The Heavenly Demon's Shadow
"The East, huh...."
I muttered to myself, leaning against the railing on the deck of the ship heading eastward.
The East was a region I'd once visited by chance during my mercenary days. That must've been about four years ago, right? Of course, I hadn't set foot in the territories strictly controlled by the Murim Alliance or the Demonic Cult. I'd only briefly touched down in the intermediary trade city that served as a bridge to the Dersia Empire.
Still, having encountered this world early through the original story, I knew as much about the East as I did about the Dersia Empire. Including what to watch out for when Sina moved to pay respects to someone.
First off, the biggest thing to be cautious of is the Heavenly Demon.
The targets I had to avoid clashing with were clear.
The East was an independent continent with its own culture and history, distinct from the West. It was brimming with martial artists just as formidable. Among them were members of the Seven Strongest, the absolute powerhouses of the entire continent.
That was the Heavenly Demon.
A man bearing the somewhat grandiose epithet of "Heavenly Demon." The absolute powerhouse of the Demonic Cult, which ruled the Eastern Continent alongside the Murim Alliance. He was one of the two Seven Strongest I hadn't met in the past eight years, despite being acquainted with most of them.
As long as we don't cross paths, that's ideal.
Needless to say, I had to avoid any conflict with the Heavenly Demon. He was a top-tier powerhouse comparable even to the Sword Emperor.
Moreover, since the Seven Strongest were a classification centered primarily on the Empire, there was no ignoring the possibility of other dangerous martial artists in the East on par with him.
Whatever the case, traveling with two daughters meant I had to be extra vigilant. And if Sina made any sudden moves, that needed watching too.
"Hmm...."
As I pondered all these possibilities in my head for a good while, it suddenly felt like I was worrying unnecessarily ahead of time.
Well, this journey was more about sightseeing anyway. Plenty of people from the Dersia Empire visited the East purely as a travel destination. It wasn't some isolated land with zero exchange, so I could afford to relax a bit.
As long as we don't stir up trouble, we won't draw any attention.
With that thought, I pushed away from the railing. A quick scan of the surroundings, and I spotted my target right away.
I wove past the other passengers out on deck and approached the base of the large mast. After another glance around, I kicked off the ground.
Thud—
"What are you doing up here, Sina?"
"...Huh?"
Perilously casual, I climbed up beside Sina, who was lounging atop the mast like it was nothing.
The narrow perch could've sent someone tumbling with the slightest slip, but it was no issue for us. Neither Sina nor I were the type to get hurt from a fall like this.
Sina cracked open her eyes, which she'd had closed like she was sunbathing, and looked up at me. She replied with a relaxed expression.
"The sea breeze feels nice and cool. Sit down next to me. It's surprisingly refreshing."
"You look like you're in high spirits."
"...Oh? Do I?"
At my words laced with amusement, Sina scratched her cheek, a bit embarrassed.
She didn't say it, but her face had been brighter than usual since boarding this ship to the East.
What must it feel like for someone who'd spent nearly a millennium holed up in the mountains to finally venture into the world and cross the sea by chance? I sat beside her without adding any potentially rude comments.
Sure enough, as she said, the sea breeze blowing right at us felt pretty good.
I turned to Sina, who was smiling faintly right beside me, and asked, "Come to think of it, where's Reeche? Weren't you two together last I saw?"
"...Ah, Beatrice?"
Sina glanced back at me, her smile shifting to something entirely different—mocking, almost.
I realized a beat too late what that grin really meant.
"Who knows. When I left the cabin, she was still out of it from seasickness. Guess she's still just a kid, like you said."
"Aha."
"I suggested we come up to the deck together, but she flat-out refused. Doesn't seem to get along with water."
Her face had looked off since boarding, and sure enough, the sea didn't agree with her.
It was a shame she couldn't enjoy the vast ocean vista, but what could you do? No seasickness meds in this world, and I couldn't help with magic either.
Staying in the cabin was the only option. Besides, Beatrice could protect herself now, so leaving her alone briefly wasn't a big deal.
I turned my gaze forward again, toward the bow of the ship.
"We're almost there."
"...."
Just then, hazy land began to emerge beyond the horizon.
We'd been sailing for quite a while, so it had to be the Eastern Continent.
I didn't know exactly where Sina's memorial site was, but we'd set foot in the East soon enough.
It might stir up complicated feelings for all sorts of reasons. Knowing Sina's past, I couldn't help overthinking it.
A sidelong glance at her face confirmed it—her golden eyes were deeply somber.
"Sina."
Instead of empty words, I simply placed a hand on her shoulder and called her name softly.
Sina's eyes flickered with an unreadable glint for a moment before she turned to me with a weary smile.
"What? Worried I'll forget our promise and go berserk on my own?"
"...."
"Don't worry. This lady never breaks a promise once it's made...."
Her tail, trailing off her words, was raised high and stiff.
Did Sina know? That her tail always perked up like that when she was on edge.
Despite her words, her heart must be in turmoil. Returning to the Eastern Continent after a millennium held that much weight for her.
For someone like me, who couldn't even fathom the thousand years she'd endured, offering clumsy comfort would just be presumptuous.
If words wouldn't do in a situation like this... what could I do?
I looked at her with sunken eyes for a moment, then—
"Hm."
"...Eek!?"
Grab.
On half impulse, I snatched her stiff leopard tail.
I regretted it a little after, but damn, it was satisfyingly soft...
...Oh, this is pretty nice.
I kneaded the fluffy fur with both hands for just a moment before I knew it.
"...Kyle, you...."
"Ah."
"Want to die?"
Sina straightened her back from my touch, her face flushing red with a mix of shame and other emotions as she glared at me.
Slash!
For the first time in a year, touching my second daughter's tail earned me fresh nail marks across my face for a good while.
...At least her expression looked a bit more relaxed now, so I figured it was a fair trade.
Ilgwang, the trade city at the edge of the Eastern Continent serving as a foothold to the Dersia Empire. A place I'd visited once before, now with my two daughters in tow.
"D-Dad... Reeche, feews siwwy stiwl...."
"...Hmm. The seasickness is lingering."
Unfortunately, Beatrice hadn't shaken off her seasickness yet, so she clung to my leg the moment we entered the city.
No rush anyway; no tight schedule meant no need to move immediately.
Having arrived in the East, we found a nearby inn and decided to eat first.
Beatrice, still wobbly and carried on my back from the ship and harbor, finally managed to stand on her own once inside the inn.
"Daddyyy...."
Her face was still pale as a ghost, and she whimpered leaning against me—not a great sight.
"Try some of this, Reeche. Should suit your taste."
"...Hm? Oh? Mmph. Nom."
I popped a street food skewer into her mouth—fruit coated in malt syrup that Sina had bought ahead, basically tanghulu.
She shuddered, shoulders relaxing as she quieted down. Then, clutching the skewer in both hands, she munched happily with a blissful look.
With Beatrice settled, I called the waiter over familiarly and ordered.
"Three bowls of soba, one plate of oyster meat sauce, braised pork, and... oh, a bottle of Zhuyeqing too."
"Yes, sir."
As the waiter headed to the kitchen, Sina propped her chin across from me, smirking with interest.
She stared straight at me and said, "You're pretty familiar with Eastern culture, huh? Ordering so naturally."
"Anyone with a passing interest in Eastern food knows this much. Plenty of Empire nobles are gourmets who fancy local cuisine here."
I answered nonchalantly, but Sina still wore that fresh smile and murmured, "For someone like that, you treat the waiter awfully habitually too...."
"...."
"Anyway, whatever. You weren't planning to drink alone, were you?"
Sina snatched the Zhuyeqing the waiter had brought, asking me pointedly.
I gave her a subtle look and countered, "You drink?"
"Not against it. To keep from going mad over a millennium, paradoxically, nothing beat alcohol."
"...."
What a daughter, shutting her father up like that.
How was I supposed to respond?
As I shot her a wry glance, Sina chuckled like it was a joke and waved it off.
"Since we're in the East, have a drink with this lady. With big sis like that, we'll rest here today anyway."
Beatrice flinched mid-lick at the jab, but Sina casually poured the wine.
I took the glass she offered with a bright smile and sipped lightly.
Then I broached the topic at hand.
"So... Sina, where exactly are you headed? Far from here?"
"...Hmm, well."
Sina accepted my pour, mulled it over with wine in her mouth, then spoke with a vaguely hazy expression, memory fuzzy.
"If the name hasn't changed, it should still be called Mokje. My destination's in that city."
"...What?"
That one word inevitably made me think, Of all places.
My face twisted upon hearing her destination.
It couldn't be helped.
As far as I knew, Mokje was a city in Xinjiang on the Eastern Continent.
And Xinjiang, along with the nearby Tianshan Mountains, was none other than the Demonic Cult's headquarters.
In other words, the Heavenly Demon's city.
Somehow, this feels ominous.
It hadn't even been long since I'd been wary of the Heavenly Demon on deck.
What a coincidence.
Smack!
"Ow!"
I lightly smacked the back of Beatrice's hand sneaking toward my glass, sinking into serious thought with a grave expression.
Sina sipped her wine again, her eyes unreadable, silently gazing out the window.