189 #22. Well, this is merely the beginning (4) >

#4 Their circumstance: A certain hero’s circumstance

I was sure of it now. This world? It’s gone bonkers mad.

“You’re number 128.”

I somehow managed to stay sane even in this bonkers mad world. While pretending to be unaffected by what was happening, I continued to hand out numbered tickets.

“Ah, ahhh.. I’m 128..?” A resident of this mad world made a disappointed face after receiving the ticket. “Can’t I get an earlier spot, sir?”

The resident of the mad world looked at me with a truly desperate, pleading expression, but I replied with a stern, no-nonsense voice. “No, you can’t.”

“Ah, aaah..”

Looking at that despairing face as if the whole world had collapsed, I thought that I might end up making the exact same face, too.

“Crazy. Insane. Every single one of them.”

“Ng, I have to agree with you.” Ria passing by me nodded at my quiet little muttering, her face devoid of any expression.

“Did the world go insane? Or is it us that lost our minds?” I spat that out in a distant, hollow voice.

Ria replied to me in a sharp yell filled to the brim with certainty. “How can you ask me something that obvious! Of course it’s the world that’s gone bloody insane!”

“But there are simply too many nutcases here for that. When everyone’s gone insane, the insanity becomes the norm, and the not-insane people end up becoming the outliers, you know.”

“W-well, I don’t have any clever comebacks if you put it like that, but.. Even so..” Ria raised her head and dazedly stared at the skies above for a little while. Soon, though, she seemed to have made up her mind as she looked back at me. “If this kind of thing is now considered normal in this world, then I’ll gladly live on like a nutcase.”

I have to say, the way she resolved herself so heroically was very cool.

“Get back to work!”

“Yessir!”

Too bad, her cool appearance vanished in an instant with just one yell from the metal bat passing by us.

“Hey, you..”

“What choice do I have? I don’t want to get hit, you know.”

My heart began racing just then.. In fact, I thought you were really cool. No, make that very, exceedingly cool!

“Well, I get where you’re coming from.”

Still, I had to admit that Ria had a point there, considering who we were dealing with here.

“Can I make our escape, though?”

While rubbing the horn attached to my head, I began thinking about my chances of escaping from here.

It seemed impossible, though.

“The demon continent.. And the one I need to escape from is the demon king..”

Now that was something completely unexpected.

The Demon God’s Blessing that not even the powerful demon races could endure and lose their lives.. was granted to a mere human being! Not only that, said human being could now bestow a version of the Demon God’s Blessing, too!

“That can’t be right, though. That’s probably just the metal bat inflicting pain, isn’t it?”

In the human continent, the Demon God was viewed as the evilest deity in existence. The only one worse than her was the Evil God. However, according to all the demon race folks we met until now, the Demon God was worshipped as the greatest, most loving deity in existence.

***

Kuwaaaahk!

“So, there’s the change.”

I paid the utmost attention to the scream.

It took nine minutes for the screaming voice to change! If the next dude endures for a minimum of five minutes, then I should be able to escape from this city, no problem!

Okay, now. Take it easy. Do it like nothing’s out of the ordinary.

I began leisurely stepping away from the area where the numbered tickets were issued. I was taught that only a rank amateur would start running in a situation like this.

The most important thing for me right now was looking relaxed.

By acting ‘leisurely’ as if nothing was wrong, I’d be able to fool the eyes of the surroundings.

“Oh, the subordinate of the great and noble demon king, can I help you with something?”

“Oh, not really.. I was thinking of going to the carriage to get something I need since I was already on my way to a bathroom.”

There was no need to panic just because a mere priest decided to speak to me. After all, I was a subordinate of the ruler of this demon continent, the demon king personally selected by one and only Demon God!

“Understood, sir.”

I replied while looking down on him slightly. The priest bowed lightly before backing away.

The highest position in the Demon God’s temple was ‘archbishop’. However, my instructor was the Demon God’s proxy, which gave him the necessary authority to appoint cardinals on an equal footing as the archbishop.

In other words, Ria and I were destined to be cardinals in the eyes of these people! Oops, I mean, these demon race folks!

As such, this level of haughtiness was perfectly acceptable.

And so, I slowly made my way to where the carriage was, looking utterly relaxed and unconcerned. Once I reached a spot well out of view, though, I quickly hid myself.

“Hah-ah.. Great. I’m halfway there now.”

As long as I escape from the temple, then I’d have done my job. In the contest of movement speed, my instructor would never be able to catch up to me. And as long as I successfully cross the border, it’d be game over.

My instructor escaped to the demon continent in order to evade the Imperial Princess’s dogged pursuit. So, he wouldn’t try to cross over to the human continent trying to capture me.

No, hang on. He’s now the demon king, so he can’t leave the demon continent even if he wanted to!

And so, I took a deep breath and was about to use the stealth technique I learned from the evil organisation, but then..

“Where are you going, sir?”

Belegrea showed up out of nowhere, unsheathed her sword, and pointed the blade at me.

“I’m sorry?”

“I asked you where you are going, sir.”

Dark-red aura began oozing out of her blade. Although there was no killing intent, I could still sense her strong will to cut me down if I make any sudden moves now.

“I need to briefly pop out and..”

“So, you were running away.”

I didn’t even have enough time to make excuses. That’s because Belegrea swung her hands, causing the crimson magical powers to soar through the heavens!

“What is the meaning of this, Miss Belegrea?”

“I made a promise to Marcus.”