“Waaaaaaaahhh!! “
Garm’s eyes sparkled brilliantly as her tail thrashed wildly, slapping my legs over and over.
The Zard Plains surrounding the Sleepless City, Shechem.
Illuminated more by the magical lights of Shechem than the stars of the night, the plains were enveloped in a suspicious, artificially created atmosphere.
The swarms of people being sucked into the city like moths to a streetlight were, without exception, those enchanted by a demonic charm.
A city that glows at night. For us modern folk, it’s probably easiest to imagine something like Kabukicho, or perhaps the Edo-period Yoshiwara we see in fiction.
Older than Kabukicho, more modern than Yoshiwara—a blend of Japanese and Western styles.
However, as you move toward the center of the city, Japanese-style mansions like the ones you’d see in a textbook line the streets, providing a certain kind of “romance.”
Garm, jumping with her small body to its limit, seemed drunk on the atmosphere and was more excited than usual.
Led by the eye-sparkling Garm as she took off running, we passed through the gates of Shechem.
“King! King! That castle is amazing! “
“Yeah, it’s great, but stop calling me ‘King,’ okay?”
As we moved through the city, Garm’s voice and energy levels kept rising. She pointed at a particularly tall and luxurious building that had been visible even from outside the city.
If the name hasn’t changed in a hundred and eighty years, it should be called Yaten (Night Heaven).
But no matter how you look at it, it’s the central keep of a historical Japanese castle. I remember racking my brain over whether it was a coincidence or… well, it’s nostalgic now.
I don’t actually know which it is, but the scene is so “The-Japanese-Style” that it actually gives me a sense of relief. For that reason, I’m actually quite fond of the exterior of the Sleepless City.
“King, this city is too bright…”
“I told you, don’t call me that.”
Nidhogg, who was batting her tail against my shoulder, was covering her eyes with her tiny hands.
In contrast to Nidhogg, Garm and Gurba were stepping deeper into the city with gusto.
We passed touts and women working in the entertainment district—it’s a vulgar city, but maybe that’s exactly why it attracts people.
Well, I’m sure some people would find it distasteful.
“…It is a vulgar city no matter when one visits.”
“Now, now.”
Like Nifl.
Though there were many men flocking to the beauty and figure that was obvious even over her robe, none seemed to have the guts to keep calling out to her once they were glared at by her eyes. I suppose it doesn’t feel great to be subjected to those kinds of looks.
They say she’s the “Purity Representative” of Helheim for a reason.
“It smells like the nesting grounds of male and female beasts. The obscene sexual scent is enough to make my nose curl.”
…Where did the Purity Representative go?
“Corpse King, there is a rest area. Since you must be tired, shall I make a reservation for two?”
“Thanks for the concern. I’m fine for now.”
…Where is the Purity Representative trying to go?!
“Ugh… Which one is vulgar, you cow-tits?”
“A city like this has far more decorum than a tiny dragon who occupies the Corpse King’ shoulder as if it were her own property.”
“Wh-What did you say?!”
Nifl grabbed the tail of Nidhogg, who had stuck her tongue out at Nifl’s words, and the two started play-fighting as Nifl tried to drag her off my shoulder.
No matter the city, these two are always the same—it’s actually quite reassuring. I hope they continue to get along while fighting forever.
“Young Master, look at this.”
Gurba pointed to a certain bulletin board ahead of us.
We pushed through the crowd to get there, and it turned out to be a notice about an auction. Details like items up for bid and the date were listed.
“High-quality materials from a rare-species Mid-Level Demon. Natural relics found in secret regions. Belongings of high-ranking seekers. Claws and hides of ancient species species… Oh, there it is!”
“Participation fee: 150 Gold Coins in advance… That’s a good price to keep the loiterers out. Well, if someone hesitates at this much, they wouldn’t be able to participate in the bidding anyway.”
“150 coins just for the deposit… And the ancient species hide is…”
“Even 500 gold coins would be tough. Additionally, if you want to participate in the bidding, you have to exchange them for Divine Silver Coins, so you’ll need to go through a Chamber of Commerce.”
“Eh, really?”
I couldn’t help but speak up at the unexpected information from Nifl.
“The prices listed are converted into gold, but all currency used on the day of the auction is Divine Silver. The time from the start to the end of the auction is managed very strictly, and those conditions were supposedly put in place to avoid congestion during transactions… but in reality, it’s likely to filter for those who can own Divine Silver—meaning, people whose status and income are guaranteed.”
“I see…”
“Sorry, Young Master. It seems my information was old. I didn’t know about the changes regarding Divine Silver.”
“It can’t be helped. It seems these conditions were added just a few years ago after a theft by an auction participant.”
“Wow, that guy really did us a disservice…”
Divine Silver Coins are used only for extremely high-value transactions. They are coins that commoners wouldn’t see in a lifetime.
Divine Silver is made from a special metal; even among coins that are already nearly impossible to counterfeit, the manufacturing technology for these is particularly obscure. The value of a Divine Silver coin is so rare that it’s hard to simply say it equals ten gold coins.
To change ten gold coins into one Divine Silver coin, you have to apply to a Chamber of Commerce… but.
“The auction date is… two weeks from now, just like Gurba said. Nifl, what do you think?”
“…Even if we went to a Chamber of Commerce, the Corpse King, myself, Garm, and the Useless Dragon currently have no what you would call ‘social status.’ If we cannot register as individuals, it will be difficult to use various systems related to the Chamber of Commerce. This includes buying and selling goods, and of course, exchanging currency.”
Allowing people of unknown identity or items of unknown origin into the Chamber of Commerce carries a corresponding risk, so this is a natural precaution.
But for us right now, that caution is a real pain.
“If it were Gurba-sama, I believe he could use the Chamber of Commerce without issue, but…”
“I left Gagiur by loudly proclaiming myself a member of Helheim. I don’t know what the consequences would be if I left a trail. I’d like to avoid using my name recklessly.”
“I agree. In that case, the difficulty of exchanging for Divine Silver sky-rockets.”
“Yeah, it’s tough, isn’t it?”
As Gurba said, leaving a blatant trail of our presence would be a total blunder.
In this current world, the influence the name “Helheim” carries is high in a bad way. From what I’ve heard, even if it hasn’t reached the entire continent, its notoriety is gradually spreading, centered around the Empire. Unfortunately, since the Sleepless City is located right on the edge of Imperial territory, we have to act cautiously.
Normally, we should avoid even having this conversation, and in the middle of a bustle like this street, we even have to think about the content of our talk. It’s so hard to live.
This is a problem… While there are many Chamber of Commerces, only a handful of large ones authorized by the Empire handle Divine Silver. They are the cream of the crop. I highly doubt there are any back doors or loopholes.
Well, in the worst-case scenario, it’s not like we have to participate in the auction. If we can’t get the ancient species hide, it just means we can’t make the demon gear.
Thinking about the future, it’s definitely better to have it, but you can’t squeeze blood from a stone. The situation isn’t so dire that we need to take a risk here… and yet…
“Hmm… I suppose it cannot be helped.”
Gurba’s voice sounded just like usual, but I thought I heard a tiny bit of disappointment.
I’m probably not the only one who noticed. Nifl, of course, but also—
“Gramps?”
Garm looked up at Gurba, who was much taller than her, with her head tilted slightly.
“…Iron Old Man, does your stomach hurt?”
Even Nidhogg, who was being held tightly by Nifl and looked exhausted, muttered that with a look of disinterest.
Gurba was showing a minute change that only we could notice. The reason was obvious.
For Gurba, who had dedicated his life to smithing and offered his soul to the forge, making equipment was the supreme entertainment. Next to that, seeing me use the equipment he made was his supreme joy. Furthermore, he believes that is the reason he stays in Helheim and considers it my supreme command.
At the root of it is the desire to “be of use to me”—a sentiment that I feel I don’t deserve.
What can I do to respond to that… if I were to say it while swallowing my pride, the “duty of one who calls himself King” or whatever… would be nothing other than granting the wishes of his subordinates as much as possible.
…Saying this to myself is incredibly embarrassing. I can’t even swallow my pride. My shame is screaming right now.
What do you mean, “King’s duty”?! You’re not even a King, you idiot! You’re just a high school boy from my original world, don’t get cocky…
Even if I scold myself like that, regardless of what I think, these guys look up to me as a King. Why? Because the “me” of the past claimed that title.
Every bit of Chuuni-related agony that befalls me is the fault of the past me… and every moment I can spend with these guys is thanks to the past me.
That’s why, as long as I am in this world, I have the responsibility to accept everything brought about by the past me.
In short. I swear on the past me, I cannot choose to give up while Gurba is feeling down. I don’t want to.
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