Once I returned to where Aqua and Wiz were, I felt relieved to see that the former wasn't on top of the latter's neck.
Instead, the goddess seemed to be happily enjoying a cup of tea and some sweets.
"Hey," she called out as soon as she saw I was coming. "What was all that racket just now? If you broke something and have to pay for it, don't even think I'm buying you lunch if you run out of money."
"But I'm the one who always buys you lunch."
"Hmph! Whatever. Just don't forget to behave, okay? Remember we're in an establishment."
Said the one who was literally about to exorcise the shop owner.
"So, Mr. Kaizer, were you able to find anything of your liking?" Wiz asked kindly.
"Eeh… let's say some things caught my eye, but I still can't decide, so maybe I'll come back another day," I lied. "Ah, and I apologize for the commotion earlier."
"Oh, you mean broken vial? Don't worry about that, the young lady explained everything to me before she left," the shopkeeper said, smiling the whole time. "Besides, that potion wasn't even that expensive."
"By the way, Wiz. Do you know that girl? We were talking just fine and then she suddenly ran off."
"I bet you tried to do something perverted to her," Aqua cut in from the table, without taking her eyes off her plate.
"Of course I didn't."
"Ah, that young lady. Yes, she's been visiting the shop quite often lately," Wiz explained. "She's an archwizard. And a very high-level one, from what I understand."
"Oh! Really?" I exclaimed with genuine surprise. "But if she's a high-level adventurer, what is she doing visiting a shop like th— Ah! I mean, what's the reason she comes so often?"
"Ah, well, that's because… apparently she found out that Lady Aqua's group visits my shop frequently."
"Huh? Really?" the goddess asked with disinterest. She picked up one of the sweets on her plate and popped it into her mouth. She didn't seem to care about the conversation at all.
"I'm not entirely sure, but I think she's interested in 'accidentally' running into one of Lady Aqua's companions," Wiz continued.
Aqua, for her part, finished her tea and, since she seemed a bit bored, decided to go check out the shelves in the back. I just hope she doesn't break anything.
So that girl is an archwizard, huh?
If she really is alone, maybe I should ask her to join our party. After all, it's just Aqua and me right now. And Aqua already officially belongs to another group. Having a mage on the team wouldn't hurt at all.
"Hey, Wiz, can I ask you something?"
"Huh? Yes, of course."
"Is it true that you used to be one of the Demon King's generals?"
"Y-Yes, that's correct," the shopkeeper replied. "But like I told Lady Aqua, all I do is maintain the barrier around the Demon King's castle. I'm not active. In fact, officially I'm an adventurer myself."
"I see. Still, that's not why I asked," I hurried to say so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable.
"Oh? Then what did you want to ask me, Mr. Kaizer?"
"Do you know the Fang Demon?"
Wiz seemed to consider my question before finally answering.
"Mm… I can't say I know him personally, but I have heard of him. Why do you ask?"
"It's because he's an enemy I have to defeat to complete a high-level quest," I explained. "And not only that, apparently the guy has kidnapped several girls from the area. So the sooner I deal with him, the better."
The beautiful merchant looked at me with a worried expression.
"I see… In that case, the only thing I can really do is wish you luck."
"Is he that powerful?"
She nodded.
"I said I had heard of him, right? Well, that's because the Fang Demon was originally a candidate to become one of the Demon King's generals."
"A candidate?" I repeated.
"That's right. A powerful demon who was about to join the ranks of the current Demon King. However… his application was rejected because the Demon King… how should I put it? Didn't approve of certain tastes he had…"
I swallowed hard before I could speak.
"Are you telling me this guy is so terrifying that even the Demon King himself felt uncomfortable around him?"
The shopkeeper blushed slightly at my words and scratched her cheek.
"It's just… since I never met him in person, I can't guarantee it… but that's what I heard during my time at the castle. Besides… if what you say is true, about those girls…that means he hasn't changed."
"Well, I guess it doesn't make any difference to me. If I want the reward, I have to beat him. And not to mention I can't let those girls stay in danger."
"Now that you mention it, Mr. Kaizer, I think I have heard something about the disappearance of several girls from the city."
"Oh, I see. So the case has reached the ears of Axel's citizens after all, despite the father's attempts to keep it secret."
"The father?"
"Yes. One of the victims, Tia Lyamnsen, is the daughter of a feudal lord. But for some reason, the guy didn't want to notify the authorities."
That still struck me as odd. Maybe the Axel police weren't the most competent in the kingdom, just like the feudal lord had said, but anything was better than nothing, right? After all, we were talking about his own daughter's safety.
"That really is strange," the shopkeeper conceded. "Still, things in the city are so restless lately that I doubt the local police, let alone the army, would have been able to send help."
That last part caught my attention even more.
"What do you mean by that, Wiz?"
"Apparently, the mobile fortress Destroyer is approaching the city. So the army and all security forces are busy trying to figure out how to stop it. It's true that it's still several days away from reaching Axel, but even so…"
The concern reflected on the beautiful merchant's face was so genuine, so human, that it was hard to believe she was a queen of the undead.
Wait, mobile fortress Destroyer? That sounded seriously dangerous.
But well, one problem at a time, I suppose.
"Wiz, sorry to keep insisting on the same thing, but do you know where the Fang Demon might be?"
The truth was I had accepted the quest, but I didn't even know where to start looking.
"Oh, I'm not entirely sure…" she began. "But if I remember correctly, his castle should be deep in a thick forest called…"
An uncomfortable silence took place.
"Yes?"
"The Forest of Doom."
"Ah, what a lovely name for a quest," I said.