The Demon Lord Is An Angel
Chapter 317: New Acquaintances

Chapter 317: New Acquaintances

"Can I get a cup of wine?" Kordia asked. "Something red."

"We’ve got traditional giant wine," the giant offered.

"Okay I’ll have that," Kordia said.

"You know they make that with blood, right?" Kir asked.

"Dragons blood. I like the taste."

Kir shook his head and grabbed a bit of charred, fried, and unidentifiable meat. "And you think I’m weird."

"I’m not the one who eats charcoal and mana stones." She countered in a lower voice, with a wink.

"Alright, fine, we’re both weird with food."

"Everyone’s weird with food," Kordia pointed out. "We just know each other."

He chuckled, "True." He bit into the charred meat, which burst with flavor and heat. Using his claws, he started to pick at the pile.

Their server arrived, and Kir looked up to find a familiar face instead of the previous giant.

"One bottle of wi~iiiiiine..." Tulare froze up at the sight of Kir.

At that moment Kiryu, who had promised not to interrupt his date, burst out laughing. "Oh God, this soon? This is too much... It’s worth losing a smoke over. The look on your face! I can feel it."

"Tulare?" Kir had also frozen, and Kordia grabbed the bottle of wine and squinted at the orc.

"Do you two know each other?" she poured her own glass.

To Kiryu’s cackles, Kir answered. "We had an encounter..." Kordia must not have gotten a good look at him while she was busy healing Lapins.

"Was it a sexy one?"

Tulare blushed enough that his cheeks shone pink through the green of his skin. "N-not at all!" his voice cracked.

Kir cleared his throat. "He got into a bit of trouble, and I got him out of it."

"And you didn’t tell me?"

"It was a fairly quick incident... Not something to talk about in public," he lowered his voice a little.

"But we are going to talk about it."

Kir looked at Tulare, who looked absolutely miserable.

"Yes," Kir said.

"So come on then, have a seat," Kordia said, her tone brooking no argument as she stared sideways at Tulare.

"Right now?" Kir asked.

"I have to work..." Tulare tried to excuse himself.

"You will be compensated for your time," Kordia said. Under the table she was pointing her wand at him. "I insist."

Swallowing, the orc obeyed.

"Now, who’s going to tell me the truth first."

"Kordia... this is Tulare. He’s with the Ghostlights, and is the one who tried to assassinate Lapins last week," Kir confessed.

"Did you know he was here?" Kordia asked.

"I did not, that’s why I was surprised."

"I- Oof!" Tulare tried to speak, only to get punched in the gut by a burst of magic from Kordia’s wand.

"I’ll get to you in a minute," Kordia returned her attention to Kir. "How do you know his name?"

"He gave it to me after I rescued him. I told him to leave the city."

Kordia turned. "Why didn’t you run?"

Tulare looked at Kir, or rather "Professor Nasumi" since he was in his glamour.

"Tell the truth," Kir urged. "I have no secrets from Kordia."

"But she’s a student... aren’t you a..." Kordia’s glare hardened and Tulare cut himself off. "Sorry... I didn’t run because there are Ghostlights here... in the city."

"How many?"

"I can’t say."

"Can’t or won’t?"

Tulare hesitated.

Kir spoke, "We both believe in what you do, but have our own ways of accomplishing that goal. Kordia has done much to convince Lapins that her kingdom needs to ban the practice."

"But when will that be? When she’s Queen? Montmorency is killing their slaves digging for mana stones. They’re strip-mining the countryside, and every day there are incidents, whole teams being buried alive..." Tulare shook with emotion. "I lost my family in a landslide. Only I was able to escape... Then the Ghostlights found me..."

Kordia softened a bit at hearing that.

"That still doesn’t give you an excuse to try and murder my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend? Wait, you two aren’t..."

""It’s complicated,"" Kordia and Kir said at the same time.

"Oh," Tulare blushed a bit, his imagination clearly running wild.

"Now, I’ll have no further attempts on Lapins’ life. You can tell that to your Ghostlight friends."

"I don’t make the decisions though..."

"Then who does?"

"Nobody knows her real name, but she goes by Selene."

Kir froze in place, which stopped him from facepalming. "I know her," Kir said. "We’ve met before."

"She never mentioned a wolfkin mage," Tulare said. "But then again, she only tells us what we need to know..."

"You mentioned her before," Kordia said. "She’s with the Chainbreakers, no?"

"I have only her word for it, but yes," Kir said.

"Then I guess we have no choice," Kordia turned to Tulare. "You’re going to take us to your leader."

"But-"

Kordia’s glare became a death stare as she fanned out her tails behind her. "No ’buts.’ After we finish our meals you are going to take us."

For the next twenty minutes Tulare was forced to sit and watch as Kir downed his mountain of fry bits, while Kordia stabbed at her salad. She was done well before Kir was, and as Kir’s pile grew shorter and shorter, the nearby giants grew interested. Even the restaurant owner showed up, a big, bronze giant with red hair and a wide smile.

They cheered him on as he got toward the end, after which he let out a thunderous burp.

"Charming," Kordia snarked.

"Hah! Proved me wrong. No wonder you stayed to watch, eh Tulare?"

Tulare laughed nervously. "I need to take the rest of the day off, boss."

"You sure? I thought you needed the money to get back home."

"I do, I do... it’s just these are some, ah, old acquaintances. They asked if I wanted to be shown around town."

"Hmm... alright I guess. Just be sure to work extra tomorrow."

"Yes, boss."

"That was rough," Kir said. "You should make eating those a competition for little guys like us."

"Hey! Now that’s a good idea."

Kir’s idea bought them enough cover to grab Tulare and go without anyone detecting the latter was under duress.

Tulare led them through winding streets and back alleys, until they finally arrived at an old house in the 3rd District, rather close to the docks.

He knocked exactly five times, and a slot on the door slid open.

"Sorry, we don’t take solicitors," a reedy-voiced elf said.

"How about friends for some light conversation?"

The elf nodded, and after a moment of heavy unbolting, let everyone inside.

As soon as the door was shut, Tulare asked, "Is Selene around?"

"Downstairs. Are these two safe?"

"I... wouldn’t know. They’re mages." Tulare rubbed his stomach where Kordia had hit him.

"Then they can stay up here while you explain to Selene why you’re breaking protocol. Off you get."

The elf crossed his arms as if he could bar Kir and Kordia from entering the living room, keeping them in the hallway just past the door. "You two, eyes on me. No looking around," he ordered.

Tulare was allowed into the living room where he walked behind the couch and down a small staircase hidden behind it.

After about five minutes, during which Kir identified no less than ten people in the vicinity, an hyena beastkin woman with an air of confidence and a smile to her lips rose from the basement.

"Well, well. A couple of mages. I don’t remember ever meeting a wolfkin like you before... much less the vaunted Professor Nasumi, inventor of the glideways... and, rumor has it, many other things besides..."

She turned.

"And you, Kordia van Mora, artist, princess, and mage. Quite a lot to handle for such a young woman... where did you find the time to come searching for little old me?"

"I found the time after you tried to have Princess Lapins assassinated," Kordia said, her tone hostile.

Almost immediately a dozen crossbows were aimed at them both.

"Careful of that tone. We are all free here, and we all have nothing to lose... unlike you two."

A few of the bolt heads glinted as their holders charged the bolts with mana, prepping their spell circles.

"Why did you do it?" Kordia asked.

"Because we saw an opportunity... and because, right now, Montmorency is the Syndicate’s biggest customer... ever since a certain demon started threatening Syndicate in the Kingdom of Amrita..." She sniffed heavily. "There’s something demonic about you as well... Professor."

Shit. Kir had neglected to put on his ’cologne,’ which was basically watered-down wolfkin musk. "I visited a smithy this morning," he replied.

"Perhaps that’s what I smell," Selene shrugged. "So... Tulare says that you claim we’ve met. I’ve never seen you before, but you do smell a bit familiar..." She tapped her snout. "And since my nose never lies... I’m going to trust you." She raised her hands and the crossbows came down.

"I take it you’re the one leading this house call?" she asked Kordia.

"How can you tell?"

"You’ve been glaring at me ever since I came up. Which means that you, Princess, are either very easy to provoke or very close friends with Lapins van Montmorency."

"Close enough to win her over on the idea of abolition," Kordia said.

"Maybe so. Let’s have a seat while we discuss. I dislike being rude to guests. Especially since you two are well-known to us."

She gestured toward the couch and Kir and Kordia took seats.

"Tulare, you sit too," Selene said as the orc tried to walk away.

He wound up awkwardly squeezing between Kir and the edge of the couch.

"Tea?" Selene offered.

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