Ch.399[Episode 399] Duel

The next morning, Sir Dominic went out to the streets of Gachaland with Sir Dominica.

This was because Sir Dominica had become obsessed with a soft plush doll she happened to see while watching television and had cried all night long.

Of course, the only one affected by this tireless little demon’s crying was Lady Alice.

Sir Dominic and Sir Dominica were used to staying up all night listening to the growls of real demons just a few years ago.

Anyway, Sir Dominic had come out to buy the plush doll that Sir Dominica wanted.

It was a peculiarly shaped platypus doll, and Sir Dominic and Sir Dominica couldn’t understand at all what was so cute about it.

The TV commercial said it was available at all toy stores nationwide, so there shouldn’t be any shortage.

…or so Sir Dominic thought.

“It seems unexpectedly… popular.”

Sir Dominic had already visited three toy stores, but the platypus dolls were consistently sold out.

“Boo…”

Sir Dominica was on the verge of bursting into tears, devastated that they still hadn’t found the doll.

The tears welling up in her large, deer-like eyes looked ready to cascade down like a waterfall at the slightest touch.

What to do… While Sir Dominic was at a loss.

“Hmm.”

Someone came out of the toy store.

It was a large man wearing an oni mask, holding a halberd in one hand and a platypus doll in the other.

The man nodded with satisfaction as he looked at the platypus doll and then headed somewhere.

“…Duck!”

Sir Dominica recognized that this person was the one who had just bought the last platypus doll from the store.

Sir Dominica looked at the platypus doll in his hand with the most wronged expression in the world.

“It seems that was the last one here.”

Sir Dominic said, trying to comfort Sir Dominica.

Sir Dominica continued to glare at the platypus doll in the oni-masked man’s hand, but soon went limp in Sir Dominic’s arms.

Being still young, Sir Dominica might have preferred someone’s embrace more than anything.

“Since they said it’s available at all toy stores nationwide, let’s look around a bit more. There must be one left somewhere.”

Sir Dominic thought they should have come out earlier, but it’s always too late for regrets.

Instead of regretting, Sir Dominic decided to think in a more constructive direction.

Sir Dominic embraced the still sniffling Sir Dominica and headed to the next toy store.

Hoping that this time, that awkwardly shaped platypus doll would be in stock.

…

“I’m sorry. The customer who just left took the last one.”

“I’m sorry. We just ran out of stock. What? Yes. The customer who just left—”

“Um, they say they’re out of stock. I’m sorry. If you leave your contact information, when the next shipment arrives—”

Sir Dominic couldn’t understand the current situation at all.

What was so special about this peculiarly shaped platypus doll that it was sold out everywhere they went?

And it always seemed to sell out just before Sir Dominic arrived.

“Uuu…”

Sir Dominica was exhausted from crying at every store where the platypus doll was unavailable.

Sir Dominic looked sympathetically at Sir Dominica and inadvertently glanced at someone.

“Hmm.”

The man in the oni mask.

“…Was he the one who bought the last one?”

“Ah, yes! That person…”

Apparently, this toy store employee was new and readily divulged information that shouldn’t have been shared.

Normally, customer information should be kept confidential.

“Thank you.”

But Sir Dominic was in no position to be picky right now.

Sir Dominic bought a few small snacks displayed at the counter to comfort Sir Dominica and paid for them.

After opening one of the snacks and giving it to Sir Dominica, Sir Dominic strode toward the man wearing the oni mask.

“Excuse me.”

“Hmm?”

The man in the oni mask turned his head and looked down at Sir Dominic.

He was greedily carrying dozens of platypus dolls in a sack over his shoulder, and Sir Dominica beside him was enviously eyeing the impressive collection of dolls.

Sir Dominic made a straightforward proposal to the man in the oni mask.

“Would you be willing to sell me one of your platypus dolls? I’ll pay you generously.”

Yes, Sir Dominic proposed a deal.

Being a knight by nature, Sir Dominic couldn’t resort to taking things by force or criticizing others.

…At least not usually.

That’s why Sir Dominic asked the man in the oni mask to sell one of his many platypus dolls.

But the man in the oni mask was not an easy opponent.

“Impossible.”

“Why not?”

“These are gifts for my mother.”

The man in the oni mask said as he adjusted the sack full of dolls on his shoulder.

“Isn’t that excessive for a gift to your mother?”

Sir Dominic tried desperately to persuade him.

“Surely you could sell just one—”

“Impossible.”

But the man in the oni mask firmly cut off Sir Dominic’s words.

He widened his already intense eyes even more and answered Sir Dominic.

“The last remaining doll at 108 stores. Without such dedication, I cannot acknowledge myself.”

“…You mean for your mother?”

“No, for myself.”

The man in the oni mask had his own principles.

Namely, that he always kept the rules he set for himself.

No matter what happened, the man in the oni mask was someone who always kept his promises.

“Hmm…”

After hearing the man’s words, Sir Dominic thought further conversation would be futile.

The man in the oni mask had his own standards and was a man of iron will who would never deviate from them.

At that moment, the man in the oni mask lowered his head a bit more to look at Sir Dominica.

And suddenly, the oni mask’s face froze.

“Who is that little lady?”

“…My granddaughter.”

“Granddaughter.”

The man in the oni mask pondered deeply for a moment, then asked Sir Dominic for his name.

“May I know your name?”

“Sir Dominic. Sir Dominic of Feralant.”

Sir Dominic nodded as if it were no trouble and answered.

The oni mask thought deeply again, and suddenly changed his attitude.

“If you wish, I can give you one.”

“Really?”

Sir Dominic looked at the oni mask with a face full of delight.

Sir Dominica had finished eating the snack Sir Dominic had given her and neatly folded the wrapper, putting it in a small pouch attached to her waist.

She probably intended to throw it away when they got home or found a trash can.

Anyway, the oni mask took out a platypus doll from his sack, held it in his hand, and said:

“However, as I grant your wish, allow me to make one request in return.”

“Very well. As long as it’s not excessive, I’ll accept. What do you want?”

In response to Sir Dominic’s question, the man in the oni mask put the platypus doll back in his sack, struck his halberd on the ground with a thud, and said in a resonant voice:

“I’ve heard that Sir Dominic of Feralant, with his martial prowess, has brought dragon gods to their knees, flattened evil gods, and overcome all manner of hardships and trials.”

The man in the oni mask kicked the lower part of the halberd with the outside of his foot and began spinning it with one hand.

“And that’s not all! Sir Dominic of Feralant, whose martial might touches divinity, making him a demigod, and Sir Dominic of Gachaland, whose wealth reaches the heavens, making him a god of fortune—stories abound of a human who has reached divine realms.”

With a tap, the man in the oni mask stopped the spinning halberd, raised it above his head, extended one hand toward Sir Dominic, and pointed the spear tip at him.

He stood with one leg raised—Sir Dominic didn’t know what kind of stance this was, but later learned it was a pose from Kabuki.

“Would it be acceptable to request a lesson from such a martial god?”

The man in the oni mask said, widening his eyes even more behind the mask.

Sir Dominic pondered the man’s words briefly, then glanced at Sir Dominica.

Sir Dominica was watching the man in the oni mask with sparkling eyes, impressed by his sudden cool pose.

Seeing Sir Dominica trying to imitate the man’s actions, which she clearly found impressive, Sir Dominic nodded and steeled himself.

“Very well. But not now.”

“Not now? Why not?”

“Well…”

Sir Dominic pointed to the Colosseum visible in the distance.

“There’s a place in Gachaland where we can fight legally. Why cause damage to our surroundings by fighting elsewhere?”

“Hmm.”

The man in the oni mask nodded at Sir Dominic’s words.

Sir Dominic’s reasoning was certainly sound.

“Good. Then let’s do that.”

Sir Dominic picked up Sir Dominica again and started walking.

“Ah, right.”

Sir Dominic suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to look at the oni mask.

“I told you my name, but we haven’t properly introduced ourselves. Would you tell me your name?”

“…Kageyasha. Call me Kageyasha.”

The man in the oni mask called himself Kageyasha.

Sir Dominic nodded as if his curiosity had been satisfied and silently headed toward the Colosseum.

Kageyasha followed behind Sir Dominic without a word.