It's been eight days since we left the capital of the kingdom. According to the map from my other half, we're on the Demon Continent now. We stopped a few times along the way for me to refuel and for Lenoly to eat, but generally traveled without making any detours. I feel like it's a shame that I didn't get to go sightseeing in the Empire of Terminus, which I passed over in the faux dragon form, but I think it's better to hurry and get things over with.
What those things are? Well, making myself known to my mother and asking for her help in bringing back my other half. After all, I'm an existence she most likely doesn't know about, and it might either cause her trouble or become useful for her later on. Whichever it is, having maou-mama's support is the top priority.
Therefore, I haven't had any time to have any recreation time with either Lenoly or the cat-girl prisoner inside me. I did learn to create a space inside myself and use an avatar body to check on her from time to time, but since it requires my consciousness to move away from the outside, I can't do that too often. After all, I'm still flying high up in the sky and have to keep my mind on it. Even if Lenoly has slowly lost her fear of heights during our journey, I'm sure she won't take kindly to me suddenly breaking into a nosedive because I let my mind wander - literally.
"So, first order of things: Find out where the capital is." With this, I begin to descend into the first town I spot from the skies, one with a population of maybe two thousand, located behind thick walls. Unlike in the human territories, I don't feel the need to hide my appearance and powers around here. Transforming into my Fata form - I choose black wings for obvious reasons - I land in the middle of the town's plaza while carrying Lenoly in my arms.
I look around at the people, who stop and stare at me in curiosity. To me, they're all much more curious than I am in appearance, though - unless I were to show my real form. Many have differently colored skin, horns and other appendages not found in humans, and some even have entire animal heads or limbs. There's even someone with a horse's head, walking through the streets without a care in the world! After a moment, they continue with their business as usual and my presence disappears in the crowd.
This is a nice feeling. I can be myself without hiding anything around here, truly the Demon Continent.
First things first: To find a map and gather information about where the capital is located. Thus, I need to find a store like the one in the Mineva Republic, which sells one. However, unlike the republic, this place has much less order in its arrangement. In fact, the streets are dirt rather than paved, and it's clear that the overall wealth and economic level of the Demon Continent is lower than that of either the Mineva Republic or the Kingdom of Lares, let alone the Empire of Terminus - judging by the few times we actually entered a town to resupply.
"Hello, can you tell me where I can find a store that sells maps?" I ask the first person coming my way. It's a bald man with scaly skin and a snake-like face. Taken by surprise, he looks at me and Lenoly for a moment without blinking, before shrugging.
"I don't know about any map store, but where do you want to go?" The snake man asks while raising a brow - or rather, the muscle for it, since he lacks eyebrows.
"To the capital." I respond truthfully, as I see no reason for hiding anything. If it's a bad call, I can always take to the skies with Lenoly and get out of here.
"Hm, maybe you can ask a merchant to bring you along for the right coin." He says while forming a ring with his scaly fingers, symbolizing money. I guess that's a universal gesture, since it has the same meaning in my previous world. "They should be packing up and ready to leave about now, so you better hurry."
"Thank you." I give him a bow, upon which he scratches his head in wonder, before I run off with Lenoly in tow. I saw the marketplace from the sky, and since this town is so small, it's just a small distance for me to sprint. I learned that Lenoly is unexpectedly able to keep up with me physically, even though I have this convenient body and was a track and field ace, which has taught me the proper breathing techniques for running long distances. Guess it's because she's a goat demon?
"This is so exciting! It's my first time on the Demon Continent." Lenoly says while we run. She never told me that she was born outside of demon territories. I guess she learned the magic to disguise herself from an early age, then. "And I get to see Asoko's mother." She has stopped being so formal after that fateful night, and is calling me by the name my other half has given me. I'm still not sure how I should be feeling about being called "that part", but at this point it's become a habit and I can't really think of another name for people to use, without it becoming confusing.
"Then traveling on land might be a good choice." We're not really under so much time pressure that we can't do that. The way up to the Demon Continent was another thing, because it was a rather dangerous territory to be in. Now, there's nothing but distance keeping us from reaching the demon capital. "You can see some of the continent your parents are from."
We're traveling in a very fantasy-ish way; the wagon we're riding on is being drawn by a large, armored beast that looks like a mix between a rhinoceros and a stag, called a Doruk. It seems to be an incredibly sturdy creature, which is bred specifically as a beast of burden. The cargo consists of crates filled to the brim with salt, which is incredibly heavy, but the Doruk pulls it along without ever tiring.
The merchant who was so kind to take us on without asking for payment is an incredibly rotund man with a bear-like appearance, going by the name Loen. He is actually a bit smaller than I am and looks to be about as wide as he is tall, but that may just be an illusion due to his fluffy graying brown fur, which is covered with a beige and blue robe that sports plenty of golden ornaments. It appears that his trade is going well, as he can afford such luxuries.
"This is your first time in the dominion?" He asks us from the driver's seat. His attitude is friendly and despite having a set of sharp teeth, his smile isn't intimidating at all.
"The dominion?" I guess he means the Demon Continent, but I never heard it being called that before.
"Humans call it the Demon Continent, but that's not a proper title. The real name is the Dominion of Pelomyx. That's just a mouthful, so we shorten it to just the dominion. Every generation of demon lord names it after him or herself." Loen explains with a laugh. "Doesn't matter who's up there for us simple folk. Dominion of Aldeath, Dominion of Pelomyx - it's all the same."
"I see. Yes, this is our first time in the dominion. We are looking to reconnect with family." I pet Lenoly's head, around the curved horns she's now showing off openly. I'm actually speaking the truth about our goal, but I keep it vague on purpose. I don't want to let anyone know that I'm the demon queen's daughter until I really have to. From my other half, I heard that maou-mama is feared by quite a few people, because they know that she's a Crawling Chaos, which is a being that could destroy the entire world. I don't want to cause a panic or needless enmity.
"That's good to hear. You two grew up in the human territories, huh?" Loen smiles and looks up into the unclouded sky. "My son went there a few winters back. He told me that he found a good wife and is living a peaceful life now, in the countryside of the empire of Thermes or something like that." He chuckles. "Those foreign places all have such complex names. An old man like me can't remember them all. It's not like they have anything to do with our everyday lives."
"I heard that there was a large campaign into demon territories not too long ago. Did that not affect you here?" I ask in curiosity. My other half told me that the army led by the human king - whom we ate for our first breakfast - and the elvish queen - whom maou-mama ate for the same meal - had been a million strong. That should have had a large impact on those towns that lay in the army's path to the capital.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"They circled around the Cape of Nervis, through the Strait of Griphs. The beaches there are much wider to allow for the landing of a large army. There are only a few small towns along the way to the capital from there, which were evacuated in time." That explains why he can talk about it in such a carefree manner. If the human army had pillaged and slaughtered all demons along the way to the capital, he would have a much grimmer expression while speaking of this. "It's a shame for those who live there, but houses can be rebuilt. In either case, we have peace now and it's for the best."
"Yes, I think so, too." I respond with a distant look. That kind of life is looking to be far out of reach for me. All I can do now is to live to the fullest, take things as they are and try to create a place for myself and those close to me. Hm... wait, did I just realize the profound truth about the powerlessness of an individual in this vast world? Maybe I'm just being too small-minded, though; after all, I think I can make a difference on my own, because I'm a powerful existence.
The journey to the capital was largely uneventful and took us five days. We spent the nights in three small towns and one larger city, reaching the capital in the evening of the last day. Along the way I got a nice glimpse at life on the Demon Continent; it's not much different from that of humans. Apparently this part of the continent is more densely populated than the parts beyond the capital, which are mostly savanna and dry steppe. While the coastal regions were grassy plains and small forests, the scenery has changed into a barren wasteland now that we're at the gates of the capital.
Speaking of the capital, the demon castle is the very symbol of fantasy world architecture. When I looked out the window from inside it, I didn't realize, but the castle stands on a large rock formation floating in midair, without anything connecting it to the ground below. The castle itself is a monumental building similar in size to the one of the kingdom, but of a strangely monolithic architecture unlike anything I've seen so far. It would tower over the city even if it had been built on the ground. The walls are painted dark gray, much like the rest of the city itself.
No matter how I look at it, it's a demon castle. Maybe I should propose an image-change to maou-mama, so that it gives a better impression to visitors. Then again, there's no point in trying to look better to humans; if they make it this far, it'd be alongside an army, in an attempt to take down the demon lord. And those will certainly not be turned back by a beautiful white city or something like that.
"Impressive, isn't it? I heard that no such place exists anywhere in the human territories." Loen speaks with a hint of pride. Being able to show this to people for the first time may instill him with a sense of achievement.
"How is it floating?" Lenoly asks in wonder. At this point I don't doubt the power of magic anymore, but I'm also curios to see by what spell it's staying up there for this long.
"I don't know, it's not a magic us common folk can comprehend." Shrugging with a laugh, Loen guides the wagon through the open gates and into the city. The first thing I notice is that right beyond the gates, pavement starts, even though no paved road led up to it. The second thing is that the city's layout is not as orderly as the capital of the kingdom; the main street from the gate curves and disappears behind a bend, rather than leading straight through the city and towards the castle. "So, where should I drop you off?"
"Around here is fine, we will find our way." I say and jump off the wagon with Lenoly. "Thank you so much, Master Loen. I will never forget your kindness. Are you sure you do not want to accept any payment for bringing us along?"
"Oh no, young ladies. It would have been a lonely journey without somebody to talk to. That's payment enough." The bear-faced demon gives me a radiant smile and I feel warmth surround my figurative heart. This is how an adventure in a fantasy world should be like, meeting new and interesting people, hearing their stories and becoming friends. Without thinking, I jump up onto the driver's seat and embrace the fluffy old man. "Hohoho, how lovely." He laughs and returns the gesture.
We part ways with much waving and continue on, each going after their own business, sure to keep this encounter in a special place in our memories.
"So, how do we get up there? I feel like we'll be shot down if I just fly." I think out loud while we move in the most direct line towards the floating castle.
"My parents come from a place in the southwest of here, and they've never been to the capital before, so they never told me about this. But as long as there are people living up there, food has to be transported there somehow." Lenoly responds with a thoughtful look. Well, that's obvious; I know for that a fact that there's a small army of maids up there, and I'm fairly certain at least some of them require food. I think what she means is that it can't be a very complex mechanism, as it would be a huge waste of time and effort to transport large quantities of things up and down on a daily basis.
"Let's first get to the place under the castle. If there's some form of lift, it'd have to be there." The rock formation is pointed at the bottom, somewhat like an upside down mountain, so the point closest to the ground is most likely where whatever can get us up there will be located.
Thus, we make our way towards the castle, through a bustling city that is no different from the capital of the kingdom. The people hurry along to attend to their own businesses or are on their way home, strolling leisurely and unfettered by time constraints. Much like the Mineva Republic, this place looks scientifically and culturally more advanced than the Middle ages. Well, considering the fact that proper window panes and running tap water exists in some parts of this world and doesn't in others simply shows that it's a matter of magic and cost, rather than science.
The people are all demons, and the vast majority have very obvious inhuman appearances. I spot a cat-eared girl and am immediately reminded of the one inside my body. Oh, I forgot to check on Ninlil for the past few days. I'll get to it the moment we're inside the castle, but to remind myself of it, I write it onto the palm of my hand by morphing my skin. When we can finally get some rest there, I'll have some fun with her, if she's still alive.
But speaking of the castle... the space underneath the rock formation it's built on is a large crater, its shape looking like it can fit the entire thing. In other words, the mountain was literally ripped out of the ground and made to fly in the sky. I just don't understand the reasoning behind making it float, if the freed space is not used for something. This is just showing off then. Well, at least they have the area cordoned off, so that people don't accidentally fall into the crater.
"There's nothing here... don't tell me they use the transportation network for logistics?" I mutter while looking up with my head in my neck. Alright, we may not be pressed for time, but I still don't want to waste any, searching for one such entrance. "Wait here, I'll go take a look." Saying this to Lenoly, I grow out black Fata wings and take off into the skies.
Actually, there are other flying demons above the city, but they're making sure to keep their distance from the castle. As expected, there must be a no-fly zone around here, and I've just broken it in the most glorious manner. From one of the castle's towers, a group of winged beings come down towards me. With my enhanced Fata vision, I can tell that they're maids with all kinds of wings, such as those of insects or bats, as well as one pair of black feathered ones. And they all carry very long spears, pointing them at me as they approach.
"Halt, intruder!" The one at the front, an incredibly tall maid with dark red eyes and brown hair tied into a bun, demands. Her wings are demonic crimson ones, with sharp claws at their tips, and stand in sharp contrast with her straight-laced appearance. The only thing she's missing are glasses, and I can imagine her being the head maid already.
"I am daughter of Demon Queen Pelomyx, but I would rather not show my real appearance while in midair, so let us set down somewhere, first." I announce. " I seek an audience with my mother."
"The demon queen is not in the castle right now." The big maid states as she approaches me further. "I can see that you are Chaos-sama." Well, I did take on her appearance, but considering that there are shape-shifters in this world... hm? Did she just use a Japanese honorific? Wait... what did she just say before that just now?
"... my mother is not here?" I ask cautiously, in case I misheard.
"Yes, she left for a journey to visit various places within her dominion a day ago." She responds in a matter of fact tone. "As always, she left on her own, without telling anyone about her plans. Whenever she goes on such a journey, she may be gone for several weeks or even moons, and nobody knows where exactly she is." My body slumps and I start to slowly float downwards, followed by the winged maids who look at my reaction in surprise and worry.
We could have flown all the way here and have arrived much earlier, but I thought that we wouldn't be pressed for time. Dammit... missed by just a day!