After all, what would they even talk about when that happened?
'I pinned your dad to the ground and rubbed him into the dirt, then mocked him, and finally threw him more than ten meters away? No, if I put it that way, even Roxy would get angry, right?'
He stared strangely at the roasted meat, his face bitter. Eris couldn't stand watching him like that, so she forcefully slapped his thigh. When he looked at her, she pointed toward the sky and shouted, "Don't think about it so much! Lie down together and look at the sky! Look! Look! That star over there is so big~ And there are so many that we couldn't see in the city before!"
"That's true... It's not bad to take a break once in a while."
Looking at Eris's innocent and enthusiastic appearance, the gloom in his heart seemed to lessen somewhat.
Although he felt that this was a little too peaceful, perhaps a little peace once in a while wasn't so bad? Thinking this, he didn't say anything that would spoil the mood and lay down beside her, listening to the little girl beside him excitedly describing her expectations for the journey.
But as the night grew deeper and deeper, Eris, who had originally been chattering nonstop, gradually became sleepy. She unconsciously leaned against Ash's side, her little hand tugging at the hem of his clothes, and simply fell sound asleep.
"Children really have it good. They don't need to think about anything," Ash looked at the child beside him, whose head was resting on his arm.
Her peaceful sleeping face looked especially cute under the moonlight, making people feel protective of her. Ash also unconsciously stroked Eris's red hair gently.
Perhaps the touch tickled her a little. Eris smacked her lips, and her little body wriggled a few times. Her innocent, adorable appearance was rather amusing to watch, making the corners of Ash's mouth lift slightly.
———
The next morning.
Not long after the sun had risen, Eris was full of energy again and pulled him onward on their adventure.
And so, as the days passed, they experienced quite a few interesting things and small twists along the way. Before they knew it, they had arrived at a nearby city, Rikarisu Town.
Although it was called a town, it was one of the three major cities on the Demon Continent.
It was said that during the Human-Demon War five hundred years ago, this was the town used as a base by the Demon World Emperor Kishirika Kishirisu, and it was also known by another name: Old Kishirisu City.
It was built in the depression of a huge crater, with the crater walls serving as natural city walls. At the center of the town was the half-collapsed Kishirisu City.
Its actual scale was no different from that of a city. Three entrances had been built into gaps in the mountain, yet there wasn't even a city gate.
Nevertheless, there were still soldiers wearing armor on duty. They were also completely different from the two kinds of demons they had encountered earlier. They didn't look human at all, instead resembling upright horses, donkeys, deer, and other animals.
Seeing this made Eris so excited that she kept shaking his hand, constantly exclaiming in amazement, filled with curiosity about everything around her.
Unlike the old city area at the center of the town, which was as cold and stern as black iron and carried the weight of history, the main urban area was filled with a strong Western-region atmosphere.
This was because most of the buildings here had been roughly constructed from stone, packed tightly together in countless numbers. Although they looked somewhat crude, they had a unique rustic and bold charm.
But what surprised them most was that, compared with the discrimination that the human race often held toward demons, the demons here seemed quite tolerant. They did not treat humans differently, which even made Ash somewhat surprised.
And the moment Eris entered the main urban area, she was like a Husky that wanted to tear apart the house, excitedly looking around everywhere while dragging Ash here and there.
Before long, her attention was caught by a cloak displayed at a roadside stall. The desire in her eyes was so obvious that it was practically as if the words "I want it" had been written directly across her face.
Ash helplessly smiled at this, then silently walked over, took out the money he had left after robbing the bandits some time ago, and bought the cloak.
"Thank you~ I'll definitely treasure it~"
"Don't worry about it."
"Look! This has cat ears! Cute, right!", Eris completely ignored what he said. She immediately put on the light-yellow cloak and excitedly showed it to him, shaking her head as she tried her best to display the decorations on the hood that were clearly cat ears.
"You really like beastmen," Looking at her cute yet vain appearance, Ash couldn't help teasing her with a smile.
Eris didn't deny it either. She nodded vigorously with a smile.
"Of course!"
"If only you could be as well-behaved as a cat, though," Ash shook his head with a laugh, yet under her expectant gaze asking for praise, he couldn't help gently stroking her head and smiling.
"Very cute."
"Right!", Upon hearing this, Eris was instantly overjoyed, the smile on her face becoming even brighter. However...
"Excuse me, could I bother you for a moment?", Just as Eris was immersed in her own happiness, an old woman's voice suddenly came from behind the two of them.
The voice wasn't loud, but on this bustling street it sounded exceptionally clear, carrying an unquestionable authority.
Hearing this, they turned their heads in confusion to look behind them, only to see a hunched old woman.
The old woman was dressed in a black robe, its color as deep as the night, giving her a mysterious and solemn feeling. In her hand, she held a beautiful golden saber, which at this moment was planted on the ground like a walking stick, supporting her somewhat frail body.
The old woman wore a smile on her face. Her gaze was gentle, yet carried a profoundness that was difficult to fathom. She quietly watched Ash and slowly asked, "Are you Ash?"
"That's right. What's the matter? Who are you?"
"I'm Reida Reia... Water God, Reida Reia."
At the same time as the old woman announced her name, a powerful aura that could not be ignored also radiated from her entire body.
The invisible pressure then spread outward like a surging tide, instantly sweeping across the surroundings. The originally noisy sounds of the entire street disappeared without a trace in an instant. Everyone uncontrollably shuddered, while also unable to help turning their heads toward the sound.
Although it was somewhat unbelievable for such an astonishing name to come from the mouth of an old woman, the aura emanating from her body genuinely announced her strength and extraordinary nature to everyone.
Eris felt that powerful aura and unconsciously frowned. Even though she feared neither Heaven nor Earth, when facing a legendary figure, she still cautiously asked, "What do you want with this guy?"
A trace of tension could be heard in her childish voice. Her little hand also unconsciously tightened around the hem of Ash's clothes, her eyes warily watching the mysterious old woman before her. Deep down, she faintly felt that something bad seemed about to happen.
In fact, that really was the case.
"Although I don't really want to kill a young child, today, I have to do this."
Reida's face carried a trace of regret, yet she stated her purpose very directly. Her words also carried an unquestionable resolve, as though everything had already been decided.
And, almost as a matter of course... the moment these words were spoken, Eris's expression froze as well.
The god-level figures of this world were all existences more feared than kings.
Even if they weren't god-level figures of the great powers, they were still existences that the ruler of a country could neither restrain nor dare offend, and could only appease and win over.
For ordinary people, there was a difference as well.
If a king wanted to kill you, you could simply flee his country. There would at least be some hope of surviving. But if a god-level powerhouse, or a Sword Saint, wanted to kill you, there was simply no possibility of survival. Even the local country itself would personally tie you up and send you over as something with which to curry favor.
Although Reida was now an elderly woman who had long since passed her prime, and the strength of her body had continued to weaken with the passing years, even so, she was still able to bear the name of Water God to this day. This alone was enough to show that she truly had considerable ability. She absolutely could not be underestimated because of her age, and within the entire world, she could perhaps even be ranked among the top ten.
And for such a person to personally travel all the way to the Demon Continent to kill an unknown nobody was something that left everyone unable to imagine.
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