After looking around, I asked the employee who was sweeping all the salted chocolates on display into boxes again.
"Excuse me, is salt chocolate the only specialty of Alden? I heard there's also a Thiels mine nearby."
“The Thiels Mine? Are you interested in magic stones, Miss?”
The clerk's eyes, blinking as he examined me, suddenly became sharp.
It was only a moment, but it was definitely so.
I told the truth because I thought the clerk might be suspicious of my identity.
“Yes. I am a wizard.”
“That, that. The Thiels Mine is closed, isn’t it, Miss?”
But the clerk's guard became even thicker, and now he was even stammering.
Why are you shaking like this?
I smiled at him to reassure him.
“Yes, I know that too.”
“Did you hear that? But, why are you asking?”
The clerk glanced somewhere, suddenly looking nervous.
What are you looking at?
I followed him and turned my head towards the large table where the cashier was working, but I was startled by the sudden shouting of an employee.
“Ah!”
“What, what is it!”
“Oh, my lady! The Thiels Mine is a truly terrible place! Yes!”
“Terrible?”
The Thiels mine is terrible. What on earth does that mean?
I became suddenly anxious and scared.
Did something happen at the Thiels Mine? That shouldn't be happening!
I straightened my face and grabbed the clerk's arm tightly, pulling him closer to me.
Then the young clerk's face turned pale, as if he were about to die.
“I’m not getting it. I just have something to ask you.”
“Sob sob... I’m not afraid of it at all...”
“Then what are you afraid of?”
“My future, my promotion... it feels like it’s slightly, no, completely fallen apart...”
The employee, who had been mumbling something incomprehensible, pointed to the arm I was holding with a tearful face.
“Miss, if you could put this aside and talk to me, I would appreciate it.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was too harsh. I know you were offended.”
I quickly apologized and took a step back to look at the tearful employee, who was quite a sight.
I wondered what I had done so wrong, but my impression was so bad.
Although I found it strange that the employee kept glancing behind me, I was impatient and grabbed him and bombarded him with questions.
"Why is the Thiels Mine so terrible? Could it have something to do with its closure? Has it been taken over by monsters? Has a dangerous incident occurred?"
"Of course. Of course. I think the Thiels mine should be completely shut down!"
But this employee only gave me vague answers.
Judging by the way he was sweating profusely like rain, it was clear that he was in pain.
Did you catch a fatal disease? Dying as soon as you become a sales king? What a sad fate.
"Are you okay?"
I felt sorry for him without realizing it, so I reached out to him, but the employee quickly avoided my hand, sucking in air.
'What...'
My poor, awkward hands.
I never meant to hit you.
I frowned and asked the employee who was blatantly avoiding me.
“What do you mean it should be closed?”
"Of course, of course. That's why the mine owner wisely closed it down. Of course, of course!"
An employee who keeps repeating nonsense like a parrot.
It was clear he was sick. We had to take him to the hospital.
So I looked at the other employees and gave them a look, telling them to move right away, but as soon as they made eye contact with me, they opened their mouths and said this.
“Thiels must be turned into powder!”
“Evil Thiels!”
“We absolutely do not need such a useless magic stone!”
“I absolutely hate being in our territory! The mine lord hates it too, ha, ha, hot!”
Awkward laughter continued.
And my face became increasingly hard.
Why is our Thiels Magic Stone, which is like my lifeline, being treated like this?
Why are these people doing this to our child?
I clenched my fist and chewed my lower lip to suppress the urge to smash the damn store to pieces, my anger seething.
“I think it would be better to go and see for yourself.”
“Yes...? Miss!”
“Please calculate it quickly.”
The staff, who heard my mutterings, hastily tried to stop me. They repeatedly told me it was too dangerous and too treacherous for someone like me to go there.
"What are you saying? Even if 100 monsters are guarding it, I must go."
"Yes."
I glared at them as they kept repeating the same thing, then paid for the items I had purchased and hurried out of the store.
The way back to the inn felt so long.
'What the hell is going on?'
They say there are mountains beyond mountains.
Should I leave the sick Carol in Alden and hurry to the Thiels Mine with Pembe?
There will be members of the Demirant Information Guild here, too, so they will protect Carol safely.
I quickly ran up the inn stairs, opened the door, and went in. Luckily, Carol was sitting at the table, having regained her composure.
Carol jumped up from her seat and greeted me with a bright smile.
“Is the Princess here?”
“Yeah. What are you doing?”
"I was helping Pembe because he wanted to see the black magic materials. Is that okay?"
“Yes? Of course. I’m grateful.”
I nodded awkwardly, closed the door, and entered the room.
On the table were two books of black magic that Carol had brought with her, and five rolled-up pieces of parchment.
Carol said she was helping Pembe read and analyze black magic materials.
Since Pembe's arms are so short, Carol would turn the pages of the book.
I was so moved by the two staff members who had been working hard even while I was away that I clasped my hands and shouted.
“Oh my goodness. I never thought these two would get along so well!”
"That's not it. You looked at me with such pity, so I showed mercy and told you to help me."
"Don't say that! I just thought it was pitiful and funny how that familiar's arms were so short and slow at turning the pages."
"This."
I could barely suppress my laughter at Carol's grumbling, but also her gentle flipping of the bookshelf so Pembe could see it more easily.
Then, my anxiety about the Thiels' mine subsided a little, and my mind calmed down.
Yeah, it'll be okay.
Soon after regaining my composure, I took out the items I had just purchased from the grocery store from the paper bag.
"Yes, let's eat this first. Carol, apply some medicine. There's also some oral medicine."
"Yes!"
"Good!"
Carol and Pembe both jumped up from their seats at the same time and glared at each other in annoyance.
Funny and cute things.
I was so impressed that I ate a huge amount, whether it was because I was hungry or because the salted chocolate was so delicious.
Of course, I left a lot behind because I swept away everything that was there.
But Pembe repeatedly convinced me to stop by Alden on the way back and buy a bunch more.
I nodded reluctantly, but I couldn't give a definite answer.
Even after buying the Thiels Magic Stone and curing my magical amnesia, I still wish I had the luxury of stopping by Alden again to buy some salt chocolate.
I had a bad feeling about this.
Empress Giselle's calm yet piercing eyes come to mind.
'No way.'
There is no such thing as a perfect crime in the world.
They'll soon realize I'm a greenhouse intruder. Hopefully not now.
Anyway, once I got my magic back, I had to hurry back and make the first move.
Besides, Alden is Rudnine's territory.
Of course! It's unlikely, but what if I come here and run into him?
I laughed out loud, finding it funny that I was hoping for such a slim chance.
I pushed away the thought of Rudnine that had popped into my head again and looked at Pembe, who was patting his stomach with a mouthful of salted chocolate.
"Pembe. So what have you discovered about human black magic so far?"
"Hmm. So far, it's not much different from what I know overall..."
“What does Pembe know?”
"Yeah. But I thought this was a hellish secret, so I didn't tell Yvonne."
Pembe glanced around as if checking the mood, then sighed deeply and ran towards me, looking up at me.
"Well, it's how it ended up like this anyway. The legion commanders must know about this situation, right? And judging by the fact that it's written in that book, it wasn't completely classified. It's just that the humans didn't want it to be widely known."
“Commander?”
I perked up my hearing at the word I heard for the first time.
Pembe nodded seriously.
"Yes. Demon Legion Commander. Seven legion commanders rule Hell."
“Seven? Huh. That’s a lot.”
"Oh my. How vast is hell! It's much larger than the human world. Anyway..."
Pembe winked at Carol.
Carol, who had become Pembe's assistant, seemed to understand Pembe's intentions with just a glance and brought out a book of black magic and turned the pages.
Pembe pointed to a section of the bookshelf.
Although I still couldn't understand the magic language due to my magical amnesia, I could clearly see the strange symbols drawn on it.
"This symbolizes the second-in-command of the demon legions, the Second Legion Commander, Toylat. None of the legion commanders who ruled Hell had any interest in the human world, but his attempt to interfere with it caused problems."
“Toylat.”
I frowned as I called out the unfamiliar name.
“Is that why black magic came into this world?”
"That's right."
Pembe nodded, then looked back at the book and explained carefully.
"Legion Commander Toylat wanted to open a portal to the human world, through which he could manifest himself. He called it the 'Entrance to Liberation,' but I'm not sure what it is."
I looked at Pembe, who was tilting his head, and thought.
What about liberation? As soon as he's liberated here, this place will turn into hell in an instant.
If you're a legion commander, why are you so interested in the human world when you're happily living in hell?
While I was cursing at him for being a toilet rat or a vomit-producing bastard, Pembe continued talking.
"It's said that opening the gateway to liberation required several steps, and that this was where the first warlock was born. A human who received dark magic directly from the devil. He was the first to allow dark magic to flow from hell into the human world."
"Oh."
"And Commander Toylat gave our familiar to the warlock as a contractual gift. So I had no choice but to come to the human world."
Pembe looked upset.
I was so curious that I poked Pembe's swollen cheek.
“Did you hate coming here?”
"Of course. We, servants, were born in the darkness of Hell and lived well. We are advanced beings with egos, magic, and various other abilities! Yet, we live as subordinates to the warlock. And we are treated like monsters."
Listening to Pembe's grumbling words, I thought that what he said was somewhat true.
The familiars and the demon.
Before I met Pembe, I also thought that there was no difference between familiars and demons.
"Excuse me, is salt chocolate the only specialty of Alden? I heard there's also a Thiels mine nearby."
“The Thiels Mine? Are you interested in magic stones, Miss?”
The clerk's eyes, blinking as he examined me, suddenly became sharp.
It was only a moment, but it was definitely so.
I told the truth because I thought the clerk might be suspicious of my identity.
“Yes. I am a wizard.”
“That, that. The Thiels Mine is closed, isn’t it, Miss?”
But the clerk's guard became even thicker, and now he was even stammering.
Why are you shaking like this?
I smiled at him to reassure him.
“Yes, I know that too.”
“Did you hear that? But, why are you asking?”
The clerk glanced somewhere, suddenly looking nervous.
What are you looking at?
I followed him and turned my head towards the large table where the cashier was working, but I was startled by the sudden shouting of an employee.
“Ah!”
“What, what is it!”
“Oh, my lady! The Thiels Mine is a truly terrible place! Yes!”
“Terrible?”
The Thiels mine is terrible. What on earth does that mean?
I became suddenly anxious and scared.
Did something happen at the Thiels Mine? That shouldn't be happening!
I straightened my face and grabbed the clerk's arm tightly, pulling him closer to me.
Then the young clerk's face turned pale, as if he were about to die.
“I’m not getting it. I just have something to ask you.”
“Sob sob... I’m not afraid of it at all...”
“Then what are you afraid of?”
“My future, my promotion... it feels like it’s slightly, no, completely fallen apart...”
The employee, who had been mumbling something incomprehensible, pointed to the arm I was holding with a tearful face.
“Miss, if you could put this aside and talk to me, I would appreciate it.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was too harsh. I know you were offended.”
I quickly apologized and took a step back to look at the tearful employee, who was quite a sight.
I wondered what I had done so wrong, but my impression was so bad.
Although I found it strange that the employee kept glancing behind me, I was impatient and grabbed him and bombarded him with questions.
"Why is the Thiels Mine so terrible? Could it have something to do with its closure? Has it been taken over by monsters? Has a dangerous incident occurred?"
"Of course. Of course. I think the Thiels mine should be completely shut down!"
But this employee only gave me vague answers.
Judging by the way he was sweating profusely like rain, it was clear that he was in pain.
Did you catch a fatal disease? Dying as soon as you become a sales king? What a sad fate.
"Are you okay?"
I felt sorry for him without realizing it, so I reached out to him, but the employee quickly avoided my hand, sucking in air.
'What...'
My poor, awkward hands.
I never meant to hit you.
I frowned and asked the employee who was blatantly avoiding me.
“What do you mean it should be closed?”
"Of course, of course. That's why the mine owner wisely closed it down. Of course, of course!"
An employee who keeps repeating nonsense like a parrot.
It was clear he was sick. We had to take him to the hospital.
So I looked at the other employees and gave them a look, telling them to move right away, but as soon as they made eye contact with me, they opened their mouths and said this.
“Thiels must be turned into powder!”
“Evil Thiels!”
“We absolutely do not need such a useless magic stone!”
“I absolutely hate being in our territory! The mine lord hates it too, ha, ha, hot!”
Awkward laughter continued.
And my face became increasingly hard.
Why is our Thiels Magic Stone, which is like my lifeline, being treated like this?
Why are these people doing this to our child?
I clenched my fist and chewed my lower lip to suppress the urge to smash the damn store to pieces, my anger seething.
“I think it would be better to go and see for yourself.”
“Yes...? Miss!”
“Please calculate it quickly.”
The staff, who heard my mutterings, hastily tried to stop me. They repeatedly told me it was too dangerous and too treacherous for someone like me to go there.
"What are you saying? Even if 100 monsters are guarding it, I must go."
“It's very loud.”
I glared at them as they kept repeating the same thing, then paid for the items I had purchased and hurried out of the store.
The way back to the inn felt so long.
'What the hell is going on?'
They say there are mountains beyond mountains.
Should I leave the sick Carol in Alden and hurry to the Thiels Mine with Pembe?
There will be members of the Demirant Information Guild here, too, so they will protect Carol safely.
I quickly ran up the inn stairs, opened the door, and went in. Luckily, Carol was sitting at the table, having regained her composure.
Carol jumped up from her seat and greeted me with a bright smile.
“Is the Princess here?”
“Yeah. What are you doing?”
"I was helping Pembe because he wanted to see the black magic materials. Is that okay?"
“Yes? Of course. I’m grateful.”
I nodded awkwardly, closed the door, and entered the room.
On the table were two books of black magic that Carol had brought with her, and five rolled-up pieces of parchment.
Carol said she was helping Pembe read and analyze black magic materials.
Since Pembe's arms are so short, Carol would turn the pages of the book.
I was so moved by the two staff members who had been working hard even while I was away that I clasped my hands and shouted.
“Oh my goodness. I never thought these two would get along so well!”
"That's not it. You looked at me with such pity, so I showed mercy and told you to help me."
"Don't say that! I just thought it was pitiful and funny how that familiar's arms were so short and slow at turning the pages."
"This."
I could barely suppress my laughter at Carol's grumbling, but also her gentle flipping of the bookshelf so Pembe could see it more easily.
Then, my anxiety about the Thiels' mine subsided a little, and my mind calmed down.
Yeah, it'll be okay.
Soon after regaining my composure, I took out the items I had just purchased from the grocery store from the paper bag.
"Yes, let's eat this first. Carol, apply some medicine. There's also some oral medicine."
"Yes!"
"Good!"
Carol and Pembe both jumped up from their seats at the same time and glared at each other in annoyance.
Funny and cute things.
I was so impressed that I ate a huge amount, whether it was because I was hungry or because the salted chocolate was so delicious.
Of course, I left a lot behind because I swept away everything that was there.
But Pembe repeatedly convinced me to stop by Alden on the way back and buy a bunch more.
I nodded reluctantly, but I couldn't give a definite answer.
Even after buying the Thiels Magic Stone and curing my magical amnesia, I still wish I had the luxury of stopping by Alden again to buy some salt chocolate.
I had a bad feeling about this.
Empress Giselle's calm yet piercing eyes come to mind.
'No way.'
There is no such thing as a perfect crime in the world.
They'll soon realize I'm a greenhouse intruder. Hopefully not now.
Anyway, once I got my magic back, I had to hurry back and make the first move.
Besides, Alden is Rudnine's territory.
Of course! It's unlikely, but what if I come here and run into him?
I laughed out loud, finding it funny that I was hoping for such a slim chance.
I pushed away the thought of Rudnine that had popped into my head again and looked at Pembe, who was patting his stomach with a mouthful of salted chocolate.
"Pembe. So what have you discovered about human black magic so far?"
"Hmm. So far, it's not much different from what I know overall..."
“What does Pembe know?”
"Yeah. But I thought this was a hellish secret, so I didn't tell Yvonne."
Pembe glanced around as if checking the mood, then sighed deeply and ran towards me, looking up at me.
"Well, it's how it ended up like this anyway. The legion commanders must know about this situation, right? And judging by the fact that it's written in that book, it wasn't completely classified. It's just that the humans didn't want it to be widely known."
“Commander?”
I perked up my hearing at the word I heard for the first time.
Pembe nodded seriously.
"Yes. Demon Legion Commander. Seven legion commanders rule Hell."
“Seven? Huh. That’s a lot.”
"Oh my. How vast is hell! It's much larger than the human world. Anyway..."
Pembe winked at Carol.
Carol, who had become Pembe's assistant, seemed to understand Pembe's intentions with just a glance and brought out a book of black magic and turned the pages.
Pembe pointed to a section of the bookshelf.
Although I still couldn't understand the magic language due to my magical amnesia, I could clearly see the strange symbols drawn on it.
"This symbolizes the second-in-command of the demon legions, the Second Legion Commander, Toylat. None of the legion commanders who ruled Hell had any interest in the human world, but his attempt to interfere with it caused problems."
“Toylat.”
I frowned as I called out the unfamiliar name.
“Is that why black magic came into this world?”
"That's right."
Pembe nodded, then looked back at the book and explained carefully.
"Legion Commander Toylat wanted to open a portal to the human world, through which he could manifest himself. He called it the 'Entrance to Liberation,' but I'm not sure what it is."
I looked at Pembe, who was tilting his head, and thought.
What about liberation? As soon as he's liberated here, this place will turn into hell in an instant.
If you're a legion commander, why are you so interested in the human world when you're happily living in hell?
While I was cursing at him for being a toilet rat or a vomit-producing bastard, Pembe continued talking.
"It's said that opening the gateway to liberation required several steps, and that this was where the first warlock was born. A human who received dark magic directly from the devil. He was the first to allow dark magic to flow from hell into the human world."
"Oh."
"And Commander Toylat gave our familiar to the warlock as a contractual gift. So I had no choice but to come to the human world."
Pembe looked upset.
I was so curious that I poked Pembe's swollen cheek.
“Did you hate coming here?”
"Of course. We, servants, were born in the darkness of Hell and lived well. We are advanced beings with egos, magic, and various other abilities! Yet, we live as subordinates to the warlock. And we are treated like monsters."
Listening to Pembe's grumbling words, I thought that what he said was somewhat true.
The familiars and the demon.
Before I met Pembe, I also thought that there was no difference between familiars and demons.
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