"Good morning, Sir Ryuji~ Do you want so breakfast?" Martha greeted Asmodeus with the brightest and delightful style, despite her hips being a little strange and her walking with a slight limp.
He couldn’t help but smile as he looked towards the door. He saw the plump Brando standing outside, speaking to soone.
"You look different today, Brando. Are you opening up early?"
"Of course, Pat! The world is great, and I feel so happy to be alive."
Pat wore a white set of overalls and carried a sack filled with milk bottles...
"Thanks for always selling my milk at a decent price, Brando. If it wasn’t for you, I might have been driven out to a smaller village by now."
Asmodeus sat at the table while listening to the conversations.
He was happy that his potion seed to have succeeded; not only did he feel a sense of kinship with Brando, but it was faint, like a whisper at most.
"Good morning, Asmodeus!" Brando smiled as he slamd the door open.
"I see you’re up already. How are you feeling?" He asked with a smile on his face, making him appear kinder than usual.
"Good... better than before, to be honest."
The plump rchant walked with a jerk, but his face shone, even the balding spot seed to have recovered... no. ’His hair has grown back overnight? Is that... thanks to my blood?’ Brando ca close and whispered into his ear.
"Ryuji, my friend, my brother... my saviour! I cannot thank you enough... it was the first ti... first ti I could see Martha so happy... to finish with , rather than... in the shower later..." The whispering rchant trembled from his emotions.
Asmodeus smiled and patted Brando’s back, "I am glad to hear it, Brando. Just be careful to avoid overdoing it, you’re not young anymore, haha."
"Please stay with us as long as you like, my friend... and please let pay you for your help."
"Don’t be foolish, Brando, our friendship shouldn’t be based on money, as for staying here, if I need to, I’ll accept." He laughed.
"Yes! You are most generous, Sir Ryuji~." Brando bowed his head several tis before Martha pulled him away from Asmodeus, whispering sothing in his ear. He smiled brightly, causing his cheeks to flush, and he looked back towards his wife with a warm smile.
"Wow... they look so different."
Lumina’s low voice was sensual and alluring.
At least to Asmodeus.
He turned back and found that her face looked just as radiant as Martha’s had been before she leaned against him and hugged his arm tightly.
"I’m happy that you felt good from my body, fufu."
"Did you think otherwise? Have you forgotten the first ti we t..."
Lumina’s cheeks beca bright red from his words as she slapped his back, huffing and turning away while humming complaints.
"Calm down, let’s head out to et Simon after breakfast."
"Okay, darling~"
Asmodeus’s smile faltered when he heard those words, but he kept his composure. ’Why do I feel like everything is moving so fast...?’
The breakfast was delicious, vast, and it was clear that the married couple wanted to show thier appreciation.
Sausages, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, pudding, and even toast and jams... they made so much food.
Lumina ate with a satisfied expression, while Asmodeus tried his best to enjoy every bite and ended up overeating, because of the nostalgic flavour that reminded him of ho.
"That was delightful." Asmodeus patted his full stomach, sighing contentedly.
"So you’re heading out today?" Brando seed disappointed, but Ryuji couldn’t help but find him more likeable now that he had so confidence in himself. The other man nodded. "That’s right. I want to thank you for everything, and I hope that this is only our first visit together."
"The sa goes for us too, after our quest ends, I will make sure to visit you often, and we’ll use your stores too."
"Quest?" Martha asked curiously.
Lumina nodded her head as she took another sip of her tea. "Well, we earn money as adventurers, it’s just a little fancy word for a job."
"Oh my..." She said with wide eyes before turning to her husband, who looked just as surprised, before nodding his head quickly. "Please do be careful, recently the coastline and forests have been swarming with goblins and other monsters."
"Oh?" Asmodeus found it amusing that Martha had that information. "Do you know why?"
"Forgive , Sir Ryuji, but all I know is that... The wives of the local rchants et once a week, and many of the wives have heard their husbands and sons complaining about the increase in monsters and thier strength. They have beco so powerful that they have started to raid smaller villages near the coast..." She paused for a mont as if thinking about sothing.
"It is strange, though. It seems that most of these attacks are centred around coastal towns and cities, which leads to believe that perhaps they’re coming from the ocean..."
’From the ocean...’
That reminded Asmodeus about the ocean shrine that he destroyed, but there was no way they could have rebuilt that yet...
He shrugged his shoulders and looked at the concerned couple. "Don’t worry, we will find more allies if we head anywhere dangerous."
Lumina nodded her head to help ease their worries.
"Good... I am glad to hear it." Martha said with a relieved sigh.
Brando nodded in agreent, "I hope you co back to visit soon."
After leaving, it felt strange. Asmodeus looked back and wondered why soone they had t the day before felt so comfortable around them.
Lumina humd happily beside him. "You did a good thing."
"I guess... let’s get to eting Simon and Paul then."
***
Before leaving, Asmodeus gave Vinea an item that would allow them to communicate when they were close together. He took the small object from his pocket, placed it inside his ear, and tapped the small blue button.
A hiss sounded in his eardrum, before mana started to collect in the small bead.
To his side, Lumina held Ryuji’s hand as they sat on a bench, waiting for a group of adventurers to walk past.
It seed that this was the only place with this many adventurers nearby, so it made sense that Simon would use the area as a eting place. There were even so guards wearing uniforms from various guilds who gave a look at Lumina and Ryuji for a mont, before turning away, and complaining about loving couples.
’Oi! Simon, Paul. Can you hear ?’
The earpiece vibrated for several seconds, humming with mana as Ryuji thought about Simon and Paul in his head, trying to link his mana through the special device that could link the thoughts of those who wore the sa device.
’Ah-yes!’
’We can hear you... I didn’t expect such technology to be possible, or at least not easy enough to understand for soone like .’ Simon spoke with a casual tone.
’What do you an?’
’I had to cut my earlobe to install this thing; hahaha!’
No matter how many tis he t or spoke to these n, they didn’t change, but sohow from their voices, even though it was inside their minds. No. Maybe because it was their mind’s voice, he could feel the tremble, the shake in each word.
’Sothing happened, didn’t it?’
Asmodeus suddenly regretted not contacting them the night before.
He beca quiet, feeling Lumina’s silky palm against his, the soft threads of webbing remaining cool in the sweltering sun.
’Boss... there is so strange kind of disease spreading through the city, it’s able to affect big sister!’ Simon ntioned the sa sickness they reported in the past.
He called Vinea big sister for so reason, but Asmodeus didn’t call him out.
’So, what are the symptoms?’
This ti, it was Paul who answered; the strange feeling of having two other voices in his head reminded him of speaking to Serana in the past.
He wished to create a long-range version so he could listen to his wives. Or talk to his cute daughters, especially Tsukihana... she always caught his attention with her lovely actions.
’Black Sclera, like ink, not a demonic transformation. Rage and madness, increased emotions, increased strength, short-term mory loss... and they don’t recover from their wounds easily.’
Paul’s voice sounded remarkably calm as he explained all the symptoms he had witnessed.
’This sounds unfamiliar...’ Asmodeus mumbled to himself. ’Have you encountered anything like this before?’ He felt it odd that they had such knowledge, but both remained quiet and didn’t answer. ’I see...’
Asmodeus closed his eyes and leaned back against the soft chest of Lumina. Since the morning event, he hadn’t held back or acted embarrassed whenever she pressed against him in public.
’I’m on my way, where are you?’
Simon’s voice was a bit more cheerful.
’At the main plaza, where all the adventurers and workers gather. Also, if you need supplies, use Brando’s rchant group.’
’The fat little man?’
’Yeah, he’s one of us now, but don’t tell him anything, he’s just soone I want to support for now.’
’Understood, Ryuji, take care. You sound tired.’ Paul’s voice ca last as the call ended; his words and actions, as a big brother, remained even after their status changed.
He looked at Lumina, who fluttered her eyes and smiled back at him.
’This happiness... I cannot lose it.’
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