Chapter 140: The Masked Knight
“Nuh-hooo~! This is absolutely delicious~!”
“The fish broth blends perfectly with the subtle taste of shellfish. And that hint of spiciness—wow, it hits just right. I could get addicted to this,” one of them murmured, savoring each bite.
“Gyaow!”
(Another helping! Quickly, we must ask for seconds!)
Upon arriving at the bustling port town of the Kingdom of Garcia, the party had wasted no time in spotting a cozy little eatery and ordering their food. What they were now enjoying was a fiery, seafood-packed pasta dish, each bite a perfect storm of flavor.
“I’ve decided! I’m going to try every single dish this place has!”
“I’m in. Let’s order them one by one, from top to bottom,” replied the second.
“Gyaow!”
(I can still go for more!)
The trio, brimming with a mix of excitement and hunger, brought cheerful smiles to the waitstaff. Occasionally, some restaurants would ban familiars entirely—often due to the owner’s traumatic experiences with monsters—but this time, there was no such problem.
True to their word, Ryu and his companions completed the menu.
“That was incredible. Truly a feast,” Ryu declared, patting his full stomach.
“Thank you for visiting! We hope to see you again soon~” the staff replied cheerfully.
With their bellies full, they left the eatery, grinning from ear to ear. The total cost was hefty, but for the sake of Esther and Homura, it was worth every coin.
By the time they finished eating, the sky had turned a deep, burning crimson. Hastily, they retraced their steps along the streets to return to the inn they had booked in advance.
“What shall we do tomorrow?”
“I want to try fishing,” Ryu said, eyes gleaming with excitement.
“In that case, we’ll head to the harbor early and catch a ride on one of the fishing boats,” the other suggested.
“I’ll catch the king of the nearshore waters and bring it back to that restaurant!” Ryu exclaimed.
“That might be pushing it a bit…,” the companion said with a wry smile.
“Then I suppose Ryu will be appointed head chef for the day,” another chimed in.
“BBQ style, I can grill plenty for us!”
“Gyaow!”
(This way, we can truly savor the natural flavor of the ingredients!)
As they walked, finalizing their plans for the next day, a voice called out from behind them.
“Excuse me… can I have a moment?”
“Huh?”
Turning around, they saw two women who, at first glance, looked like ordinary townsfolk. But a closer look revealed long swords strapped to their hips.
“We’re looking for a good place to eat around here,” one of them said.
“Ah, just a two- or three-minute walk down this street. There’s a good place on the right with a blue curtain at the entrance,” Ryu replied.
“Thanks, that helps a lot,” said the woman, smiling.
“No need to thank me. Take care,” he said, beginning to turn away.
“Are you from around here?” one of the women asked.
“Haa… what’s it to you?”
“Oh, we were just curious,” came the relaxed reply.
“We have no obligation to tell masked knights like you,” Ryu said bluntly. The two women’s expressions sharpened instantly, and one of them gripped her sword.
“…How do you know?”
“Travelers like us get approached by knights all the time. A tiny elf and a baby dragon in tow? That’s not just unusual—it’s a walking red flag. What you just said was a standard line for masked knights. I’ve heard it enough times to get it stuck in my ears,” Ryu explained.
“I see… maybe we should have a few other lines prepared besides restaurant recommendations,” the companion muttered.
“Don’t ask me… I’m not your guide here…”
The masked knights were frustratingly inscrutable.
(Considering the branch chief’s information, they’re probably investigating the demon race. Maybe there have been sightings in this area?) Ryu thought.
“So, then, what are you investigating?” he asked. “You must be some dispatched team from outside the city, right?”
“A notorious criminal has escaped from prison… and we’re on the case,” one of the women replied.
“Wow… scary. We’ll be careful,” Ryu said, feigning worry.
(What a lie…)
“Be careful! And if you hear anything, report it to the town garrison,” one of the masked knights added, giving a brief salute before heading off in the opposite direction.
“Why does it feel like we made friends just now…?” one companion murmured.
“Quite the opposite. We’re probably on their blacklist,” Ryu said with a smirk.
“Then maybe it would’ve been better to say nothing?”
“Doing that would’ve made us even more suspicious. It’s better to act like slightly eccentric travelers. The reactions we get from them… are priceless,” Ryu replied.
“Priceless?”
“Watching them squirm just a little,” he said, grinning.
“You’re terrible… By the way, is this ‘notorious criminal’ investigation even real?”
“No, it’s about the demon race.”
“I thought so…”
Eventually, they reached their inn and entered their two-person room.
“So… it’s a double bed after all!!! You fool!!!”
“Sorry, sorry. I asked, but they said no twin rooms were available,” Ryu explained.
“Well… it can’t be helped, I suppose.”
“…That was a lie,” Ryu admitted.
“NUAAHHHH!!! You absolute idiot!!!” Esther shouted, smacking him repeatedly.
“Ah~ right there, a little to the right,” he directed.
“Don’t use me as a massage!!!” She cried.
After their post-dinner comedic bickering, they bathed and sipped cold fruit water on the bed.
Ryu busied himself maintaining Kurikara, Esther carefully sorted materials for the Thunder Emperor, and Homura had already fallen into a deep sleep.
“Still… the kingdom is taking the demon investigation very seriously,” Ryu remarked.
“Indeed. Even sending masked knights to a small port town is no small effort,” his companion added.
“Do you remember the female knight who spoke to us earlier?”
“Yes, I remember her clearly.”
“She’s probably stronger than the Thunder Emperor. In empire terms, maybe akin to a powerful magician.”
Esther froze mid-motion. (S-she was casually talking to a monster like that…)
“Probably, since she’s busy with demon investigations, they hired an S-rank adventurer like her to guard the underground factory instead,” Ryu said.
“So if it weren’t for the demon investigation, the one you fought underground wouldn’t have been the Thunder Emperor, but that knight…?”
“Well… that’s essentially it.”
Meanwhile, the masked knights were seated at the corner of a tavern known to be under the knights’ influence.
“Captain, what do you think of that person we just saw?”
“Definitely on the blacklist. Traveling with a rare elf and a dragonling capable of becoming S-rank? That’s not normal.”
“Agreed… but should we have followed them?”
“Well… I wanted to track their lodging, but following them felt… wrong. Just a gut feeling,” replied Lily, the captain.
“Ah, the knight’s instinct, huh?”
“Exactly. Just intuition. Don’t worry.”
Her subordinates smiled. Lily laughed lightly. She was the captain of the Kingdom of Garcia’s First Special Knights Unit, a figure even the kingdom’s highest-ranking knights reportedly feared.
Her presence here meant…
“To think that such an eccentric traveler is at the forefront of demon investigations in this town… coincidence, or…?”
“Captain Lily, do you think he’s a demon?”
“No, but he’s no ordinary human either. If I trust my instincts, he’s likely… on our side,” she said.
“Someone on your side… capable of taking on an entire army alone…”
“Awkward to say it myself, haha~”
“Not funny…” her subordinates groaned.
“Well, for now, we’ll leave him be. Next time we see him, we can approach him!” Lily said confidently.
“Y-yes… scary…”
“Relax. Don’t worry. After all—
—I’m right here by your side.”
Her subordinates’ eyes sparkled as they lunged at her.
“Captain Lily!!!”
“C-calm down! I have a very important, very precious boyfriend…”
“A boyfriend…?”
“I don’t have one… sniff”
“Captain, I have one,” one replied.
“Gah! Struck down by a subordinate!”
“And we’ve been together three years.”
“Whaaaaat!”
…The First Special Unit’s demon investigations continued.
Back with Ryu:
“It’s ready, Ryu!!! This is the Night Potion DX, made from the ingredients we stole from the Thunder Emperor!!!”
“Looks like a storm is raging inside the bottle…”
“No worries! If it’s a dragon’s stomach, even this tastes like fruit water!”
“…I see…”
“Now, don’t hold back! Drink it!”
“I-I will, so relax… stop shoving it into my face!”
That day—the Kingdom witnessed a black lightning strike somewhere within its borders.