Chapter 38: Return to the City (I)
I yawned and stretched on the wagon.
I was once again back in my child-like body. Two large wagons followed behind us pulled by a couple of horses. A few townspeople came along with us.
The winter days were cold. The year was ending, and today was the day that Phil, Don, and I would arrive at the nearest city. Luckily, we didn't meet a single goblin on our way.
"Berry, if you yawn any wider, a bug is going to fly in," Don smirked. He stopped drawing and laughed. I quickly closed my mouth and glared at him.
I didn't like bugs, and the thought of them entering my mouth sounded horrible.
"It has been three days since we left the town. We should be arriving in the nearest city," said Phil.
"Finally, I thought my butt would fall off," I complained. I disliked sitting in the wagon for long hours on end. What I did look forward to is someone figuring out how to create a car in this world. Hopefully, one day my prayers would be answered.
"Your butt is fine." Phil shook his head.
"Don, are you done with your new building concept?" I scooted over to see what he completed and leaned over. I was amazed at how realistically he drew."Wow, you draw so well. I'm so jealous. All I can do is draw stick figures."
In his hand was his sketchbook that he had bound together to make. A detailed picture of a beautiful house and a garden was neatly sketched out with pencil.
"It takes time and practice."
"I can tell. It must have taken you ages to get to such a point."
"Not really. It took me five years."
"Five? Is that even normal?"
I was awed at his genius-like skills. "I have been drawing day and night in hopes of getting a lot better. I sweated tears of blood to get to this point." Don shrugged his shoulders, tapping his pencil on his sketchbook before he started to scribble something done quickly.
"How long do you think you will get the blueprint ready for this house?"
"I'm done with it. This was just a concept. I've got a dozen more sketches of other buildings ready to be made."
"What? Already?" Don nodded.
"You do know that there is barely anything to do on this ride except to draw."
"Still, you got so much ready. It's amazing." I couldn't help but gape in awe. "Do you mind?"
"Sure." Don handed me his sketchbook, and I slowly flipped through the pages. Each drawing was neatly drawn with exact details written on the side. I had seen Don's work in the past and had even witnessed the buildings that were built. Everything that he had written on the paper was the exact measurement and the directions to how to construct it.
"You truly are amazing." I enviously said. I didn't have a talent, and seeing him engrossed in one made me jealous.
"I honestly don't think that I'm that good. They are others better than me out there."
"Even still, you are considered one of the best that I know of. "
"For now."
"You are too negative."
"Not at all. Broaden your mind and see past oneself. Sometimes, one needs to challenge oneself when you see someone better than you."
"That is another way to see it."
"It is, isn't it." Don reached over to get back his sketchbook. "I can't wait until the Academy is finished being built."
"Oh, yea. You did design the school buildings that the townspeople are building now. Though, I have to wonder why you've to make it so extravagant." I asked curiously; some of his buildings were so grand that it made me wonder how he was going to finish it.
"Hardly. Fantasy worlds should have fantastical buildings just like the Japanese manga and anime." My eyes twinkled.
I knew exactly what Don meant. We were both avid fans of Japanese anime and manga, and on such subjects, we were like two peas in a pod. All those fantastical buildings that one would never see on Earth could be created here. This was like a dream world for Don when it came to building his fantasies.
"Plus, it's the soul of the townspeople itself. One day, it's going to be known as the most prestigious school in the whole world. From Elementary schools, Middle School, High school, and finally, College. All in one. My next goal is to find the most brilliant minds in teaching for the school." Don was getting excited about the future that he had planned. His mind raced with dozens of ideas of what to implement with Duke Hon.
"Are you sure you're not overworking the people like slaves?" I jokingly said, nudging him.
"Slaves? No. Everyone is doing it, plus you're paying for the construction. You agreed on it when you signed the contract to build it. I wouldn't have brought it up if I didn't."
"W-what?" I stared stupefied. Wait, when did I agree to this? Confused, then it suddenly dawned on me. It was that time when the townspeople celebrated for three days and nights. I was so tired that I signed anything that was handed in front of me.
"What?" Don innocently stated. "It's not my fault. I've been bugging you about investing in my plans. You agreed."
I couldn't help but sigh and nod in agreement. It was my stupid fault for signing things without reading it when I was tired.
"How long until it is finished?" I wanted to see these buildings come to life, and the thought excited me.
"Well, I believe in about three months. You won't believe how useful the magic stone that Phil created was. If it weren't for that, it would possibly take five years. It has become the number one hot project, besides the apartments that were finished."
"Wow, What about you, Phil? Do you have something that you're good at?"
Phil was silent for a moment. "Everything."
Both Don and I were silent. Looking at him if he was joking, but I secretly knew that he was just good at everything. He felt like the main hero vibe that knew everything sometimes.
"What? It's just a joke."
"I highly doubt it. He does fit that persona, doesn't he?" I leaned over, whispering loudly towards Don.
"You know, you're right. Everything that Phil has been doing has been immaculate to the point where I haven't seen him make a single mistake."
I nodded. Phil was truly a Demon Lord in the making. Has there ever been a history where a perfect Demon Lord ever existed? Probably not. He might be the first one.
Looking up at Phil, I unconsciously gave him a thumbs up.
"What is that for?" Phil stared at me strangely. "Did you curse at me?"
"Uh, what?" I stared at him, unsure what he was saying.
He pointed at my fingers.
I looked at my thumbs up pose and quickly hid it away. Damn it. I don't know why I just did that. Maybe I was just stupid enough to give Phil a thumbs-up sign for how great he is? I don't know.
"C-c-curse? No way. Never in my life would I curse a demon lo-" I caught myself before I spewed out what I was just about to say. How stupid I was to think that I almost slipped about him being a demon lord. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
"Demon? Please continue. I would like to hear what else you have got to say." Like a tiger that caught his prey, he stared down with menacing eyes. I could not help but shiver from his deadly stare.
"You a demon? Hardly more like an evil torturer that likes to destroy the soul of a lowly dr-" Ah, crap. I just did it again. What the hell is going on with me today? Why don't I just tell him my whole life story in front of him right now? Hey, demon lord, flay my skin here and now so I can end my life. Was this mouth a loose cannon that could just one day end it all?
"An evil torturer that likes to destroy souls. I didn't know you saw me like that, Berry." Phil slipped over next to me. His arm was already wrapped around my shoulders and pulling me close.
I could smell the sweet scent that tingled my nose and made my cheeks flush a bit red.
Phil was getting way too close that it made me uncomfortable. I felt a dark energy coming from Phil that I wanted to scream help.
"I mean, you know." I twiddled my thumb, getting super nervous. I couldn't get away from his intense gaze. "I was just playing. You know me. I'm a kid."
"You said you're a kid now?" I nodded furiously. Any moment now, I swear my head would fall off.
"So you're saying you are a kid, but when I first met you, you said you were older than me. I swear, I heard you say that."
"I don't know what you are talking about." I flatly denied everything he said—my life. Please god of fortune. Please. Please throw me some good luck here and now. I'm about to die today.
"Really? Then, should I treat you like a kid today?"
"W-what?" I was dumbstruck by his words. I wanted to smack myself many times for the many blunders I was getting into. The fierce look from Phil was staring at me as if he was ready to swallow me whole into the bleak darkness called hell.
"Aww, you guys look so cute." Don broke the silence, laughing. "Almost like I'm seeing a brother and sister having a disciplinary action. Stay like that for a moment so I can draw this."
I stared at Don, giving him a pleading look to save me. Was he also mental as well? Doesn't see how bad this situation was turning out to be. I could die, crying out loud.
Don was leisurely sketching in his sketchbook as if nothing was wrong.
My party that I have here was all crazy.
"This drawing for sure is going to sell well." Don's smile seems even more dangerous than Phil right this moment. "I should start a trend here. Kuhuhuhhu."
Was he also trying to sell me out too? What kind of messed up situation did I land myself in?
With a flick of his fingers to my nose, Phil scowled. "Massage my back until I say stop."
"M-m-massage your back?" I was too dumbfounded to understand what he meant. Was this a new kind of torture?
Phil turned around, showing me his back. "If you don't want to do it. I have other activities that you can take part in. For example, trading spots with the horse and pulling the carriage."
"P-please, sir. Let me massage your back." I reached over and started squeezing his shoulders. Silent tears began to erupt on my eyes as I cursed in my head, wishing to bury Phil in the ground.
Phil let out a relief as his muscles were being kneaded like a dough.
"How is the guild coming along?" I asked with a bit of a whisper. Phil finally spoke without opening his eyes.
"Grandma has been working like a madman. Asking her to start an Adventurer's guild sparked a fire in her. I swear, it feels like she's getting younger day-by-day." He chuckled happily.
"That's good to hear. Though the new Heroes can be quite a handful these days."
"You're telling me. The Heroes have been blazing through the quests like fire. Quite surprised to see that your people seemed to adjust pretty well."
"I agree," I spoke.
The Heroes were all doing well with the new task and new weapons. They seem much more energetic than before, giving her less of a headache.
For an hour, Phil did not stop once and instead nodded off into asleep. Damn it, you vile Demon Lord! I'm not your slave! My hands desperately tried to scrunch up into a fist. Ready to smack him once, but my poor hands were shaking from massaging.
"Can I please stop now?"
"No."
"Pleaseeeeeeeeeeee. My hands are cramping up." I whined. I knew any longer, and I would have a stiff hand that I wouldn't be able to move for hours.
"Really? Good. You can stop now." He casually said as he was pleased with what I had said. I wanted to cry. I played right into his hands and once again was played the fool. Were boys always this mean? I sniffled and gently rubbed my hands, hoping to relieve the pain, but instead, it made it worse.
"Give me your hands." Phil gave out his hands for me to place.
"You're not going to do anything bad to it, right?" I scowled at him, worried that if I handed him my hands, he would ask for more massage.
"Just give it to me now." I wearily placed it on his hand. He gently grabbed it and started to massage it. The pain that was shooting up my arms slowly started to ebb away. Green magically light appeared around his hands and onto mine.
Startled at the sudden increase in magic power, I couldn't help but gape at what he was doing. Was he patching me back up to make me work again? I felt compelled to run away here and now.
This Demon Lord is true to his name and heals and makes the work twice as hard! I couldn't help but start to regret immensely for saying what I said. I felt foolish for allowing myself to be trapped by Phil's game. I pray to the lady of light that I can control my damnable mouth.
"You're all healed." Phil let go and turned his back towards me.
I sobbed on the inside. With reluctance, I went over and started to massage Phil's shoulder once again.
"What are you doing?"
"Massaging your shoulders."
"Why?"
"Didn't you heal my hands to continue massaging it?"
"Uh...." Phil went silent. "Yes, I did, but I changed my mind. You can stop now. I feel better."
I sighed with relief. He truly was a Demon Lord to the last minute. Whimsical, aloof, and selfish to the last second.
"We're here," Don spoke, and he was glancing towards the city that was before us.
I couldn't help but stifle a gasp. It was nothing compared to Phil's old town. Everything about it felt magical and grand.
"There is a castle in the middle." My eyes sparkled. I was thinking about the many fantastical situations of a handsome prince roaming on the castle ground.
"A prince is living there, right?" I pointed in excitement as my delusional fantasy was acting up again, creating a fantastical story.
"There is. The most ruthless one in existence." My dream was shattered in an instant. "You broke my dreams."
"What dream?" Phil stared at me strangely.
"It's nothing." I gave out a sigh. So much for a handsome kind prince. Instead, he stated he was considered ruthless, possibly even evil. That was a big no in my books.
"I do not like this." Phil's voice rang out with unease.
"What's wrong?" I turned my gaze towards where he was looking. Large sentries of guards were stationed at the gates examining the wagons and the people.
"The security is tighter than I last remembered. It must be because of the goblins and the increase in refugees. Though I have to wonder why so many? It doesn't take such a large force."
"I hope it won't bring us trouble."
"We'll see."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone