The world swirled around Esmerelda. Swathes of darkness danced amidst fading orange and brown. Distant sound pricked at the back of her ears and she groaned, her eyes fluttering. Something cold, wet, and rough was pressed against her forehead.

A towel.

More sound returned with her growing awareness. The towel pulled back to let a flicker of dim light wash across the counter before her. Ifrit and his guild were gathered around her, concerned expressions on their faces.

“Esmerelda!” Rodrick exclaimed, the warrior’s voice booming in her ears.

The demon beside him smacked him on the shoulder. “Hush! Don’t be too loud. She just passed out.”

“Shit,” the warrior said in a much lower tone as he winced. “Sorry. Are you okay, ma’am?”

Esmerelda’s lips were dry and gummy. An imp shifted in the shadows at the edge of her vision. The monster was far from dangerous to her, but it only served to prove without a shadow of a doubt that she hadn’t somehow hallucinated something.

It should have been impossible. Devils had entered the realm before, but it was impossible for them to remain for a long period of time. They had no physical form. The only thing they could do was temporarily possess a body.

Some could keep their hold for years before their grip evaporated and the body collapsed, but that was it. Esmerelda had absolutely no problem with that. Their games were fun, and they broke up the monotony.

This was different. Ifrit was a devil made flesh. More than that, he’d already established a foothold in the city. Her mind reeled in disbelief. Calling this a foothold was a misrepresentation. It was more than a mere foothold.

The demon — Lillia — beside Esmerelda was strong. There was no doubt about it. The way the shadows clung to her skin was unique to a rather powerful skill, and Esmerelda had lived for long enough steeped with magic to feel the subtle differences in it.

It was difficult to describe the feeling Lillia gave her but Esmerelda was willing to bet everything in her shop that she was no average demon. On top of that, their merchant was a literal vampire.

Vampires were some of the most dangerous monsters due to their resemblance to humans. They could disguise themselves nearly flawlessly until they opened their mouths and revealed just how truly foreign they were to human societies.

And somehow, Lillia and the vampire weren’t the only things that were out of place. Magic was present in almost every single one of the guilds’ weapons. She couldn’t tell how much there was or what it did. It didn’t matter. Their reaction to her pendant had said everything.

They hadn’t found it worthwhile. A pendant that almost anyone in Milten would have been drooling over was nothing more than a novelty to them. The pendant was far from the strongest item Esmerelda possessed, but it was ill omens for a devil to already be this powerful.

Do I act? I care little for most people, but an incursion like this into the mortal realm could be dire. This goes beyond me having a little fun at the cost of a few lives. The devil has grown incredibly powerful in what must have been a short amount of time. I refuse to believe he’s been present for longer. I would have noticed.

But… the devil invited me here. If I try to escape too quickly, they will catch on. And even if I do leave, do I truly care enough about this city to bother warning anyone? My own cover will be destroyed in the process.

“Are you okay?” Ifrit asked, waving a hand before Esmerelda. “You took quite the thump there. I’m sorry I didn’t realize you were unsteady. I should have caught you.”

“I’m fine,” Esmerelda said as she finally found her words and shook her head. “I was merely surprised. I didn’t expect—”

“I’m not a real demon,” Lillia said with a sheepish smile so convincing that Esmerelda almost bought it. Almost. The demon gave her tail a small tug. “This is a costume. The imps are made from shadow magic.”

That is most certainly not a costume, and you most certainly are a real demon.

Ifrit reached up to his helm and pulled it off, revealing a relatively handsome face with a long scar beneath an eye. “I hope we didn’t scare you too much. I really should have properly warned you.”

“Yes,” the merchant said, giving her a smile complete with two long fangs. “We are normal.”

Lillia smacked him over the back of his head. “I’m sorry. Madiv has a poor sense of humor. His fangs are fake as well. They’re made from Wyrmling bone and connected to his normal incisors. The process is quite a pain, but if he keeps acting like a little shit, I’m sure he’d be willing to pull one of them out to show you.”

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Madiv cleared his throat. “I’d prefer not to. It would take me some time to re-attach another fang.”

Esmerelda waited for them to all start laughing, but none of them did. They genuinely seemed to expect her to believe their explanation that they were all just normal people and not a collection of monsters.

If every single sense I’ve trained over my life hadn’t been telling me most of them aren’t human, they might have actually convinced me. It just makes absolutely no sense for such a collection to exist in the center of Milten’s slums.

“I… see,” Esmerelda said slowly. It was a poor idea to try to argue otherwise. She wasn’t certain she could defeat a devil, much less one with a small army. “No harm done. I simply overreacted.”

“Here,” Lillia said, setting a plate of cut-up meat on the table before her. “It’s Wyrmling steak. Maybe you need to eat. Get some energy back.”

That sounded like a horrible idea. Taking gifts from a group like this… Esmerelda was starting to regret her decision to follow Ifrit more and more with every passing second. She swallowed.

This is what I get for cavorting with Devils. I should have known better. And I can’t believe I passed out like some poor damsel. Absolutely pathetic. I’m getting far too old for this. I should have stayed retired.

She searched for a way to politely refuse. None showed itself. Burying her discomfort and regret, Esmerelda reached for the fork. They’d even cut the food up so she could eat it easier. There was no way to magically remove the chunk of meat from her fork without them noticing. She delivered the food to her mouth and bit down.

Esmerelda froze. She chewed a single time, then swallowed. Energy poured into her body and filled her muscles with strength that they hadn’t had in years. Even her own magic hadn’t been able to keep her in perfect form.

There were limits to everything, and she was no exception. The mortal body could only go so far without advancing to the highest ranks. Her skill was not significant enough to ignore those laws. Still, it had kept her alive for far longer than someone of her ability had any right to live.

But this… there was no mistaking it. The power wasn’t undoing decades of damage. It wasn’t going to shave away years of age. It was temporary, but it was more than she had felt in ages. Every single fiber of her ancient form screamed for more.

Esmerelda’s mouth watered. She didn’t even hesitate for a second. Two bites were no worse than one. The meal vanished from the plate before her as she shoveled it into her mouth. Every single piece sent a little more energy through her weary body.

“This is incredible,” Esmerelda breathed once she’d finished, regretfully scanning the plate in search for more food and finding none. Aches that had been set in her back for as long as she could remember released her from their clutches. A comforting warmth gathered in her stomach. She almost felt spry. It was the greatest thing she’d ever eaten.

“I have never had anything of its like.”

Lillia blushed. “Thank you. I tried to make sure it would really fill you up and make you feel better. I’m glad it worked.”

Esmerelda shifted and stretched her arms above her head. They didn’t pop. They didn’t even crack. A delighted grin crossed her features. She could already feel the strongest effects of the dish fading away, but the warmth and strength lingered on.

Devil be damned. I don’t care who they are anymore. I’m selling my soul if it lets me keep eating like this. I forgot what it feels like to actually be able to move around normally.

“What do I have to do to get more of that?” Esmerelda asked.

They all laughed. Esmerelda’s spine prickled. That was never a good sign. The first taste may have even been free, but nothing like this could ever —

“Five silver. My prices raised a bit recently,” Lillia said.

Esmerelda blinked. “What?”

“Oh, this one was free,” Lillia said hurriedly as she picked the plate up and handed it to an imp that stepped from the shadows. “I wouldn’t take advantage of you like that. It was a gift. But more are five silver.”

“…Five silver?”

“Yup,” Lillia said. “Six if you want a drink. Well, it could be a bit more depending on the drink, but that’s what it generally ends up being.”

Silver? That’s it? Is it a fake word?

Esmerelda’s hand shot into her pocket and into a small dimensional space sewn into it. She pulled a gold out and set it on the table, watching Lillia warily. “Could I—”

“Coming right up.” Lillia smiled and scooped the coin off the table. She deposited five silvers in its place, then shot off to the kitchen. She paused at the doorway and stuck her head back out. “Make sure you lot don’t overstress her. She needs to rest.”

“We won’t,” Rodrick promised.

Lillia disappeared into the kitchen. Esmerelda stared at the coins in front of her. They’d literally just wanted money. Now she was even more confused.

I am missing something. The devil brought me here… to sell me food like this for five silver? Perhaps I hit my head harder than I thought.

“How are you feeling?” Ifrit asked with a concerned frown that looked strikingly true. Devils were masters of manipulation. Esmerelda was more than aware of that, but he was good. Very good. It really looked like he was concerned.

“I’m fine,” Esmerelda said with a shake of her head. “There is no cause for concern. I just haven’t gone out much as of late.”

“That makes sense,” Ifrit said with a knowing nod. A smile drifted across his lips as he looked over to the kitchen, his eyes sparkling. “Lillia’s food will fix you right up. She’s something else.”

Master of manipulation indeed. Devils can’t feel emotion like this, but Ifrit genuinely seems to be in love.

Esmerelda swallowed her thoughts back. The faster she found out what they wanted, the better. She couldn’t handle the uncertainty any longer.

“What is it that you thought I could aid you with?” Esmerelda asked.

“Ah, right.” Ifrit clapped the vampire on his shoulder. “As I mentioned earlier, this is Madiv. He’s our merchant, and he really needs a supplier. He’s been having some trouble getting stock.”

That could be just what I need. Some proper business talk to get my mind back in things.

Esmerelda shook herself off and then blew out a short breath. A practiced smile crossed her face and she turned her attention to Madiv. Vampire or not, everyone had something they wanted. Something they needed.

She just had to find out how much he was willing to give up.

“In that case, let’s get to it,” Esmerelda said. Words she’d said to countless adventurers. Most of them hadn’t gotten fortunate enough to hear them a second time. “What can this humble old woman do for you?”