Chapter 13 : The Demon King Purpure’s Terrifying Travel Plan

It’s only natural to set goals and tasks even when going to a convenience store in front of your house, so if you’re going on a trip with a hero party, you should definitely set a clear destination.

So, I decided to utilize the charisma and knowledge of my demon lord days that remained in my memory.

“Purpure can read maps even though she doesn’t have her memories?”

I was diligently placing stones on the map that Maeve had taken out.

I was fixing the corners so that the map wouldn’t fly away, but I heard a ridiculous remark.

‘Seriously! Do you always choose to say such foolish things, pitiful hero?’

“Purpure isn’t stupid!”

I pointed to the properly unfolded map with both hands.

“I’m good at cooking too. I can just read maps the same way.”

“Since Lady Purpure is a terrifying Great Demon Lord, you must be able to read maps.”

I lightly gave Dominicus a high five and pointed to the map again.

It was a map drawn on wrinkled leather, but I’m grateful for even this right now.

“Purpure is here right now.”

I pressed my little index finger on the river that stretched out from the right coastline, moved it a little to the left, and stopped.

Maeve said last time that this was the location of Moonlight Haven, right?

“Yeah, that’s right! This is Moonlight Haven. If you go northwest from here, you’ll find Purpure’s demon castle.”

“Where is the land of prophecy?”

“I told you that last time, didn’t I? It’s not on this map.”

“But I want to know the general idea.”

Of course, Busan isn’t on the map of Seoul.

But you can say that Busan is in the south or that it takes several hours by car.

“Hmm… If you stretch this map about five sheets to the side, you can fit the land of prophecy.”

“It will be quite a long journey. But it’s not a reckless act.”

“Purpure may not remember, but there are actually quite a few merchants who travel by land.”

It’s a huge distance, but there’s actually a road used.

I felt fluffy because the story was vague, but it’s enough.

I could tell that I wasn’t fantasizing about something impossible because I heard that there were people who actually traveled back and forth.

“I have a question for Maeve.”

Maeve, who had been staring at the map for a long time, nodded.

“Do you have any friends who can fly, like griffins or dragons?”

A wyvern would be fine too.

For this kind of long-distance travel, flying is definitely the best, rather than walking foolishly.

Even in modern times, there’s a reason why people fly on airplanes.

“Like a unicorn… Purpure wants to fly to the land of prophecy, right?”

“That’s right. Walking is very inefficient.”

“I think so too, but…”

Maeve scratched the back of her head.

“If you call them from here, they won’t be able to come even if they want to. There’s the problem of distance, and there are also environmental problems here.”

“Are you really a hero, Maeve?”

“Geez!! I can call them if I have to! There are plenty of kids who would come if I said it was an emergency!”

Maeve shook her head.

“But that’s lying! And the pilgrimage I promised Purpure wasn’t like that! It was a journey.”

“That’s right. It was a leisurely journey, not a gathering to stop the end of the world.”

So, flying is impossible for various complicated reasons.

Actually, I didn’t expect this.

Since Maeve isn’t really a fool, she would have mentioned it when she found out that she couldn’t move with the magic circle if she could fly.

“Then I think… it’s better to go here and take a boat.”

If you can’t fly, take a boat!

“Oh… What, what! Purpure! Did you remember a little?”

“I thought there would be a harbor here.”

The place I pointed to was the coast that you meet when you follow the river that flows east from Moonlight Haven.

This is a matter of common sense.

“I’m disappointed… Anyway, you’re right. There’s a huge harbor there. It might be the biggest harbor in East Haven.”

“Then is there a ship that can go to the land of rest?”

This time, Dominicus nodded before Maeve.

“There will be ships heading to Seraphis.”

“Then we just need to take a boat from here to Seraphis!”

It will take much longer than flying, but there’s nothing we can do.

Still, we’re not controlling the boat, the sailors are, so we won’t get lost.

There’s even a sea route already, right? It would be harder to have an accident!

“Hmm… Taking a boat to Seraphis… Purpure is really smart….”

Maeve smiled bitterly and shook her head.

What is it, is there a problem?

“Is the promise with Purpure a problem again? I want to take a boat now.”

“It wasn’t a problem of that feeling. And I don’t think taking a boat is cheating.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“There’s a high probability that they won’t let us on the boat.”

Dominicus held up the pouch containing the ‘Solvenusian.’

“We don’t have any currency that we can currently use.”

“But Maeve and Dominicus are the hero and the saint.”

“Yeah, that’s right. But you know… Purpure also heard the people of Moonlight Haven talking about us, right?”

Maeve patted the map where East Haven was drawn with her palm.

“The story that the hero Maeve defeated the terrifying Great Demon Lord and saved the world is more famous on this side than in East Haven.”

“If it were Seraphis, our story and reputation would be enough.”

“But Maeve and Dominicus still saved the world.”

Maeve smiled bitterly and stroked my head.

“It’s a story from 200 years ago. It’s not an era where people clap and ask me to marry them every time I show up.”

“Also, if it’s a ship using the sea route to Seraphis, it will surely belong to a merchant guild.”

“Those people will be strict about money. Even if we show them our names or faces, they’ll never believe that we’ll pay later.”

“Unfortunately, there are also rumors that this Solvenusian is cursed.”

Sailors and superstition are inseparable, like sweetness and saltiness.

It’s so obvious what kind of eyes they’ll look at us with if we say we’ll take a boat with a lot of gold coins that turn into dust.

“We can’t fly, and we can’t take a boat.”

It feels like all the easy methods are blocked, but I wasn’t disappointed.

Even when I was a successful demon lord, people lived in East Haven.

I didn’t know much about it because it was an unexpected enemy and a troublesome corner of the eastern land…

But I could vaguely recall the fact that it was profitable and that it was tenacious enough to make me quite angry in the end.

“Does Maeve know if there’s a road around here?”

“Ah… There? If you go up, there’s a great prairie, and if you go down, there’s a mountain range with lots of bumpy mountains.”

“Is this also a road that merchant guilds pass through?”

My little index finger was pointing outside the map.

But Maeve and I had a vaguely shared image.

It’s like saying that Jeju Island is below South Korea and roughly pointing, and they understand!

“Of course!”

“Then we just need to move along this road. If it’s a road that merchant guilds pass through, we don’t have to worry about getting lost!”

Isn’t this a perfect and terrifying plan?

“Oh… Wow, it’s completely planned.”

“If we get another map, we can make a more specific plan.”

“That’s right. So for now, we’ll go here, west of Moonlight Haven.”

I pointed to the western edge of the map with my little index finger.

There were many forests around Moonlight Haven, but from here, the terrain was subtly changing to the north and south.

“Are you sure you don’t have any memories, Purpure?”

“There’s a picture of a village here.”

There’s even a letter written on it.

If you don’t know this, you’re really a fool!

“Ah… I thought…”

Maeve smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of her head.

“Ahem! Anyway! That place is called ‘Moonrise Castle.’ Many merchant guilds heading there stop by, so it’s a perfect place to go through.”

“It’s a perfect plan. Among the merchant guilds we’ll meet at Moonrise Castle, there will be those who will help us considering our names.”

So we’ve properly decided on our next destination, right?

“Now there’s only one important thing left.”

“Oh… What, what? I thought it was all over, so I wanted to say let’s eat again!”

“Neither Purpure nor Maeve! We don’t have anything!”

We can’t procure food locally forever.

We can eat whatever we see for about three days, but a long-term trip is different!

Apart from whether we’re full or not, if we don’t get the right nutrients, like scurvy in sailors, we don’t know what will happen.

Physical exhaustion can also mean death or serious illness on this kind of trip.

Besides, you need basic seasonings to make delicious food!

“Lady Purpure seems to be saying that we need to get supplies for the trip.”

“That’s right! Food that can be eaten for a long time! Seasonings!! Clothes and… Anyway, we need a lot, a lot!”

It’s not a 3-night, 4-day trip to Japan!

If we don’t prepare properly, we might have to ride zombies of Maeve and Dominicus, muttering where the next village is, and wander through the desert.

“I understand what Purpure means, but…”

Maeve made a face and held up… money.

“We… don’t have any money, do we?”

“It’s okay! I have an idea!”

“Wa, wait! Wait! Purpure! Is this what you thought of?!”

Maeve screamed from behind, but honestly, this is the only way.

We don’t know how other villages will see us!

“Oh, it’s really nice to see you again.”

“Grandpa Rian!! I have a favor to ask!”

Rian, the chief of Moonlight Haven, is an acquaintance of Maeve.

And he was a person who communicated well enough to have a normal conversation with me.

So there’s only one way…!

“I want to go on a trip! But I need to prepare! I can’t do anything without money!”

I raised the jingling gold coin pouch with both hands and shouted.

“Just one! Please exchange just one!!!”

It’s really humiliating, but I can’t help it!

I don’t want to die of thirst in the desert or dig up weeds and tree roots in the grasslands.