LONDINIA was a large city with two entrance gates. The distance between the eastern and western gates reached five kilometers. The walls surrounding the city were made of concrete, forming a square shape like a fortress. The walls were only ten meters high but nearly one meter thick, with four watchtowers at each corner.
Mariel entered the city after paying one silver coin (10 escal) to the gate guard. They did not care whether someone was a citizen of the kingdom or not. As long as people did not have a document proving they were a resident of Londinia, they were required to pay 10 escal to enter the city. The inspection was quite strict.
Such rules were not exclusive to Londinia. Every city in the Great Kingdom of Camelot had the same regulations, including Pendragon. Mariel could not ask why; if he did, they would surely suspect him. The rule had existed for a long time. If he was truly a citizen of Camelot, he should have known. All he could do was speculate.
Lukhiel must have entered the city illegally, Mariel thought as he walked along the main street. With such strict inspections and security, there was no way Lukhiel could have hidden his identity as a demon.
As his feet moved forward, Mariel's eyes scanned his surroundings. Royal soldiers were everywhere. Some patrolled back and forth, while others stood guard at specific points. Considering that the Great Kingdom of Camelot highly valued law and order, the presence of so many soldiers was entirely normal.
Mariel saw no disorder. Nor did he witness any visible criminal activity. Minor arguments occurred, especially among vendors competing for customers, but they never escalated into physical fights. If tensions rose, patrolling soldiers immediately stepped in to mediate.
Londinia was a peaceful city.
At least, that was what his eyes told him. However, where there was light, there would always be shadows. The brighter the light, the darker the shadow. Because of that, it was entirely possible that this orderly, peaceful, and well-structured city harbored a hidden underground community.
Setting aside the possibility of a large and secretive underground network, the only real threat to the city's peaceful life was the presence of demons. It was common knowledge that demons appeared near death sites at night, but no one could predict exactly when or where. The phrase "near the location" had no precise definition.
Mariel continued walking along the main street, with no particular destination in mind.
Sterminatore was more active at night, so he planned to head to their headquarters later in the afternoon. He also did not need to go out of his way to find the headquarters. From the city gate earlier, he had already spotted it: the third-largest building in the city, painted in a mix of black and white. Because of that, Mariel decided to take a stroll and familiarize himself with the city.
Ah, he also needed to find an inn. Since he would be staying in the city for two or three weeks, he had to find a cheap yet high-quality place. He had spent eight years sleeping on a makeshift bed. Now, he could afford to pamper himself.
At least, that was what Mariel had planned. However, that intention was delayed before he could even act on it. His eyes suddenly caught sight of a small, two-story shop that looked rather strange.
It was situated between two large stores. Its peculiarity lay in its worn-out exterior, as if it had been neglected, while the shops on either side were luxurious and elegant. Unsurprisingly, there were no customers. Who would enter such a place when the two neighboring stores were far superior?
Ironically, Mariel himself became the answer to that question. His strong curiosity compelled him to step inside. Not only did the exterior fail to meet any standard, but he also had no idea what the closed-off shop even sold. Yet, strangely enough, his curiosity was strong enough that he could not stop himself from walking toward it.
Mariel pushed open the shop's door, above which the word "Open" was displayed.
And immediately, he fell silent. The interior was the complete opposite of the exterior. If dull and unkempt were the right words to describe the outside, then elegant and well-maintained perfectly suited the inside. Though not spacious, the interior had an incredibly relaxing atmosphere.
"Welcome to the number one tea shop in the world."
The greeting came from the lips of a beautiful girl with long blonde hair, appearing to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. She wore the classic black-and-white attire of a royal maid. Her long hair was tied into a ponytail on the left side, and a black headband adorned her head. Her blue eyes gazed intensely at Mariel; he could not tell what that gaze meant.
"Please sit at any guest table you desire," the slender woman with a rather generous figure continued. "I will bring you the menu."
The woman, who was about the same height as Mariel, bowed her head, took a step back, and turned around.
Mariel scanned the room for a suitable seat. However, he immediately abandoned that thought when his eyes suddenly caught sight of an incredibly beautiful woman sitting at a table, sipping a cup of tea.
He was certain that woman had not been there before. Mariel was sure there had been no other customers when he had entered. He was absolutely certain. But how had that woman appeared there?
"Dear customer, do you wish to enjoy your tea while standing? If so, please take a look at the menu."
Mariel instinctively turned to look at the maid as if she had just said the most ridiculous thing in the entire world. He thought the maid was joking. However, the woman's expression showed no sign of humor. She was completely serious—she genuinely believed Mariel wanted to drink while standing.
Mariel accepted the menu and skimmed through it. "I'll take this," he said, pointing at one type of tea, "and this, and this."
He handed the menu back. "Bring them to the same table as that woman," he added before walking away.
Mariel strode straight toward the table where the woman with long, wavy silver hair was seated.
"It isn't a problem if I sit here, right, Miss?" Mariel asked in his usual intonation and tone. "It feels a bit lonely sitting somewhere else. Do you mind?"
"Go ahead."
"Thank you."
Mariel seated himself in the chair facing the woman. There was no other chair besides that one—and, of course, he had no interest in choosing another if that one was available.
Mariel didn't start a conversation with the woman right away. Based on all the knowledge he had gathered, different personalities required different approaches. The woman in front of him was clearly different from Selena. Even though he wasn't experienced in this matter, Mariel could guess that her personality was the opposite of King Arthur IV's niece.
"Have you been here for a while?" Mariel asked after a moment. "I didn't see you when I walked in earlier. And I'm sure my eyesight isn't bad."
"I've been here the whole time, Young Man."
From that brief response, Mariel's mind immediately started working fast to formulate the characteristics of the violet-eyed woman who was older than him.
She was the type who didn't talk much. She seemed indifferent to her surroundings, but in reality, she was highly observant. She was strong, though Mariel couldn't gauge how strong. This woman was also quite intelligent—her eyes didn't lie. If Mariel wasn't so confident, he would have felt nervous by now. This woman, despite her aloof appearance, was watching him intently.
"So, you think my eyesight is impaired?"
The woman shifted her gaze from her tea and looked at Mariel intensely. She stared at him for quite a while before letting out a sigh and returning her attention to her tea.
"…Even though I'm shorter, I'm far older than you, Young Man. Go find a woman your age to flirt with. Young people these days really don't know how to act toward their elders."
She finished her words with a slight shake of her head before taking another sip of her tea.
"So, do you want me to call you 'Aunt' instead?"
The moment that question left his lips, the woman's eyes sharpened into a piercing glare at Mariel. And he had to admit—it was intimidating. This woman was dangerous.
"Here's your order."
The arrival of the waiter gave Mariel a reason to shift his gaze. If he had looked away before the waiter arrived, the woman would have thought he had a weak mind. At least, based on the theory he had learned so far, breaking eye contact after being threatened or intimidated was a sign of mental weakness.
"Thank you," Mariel said with an elegant smile—trying to appear as if he hadn't noticed the woman's sharp gaze. "But do you mind if I ask you to sit here? Or, if this lady objects, take a seat at the table next to this one. I have a few questions."
The waiter glanced at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen—rivaling even the beauty of a spirit. The silver-haired woman gave no response. Taking her silence as permission, the waiter pulled a chair from a nearby table and sat between Mariel and the other customer.
"So, what would you like to ask, Sir?" the waiter inquired, maintaining a formal expression.
Mariel didn't answer right away. First, he took a sip of the tea he had ordered.
The moment the brownish-green liquid touched his throat, a wave of comfort enveloped him. Of all the teas Lukhiel had ever brought him, none could compare to this one. It was no surprise that it cost a whole gold coin (100 escal) per glass.
"Did the shop owner make this?" Mariel asked after his third sip. "This is the first time I've tasted such an incredible tea."
"No, our master wouldn't—uh, I mean, our master is too busy to brew tea. That tea is made by my colleague. Our master is shy. So, there's nothing you can do to meet that person."
Mariel didn't miss the sharp glare the silver-haired woman threw at the waiter. It was the same look she had given him earlier. If that was the case, then was the woman sitting across from him not a customer, but the owner of the shop?
"Ah, what a shame." Mariel put on a disappointed expression. "If I could meet her just once, perhaps our fates would intertwine. There's no man who wouldn't want to have a lo—"
"That person is a man," the waiter interrupted.
"—vely… uh…"
Mariel froze. He blinked several times. Then his face lost its color. He had no words. His eyes could only stare at the waiter in disbelief.
"I'm joking," the waiter continued—though her expression remained formal, showing no signs that she was actually joking. "I made the tea myself. I prepare all the menu items here." She paused for a moment, grabbed a piece of cake—one that Mariel had ordered—and took a bite. "So," she continued after chewing, "what did you want to ask, Sir?"
"And this woman is the owner of the shop—your master?" Mariel asked spontaneously, eyeing the shorter woman.
"Correct. She is Nilrem, the shop owner. So, what would you like to ask, Sir?"
"…."
Mariel couldn't say anything. He felt utterly defeated. From the very beginning, he had been under their control. He never had a chance to win. He had been outmatched in the very interaction he had tried to lead.
"There's nothing," Mariel answered after almost a minute. "Never mind. Ah, I just thought of a question. But forget it. I don't want to know the answer."
Mariel drank his tea until it was empty, then pulled out two gold coins from his bag. "Here's the payment," he said while grabbing a piece of cake and then standing up. "Thank you for your hospitality."
He hurried toward the exit. The two women's gazes followed him, and Mariel noticed it. However, he ignored them. He opened the door and stepped outside without another word.
Mariel was worried. The two women were dangerous, especially Nilrem. Maybe he was just being paranoid or something, but he couldn't shake off the assumption that he had been lured into that shop on purpose. He could even imagine that if he looked back, the shop would no longer be there.
After crossing the street, Mariel decided to look back—just to make sure he was only being paranoid. But—
"Oh my ghost…."
—the shop had truly disappeared!
Mariel immediately quickened his pace. He didn't run; running would only draw the attention of the guards. Mariel walked briskly, heading straight toward the western side of the city. The teenager wanted to leave the city gate as quickly as possible. He didn't want to know what would happen if he stayed here.
His mother had once told her about a terrifying female demon. Her name was Liliphia. The demon desired the souls of children and teenagers. But it wasn't just the souls; she also played with their bodies. When he was younger, Mariel didn't understand what his mother meant, but now he did. That's why he wanted to escape from the city.
The demon could only be seen by the victim she chose, a kind of illusion or hypnosis ability.
The chosen victim would be lured to a unique location. Once there, the demon would get close to the victim. The victim wouldn't realize they were speaking to a demon; the illusion would deceive their senses. The victim would be deceived until their body became weak, and when they finally realized it, it would be too late. Liliphia would devour their soul immediately.
Mariel was worried that one (if not both) of the two women might be the demon Liliphia. While he hadn't sensed the presence of the demon, that only proved the illusion was strong enough—he hadn't even felt the effects of the illusion directed at his. So terrifying. He had almost been deceived by the demon.
If he had realized it too late, perhaps he would have been nothing more than a dried-up corpse by now.