Chapter 25 : Purpure is treated before leaving for the pilgrimage

Anastasia’s parents welcomed us grandly.

Their house, whose hometown was in the far west, was the most splendid and magnificent in Moonrise Castle.

There were so many servants welcoming us from the entrance, and they were so fond of me that it was a bit overwhelming.

Irene, who brought us here, also seemed quite awkward and nervous at first, perhaps because it was the first time she had come to this house since Anastasia’s death.

“Ah…. It seems Irene’s words were true.”

“I thought it was an unpleasant rumor, but it seems to be true…”

And I cooked tonkatsu.

I was prepared for this from the moment I learned that I was invited to this house, so I was more proud than embarrassed.

Anastasia’s parents turned red around the eyes from the moment I coated the thick pork loin with breadcrumbs, and when they tasted it, they even burst into tears.

“It really tastes exactly like the schnitzel Anastasia made, right?”

“That’s right. It really is… She worked so hard in the kitchen, saying she wanted to feed you something delicious whenever you said you looked tired…”

“It tastes exactly like the schnitzel I ate back then… Haha, I feel like my daughter has come back to life.”

Anastasia’s parents wiped their eyes with handkerchiefs, looking very satisfied.

Phew, that’s a relief.

I thought they might get angry that a terrifying Great Demon Lord who suddenly appeared was doing bad things with their precious daughter’s memory, but that wasn’t the case!

“I’m happy if you enjoyed it.”

“You’re so kind… I suddenly asked you to cook, but you made it so delicious…”

Anastasia’s mother got up from her seat, came to me, and stroked my head and horns.

“Thank you so much, Great Demon Lord… I didn’t think I’d ever taste the dish my daughter worked so hard on again.”

“Purpure is really amazing…!”

Maeve clapped her hands and lowered her head.

“…You two don’t have Seven, do you?”

“That’s right. They’re very healthy people.”

Their hair was white, but that’s just the process of becoming an old person.

“Haha… I invited you to help you, but instead, I’m embarrassed to receive such a precious gift.”

“I’m fine. You’re Anastasia’s mother and father, so I think you deserve to taste it.”

“You seem to be a really good person, just like Irene said, dear.”

The couple, who naturally exchanged compliments, looked at me as if I were very admirable.

…Aren’t you looking at the terrifying Great Demon Lord like a child who finished a talent show?!

I just cooked as a service to get a better gift!

“Ahem…! Then, could you tell us what kind of help we can receive?”

Maeve, who couldn’t stand it, blurted out what I wanted to say.

It’s a bit rude, but it’s helpful at times like this!

“Of course. Since you made Irene feel better and served us our daughter’s precious food, we plan to do our best to help you.”

“You’re walking the pilgrimage path with the Great Demon Lord, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. We’re heading to the land of promise to regain Purpure’s memory and power.”

Anastasia’s father nodded and stroked his white beard.

“Irene told me that you couldn’t use the magic circle, so you’ll be riding a carriage to the west.”

“I’m a Great Demon Lord, so I can’t use the magic circle.”

“Then it will be quite a long journey. We would like to give you the supplies and items you need.”

When Anastasia’s mother clapped once, a maid wearing white gloves carefully brought out a red leather case with both hands and spread it out on the table.

Inside, there was a delicately drawn map and a compass with gold decoration.

“Oh… These are items that we really needed for our trip.”

“It’s a compass, right? Oh… It’s definitely convenient to have one! It’s much more accurate than relying on magic to get a sense of direction!”

Have you been moving around roughly until now?!

It’s a miracle you made it to the demon castle!

“I’m curious. Does this map have the land of promise drawn on it?”

“Haha, probably not. That map is the map used by our merchant guild. It only depicts the area from Moonrise Castle to the Great Plains.”

“It’s incredibly large for that!”

You can’t compare it to the map that depicts a part of East Haven!

“It’s slightly smaller than Purpure’s body!”

“That’s right… Isn’t the terrain and all the detailed paths of the Great Plains drawn on it?”

“It seems to be quite a valuable map. If we have this map, we won’t be able to get lost in the Great Plains.”

Dominicus clapped his hands and admired.

“Is it okay to give this to Purpure?”

“Of course. There will be no problem for our family, so please use it comfortably.”

This is really amazing!

“What’s the name of the city at the end here?”

“Ah! I know that place. Terbah!”

Dominicus nodded, confirming it was correct.

Terbah… Terbah….

I searched my faint memories, but it was a name I’d never heard of.

Considering the location of the demon castle during the Great Demon Lord’s time, I should have heard of it…?

Is the city very small?

“Here… Although it’s not shown on the map, from the end of the Great Plains, a very steep mountain range begins!”

“If you don’t take that mountain path, you have to go a very long way around.”

“That would be a real pain. You’d have to go around the mountains as much as you walked through the Great Plains, you know?”

I was planning to take the road that merchants often use from the beginning, so I wasn’t scared.

“You know the Hero and the Saint well. You can get directions again when you arrive at Terbah.”

“I’m not going on an adventure. I’m going on a pilgrimage.”

When you arrive at Terbah, you can get directions again!

It’s not like wandering through the jungle with a knife, it’s moving along a well-paved road in a carriage, so there’s nothing to worry about!!

“But look at this, Purpure… The road starting from the Great Plains is also written in great detail.”

As Maeve said, the map was quite detailed.

The vast expanse of the prairie was delicately colored in light green and gold, and the rocky mountains scattered here and there were marked in dark brown.

A blue river meandered like a snake. There were unique marks on the terrain where you could meet the nomads wandering the prairie.

Finally, special terrain or dangerous areas were marked in red ink so that they could be recognized at a glance.

“Awawa…”

My heart pounded as I looked at the land colored as if a lot of red ink had been poured on it.

The shiny and wonderful demon castle I made during the terrifying Great Demon Lord era is right there.

The terrain has changed subtly due to the magic power that emanates, so the surrounding area is marked as a dangerous area.

“It’s a map with a lot of effort.”

“With this map, there’s no way you’ll get lost in the Great Plains!”

I already feel good.

With this, it might be possible to sneak back to the demon castle, depending on the situation…!

Maybe it’ll be faster to regain my power and memory than to suffer while saying it’s the land of promise or whatever!

“Oh, right… And there are other gifts besides the map and compass.”

Anastasia’s mother said with a dignified smile.

“Since you’re going on a long journey and you have a proper carriage, I thought I’d give you some drinks that you can enjoy.”

“Awawa…”

What is she talking about?

Is she talking about sweet juice? Or sparkling water? Whichever it is, it’s good in that it can be used as drinking water.

Honestly, I couldn’t bring a lot of drinking water from Moonlight Haven!

“Hehehe… It’s not just any drink. It’s the pride of the Starikov Company!”

Irene suddenly stood up and said with a smile.

…A drink, you said! A drink, you said! A drink, you said!

“Haha, it may be embarrassing to say, but we will load a lot of the most precious and delicious alcohol that our Starikov Company handles.”

“Re, really? Are you talking about the alcohol that Ms. Irene drank?”

Maeve stood up excitedly.

Aaaah! No! Nooo!

What do you mean, alcohol?!

“Of course! I’m talking about the alcohol I drank all day.”

“Oh… That was really delicious! Should I say it’s incredibly clean and dry!”

“It’s quite strong, even though it’s transparent like water, so it was difficult for me to drink more than one sip…”

Look! Even Dominicus says it’s difficult!

“Hey~ What’s wrong, Saint! Where is there anything better than being able to drink alcohol while traveling!”

Maeve hummed excitedly and grabbed my hand.

“It’s good for Purpure too! It’s completely fortunate, right?!”

“Why is it good for Purpure? I hate alcohol!”

If I drink a sip, I’ll be dizzy and sleepy!

“Hey! Alcohol is used in cooking quite often, right? In that sense, isn’t it a complete win?”

“There’s no need to have enough for Irene to drink!!”

I couldn’t take it anymore and took out the recorder and hit! Maeve’s butt.

“Ouch…!!! Ah, it hurts!”

“Maeve shouldn’t drink alcohol! It’s a big deal if Maeve gets drunk! There’s no one to stop her!”

“It’s okay! It’s okay! I’ll just hug Purpure tightly and sleep.”

“That’s even worse!!!”

Isn’t a person called a hero too careless?!

I hit Maeve’s butt once more!

“Hehehe, it’s a good sight to see.”

“It’s fortunate that the Great Demon Lord likes it too. Hahaha!”

Looking at Anastasia’s parents, who were laughing pleasantly, I plopped back down on the chair.

If I go to the Great Plains, I’ll have to spend some time cooking the food I have.

Then there’s only one thing to do now! It’s not the time to fight over alcohol!

“For now, I plan to eat a lot of delicious things today!”

I earnestly asked for the most delicious meal for the pilgrimage that will start tomorrow.

I have to eat a lot so I won’t regret it later!

There will be a lot of delicious things in the Great Plains too, but…!!!