A Sealed Place

"Come for the specialty of the demon continent, our barbecue has an intense flavor you won't be able to resist!" A massive demon with a bull's body was preparing barbecue for his restaurant after abandoning his mercenary desires.

"What are you looking at? If you don't like it, I won't charge you a thing!" the bull-bodied demon shouted again.

The economy in this place is solely managed with silver and gold coins; there is no such thing as copper, so only those two types of coins are in circulation. A new coin made of black metal will be introduced later, but it's still in production, and the logistics team is carefully handling the delicate process of introducing this final coin.

These gold coins bear the face of Gilgamesh and were the same coins that circulated in his former kingdom. Since this place is now part of his realm, there is no problem using these coins to establish an economy here.

In the following weeks, many people became interested in creating their own businesses, and with Gilgamesh's assistance, they could establish themselves to make a living. Several shops were created where people could spend their money. The most remarkable shops were the ones belonging to Uruk, known for their unforgettable coliseums and delicious food.

As he walked the expanding city's streets in simple clothing, Gilgamesh also opened a Coliseum where warriors could fight for significant rewards in the future. And the best part was that it would be a special place where many could earn money. In his past life, the Coliseum was one of his favorite places due to the fierce clashes that could occur, and in this place, it was no exception. Wherever he ruled, there had to be an active Coliseum where interesting events could take place.

In addition to these trivial matters, a spatial boundary was established where people couldn't venture further if their goal was to avoid being killed by a wild beast. While precautions were taken by sending armies to confront and eliminate wild beasts, it remained an extremely safe place.

"Have you decided what to play?" one of the children gathered in the park asked the others, who were watching a caterpillar munch on a green leaf.

"Isn't that incredible? That caterpillar, of course, is aware of our presence, but it's just doing what it wants, following its instincts."

A young elf, looking concerned, said, "Don't you think it's scared?"

"Of course not, if it were frightened by our presence, that caterpillar would have stopped eating."

A young beast child smiled and said, "My dad told me that every animal has an instinct, even humans, so the caterpillar's instinct when facing a threat is to keep eating."

"I laugh when I'm scared..."

"Hahaha! That's the funniest thing I've heard in a long time."

"What's so funny?" At that moment, a calm voice was heard behind the children, and when they all saw who it was, they shouted in amazement, "Gilgamesh!"

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, I decided to go for a walk and found you all looking a bit mysterious," Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow and said, "You can tell me; I'm a big man who keeps secrets."

"It's not very interesting, Your Highness..."

"Mmm?" Gilgamesh wondered if these children were afraid of him.

To lighten the situation in the little heads of these children, Gilgamesh said, "Well, I'll perform a magic trick!"

"Ohhhh!"

The children lined up and watched Gilgamesh, who seemed to be moving his hands in front of them. He appeared very serious, so they all remained silent.

"My mom says powerful mages are old," a young elf girl whispered while squinting at Gilgamesh.

"Is His Highness Gilgamesh old?" a clumsy boy asked openly, but his friends covered his mouth before he could finish the sentence.

Gilgamesh, still smiling, furrowed his brow a bit. These kids these days were sharper than expected. So, after a bit more hand movement, a box of chocolates appeared in front of all the children.

Om!

"Ohhhhh!"

"Are those sweets?"

"My mom says they are very expensive..."

"My father likes bitter chocolate, I don't."

"Come on, take a chocolate, this is my gift." Gilgamesh opened the delicate box containing his precious chocolates. He had only about five thousand boxes of these delicacies, and these brats who called him old would have one.

A frightened-looking boy said, "Can we really have one?"

"My mom told me not to accept things from strangers."

Gilgamesh was on the verge of collapsing when a soft hand waved his head. He was about to get angry when suddenly Eris entered his field of vision, and further back was Roxy, both wearing combat outfits with bloodstains on their clothes.

"Are you coming from training?" Gilgamesh asked as he looked at both women.

Roxy nodded and said, "I thought you didn't like children, but it seems they are afraid of you... Haha, have they seen you angry?"

"No, not at all..." Gilgamesh muttered, recalling how he had once arrived in the village with his body covered in blood. The children had seen him like that, so that might be the reason.

"Hmm, do you want children? How many?" Eris asked as she took a chocolate and ate it.

"Oh, the beautiful lady will eat them all; take yours and run!" One boy stepped forward and took a chocolate before running off. His action triggered all the children to take their chocolates and run.

"Is that a compliment or an insult?" Eris asked, equally bewildered as Gilgamesh.

"A compliment; eating is a good thing." Roxy, who was suppressing her laughter, looked at Eris and Gilgamesh, who had lost their patience with the children.

"Well, don't you want to take a bath together?" Gilgamesh asked with a mischievous look.

"No problem!" Eris responded immediately, but Roxy intervened and said, "Of course, but you'll wear a bathing suit."

"That wouldn't be a bath," Gilgamesh argued as he walked back to his mansion atop the ancient tree.

"That's not up for discussion," Roxy had to protect Eris from Gilgamesh's advances; that man in a state of drunkenness spared absolutely nothing.