The Rainbow Cup and the Mesgaki Demon
The Rainbow Cup and the Mesgaki Demon. A famous large tavern in the Dungeon City of Bastion. Fitting its name, the spacious interior glowed with colorful lanterns of every hue, casting a mystical atmosphere over the entire hall.
“For wealth, glory, and health~!”
““Cheers!””
The bold laughter of adventurers mingled with the rough clink of wooden tankards. “Hahaha! So today, right at the dungeon entrance, I swear…” “Miss! Two honey meads over here! No, make it three!” “Coming right up! Just a moment~” “Oppa! We’re out of sausages over here!” “Boss!” “On it. I’ll whip some up right away.”
White-uniformed servers bustled back and forth across the wide hall, refilling drinks and delivering food. Though they clearly looked exhausted, every one of them kept a smile on their face. They had to be veteran employees who had worked here for quite some time.
Not bad.
The crowd had felt overwhelming at first, but once I grew used to it, I found myself thinking this kind of lively atmosphere wasn’t so bad after all. At least until a certain red-haired server approached our table with a mischievous grin.
“How on earth does a human body have a crow’s head stuck on it? Ew, it’s gross. Is Mr. Crow Head some kind of freak? Maybe a pathetic monster who lost the territorial struggle and got pushed onto the human side? Pfft! Just kidding~ Are you mad? Hmm. I can’t tell? I don’t sense any emotion at all. How are you dodging my eyes like that? Hmm? Can’t you tell me? I might do something nice for you if you do. Aren’t you curious what that is, Crow Oppa♡”
“....”
Her red twin-tails reminded me of deep red wine, and her eyes sparkled with pure mischief. She looked about the same age as my contractor, but she was noticeably shorter. A total shrimp. Though you’d never guess it from the way she talked.
“Hehe. So shy. Wait… are you…? A virgin? Puhaha! What are you even saying~”
Her lips curled upward in a perpetual sneer, and that tiny mouth never stopped flapping. It carefully selected only the most irritating, provocative, and stimulating words before serving them up with loving care. A full-course meal of red insults and twisted rewards. What is this? I don’t know how to deal with this.
I was still stunned speechless by the sudden storm of verbal abuse, staring blankly at the insolent server, when—
Scraaape!
A wooden chair was shoved back roughly, and a black robe filled my vision.
“...Don’t bully my familiar.”
With that warning, my contractor thrust out a long skewer like a rapier, pointing it at the cheeky server. The brave figure trying to protect her overwhelmed familiar looked exactly like a kitten desperately guarding its favorite stuffed toy.
Truly, truly reliable. As expected of my contractor.
“Your demon? Hmm……”
But even in the face of my contractor’s rather intimidating warning, the server kept that insolent smile plastered on her face. She simply tilted her head. Pure curiosity swam in her ominously crimson pupils, while clear mockery played across her moist lips.
“In my opinion, that pathetic adventurer who doesn’t even look like a 1T is way too good for this stupid crow. What do you think? Hmm? Hmm?”
“....That’s—”
“They say crows like shiny things. Pathetic, lazy, weakest, worst, scrawny, broke, trash-tier adventurer, do you even have enough money to buy my crow a single tiny pearl? Pfft. Of course you don’t. That’s why you’re stuck being an adventurer~ How pathetic♡”
Jab—jab—punch—hook—weaving—uppercut! The red-haired shrimp’s masterful combo of verbal abuse landed perfectly.
“Ah… uh… eh? Aah?”
My contractor had been knocked into a groggy state! And then—
Bam!
Mind down. Ding ding ding! Game set.
Well, you fought well, contractor. Or should I say you took those hits well?
“...Ugh.”
“Are you alright?”
“...I’m sorry for being such a poor and worthless contractor. I’m a pathetic adventurer whose entire fortune is two hundred and forty-nine dallants……”
“....”
My contractor collapsed against my palm, burying her face there and beginning to spout nonsense as if drunk. Her face was slightly flushed and her forehead felt hot. She really did seem intoxicated.
The insolent server watched my contractor’s state with those dark red eyes, slowly rolling something around in her mouth as if savoring fine wine. Her expression had turned completely serious, unlike her playful attitude from moments before.
“Hmm. For your age, it’s quite rich and deep. Not bad at all. But it’s highly volatile, so it doesn’t linger long. Is that because of low self-esteem? Hmm. I don’t know what you’ve been through, but from now on, try to love yourself a bit more and build some confidence. From what I see, Mr. Pathetic Adventurer has high potential for growth. I’d give you twelve out of twenty! Just average, I suppose~”
“Ugh?”
After thoroughly beating my contractor with words, the insolent server suddenly started applying verbal bandages. My contractor leaned against my hand, staring at her with an incredulous expression.
“Pfft. Why are you staring at me like such an idiot? Want me to give you some honey mead as a service? Aww, how cute♡”
Her insolent smile and irritated tone remained, but within her slightly softened gaze overflowed with worry and affection. I couldn’t get a read on what kind of person she was at all. Did she have a split personality?
While my contractor and I stared blankly at the server, Sion—who had been idly poking at a water dish and yawning—naturally began to explain.
“Haaam… Croma measures the emotion of anger, gives it a score, then discounts the food accordingly, nyang. The higher the anger score, the cheaper the meal, nyang! The madder you get, the better the deal, nyang!”
“Thanks for the lame explanation, you cowardly cat customer~ This is why regulars are the best, right? Though the shedding is a bit annoying!”
“Don’t spout nonsense, nyang! What shedding are you talking about with this body, nyang!”
“Ugh, ptoo ptoo! What is this utterly pathetic bad aftertaste? Ew… It feels like my mouth is full of cat hair.”
“What are you saying, nyang? Want to die, nyang? Just try it!”
“Kyaa~ Get away, you beast♡”
“Hoo……”
“So… that’s how it works?”
Tasting emotions. Not a phrase you heard every day.
Why does it feel so familiar?
It felt like something I’d heard before. When was that again?
The noisy meowing from earlier that day echoed in the back of my mind as I tried to recall. Ah, I remember now. It was what Sion had told me today. I’d only half-listened, so it came back to me late.
But if that was the case…
Look at this.
I’d thought she didn’t seem like an ordinary shrimp, but I never expected her to be my senior. And she was a demon?
The demons in this world sure are cute.
With her appearance, she seemed more like a mischievous fairy than a demon. Though judging by her personality and the way she spoke, she was definitely a demon.
“Hmm?”
Curious about this member of my kind (or not) whom I was meeting for the first time, I quietly observed her. The demon server—no, her name was Croma, wasn’t it?—suddenly gave me a playful wink.
Why did I suddenly get chills…
“Alright then. Since that pathetic appetizer ruined our appetite, shall we move on to the main course to change the mood?”
Main course? Surely she didn’t mean me?
“Are you talking to me?”
“Yes! Only this stupid crow customer dared to hide his pitch-black insides from me? That’s against the rules in our tavern~ You trash♡ Follow the rules~”
“Do I really have to do that even if I don’t eat anything?”
Having to show my emotions to others felt a bit burdensome.
“Huh? What could that mean? Is our stupid crow customer doing some kind of childish hunger strike?”
“No way! Did you absorb so much fear today that you’re full, nyang?”
“Fear?”
“Ooh… So the thesis that demons feel fullness from emotions was true……”
Croma, who had been glaring at me like a child throwing a tantrum over side dishes after hearing Sion, now wore a puzzled expression. Sion kindly added an explanation.
“The crow is actually a terrifying demon of fear, nyang! He did crazy things to remove this body’s fear. There was a huge commotion at the dungeon road today, nyang! He probably absorbed a massive amount of fear there, nyang. No wonder he isn’t hungry, nyang!”
“Agh, that constant nyang nyang nyang nyang! My ears are dying! This is why I can’t have long conversations with felis!”
“Then close your ears and get lost, nyang.”
Calling it crazy is too harsh, you thief. I did all of that for your sake. The adventurers who were there probably thought it was just some street performance. Probably.
“Anyway, a demon of fear, huh… Aha? So that’s why. No wonder my power didn’t work. Now I get it.”
Croma nodded as if she had realized something after listening to Sion’s explanation. How could she figure out things about me that even I didn’t know? As expected of a demon senior, she seemed incredibly capable. Or maybe she was just as much of an idiot as that gray cat.
“Intelligent life forms feel fear from the boundary beyond knowledge. That is, from the ‘unknown.’ The power to conceal information? How interesting. It truly is an authority befitting the demon of terror.”
Seemed like the latter.
“Anyway, release some power already! Just how high is your rank that I can’t taste anything? Hmm? I’m not exactly a pathetic demon myself!”
So saying, Croma pressed her flat chest toward me. It was uncomfortable, so I wished she would back off. Most of all, my contractor’s gaze was terrifying.
And even if she said that, there wasn’t really anything I could—
Entity Name: Croma Ira has requested 'Tasting'. Do you accept?
【YES】 【NO】
Expected Reward: Free Food
What is this now? Some kind of side quest?
Was she seriously telling me to sell my emotions to a demon just for a free meal? Ha. How interesting.
“Deal.”
“Yes?”