Chapter 53

Subtitle Change

In the morning in the capital city.

The sun has risen quite high.

When I returned to the store, Edgar was there.

His hair was as messy as ever.

After inviting him in, I greeted him lightly and asked,

"Do you not need to go hunting for the party?"

"It's just rat extermination, so the kids are enough. -- I heard you had a message for me, what's up?"

"I need you to do some investigating. And I need to apologize."

"What for?"

"I found out that the princess's soul is not in this world. But it hasn't ascended either."

Edgar's black eyes, hidden by his bangs, sparkled.

"…What do you mean?"

"She's not in this world. But there's a high possibility she's hiding in the Demon World or the Fantasy World. If there are records of past heroes, we can investigate."

"I see. So that's where I come in."

"Also, check if the Philosopher's Stone is in the Demon King's Castle."

"Sure thing. That's no problem for me."

Edgar accepted it with a casual tone, as if he were going on a simple errand.

I was impressed and added one more thing.

"Also, there seems to be a Light Gem in Yamata. Do you know anything about it?"

"Huh? Really? …I've never heard of it."

"Well, we'll go after we bring the princess back to life."

"…I hope so. Once we bring the princess back to the country, I'll do anything."

His tone was as casual as before, but there was a hidden determination that couldn't be concealed.

-- Indeed, for Edgar, returning to his country is a life-or-death matter...

I said casually to avoid worrying him.

"For now, that's all."

"Alright, I'll go check."

"Thanks."

Edgar disappeared as soon as he left the store.

I turned to Lillith and Tethy, who were at the counter.

"Shall we go gather herbs, the two of you?"

"Yes!""Okay!"

"Are there any monsters to worry about?"

"No. The forest is completely safe. There's not a single evil presence."

"That's good. But be careful."

"Yes, thank you, Master."

Lillith led Tethy behind the curtain to the kitchen.

The only sound was the opening of the wardrobe and the sound of them entering.

I sat at the counter by the glass case and started working.

Since there were no customers, I idly thought about the future.

To rejuvenate, first, money. Then the Philosopher's Stone.

And Edgar's princess's soul.

The Light Gem is in Edgar's homeland.

As I was thinking, Edgar suddenly returned.

He extended his long, toned arm with a piece of paper.

"Here's the information you asked for."

"Thanks."

I took it and started reading.

First, the Philosopher's Stone.

It seems a past hero found something like it in the Demon King's Castle.

"Hmm. So the Philosopher's Stone is in the kingdom?"

"No, if you read on, you'll see that the hero lost all his belongings when the Demon King's Castle collapsed."

"I see. So it's still in the Demon World. I'll try to go there, even if it's a long shot."

"But the entrance to the Demon World seems to be sealed."

"Really... That's a problem."

"Also, there doesn't seem to be a map of the entire Demon World. But there is a map of the Fantasy World."

"Is this the last one? Got it, I'll have Lillith check it later."

"Thanks."

Edgar bowed deeply and left the store.

I sighed.

One problem solved, another arises.

It seems I can't go to the Demon World.

"This is a problem... I have no idea how to get there."

Past heroes went there, but can I do it?

As I was thinking, an idea came to me, and I took out my communicator.

"Hey, Koh. Do you know how to get to the Demon World?"

"I don't know, Master."

"I see. This will be a tough one to investigate."

"Hmm? Does Master want to enter the Demon World?"

"Yes, I want to go. If it's possible."

"I don't know how to get there, but I can enter. Since we have Mithril at Tier 5, we can just connect the passage."

"Really!"

"Really."

"That's a huge help. Let's try it tomorrow."

"Sure."

While talking to Koh, the delivery man arrived, so I ended the call.

I helped him bring the soundproofing materials into the store.

The small store was filled from the kitchen to the counter, inside, and outside.

I called out to the delivery man.

"Thanks for your hard work."

"Please sign for the delivery."

"Sure."

After signing the delivery slip, the delivery men left.

After that, I busily threw the materials into the wardrobe.

When I was done, Lillith and the others returned.

"We're back, Master."

"That was quick."

"I thought it wouldn't be good to gather too much."

"You're right. It's fine for now."

"Yes, Master!"

Lillith nodded, her silver hair swaying.

I said to Tethy,

"Then, Tethy, can you watch the store for me?"

"Are you going somewhere?"

Tethy tilted her head, looking worried. Her golden hair flowed smoothly.

I smiled to reassure her.

"I'm just going to clear a dungeon nearby. I'm just extending the passage, so I can come back quickly if there's a problem."

"Okay! See you later~"

With Tethy's cute, smiling voice, Lillith and I went through the wardrobe.

Since the first chapter exceeded 5000 characters, it has been split.

The subtitle has changed as a result.

The next chapter will be updated at night or late at night.

→ 54. Magic Bag and Dungeon Discussion