It Seems That the Demon King Is Among the Members of the Hero’s Party

45. Maiden Heart

If we’re talking about the Dwarf Kingdom, it’s Sasha’s hometown. To be precise, it’s not exactly her hometown, but she lived in the capital city as a magician under Maxwell’s guidance. So, I thought I’d leave the guidance of the capital city and magic tools to Sasha.

As expected, Sasha (that woman) rushed out to drink as soon as we arrived in the capital city.

She let out a loud “Whoo-hoo!” as she ran off. The impression I got was of us watching her in amazement, and Cecil watching her with a cold, uninterested gaze.

Anyway, we asked the capital city’s guards for a recommendation and decided to stay at an inn. The problem was that Sasha didn’t know which inn we were staying at, and we hadn’t seen her for about three days since we arrived in the capital city.

My plan to have Sasha guide us around the capital city had been ruined.

I know she’s probably at a tavern somewhere. But this is the Dwarf Kingdom, a country famous for its magic tools and liquor. The entire race loves liquor, and they’re also dedicated to brewing. Dwarf-made liquor is sold all over the continent.

And since they’re dedicated to brewing, there are many places that serve liquor. Compared to other countries, the number of taverns is overwhelming.

Even on the main street, which is used by many travelers, there are many taverns. About 80% of them are taverns. It’s ridiculous. How much do they love liquor? I can understand why Sasha would be like that. So, I’ve been searching for her at each tavern, one by one, but it’s become a hassle.

Since this is Sasha’s hometown and she’s clearly capable, I’m sure she’ll be fine. My only concern is that she might cause some trouble.

Anyway, I’m telling this story because…

“Hehehe! I won!!”

I heard a familiar voice on the way to the inn, and I stopped in my tracks. Cecil is looking at me with a suspicious gaze.

The voice came from a tavern that’s crowded with people. When I focus my eyes, I see a familiar brown-haired figure.

“Let’s go, brother!”

I think Cecil saw the same thing, but he’s pulling my hand with a disinterested expression. His grip is stronger than I thought.

“No, I think Sasha is over there.”

“I think we should just leave that drunk alone.”

Cecil’s gaze is fixed. It seems he doesn’t have good feelings towards Sasha from his words and actions. I think we only had a chance to interact during our journey to Tangumalin. I recall a little of what happened during that time.

“Don’t drink! You never know when a demon might appear!”

“It’s okay, if a demon appears, Kyle will take care of it.”

“Don’t bother my brother! As a mage, he should fulfill his duties properly!”

“If something happens, I’ll handle it. Kyle has given me permission to drink, and I have a longer history with him than you do.”

“Brother!!”

“Don’t tell me. Later, I’ll give up on Sasha.”

“You’re not strong enough, so it ends up like this! Do you understand?”

“Sorry.”

——The conversation during our journey is the cause. In the end, it all came back to me. Even then, Sasha (that woman) was drinking, and Kyle was saying something like “Oh no, this is troublesome.” For some reason, I felt like ignoring her.

No, that’s no good. I need to ask Sasha for guidance. It’s convenient that I found her now, so I’ll secure her help while I can.

“I think Cecil has his own thoughts, but it’s better to ask Sasha for guidance.”

“Are you serious? You’re relying on that drunkard?”

He gives me a “are you kidding me?” look. I glance at Sasha’s direction.

“Next challenger, come on!”

The next challenger appears before Sasha, and a large wine vessel, about 30cm in size, is filled with wine. It seems they’re ready. With a signal from the referee-like man, the two of them start drinking. Sasha is drinking vigorously, while the challenger looks a bit troubled.

“Whoa! I won!”

Sasha finishes drinking first, and it seems she’s won. She’s beaming with a victorious smile.

“Are you relying on that person?”

I understand what Cecil wants to say, but please don’t give me that cold gaze. I feel like I’m being blamed too. Am I being blamed?

Let’s just forget about it. Maybe I’ll ask Maxwell, Sasha’s teacher, about the magical tools? He’s well-connected as a court mage.

If I have any trouble with Sasha, he said I can come talk to him anytime. I’ll take him up on that offer.

“Let’s head back.”

“I think that’s a good idea.”

Cecil seems satisfied with my words and floats the same smile as before, pulling my hand. I think he doesn’t need to pull me that strongly, but he’s not resisting either.

“Oh, Kyle! Where are you going? I’m here, so you should come over too!”

I hear a tongue click from Cecil. I thought he wouldn’t notice us in the crowd, but it seems he has. It’s not good to ignore him in this situation. I try to head towards Sasha, but Cecil is pulling my hand, so I can’t.

“Cecil, I want to go to Sasha’s place.”

“You can ignore her.”

“I think it’s a bad idea to ignore Sasha right now. Based on my past experience…”

He’s going to cause some kind of trouble with his reckless behavior. What did he do last time? Did he get into a big commotion at the tavern, involving all the customers, and even getting entangled with a beautiful older sister who was calling out to him?

I sense the gaze of the drunkards around Sasha. The gaze hurts, and I ask for her help, and Cecil lets out a sigh. He stops pulling my hand, and I thank him before heading towards Sasha. Cecil follows me slowly.

“Oh, Noel’s brother was here too. I didn’t notice.”

“If you noticed me, then you should have seen me too. Are you not paying attention?”

“Sorry. I only had eyes for Kyle, so I didn’t notice. Are you not a bother?”

“I’m just following my sister’s orders to keep an eye on my brother, so I’m with him.”

“You don’t need to hold hands, do you? Did Noel tell you to do that?”

“I’m just holding hands to make sure my brother doesn’t get lost!”

“If Kyle is fine, then can you let go of my hand? I want to drink with Kyle now, but I can’t return to the inn without an escort.”

“You can return alone! I don’t want to be with a bunch of mediocre people like you!”

Sasha was chuckling and laughing at Cecil, who was red with anger and waving his hands in frustration. It seems these two don’t get along well.

I think Noel and Sasha are okay, though. Well, they used to fight a lot when they first met. It seemed like Noel gradually gave up on Sasha, who wouldn’t listen no matter how many times he was told.

Watching their exchange now, it’s clear that Sasha is teasing Cecil. Ah, Cecil got angry and stormed off.

“Isn’t what you said a bit too much?”

“I have to do this, or that kid won’t leave me alone. I’m giving you a warning, but if you do something that’ll make them hold onto you too tightly, it’s no good.”

“I don’t have that kind of intention, though…”

“You’ll really get hurt, Kyle.”

Sasha let out a sigh and took a sip of her drink. It doesn’t seem like she’s being careful because we’re the same gender. Durandal told me to be mindful of my distance from the elves, and I should probably start doing that from now on.

Hmm? Sasha is beckoning me. As I approach, she grabs my clothes and pulls me close. Our faces are really close.

“That kid is probably a girl.”

She whispered in my ear. The surrounding drunks are making a ruckus, but it’s not the right atmosphere. It seems like we’re talking about Cecil. But Cecil said he was a guy… I don’t understand what Sasha means, and when I look at her, she’s smiling mysteriously.

“Their body is male, but I think their heart is that of a girl. That’s why I’m telling you to be careful. If you make a girl hold onto you too tightly, you’ll get hurt.”

Ah, I see. I wish she’d told me earlier.

If possible, before we left Cremlatas.