What would normally be a three-day journey was compressed into a single day thanks to the three of them traveling by air.
The wind at high altitudes was stronger than I had imagined.
The wind whistled in my ears, and my robes fluttered in the wind.
Just ahead, a vast, undulating mountain range gradually came into view.
The mountain range was so majestic it was almost exaggerated, like a giant natural wall that firmly enclosed the entire area in the center.
Nestled among mountains, a massive city stands quietly.
Ancient and magnificent, yet possessing a rugged and wild quality characteristic of the Demon Continent.
"We've finally arrived."
Rudeus squinted and gazed into the distance.
To be honest, even he was getting a little tired of flying all day long.
To avoid drawing too much attention, they deliberately avoided the main road and finally landed behind a group of boulders near the city gate.
The moment her feet touched the ground again, Eris let out a long sigh of relief.
"Phew—it's still more comfortable standing on the ground."
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she crossed her arms and revealed a rare expression of serious thought.
"Wait, there's a problem now."
She turned to look at Rujierd.
How does Rujierd get into the city?
The air fell silent for a moment.
After a moment of silence, Rujierd calmly said:
"I'll wait for you outside the city."
"No."
Rudeus rejected it without even thinking.
"If you hide outside the city your whole life, how will you ever wash away the stain on the Superd Race?"
Rujierd frowned slightly.
He seemed to have been thinking about it seriously for a while.
He then slowly tightened his grip on the spear.
"In that case, killing all the guards should be the simplest solution."
"Hello!!!"
Rudeus almost choked on his own saliva:
"Why are your solutions always just physical solutions?"
Eris was speechless as well.
Rujierd looked puzzled, as if to say—isn't that right?
Rudeus rubbed his temples.
Indeed, it will probably take a long time for this man to integrate into society on his own.
"Actually, it doesn't need to be that complicated."
He stroked his chin, a mysterious smile on his face.
"A little disguise will suffice."
"Camouflage?"
Eris blinked.
"I need to change my hairstyle, and I need to change my hair color too."
"You can change your hair color too?"
"Certainly."
Rudeus patted his chest.
Trust the professionals.
As he spoke, he beckoned to Rujierd.
"Lower your head."
Although his face was full of doubt, Rujierd did as he was told.
Rudeus placed his hand on his head and began his lecture in a serious manner.
What is the most important aspect of disguise?
First impressions.
"As long as people don't recognize you at first glance, many subsequent problems are not problems."
"Especially someone like you who looks like the final boss, you need to learn to reduce your intimidation factor."
Eris was completely confused.
Rujierd looked completely bewildered.
No problem, the theory class is over, now it's time for the practical class.
"[ Transformation ]."
A soft white light spread from the palm of his hand.
The light slowly enveloped Rujierd's entire head.
A few seconds later, the magic was complete, and the white light dissipated.
Then--
A pink mushroom-headed uncle was born.
The air suddenly became quiet.
The next second.
"Pfft, hahahahahaha--!!!"
Eris burst into laughter on the spot.
He squatted down on the ground.
"Hahahaha, I can't take it anymore!"
"What is this?!"
" Rujierd, what happened to you?! You've turned into a mushroom-growing old man!!"
She laughed so hard tears almost came to her eyes.
They even started snapping up pieces of land like crazy.
Rudeus was immediately displeased.
What do you know!
"This is art!"
Do you even understand art?!
Eris couldn't stop laughing.
"Art my ass!"
Rudeus, too lazy to argue any further, quickly turned to look at Rujierd.
Don't listen to her nonsense.
"This design actually has a lot of depth."
Rujierd remained silent for a long time.
Then he slowly opened his mouth:
"At least let me see what I look like now."
"Well..."
Upon hearing this, Rudeus's eyes began to dart around.
"I don't think it's necessary. Anyway, trust me, you definitely won't be recognized."
"..."
Rujierd looked at Rudeus.
Rudeus looked up at the sky.
at last.
He didn't say anything, he just sighed silently.
For some reason, Rudeus always felt that this guy's outlook on life seemed to have suffered some kind of shock.
Soon, they arrived at the city gate, where two guards blocked their way.
One had a snake's head, while the other was a standard pig-headed demon.
"Stop!"
Who is it?
What are you doing here?
When questioned, Rudeus immediately flashed his standard business smile.
"We are travelers, here to experience the customs and culture of the Demon Continent."
The smuggler guard sized us up a few times.
"He certainly doesn't look like an adventurer."
"They didn't even bring any weapons."
He lowered his voice and said.
But the pig next to it was clearly not listening at all.
Those small eyes were staring at Eris with a lewd and unsettling gaze.
Seeing this, Rudeus's forehead vein twitched slightly.
(Damn it! How dare you defile my lovely and sacred Eris with such filthy eyes? I wish I could bury this pig in the ground and use it as fertilizer.)
(However, considering this is their territory, we have no choice but to swallow our anger.)
Just then, the snakehead guard suddenly froze.
Their gaze passed over us and landed on Rujierd.
Immediately afterwards--
"Puff!"
He burst out laughing.
Hahahahahahahaha!!
The pig-headed guard turned his head away for no apparent reason.
Then...
"Holy crap, hahaha!!!"
The two of them burst into laughter, almost falling over.
Rujierd subconsciously touched his head.
Then he looked at Rudeus beside him, his eyes seeming to say:
You'd better explain this to me.
Rudeus quickly leaned closer and whispered:
Do you want people to cry when they see you, or laugh when they see you?
"..."
Rujierd pondered for a moment.
"The latter."
"That'll do."
That makes sense.
He actually nodded seriously.
Rudeus almost lost his composure.
On the other side, the pig-headed guard was already laughing so hard he started slapping his thigh.
"Absolutely amazing! I've never seen a hairstyle like this in my entire life!"
Rudeus seized the opportunity to speak:
"So, can we go in now?"
The snakehead guard wiped away his tears and waved his hand.
"Go inside, go inside. It's not easy for someone like you to have survived this long."
The plan was a great success.
After passing through the city gate, the real city of the Demon Continent finally came into view.
However, Rudeus soon discovered...
This place is completely different from the bustling metropolis I had imagined.
The buildings on both sides of the street are almost all made of rough-hewn rocks.
Heavy, sturdy, and highly practical.
As for aesthetics... basically none at all.
The demons that come and go are of all kinds.
Cow people, sheep people, lizard people, frog people, and even insect people who look like aliens...
It's dazzling to look at.
Good heavens... it seems like there really is no reproductive isolation in this world.
They can even mate with insects!
This environment has led to an unusually open ethical landscape in the world.
This inevitably reminded him of his two adorable younger sisters...
( Norn... Aisha...)
(Are you all doing well? Your brother misses you so much...)
My thoughts were interrupted.
Eris became completely excited.
" Rudeus! Look at that! And that one too!"
"My God! That guy has four arms!"
She looked around.
Like a child entering an amusement park for the first time.
He always talks about being a mature swordsman, but now his true colors have been revealed.
"Don't run around."
Rudeus gave a helpless reminder, then casually glanced around at the surrounding shops.
The more I explored, the more disappointed I became; the Demon Continent was ultimately too barren.
The stalls almost exclusively sell monster materials, ores, dried meat, and various survival supplies.
The main goal is simply to survive.
Art?
Aesthetics?
It does not exist.
After visiting more than a dozen stores, he was almost losing interest.
Just then, a stall suddenly caught his attention.
It was a plush cloak with cat ears.
Light brown, fuzzy.
It looks a bit childish, but it's inexplicably cute.
Rudeus's eyes lit up.
"Boss, I'll take this one."
A few minutes later.
Eris stood on the street wearing a cat-ear cloak.
His entire face turned bright red.
" Rudeus!!"
"Isn't this something for children?!"
"Don't move."
He took two steps back and examined it carefully.
Long red hair, amber eyes, and a fluffy cat-ear cape—surprisingly, it suits her well.
"So cute."
Rudeus offered a candid assessment.
Eris froze instantly, her ears turning visibly red.
"Who, who's cute!"
"I am a swordsman!"
"Um."
Rudeus nodded seriously.
"A lovely swordsman."
" Rudeus --!!!"
Clang!
The longsword was drawn.
Rudeus turned and ran.
Eris chased after him, sword in hand.
Meanwhile, Rujierd stood behind, quietly watching all of this.
Without realizing it, a slight smile appeared on his lips.
It's shallow, yet it truly exists.
Since leaving my hometown, I've seen this expression more and more often.
This is a good thing.
After their leisurely stroll, they finally arrived at the Adventurers' Guild.
A massive stone building stands at the end of the street.
People came and went, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.
"Finally here."
Rudeus let out a long sigh and pushed open the door to enter.
However, the next second, the once somewhat noisy hall...
Suddenly, everything fell silent, and dozens of eyes turned to look in their direction.
To be precise, they were looking at Rujierd.
Rudeus's heart sank.
Oh no, have we been exposed?
Just as he was becoming increasingly wary—
"Pfft, hahahahahaha!!"
A laugh rang out first.
Immediately afterwards, the entire hall spiraled out of control.
Hahahaha!!
"What kind of hairstyle is that?!"
"A pink mushroom head?!"
"He's been recruited! What kind of god-like outfit is this!?"
Some people slammed their fists on the table and laughed wildly, while others laughed so hard they couldn't stand up straight.
Some people even rolled onto the ground.
His lips twitched; the effect seemed to have gone a little too far.
Rujierd stood there, stunned, looking at the people around him...
There was no fear.
There was no aversion.
There is no hatred.
There was only laughter.
Ever since long ago, whenever people saw him, they were always afraid, screaming, and running away, treating him like a monster.
But today, these people are laughing.
Even if people are laughing at his hairstyle, it's still a laugh.
The first time someone saw him, they felt not fear, but joy.
"I see..."
Rujierd murmured softly, a relaxed smile slowly appearing on his face.
Seeing this, Rudeus suddenly felt...
This pink mushroom-shaped hairstyle doesn't seem so bad after all.
Just then, his gaze inadvertently swept towards the front desk.
There stood a female staff member with orange hair.
She is tall and has a beautiful face.
However, the next second...
Rudeus froze.
Because that receptionist—
She has three breasts!
"..."
Rudeus's mind went blank for a moment, and he suffered a devastating shock at that moment.
Eris followed Rudeus's gaze.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Rudeus struggled to look away.
Then he sighed from the bottom of his heart.
"As expected of the Demon Continent..."
It seems so.
His understanding of the demon race's ecology is still only the tip of the iceberg.