hooting at the boisterous Talhand. 

“Bwahaha! What a fine dwarf you are! No matter how the times may change, the dwarves remain the same! You agree with me, don’t ya?” the girl asked. 

“Yes, certainly,” Roxy answered. 

“Oh, here we go! Go on, chug! Chug! Chug!” 

“Chug, chug!” 

Talhand brazenly faced his drinking partner—a gigantic demon—with his arms wrapped around his cask, quaffing away. His body was certainly broad, but you still couldn’t help but wonder where all that liquor was going. Once he emptied his enormous cask, he let out a guttural sigh. Just as quickly, the next drink was brought forth. 

“Yer late with that alcohol!” 

“Oh shut it! I’m out of stock!” 

“In that case, go buy out the pub next door!” 

“Ooh, there’s an idea! Okay then, you go buy it for us!” 

“Just leave it to me! Put in yer coins, boys, put ’em in! We’re gonna drink it up tonight!” 

“Yeaaaaah!” 

They passed around a bag for donations. 

“Haha! Miss, you’re being awfully generous to pitiful drunkards like us!” 

“Yes, it’s my treat today!” Roxy dropped a green ore coin into the bag as it made its rounds. 

Seeing that, the man holding it grinned hugely and chuckled as he bowed his head to her. “Impressive, miss! You must be rich!” 

“Of course I am!” Roxy was in a pleasant mood, feeling light and airy as she nodded at him in an exaggerated way. She was, in fact, already drunk. 

“Hahaha! I’m rich today too, so here you are, take it! And let’s make some more noise! We’re all friends here today!” The girl sitting beside her took a crude iron coin from her pocket and tossed it in the bag as well. 

The man holding the bag might have barked at her for only donating such a pittance, but he was drunk himself. “Heh heh! Thank ya kindly, princess! I’ll be usin’ this to make sure you guys drink until you’re pukin’!” 

“Yeah, let’s barf it all up!” The little girl gave a self-important nod as the man kept doing on his rounds, gathering up people’s money. 

“Yeah, this is it, this is great! Makes me remember the old days!” 

Roxy had no idea when the young girl had taken up the seat beside her. By the time she’d noticed, the girl was already there, munching on the food that Elinalise had left behind. Roxy didn’t mind. She was drunk. 

“Well, here, have another.” 

“Aah, thank you. Glad to see this is such a joyous atmosphere, makes me glad I came. Here, you drink some too!” the girl said. 

“I am drinking,” Roxy replied. 

“Drink some more!” 

“More? I suppose I have no choice.” Roxy did as she was told, and gulped down the contents of the glass. “Pwah!” 

“All right, one more for the young miss here!” 

“Oh, thank you.” 

She slammed her glass onto the table and some jovial gentleman came along and filled it for her. She really could drink this sweet liquor forever. 

“You’re quite something, a real drinker! Quite amazing for someone so young!” 

“I don’t want to hear that from you,” Roxy quipped, scrutinizing the girl. She wore boots that came up to her knees, leather hot pants, and a leather tube top. The pale skin of her clavicle, waist, belly button, and thighs were all in full view. She had voluminous purple hair set in waves, and horns like a goat. It was obvious, no matter how you looked at her, that she was younger than Roxy. 

“Heh heh, no need for flattery. I know how old I am!” 

Roxy should have suspected something was up by now, but she didn’t have the wherewithal at the moment. Because she was drunk. 

“I know my age as well,” she said. “Well, drink up.” 

“Ohh, thank you. The alcohol here sure has gotten tastier in the last few hundred years. In the old days, the Demon Content didn’t have sweet alcohol like this.” 

“This is the seafolk’s alcohol,” Roxy told her. “The Demon King here struck a deal with them.” 

“What’s that! Bagura Hagura, you bastard, you hid this from me! I won’t forgive you for it!” 

“Let it go,” Roxy cooed, “we’re all here as equals today, right? Equals!” 

“Ohh, that’s right, we’re all equals here!” 

Demon King Bagura Hagura was the ruler of this region. He was a burly, pig-faced demon, said to be the most knowledgable entity on the Demon Continent when it came to food and alcohol. Politically, he was a moderate, but still participated on the front lines of Laplace’s War. When he was on human lands, he’d stolen food and liquor from house after house, earning the title of the Plundering King. 

“Ooh, he’s out!” 

“Gwaaahah, who’s up next? I’ll take on anyone! If ya want, I’ll take on two of ya at once!” 

At some point Talhand had stripped the clothes from his chest and perched himself squarely atop a table. He had his elbow balanced on top of a cask and was giving off an air of superiority. 

“Anybody? Anybody at all?!” 

The girl beside Roxy spoke up. “All right, leave it to me!” 

“Whassat, girl, ya think ya can win against me? Maybe ya should try again in another twenty years.” 

“Ha ha ha! Foolish dwarf! I’ve already lived three hundred years! A mere twenty would change nothing!” 

“Ah, is that so? M’bad, then. Go ahead and come at me!” 

“Ah, but…first, I would ask you to state your name! I will be sure to remember you for being foolish enough to challenge me!” 

“Talhand of the Harsh, Large Mountain Summit!” 

“All right then! The one to defeat you will be I, the Demon Emperor of Demon Eyes, Kishirika Kishirisu!” 

And so, Kishirika and Talhand’s battle began. The additional alcohol they bought was soon gone and funds had to be solicited a second and then a third time. Roxy took it upon herself to donate five whole green ore coins, sending the pub’s errand boy running to get more. Brawny men came carrying in large amounts of liquor, which those in the pub shared amongst themselves as Talhand and Kishirika drank away. Roxy was to be the judge. She had no idea how or what she was supposed to judge, but she took up a seat between them and sipped away at her own drink as she accepted the role of counting theirs. 

“That’s number forty,” she announced. 

Leaving aside Talhand, whose drinking habits matched his dwarven heritage, just where was Kishirika, who looked like a little girl and proclaimed herself a Demon Emperor, putting all that alcohol? No one seemed to mind it because they were all drunk. And then the deciding moment came. 

“Mrgh… blegh…” Just seconds after Talhand squeaked out those strange noises, alcohol came rocketing out of him like a water fountain. Then he collapsed, clutching his stomach, which now resembled the casks he’d been drinking from. He fell from the top of the table to the ground with a noisy thud, alcohol spilling from his mouth. 

“I win!” 

“Whooooa! Amazin’! You beat a dwarf in a drinking match!” 

“My name is Kishirika, after all. The Demon World’s Great Emperor Kishirika Kishirisu! Now, say my name!” 

“Kishirika! Kishirika! Kishirika!” 

“Who’s the greatest in the world?!” 

“Kishirika! Kishirika! Kishirika!” 

A chorus of chanting broke out when Kishirika was announced the victor, brightening her mood. 

“Ahahahahaha! Hahahaha!” 

“That’s it, that’s it!” 

“Take it off! Take it off!” 

Roxy didn’t remember much after that. She knew she needed to avenge her fallen comrade, but she was suddenly dizzy, and unconsciousness was creeping up on her. The last thing she saw was Kishirika climbing up on the counter and dancing around naked. 

The next morning, Roxy opened her eyes. 

“Urgh…” 

Her head was pounding, and her face puckered when she smelled the stench of alcohol on her own breath. She immediately used a spell specifically tailored for hangovers to remove the toxins from her body, then used a healing spell on her head. When she looked around, she realized she was in a pub. It looked as if there had been a brawl; the table was broken, and empty casks and shattered bottles lay strewn about. 

“Urgh, I really did drink too much.” Her memory was hazy, but she did remember drinking too much. 

She glanced to the side to see a half-naked Talhand lying there with only the whites of his eyes showing. For a moment, Roxy thought he might be dead, but a dwarf could never drink himself to death. Besides, Talhand used to say that he’d once dreamed of drowning to death in alcohol, so even if he had, it would have been the death he’d aspired to. 

Roxy cast her gaze about the room once again. There were heaps of bodies everywhere, all spread about and moaning. Among them was the man who’d solicited money for more drinks. Everyone here had clearly drunk themselves into oblivion and was now suffering in the throes of a hangover. 

That’s what you get for drinking so much when you can’t even use healing magic , Roxy thought. 

Among the sea of unconscious forms, only two people were standing—an angry barkeep and a disheartened Kishirika. 

“Compensation, I’m asking for compensation. I can’t sell nothin’ with all the destruction you all caused.” 

“Yeah, uh, but…” 

“What, you can’t pay? Ain’t you the one who said you’d be treatin’ everyone?” 

“I did say that, but I thought what I paid already would be enough…” 

“So you don’t have any money, do ya?” 

“No, uh, sorry, not a single crude iron.” 

“Then I have no choice but to sell you in the slave market.” 

“What? You would dare sell me…?! Wait, wait, I’ll contact Hagura, just hold on!” 

“I’m not gonna hold. You’re just sayin’ that so you can run away.” 

Roxy let out a sigh and dug into her pocket. She made a face when she produced her coin bag and saw the state of it. She’d donated a hefty portion of her funds when she was drunk last night. 

No, the one who actually drank all of that was Talhand , she thought. Roxy turned to the unconscious Talhand and swiped his coin purse. She peered inside, found a decent amount within, and took to her feet. There was a sour smell coming from her shoulder, which she scrunched her face at as she approached the barkeep. “Here’s your money.” 

“Hm?” 

Roxy took out six whole emerald ore coins and tucked them into the barkeep’s hand. 

“That ain’t quite enough.” 

“We bought up all your booze before we started sending out for more. You have the earnings from that, don’t you?” 

“Ah…well, I guess,” he said as he turned on his heel and headed back into the kitchen area. 

Roxy let out another sigh as she tossed the coin purse onto Talhand’s belly. 

“Ooh…ooooh…I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” Kishirika was trembling as she looked up at Roxy. 

Roxy looked down at her, remembering what she’d heard from her old village chief about the Demon World’s Great Emperor. She was a bit different from what Roxy had pictured, but her peculiarities lined up. If she was from a demon tribe with a long lifespan, it made sense that her physical appearance didn’t match her age. She seemed to be on good terms with the Demon King of the area, too. 

“Excuse me, just to confirm—I’m not mistaken in assuming that you are the Great Emperor of the Demon World, Kishirika Kishirisu herself, am I?” 

“Hm? Oh, that’s right! No one seems to believe me lately, though! And your name is?” 

“Pardon the late introduction,” Roxy said. “I’m Roxy, of the Biegoya Region’s Migurd tribe.” 

Kishirika gave an, “Oooh,” when she heard Roxy’s name. “Roxy? Ohh, I know you! You’re Rudeus’ master!” 

“…You know Rudy?” 

“I happened to run into him in Wind Port. That boy was quite entertaining!” 

“Y-you don’t say…” Roxy wondered suspiciously just what it was that Rudeus had said about her, but she was too scared to ask. 

“Hm, Rudeus helped me me in a pinch, and you’ve shown yourself to be a great teacher. You helped me as well, so let’s see…why don’t I give you a reward?” 

Roxy’s heart leaped when she heard the word reward . The Great Emperor of the Demon World was famous for bestowing demon eyes on people. It was precisely because of that power that she was called Emperor rather than King , and it was that ability which had given her the military strength to launch the Great Human-Demon War. 

Which gave Roxy an idea. “Um, Your Greatness, are you able to look for missing people with your demon eyes?” 

“Yes, I can. There’s not a person in this world I can’t find,” Kishirika boasted. 

“All right…then I’d like you to look for Rudeus and his family. They’re currently missing,” Roxy said without hesitation. It was a shame to forego receiving a demon eye from Kishirika, but she’d heard Kishirika’s Eye of All-Seeing could find anything and anyone, anywhere in the world. 

“Oho, how admirable of you, to use your one and only wish for the sake of another! Were the world such that I was in the position to do so, I’d bestow upon you the position of Demon King!” 

“No, I don’t need that.” 

“Oh, I see, too humble for that. Well, then…” Kishirika’s eye rotated, changing color. She craned her neck this way and that, humming to herself as she nodded. “Rudeus is in the northern part of the Central Continent. He’s wearing light clothing and running. Training, perhaps.” 

Roxy bobbed her head. It seemed that, just as the message left for him had requested, he was going to search the northern part of the Central Continent. He could’ve headed straight for Begaritt from Millishion, but he’d probably wanted to see the state of his home before he set off. 

“His father is in Millishion, along with a maid. Hmm, the maid is apparently named Lilia…and they’re living in the same building, with their two daughters.” 

“Oh,” Roxy let her breath out. She’d heard that Lilia and Aisha were still missing, but they’d apparently been found and were safe. Perhaps Rudeus had found them on the Demon Continent and escorted them home. 

“His mother is…hold on a moment.” Kishirika hummed and screwed up her face, squinting her eye. “She’s in Begaritt Continent, in the Maze City of Rapan…it seems.” 

Roxy’s face lit up. It was far from here, but at least she’d confirmed that they were all alive. As you’d expect of the Greyrat family—their luck was strong. 

“However…something is a bit odd.” Kishirika’s face scrunched and her eye slowly turned. 

“Is there some kind of problem?” 

“No…hmm, I can’t quite see.” 

“You can’t see? Even with your eye, Your Greatness?” 

“I’m not quite at my full strength yet,” Kishirika explained. “Well, you’ll understand if you see for yourself.” 

“That’s troubling. If something’s wrong, I need to know the details.” Roxy pressed her for an explanation. In her ventures thus far, she’d seen the tragedies that befell the refugees. It was disconcerting that even the Great Emperor of the Demon World was having trouble zeroing in on Zenith with her demon eyes. 

“Well…complain if you like, but I can’t see what I can’t see. Ohh, that’s right. This may come as a surprise, but she may be in the middle of that labyrinth. It’s a labyrinth city, and I’ve never been there myself, so I can’t say for sure.” 

“You can’t see inside the labyrinth?” Roxy asked. 

“No. Begaritt’s labyrinth is overflowing with a high concentration of mana.” 

Roxy fell into thought. Zenith had once gone dungeon delving with Paul, Elinalise and Talhand. She understood their strength well after journeying alongside them. However, why hadn’t she been in contact yet? Three years had passed since the Displacement Incident. 

“At any rate, she is alive, yes?” 

“Indeed, there’s no doubt about that,” Kishirika assured her. 

Roxy decided to believe those words. Whatever the reason, they would have to delve into that labyrinth. 

She lowered her head. “I understand, then. Thank you.” 

“Think nothing of it. It’s a show of gratitude for the help you provided.” Kishirika gave an exaggerated nod and, still a little unsteady on her feet, took her leave from the pub. 

*** 

That afternoon, Talhand awoke and resumed his drinking as if nothing had happened, and Elinalise returned with hickies peppered across her neck. Roxy gathered the two of them for a meeting. 

“It was good fortune to run into the Great Emperor of the Demon World.” When she heard about Kishirika, Elinalise just laughed quietly. Roxy didn’t think it was that significant an event, perhaps because they’d met while they were drunk at a pub. Or perhaps it was Kishirika’s lack of dignity. 

“Leavin’ that aside, that means our journey’s over, right?” Talhand responded, seeming a bit reluctant to see the end of their quest. 

It would take them a year to reach the Millis Continent from here, but it was true that their objective had been fulfilled. They’d confirmed that all of Paul’s family were alive, and even knew where the last two were located. It was over. 

“What are you going to do, Roxy?” 

“I’m going to return to Millishion and talk to Paul about what I found,” she said. 

“Then we’ll part ways with you somewhere before then,” Elinalise replied. 

It seemed Elinalise and Talhand didn’t want to meet Paul. The reason was apparently the huge fight they’d had when he left, but they wouldn’t tell her exactly what had happened. Roxy wasn’t particularly interested, either, so she hadn’t been all that persistent in asking. 

“Hmm, but Rudeus is pretty far off and all by himself,” Talhand blurted out, pressing his hand to his chin. 

That brought Roxy to a sudden realization. She would head to Millishion from here, and then, most likely, travel alongside Paul to the Begaritt Continent. If she did that, then Rudeus would be left alone, unaware of the circumstances, searching the northern part of the Central Continent by himself. 

“We need to find some way to let him know,” Elinalise said, concerned. 

But how? The northern part of the Central Continent looked nearby on a map, but it was much further in reality. Roxy fell back into thought. Rudeus was exceptional, but he was still young. It was cruel to leave him to struggle in vain in such a vulnerable period of his life. Whether he reunited with his family or struck out on his own, she at least wanted to tell him that he didn’t need to search anymore. 

“And that’s where I come in…du-du-du-dun!” 

“And me! Dun-du-dun!” 

Suddenly, two interlopers appeared out of nowhere. 

“I listened in on your conversation!” 

“By eavesdropping!” 

The first to come bursting through the door was a well-built man. A single glance at him was enough to know he was a demon, for he had skin like obsidian and six arms. The ones on top were folded in over his chest, the ones in the middle were making finger guns at Roxy, and the bottom ones were resting on his waist. His hair, which flowed down to his waist, was purple. Perched on his shoulder, reclining at leisure, was the Demon World’s Great Emperor. 

“Here we go! I’m Kishirika Kishirika! People call me… the Great! Emperor! Of! The! Demon! World!” 

“And I’m her fiancé, the Demon King Badigadi!” 

The other three stared, dumbfounded. The first to react was Elinalise. “Um, I think we last saw each other this morning, sir.” 

“Ahahaha, I had an amazing night with you, miss!” Badi clenched one fist and inserted his thumb between his index and middle finger as he responded. 

Roxy felt a sudden cold sweat as she asked, “D-do you two know each other?” 

“Um, basically, I guess we do…?” 

Apparently, Elinalise had left the pub Roxy was in and gone with a man to a different one last night. There, the man had plied Elinalise with alcohol, and she had happily returned the favor. Next thing she knew, she was waking up in the pitch-black arms of the man before them. After which, the two of them went at it again all afternoon. 

“Huh? But just now, you said fiancé…what? Ah, I suppose we should introduce ourselves first?” Flustered, Roxy’s eyes darted back and forth, but she finally settled on bowing her head. 

“Hm, Roxy, raise your head. Since Badi is so popular, this is a near-daily occurrence.” 

“Hm, more like it’s physically impossible for me to put it in Kishirika yet, so I have no other choice.” 

The words were spoken in such a carefree manner that Roxy’s brain struggled to digest their meaning. Courtesy of Elinalise, she had gained a smattering of knowledge on such matters, but the adulterous relations between her companion and a man who called himself a Demon King and the fiancé of the Great Emperor of the Demon World went beyond her realm of understanding. 

“However! Leaving all of that aside!” 

“Indeed; it’s just a passing fling anyway!” 

Roxy knew of the Demon King Badigadi, or the Immortal Demon King Badigadi, as he was known. He was the Demon King who ruled over the Biegoya Region, younger brother of the Immortal Demon King Atofe. Atofe was aligned with the moderates during the war and fought against the Demon God Laplace at Kishirika’s Castle, where he was defeated. His current whereabouts were unknown, but he was a venerated figure. 

“Roxy, I owe a debt to Rudeus. If he has lost his way, then I will lend him my strength!” 

“Although she’ll be borrowing my strength to do it!” 

Before Roxy, as confused as she was, could respond, Talhand recovered. He stroked his thick beard, directing a quizzical look toward Kishirika. “Yer sure about this?” 

“Ooh, you’re the dwarf from yesterday! Yes, I’m sure, right, Badi?” Kishirika smacked him on the head and the Demon King nodded. 

“Yeah, I’m curious about this brat named Rudeus whom Kishirika keeps praising every chance she gets! I want to see with my own eyes just how great he really is!” 

“What’s this? Are you jealous, darling?” Kishirika cooed. 

“Why of course I am, honey,” Badi replied in turn. 

“Tsk, you’re still such a child. I love you and only you.” 

“Heh, I’m not going to let that make me complacent. I’ll crush any rivals who appear.” 

And you crushing Rudeus would be bad , Roxy thought to herself, but she had a feeling they wouldn’t listen to her. 

“Heh heh heh.” 

“Hahaha.” 

“Ahahahaha! Hahahah! Haha-urk!” 

“Hahahaha! Ahahaha! Ha… you okay?” 

The conversation proceeded apace before Roxy could even begin to make sense of it. 

*** 

It was common knowledge in this world that the seas were ruled by the seafolk, who in turn controlled the ability of those living on land to cross them. This setup was a result of discord that broke out in the process of Laplace’s War coming to an end, but we’ll leave that aside for now. 

The Demon King Bagura Hagura and the King of the Seafolk were close personal friends, and the King of the Seafolk allowed his friend passage in secret. Meanwhile, Demon King Badgadi and the Demon King Bagura Hagura were also old acquaintances. By making use of that connection, their group could bypass the route that would take them through the Divine Continent, and head straight for the Central Continent instead. 

However, if Roxy went with them, the report to Millishion would be delayed. Someone had to go to Millishion to update Paul, and Roxy couldn’t do it alone. The Demon Continent was too dangerous, even for an exceptional magician like her. Her judgment was sharp and her spell incantation quick, but she still had to sleep at night. 

“I absolutely refuse. I don’t want to see Paul’s face,” said Elinalise. 

“Yeah, me either,” Talhand chimed in. 

“Very well, then. I will be the one to go.” Since the two of them were being selfish, Roxy would first head to Millishion. Personally, she would have preferred to see Rudeus, but she had no other choice. 

She just needed one more to go with her. The two exchanged glances, and soon enough, Talhand folded. “Guess it’ll be me. To tell the truth, not lookin’ forward to bein’ on one of those ships again.” 

“My sympathies,” Elinalise said. 

Talhand’s shoulders drooped. Roxy didn’t see why the two of them couldn’t just head to Millishion and inform Paul via letter, but they apparently had their reasons, so she didn’t think too deeply about it. 

And so, Roxy’s party split into two. Roxy and Talhand would retrace their path back to Millishion. Elinalise would travel with the Great Emperor of the Demon World Kishirika Kishirisu and the Demon King Badigadi to the northern part of the Central Continent. There was quite a bit of time before the latter’s ship set off, so Roxy decided to depart ahead of them. 

“Miss Elinalise, thank you for everything.” 

“Same to you, Roxy.” The two exchanged a firm handshake. “If you find a good man, you better not let him go. You have to use your upper and lower lips to get a tight grip on him.” 

“You’re bringing that up again?” 

“None of that, just listen to me. If there’s someone you really like, go hard for them. Love is something that can grow afterward.” 

Talhand breathed a sigh at Elinalise’s words. “You said the same thing to Zenith, didn’t ya?” 

“I did. That’s how she got Paul. My teaching is flawless.” 

So that’s it , Roxy thought as she listened in. Paul and Zenith seemed like the ideal husband and wife to her. If it was Elinalise’s advice that brought them together, then it was advice worth listening to. 

“Very well, Miss Elinalise. If I find such a person, I will ‘go hard for them.’” 

“Of course. I’ll be sure to tell Rudeus how miserable you were at night, rustling in your bedsheets as you went at it alone.” 

“Wait—why do you know about that? And please don’t say that. I wasn’t thinking about Rudy when I did it.” 

“Of course, of course.” 

Roxy had a realization just then. If Elinalise began her search now, she’d probably find Rudeus within about a year. Rudeus would be thirteen or fourteen by now. At that age, it wasn’t unusual to think Elinalise might be interested in him. That kind of bothered her. 

“You went quiet all of a sudden. What’s wrong?” 

“No, it’s just… If Rudy has become a fine man, will you go for him?” 

Roxy tried to sound as casual as she could when asking, and when she did, Elinalise breathed out a disgusted, “Ha! I don’t have the faintest desire to become Paul’s daughter-in-law.” She looked genuinely disgusted. 

Feeling reassured, Roxy just said, “Oh, all right.” Then, “Well, we’d best be on our way.” 

“Farewell, Roxy. Have a safe trip.” 

“Yes, you too, Miss Elinalise.” 

Elinalise took a glance at Talhand. She loomed over the short, stubby dwarf, glaring down at him as if he were some kind of insect. “Talhand, please go off and die in a ditch somewhere.” 

Talhand looked equally displeased at seeing her and hocked some spit onto the ground. “I’m returnin’ those words right back to ya.” 

Watching this, Roxy was reminded once again that the two of them were, somehow, close. 

Later, Elinalise boarded her own ship. It was a seafolk vessel, back in ancient times. It was pulled along by sea creatures, making the human-made ships look shabby in comparison, but human ships were actually faster and safer. 

Elinalise walked up the ramp alongside Badigadi. From behind them came Kishirika’s echoing laughter. 

“Hahahaha! Well then, let’s see each other again, Badi! When you want to see me again, return to the Demon Continent!” 

“Indeed, and stay in good health as well, my betrothed! We’ll eventually meet again! Ahahaha!” 

“Who knows how many years it will be until the next time, though! Bwaahaha!” 

The Great Emperor of the Demon World, Kishirika Kishirisu, did not board the ship. When Elinalise saw that, she cocked her head. “Hm? She’s not going to come along with us?” 

“Mm. Kishirika can’t leave the Demon Continent.” 

“Oh, a curse?” 

“Something like that.” 

If that was how things were, Elinalise would have preferred Kishirika accompany Roxy and Talhand. Their safety would be assured with the Great Emperor of the Demon World around. Then again—she thought about what it would be like for Roxy to have someone like Kishirika following her around, and changed her mind. 

Meanwhile, Roxy Migurdia’s journey continued.