Intermission: Demon Lord (part 2)

Without uttering a single word, Claygramor sat down with the two of them and waited until they had emptied the pot. Of the seasoned black beans he had prepared for a few days, there was not even the broth left.

Although indignant, Claygramor knew he could not go against them. But since the two didn't seem to want to hurt him, and since he was hungry after hunting many monsters, he just ate silently with them.

"Ah~~"

Tilting her head back, the cowkin girl put her hand on her sample barrel.

"It was delicious, wasn't it, master?"

Although she called the young man master, the relationship of the two did not seem to be one of master slave. Even her clothes, while not looking as good quality as the young man's, still looked good.

She was wearing a short top, shorts, and a long leather boot.

Without responding to the girl, the young man looked at Claygramor apathetically.

"What kind of bean was that?"

"Black beans," Claygramor replied. "It's very common around here, how can you not know it?"

"Where can I get the grains?"

"At the flea market in Cursevale. There are many stalls selling there."

"Take me to the city," the young man said as he stood. "I want the recipe too."

Since he had no time to spend with these strangers, Claygramor quickly passed on the recipe. As for the remaining request, although worried about offending the two, he had to refuse.

"I can't accompany you to the city now, but I'll show you the direction."

"I'm not asking," the young man said.

Although his tone was not threatening, Claygramor felt chills as his shoulders felt heavier.

If before Claygramor wasn't sure, now he was sure that this guy was dangerous. Even if he still wanted to refuse, he knew that the young man seemed like someone who was difficult to deal with in words.

Claygramor felt that if he said the wrong words, it would be game over.

"Don't be stingy, master," the girl said as she stood up. "He even shared his meal with us."

Even if he did not share out of good will, Claygramor felt grateful to the girl for defending him.

Seeing that she seemed easier to argue with, he said, "I really don't have time right now."

"We can pay for your time."

The girl reached into the bag hanging from her waist, pulled out a small bag, and shook it, making the coins inside tinkle.

"If you need it, we have a lot more," she said. "We robbed a lot of people on the way."

Although Claygramor had thought the girl was someone more reasonable to deal with, her response made him even more uncomfortable.

With no choice but to take them to the city, Claygramor could only lament his bad luck.

***

Arriving in Cursevale, Clargramor, took the two of them straight to the flea market, where they bought an absurd amount of beans.

When he thought his task was already complete and he could get rid of them, he was eventually forced to become the guide, recommending the food stalls.

Knowing that satisfaction would be guaranteed, he first took them to Okleb's caramel apple stand. He was an old man from a race of humanoid plants that Claygramor had met some years ago.

Proving that it had been a good choice, the two were amazed. Seizing the opportunity while the two were distracted, he waded in among the sea of people wandering through the marketplace.

Thanks to a special characteristic of his breed, he camouflaged his presence and ran away.

Unfortunately, when the two discovered that Claygramor who had taught Okleb the recipe for the caramel that covered the apple, the young man easily tracked him down.

Under the gentle threat of having his legs broken if he tried to run away again, Claygramor had no choice but to lead them on a gourmet tour.

As a way of apologizing to the two for trying to leave them behind, he was forced to pay for the expenses.

Even though he was dissatisfied at the beginning of the tour, Claygramor saw an opportunity. The young man was new to the area, and the different foods put him in a good mood. He also seemed to have a great thirst for new recipes, so Claygramor tried to make a deal.

He offered the various recipes he knew in exchange for a favor. Initially, the young man wanted to simply pull out the recipes by force, but thanks to the cowkin girl, he was convinced to listen to what the deal was about.

Then Claygramor told about the challenge he had in two days against the demon lord. For the purpose of preventing people from lining up to face the demon lord, whenever there was a challenge, it would be a fight to the death. Even though Claygramor was not someone who was impulsive, he had no choice if he wanted to get Serina back.

That is why he wanted the young man to help him train in the monster forest until the day of the challenge. If he could kill a large number of monsters quickly, his strength would increase by leaps and bounds.

But since the forest was a dangerous place, Claygramor was afraid that the young man would refuse.

"Training in the forest is a great plan, but you wanting to get stronger in just two days is stupid," the young man said. "Give me the recipes, and I'll kill the demon lord."

Given the confidence the young man seemed to have in his own strength, Claygramor believed that he might be able to defeat a demon lord. But still, he didn't want it to be that way.

"I want to defeat the lord with my own hands," Claygramor sawed his fists firmly. "I want to wipe away the humiliation I received by losing my woman."

Denying his resolve, the young man said, "It still looks stupid."

"It's not stupid to fight for someone you love."

"From what you said, she is of a different race, so it is practically impossible that you can have children together. I see no reason for you to be so attached to her if you can't pass on your offspring."

Obviously, Claygramor knew that even if a hundred years passed, there was a possibility that he and Serina would not have a child. But this did not even come close to shaking his feelings.

"When love is at stake, nothing matters," he stated. "You will understand that when you fall in love."

Seemingly touched by Claygramor's words, the girl grabbed onto the young man's arm.

"We should help him, master," she said. "Besides, we are already going there, so why not take him along?"

"It's inefficient. If I defeat the lord, it's easier and faster."

Seeing that the young man seemed unwilling to change his mind, Claygramor tried a last resort, "When I become the demon lord of this region, I will get some rare ingredients and recipes for you."

For the first time, the young man's expression changed, he seemed interested in the proposal.

"Metals too?"

"You can be sure of that."

"Okay," the young man nodded. "But I'll be honest, it's completely impossible for you to keep up with a demon lord in two days."

"It may not seem like it, but I have the means to do so, in fact, it's not exactly training, I want your help with something else."

At that moment, among the passing crowd, a hairy hand that was almost grabbing the girl's huge breasts was grabbed by the young man.

With a tug, the young man dragged the owner of the hand to him. The one who came out was a furry catkin, and judging by his surprised face, he probably didn't expect to be caught.

*boom*

Before the catkin could say anything, a kick from the young man sent him flying into the wall of a house. As the place was busy, some passersby also suffered from the blow.

Although the catkin was still alive, judging by the blood that flowed, he was not in a good condition.

"It seems this continent is full of people with reckless courage," the young man said.

"Ohoho~~" with a provocative look, the girl pressed her breasts into the young man's chest. "Were you jealous, master?"

"No," he denied.

"No shyness, master." Bringing her face closer to his, she said, "Come, let me feel your love."

As the girl closed her eyes and brought her lips closer to his, the young man grabbed her horn and peeled her off of him.

"I know this is none of my business, but in addition to your servant's front commission, some thieves may also be attracted to your clothing," Claygramor told the young man.

"What's wrong with my clothes?"

"Because of the quality of it and how flashy it looks in this place, you look like a rich, naive son who's out for a walk."

"Is that really it?"

"Since you look young and don't have many expressions, I think people who see you from afar believe you are harmless. If your appearance was more threatening, or you didn't hide your power, maybe they would be scared."

"That would draw a lot of unnecessary attention," the young man said.

"Then you can wear a hooded cloak," Claygramor suggested. "That might prevent people from carelessly coming into contact with you."

"I see."

Looking briefly at the surroundings, the young man seemed to be looking for something among the crowd that had formed after the incident with the catkin.

Stopping his gaze on the nearest person with a cloak, the young man pulls the cloak off him.

"My cloak?! Who are you? Give me back my cloak!"

Having his cloak stolen, the green-skinned guy tried to get it back, but the young man simply grabbed his arm and threw him away.

"Master, I already told you that you must not do that," the girl scolded him.

But ignoring her, he threw the cloak at her.

"Use it," he said.

"I just got a gift from the master~~"

Ignoring the fact that she just complained about him stealing, she looked happy as she put on the cloak.

"No more wasting time." Ignoring the girl, the young man turned to Claygramor. "What do I have to do?"

"First of all, let's get out of here or things will get worse."

Since he had lived in the city for a few years, thanks to his racial trait, Claygramor knew the magical signature of many people. So he knew that some guards were coming to where they were.

He had full confidence that the guards would not be able to do anything with them, but the young man would certainly make it an even bigger problem.

With Claygramor taking the lead, the two followed him, and even while running, the young man still stole another cloak.