"Tonight I must be more reserved! Can't scare people away again!"
In a bar in Axel, Luna took out her compact mirror for the eighth time, nervously touching up her makeup.
Subtle gazes came from all around the bar. Upon closer inspection, the number of female patrons tonight was unusually high, all casting various looks in Luna's direction.
"Hello, am I late?"
A moment later, in a moment that left everyone in the bar collectively breathless, a super handsome man walked in. With a smile as warm as spring, he took a seat across from Luna.
"N-no, I just got here too!"
Luna's breath hitched for a moment before her eyes lit up.
"Did you change classes?"
The Eiji sitting across from her was no longer dressed in the casual white shirt, black pants, and long cloak from earlier in the day. Instead, he now wore a mage's robe.
The outfit was primarily black with red accents along the edges, interspersed with intricate golden embroidery whose meaning was unclear. Every inch of it exuded an extraordinary air of nobility.
In his hand, he held a staff. She couldn't tell what kind of wood it was made from—even with her experience as a guild employee, she had never seen anything like it. The top was adorned with a strikingly powerful magic gemstone.
Rich guy!
Luna's eyes sparkled.
Earlier at the guild, she had seen him fretting over a thousand Eris and assumed he was struggling financially. Who would have thought he'd suddenly show up in such obviously expensive, eye-catching gear?
Turns out his family must be loaded—he probably just forgot his wallet in the morning.
"Not yet. I just wanted to get a feel for the life of an archmage in advance."
Eiji smiled without elaborating.
Truthfully, this was a disguise. After all, he was the Demon King, and since he had already clashed with Kyouya Mitsurugi, many people likely knew he possessed formidable strength. No one would suspect that a mage like him could be the warrior who had overpowered Kyouya Mitsurugi!
"Getting a feel for it... Well, preparing in advance is always good!"
Luna blinked in slight confusion before enthusiastically praising him.
What was the point of this?
"Miss Luna, would you mind if I asked you a few things?"
After handing the menu to Luna through the waiter, Eiji posed his question.
So gentlemanly!
"If it's something I know, I won't hold back!"
Under the terrifying assault of his good looks, Luna thumped her chest and declared loudly.
"Actually, I'm very interested in that high priestess you mentioned earlier. Could you tell me more about her?"
Eiji adopted an expression of competitive spirit, as if he couldn't accept that this high priestess had more initial skill points than him.
"You mean Aqua? Well, that person is... how should I put it?"
Luna's expression grew subtly complicated, as if recalling something.
"Her abilities as a high priestess are excellent, but... she doesn't seem all there mentally."
"Do tell!"
Eiji perked up his ears.
Axel only had one guild branch, and as the most popular female employee there, Luna was well-versed in many of the town's affairs. Naturally, she had the most comprehensive intel.
"I see. I understand now."
A few minutes later, Eiji nodded knowingly.
There seemed to be a lot to unpack here, but he'd leave it for now.
"By the way, Miss Luna, have you heard about the Demon King being replaced?"
"Oh yes, I heard! They say he easily defeated one of the kingdom's top three adventurers!"
Luna maintained her smile while secretly growing anxious inside.
Why does the conversation keep circling back to adventurers? Couldn't they ask about more personal matters?
She had prepared answers for questions like family size, monthly income, or future aspirations, yet none came up.
"Is there a bounty on him?" Eiji asked casually.
"There is! The reward seems to be over 500 million, and they say any information leading to him will be handsomely rewarded. Unfortunately, no one knows his true identity—not even his name!"
"Not even the name?"
"That's right."
"I see..."
Eiji fell into deep thought.
Back then, Kurogane Ikki's name had been revealed by the witch right from the start, so Beldia couldn't possibly be unaware... Could it be that he guessed Eiji's undercover mission in the Demon King's Castle and deliberately kept it quiet?
"Um, Mr. Nangou?"
Luna called out cautiously, noticing his pensive expression.
"Ah, my apologies. What is it?"
"Well, I wanted to ask... how old are you, Mr. Nangou?"
"Hmm, I'll be sixteen in a few months?"
"So young?!"
Eiji's lips twitched.
Would you like to personally experience whether I'm really that young?
"Ahem, my apologies. It's just a bit unexpected."
Luna cleared her throat to mask her embarrassment.
"But sixteen isn't too young! In this country, you're considered an adult at thirteen and can even get married!"
Thirteen?
Wow, that's... legally questionable!
Wait a minute.
"Married?"
Eiji asked cautiously.
"Yes! By the way, what kind of partner would be your ideal, Mr. Nangou? Especially regarding age—I don't think it needs to be too strict... Oh, not that I'm old or anything! Despite appearances, I'm actually not that old, just around three hundred months! Also, how many people are in your family? I have two younger brothers, but don't worry, they're already adults and can support themselves, so there's no financial burden! Oh, and if we—I mean, if you were to get married, how many children would you want? Personally, I'd prefer two—one would be too lonely, and more would be hard to manage. Also, also..."
...
"Huh? Weren't you going to ride off into the sunset? Why are you back?"
At the inn, Airi was idly sipping sparkling wine when she saw Eiji return unexpectedly.
"The horse wanted to mate."
Eiji waved his hand with an exhausted expression that said, "Don't even ask."
"The beauties in the Demon King's Castle are so much better!"
"?"
Airi's face filled with question marks, but since he didn't seem inclined to explain, she didn't press further.
"At least I got the intel I needed!"
Eiji perked up again.
"Witch, has Beldia arrived yet?"
"He has."
Airi nodded. "I took a walk outside the city today and sensed a strong demonic presence at that abandoned castle on the northern hill. Seems like he's stationed there."
"Then let him proceed at his own pace."
Eiji nodded in understanding.
They quietly approached the main group, waiting for the moment when their true identities would be revealed. The expressions on their faces would surely be priceless!
For some reason, the mere thought of that scene made him incredibly excited!
"By the way, Witch, do you know where any divine artifacts are located in this country?"
Eiji suddenly remembered another purpose of his journey and continued questioning Airi.