Chapter 53 – Demon Race
“Could we have some of these fireworks too?!” A handsome nocturnal night clansman with olive skin suddenly said. He was also someone who tried to pander Sue as a big brother and failed. (TL: Lolicon alert.)
This sentence’s effects were considerably big. Everyone, including his own nocturnal clansmen were on the alert, and everyone turned their heads with a ‘swoosh’ to look at the attractive culprit.
[This bastard wants to hurt us?!] The other races thought to themselves silently.
[This moron wants to stick his hand in a beehive?!] The nocturnal clansmen thought.
It was the first time that the attractive culprit felt so many fiery gazes on himself, and he immediately felt a little uncomfortable. As he felt that his words might have brought upon a misunderstanding, he quickly explained: “Everyone, don’t be mistaken. I only wanted the red and black fireworks…… Has everyone forgotten? The demon race is also coming soon…… ” (TL: Just want to remind that green = Help me out a little, red = Danger!, Black = OMFG! We’re doomed! Save yourself, Sue!)
His words immediately highlight a certain important point. If he did not bring that up, everyone had really forgotten that that race was actually in the forest as well.
The merfolks were also shocked: “The demon race are also here?! Why didn’t we see them?”
[Did they not see the fireworks?] The merfolks thought to themselves.
Someone snorted with cold laughter: “Why would these bastards with strange personalities be the same like us?! Even if they saw the fireworks they wouldn’t appear, more likely they are going to hide in some dark corner to observe the situation, then quietly appear somewhere…… And scare the shit out of everyone!”
“…….” Everyone was wiping cold sweat away.
The demon race was recognized to be the hardest race to get along with. This did not mean they were some horrific maleficent creatures without morals, but the most important aspect was their personality was a little hard to bear with.
For example, the beastmen and demon race believed in strength, and they loved to pick fights with others. However, there was a distinction between beating someone to they were nearly dead and injuring someone lightly and spitting saliva on them with a condescending look.
The former indeed had severe injuries, but they belonged to clean rules, and there was a good intention to be friendly and improve at the same time. The latter had light injuries, but there was the mental aspect of taunting their enemies without discretion.
In this world, there were many people who cared more about dignity to the point that they would throw away logic. Who would care about some injuries over appearances?!
The attractive culprit wanted fireworks precisely because of this reason. He felt that it was safer with that on his body, and he could at least seek for help if he met the demon race…… But what would exactly happen after that?!
He had not thought about it for now.
Every race had their different circumstances and while their viewpoints were different and varied, it was not to the point where they had to go to war. At most they saw each other as eyesores, appearing to be friendly on the surface while sticking out their legs to make sure they stumble when they walk, or have some personal skirmishes on the side……
It was akin to one really hating a neighbor, but he would not carry a knife to massacre their whole family. It was just that on some very dark night, he might take a slingshot and break his glass windows……
Right when everyone was chatting away with vigor, that race whom everyone wanted to break their glass windows was already at the safety zone, and they were negotiating with Sue.
“Did you say you want to rent my help for a month?!” Sue looked at the man wearing a black hood in front of her.
[What the heck…… This weather, this suffocating forest, this god damned sun. And you’re wearing a hood….. Are you sick in the head?! ] Sue did not know if this was the way how people acted in this world, where they would rather be good looking at the cost of roasting themselves into cooked food?!
[Stop with the ‘I want to protect my identity’ for shit and giggles, if you really wanted to protect it just wear a simple mask. Is there really a need to dress up like this? If you’re really scared, just wear a single mask and loincloth! All of you look the same anyways, most importantly…… It’s cooling enough……]
Sue started thinking of crazy thoughts. If someone tried that on earth by wearing a black hood and dressed in all black in the middle of the streets, someone might call the mental hospital.
“Yes.” The guy wearing a black hood nodded slightly. He did not appear to be affected in the slightest even under the beasts’ gazes, but it was possible that he was just pretending. Sue was unable to see the man’s face, not even a single strand of hair, so she was unable to guess what the man was feeling…..
“I hope that you would provide us with food and a place to stay in. Also, we wish to seek your help to investigate…….”
“Why should I help?!” Sue was a little curious for the answer, and it was not because she was unwilling to help.
“The secret here must be very worthwhile to invoke such a Mana Cataclysm, to the point that it affected the entire continent.” The man was surprisingly forthcoming. “In fact the other races should be clear on this as well. If there is some godly artifact buried here……… The dark gods above! Can you get this cat off my head?!”
The man with the black hood finally snapped a little.
[This bloody white cat!]
From the start he showed signs of curiosity to his outfit. He tolerated the cat climbing everywhere and even into his robes, but he finally got annoyed when the cat went up to his head and slept there under the sun.
But it was clear to what he was saying. Even though everyone said they were investigating, they were actually here to get the treasure here. There was simply no need to be so eager to investigate. In other words, the various races were currently under fair competition. It was a race to see who was able to break the secret and get the treasure.
The demon race was trying to cheat by having Sue as the key person to provide them with help.
It was that simple.
“I can’t accept your request.” Sue thought for a while before rejecting it in regret.
“Why?!” The man was shocked: “If it’s because of the payment…..”
“No! I feel that the more people there are, the easier it is to discover the initial truth.”
She did not care who was able to get the artifact, she only care whether the artifact would tear upon time and space and send her back to her homeworld.