We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
The Cage of Schemes
After offering a prayer at the Great Shrine, Sefina returned to her stroll through the city.
As she left the building. No, even before that. Sefina saw many of the people she passed bowing their heads towards her.
She wondered why they bowed so deeply. As Sefina left the grounds of the Great Shrine, she reflected on herself.
Is it because they think I’m related to Elnea-kun?
No, that’s not it.
It’s true that the Dragon King’s Capital is a city under his control, but not all of the residents know Elnea’s face. Moreover, they shouldn’t have any way of knowing who she is, having just visited for the first time.
Then, why is she being shown so much respect?
She checked her attire, wondering if she was wearing something strange, and realized, “Ah, I see.”
Sefina is the third princess of the Armēdo Kingdom, ruled by the Human Race. While she usually operates disguised as an adventurer, she is a royal by birth.
Therefore, her attire naturally becomes of good quality.
Looking at the people passing by, Sefina understood.
Everyone who bowed to her was poorly dressed.
This is undoubtedly the Demon Race’s country.
It is a world ruled by demons, where other races are enslaved.
Humans are treated as slaves, and in some places, they are considered less than disposable.
In such a domain, Sefina walks through the city with confidence, clad in high-quality clothes.
As a result, humans, who lack the ability to distinguish races, likely perceive Sefina as a demon of the ruling class.
Sefina observed the people passing through the city anew.
A man in tattered clothes walked by, holding a pot as if it were precious. Children played with only the bare minimum of clothing. A woman with visibly patched clothing hurried down an alley, carrying food.
People whose poverty was evident at a glance.
In this city where refugees displaced from their homes have gathered, supplies cannot possibly be abundant.
Those working as slaves still showed expressions of happiness at being able to live in a safe city.
However, on the other hand.
Among the crowds dressed in poor clothing, other figures were intermittently visible.
Those dressed in attire of the same quality as Sefina, or even better.
Demons, who looked less human and more like ogres, or those with multiple arms, tails, or wings, walked calmly in the middle of the road.
These were the ruling demons.
The people in rags, like the ones shown to Sefina, yielded the path to demons dressed in fine clothes and bowed their heads.
She herself is sometimes respected by others as a princess. However, she has never forced reverence, nor does she wish to be prostrated before her without reason.
On the contrary, being bowed to makes her aware of the accompanying responsibility, which she finds unpleasant.
But demons are different.
It is natural for the humans passing by to bow their heads. In fact, they would likely react mercilessly to slaves who did not show proper deference.
And the slaves, even if the person in front of them was not their master, would naturally show deference to anyone who appeared to be a demon.
This might be a common sight in the demon world.
No, it is likely that in other lands, slaves are treated even worse than here.
However, Sefina felt that it shouldn’t be this way.
She felt only a sense of dissonance in a world where everyone is free from birth, and their fate is decided from the moment they are born, a life as a slave.
Perhaps this is due to being raised in the Armēdo Kingdom, a human cultural sphere with a weak sense of social hierarchy.
Elnea, whom Sefina secretly admires, is not a simple young man who is solely kind.
He was hailed as a hero who saved his homeland, and he is revered by people of other races living in neighboring lands and surrounding areas as a great figure who saved his race. Yet, he does not possess the arrogance of wanting to save the entire world.
There is no doubt that he has a conviction to do his best for others, but he correctly understands the impact his actions have on the world.
Rumor has it that Elnea was once recommended to become the Demon Lord. However, he did not become the Demon Lord.
If he were to become the Demon Lord and rule over the demons, Elnea, with his sense of justice, would confront the slave system head-on.
However, this would lead to an all-out war with other Demon Lords and demons.
He knew well how much blood of the slaves, who had been given dreams, would flow.
Furthermore, despite being the Dragon King and the leader of the Dragon Peak Alliance, he tacitly approves of the Wyvern hunts that take place every few years in the Wyvern Hunting Ground.
He understands the positions of both humans and dragons and avoids interference.
If he sided with humans, wyverns would be harmed. Conversely, if he sided with dragons, it could destroy the lives of those living in Armēdo and Yorttenitos.
This is likely why. He takes the stance that wyverns entering the Wyvern Hunting Ground must resist with their own strength, and humans must offer their lives as the price for bringing the strong to their knees.
Elnea, the ruler of this city, does not possess the arrogance or hypocrisy of wanting to save everything he sees.
However, when it comes to his kin or things he wishes to save, he might become thoroughly involved.
Elnea, who tolerates this distorted landscape.
Elnea, in his own way, finds a compromise with the customs and culture of the demons and tries not to interfere.
If so, is her sense of dissonance mistaken?
Perhaps it is a superficial thought, and she has not yet seen the truth of the world.
Sefina continued her stroll, looking at the foreign scenery, thinking that she was still immature.
Time passed in the blink of an eye, and before she knew it, it was past noon.
“Should I head back for a bit?”
Thanks to Elnea’s consideration and Meduria’s kindness, she had been given a place to stay.
An inn run by one of the demons, known as the Ten Clans, who represent this city, had been arranged for her.
Given Elnea and the others, they had departed for the Armēdo Kingdom’s capital, but there was little chance of them returning in a day or two. Meduria, who had taken care to arrange a place to stay, knew Elnea well.
Sefina walked lightly through the city and returned to the inn, which had been the starting point of her stroll.
It is said that very few travelers come to the Dragon King’s Capital.
It is, in essence, a place where refugees have washed ashore, and there is strict screening for entry and exit.
However, visitors are not nonexistent.
From the country ruled by the Giant Demon Lord. Or, from nearby cities and villages, various guests do visit.
The mansion where Sefina was staying was an inn that housed such guests.
She passed through the stately gate and proceeded through the well-maintained front garden. Upon entering the entrance hall, which was opened with deference by a servant dressed in proper attire, unlike the slaves she saw in the city, it was an antechamber where guests could relax.
Sefina entered without hesitation and sat down in a seat by the window where the sunlight streamed in. Soon, a servant exclusively for Sefina stood by her side, and she requested drinks and a light lunch.
A world woven by demons and slaves.
In this world, Sefina, who is neither a demon nor a slave, is an anomaly.
However, there is no need to force herself to conform to cultures she does not agree with. Therefore, Sefina, who is human but maintains a dignified demeanor, ignores the strange looks directed at her by the surrounding demons.
The servants, without harboring any dissatisfaction or facile admiration for Sefina, carried out their assigned duties.
When her drink first arrived, she sipped it and moistened her lips when a man unexpectedly approached her next seat.
“Hey, aren’t you living quite elegantly in the daytime, miss?”
“Do you think so? I’m just having lunch.”
He was a frivolous man. Sefina smiled and replied to the company she most disliked.
The short-haired man wore flashy necklaces and bracelets. His clothes also appeared to be of good quality, without a single wrinkle or stain. Although his eyes were slightly upturned, his grinning face was handsome, and he might have captivated an ordinary woman.
However, Sefina was not fooled. Men like this prey on women. They approach their targets without hesitation and skillfully try to lead them astray.
Besides, Sefina observed the man with a smile. Judging by his attire and the fact that he frequented this inn, he was undoubtedly a demon. Therefore, his race must have been discerned. In such a situation, taking a careless attitude could lead to unnecessary trouble.
“You’re a freed slave, aren’t you? Wow, for a human, you seem quite well-off. If you’d like, why don’t you teach me a thing or two about business?”
“Get lost!” she thought, while outwardly denying it with a smile, “That’s not it.”
“Then what are you? Is your master kind? I agree, the slave system is questionable. That’s why I try to treat humans kindly.”
The man, unasked, began to babble. Sefina sighed deeply inwardly. She had encountered a troublesome man. She wanted to leave this place quickly and continue her stroll.
The frivolous man had a tongue like a double or triple-headed snake. He continued to talk endlessly about lighthearted matters and jokes. Eventually, he even began to eat her lunch, which had been brought for Sefina. Furthermore, he ordered Sefina’s attendant around with a nod of his head and ordered more drinks and food for himself.
What does he mean by “treating humans kindly”? It was clear from his few gestures and words that he looked down on slaves, seeing them as tools or less. He was, indeed, a heartless and evil demon, just as his appearance suggested.
“Hey, you. What’s your name? I’m Ryzen. Nice to meet you!”
“Don’t demons tend to not want to tell their names to inferiors?”
“Ah, that. I want to get along with you. That’s why I’m telling you my real name. After all, we can become more intimate if we call each other by our names, right?”
“Haa…”
Why did she have to become intimate with such a man? Sefina thought bitterly that the only person she wanted to be intimate with was Elnea-kun. However, she didn’t show the slightest hint of it on her face. She wanted to get through this somehow while still smiling. Why couldn’t he understand that she wasn’t interested and just leave?
However, Sefina’s wish was not answered. Even though she had just prayed at the Great Shrine. Was the Goddess going to inflict some foolish trial upon her here?
Sefina did not want to touch the food that the man named Ryzen had started eating. So, she listened to Ryzen’s talk while holding a drink, but her cup ran dry.
“Ah, is the same thing okay? Hey, bring it over.”
“Y-Yes. Understood.”
He snapped his fingers impatiently to call the attendant standing behind them and, unwantedly, ordered more drinks.
Listen, shall we drink somewhere else? You’ve booked a room here, right, since you’re relaxing at this inn? I want to see your room.”
Who would invite him into their room?! Sefina suppressed the urge to grab him by the collar and throw him far away. Her hand, hidden from Ryzen’s view, clenched into a fist, trembling with anger.
“I’m sorry. I have plans to go out to the city later.”
“What, seriously?! Then it’s okay for me to come along, right? Where are you going?”
“Well, let me see…”
As Sefina was at a complete loss, additional drinks arrived.
“Ah, hand it over… Here, have some.”
Ryzen, beckoning the attendant with just his eyes, took the drink from the tray. As expected, he treated the slave as if he were less than human. However, as he handed the drink to Sefina, Ryzen wore a disarmingly frivolous smile.
“Come on, take it. Let’s drink it down. Hey, bring me another one.”
“Y-Yes!”
Thinking who would gulp it down, Sefina took the drink from Ryzen.
Now, as she pondered how to defeat this man, Sefina brought the cup to her lips.
“Nngh!?”
Immediately. Clatter, Sefina dropped the cup. The red liquid spilled from the cup, spreading stains on the carpet.
“You… what on earth… did you make me drink…?”
Sefina looked at Ryzen, her hand trembling as she brought it to her lips. She then slid from her chair and collapsed on the floor.
Ryzen, looking up, wore a wicked, demon-like smirk. Sefina, collapsed with her cheek on the wet carpet, glared at Ryzen with wide-open eyes.
“It’s your fault, you know? You wouldn’t even tell me your name. Well, the details don’t matter. From now on, I’ll make you scream ‘Hii Hii’ and taste the bliss of ascending to heaven.”
His lewd grin was utterly disgusting. Sefina continued to glare at Ryzen intensely.
