Illness-san’s teleportation magic deposited us in what I assumed was the Demon Realm, though I couldn't tell exactly where. We stood before the entrance of a massive cave—or rather, it looked more like a tunnel.
"The place beyond here... is where the night market is held..."
"Whereabouts in the Demon Realm are we, exactly?"
"The western region... Due to the surrounding mountains and the terrain... this place... stays in the shade for most of the day... It is difficult to see now that it is night... but large mountains... encircle this entire area..."
I see, it certainly felt like a hidden gem. Listening to her explanation, I followed Illness-san into the tunnel. It was dark, but lighting magic tools were placed at our feet, illuminating the path enough that walking wasn't a problem.
After walking for a short while, I spotted light ahead. As we emerged from the tunnel, a strange and wondrous sight unfolded before us.
It felt like a flea market held at night. A vast array of goods was displayed in long rows on both sides of the road. The area was reasonably lively, with quite a few people milling about, but many of them were figures I rarely saw in the Royal Capital—skeletons that looked like Liches, people with devilish wings, and other unusual races.
"This is amazing. It looks like it covers quite a large area."
"It is divided into sections... to some extent... The area right by the entrance... holds many daily necessities..."
"I see. What are you looking to buy, Illness-san?"
"A few ingredients... None of them are urgent... so we can look at other shops as we go... It is no problem..."
Knowing it was my first time at a night market, Illness-san kindly suggested we browse the other stalls first since her own shopping wasn't a priority. I decided to take her up on that offer, and we began wandering through the section dedicated to daily goods.
Almost immediately, something caught my eye at one of the stalls. It was filled with skeleton figurines and interior decor that appeared to be crafted from bone.
"Oh? Is the lad a human? How about it? Interested in buying something?"
"Hmm, do you have any recommendations?"
The skeleton who seemed to be the shopkeeper spoke to me, so I asked about his best-sellers.
"These ones over here are quite the beauties and handsome fellows. They’ll really brighten up a room if you display them."
"I... I see..."
I had no idea. Were there actually 'handsome' and 'beautiful' skeletons? Where exactly was the distinction? Was it in the shape of the skull, or were there subtle differences I was missing? To be honest, I couldn't even tell their gender just by looking at them, let alone judge their attractiveness.
While I stood there bewildered by the vast difference in our racial common sense, I suddenly noticed a familiar figure. It was a figurine that looked exactly like Zex-san.
"Wait, could this be...?"
"Oh? So even humans know of Zex-sama? It’s a fine piece, isn't it? I’m quite proud of it—I managed to exquisitely capture the dandy lines of Zex-sama’s face."
"I... uh-huh..."
I can't tell the difference at all! And more importantly, I only just learned today that Zex-san is considered 'dandy' in the skeleton world!
"U-Um, it’s a very fine piece of work, but... it doesn't quite fit the atmosphere of my room..."
"Is that so? That’s a shame. Well, if you change your mind, come on back."
"I will. Thank you."
I offered the excuse to extract myself from the stall. Once we had walked a little further away, I whispered to Illness-san.
"Can you tell the difference, Illness-san?"
"I do not know the fine details... but apparently, they judge based on several factors... such as the tint of the bones..."
"So that’s how it works. To be honest, they all just looked like identical skeletons to me."
"Kuhihi... It is the same... for me... If you are looking for decor... how about that shop over there...?"
I looked where Illness-san was pointing and saw another highly unique stall. The shopkeeper was an incredibly large owl. The sense of fantasy was truly off the charts.
"Welcome. A human customer is a rare sight... Oh, you have an intrigued look on your face. Is this your first time seeing a member of the Holoro Race?"
"Yes, I’m sorry. You aren't a common sight in the city where I live, so I was a bit surprised."
"It’s only natural. The Holoro Race is primarily active at night, and we almost never live in the Human Realm. Anyway, please, have a look."
"Thank you. These are... feather ornaments?"
"They’re feathers that have undergone a special process. They make a beautiful sound when the wind catches them. They’re lovely when hung by a window."
Are they like wind chimes? They were a convenient size, and I was curious about the sound they made.
"How much are they?"
"One for 7R. I’ll give you two for 10R if you’re interested."
"In that case, I’ll take two, please."
"Coming right up!"
It seemed like a fun item, so I bought a pair. After thanking the shopkeeper, I started walking again with Illness-san. As we moved, I held out one of the ornaments to her.
"Illness-san, please take this, if you'd like."
"Is this... for me...?"
"Yes. Since we came here together, think of it as a memento of our trip."
"Then... I shall gratefully accept it... Every time it rings... I can remember that I came here with Kaito-sama... That is truly lovely..."
It was likely just a casual thought to her, but Illness-san occasionally said things that made my heart skip a beat. I felt myself getting a little flustered. But as she smiled at me, her expression was so warm and filled with such overflowing kindness that she seemed almost maternal.
Serious-senpai: "I can totally picture Illness looking at Kaito with that smile full of affection. She was probably watching the exchange between Kaito and the shopkeeper with that same fond look... Dammit!"
???: "Hoh... You're analyzing the scene calmly even as you sense the sugar levels rising. You're demonstrating your analytical skills while staying true to your role... Same as always-ssu."
Serious-senpai: "Wait... isn't this the part where you're supposed to wrap it up by saying, 'You've really grown up'?"
???: "...You haven't grown at all."
Serious-senpai: "That's a completely different reference, isn't it!?"