"Oh, I thought we'd never get in here." Henryk sighed with relief as he sat in the ornate office belonging to the mayor of Wojtyn.
It took them over three hours to wait in line, but finally, their turn came. But of course, out of spite, the mayor decided to take a break at that very moment. When the mayor's servant, a handsome blond with distinct facial scars resembling cat whiskers, told them, both Henryk and Philip began to feel steam coming out of their ears, but they couldn't help it, so they sat down in their chairs and waited.
"May I offer you gentlemen some tea?" asked a blond man dressed in a butler's uniform, standing erect with a stony expression on his face.
Henryk and Philip declined. Philip did so out of impatience, and Henryk because he never liked drinking hot tea.
"I apologize for keeping you gentlemen waiting." As the door opened, which was different from the one Philip and Henryk had entered, a beautiful, noble woman's voice spoke.
A beautiful demonkin woman with black skin, sharp golden eyes, and a gorgeous black dress that looked as if it could absorb light entered the office.
"Madam Mayor." Philip rose from his chair and bowed respectfully, and Henryk followed suit. "Thank you for making time for us."
"You don't have to bow." Sitting down at her desk, the demonkin woman ignored their greeting, smiling slightly. "It's my job, after all. I'm just doing my part."
The merchant and his assistant nodded and then sat down in their seats.
"So, what business are you bringing me?" the woman asked.
"Lady Marlene, we're here today to ask you for permission to run a stall in the shopping district."
The mayor nodded, showing no interest, but she listened carefully to what they were selling and that they promised she wouldn't miss it.
When Philip finished speaking, Marlene clapped her hands.
"Okay, so you're selling things from another world, huh?"
"That's right, Lady Marlene." Philip replied with a determined expression.
"Tsuyoshi, please bring Mr. Philip's files." Marlene looked at her servant, and he nodded.
"Of course, Marlene-sama, I'll bring them right away."
[Holy shit.] Henry thought in his head, grinning. [It was a Japanese name. This guy has a Japanese name. Maybe there's a country in this world that resembles Japan, or this butler is from my world, but that doesn't make sense...]
He didn't get to finish his thought because the servant named Tsuyoshi returned to the office with a stack of papers.
"Mr. Philip, do you know what makes me different from Mayor Isaac, who previously ruled this city?" Lady Marlene asked, picking up a single sheet of paper from the top of the stack.
Philip didn't respond. He simply looked at the floor, feeling defeated. Henry, confused, looked at him, then at Lady Marlene.
"What distinguishes me from Isaac is that, unlike him, I feel responsible for this city and its people."
Suddenly, a furious golden yellow aura erupted from Marlene. Henryk and Philip were so affected by it that they couldn't even lift a finger. Lady Marlene's powerful aura took over the entire room. Outside her office, other merchants standing in line also felt it, and it chilled their blood.
The mayor glared at the people before her with a stern gaze that could kill. After a moment, however, she sighed in resignation, and her dominating aura vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
The boy and the merchant began to breathe loudly and rapidly. The aura terrified them so much that only when it was turned off did they realize they had stopped breathing.
"You have interesting accomplishments, Mr. Philip," said the demonkin woman with indifference, leafing through other papers that were clearly Philip's files. "That's interesting! You peed in the fountain in the noble district."
Philip hid his flushed face in his hands.
"Or this: Fraud, illegal gambling in a public place, a debt of 1,000 silver tablets at a brothel called 'Delight'"
Listening to each of these points, Henryk closed his eyes and sighed heavily in resignation.
"All these matters died down because you blackmailed Mayor Isaac, didn't they? The fact that you, as mayor, allowed yourself to be blackmailed by such a mediocrity as you, I find pathetic and regrettable, but that still doesn't change the fact that you blackmailed him, Mr. Philip."
Two guards suddenly entered the office. They took Philip by the arms and led him out. The blue-eyed merchant didn't even resist, didn't even say a word.
Now only Lady Marlene, Tsuyoshi, and Henryk Zielczyk remained in the office.
"Alright, boys, I'll talk to you now." said Lady Marlene, placing his hands on the desk.
Deep down, Henryk feared that the Demonkin Woman would soon use her aura blast on him again. He had never felt so helpless. Even in the mana nest, when he encountered the terrifying Elemental Devourer Titan, his aura wasn't as powerful as the woman who now glared at him with her piercing golden eyes. The conclusion was simple. Lady Marlene was probably the most powerful person he had ever met in this world.
It was obvious now that Henryk had to choose his words carefully, because he knew that if this woman wanted to, she could kill him in a second.