Demon Lord: Erotic Adventure in Another World

She asked with a soft but calm tone—Ryuji watched her face for a moment. He saw her eyes no longer seemed dull, and her lips showed an awkward smile. She needed time by herself; Ryuji understood this, so he simply nodded. "Of course, you can." He reached out one last time, and her body twitched slightly as he stroked her smooth cheek with his index finger.

The tender feeling from a while ago made Ryuji forget the situation and feel excited and joyful inside. He slowly retracted his hand and stood up from her sofa while looking down at the young woman he wanted to protect. Alicia just sat there, hugging her chest, looking at him with narrowed eyes, yet her mouth curled slightly into a lovely smile. "Thank you, Ryuji. It means a lot."

Ryuji didn\'t respond. Instead, he tapped her wooden doorframe and waved over his shoulder. "I\'ll wait for you. Let me know when you\'re ready."

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His mother\'s lessons were still something important to him, and she nagged him that although he should pursue the women, he likes with confidence and make sure he didn\'t let up on the chase, he shouldn\'t cling or overstay.

There would come a time when his presence was a bother to his target. So, sometimes, he needs to respect the wishes and needs of the girl and create distance, no matter his intentions and feelings.

He believed the only way for her to cope and overcome these feelings was if Alicia discovered the solution she needed on her own.

Alicia watched him leave the door, the feeling of bitter cold seeping into her home the moment he left through the doors. She grasped the quilt and wrapped herself, taking a deep breath while hugging herself. "It smells like Ryuji..." She whispered while lying on the sofa and closing her eyes.

***

Ryuji stepped outside with a mixture of feelings inside his mind. However, when he decided to forget the issue for now, all those complicated thoughts just vanished. Instead, he found he was quite hungry. Somehow, during all the interaction and stress of the afternoon with the dungeon and Alicia\'s change, his body seemed to ignore his basic needs.

\'Let\'s go see Saki and have something to eat together.\'

His stomach seemed to agree, as it grumbled almost the instant the thought formed in his head.

Ryuji walked through the high-class area where most of the special case knights lived and felt their homes were rather beautiful and neat, wondering if they had helped keeping them clean. His long stride brought him back to the bazaar in a few minutes, passing many knights and adventurers who were heading toward the dungeon.

\'It\'s quite busy around here; I can see all the knights rushing around looking for last-minute party members, haha.\'

Saki looked just as cute as always at her information desk, though Ryuji noticed one thing. The chain that used to be fastened to her neck now seemed to have been removed, and an old, plump merchant was standing beside her, looking nervous. "I wonder what\'s going on?" Ryuji whispered to himself as he approached.

The moment Saki saw him, her lovely brown eyes almost shone as she smiled and rushed to Ryuji\'s side. "H-Hey!" She seemed a little nervous. Probably the merchant was bothering her with some questions. Still, her happiness to see Ryuji was unmasked as she hugged his waist tight and rubbed her face against his stomach. "Ryuji~ I thought you wouldn\'t come again today."

Ryuji raised one eyebrow but chuckled and patted her head before trying to whisper while putting his mouth to her ear. "Were you bothered by that old Merchant?"

Though the merchant seemed to hear his words and jumped, looking at Ryuji with the strangest of eyes... It looked like he saw the most terrifying monster from the depths of the dungeon as he held a parchment with trembling hands. "I-I am... the master of Saki...." He began, still trembling as Saki pulled Ryuji tighter.

She whispered, pouting at him. "That man is the one who captured me. Now he wants to sell me!"

The merchant\'s sweat dropped at her honest exclamation, coughing a little as he tried not to show the irritation in his tone, though his face twisted slightly enough for Ryuji to see. "I am not trying to sell you to anyone, mutt. But to the Blood Tyrant who has expressed interest in you!"

\'It seems he wants to form a connection, but it cannot be with me. After all, I haven\'t achieved anything yet. Is it Alan? Does this greasy fat guy want to make some deals with Alan!?\'

"Oh, is the Blood Tyrant really interested?" Ryuji asked. This statement took the merchant and even the dumb, innocent Saki, who looked at her merchant owner by surprise. Her hold on his waist tightened.

Though the merchant probably understood who Ryuji was, Saki\'s cute reaction and the way she looked so scared made him chuckle under his breath. Still, Ryuji didn\'t miss the slight flash in the merchant\'s eyes the moment he chuckled, which was soon replaced by respect and fear.

\'So he knows to be scared, good. Alan, I will use the support you give me to save this girl. If you are angry later, I\'ll just earn you some more gold!\'

"Well, I believe if the merchant makes his offer known, the amount of money and his terms. Then the Tyrant and his patron will accept it." Ryuji nodded his head as his stomach growled lightly, his sudden hunger seeming to return to the surface the moment Saki\'s delightful smell entered his nostrils.

The merchant understood the meaning of Ryuji\'s words and held out the contract, with it already stamped with his name and emblem. It didn\'t even cost that much, though it mentioned arranging a meeting between Alan and the merchant from the Damaris group within three months after the deal. Otherwise, it was void.

Alan wouldn\'t refuse this deal if Ryuji asked and told the true reason.

So the deal went ahead easily—the merchant was overjoyed. Still, he wanted Ryuji\'s signature or blood on the document, which Saki would not allow.

So he wrote his signature using her blood, causing Ryuji to find the little beastkin adorable. Soon after the contract exchange, the merchant took his leave and promised his return the day after since he offered Saki a job doing the same task, but now she would get paid the very minimum wages, but only half the hours, and with those terms, Saki seemed excited.

Though Ryuji wanted to help her become stronger, he didn\'t have a way yet. Nor did he realise that the Demon Queen and King were feared because they could make the most useless people into powerful existences.

This is something he would learn when returning home to meet the others.

\'It seems being fond of them isn\'t enough alone to change them...\'

However, he seemed to have realised some rules regarding who would change or transform after his sudden awakening. Though he wondered if he could really test on the cute Saki, even though she was so much older, it just felt wrong.

As for the merchant, his personality wasn\'t as bad as Ryuji thought. Instead, he seemed to be set in his ways, and after apologising to Ryuji and giving a bow to Saki, Ryuji wondered if the Damaris group might not be so bad if they could adapt and change. Though right now, who wanted to think of some sweaty old man...

Ryuji ignored those complicated thoughts and turned Saki around by grabbing her ears lightly and stroking them before she made a lovely growl and tapped his chest. "Stop it, Ryuji, it tickles too much!"

"Ah, sorry, your ears are different from Yumiko, so I wanted to enjoy the soft sensation." He responded honestly before looking at her waist and patting his stomach. "Shall we get something to eat together? If there\'s somewhere in particular you recommend, please let me know."

"Ehe~ anywhere is fine with you!" Saki responded by taking his hand and rushing him towards the dining area, which seemed much quieter from early this afternoon.

Most people had already eaten and returned to the dungeon or the city. A place that still had a lively atmosphere was where Saki brought him, holding his large hands. Ryuji noticed people did not like that she seemed so attached to him, whispering among themselves.

Maybe because this area was filled with the beastkin, the foods were thick and large portions with lots of meat and fewer veg. It made Ryuji look at Saki with shock as she ordered a plate of meat and gravy, the huge chunk bigger than her head!

Of course, the menu called it the slayer size. An order big enough to feed three grown men was a set that came with bread and sides. However, Saki ate with glee, squealing whenever the gravy inside the meat leaked out into her mouth.

"Ehehe~ I got paid for all my work. Saki is so rich now, all thanks to Ryuji."

"What? He paid you for the past work, too!?" Ryuji felt shocked. The merchant paid her for all the past she worked here, even at a low rate. That would be two or three gold coins!

\'Maybe I was really wrong about that guy... I will make sure to tell Alan that his group might be an excellent investment if they can act this way.\'

"Mm! Look! I\'ve never seen so many shiny coins!" Saki opened her little purse before revealing several dozen bright silver coins; those were the large ones worth a lot, then four golden coins and many smaller silver and copper coins mixed in. "I didn\'t need this much!"

Seeing the excited Saki made him wonder why other beastkin and even humans despise the beastkin. Maybe because the difference wasn\'t as large, it was like the same race or similar races hating each other just because they can. He remembered the pointless wars and disagreements with humans alone in his old world.

\'Nothing like the difference between a demon and a human, though. But since Saki has this much money, I am worried for her safety. There must be item storage that cannot be stolen... How to protect her; I hope Erika and Yumiko can teach her self-defence at least...\'

"I\'m glad, but be careful, Saki. This place isn\'t safe. There might be jealous people who try to take your money." Ryuji advised the beautiful fluffy woman, who just smiled. "Since you need somewhere safe to stay. There\'s an extra room inside Alan\'s mansion that isn\'t for guests, and you can ask them for a room to rest. I also live there."

Ryuji informed Saki of this new plan, and it seemed she already considered finding herself a residence. Though the beastkin houses were mostly poorer, because they needed to pay more to rent or buy them, so she agreed, excited that she would share a mansion with Ryuji.

"Ryuji, come on, eat your meat! We have to go and find me a room."