We reached Pranx as the sun began to set, just as I had planned. Because our cloud was quite a unique way of transport I settled us down out of sight and we walked in from the road like normal travellers. Pranx was exactly how I described, a simple town that wasn't much larger than a village. It had a town square, a few stores for general life, an inn for travellers; pretty much it was a place people passed through but didn't stay.
It was quiet as we entered the inn and booked two rooms, one for us men and another for the girls. After storing our bags away and locking the doors with magic we went down to the lower floor to get some food.
Alicia sighed as we sat down at a table, "The bed's certainly not as comfy as in the palace. Honestly I'd prefer to sleep on the cloud." She looked at me expectantly, strangely Sayuri did as well.
"Hey you two don't ask for the impossible, Dave needs to rest as well," Carl rebuked them.
"I know, I know," Alicia waved it off. Sucks for them but that's exactly what I'd be doing tonight. Incognito of course.
A waitress with a cute smile came to hand us some menus, "You're new faces, where you from?" she greeted us in proper cheer.
"Elsbeth state," I replied for everyone, "We're travelling as adventurer's to experience the world."
"Haha," she laughed wistfully, "I've always wanted to go on a journey. The furthest I've gone is the Capital.
"Anything you'd recommend on the menu?" Carl asked.
"Ah well…." The waitress became regretful, "Honestly we're not doing so well. Any meat we have is going to cost extra but don't let that stop you please!" she smiled at us hopefully.
"Price isn't a problem for us, but is there something wrong? This place looks pretty lively." Carl pointed out the truth. As the only inn in town it was full of customers even if they weren't here for a room.
"Truth is we're kind of in debt. Ah but don't tell the boss I told you that."
"Debt?" Carl raised his eyebrows. Of course he'd jump at the chance to hear someone's troubles but interestingly I spotted both Gary and Alicia flinch.
"A sickness passed through here not too long ago. The cost of medicine has left almost the entire town in a bad place."
Gary and Alicia's grip on the menu tightened but their eyes were plastered on reading it. Before Carl could ask for more information I interrupted,
"Umm I'd like the meat pie, a salad on the side, some fried potato and a glass of orange juice."
The waitress immediately smiled and took out a notepad to write our orders, "Yes please order as much as you'd like!" Carl become flustered as he quickly scanned the menu as the others ordered.
When she left I turned to Carl, "Carl I know it may be hard for you but we can't just go interfering with a town's finances. So don't get any ideas."
"I know, it's just that…."
Alicia huffed, "Dave's right. Don't go messing with other people's debts, it could come to bite you later."
"Right…." His dejection didn't last long as the food came soon after, proving to be better than I expected.
The meal was going well and the talk about the town's debts didn't resurface, that was until however the door leading outside was violently thrown open. A large squat man with a slimy smile walked in followed closely by three burly and rough looking men. A portion of the inn's occupants froze and began to look around uncomfortably, some even excused themselves and headed for the back door. For those like us who didn't come from around here, the change in atmosphere was palpable and our attention focused to the men who had just entered. Except Gary that is, he just kept eating like it was nothing.
The waitress from earlier still smiling rounded the corner to the front counter. Seeing the men she jumped and flustered, couldn't decide what to do. The squat man decided for her and honed in,
"Ah Delilah, where is Mr Karken?"
"M-Mr Karken is away at the moment on business…." It was an obvious lie as she flinched away from his approach.
"Really? That's a shame because without him here to pay his interest, I may just have to take it myself." The man smiled and reached for the waitress, "Delilah I recall that your family also owes me quite a bit as well-,"
There was a smack and his hand was flung away by a muscular man. He was wearing an apron and had a thick scar across one eye.
"Touching my employees is against inn policy, I'd like you to refrain if possible Mr Parcel."
"Ah ah, Mr Karken back from business?" Mr Parcel stepped back as his guards came forward.
"If you mean cooking then yes. Care for a meal?" His words were kind enough but the animosity that emitted from him was beyond mere words.
"Now, now Mr Karken. No need to be so scary I'm merely here to pick up what you owe me. You signed an agreement and it would be a shame if you couldn't keep up with the interest," he licked his lips.
"I paid you this week's alrea-,"
Mr Parcel shoved his hand towards Mr Karken's face. It barely reached halfway. With a shake of his fingers he pursed his lips, "Tut, tut Mr Karken don't you remember the contract? It has been three months, interest rose."
Mr Karken's brow narrowed, "You vile-," He was cut off again as one of the men behind Mr Parcel leaned closer.
"A contract is a contract. Or would you have preferred to watch your son and daughter die. It was I who lent you the money for the medicine wasn't it?"
"Tch, how much do I owe?" he grimaced.
"Nine silver on top of what you already gave me."
"That's almost double! Are you trying to bleed our home dry!?" His voice of outrage rang through the room. For purposes on context, a normal person could survive on three coppers a day. Our rooms for the night cost five copper and our food would have cost two more. There was ten copper to a silver and currently it was about fourteen silver to a gold. The demon side wasn't much different.
"Well you all did sign the same contract, it's not my fault if you can't keep up." Mr Parcel smiled.
Filled with indignation Mr Karken left and came back with the money. Slowly Mr Parcel counted it in front of him with a smug grin.
"Now Mr Karken about that meal?"
"Get out," he growled lowly in reply.
"Till next week then," still smiling Mr Parcel left with his men, flaunting the pouch of money in his hand.
Without turning around, "Delilah sorry but this week's pay…."
"No it's fine I have some money still so its fine. Your children needed more medicine didn't they?"
"Thank you," he sighed and turned around with a firm expression. "Sorry about the disturbance please enjoy your meals." And with that he went back to the kitchen.
The dining area slowly came back to life. Sayuri put up her hand,
"Dave I'd like to order more meat please."
"So would I."
"I'd like a double portion"
"More meat? Sure I'll have some as well."
"…." I sighed, "You better eat it all. Waitress we'd like to order some more!"
Aside: Carlton's misunderstanding:
Davarious First Born Light of the Autumn Wind:
Wow, we really ate it all. I don't think I'd ever eaten that much since I came to the human side. Our meal was finished and the girls went up to their rooms to relax while we men were easing off our extended stomachs with some drinks.
"Dave can I have some money?" Carlton asked me.
"Hmm sure," I handed him over a small pouch. I was planning to give them all some money just in case anything happened. It was a little amount compared to what the King had given us but much more than anyone else in the room could make in a single day.
"Thanks," he immediately stood up and approached the waitress Delilah, "Umm excuse me, I wanted to give you a tip."
"A tip?" she replied confused.
"Money for your services," Carl smiled warmly and after briefly looking inside the pouch handed her the whole thing. My eyes went wide in surprise. I didn't know Carlton was interested in those kind of services, I guess he wasn't so naïve after all and to pay that much as well. Sure she was pretty cute and had a nice body but even I the Demon Lord wouldn't go so far to pay for those kind of services.
"S-Services?" Delilah blushed hard and looked around the now mostly empty room, "Ah I've never done anything like that before."
"Hmmm?" Carl was slightly confused but continued to insist earnestly, "I thought it would help with all the debt you have. Please take it."
Delilah couldn't look him in the eye and squirmed shyly, "Well I g-guess I wouldn't mind letting you have my first. I mean you're pretty handsome and…."
Carl reddened, "Umm thanks? But there's no need to flatter me, I just want you to be happy."
"M-me!?"
Wow Carl was really selling this to her. Gary and I were both looking at the pair intently. Although Gary had a supressed expression on the verge of collapsing, was he jealous?
Delilah leaned in closer to whisper in his ear. Both Gary and I began to sharpen our hearing.
"Th-there's a free room at the end of the corridor upstairs. My shift is almost over so meet me there." She pushed the money back into Carl's hands. Oh that's a surprise, so she only wanted the money till after the deed.
Carl raised his eyebrows but nodded and Delilah moved away with a shy seductive smile, quickly disappearing into the kitchen. He stared at the money in his hands,
"I wonder why she didn't want it till later, usually you tip after a meal right?" Carl sat down.
"What do you mean tip? Is that what you call it where you're from?" I asked with a smug smile.
"Huh? What are you talking about? Don't you tip here?"
"…." Then it dawned on me that Carl had no idea what he had just done. I could only assume that a 'tip' was money given to the waitress or waiter for the meal. There was no such thing on the human side or demon side. Payment was all done through the establishment owner. "Not usually…." I pretended ignorance to his folly and now understood what Gary was suppressing, it was laughter.
"Ah maybe that's why," Carl stood up, "I'll go meet her now."
"Yeah good luck," I said with a thumbs up.
"S-sure?" he walked off and once out of sight Gary let loose with a howl of laughter.
"You not going to stop him?" I asked Gary.
"Hey, I don't see you stopping him," he replied. Well of course not, I'm the Demon Lord if I see something interesting I'd watch it happen. Especially if it had to do with the Heroes.
"Want to watch?" I asked and stood up.
"Yes!" Gary rose as well.
We went upstairs and hid ourselves nearby the room with Carl waiting inside. Neither of us believed that Carl could or would continue once he found out his mistake. In the incredibly low chance event that he did, we'd of course bow out and give him the privacy that he deserved. Like I had taught Gary back in the palace we stretched our hearing to be able to listen into the room and waited for Delilah's arrival.
She appeared. Still in her waitress' uniform she walked to the door and slowly breathed out. She pumped herself up with a soft slap to her face and even unbuttoned the top of her shirt to reveal her chest. I was almost giddy in anticipation as to how Carl would react. Carefully making sure no one else was watching she entered the room.
"Ah you're here," Carl said. "Here this is for your services. Thanks again."
"Umm before we begin can I know your name?" she asked in a shaky tone.
"It's Carlton but call me Carl, and you're Delilah right?"
"Y-yes that's my name but why did you choose me? The others are prettier right?"
"Prettier? I think you're really cute so don't feel down. Besides you're the one who served us."
"Th-thank you. I guess we should begin. It's my first time so please be gentle."
"First time?" There was the sound of shifting clothes, "W-wait! Why are you taking off your clothes?" Carl was definitely flustered now.
"Should I keep them on? But they'll get dirty and aren't we meant to be naked?"
"N-naked!? For what?"
There was silence and then, "B-but you paid for my services!"
"No! It was a tip! A tip! I was giving you money because you served our table. I was giving you all of it because you needed the money right?" Carl was almost yelling and I would bet his face was bright red.
"Th-then you were just giving me money because you wanted to help me?" Delilah said in some relief.
"Well yes. I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding. I'll leave now."
"W-wait!"
"Please keep the money it doesn't matter to me so don't feel bad."
"No, it wasn't that. Umm I… well I don't mind if we keep going anyway."
"Huh? Whoa!"
I kind of wanted to know what was happening in there now but I feared if I did I'd lose my innocence…. Demon Lord's can have innocence as well.
"I already built up my courage and you're so kind. Even if I never see you again… we… no, I, I want to have this memory with you."
"I-I-I," Carl was really stuttering now, "I'm sorry! I'm not ready for this!"
The door opened and out ran Carl. He quickly shut the door whilst repeatedly saying 'sorry'. Then with quick steps he walked down the corridor and entered our actual room. While grinning Gary and I followed him. Inside he was sitting on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands.
"So Carl, how was your meeting?" I asked
"You knew didn't you?" He looked at me with horrified expression.
"Well I thought you might have been interested in her," unable to hold his gaze I shifted the blame, "Gary knew as well."
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked but this time looked at Gary.
Gary fearlessly gave a thumbs up, "For entertainment!"
"You jerks!"
"It is a shame though, she was really earnest about it at the end," Gary sighed and I glared at him. This idiot!
"You were listening?" a foreboding aura overcame him.
"Well… yeah."
Carl stood up and stepped towards us. Ah… what the heck was going on? This aura was more demonic than my own. He wouldn't attack us would he? He gripped our shoulders and Gary flinched. Then he cried,
"Why didn't you save me? I was really freaking out!" Yeah, that's right as if Carl would ever hurt us. "And I probably really hurt her feelings as well."
"Then why didn't you just go for it?" Gary said.
"You think I could? I can't just do something like that with someone I don't know. Yes she was pretty and cute but I didn't know her! I'd have to be dating them for a while at least."
This guy… I did have to respect his personality. At least when it came to this I'd have to agree. Thus we spent the rest of the night comforting Carl.
Aside END: