The district Kuro led me to was alive with a different kind of energy than the place we’d just left.
When I heard the word "stalls," I’d pictured something like the festival booths from my old world, but this was more like a thriving shopping street. Small shops lined both sides of the road, and the people passing by gave off a cozy, cheerful vibe.
According to Kuro, the area where I usually shopped was dominated by large stores—mostly selling clothes and furniture—because of the nearby noble estates. This area, however, was close to the Adventurer Guild and various apartment complexes, meaning it was packed with places to eat.
Since it was lunchtime, the streets were crowded, and the air was filled with delicious, mouth-watering aromas drifting from every direction. We decided to grab a bite before exploring further and headed toward a shop Kuro recommended.
The small wooden building had matching benches and tables lined up out front. It had the look of a place for the common folk, and I found myself really liking the atmosphere.
"Hello~!"
"Oh? If it isn't the Underworld King. Welcome, welcome."
Kuro stood in front of the shop with a bright smile, and a pleasant-looking middle-aged woman stepped out from inside. As Kuro had mentioned, people could recognize her if she spoke to them directly. The woman, clearly the owner, smiled back warmly.
"I came for some lunch~"
"Thank you as always. Oh? Is this boy with you, Underworld King?"
"Yep. This is Kaito-kun. He's from the otherworld."
"Ah, right. I heard rumors that someone other than the Hero arrived this year. Welcome! Please, eat your fill."
"Ah, yes. Thank you very much."
It seemed that a middle-aged woman's communication skills were top-tier regardless of the world. She led us to our seats with some light banter, and Kuro and I sat down.
Since it wasn't exactly a formal cafe or restaurant, there was no menu. The shopkeeper simply headed back to her kitchen after seating us. A few minutes later, she returned with a savory aroma and two sandwiches. They were what you’d call baguette sandwiches—meat and colorful vegetables tucked into perfectly toasted bread. It was a hearty, rustic meal, piled high with ingredients. It looked incredible.
"Sorry for the wait! Here’s the special 'Red Bear' Sandwich! Go ahead, dig in!"
"Yay~!"
"..."
Wait. Was it just my imagination, or did she just say "Red Bear"? As in... bear meat?
I mean, maybe bear meat was a common ingredient in this world, but... I really didn't want to know that before I ate it. I wished she’d at least waited until after my first bite to tell me.
Oblivious to my internal crisis, the woman went back to her work. Kuro didn't seem bothered at all and began happily munching away on her sandwich.
"Aren't you eating, Kaito-kun? It’s really good."
"...I’ll dig in."
I needed to adjust my mindset. This was another world; the common sense here was different. Besides, even back in Japan, bear meat wasn't unheard of—there were specialty restaurants that served it.
I decided to look on the bright side. At least it wasn't snake or frog. Taking the sandwich in both hands, I steeled my resolve and took a massive bite.
"...It’s delicious."
"Right? The ones here are truly the best!"
I’d heard that bear meat could be gamey or have a strong, pungent flavor, but this had none of that. If anything, it tasted clean and almost refined. The meat itself was lean, which allowed it to pair perfectly with the generous portion of vegetables and the sweet-and-savory sauce. Despite the size, it didn't feel heavy at all.
The fragrance of the slightly firm, toasted bread tied everything together. Each bite was a perfect harmony of scent and flavor, and the sauce only served to sharpen my appetite.
Kuro watched me eat with a fond smile, but then she paused to look around. She tilted her head curiously.
"...It feels like there are fewer people out today than usual."
"Really? I thought it was pretty crowded. Is it usually busier?"
"Yeah. The Adventurer Guild is right there, so it’s normally packed at lunch... but I haven't seen many adventurers today."
Now that she mentioned it, I realized I hadn't seen many people in armor or carrying weapons.
Overhearing our conversation, the shopkeeper stopped wiping a nearby table and walked over.
"There’s a reason for that. Apparently, a flock of wyverns was spotted in the Northern Mountains. The Adventurer Guild and the knights have been out on a joint subjugation mission since early this morning."
"Huh. It’s rare for wyverns to nest that close to the city."
"I-Is that... dangerous?"
Wyverns. Winged dragons where the arms and wings are one. They were a fantasy staple. Just the name sounded terrifying, and according to the shopkeeper, they were close by. If it was a whole flock, wouldn't the capital be at risk?
When I asked, my voice trembling slightly, Kuro gave me a reassuring smile.
"It’s okay. Among the dragon species, wyverns are low-intelligence and relatively weak."
"I-I see..."
"Don't take her word for it, young man," the shopkeeper corrected with a wry laugh. "To the Underworld King, a wyvern might be nothing more than a gnat, but to a human, even one is a nightmare. That’s why the knights and adventurers teamed up to form a Subjugation Force and headed out immediately."
"..."
Kuro’s casual dismissal of them as "weak" was clearly a matter of perspective.
It sounded like a massive operation. I worried there might be injuries or worse. I didn't know anyone in the knights or the guild, but I couldn't help thinking—if Kuro just stepped in, wouldn't it be over in a second? No one would have to get hurt.
"...Kaito-kun. I can tell what you're thinking, but I can't do that."
"...Eh?"
Sensing my thoughts, Kuro’s voice turned serious, losing its playful edge.
"This is a problem for the Kingdom of Sinfonia. I shouldn't interfere without a good reason."
"..."
"It’s true that if I went, it would be over in an instant. I could take down a hundred or a thousand wyverns without breaking a sweat. But that would be wrong."
Her voice was quiet, yet it carried an immense weight. As she looked me in the eye, her golden pupils held the undeniable dignity of a King.
"This country is a monarchy. That means they have to solve the problems within their own borders using their own strength. If they rely on demons for everything, the government will lose the trust of its people, and the 'equality' between our races will crumble. Of course, I’d help if they officially requested it, or if I thought the situation was truly more than humans could handle... but otherwise, as one of the Six Kings, I can't just go meddling in their affairs."
"..."
I couldn't argue with that. My suggestion had been based on emotion, while Kuro’s logic was sound. Seeing her like this reminded me that she was far older than she looked and possessed a much deeper perspective on the world.
Having made her point, Kuro softened her expression and gave me a comforting smile.
"But don't worry. This country has plenty of excellent knights. And since the mountains are so close, they can send in reinforcements or supplies easily."
"Exactly," the shopkeeper added. "The adventurers around here are top-tier. They won't lose to a few wyverns."
"...Then I guess it’s fine."
Dear Mother, Father—it seems a wyvern nest appeared near the capital. Kuro and the shopkeeper tell me not to worry, but... I don't know. Maybe it's just me, but that sounds like a flag to me.
In the mountainous region north of the Royal Capital, a Subjugation Force composed of elite knights, veteran adventurers, and scouts had gathered to cull the nesting wyverns.
It was the largest-scale operation in years. Between the threat and the high price wyvern materials fetched on the market, the force had swelled to over five hundred volunteers. With famous adventurers and Division Commander-class knights leading the charge, everyone expected a swift victory. Every single person in the force believed it would be a simple mission.
However, halfway up the rocky mountainside where the nest was supposed to be, the members of the Subjugation Force were frozen in terror.
Before them lay a mountain of wyvern corpses. But they hadn't been killed by the Subjugation Force.
"Captain!"
"...What is it?"
"They’re definitely dead, sir... but 'there isn't a single wound' on them..."
The knight in command felt his face go stiff at the report. On their way up, they had encountered two stray wyverns and killed them. But those two had been acting strangely—they were frantic, as if fleeing for their lives. Even the Captain, a veteran of several wyvern hunts, had never seen the creatures so desperate.
Uneasy, they had pushed to the nest faster than planned, only to find over fifty wyverns dead. And not one of them had a single scratch.
"...Captain, could this be..."
"Yeah. There's only one thing capable of this..."
The Captain’s face twisted in fear, matching his trembling subordinate. They knew this sight. They knew what kind of existence could leave such an impossible scene in its wake.
As if to confirm their worst fears, a shadow descended from the peak of the mountain.
"...A-Ah..."
"...Unbelievable... Why here? She almost never leaves the Demon Realm..."
The two men—and every other member of the force—turned pale. Their bodies shook uncontrollably. They were staring at a being that should never have been in a place like this, a symbol of disaster often described as a living calamity.
"...Death King Isis Remnant..."
As the name was whispered in the wind, the King of the Dead, draped in the essence of a thousand deaths, touched down before them.