This was called Mass Teleportation.
Experiencing this first-hand was truly unbelievable. In my world, teleportation only exists in Thory, so it's like a dream come true for me.
As the flash of light subsided, the scenery changed completely. Unlike the Demon Realm, which was covered by a gray sky, a blue sky and a bustling city spread out before my eyes.
This was the very place where the main story of my novel, "End Of Demon Era," unfolded – the Imperial Capital, Helixia.
Seeing the place I had only described with words before gave me a strange feeling, almost like déjà vu.
"Where are we? I don't know this place."
"No, well, to be fair, I didn't describe every single corner of the Capital. I mean, if I did, I would have been criticized for making the chapters longer by adding useless descriptions."
Perhaps we were in a plaza somewhere in the capital. People were looking at me and the princess who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere through teleportation, with puzzled expressions. Teleportation was a super high-level spell, so it was definitely not commonly seen.
So, in the end, I arrived in the Capital Helixia, a city I had written about but had no clue about.
"Haah…. Wha, what happened? Thi, this is… The Capital?"
And next to me, Princess Sara Hart, who had teleported with me, wore a puzzled expression as well.
I was supposed to bring her an escort, but I ended up kidnapping her using teleportation magic, so it was natural that she was surprised.
"Sir Isaac has already been killed. So I went back into the Demon King's Castle to find some mass teleportation scrolls. I thought that the Imperial Capital would be the safest place for the princess."
After hearing my explanation, the princess widened her eyes. She was shocked to hear that Sir Isaac had already been killed and seemed surprised that I was able to come up with an alternative method so quickly to save her from such a situation.
Yeah, it's not like a normal 17-year-old would have that wit.
But even considering my original age, this was hard to come by!
I almost died a few more times.
Later.
"Yes, well done…. You did a really, really good job."
Sara plopped down on a nearby bench, apparently feeling relieved.
She had almost breathed her last.
It was pretty scary to think about that.
I also sat down next to her, wanting to comfort her, but I didn't know what to say.
What can you expect me to say? In my previous life, I didn't have a girlfriend or any girls who were friends with me.
What's most embarrassing is that I died with the virgin hashtag still on me.
While my mood was depressing as I thought of my previous life, something else happened nearby.
Flash-
"Whoop, Thank God I'm alive."
Well, it's Neol. I thought he died while distributing the soldiers to make a path for me and Sara to escape.
Lucky bastard.
"Who is that? It's a soldier from the barracks. Run, Kali."
Sara, who had come over, started to panic.
I grabbed her hand, trying to calm her down.
"Calm down, Sara. He's an ally. Actually, he's the one who helped us escape. If not for him, we would have died in the barracks."
"Ohhhh, I see. Sorry for earlier."
"No problem. I understand."
Neol took a deep breath and fell straight to his knees. Not in front of me, but in front of Sara.
"It's the Princess! Thank God you're alive. I'm Lieutenant Neol, commander of the 9rd Platoon, 1st Company, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Imperial Corps. I give you my sincerest greetings, Your Imperial Highness, the First Princess."
Sara, who had calmed down by now, didn't seem to know what to say.
Let me explain what the plan for escape was.
We had three teleportation scrolls: two Mass Teleportation and one Dash Teleportation.
Plan A was rather simple. Just approach the princess and use the Mass Teleport Scroll if the guards let us through the entrance.
Plan B was more complicated. If the guards didn't let us go in through the barracks, Neol would distract them while I got to the Princess and teleported. Neol would escape with a single person using the second Mass Teleport Scroll.
So, I explained the whole story first. I explained that if it weren't for Lieutenant Neol, I wouldn't have been able to complete my mission properly.
Sara nodded, still wearing a puzzled expression.
"Thank you, Lieutenant Neol."
Sara expressed her gratitude, saying that he had greatly helped her.
"As a soldier of the Imperial Family, I shall always put the safety of the Imperial Family first."
Man, he is upright. Got to look good here and there. Well, he's in the army, so maybe that's why he's so disciplined.
Neol had made a difficult decision. No matter how much a soldier should say these words, putting them into practice was a completely different matter. He risked his life throwing himself into the forces who were trying to kill the princess, as if it was natural. He had no hesitation or thoughts that he might die.
I did what I did because my life was intertwined with hers, but this guy was the real deal.
Sara nodded, as if she thought the same.
"Wouldn't our enemies be able to come after us using teleportation magic?"
That was our most pressing concern now. There definitely were wizards among our enemies, and I pretty much shouted out that we were teleporting to Helixia. They obviously knew where we were.
Neol's expression hardened at my words.
"We must move quickly."
"No, we don't have to."
Sara, however, was calm.
"There should be no wizards among the forces who could successfully teleport from the Demon Realm to Helixia. We have moved an unbelievably far distance. This was originally impossible. Obviously, there were no Warp Gates near the Demon King's Castle either, so no one would be able to pursue us."
Informing us that the Demon's Scrolls had unbelievably great performances, Sara denied the possibility of pursuers coming after us using teleportation.
"However, they can report this matter using communication magic. Well, it will take a while, so that should be enough for us to reach the Imperial Palace."
Communication magic wasn't instantaneous. There would be delays. To be exact, the distance between these two locations was so great that there would be just as great a delay until the magic spell reached the right person.
First, they heard that the princess was alive, so they gave orders to kill her. This time, they had to report that the princess had already teleported to Helixia.
"Could you explain what happened, Lieutenant Neol?"
"Yes, I shall explain."
So, we didn't have that much time to spare, but we still took the time to explain what happened to the princess as we walked down the streets of the Capital. When we reached the part about me nearly dying to the Knights of the Duke Pandu, the princess seemed sorry while looking at me.
She was sorry, and honestly, I didn't want her sympathy. I wasn't a hero; I was just a regular guy stuck in an extraordinary situation.
I looked back at the story so far, and there were just too many unnatural parts.
A Griffin suddenly activated and blocked the knights.
Second, I controlled the demons, but they didn't know that. They must be thinking, "The demons suddenly rioted, and for some reason, the captured demons acted as if they were trying to protect us."
The first one could be chalked up to coincidence, but the second situation was just too suspicious. It was just too convenient.
Neol seemed relieved to be alive, but I was watching the princess' expression closely.
She was Sara, who had lived in the Imperial Castle, a place that could be said to be the main stage for political battles. She had been through some things, but she was extraordinarily smart. As soon as she was released from a situation where she was pushed to her limits both physically and mentally, she immediately foresaw her death.
Those strange incidents.
A teleport scroll I found as if I knew exactly where it was.
There were ample reasons to be suspicious of me. I didn't know what conclusion they'd draw from this, but from my perspective, it wouldn't be a favourable one.
It was clear what conclusion the princess would reach. I didn't know what choice she'd make, but I couldn't wait for her to decide.
I slowed down and walked behind them. Fortunately, Neal was close to the princess and was prepared for any unexpected events.
That's good.
It would be better if the princess owed me, but I wouldn't be able to stay close to her without risking my true identity being discovered someday.
This was the only time I could back out.
I walked slowly and silently, then quickly slipped into an alley I passed by.
The princess would be safe, but I, on the other hand, had entered another dangerous situation.
I couldn't go to a place full of powerful and aristocratic people with my camouflage magic, which could be dispelled easily with weak dispel magic.
Why is it that I've only been able to make short-term goals since I entered this world?
And why do I always have to risk my life to achieve these short-term goals?
Passing the alleyway, I hid so that the princess and Neol couldn't find me.
They wouldn't be looking for me now. Going back to the Imperial Palace was the priority.
Sara's Point of View
Neol, who had been explaining to me what happened, suddenly stopped and turned his head back, as if searching for something. Confused by his action, I asked him a question.
"Neol, where did that boy go?"
"'Boy?' Oh, I forgot about him amidst all this chaos. It's his first time in the capital, so he could have easily gotten lost."
"Lieutenant Neal, we have to find him now. He must be lost in the market."
"But, Princess, we have to go to the palace. It's too dangerous to search for him now."
"I understand, but I can't just forget about him. He risked his life for me and saved me. How can I easily forget that? If he wanted, he could have abandoned me and run away when I gave him the chance at the barracks, but he didn't. I have to find him now."
"Princess, I know, but we can't. And you know that we don't have much time."
"I know, but if you want, you can go to the palace and tell everyone that I'm alive while I search for him."
"I can't. Fine, we will search for him, but we have to hurry."
"Thank you, Lieutenant Neal. Let's go."
As I turned and ran toward the market to search for him, thoughts raced through my mind. How could I be so thoughtless? He saved my life, and here I am forgetting about him.
Lieutenant Neol and I began questioning people in the area.
"Excuse me, have you seen a boy around my age with red eyes and black hair?"
"No, I haven't seen him."
"Alright."
Where could he have gone?
As I pondered, Lieutenant Neol continued asking questions to a group of people.
"Hey, you people, have any of you seen a kid with red eyes and black hair? If you lie to me, you'll all be in trouble."
Oh, it seems Lieutenant Neal is using threats to get answers. It's okay; I want any possible clue related to him.
"N-No, sir, I don't know."
"Me neither, sir. I just got here, so I don't have any information."
"Me neither, sir. I also just got here."
As I was getting disheartened, a fourth member of the group said something.
"Ah, I know, sir. I don't know if he's the same kid you mentioned, but if he is, then I bumped into him just a while ago."
I didn't give him a chance to finish as I grabbed his collar.
"Where is he?"
"Miss? What are you doing? Let go of my collar."
"I'm asking you a question. Where did you see him?"
"In a dark alley about a hundred meters south from here. I met him there; he was asking me about a magic shop in this area."
"Okay, your job is done here. Lieutenant Neol, let's hurry. If we go now, we can find him."
"Yes, Princess. Let's hurry."
Finally, I've found you.
MC's Point of View
As I walked into a dark alley, trying to figure out what to do, I bumped into someone.
"Ah, sorry, sir. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Watch where you're going, punk."
"Sorry, sir. Mister, may I ask you something?"
"Tsk, hurry up. I don't have time."
This guy... If not for my current situation, I would have punched him for that attitude.
"Mister, is there a magic store around here?"
"Yeah, if you exit this road, you'll see a magic store right around the corner."
"Thank you for your help."
As I thanked him, he walked away. Well, I now know what to do.
First, I need some rest.
This was the first time I could take a break after facing so many desperate situations and being pushed to a corner multiple times in this unfamiliar world. A subtle sense of relief washed over me as I realized I wasn't forced to go anywhere right now.
I was currently somewhere in the Imperial Capital.
Thinking about it, the Imperial Capital was somewhat similar to Mumbai in India. It was an incredibly large city, the largest on the entire continent. In this day and age, such a massive city wasn't common.
Sitting on a bench on a promenade, it wasn't too deserted or too crowded. The Imperial Capital was already bustling, but with the victory in the Demon World War, the Empire's prosperity would only grow.
Regardless, I had to focus on surviving. I couldn't dwell on certain things or let the guilt consume me.
As I tried to piece myself back together, I had to suppress these terrible memories and rationalize my guilt.
From this point forward, I had a few problems to tackle.
Firstly, I had no money.
Secondly, I had no place to live or food to eat. Going back to the princess for help wasn't a viable option either.
Getting a job and making money was also quite challenging. What if my camouflage magic suddenly wore off while I was washing dishes in a restaurant? They wouldn't provide me with an advance payment, and my uncertain identity would be problematic.
I was slowly realizing why some people in dire situations resorted to crime. Aside from criminal methods, I had no way to survive. Could I somehow find a public childcare facility to stay at? Did such places even exist in this world? Setting up a public childcare system seemed ludicrous even in a novel's context...
Oh, wait.
Now that I think about it, I did set up such a system in my story.
A project to manage the large number of orphans created by the casualties of the Demon World War would be implemented as a post-war measure.
I knew this because some children from those public childcare facilities were present in Temple, the main setting of my school drama. I included these details because it made sense given the war's consequences. However, implementing such a large-scale policy immediately after receiving news of the victory was highly unlikely.
I could try going to a place similar to an orphanage and ask them to take me in, but regardless of whether they accepted me or not, this was still the Imperial Capital.
Even if she didn't do so right away, there was a high likelihood that the princess would try to find me.
Whether it was to reward me or to uncover my true identity, it was very likely that the princess would try to locate me for some reason.
And she could very well deduce that I'd eventually seek refuge in some public childcare facility. She was smart, after all.
So, even if I went to an orphanage, I'd survive for a few days at most, but I'd always be anxious about the princess finding me someday. While she might not be able to find me if I went to a different city, I didn't have the funds to travel around. I didn't have much confidence in surviving in the wilderness either.
Although I was a demon, I still needed food. I was hungry right now. I should have included some convenient settings like "Demons could survive solely through mana" in my novel!
[Used the function 'Add Settings'.]
"...Huh?"
[A total of 100000 merit points are required to add the setting 'Race dharmademonemon can supplement nutrition by consuming magical power'.]
A message suddenly appeared before me.
What is this?
I hope this continuation helps! If you need further assistance, feel free to ask.