The area we arrived at, guided by Kuro, was a different kind of bustling scene from the one we had just left.
When I heard the words “food stalls,” I couldn’t help but picture the festival stalls from my previous world. But here, the stalls resembled more of a shopping street.
There were many small shops lining both sides of the street, and the people passing by exuded a cozy, enjoyable atmosphere.
From what Kuro told me, the area I had been to before was filled with large shops, especially those selling clothing and furniture, as it’s close to many noble mansions. On the other hand, this place is near the Adventurer’s Guild and several apartment complexes, which is why it’s filled with shops offering food and drinks.
As expected, it’s lunchtime, so not only is the street bustling with people, but the air is filled with the mouthwatering scent of food drifting out from various shops.
It’s the perfect time for a meal, so we decided to grab some lunch before exploring the city. We ended up at a restaurant Kuro recommended.
There are benches and tables set up outside the small wooden eatery, and I personally enjoy the laid-back atmosphere of a place that caters to the masses.
[Good afternoon~~]
[Oya? Isn’t it the Underworld King-sama? Welcome.]
When Kuro greeted them with a bright smile in front of the store, a woman of delicate age, who appeared to be human, stepped out.
She looked like the owner of the restaurant, and upon spotting Kuro, she smiled warmly, as though they had spoken before.
[I’m here for lunch~~]
[Thanks for your patronage. Oya? Is that child over there Underworld King-sama’s acquaintance?]
[Unnn. He’s Kaito-kun, a child from another world.]
[Ah, now that you mention it, I heard someone from another world arrived this year, aside from Hero-sama. Welcome! Come, have a seat and enjoy your meal.]
[Ah, yes. Thank you very much.]
It seems that no matter the world, the aunties have an impressive knack for conversation. She casually led us to our seats, then sat down with Kuro.
Although we were guided to our seats, this place wasn’t really a cafe or restaurant, so there wasn’t a menu. Instead, the shopkeeper auntie simply led us to our seats and began preparing our meals.
A few minutes later, the scent of sizzling meat filled the air. She brought over a dish with meat and colorful vegetables sandwiched between two pieces of beautifully baked bread… Is that a baguette sandwich?
It was a visually striking dish—large, crusty bread filled with meat and vegetables. It certainly looked delicious.
[Thank you for waiting! Here’s our special “Red Bear” sandwich! Now, dig in.]
[Yay~~]
[………………..]
Is it just my imagination… Did the shopkeeper lady really say this is a “Red Bear” sandwich? When she mentioned “bear,” does she mean that this sandwich actually contains bear meat?
N-no, maybe bear meat is just a common ingredient in this world… but still, it would have been better if she hadn’t told me that before I ate it. She should’ve at least waited until I had taken my first bite…
Unaware of the turmoil inside me, the auntie left after serving the food, and Kuro, as usual, dug into her Red Bear sandwich as if it were the most delicious thing ever, completely unfazed.
[You’re not eating, Kaito-kun? It’s delicious.]
[…… Thank you for the food.]
I should adjust my mindset. This is a different world, one with a common sense that’s unlike what I knew back in my world. Besides, in my previous world… or rather, in Japan, bear meat might not be common, but there were still places where you could eat it.
That’s right, let’s look at this positively. Let’s just be glad it’s not made of snake meat or frog meat.
Taking Kuro’s words to heart, I held the red bear sandwich in my hand and took a big bite.
[…Tasty.]
[See? The food they make here in this shop is really good~~!]
I’ve heard that bear meat has a strong, gamey smell and taste, but this meat has none of that. Instead of any lingering gamey flavor, it tastes surprisingly refined.
The meat itself has a light taste, which makes it easy to enjoy without being overpowering. It complements the vegetables and the sweet and spicy sauce perfectly, so despite its hearty appearance, it doesn’t feel heavy.
The scent and flavor of the bread, baked to a perfect crisp, meld beautifully in my mouth. The sweet and spicy sauce only increases my appetite, making me want to take another bite.
Kuro, who had been watching me greedily devour the sandwich with a smile, suddenly looked around and muttered, tilting her head as if something caught her attention.
[……I feel like there are hardly any people around.]
[Really? I thought this place was already pretty busy. Are there usually more people here?]
[Unnn. The Adventurer’s Guild is nearby, after all. It’s usually more crowded here during lunchtime… but today, I hardly see any adventurers.]
Indeed, now that she mentioned it, I don’t think I’ve seen many people around here who look like weapon-and armor-wielding adventurers.
At that moment, the shopkeeper auntie, who must have overheard Kuro’s muttering, paused from wiping down a table and walked over to us.
[Well, here’s the thing. There’ve been sightings of a wyvern herd up north in the mountains. It seems the Adventurer’s Guild and the Knight Order have been working together since this morning to deal with them.]
[Heehhh~~ It’s pretty unusual for wyverns to build their nests so close to the city.]
[D-Doesn’t that sound pretty bad…?]
Wyverns… A pterosaur whose wings and hands are one. A monster that can be said to be a staple in fantasies.
The name itself sounds pretty terrifying, but based on the way the auntie spoke about them, it seems they had been spotted quite close to the city. Moreover, if there’s a whole herd of them, wouldn’t they be able to cause serious damage to the capital?
Thinking this, I nervously asked, and Kuro gave a small smile in response.
[Don’t worry. Wyverns have low intelligence compared to dragons and are considered weak monsters.]
[I-Is that so…?]
[Young man, you should take what she said with a grain of salt. Wyverns might be as weak as ants to Underworld King-sama, but even one of them is a terrifying monster for humans. That’s why the Knight Order and the Adventurers formed a subjugation team right away and set out to deal with them.]
[…………….]
When Kuro casually referred to the wyverns as weak monsters, the auntie corrected her with a wry smile.
If that’s the case, it seems like it will be quite a tough battle to take down those wyverns. There could even be injuries or fatalities among the Knights and Adventurers.
It’s not like I personally know any of the Knights or Adventurers, but… For example, if Kuro were to face those wyverns, wouldn’t she be able to defeat them in an instant, without anyone getting hurt?
[……Kaito-kun. I understand why you think that, but that’s not how it works.]
[……Eh?]
Sensing my thoughts, Kuro muttered seriously, her tone a far cry from the lightheartedness she had earlier.
[This is a problem that has occurred in this country… in the Symphonia Kingdom. I shouldn’t get involved carelessly.]
[……………..]
[Right, just as Kaito-kun thought, I could solve it in an instant if I went out there. It doesn’t matter if there are hundreds or thousands of wyverns, I could take them out in the blink of an eye. But that wouldn’t be right.]
A quiet, yet somehow solemn voice echoed.
Her golden eyes fixed on me, holding the majesty of a true ruler.
[As long as the country maintains a monarchy, any trouble within its borders should be resolved by its own power as much as possible. If they continue to rely on Demons, they will lose the trust of their citizens, and the “equal” relationship between Demons and Humans will be destroyed. Of course, if I’m formally asked for assistance, I’ll help, and if I think the people can’t handle it, I’ll step in… But as long as that’s not the case, as one of the Six Kings, I can’t just involve myself in every situation without reason.]
[……………..]
I didn’t even feel the need to argue with her. After all, the thoughts I had were driven more by emotion, and Kuro’s words were entirely correct.
In situations like this, I realized just how much older Kuro must be than me, and how her perspective is far more level-headed than mine.
After saying all that, Kuro’s expression softened, and a reassuring smile spread across her face.
[Well, it’ll be fine. There are plenty of excellent knights in this country, and since they’re near the city, they’ll be able to restock any supplies they need with ease.]
[Yeah, exactly. We’ve also got plenty of adventurers around, and they definitely wouldn’t want to miss out on their share of those wyverns.]
[…In that case, I feel a lot better.]
Dear Mom, Dad—I heard a wyvern nest has been established near the royal capital. Kuro and the auntie said it’s safe, but… I can’t help but wonder why. I’m not sure if it’s just my imagination, but that—sounds like a flag to me.
In the mountains north of the royal capital… A subjugation team composed of knights, adventurers, and environmental investigators from the royal capital had been assembled to eliminate the wyverns nesting in these mountains.
This was the largest monster extermination operation in recent years, and with seasoned adventurers, division commander-ranked knights, and those with past experience in wyvern slaying, there shouldn’t have been any issues… or so everyone on the team thought.
However, the members of the subjugation team who had arrived at the rocky mountainside, where the wyverns were believed to have their nests according to reports, now found themselves trembling in fear.
Before them lay numerous wyvern corpses—but the person responsible for their deaths was not from the subjugation team.
[Captain!]
[……How is it?]
[They’re unmistakably dead… However, there aren’t any wounds on their bodies at all.]
The knight leading the subjugation team wore a strained expression as he received the report from his subordinate.
Before arriving here, they had encountered and defeated two wyverns. However, something was off about those wyverns—they had never seen one act so desperately, despite having defeated them many times before.
When they reached the nest sooner than expected, they found over 50 dead wyverns… and none of them had any wounds.
[……Captain, this is… Perhaps…]
[Yeah, the only one who could do something like this is…]
At the words of the knight, who asked with a pale face and his body trembling slightly, the captain came to the same conclusion, fear creeping onto his expression.
Yes, these two knew. They understood the abnormal situation unfolding before them… and the one who could bring it about.
As if to confirm their worst premonitions, a shadow descended from near the top of the mountain.
[……Ah—Ahhhh…]
[……Impossible… Why is she here… She wasn’t supposed to leave the Demon Realm very often…]
The two who saw the shadow—no, all the members of the subjugation team—shuddered, fear plainly visible on their faces.
They would never encounter her in a place like this. She, the symbol of fear, who could be likened to a calamity.
[……” Death King Isis Remnant”…]
When those words were whispered, the King of the Dead, clad in the weight of countless deaths, descended before their eyes.