The villagers wanted them to stay. They surrounded Subaru and Übel, their faces bright with gratitude, their hands reaching out to touch them, to thank them, to offer them food and drink and a place to rest. Children ran in circles around them, laughing, pointing at the spot where the dragon had fallen. Old women wept and clutched at their sleeves, muttering prayers of thanks.
Subaru felt overwhelmed. She had not expected this. She had expected suspicion, fear, the same wariness that had followed her since she woke up in this body. Instead, she found kindness, warmth, a genuine desire to repay her for what she had done.
But they could not stay. They had a big journey ahead, and they could not afford to be late. The First Class Mage Exam was approaching, and if they missed it, they would have to wait another year. Subaru did not want to wait another year. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now.
She politely declined the offers. She said they had to leave, that they had important business, that they would remember the village and its people. The villagers were disappointed, but they understood. They stepped back, clearing a path to the gate.
As they were leaving, Old Man Voll came. He walked slowly, his sword sheathed at his side, his helmet tucked under his arm. His white beard was long and tangled, and his face was lined with wrinkles that told stories of centuries. He looked at Subaru, his eyes searching her face.
"Why?" he asked. "If you are a demon, then why did you protect us?"
Subaru stopped. She turned to face him, her turban secure, her expression calm. "I am an exception to my kind," she said. "I do not like mindless killing. I do not like the idea of harming innocents. I just want to go home."
Voll was silent for a long moment. His eyes, pale and aged, did not leave her face.
He spoke again, his voice rough, almost reluctant. "I have been trying to protect this village. It was my wife's home. She was a human, so unlike me, who has been living for over two hundred years, she died a long time ago." He paused, his gaze dropping to the ground. "I do not even remember her face anymore. But I made a promise to her. I told her I would protect her village for as long as I lived."
He looked up, his eyes meeting hers. "There is nobody in the village who knows me. They just know me as the vanguard who has been protecting them for as long as they have been alive. They do not know my name. They do not know my story. They do not know why I stay."
Subaru listened. She did not interrupt. She let him speak, let him share what he needed to share.
Voll's voice grew softer. "I never imagined I would see someone like you. A demon who helps people. A demon who saves lives." He shook his head, a small movement, almost lost in the folds of his beard. "It is strange. It is wrong. But it is also... I do not have words."
Subaru walked up to him. She put a hand on his shoulder, like a bro, a gesture of solidarity and understanding. "You are doing a great job," she said. "But sometimes it is okay to rest. To retire. To let someone else carry the burden."
Voll shook his head. "I cannot. I made a promise."
Subaru nodded. She understood promises. She had made promises too, promises she was not sure she could keep. "Good luck," she said.
She began to walk away.
"Demoness!" Voll's voice called after her. "What is your name? If you have any?"
Subaru turned around. A grin spread across her face, wide and goofy, the kind of grin that had gotten her through countless awkward situations. She struck her signature pose, pointing one index finger straight up into the air while placing the other hand on her hip. The pose was dramatic, ridiculous, completely out of place given the seriousness of the conversation.
"I am Subaru!" she said. "Clueless and broke beyond your imagination."
Voll stared at her. His expression was blank, unreadable. Then his lips twitched, and the corners of his mouth curled into something that might have been a smile.
Übel sighed. As much as she enjoyed watching and observing Subaru like an interesting insect, she did not like this action at all. The pose, the grin, the ridiculous declaration, it was too much. It was too loud.
"We should go," Übel said.
Subaru dropped the pose and nodded. "Right. Right. Let us go."
She turned and walked toward the gate. Übel fell into step beside her. Behind them, Old Man Voll stood at the entrance to the village, his helmet under his arm, his sword at his side, watching them leave.
He did not say anything else. He just watched, his eyes following them until they disappeared around a bend in the road.
Subaru did not look back. She kept walking, her turban secure.
───✧───
The duo reached the magical city by the third day. The road had been long and winding, through forests and hills and valleys that seemed to stretch on forever. But finally, the city appeared on the horizon, its towers reaching toward the sky, its walls gleaming with a light that seemed to come from within.
Subaru had secured her turban well. She had wrapped it extra tight, checked it twice, and checked it again. Her horns were hidden, invisible beneath the layers of cloth. She had also been trying to suppress her mana as hard as she could, pushing it down, compressing it, making it as small and unnoticeable as possible.
Übel, as if tasting her, kept commenting. "I can still feel you. I can still feel you. I can still feel you."
Subaru gritted her teeth. Each comment was like a small needle, poking at her patience. Finally, after what felt like so many times, she gave up. "I cannot suppress it more than this level without looking like I am carrying an entire mountain. This is the best I can do."
Übel shrugged. "Good enough."
As they entered the city, Subaru was shocked by how beautiful it was. The streets were paved with smooth stone, and the buildings rose high above them, their walls decorated with intricate carvings and glowing symbols. Fountains bubbled in every square, and the air smelled of flowers and magic. It was like living inside a manhwa where magical academies were real, where students in robes walked between classes, and where the very air seemed to hum with power.
Subaru almost forgot her fear. Almost.
Unfortunately, they were approached by guards. They were tall, armored, their faces hidden behind helmets that left only their eyes visible. One of them held out his hand.
"Papers," he said. "You need documents to enter the city."
Übel reached into her bag and pulled out a folded parchment. "I have one," she said. "It only mentions me."
The guard examined the paper, then looked at Subaru. "And her?"
"She is with me."
The guard shook his head. "No pass, no entry."
They did not hesitate. They grabbed Subaru by the armpits and lifted her off the ground. She yelped, her feet kicking uselessly, her arms flailing.
"Hey! Hey! Put me down!"
They were about to throw her out when she quickly stood on her feet, brushing off her dress, and struck her signature pose. One finger pointed up, one hand on her hip, a dramatic grin on her face.
"It is idiotic of you not to know who I am!" she declared. "Behold! I am the hero of the Orden City! I single-handedly killed Rivale!"
The people around them turned to look. They stared at her, at her turban, at her small frame, at her ridiculous pose. Then they laughed. Not politely. Not quietly. They laughed openly, loudly, the kind of laughter that echoed off the walls and attracted more attention.
"Her?" someone said. "She is nothing like the hero I heard about. The hero was tall, muscular, and busty. A real warrior woman. Not this... this child."
Subaru's eye twitched. She pointed her finger at the speaker. "You are making a mistake! I am indeed the hero!"
They laughed again. A guard reached for her, ready to throw her out, when Übel stepped forward. Her voice was calm, measured, the voice of someone who had dealt with bureaucracy before.
"She is with me," Übel said. "I can get her a pass."
Just then, she remembered something. "Wait! I came to attend the mage exam!"
The guards blinked. They exchanged glances. "You need a Mage Certificate of at least third class to attend the exam. Do you have one?"
Subaru backed off. Her voice was smaller now, less confident. "I am self-educated."
Everyone around them laughed again. The guards shook their heads. One of them reached for her, but another guard spoke:
"As long as she has an identity verification paper, we can—"
"Uh… a dragon ate it?" Subaru suggested hopefully.
Everyone stared.
The guard sighed. "The immigration office is closed for two days. You cannot get entry until it reopens."
Subaru clenched her fists. Two days. They could not wait two days. They had come too far, traveled too long, to be turned away at the gate.
Then a voice cut through the noise. "Move aside! Let me through!"
A man pushed through the crowd. He was tall, broad shouldered, with a scar across his cheek and a grin that spread from ear to ear. He wore the uniform of a soldier, though it was worn and faded, as if it had seen many battles.
He stopped in front of Subaru. His eyes widened. His mouth opened. Then he did something unexpected. He immediately bowed deeply, his forehead nearly touching the ground.
"I am really, really grateful that my eyes have been blessed with your sight again!" he declared.
Subaru blinked. "Uh. Who are you?"
The man looked up, his face filled with disbelief. "You do not remember me?! I am the Vice Captain of Lord Wirt! We fought together, remember? In the forest! Against the demons!"
Subaru's memory stirred. The battle. The soldiers. The man who had fought beside her. "Ahhhhh! How have you been, man? It has been a few days!"
The man laughed. He stood up and clapped her on the shoulder. "I have been great! I actually quit my job. I am selling merchandise now. I have a shop here, selling your merchandise alongside Hero Himmel and the Hero of the South and others."
Subaru stared at him. "Merchandise?"
The man nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! People love heroes. They buy anything with their faces on it. You would be surprised how much money I have made."
Before Subaru could respond, he mounted his horse and rode away, waving as he disappeared into the crowd.
Everyone watched in stunned silence. The guards lowered their hands. The people stopped laughing. They looked at Subaru with new eyes, with recognition, with awe.
Subaru stared at them smugly. "Yes. That is right. I am the real deal."
They all bowed in shame and forgiveness. "We are so sorry, Hero! Please forgive us!"
Subaru waved her hand. "Yeah, yeah. Show us the Mage Association Tower."
The guards scrambled to comply, leading them through the streets, past the fountains and the glowing symbols, toward the towering spire that rose above the city.
───✧───
Serie sat in a pile of grimoires. The books surrounded her like a fortress, stacked high on every side, their pages open and filled with ancient text. She held one in her hands, her eyes scanning the words, her expression calm and focused. The tower was quiet, the only sound the rustle of pages and the distant hum of magic that pulsed through the walls.
Lernen stood by the glass wall of the tower. He was old, older than most, his moustache short and white, his eyes sharp and clear. He looked out at the city below, at the streets and the people and the distant figures moving through the squares. His hands were clasped behind his back, and his posture was straight, the posture of a man who had spent a lifetime in service to a greater purpose.
Serie did not look up from her grimoire. Her voice was calm, almost bored. "What are you looking at for so long, Lernen?"
Lernen knew his master knew exactly what. She could sense everything that happened in the city, feel every pulse of mana, every shift of power. But he replied anyway.
"An interesting scene is unfolding," he said. "A demon perfectly mimicking human mannerisms to the point that she has fooled the masses."
Serie turned a page. The sound was soft, barely audible.
Lernen continued. "I did find it odd that a human mage defeated Demonkind's strongest. Now I know it must have been a lie. Foolish of her to think that suppressing mana or hiding horns is enough to mask what she is."
He turned away from the glass wall, his eyes narrowing. "I should go and deal with her before whatever plans she has are set in motion."
He began to walk toward the door, his steps measured, his hand reaching for the handle.
Serie did not respond. She looked at the hourglass on the table beside her.