Chapter 531: Eiji: What the Hell Are You Doing?!
Wiz came running over with a delighted expression, enthusiastically greeting the witch.
"The Demon King's Castle?"
"You used to meet there often?"
"What do you mean?"
Her words successfully made the group the center of attention in the hall.
"Long time no see, Wiz. When are you going to pay back the money you owe?"
Airi slightly lifted her hood, revealing her bright yellow eyes, coldly demanding.
"...I must have mistaken you for someone else!"
After a brief silence, Wiz smiled and turned away, pretending nothing had happened.
"Stop right there! Do you think you can just walk away from a debt of two billion that easily?!"
Airi tightly grabbed Wiz's apron, preventing her from leaving, while shouting loudly.
"Even if you say that, I don't have the money, so what can I do?"
Wiz tugged at her apron to avoid exposing herself, looking utterly miserable.
"You've been running that shop for so many years. How can you not have any income at all?"
"I'd like to know that too! Why is it that after all these years of running my shop, not only do I have no income, but I'm also drowning in debt? I'm so poor I can't even pay rent every month and can only afford low-grade sugar water!"
Scolded like this, Wiz wailed in frustration, even starting to sob at the most heartbreaking parts.
"...In a way, you're truly impressive."
Airi's expression turned complicated as she let go.
"Ten years, and you haven't improved at all. Maybe you should just give up on the shop."
She really was something.
Who keeps a shop running for ten years while continuously losing money?!
Not to mention losing over several billion like Wiz!
A complete business disaster!
"No, running my shop is my dream. I won't give up!"
Wiz wiped her tears and firmly refused.
Seeing her determination, Airi could only wave her hand and drop the matter.
Though it was regrettable, she knew Wiz's financial situation well. Getting those two billion back in this lifetime was nearly impossible—it might as well be considered money thrown to the dogs.
"Hey, two billion?!"
"That's a huge sum right off the bat!"
"Could an ordinary noble even come up with that much?"
"Could she be royalty from somewhere?"
The onlookers began murmuring again.
Even though the currency's purchasing power was similar to yen, the Belzerg Kingdom wasn't particularly large, and its economy was notoriously weak among neighboring nations. Two billion was enough to make even royalty wince.
"Mr. Eiji, so you and Wiz are acquaintances?"
While the group was talking, Luna approached with a bright smile.
"Yes, yes! Miss Luna, you won't believe it! I never thought I'd run into Miss Airi here. Back in the Demon King's Castle, she was one of my few friends!"
Wiz laughed carelessly.
"The Demon King's Castle?"
Luna's brows immediately furrowed.
Eiji: Damn it, we just smoothly moved past this. Why are you bringing it up again?
Are you doing this on purpose?
You absolutely are, aren't you?
"Airi, what's wrong?"
Eiji suddenly exclaimed.
Without warning, Airi's legs gave out, and she collapsed toward the ground, caught precisely by him.
"Miss Yasaka, are you alright?"
Wiz was immediately alarmed, rushing over nervously.
Airi Yasaka stared blankly at Eiji, still feeling the lingering warmth of someone's fingers against her spine.
Why is it always me getting hurt?
How does this keep happening? How is it so impossible to guard against?
"It must be an old injury flaring up. We need to find a place for her to lie down immediately!"
At Eiji's solemn suggestion, Wiz nodded repeatedly.
Luna quickly found an empty room, and together they carried Airi Yasaka inside to rest.
"I can't believe someone could actually injure Miss Yasaka!"
Wiz's pretty face was filled with gravity. "She's so strong—who could have done this?"
"It's an injury from confronting Beldia, one of the Demon King Army's officers a few days ago. It's been recurring occasionally since then."
Luna explained as she tucked a blanket around Airi Yasaka.
"Beldia? Impossible!"
Wiz shook her head repeatedly, disbelief written all over her face.
"I know Beldia's strength very well. There's no way he could have injured Miss Yasaka!"
That was true.
But while it was true, this was clearly not the right time to say it!
"Actually, her injury was sustained at the Demon King's Castle!"
Eiji suddenly interjected, cutting Wiz off.
"At the Demon King's Castle? Who could have injured Miss Yasaka there?"
"You keep mentioning the Demon King's Castle—what exactly happened?"
Wiz looked astonished, while Luna was completely lost.
"Well, you see, Airi and I once encountered the new Demon King outside the Demon King's Castle! We were accidentally injured by him!"
Eiji adopted a nostalgic expression, his face filled with deep frustration, as if he had truly been defeated by the new Demon King.
"The new Demon King?"
"The one who supposedly took over the Demon King's Castle?"
So Miss Yasaka encountered the new Demon King outside the castle. After he severely injured her, he even stormed into the Demon King's Castle, wreaking havoc and subduing everyone inside to become the new Demon King!
Wiz suddenly had an epiphany.
It must have been when Mr. Nangou and Miss Yasaka were ambushing near the Demon King's Castle and accidentally ran into the new Demon King while he was out. They fought fiercely but were ultimately overpowered and severely injured!
Luna felt a sudden clarity.
Powerful adventurers often ambush near the Demon King's Castle—catching ordinary monsters isn't a loss, catching an officer is a huge win, but if they accidentally run into the Demon King, they can only blame their bad luck.
"Yes, that's exactly what happened!"
Eiji declared with utmost seriousness.
Wow, I can even bluff my way through this. As expected of me!
After this, as long as I find a way to caution Wiz, there shouldn't be any problems.
"Still, it's a shame. Given Miss Yasaka's condition, she probably won't be able to join today's mission to subdue the Headless Knight."
Luna sighed regretfully.
Airi lay on the bed with her eyes closed. Since she couldn't resist, she simply pretended to be asleep.
"Don't worry, Miss Luna! Even if Miss Yasaka can't go, I alone will be more than enough!"
Wiz confidently patted her ample chest.
"Then I leave it to you, Miss Wiz!"
Luna bowed solemnly to Wiz.
"Wait a minute—the backup you mentioned is Wiz?"
Eiji suddenly froze, his expression gradually turning odd.
"That's right!"
Luna immediately straightened up proudly.
"Mr. Nango might not know this, but Miss Wiz used to be an incredibly powerful adventurer! She even had the fearsome title of 'Ice Witch' and once stormed the Demon King's Castle all by herself. Her strength was unmatched among adventurers, and she was famously known as a combat expert!"
"Oh my, that's all in the past now. It's a bit embarrassing to talk about it!"
Wiz said somewhat shyly.
Indeed, there wasn't a trace of that former ferocity in her gentle and mild demeanor now.
Eiji finally understood why Wiz was so popular among adventurers.
"What the hell are you doing?!"