The Sword Of Salvation
Ch. 4 — Strange Shop & Problems

LONDINIA is a large city that has two gates that are access to the entrance. The distance between the east gate and the west gate reaches five kilometers. The walls surrounding the city were made of concrete, square in shape like a fortress. The height of the wall is only ten meters, but the width is almost one meter—with four watchtowers in each corner.

Mariel entered the city after paying a piece of silver (10 escal) to the gatekeeper. They do not care if someone is a resident of the kingdom or not. As long as a person does not have a letter of evidence indicating that he is a resident of London, it is obligatory for him to pay 10 escal to be able to enter the city. Inspection is pretty tight.

Such a rule does not only apply in London. In all the cities of the Great Kingdom of Camelot. Pendragon is no exception. Mariel could not ask what the reason was; they would clearly suspect him if it was him. The rules were so before. If he really was a Camelot, he should have understood. Mariel was just guessing.

Lukhiel clearly entered the city illegally, inner Mariel while walking down the main street of the city. With such strict inspection and guard, he could not possibly hide his identity as a demon.

Along with her two legs chasing each other, Mariel's eyes actively moved to look to and fro. Royal soldiers were seen everywhere. Some are passing by on patrol, some are on standby at certain points. And considering again that the Great Kingdom of Camelot is very lawful, the existence of soldiers in a number that is not small is very normal.

Mariel doesn't see any disorder. No crime was seen. Small checks of course exist, especially among fellow sellers who are trying to attract buyers. But not to the point of fear. When the situation started to heat up, the soldiers on patrol would immediately approach them to mediate.

London is a peaceful city.

At the very least, it was what could be deduced from what caught the sense of sight. However, where there is light there will always be shadows. The brighter the light, the darker the shadow. Therefore, it does not rule out the possibility of this orderly, peaceful, and orderly city having a dark community that is well hidden.

Leaving aside the possibility of a large and covert dark community, the only threat ready to pounce on the peaceful lives of the citizens is the presence of the devil. Although it was common knowledge that demons would appear around the site of death at night, no one could tell the exact cotton and exactly where. The phrase “ around location” does not have a definite benchmark.

Mariel continued walking down the main street of the city; he had no definite purpose now.

Sterminatore is more active at night, so he will be heading to their base later in the afternoon. He also did not have to bother looking for the location of their headquarters. From the threshold of the gate he could see the headquarters: the third largest building in the city and painted in black mixed with white.

Therefore, Mariel just wanted to take a walk as well as make herself familiar with the city. Ah, he also needed to find lodging. Since he would stay in the city for two or three weeks, he needed to find a cheap but good quality inn. He has spent eight years sleeping on his bed. He could so spoil himself now.

At least, that was what Mariel was planning. However, that intention was delayed even before he started to carry it out.

Mariel's eyes suddenly found a small, two-story shop that was a bit strange. Located between two large shops, the oddity lies in the worn exterior as if unkempt, whereas the two stores on the right and left are quite luxurious and elegant. No wonder no customers came. Who would want to go in there when the two shops next door were so high quality?

Ironically, Mariel was the answer to that question. A high sense of intelligence makes both feet step there. Not only did the exterior not meet the standards, Mariel also did not know what the closed shop was selling. However, strangely enough, he was curious enough to the point of not being able to hold his foot from stepping there.

Mariel directly opened the store door which on the top is written the word “open”. And soon he fell silent. The interior is completely inversely proportional to the exterior. If dull and unkempt are the right words to call the interior, elegant and very well maintained deserve to be encouraged in the interior. Although not broad, but the inside of the store is very relaxing.

“Welcome to the number one teahouse in the world.”

Those words of welcome came from the mouth of a beautiful girl with long blonde hair, aged between seventeen or eighteen years old. She wore the typical black-and-white clothes of the maidservants in the royal palaces. Her hair was pulled to the left. He also wears a black bando on his head. His blue eyes looked intensely at Mariel; he could not say what the view meant.

“Please sit in the guest chair whichever you want,” continued the slender and large-assured woman. “Will I bring her menu list paper.”

The woman with the same height as Mariel lowered her head slowly then took a step back and turned around.

Mariel circulated her gaze looking for a fitting chair. However, the intention was immediately ignored when suddenly his eyes caught a super beautiful woman sitting on a chair while sipping a glass of tea. He was sure he wasn't there. Mariel was convinced there was a single customer when she opened the door. He sure wasn't mistaken. But how did that woman get there?

“Master Customer, you want to enjoy tea while standing? In that case, please see the menu.”

Mariel spontaneously looked at the maid as if she had just said something ridiculous around the world. He thinks he's kidding. However, the woman's expression did not indicate that she was joking. Lady is really serious ‒ she really thought Mariel wanted to drink while standing up.

Mariel received the menu paper and read it at a glance. “I order this,” he said while pointing to one of the types of tea, “and this and this.”

Mariel handed back the menu sheet. “Take it to the same table as the woman,” she added then step away. Mariel walked straight to the table that the woman had occupied whose wavy long hair color she wore was the same as silver.

“It doesn't matter if I sit here, does it, Miss?” mariel asked in her usual intonation and tone. “Agot quiet if sitting in another chair. What Miss object?”

“Please.”

“Thank you.”

Mariel sat down in the chair facing the woman. There are no other seats besides that chair—and of course he has no interest in choosing another chair if that chair is there.

Mariel did not start talking to the woman. Based on all the knowledge he already had, different characters required different approaches. This woman before him was clearly different from Selena. Although inexperienced in this regard, Mariel can guess that the personality of the woman before him is in contrast to King Arthur IV's nephew.

“What Miss was here?” ask Mariel after a while. “Soalya, I did not see Miss when I entered earlier. And I'm sure my view isn't bad.”

“From yesterday I was here, Young Man.”

From that short answer, Mariel's head immediately worked quickly formulating the characteristics of the older violet-eyed woman.

He's the type who doesn't talk much. Looks tend to ignore the circumstances around, but actually very observational. She was strong, but Mariel could not measure her to what extent. This woman is also quite intelligent, her eyes don't lie. If Mariel hadn't been so confident, she'd be groggy by now. This woman, despite looking indifferent, was watching him instantly.

“So, Miss thinks my view is interrupted?”

The woman took her eyes off the tea, looking intensely at Mariel. He looked at her for quite a while, before then sighing and twitching back at her tea.

“...Although I am shorter, but I am much older than you, Young Man. Go find a woman your age to seduce you. Teenagers today do not know how to behave in older people.”

The woman ended her speech while shaking her head slowly, then sipping back her tea.

“So, Miss want to be called Aunty?”

Right after the question came out of her mouth, the woman's eyes immediately glared at Mariel. And he had to admit that it was very intimidating: this woman was dangerous.

“This is your order.”

The arrival of the maid became a reason for Mariel to take her eyes off. If she had averted her eyes before the servant's arrival, the woman would have thought mentally. At the very least, in theory from what he has learned so far, breaking eye contact after the interlocutor threatens or bluffs is a sign of mental weakness.

“Thank you,” said Mariel with an elegant smile—trying to show that she was unaware of the sharp look of the woman. “But do you mind if I ask you to sit here? Or, if this Miss objected, sit down on the chair next to this table. I have some questions.”

The waiter looked at the prettiest woman he had ever seen ‒ rivaling her spirit beauty. The silver-haired woman did not respond. The woman considered the absence of response to be a permit, so she pulled a chair from a table and sat down between Mariel and the other customer.

“So, what do you want Customer to ask?” ask the waiter with a formal expression on the face.

Mariel did not answer the question directly. He first drank the tea he ordered.

“What shop owner made it?” mariel asked after swallowing a gulp when. “This is the first time I've tasted this amazing tea.”

“Not, our master is not mung—er, I mean, our master is too busy to concoct tea. The tea was made by my colleague. She's shy. So, there is nothing Mr. Customer can do to be able to meet him.”

Mariel did not miss the sharp delicacy that the silver-haired lady threw at the maid. It was the same delicacy that was aimed at him earlier. In that case, is it possible that the woman sitting opposite him is not a customer, but a store owner?

“Wah, then what a pity.” Mariel displayed an expression of disappointment. “If I could just once meet him, it's possible that our destiny path would intersect. No man who does not want to have keras—”

“He's a man,” cut the waiter.

“—sih a—eh..”.

Mariel speechless. His eyes blinked a few times. Then his face lost color. Mariel has no word to say. His eyes could only look at the servant in disbelief.

“I joke,” said the waiter again—but his expression remains formal, there is no sign that he is joking. “I personally brewed tea. All the menus here I made it.” The waiter paused for a while while plucking a piece of cake—which Mariel ordered—and ate it. “So,” he continued after chewing, “what do you want Customer Master to ask?”

“And this woman is the owner of this shop, your master?” ask Mariel spontaneity.

“True. He's Nilrem, the shop owner. So, what do you want Customer to ask?”

“….”

Mariel could not say anything. He felt he had lost there. From the very beginning, he had been in their control. Mariel had no chance of winning. He has been defeated in the interactions he is trying to build.

“Nothing,” replied Mariel after almost a minute. “Not so. Ah, I'm thinking of one question. But forget it. I don't want to know the answer.”

Mariel took a sip of the tea and took out two gold coins from the bag. “This is the fee,” he said while picking up one piece of cake and then standing up. “Thank you for the hospitality.”

Mariel immediately stepped in a hurry to the exit. The gaze of the two women followed him, and Mariel realized that. However, their views were ignored. Mariel instantly opened the door and walked out without any more words.

Mariel's worried. Both women were dangerous, especially Nilrem. Maybe he was paranoid or something, but he couldn't get rid of the assumption that popped into his head if he was deliberately lured into entering the store. He could even imagine if he looked back then the shop would no longer be there.

After being across the street, Mariel decided to look back in case he was just paranoid. But—

“Gosh...”.

—the store has completely disappeared!

Mariel immediately spurred her feet quickly. He did not run; running would only keep the guards' attention focused on him. Mariel walked quickly, straight towards the west side of the city. The teenager wanted to quickly get out of the city gate. He didn't want to know what would happen if he stayed.

Her mother once told her about a very scary female demon. Name's Liliphia. The devil likes the souls of children to teenagers. But not limited to the soul, he also played with their bodies. When she was a child, she did not understand what her mother meant, but now Mariel understood. He wanted to escape from this city.

That demon could only be seen by the victim he chose, some sort of illusionary or hypnotic ability..

The victim he chooses will be lured to a unique place. Once there, the devil will familiarize himself with his victims. The victim does not know if he is talking to the devil; the illusion of the devil deceives the victim's five senses. The victim will be beguiled until his body is limp, and by the time he realizes it is too late. Liliphia would instantly devour her soul.

Mariel was worried that one (if not both) of the two women was the Devil Liliphia. He did not feel the presence of the devil, but it proved that the illusion was quite high—even he did not feel the effect of the illusion addressed to him. Horrifically. He almost got tricked by the devil. If he is late to realize, maybe at this time he lives a body that has dried up.

Two hours later Mariel arrived at the west gate of the city.

“Can you show me that you are a native of Londoninia?” ask one of the gatekeepers when Mariel arrives at the forefront of the queue.

“It's ten escal,” he said hand over one silver coin.

The guard received the coin, and Mariel immediately ran away from Londinia.

He wanted to find out more about the Sterminatore Organization through its branch in Londinia, but he seemed to have no choice but to abandon that intention. After all, the members of Sterminatore in Londinia were not at work. How could they not realize that such a dangerous demon was living among them?

Mariel had to go to another city if she wanted to further find out more about Sterminatore.

Pendragon is the right city. Not only was the Stermina-tore branch there more competent, the Knights of the Round Table were also there. Not to mention King Arthur IV. There was no way that Demon Liliphia would dare to set foot there. Towards Pendragon is a very perfect cuckoo-san.

But—

Mariel stopped suddenly after a dozen minutes of running west.

—ia remembered Selena and Ferguso's conversation. Birmithan is an option. Lukhiel was there too.

If he went there, he might be able to see what the devil was doing. After all, if Selena and her men could figure out Lukhiel's whereabouts, it was likely that Sterminatore's higher-ups and the royal side as well. As Selena was heading there, it would not be surprising if King Arthur IV sent one or two members of the Knights of the Round Table. Same with Sterminatore. So, if he goes there, he can help Lukhiel if the devil is cornered.

With my ability to signal any attack, the master can focus on attacking.

However, if he were to openly help Lukhiel (who is not the devil) in the presence of humans, would that not mean he would be considered a traitor to humans? He can be made a fugitive. Fugitive hunters would chase him in exchange for money. More than that, every country will probably know it—and consequently he will no longer be able to legally enter a city.

Isn't that a big consequence?

Heh!

Mariel faced north and then sped at full speed towards Birmithan.

Who cares? It will be more challenging.

The one who saved him when he was almost killed by humans was Lukhiel. The killer of his mother was Lukhiel. The one who taught him a lot of knowledge was Lukhiel. What makes him strong is Lukhiel. Is there any reason why he should side with anyone other than the demon who became the master?

There aren't.

Whenever and wherever, Mariel's choice was clear.

Surrounding her body with wind armor, Mariel shot out at a higher speed. The distance between Londinia and Birmithan is quite far, about twice the distance between Londinia and Pendragon. Although Mariel was able to get there before dark, he chose to delay. Mariel wants to stop at the big village for the night. So, the focus is now on finding the village, not to Birmithan.