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Notes from the Demon King, page 7:

This is not Earth. This is not a land of fairness. This is not the land of the free. Here might makes right.

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Chapter twenty

Sandra-

Sandra was bored. She was really bored. She was really really really bored. She was really, really, really, really bored. She was reall- she stopped that line of thought there as she could keep going on and adding ‘really’s forever.

After the excitement of the dungeon, everything seemed boring. But especially the current torture. The dreaded... shopping.

The guild incident the party had pretty unanimously (excluding her opinion of course) decided that they needed to get out and to buy some stuff with all their excess money. including but not limited to better gear. It wasn't that Sandra was against better gear per se, but that kind of stuff was gotten from dungeons or the ancient hordes of long-dead mages, not from walking around dusty shops and bartering with aged merchants.

Sandra had never understood The Stereotype that women like shopping. She was a woman, and she didn't like shopping. in fact, she didn’t think any of the women she was close to liked shopping all that much.

Hailey didn't, but to be fair she was pretty sure the elf just didn’t like to spend money.

Ali seemed annoyed the whole time, she was just kind of always annoyed.

And her mother, back on Earth, had never taken Sandra shopping once instead they had played D&D together or read web novels... and now she is sad…

Fuck that stupid wiswater for bringing up memories of her old life!

Sandra let her focus move to what was going on around her in an attempt to get out of her own head.

The others were paying for their current selection of products, this shop specialized in travel supplies, they were buying rations and bags for each of them.

They weren't magical bags like Hailey’s, but they had agreed that It would be good for them each to have a bit of supplies on hand even if the elf would be carrying most of it.

"Goodbye coiney, so miss him most of all…" Hailey whimpered under her breath as the store clerk took a goldkart from her hand.

"you've said that about every single coin we've spent since leaving the dungeon…" Giel noted "you know we came here to buy stuff... right"

The elf sniffled "I know, but that doesn't make it any less depressing." She may have actually had tears in her Eyes as she packed away their purchases into her bag.

They chatted as they stepped out into the bustling street of the shopping district, most buildings here were two stories one for the owners to live in one for the shop. With signs decorated with glowing runes competing to catch your attention. People of every type, gender and race ambled from place to place threatening to knock anyone who refused to move over.

Ali rolled her eyes “Okay, where to next? We still have a bit before we need to meet up with Kel.”

Giel perked up “We could go shop for some new outfits. My boots are ruined and you guys” he gestured up and down at their dirty, tattered clothes “need it.”

Sandra harrumphed “I was hopping we could stop by the book store…”

Ali nodded “we could do that, I've been thinking of doing some research myself.”

Kenn looked pained “On what?”

“Magic in general and stuff, I mean I found this book of the basics of spell work… and Demons of course.”

The group went quiet for a second before Hailey spoke, ‘We aren't going with him are we…?”

“Of course not” Ali shouted.

At the same time both Kenn and Sandra said “of course we are”

Giel remained silent, the inner machinations of his mind a mystery.

Kenn looked to Ali, “Then what are we preparing for?”

“Adventuring! We aren't going to be staying in this one town forever are we?”

“I guess not…” the warrior sighed “But by that, same thought process why would we give up a chance like this?”

“He threw us into what was essentially magical acid! He broke your leg!”

“But he did it all to make us better” Sandra corrected

“You… don't know that.” Hailey joined “He could just be a sadist.”

“The path to power is paved with blood.”

Ali scoffed “Says the man himself. Look at it, he’s the only one who’s told us that. How do you know it's true.”

“I can feel it. How do you know It’s not!”

“He’s. A. Demon.”

“Wow…”

“Don't give me that! He is literally going to kill everyone!”

“He’s form earth!”

“Even if that’s true so, the fuck, what. There are plenty of psychos on earth! He could be the reincarnation of the fucking zodiac killer for all we know!”

“He saved us!”

“From a situation he put us in! What do you think Giel?”

Four sets of angry eyes turned to the beast-kin. Who looked on as if uncaring.

“Look we have until tomorrow to come t a decision. Why don't we just finish shopping for now and enjoy our night and discuss after or even in the morning when the day’s not so fresh”

Ali’s cyan-blue eyes glared at him as did Kenn’s brown. Hailey’s amber eyes glanced to Sandra who herself began to nod.

The others followed her lead for once, and soon they were back to shopping, though with a bit more tension in the air.

The clothes store came and went with only a few jabs from Giel at the other’ choice of dress.

The book store was more interesting to Sandra, as she was the one who’d wanted to go there. She picked up a few biographies and one ever-rare novel.

The others browsing more informational texts,

“That's weird.” Ali noted

Sandra looked up from her reading “What?”

“I can't find anything on demons, I knew finding stuff on mana cultivation would be hard. I mean we've looked before, but shouldn't demons be a common topic due to the whole upcoming apocalypse…”

The shopkeeper, a tall human, chimed in then “I'm sorry, the King commissioned all books focused on demons to be sent to the capital a few months back”

“You don't have anything?” Ali frowned.

“I’m afraid not.”

they couldn't find much on how to progress their mana cultivation either. The best they got were vague hints and the names of stages or steps. For example the sage after the second trial was called the noble stage, and the trial was called the trail of boons.

They left disappointed.

Kenn “Well that was a waste, and it’s still only nine o five.”

Hailey looked around for a clock “Wait, How do you know that?”

“How do you know when people are looking at you?”

“Fair point.”

Sandra rubbed her chin “So we’ve got like an hour to kill, then we probably need to head to the inn to change.”

“Yep” Giel agreed “This is one of those awkward amounts of time that’s not enough to really do anything but long enough that you dont want to spend it doing nothing…”

“Is there anything else we need to get?”

“We could go window-shop some armor,” Kenn said glancing at Hailey’s bag where they had stowed his new chestplate, “we have enough to afford non-magical stuff, right?”

“I guess.”

The group shrugged deciding there was nothing better to do.

It didn't take long to get to the armor supply shop It was a nice well taken care of place run by an old polycule of two beast kin women an orcish man and a dwarf man. They’d been here before for Kenn’s armor so the old timer’s knew them.

The orc smiled a tusked smile as they stepped in “Oy, It’s you lot again” He said with a nod of greeting “Come look’n for some more armor for your human pal did’ya?”

“Actually no” Kenn answered “We’re actually here for the other’s though we’re mostly just looking”

The orc nodded “Ay, let me see if i can get you some assistance” he said in a subdued tone be fore turning to the door that presumably lead upstairs and shouting at the top of his lungs “OY!!! ONE O’ YE GET YOUR FINE ARSE DOWN ‘ERE AND HELP THESE YOUNGIN’!!!”

From upstairs someone shouted “WHAT YOU SAY, GRANT?!!”

“CUSTOMERS!!!”

“I HEARD YA! SHUT UP YOU BIG LUG. I’M ON MY WAY!!!”

Sandra sighed dreamily “That's the kind of relationship I want when I get older.”

The one came down was the dwarven man, with tan skin and a brown silky beard.

He looked at Sandra and her friends, “What do ya need?”

“Cole, they're lookin’ to browse our wares for the small one, the human lass, the elf and the beast-kin chap. Right?”

“That's right.” Kenn agreed

Ali crossed her arms “I would appreciate not being called the small on-”

“Come this way then” the Dwarven man, Cole, interrupted.

Waving them deeper towards the back of the store.

About fifteen minutes later they had decided they were making some purchases. A simple set of light leather armor for Sandra and Giel, and something Cole called combat robes for Ali and Hailey, they were like a mix of a dress, a toga and a kimono that decided it was going to go to was going to war. With leather patches covering vitals and thick cloth that would provide some protection without hampering the caters mobility too much. Designed for someone who’d be moving but not running the salesman said.

Everything they ordered they had close to their size, with only minor adjustments needing to be made.

After having them stand around a bit for measuring, Sandra not knowing if she should feel pride or outrage when the dwarf muttered under his breath that ‘the buttocks area’ of her armor would have to be expanded, they were told the corrections would take a few hours.

By then it was about time for the group to head to the inn to get ready.

They paid a down payment and left.