148 Perception
After registering themselves at the Guild, Paul exchanged 3 AGC for 270 GOC after a 10% exchange commission.
Unlike the currency of the Asura Kingdom, which used refined metals such as copper, silver, gold, and platinum, the Demon Continent used literal stone, scrap iron, iron, and green crystals that resembled decently sized emeralds. If converted directly, it would take a hundred Stone Coins to equal a single Asura Copper Coin, which, in turn, was equivalent to the second-highest denomination of Demon Continent currency, an Iron Coin.
With 270 Green Ore Coins in his possession, it wasn't an exaggeration to say Paul was one of the wealthiest people in the city. Even A and S-Rank Parties would only earn a few dozen GOC from high-ranking commissions. As a result, the Guild Receptionist, an insectoid woman with the head and features of a bee, needed approval from the Guild Master just to approve the exchange.
Fortunately for Paul, most Demons didn't really care about anyone but themselves. They were beings that could live for hundreds of years but preferred to live from one moment to the next, wholly unconcerned for what the future might hold. For this reason, their civilization only ever advanced when a reasonably powerful Demon King appeared to whip them into shape. In the absence of such an individual, the majority of Demons lived out their entire lives fighting, having fun, and fucking to their heart's content.
Without bothering to ask how Paul and his Party had managed to arrive at Kurasuma, the Guild Master, a muscular man with grey skin, six eyes, and large tusks, simply confirmed the Asura Gold Coins were legitimate before advising Paul to be careful. Most Demons weren't foolish enough to cause a scene within the territory of a Demon Lord, but the allure of hundreds of Green Ore Coins was too much. After all, a reasonably powerful D-Ranker would only earn around 5-10 GOC per year, depending on how often they risked their lives. If they could obtain hundreds with a single, well-placed shiv, they wouldn't hesitate.
After thanking the Guild Master for his 'friendly' advice, Paul and the girls spent several hours roaming around and sampling the foods of various street vendors. At each location, Paul would ask the girls for their opinion before recording their responses in a small journal. The King had asked him to conduct a survey and gather information on the Demon Continent, so he figured he might as well record details about the culture and cuisine of each city they passed through.
With the sun beginning its descent, Paul raised his head toward the sky as he suggested, "We should find a place to stay for the night and see about meeting with the Demon Lord tomorrow morning. We can also discuss our short and long-term plans for exploring the Demon Continent. We're going to be here a while, so we might as well use this as an opportunity to boost our Adventurer and Party Ranks to S. Any complaints?"
Though most of the girls just shook their heads, Venti raised her hand and asked, "Will we have the opportunity to explore on our own? I can detect the aroma of delicious food and alcohol on the wind. It would be a shame to leave without giving each a try."
Furrowing his brows, Paul replied, "We'll talk about it once we find a place to stay. However, given the distinctly different 'aesthetics' of Demons, I'm not against splitting up into smaller groups. Just never wander off on your own. Human slaves are a rare and highly sought-after commodity in many regions of the Demon Continent..."
Though Venti could probably level the entirety of Kurasuma if she wanted, it wasn't even remotely difficult to imagine her getting drunk and drugged by a group of kidnappers. Most demons regarded humans as peculiar and outlandish-looking creatures, regardless of their attractiveness, but there were always exceptions. As a rule of thumb, the more a Demon resembled a human, the more likely they were to prey upon them.
Increasing, rather than lessening Paul's concerns, Venti puffed out her chest in a way that threatened to weaponize the buttons of her blouse as she proclaimed, "Worry not! When it comes to bar crawling and gathering information from pubs, there are none beneath the heavens that can claim to be my equal~!"
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While making a mental note to ensure Venti never wandered far from his side, Paul said, "Let's go. I doubt we'll be able to find anything luxurious, but it shouldn't be worse than camping outside."
With everyone nodding their heads in agreement, Paul surprised Venti by grabbing her hand and pulling her along as he led the search for a place to stay. His actions confused her at first, but that didn't prevent her from clinging tightly to his arm and resting her head against his shoulder with a goofy smile on her face...
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"Kishishi, what's this? Those monsters have finally come to the Demon Continent~?"
Though she was several hundred kilometers to the East of Kurasuma, a youthful-looking Demoness with pale skin, voluminous purple hair, and goat-like horns was currently eyeing Paul and his Party with a glowing, violet-purple eye. In place of an ordinary pupil, it had a dark purple swirl that appeared to spin as she alternated her gaze between Paul, Ei, and Venti.
As the petite Demoness strained her eye to peer at Ei, the violet-haired Archon narrowed her eyes and looked toward her. Seeing this, the purple-haired Demoness adopted a toothy grin that revealed rows of razor-sharp teeth as she noted, "Whoa. This one's pretty sharp. And those eyes...they emit a type of energy I've never sensed before..."
Seemingly annoyed by her own words, a deep frown developed across the little girl's face before she spontaneously shouted, "Aaaaaaaagh! Just who do you think you are!? Demon Eyes are supposed to be my gimmick!"
Stamping her feet like a child throwing a tantrum, the loose black shorts the girl was wearing began to slide down her diminutive frame. She was nearly three hundred years old, but her body was completely bereft of a woman's charm. Her outfit also consisted of garments she had picked up at random, so many mistook her for a young Succubus that had escaped slavery due to her skimpy appearance, wrist shackles, and the large metal collar around her neck.
Noticing several people staring at her, an embarrassed look briefly marred the young Demoness' face before she abruptly adopted a shark-toothed grin, struck a pose, and shouted, "Your parents may have given you eyes, but staring isn't free, you know!? If you still wish to gaze upon the majesty of this noble and beautiful Kishirika Kishirisu, then empty your pockets...!"
Hearing the young girl's proclamation, many of the Demons that had been observing her either laughed or exhaled amused chuckles before going about their business. It wasn't rare for young Demons, especially girls, to pretend they were the former Demon Empress, so they just assumed the little girl puffing out her non-existent chest was the same.
Seeing her spectators disperse, the young Demoness, none other than the actual Kishirika Kishirisu, clicked her tongue. It used to be that all Demons, even those just meeting her for the first time, would recognize her greatness. They would gather en masse at the site of her resurrection, obey her every whim, and rally behind any cause she saw fit. Now, ever since Laplace has 'experimented' on her, even her fiance and former allies didn't give her the attention she deserved. She was the Demon Empress, Kishirika Kishirisu, dammit...!
As the image of Laplace appeared in her mind, Kishirika shivered as a sudden and intense urge to vomit welled from her stomach. Fortunately, it had been several months since her last meal, so there was nothing for her to vomit!
"Kishishishi~"
Amused by her own thoughts, Kishirika snickered in her characteristically impish manner. Then, with nothing better to do, she pointed towards the West and shouted, "To the port city of Kurasuma...!" before marching off with bold steps. If a human or a beast person were to witness this scene, they would see that most of the Demons she passed along the way paid absolutely no attention to her. Everything about her stood out like a sore thumb, but she marched through the crowd like she was invisible...
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Interrupting the search for a place to stay, Ei surprised Paul by revealing, "Someone was spying on us. They were too far away for me to determine their location, but I'm absolutely certain we were being watched."
Furrowing his brows, Paul asked the most pressing question, "Are they an enemy...?"
Pursing her lips, Ei adopted a thoughtful expression as she tried to recall the intent contained within the gaze. In the end, she shook her head and answered, "I'm not sure, but I believe they were merely curious. It didn't feel like they had any ill intentions."
"Hmmm..."
Though the image of a purple-haired loli immediately popped into his mind, Paul seriously doubted they would draw the attention of Kishirika this soon into their exploration of the Demon Continent. It was far more likely to be someone related to Atofe, the blue-skinned Demon Lord who grants strength. Her fortress, Fort Necross, was located roughly 600km from Kurasuma, and she was known for taking an interest in powerful, or, at the very least, unique people. If she had an informant with the Guild, Paul could easily imagine Atofe appearing to try and kidnap them...she was, after all, infamous for 'collecting' people she found interesting...
"Well, if they have Demon Eyes of Clairvoyance or something similar, there's not a lot we can do to prevent them from spying on us. For now, we just need to stay on our toes and continue with our original plan. If it turns out they do have malicious intentions toward us, we'll just need to defeat or cut them down. It's that simple."
Nodding her head in both understanding and approval, Ei stated, "Leave it to me." in a confident tone. Ever since she had measured her skill against Reida, the only enemies she was still concerned about were Hitogami, Perugius, Orsted, the Death God, and Gal. However, based on what she had heard from Paul, Ei was fairly confident she could defeat the latter...
Seeing through Ei's thoughts, at least a little, Paul adopted a smile and mused, "How reliable..." before shifting his attention to the rest of the group and adding, "Well, no sense in standing around here. We still need to find a place before it gets too dark. Shall we...?"
With everyone nodding in approval, Paul led the way as they resumed their search for a place to stay. Most of the places they passed were bars and taverns that were barebones to the point of being considered hovels. Paul didn't mind spending the night in one, but he was sure there had to be at least one proper Inn in the city...
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As news of Water King Vuldar's death finally began to circulate through the Capital, a public outcry occurred as people, egged on by the Faction supporting the First Prince, called for Paul's imprisonment. A few outright demanded his execution, but they were silenced by the groups pointing out the insensibility of killing one 'Water King' to avenge another.
Paul wasn't yet aware of it, but Reida, or, more accurately, the King had pinned the blame for Vuldar's death squarely on his head. He wanted to keep the capabilities of Ei a secret, so even though he was nowhere near the level of an actual Water King, Paul was already being regarded as the youngest in history. He had even been given an official title, one which the King hoped would tie him to Asura for the foreseeable future. Thus, on the ninth day of the seventh month of Armored Dragon King Year 401, the legend of the King's Greatsword, Paul Greyrat, was born...
Much to the chagrin of the First Prince, his Faction, and several powers lurking behind the scenes...
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