The Hero’s Demands and a Shopkeeper’s Delight

Unlike Mondstadt, Paimon Fortress was slowly recovering from the ravages of disease at this time. Even the nearby streets and markets were gradually regaining their vibrancy. Aside from strict entry and exit restrictions, everything appeared much the same as before.

****

Inside a certain church in Paimon Fortress.

“Minotaurs and Cat Demons have been intercepted by our Knight Templars at the Elven Defense Line; they are no immediate threat.” Silvio pointed to a spot on the map. “However, the living dead are still rampant in various regions, and our next step is to eradicate them.” He glanced at Kayar, who was being attended by two women, a hint of helplessness in his heart.

‘How could someone like this become the Hero? I truly don’t know how His Holiness the Pope made his choice.’

However…

He recalled the Hero’s terrifying power, a lingering fear clutching at his heart.

“Silvio.” Kayar closed his eyes, chewing on a fruit offered by a red-haired maid, and asked with a trace of dissatisfaction, “Why haven’t you revealed my identity to everyone?”

Ever since Kayar was chosen as the Hero, only certain church personnel knew of his status. Ordinary citizens were unaware, believing only in a healing sorcerer who could cure this strange ailment. This situation displeased Kayar.

He recalled how the previous Hero, once chosen by the Pope, had been immediately escorted to the Holy Temple in the Theocratic Nation. He was not only bestowed the Holy Sword by the Grand Bishop but also betrothed to an imperial princess. All honor and the world’s attention had converged upon that single Hero.

‘Why, when I am also a Hero, have I received no divine artifact ceremony, no imperial honors, and my identity remains unknown to the public? This is unfair.’

Sensing Kayar’s displeasure, Silvio bowed his head and respectfully stated, “Your Royal Highness, please do not rush. The higher-ups wish for you to resolve this current disaster first. Afterward, you will be brought to the Holy Temple in the Theocratic Nation for a new ceremony, and everyone in the world will be informed that you were the one who ended this sudden calamity. Undoubtedly, you will gain immense prestige from this opportunity.”

‘Hmph, what a perfunctory excuse. Who knows what your church is truly planning…’

Kayar stretched his overtaxed body. He subtly observed Silvio, who stood rigidly upright.

‘What a good dog of the church, always haunting my steps.’

“Your Royal Highness,” Ignoring Kayar’s peculiar gaze, Silvio bowed slightly and asked, “Shall we depart?”

Kayar also looked at the map, which marked several afflicted villages. He instinctively felt the urge to rush there, but then a sudden thought made him pause.

‘Hmph, whoever is still alive now are just rotten people anyway. A little more delay will be fine; let a few more of them die. These people have nothing to do with me.’

He calculated the time, then spoke again: “No rush, my magic still needs time to recover. I believe I first need to…” He pondered, then casually offered an excuse. “…buy some new clothes for my two maids.”

‘Heh, what a joke. Does he take me, a Knight Templar, for a fool? A slight perception of his magic fluctuations reveals his magic has long since recovered; he can even absorb others’ magic with that divine artifact, can’t he?’

Silvio scoffed at the excuse inwardly, yet as a Knight Templar, he could not defy the Hero. He suppressed his dissatisfaction, complying with the Hero’s wishes. “Yes, this subordinate understands. Will you be going out to shop now, so we can finish early and depart sooner?”

“Tsk.” Kayar remained expressionless, merely raising an eyebrow. “Fine, it’s your money anyway.”

****

“Excellent, excellent.” Mona exhaled a long breath, gazing at the gold coins in the cash box, a lasting smile gracing her face. “Alas, though I lost two magical material garments, that projection has indeed attracted many nobles to my shop. Finally, I don’t have to rack my brains all day just to establish a reputation.”

Although the recent epidemic outside had forced her to close for a period, her shop still saw many nobles and merchants after reopening.

Especially the identical styles displayed on the magical projection. Many female customers, upon entering and seeing the projection on the wall, grew envious, eager to see if they could outshine the model’s aura.

Of course, this was impossible. Though these female customers were noblewomen or ladies from prominent families, possessing considerable beauty, their allure paled in comparison to the Demon Lord, who had reshaped her body with magic. After all, to get close to the Hero, the Demon Lord had spent a full decade meticulously recreating a new physique, referencing the appearances of princesses from many nations and the previous Hero’s fiancée, all according to human aesthetics. Perhaps some princesses or saints might not lose out to the little Demon Lord in terms of beauty and temperament, but such an existence was unlikely to appear in the small Paimon Fortress.

Thus, Mona often saw female customers enviously begin to dress themselves in imitation of the person on the magical projection. One time, she was startled to see a young lady from a minor family deliberately dye her hair white, just like the model in the projection.

‘What’s going on? Do they truly believe this will enhance their charm? Please, we’re not those strange people from certain regions; not everyone here is obsessed with white hair, sister.’

Ding—

The entrance chime rang. Mona quickly put away the cash box, her face adorned with her signature smile.

“Welcome~ What can I help you find today, esteemed guests?”

Two men and two women entered the shop. The one at the front appeared young, like an underage noble lord. Behind him trailed two youthful-looking maids, their expressions humble and their demeanor demure. Bringing up the rear was a Knight Templar in armor, looking quite stern.

“Let me see your maid uniforms…” Kayar stepped into the shop, then suddenly froze, his eyes drawn to the magical projection on the wall.

‘Indeed, this magical projection is truly effective.’

“Are you interested in the dress the model is wearing, esteemed guest?” Mona approached Kayar with a warm smile, beginning her enthusiastic pitch. “You have excellent taste; many noble young ladies have been buying this dress recently. If you’re considering it, you could pick one for your beloved. This black dress is breathable, exudes aristocratic charm, and is absolutely—”

“Tsk,” Kayar frowned, growing irritated by the chattering shop owner. He displayed a look of displeasure. “Who said I was interested in that women’s garment?”

“Ah?” Mona froze, thinking, ‘Isn’t that obvious? Everyone who comes to my shop and sees that projection wants to buy the female model’s clothes.’

“The man next to that woman,” Kayar stroked his chin, his gaze fixed on the male model. “I like the clothes he’s wearing. Get me one of those.”

Mona’s face twitched. She turned to look at the magical projection on the wall. ‘Heavens, the clothes I chose for the male model were just ordinary adventurer attire! Why would a noble choose such rugged clothing? It’s not grand at all!’

“Alright, please wait a moment.” Mona lowered her head, secretly wondering if this young lord had lost his mind.

“Master, that woman is very beautiful.” Once Mona had gone to the storeroom, a young maid behind Kayar pointed at the woman on the projection and said, “White hair and purple eyes, quite similar to some high-ranking demons from the Demon Realm.”

“Hah…” Kayar gently patted her head, softening his tone. “That woman looks decent enough, but I haven’t seen her in person, so I don’t feel much. Besides, many noble young ladies nowadays enjoy dressing oddly; dyed hair is common, and some even use alchemical items to change their eye color. Don’t immediately think of demons just because of white hair and purple eyes. Didn’t the Church say the demon race is almost extinct?”

At this point, Kayar’s eyes narrowed, a mix of admiration and resentment in his voice: “Thanks to the previous Hero.”

The young maid took Kayar’s other hand, speaking softly. “It’s alright, the previous Hero is already dead. Master will surpass him; you will be the greatest Hero.”

“Yes, this era belongs to you now,” the other maid echoed.

Hearing their flattery, Kayar’s mood improved somewhat.

‘Hmm, it seems these two I bought aren’t bad; they’re quite good at sweet-talking.’

However…

He slowly looked at his left hand, his thoughts tinged with melancholy. He had only come out to purchase items today, so he wasn’t wearing the Divine Gauntlet Georgius.

As he sensed his own body, he found his magic level was still only… LV10.

Indeed, he could only absorb a fraction of the magic that Georgius drew in; most of it was greedily siphoned away by the divine gauntlet.

Increasing one’s magic level was crucial. While divine artifacts were powerful, they were ultimately not one’s own strength. White, the Hero of the previous generation, certainly didn’t annihilate the demon race solely with the Holy Sword; his own power must have been immense, for how else could he have been considered the strongest person in the world?

After these errands are done today, I should depart early to deal with the living dead. Combat is the fastest way to increase strength.

Behind the trio, Silvio’s eyes were fixed on the male model’s face, feeling a sense of déjà vu. ‘It looks somewhat similar to someone on the Church’s wanted list… However, that person shouldn’t be so young.’

Kayar finally received the outfit the shop owner had found. After changing into it, he looked at himself in the mirror, feeling rather satisfied; he finally had the air of an adventurer.

“This is more like it…” He touched the somewhat coarse tunic, sighing. “Indeed, church attire doesn’t suit me. This kind of clothing does.”

At that moment, the sisters behind him also changed into black and white maid outfits.

“Master.” Hearing their voices, Kayar turned to look.

The two sisters he had purchased were twins. Both possessed large eyes and peach-colored lips, their softly defined features appearing youthful and endearing. They wore maid dresses predominantly black, adorned with white aprons, and white headpieces. Aside from the direction of their bangs, hair color, and eye color, the sisters were nearly identical, though the younger sister’s chest was slightly fuller than the older’s. Then, observing their long legs clad in white over-the-knee stockings, Kayar secretly judged that the older sister’s legs were likely longer.

‘However, I want them all. Speaking of which, I should name them later.’

Watching them in their new clothes, Kayar felt utterly satisfied. He then pointed at the maid uniforms in the work area and declared, “For these maid work clothes, give me two of every black and white style. For all other colors, I’ll take two of each as well. I’ll buy all your stock of stockings and headpieces and take them with me…”

“Eh? These maid outfits are all made from magical materials~” Mona “kindly” reminded him. “The quality is excellent, and they’re very comfortable to wear. Many merchants and nobles particularly favor these materials…” She gently pinched a piece of fabric. “There’s just one thing: they’re a little pricey~”

“It’s fine,” Kayar stated shamelessly. “I’m not short on money.”

Pfft—

Silvio nearly spat blood, his face turning as black as charcoal.

Forcibly suppressing his condemnation of the Hero’s shameless behavior, he wore a constipated expression, thinking, ‘Is this Hero trying to bankrupt the Church with this method?’

“Excellent!” Mona’s face bloomed with happiness, her smile like a blossoming flower, as the magic crystal for calculating money trembled in her hand. “You truly are a wonderful person!”