As a Maid of the Demon King Castle Palace.
Normally, whether as an attendant Maid or a regular Maid, unless there is a valid reason to request leave, they are not allowed to leave the Palace.
Going out for procurement is one of the few opportunities for the Maid Chief to take people outside.
Considering that Hualí had just become official and was not yet accustomed to life in the Palace, that was why, late at night, she came to ask if Hualí wanted to use the opportunity to get some fresh air.
At night, the streets of the Demon King Castle were still brightly lit, and the traces of the recent internal chaos were no longer visible.
At the entrances of specialty shops, young Demon Folk gathered in endless streams.
Inside an old shop with a simple signboard that clearly had many years of history.
“That’s all. Remember to deliver them to the Palace on time tomorrow morning.”
The Maid Chief, Jeilinfa, pointed at a stack of white porcelain plates piled high on the table and instructed the Red Fox Tribe owner.
“These together… come to three gold coins.”
A cunning light flashed in the Red Fox Tribe owner’s brown eyes as he rubbed his hands and spoke cautiously.
“For just a few ordinary plates, and it’s this expensive!”
Originally bored and looking at the goods in the shop, Hualí’s ears perked up at the price quoted by the fox owner, and she instantly rushed over in surprise.
“Isn’t this a black shop?!”
“This lovely Human Race young lady, you can’t say that. After all, this batch of tableware was transported from the Human Race, and the risk involved is considerable.”
The fox owner pulled out a Merchandise Manifest from under the counter and explained to Hualí.
“For example, in normal months, the shop would import 50 batches of tableware from the Human Race. After deducting losses from Monster Horde attacks on the Merchant Convoy and other damages, about 10 batches would normally make it to the shop, keeping the unit price of goods at a relatively normal level.”
“But this month, for some reason, the Monster Horde near the trade route went wild. The losses to the Merchant Convoy were incomparable to before, and the goods that arrived at the shop…”
As he spoke, the fox owner raised an index finger at Hualí, the meaning clear without words.
The loss of goods was several times higher than before, so the price increase was only natural.
After all, supply and demand is the eternal rule of commerce.
“Frogfun! This is too shameless!”
“I’ve long heard the fox tribe are a bunch of cunning merchants, and seeing it today, it’s no mere rumor.”
Jeilinfa scowled and pulled out her wallet.
There was no help for it.
The Palace kitchen always used this style of tableware, and currently, only this shop sold it, so she could only swallow the loss.
The two stepped out of the shop and stood on the street of Demon King Castle.
Jeilinfa glanced at her now-empty wallet after paying, and sighed helplessly.
“I originally wanted to bring some gifts for everyone, but now I’ll have to control the budget and pick some cheaper ones.”
Every time she went out, as Maid Chief, Jeilinfa would bring small gifts for the little Maids who couldn’t leave the Palace.
The money she brought was always enough—unless something like today happened.
“Hm? Hualí, what are you looking at?”
Noticing Hualí seemed distracted, Jeilinfa blinked and looked in the same direction, her gaze falling on the entrance of the City Gate at the end of the street.
Speaking of which…
Jeilinfa shifted her gaze to the Saint Sword that Hualí had been holding in her arms, feeling a bit puzzled.
It was just a breath of fresh air outside the Palace, so why did Hualí bring a weapon?
“When does the City Gate close completely?”
Hualí suddenly asked Jeilinfa beside her.
“Hmm… At one o’clock sharp, about three and a half hours from now. After that, no one can go out.”
Is this a jailbreak?
No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like she was planning to escape!
Hualí turned back, a sweet smile on her face.
“Let’s go check out the Black Market you mentioned, Jeilinfa.”
***
Even among Demon Folk living in the same Demon King Castle, loyal to the same Blood Queen, the barriers between different races were hard to completely erase.
Some races even had life-and-death grudges between them.
For example, the Nightcrow, who believed in pure love, and the Minotaur, who enjoyed ntr, once broke out in fierce conflict over differing ideals of relationships.
Apart from ideals, differences appeared more often in daily habits.
Among the Demon Race, there was a species called the Succubus, whose traits caused them to have strong desires nearly every month of the year.
Beyond normal unions, to relieve excess desire, they especially favored ‘Purple* Mood’ made from Minotaur Bullhorn.
This, without a doubt, infuriated the Minotaur.
They would shout ‘Drunken Sword Style’ at the Succubus, accusing them of killing Minotaurs.
With the accumulation of such disputes and the introduction of laws, many items made from Demon Folk body parts gradually vanished from the shops of the Royal City.
“That’s why many things that couldn’t be openly sold gradually gave rise to the ‘Black Market’.”
Walking along the path to the Black Market, Jeilinfa explained to Hualí the history behind the Black Market in Demon King Castle.
Hualí nodded in half-understanding, but her thoughts had already drifted far away.
She planned to escape from Demon King Castle in the last few minutes before one o’clock, so even if Sidella sent people after her, they wouldn’t be able to open the City Gate until the next day.
“We’re here!”
The two stopped in front of a small alley.
Jeilinfa pulled out two Masks purchased along the way and handed one to Hualí, warning her:
“Hualí, remember! As long as you’re inside the Black Market, no matter what happens, never remove your Mask! This is a place even Her Majesty the Queen rarely interferes!”
Influenced by Jeilinfa’s serious tone, even Hualí subconsciously held her breath, making an ‘OK’ gesture with her hand.
However, this seriousness did not last long once the two entered the Black Market…
Inside the Black Market, masked figures like themselves, faces covered, weaved between stalls.
In front of a stall selling Skeleton Back Scratchers.
“Frogfun, Jeilinfa, look!”
Hualí waved the Skeleton Back Scratcher shaped like a skeletal hand.
“This Back Scratcher is so realistic!”
Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she admired it.
She even scratched her back, usually out of reach, with the Back Scratcher’s upraised middle finger.
Jeilinfa, busy choosing gifts for the little Maids in the distance, looked over.
Even with the cloak tightly wrapped, Jeilinfa recognized that the stall owner who greeted Hualí was a genuine Undead.
Upon closer inspection, she could see that the owner was missing a complete right arm, and a nearby Paper Box was filled with a heap of dark red expired Restoration Potions.
She remembered that expired Restoration Potions could have side effects, such as abnormal bone growth.
Realizing all this, Jeilinfa’s lips twitched.
A ruthless one.
“If you like it, Hualí, just buy one. Use the money Her Majesty gave you.”
“You think it’s good too, right~”
Hualí happily handed a silver coin to the Undead owner, who seemed unable to speak, then chased after Jeilinfa, waving the Back Scratcher.
“Jeilinfa, let me scratch your back~”
“I refuse, that’s disgusting!”
***
Not long after the two walked away.
A small figure in a cloak stopped in front of the stall where Hualí had lingered, forcibly suppressing her heavy breathing after a hard run.
“Boss, how much for this Back Scratcher?”
The Undead slowly raised his remaining arm, a skeleton finger extended from his palm, and after a long wait, replied in a sluggish voice:
“Twenty copper coins each…”
At that moment, a commotion arose behind the girl.
She lowered her head, hiding her golden hair and slender pointed ears under her hood.
“Find her quickly! Don’t let that thief escape! If those people get the item first, we can’t report to that lord!”
“It looked like they ran that way just now!”
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