“Little Ha is sleeping so soundly.”
The little yellow cat lay curled on Via’s lap, breathing steadily, her back rising and falling with each breath.
The carriage carried Via onward toward the next city.
She leaned against the window, watching the scenery pass by.
“Demon King, where are we headed next?” Desolate Fire asked.
“There’s a small city up ahead. I need to restock,” Via replied. “We’re running low on food and water, and the magic crystals need replenishing too.”
“That’s not what I meant. I was asking about your final destination. You can’t possibly be out here just sightseeing, right?”
“I need to leave the human world and return to the Desolate Fallen Continent.”
“You’re really going back?” Desolate Fire sounded surprised. “You’re human right now. Humans can’t survive in the Desolate Fallen Continent…”
Via knew exactly what Desolate Fire meant.
To the demonkin, a human in the Desolate Fallen Continent was like a sheep wandering into a pack of wolves.
Demonkin would not show mercy to humans.
Just as humans deeply loathed demonkin.
“I have no choice. I can’t stay in the human world any longer. My identity could be discovered by the human higher-ups at any moment.”
“If that’s the case… then yes, it’s dangerous. If the humans learn you’re the Demon King, they won’t let you go.”
“That’s why I’m heading back to the Desolate Fallen Continent. At least I still have the Demon King Armament. With it active, no one should be able to see through me.”
Via had already tested it in front of Kurei.
As long as she kept the mask on and activated the Demon King Armament, the other party would notice nothing amiss.
“So you’re planning a comeback?”
“Of course. No new Demon King has appeared in the Desolate Fallen Continent yet. The position is still vacant. If I announce my return, I still have a good chance.”
“I’m not so sure… Back when you formed the royal court, you had the support of various factions. In your current state, how are you going to win back the trust of those old-timers?” Desolate Fire pointed out the key issue.
Via had no rebuttal.
Those factions had only backed her because of her overwhelming strength, which allowed her to mediate internal demonkin disputes.
Now that she hadn’t even reached the Transcendent tier, those old schemers were unlikely to take her seriously.
This was going to be difficult. She needed to think carefully about how to stage her return as Demon King.
Via arrived at a city in the south.
The carriage bore the high-level insignia of the Saint Luo Empire’s military, so the soldiers at the city gate did not dare block it. Assuming some important figure was inside, they waved the carriage through without question.
Most checkpoints along the way had been the same. The carriage entered the city smoothly.
“Hm, so this is a human city?”
Desolate Fire floated to the window and peered outside with open curiosity.
“Demon King, why do human cities look completely different in style from demonkin ones?”
“Human cities are all like this.”
Via pulled out a list marked with the things she needed to buy.
“These are the items we need to purchase. Take a look, Desolate Fire.”
“Oh, these things.”
Desolate Fire scanned the list. At first nothing seemed strange, but then it grew puzzled.
“Demon King, why are you showing this to me? If you want to buy stuff, you don’t need my opinion! I’m just your weapon. Daily life matters have nothing to do with me.”
“My current situation makes it inconvenient for me to show my face. Are you worried your identity will be exposed? Yeah, that’s exactly it. Right now you look like… a cleric? If the Holy Land’s clergy catch you, they’ll probably turn you into a barbecue~”
“Mm. So you’re going out to buy them for me.”
“Huh?”
Desolate Fire thought it had misheard.
“Demon King, I’m a demonic blade! I’m not even a person!”
“If I remember correctly, you do have a human form.”
“No, I don’t!”
“I remember it clearly. The first time I met you, you appeared in human form,” Via said with a smile. “Even though you stayed in blade form afterward, I never forgot that.”
“I don’t like turning into a person! I’m a demonic blade! I’m a sword!”
“Without food, I’ll go hungry. If I go hungry, I won’t have mana. Without mana, I can’t convert abyssal force. Without abyssal force, you’ll go hungry too.”
Via laid out a flawless chain of logic.
Desolate Fire had no way to refuse.
“Normally I’d leave these chores to the maids, but I don’t have any right now, so it has to be you. I can’t exactly send Little Ha to do the shopping, can I?”
Desolate Fire sighed, extremely reluctant, but the legendary weapon still transformed.
“Ahh!”
The black-flame-wreathed demonic blade vanished. In a flash of light, a beautiful girl took its place.
She looked about the same age as Via. Completely naked, her graceful figure was fully exposed in front of Via. Her hair was split half white and half black, strikingly eye-catching. Floating inside the carriage, she looked exactly the same as when the Demon King had first met her.
“You… put on clothes!” Via quickly looked away.
“Huh? What are you doing?” Desolate Fire, who was wearing nothing at all, showed zero embarrassment and instead spoke with righteous indignation.
“Demon King, I never wear clothes! Weapons don’t wear clothes! When I’m not sheathed, I look exactly like this!”
“You look like an exhibitionist!”
“Hmph. Demon King, I am a legendary demonic blade. A body as magnificent as mine should be displayed generously to everyone, every detail!”
Desolate Fire proudly puffed out her chest. The full, bouncy curves swayed, nearly brushing against Via’s face.
“You… wear this first!”
Via took off her own coat and shoved it at her.
“Ugh? I don’t want to! I don’t want to wear clothes!”
“No choice. If you go out naked, you’ll be arrested as a pervert and drag me into it too. Besides, anyone who sees you like this will run away screaming. How are you supposed to buy things for me then?”
“Fine…”
Desolate Fire looked deeply wronged as she put on the coat Via had forced on her.
Demon blades really do think differently, Via thought with a sigh.
Still, she had no other options right now. Even though Desolate Fire was outrageously unreasonable, Via kept her complaints to herself. Having someone who could help at all was already pretty good.