A Not-so-Unexpected Encounter
After returning his attention to the food he was preparing, Bagura asked, "So, what does your King want from me?"
Shaking his head, Paul replied, "As far as I'm aware, nothing in particular. That's why I mentioned I was only 'technically' an Envoy. The truth is that my being here was an excuse to get me out of the Kingdom for a few years. If I can gather information and befriend a few Demon Lords, that's just a bonus."
"Ah...politics. I'm personally a moderate, so I don't mind working together with humans. I just 'prefer' to mind my own business. So, unless you have an offer to make, don't involve me in your Kingdom's affairs."
Adopting a sly smile, Paul asked, "What about personal or private affairs? I actually came here to make you an offer, one unrelated to the politics of the Asura Kingdom. At least not directly."
Catching Paul a little off guard, Bagura replied, "Not interested." in a curt tone. Then, before Paul could attempt to convince him, he explained, "It's only a matter of time before Lady Atoferatofe comes to 'collect' or kill you. Any promises you make before completing her Trial or earning the right to roam freely are meaningless. Come back in ten years."
"..."
Understanding the kind of person Atofe was supposed, even though they had yet to meet, Paul didn't blame Bagura for not wanting to get involved with his group before they had received her blessing. Instead, he asked, "Mind if I ask what De—Lady Atoferatofe's Power Level is...?"
Since it wasn't a secret he had been asked to protect, Bagura readily revealed, "Her base Power Level is only around 300, but she is a pure-blooded member of the Immortal Demon Tribe. Unless you have access to Holy or Lightning Magic, there isn't much you can do against her. She will just regenerate and then beat you until you are half or fully dead."
Noticing that Bagura hadn't mentioned Atofe's 'latent' Power Level, Paul asked, "What about her maximum power output? I know she's supposed to be as strong, if not stronger, than the current North God. I'm guessing she's around 500?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Bagura left Paul feeling a little speechless as he revealed, "The second value is a reflection of a person's maximum output. Pure-blooded members of the Immortal Demon Tribe regenerate stamina and Mana nearly as fast as they use it. Because of that, the Demon Eyes of Power Perception can't quantify the upper limits of their power. It just shows as a bunch of question marks."
"..."
Though he was tempted to ask more, Paul ultimately just shook his head and said, "Some other time, then." before turning to leave the kitchen. He half-expected Bagura to stop him and ask what his offer was, but the pig-faced Demon Lord promptly started humming a tune as he focused on the dishes he was preparing...
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After leaving Demon Lord Bagura Hagura's restaurant, Paul and the girls made their way to the Guild. He assumed other Demon Lords would have a similar response to the former's, so, after discussing it over their meal, Paul decided they might as well take a job from the Guild and head in the direction of Fort Necross. If Atoferatofe and her forces were going to hunt them regardless, they might as well take the fight to her.
With such thoughts in mind, Paul picked up a few repeatable Quests that, according to the Receptionist, could be handed in at virtually any location throughout the Demon Continent. Demons depended on monster parts for everything from medicine to clothing, equipment, construction, and food, so demand for certain materials almost always outweighed supply.
Similar to what he had done back in Sharia, Paul elected to purchase a wagon rather than relying on Ganyu ferrying them everywhere. She would be the one pulling the wagon, her suggestion, but the important thing was that they would be exploring the region rather than simply flying over it.
Fortunately for Paul, the traders of the Demon Continent were, somewhat ironically, a lot more 'honest' than the human Merchants Paul had met in the past. The Demon Continent functioned on 'free market' principles, so the competition between merchants was pretty intense. Thus, if you were open about what you wanted, it was possible to drive the price of an item down quite a bit by pitting multiple merchants against one another.
Instead of messing around by trying to play the market, Paul purchased a six-wheeled wagon with bows formed from the ribs of a giant snake and a canopy formed from a multi-colored patchwork of monster hide. Back in the Asura Kingdom, such a wagon would have cost tens of AGC, but here in the Demon Continent, Paul merely needed to hand over thirty-six Green Ore Coins to procure a durable wagon capable of enduring rough terrain.
Though they could have left immediately after procuring a wagon, Paul still wanted to explore Kurasuma and sample its cuisine. Spices were also one of the most plentiful resources in the Demon Continent, so Paul went around purchasing them in bulk in preparation for his trip. Ganyu's pouch had a capacity of several hundred kilograms, so they could make a small fortune if they transported them to the Asura Kingdom. Instead, Paul set aside a few samples to turn over to the King while the bulk was set aside for their journey.
As attractive as the notion of establishing a trade route and making a fortune was, Paul had long turned over such things to Ningguang. She already had intentions of establishing a sea route between the Central and Demon Continent, so he didn't want to step on her toes. After all, a significant portion of the wealth she accumulated invariably ended up in his pockets or the IOF...
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Five days into their stay in Kurasuma, Paul was returning from a food run with Ganyu and Ei when an encounter he had been anticipating finally occurred. A youthful-looking, scantily clad Demoness with inordinately long, violet-purple hair, goat-like horns, and apparent heterochromia appeared on the route they were using to return to their hostel. She didn't try to block their path or anything, but she was clearly there to observe them.
Though he was half-tempted to simply ignore her and see what she would do, a wry smile developed across Paul's face as he held up his hand and said, "Yo. I was wondering when you would show up."
Adopting a fairly cheeky, sharp-toothed smile, the diminutive Demoness responded with a question, specifically, "You recognize me? I don't think we've ever met, though...?"
Maintaining his wry smile, Paul asked, "How could I not recognize the 'Great Demon Empress,' Kishirika Kishirisu? Violet-purple hair, goat-like horns, and multi-colored eyes aren't exactly common traits to possess."
Tilting her head to the side, Kishirika seemed to be considering Paul's words before spontaneously replying, "I suppose not! Bwahahahaha~!"
Without Paul needing to ask, Ganyu retrieved the 'gift' Paul had prepared in the event he crossed paths with Kishirika. It likely would have been far more effective if she was starving, but that didn't stop him from proferring forth a corked jar resembling a thick mason jar.
Unable to restrain her curiosity, Kishrika's left eye suddenly rolled forward to reveal a flowery pattern as she asked, "Hmmmm? What's this supposed to be? Some kind of jam...?"
Shaking his head, Paul revealed, "It's a special seasoning created by one of my companions. I don't know the exact ingredients, but it combines the sweetness of the papaw fruit with the spiciness of a pepper that was only recently cross-bred in the Strife Zone. Its spiciness kicks like a horse, but it greatly-"
Before Paul could finish his explanation, Kishirika surprised him, Ei, and even Ganyu by popping the cork and attempting to chug the bright red, molasses-like contents. She had already confirmed it wasn't poisonous, so she decided to give it a taste rather than hearing Paul talk it up like a merchant trying to broker a deal.
Instead of trying to stop Kishirika's actions, Paul just smiled wryly as the diminutive Demoness's eyes lit up like stars. The sauce's flavor profile was remarkably similar to the mango habanero sauce Paul had enjoyed eating on wings in his previous life. However, because Xiangling was the one to produce it, it also had the properties of warming the body and increasing a person's resistance to frigid temperatures. Since Kishirika had a habit of walking around in clothes that barely qualified as outerwear, Paul figured it would suit the pauper-like Empress well.
Though her reaction was a little more extreme than he expected, Paul waited patiently for Kishirika to consume the entire sixteen-ounce jar of sauce. This wasn't an exaggeration, either, as the moment he thought she was just about finished, Kishirika extended her inordinately long tongue to lick clean the interior of the jar...
Finished with the almost candy-like sauce, Kishirika exhaled a contended, "Pwaaaaaah~!" before unashamedly releasing a burp and declaring, "That was scrumptious! It wasn't even remotely spicy, but we never expected a human to know what real spice was! Bwahahahaha~!"
As she had once died after consuming a pitch-black pepper colloquially known as the 'Death Pepper,' Kishirika couldn't help laughing in the face of Paul's special sauce. She did feel an abnormal warmth permeating her body, but it didn't appear to be the result of a drug or an aphrodisiac, so she didn't mind. In fact, it made the frigid temperatures of Kurasuma feel rather pleasant.
Since there was a fairly high chance that Kishirika would spontaneously scurry off, Paul surprised her with a 32oz jar of the same substance. Her eyes immediately lit up, but instead of asking for it, she placed her hands on her hips and declared, "Your offering has satisfied us. Tell me, human boy, what is it you desire? So long as it's within our power, we shall grant you a single wish...!"
Instead of immediately responding to Kishirika's words, Paul took note of the fact that no one was really paying attention to them despite the fact they were conversing with a 'very' conspicuous Demoness shouting about granting wishes. His training had instilled in him the habit of paying close attention to his surroundings, so it was more than a little uncanny seeing people spontaneously ignoring them.
Though he had already prepared his request years prior, Paul's expression turned serious as he asked, "I can ask for anything...?"
While exaggeratedly nodding her head, Kishirika replied, "So long as it's within our power, we will grant any request you may have...!"
Returning a nod of his own, Paul pointed directly at Kishirika as he said, "I desire your wisdom and cooperation. My companions and I have recently begun a survey of the Demon Continent, so who better to show us around than its once and future ruler?"
As her original intention was to bestow Paul or one of his allies a Demon Eye after he made some grandiose request she couldn't possibly hope to fulfill, Kishirika suddenly found herself in a bit of a pickle. The 'wording' of Paul's request was such that she might very well be obligated to support or assist him for the rest of his life. After all, the 'wisdom' she possessed spanned tens of thousands of years. He couldn't possibly learn everything she had to teach in a single lifespan...
Since Kishirika was just staring at him with a broad smile on her face, Paul returned one of his own as he cheekily inquired, "Is my request not 'within your power' to grant...?"
Realizing she had been played, Kishirika abruptly erupted into laughter. She didn't know how much Paul knew about her circumstances, but it was clear he knew something. He was far from the first human to seek her out, but he was the first to actually 'recognize' her. Thus, even though she was more than a little annoyed about being 'tricked,' she didn't mind following him for a few decades.
"So be it! This Great Demon Empress, Kishirika Kishirisu, shall act as your guide...!"
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