The trip to the marketplace was cut short. An emergency meeting between a neighboring allied country and its hero was called. Silica and her party hurried to go back to the capital.
I was told that the reason may be the movement of the northern army. From what they told me the Northern Army is a coalition formed by six human countries joining together.
At its inception, the Northern Army was formed to combat the forces of the Demon Lord of the Northern Sky. However, something has changed. Over the past few years, their military strength has been steadily increasing. While it could be interpreted as an ongoing effort to fend off the Demon Lord's army, their recent movements have raised some concerns.
Silica, in particular, is deeply troubled by how things are unfolding.
It could be that we won't be dealing with the demon lords solely anymore.
They left me in this huge ass of a mansion, and honestly, it felt more like a maze to me. Apparently, around seven hundred years ago, this very mansion was built by a mage to be gifted to a princess of some large empire. Everything in here, the wall, the ceiling, and even decorations were built using alchemy. But the last war against the demon lord army almost eradicated this continent into smithereens.
"I wonder what the capital looks like?" seeing how big and intricate the design of this mansion is, it wouldn't be strange if this served as the capital of this country even just one time since its establishment three hundred years ago.
To be honest, I don't think the ongoing war is not serious, probably just some skirmishes here and there. I didn't hear much about the war when we went to the market. Even the price of food was stable, and so were the weapons. While I did ask the guards earlier, they only told me to not worry, since the heroes were on the move.
That got me thinking. Evangeline mentioned that she is the demon lord reigning in the west, and then there's the demon lord of the northern sky. Considering what they were called, it's easy to assume that there were four demon lords, reigning in each corner of the world. That's a lot of demon lords to be in a single world.
"I'm starting to worry for this world." The only thing I can do is sigh at my concerns. "More than that," I took out my phone and my solar power bank and left it in my window to charge. Meanwhile, I headed outside of my room to look for something to aid my boredom.
While they told me that I was free to roam around the town, I did not feel comfortable doing that at the moment. What if I ended up as a cold dead body in some random alleyway? Reincarnated only to die on my first day, that'd be stupid.
First I need to learn how to use magic, and then I can beat up any possible thug. Maybe I can meet some lovely ladies out there. hehe
"But first, where's the exit?"
I paused, trying to recall the way we came in. If I remember correctly, we had entered from the left. I have a really bad case of spatial memory. Then again, it wasn't like I'd be trapped here forever if I took a wrong turn. The best-case scenario would be to run into some maid.
"Left it is, then," I muttered to myself, turning in that direction and beginning to walk.
The castle's corridors stretched on endlessly, each one looking almost identical to the last. High-arched ceilings loomed above, making the space feel both grand and oppressive.
"Even without windows, it's so bright in here," I mused aloud, my voice echoing faintly against the stone walls. The soft glow seemed to emanate from the walls themselves, casting a warm, even light.
"It's magic," an unfamiliar voice chimed in, startling me. I nearly jumped out of my skin—I hadn't even heard footsteps.
I quickly turned toward the source of the voice. It was a female knight, a wide smile plastered across her face. Her blonde hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, and she wore what could only be described as classic female knight's armor, something straight out of a video game. A giant black and red scythe hangs in her back menacingly.
"Calm down, hahaha," she said, raising her fists in a mock boxing pose imitating me, as if ready to spar.
Seeing her playful stance, I dropped my hands, knowing there was no way I'd win in any scenario. Still, the whole situation was mortifying.
She burst into laughter, her right hand clutching her stomach while the left wiped away tears.
"Ha... hahaha... hahaha!" Her laugh echoed through the corridor, unrelenting.
What's wrong with the people in this world?
"Sorry! Sorry!" she managed between fits of laughter, though she didn't look sorry at all.
"Pft... hahaha... hahaha..." And stop slapping my shoulder, it's hurting me physically and mentally.
If you're going to apologize, at least stop laughing first.
"Hooo... hoooo…" she exhaled deeply, trying to calm herself, though a lingering grin remained on her face. "That was fun, hahaha…"
"What's so fun about that?" I muttered, less annoyed than I sounded.
"Everything, hahaha!" she replied, mimicking my earlier startled reaction, clearly enjoying herself.
I rolled my eyes. "Well, like I said, it's magic," she said, finally regaining some composure.
"That much is obvious," I replied dryly. Who even is she?
"You mad?" she asked, her tone playful. I wasn't, of course. I wasn't so petty as to take offense at a harmless prank. Not that I'd ever admit it to her.
"Well, this castle was made through some mysterious method," she began, shifting to a more serious tone. "They say it was built using alchemy, but no one really knows for sure. Its walls absorb mana from the air and release it as light. Strange, right?"
"Strange? That actually sounds cool," I said, genuinely intrigued.
She smirked. "A process only monsters are capable of doing. If I didn't know better, I might think this castle was alive."
"That'd be creepy."
"Right," she said, nodding in agreement.
Wait, for real who's this girl?
But seriously, it would feel like living in a giant's stomach. I'd probably spend every night worrying about waking up one day as… poop.
'That Time I Got Reincarnated as Poop. I Will Conquer This Wonderful World' Now that would be a ridiculous title for a novel. Strangely enough, I kind of want to read it.
"By the way, I haven't introduced myself," she said, snapping me out of my absurd train of thought.
"Sylvia Von Asatt, a royal knight in service of the King," she said, bowing slightly. "Silica sent me to guard you for the time being."
"Silica did?" I repeated, caught off guard.
Everyone I'd encountered so far—even Evangeline—addressed her as princess or hero. But this girl… she was different.
And another thing, Sillica had mentioned it would take eight hours to reach the capital. Yet Sylvia was already here. That didn't add up.
"Well, it would absolutely be troublesome if you somehow ended up dead in some random alleyway," she said nonchalantly, her tone almost too casual.
Wait. Did she just perfectly echo my inner monologue?
"We wasted a dragon's core for the summoning, after all," she added with a smirk.
I frowned. "So then you know, I was under the impression that only a select few people were supposed to know about me," I said, carefully probing for more information.
"Well, let's leave it at that," she said, a hint of mockery in her voice. "You probing information from me, were you some kind of spy in your world?"
Before I could respond, she added, "You'd be long dead if I were an enemy."
She vanished from where she stood, only to reappear at my side in an instant. Her dagger was out, its cold edge hovering just a breath away from my neck.
Her earlier playful demeanor vanished, replaced by something far more dangerous. For just a few seconds, her eyes were sharp and unyielding, a predator sizing up its prey. Then, just as quickly, she sheathed her weapon and returned to her smug expression, a knowing grin spreading across her face.
That shift sent a chill down my spine.
For the nth time, I found myself asking: What the heck is wrong with these people? Were they all secretly diagnosed with DID or something? They'd be like two people hiding behind those playful gestures.
She took my hand, smiled, and said, "Transfer."
Before I could react, the scenery around me shifted. The endless corridors were gone, replaced by a vibrant garden.
Sylvia, ever casual, seated herself at a glass table as if nothing had happened. With a quick gesture, she signaled a nearby maid, then motioned for me to sit down.
I hesitated for a moment before taking the seat across from her.
Now it made sense. That's how she managed to get here so quickly.
"So?" she asked, leaning back in her chair.
"So?" I echoed, unsure of where this was going.
"I mean, what do you want to know?" she clarified, a playful smirk tugging at her lips.
Well, sorry, I'm not a mind reader to know what you meant right away. But then again, this was a great opportunity. Silica wouldn't be back for days, and who knows what other chance I'd have to dig for answers?
Alright, I thought. Might as well take this seriously.