Lilith brushed the dirt off her backside and prepared to turn and leave.
“Um...”
The young girl’s voice came from behind her, tinged with a hint of hesitation.
Lilith looked back.
The young girl stood there as if she were mentally preparing herself for one last push.
“What is it?” Lilith asked.
The young girl took a deep breath, looking as though she had made up her mind.
“Could you... could you please protect us until we reach the Holy City?”
Lilith paused.
“The Holy City?”
“Yes.” The girl nodded, her voice steadier than before. “We need to go to the Holy City, but we’re afraid of encountering more danger on the road, so we’d like to ask for your help.”
Lilith blinked. “The Holy City? That sounds like it’s quite far.”
“I can pay you,” the girl added quickly. “Money is not an issue.”
Lilith had intended to refuse, but she suddenly realized a serious problem.
She was broke.
She had been teleported directly out of the demon palace with nothing on her.
Furthermore, she couldn’t even read a map.
If she set out on her own, she might not even find the road, let alone learn things like flight or teleportation magic.
Lilith was silent for about two seconds before she gave a very decisive nod.
“Alright.”
The girl’s eyes lit up instantly, as if she hadn’t expected such a straightforward agreement.
“Really? That’s wonderful! Thank you so much!” She repeated her thanks several times, her eyes turning red again.
The elderly man also let out a sigh of relief. The wrinkles on his face smoothed out, and he bowed to Lilith once more.
“This old man is eternally grateful that you are willing to accompany us, Great One.”
Lilith waved her hand, thinking they should stop bowing so much; if they kept it up, she’d be too embarrassed to mention the money.
The girl recovered from her emotional state and raised her hand, a faint light glowing in her palm. She reached into her personal storage space, rummaged around for a while, and finally pulled out a heavy cloth bag.
“This is the deposit,” she said, handing the bag to Lilith. “I will pay the other half once we reach the Holy City.”
Lilith took the bag and peeked inside.
It was filled to the brim with gold coins.
She estimated there were at least two hundred of them.
Two hundred gold coins.
Lilith held the bag with a calm expression, but her mind was reeling.
She had no idea what two hundred coins could buy, but based on her experience from her past life, two hundred gold coins sounded like a lot no matter how you sliced it.
She quietly closed the bag and nodded with an inscrutable expression, as if two hundred gold coins were a mere pittance to her.
“Very well. It’s a deal. I will clear every obstacle in your path.”
Then a problem occurred to her.
How was she supposed to carry the bag?
Holding it in her hand seemed stupid.
Stuffing it into her clothes would just get in the way of walking.
Lilith’s gaze fell on the girl’s hand, which she had just withdrawn from her personal storage space.
Right.
A personal storage space.
If even a Rank 1 mage had a personal storage space, then as the Demon King, she should have one too, right?
Lilith closed her eyes and tried to feel for it.
After a few attempts, she suddenly felt something floating quietly inside her.
She tried to focus her attention on it.
In an instant, her consciousness was pulled into another place.
A space.
A vast expanse of white. This space was absurdly large, stretching further than the eye could see.
Lilith looked around in her mind and found that there were already quite a few things stored there.
In a corner sat several sets of neatly folded dresses and robes, similar in style to what she was currently wearing.
Nearby were several chests; she didn’t open them to see what was inside.
Further away were several rows of shelves lined with bottles, jars, and various implements she didn't recognize.
They were likely all left behind by the original owner.
Lilith didn’t look closely. She simply placed the bag of gold coins into the space. The moment the bag left her hand, it remained suspended in the air.
“It’s static?!” Lilith was shocked, marveling at how magical it was.
She then exited the space and opened her eyes.
Neither the girl nor the elderly man had noticed what she had just done.
The girl was bending over to pack up their belongings, while the old man leaned against a tree with his eyes closed to rest.
Putting the matter of the gold coins out of her mind, Lilith looked at the sky.
“There’s a village up ahead,” the girl said, standing up and pointing into the distance after finishing her packing. “We can buy a carriage there.”
Lilith looked in the direction she was pointing.
There was indeed a village in the distance.
It wasn't large, consisting of perhaps a dozen households.
“Buy a carriage?” Lilith asked.
“Yes,” the girl nodded. “It takes over half a month to get from the Alwin Forest to the Holy City even on horseback. It’s better not to overexert ourselves. If we buy a carriage, we can ride the rest of the way.”
Lilith thought about it and decided it made a lot of sense.
She looked down at her bare feet. Once they got there, she would find a place to open her space and change her clothes.
“Alright,” she said. “Let’s go.”
The three of them began walking toward the village.
Lilith walked in front with her bare feet.
The girl walked in the middle, occasionally glancing back at the elderly man to make sure he was keeping up.
The old man brought up the rear; though his steps were still a bit unsteady, he was doing much better.
The girl suddenly quickened her pace and walked alongside Lilith.
“By the way,” she said, glancing at Lilith, “I don’t know your name yet.”
“Lilith,” Lilith said slowly.
“I’m Elena,” the girl said, pointing to herself before gesturing to the old man behind them. “And this is Kalman, our family’s Steward.”
The old man gave a slight nod from behind.
Lilith nodded, committing the two names to memory.
Elena. Kalman.
Though she didn't know their background or why they were going to the Holy City, Lilith didn't plan on asking.
Everyone had their own business. She had enough of her own troubles to deal with.
The three continued forward.
The village drew closer.
The cooking smoke became clearer, and the aroma of food began to waft through the air.
Only then did she realize she hadn’t eaten a single thing since yesterday. Although this body didn’t get hungry, she still retained her habit of eating from her past life as a human.
Lilith quickened her pace.
The faint sounds of dogs barking and people talking drifted from the village in the distance.
Those were the sounds of the human world.
As Lilith listened to those sounds, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
She decided to have a meal first to celebrate.
Rate on N.U.
