“H, how. How much further?….” Axel groaned while trying to catch his breath, still dragging the giant boar behind him…

“We’re almost there.” The owner responds as he keeps walking casually on the stone path that led to the spring.

“I feel so useless. I’m sorry…” Riela kept a downcast look as she walked next to Axel. It has been some time since she exhausted herself and had stopped casting healing spells on the new Hero.

“It’s, ok. I can handle, this!” Axel exclaims as he puffs up, straightening out his back as he keeps pulling...

(Something tells me he’s trying to impress somebody. And I don’t think it’s the random spring owner.)

The owner glanced behind him as he held back a chuckle, before turning to look back ahead.

(At least the boar ain’t leaving a blood trail behind. Though sadly, I’d have to guess that most of its head will be useless. The skull is probably in pieces, and the only species that I know like having bone chips in their food are hellhound Demons and Wyrm Demons. Never actually managed to ask the latter though. As they tend to be a bit ‘too’ aggressive. But I’ve seen one chew solid rocks so...)

And so, after a couple of minutes of walking, the trees slowly gave way. And the small field in front of the owner’s building became visible.

“And here we are.” The owner then stops walking and turns to look at the duo.

“H, hah. See? It was, nothing…” Axel responds as he finally lets go of the boar’s leg, dropping his hands to his knees while taking deep breaths.

(...Should I tell him that he needs to put it inside the building?...)

The owner thought as he looked at the exhausted Hero, Riela next to him, patting him on the back with a warm smile.

(....Nahh, I think this far is fine.)

He then turns around and heads straight towards the locked main door.

“Hmm, we got here faster than I thought. So, since you did such a good job, I’m going to let you use the hot springs for free this time around.” The owner speaks up as he opens the front door.

“R,really? Tha, thanks..” Axel responds as he lifts his head.

“Don’t mention it, come on in. I’ll deal with the boar.” The owner adds as he motions with his head.

The duo nods backs and slowly follows the owner into the building.

“The springs are past that door frame with the curtain to the right, take any open door you find to your left.” The owner then points ahead and to his right as he speaks, before turning to look at the door that led into the kitchen.

(...Uhhh. How am I going to fit that boar, through this door…)

“So, can we go?” Riela asks, and the owner just nods as he keeps staring at the door past the counter.

And as the young Hero and his companion disappeared past the curtain, the owner walked back outside, towards the fallen boar.

After reaching it, he grabs one of its legs and casually drags it back inside the building.

“Now, how do I fit you inside that door? Shrinking spell? Hmm, that could work. But that would make the boar taste funny because of the magic residue that will be left inside the body. I’ll have to leave it for a week or so if I do that…” He folds his arms as he keeps looking at the boar next to him…

(Windows are too small. Cutting it up will fill the place with guts and blood. I could do that outside but…)

“AAAAGUAHAHA D, DEMON! DEMON!!!” And a shrinking shout from the hot springs interrupts the silence…

“Didn’t he see the sign? But, wait a minute.” The owner turns to glance towards the door-frame with the curtain, then heads to the counter and opens the attendance book...

“...Yea...I had no reservations, and nobody’s signed in….”He tilts his head as he closes the book.

“I got myself a freeloader…” He sighs as he turns to head towards the curtained door frame with a quick pace…

Once he got through the doorframe he turned to the left, towards the only open door.

And the moment he got inside. He found the Hero, sword and shield drawn, the female mage behind him, her eyes wide open.

“Ahh, good here you are. I’ve been told weapons aren’t allowed here, could you ask your little boy-scout to lower his toothpick please?” A female voice chimes from the far side of the pool.

A voice that belonged to a woman, long black hair, pointy ears, skin with a dark purple hue, sharp eyes with black sclera, and red irises. The curves on her body slightly visible even through the blurry spring water. But most importantly. A set of white horns that started a little behind her ears and warped around her head all the way to her forehead, the contrast of the white horns on her black hair and purple skin making it look like some sort of halo…

(....Well. Shit….)

“You didn’t pay, so I’ll make an exception for him.” The owner responds flatly as he folds his arms.

“Aww, come on, you don’t have to be that cold.” The woman answers as she leans her back on one of the rocks, letting herself slide down into the water and lifting her leg out of it….

“Q, quit staring.” Riela whispers.

“I’m, I’m not staring.” Axel whispers back.

“No freeloaders.” The owner replies as flatly as before.

“What, I don’t get a discount?” She chuckles as she submerges her leg back into the water.

“No.” The owner replies instantly.

“Not even a Demon queen discount?” She adds with a slight smirk.

“I knew it! I knew those horns meant that you're the Demon queen!” Axel then shouts, his sword wavering in his hands.

“Umm actually. It’s Ex-Demon queen. I already lost, it’s my daughter who’s trying to ruin your day now. Also please don’t shout, your voice echoes too much.” The Ex-Demon queen shrugs.

“But. If you got defeated, then why are you still alive?” Riela adds right after.

“Good question, why don’t you ask the Hero that head bonked me into submission, he’s standing next to you after all.” The Ex-Demon queen replies, causing both Riela and Axel to turn towards the owner.

“She agreed to stand down, I didn’t see any reason to kill her.” The owner responds.

“Wait. You‘re a Hero too?” Axel asks as he blinks blankly at the owner.

“Was.” The owner answers.

“But, the Demon queen you were supposed to kill is still alive.” Axel responds as he frowns.

“The Goddess never told me to actually kill her, just to defeat her.” The owner answers again.

“Didn’t the priests tell you to kill her?” Axel asks again.

“The priests could demand that I backflip, while riding a donkey in pink plated armor. What matters is what the Goddess said. But, now ‘I’ have a question for the Ex-Demon queen.” The owner answers as he turns to face the white-horned woman, who just tilted her head questionably.

“I have been getting a sudden influx of Underworld Demons as of late. Is that your doing?.” The owner asks.

“Hmm, as much as I want to say yes. No, I actually just learned about this place myself from a babbling kitsune in the castle. Apparently, you’ve been making quite the killing with this place. Not that I’m surprised to be honest. Have you seen the hot springs in the Eather? Sorry, I meant, the ‘Underworld’.” The Ex-Demon queen snorts with a slightly sarcastic tone.

“They’re either like lava pits, or bubbly swamp holes. Or a mix between the two. And stop calling me Ex- Demon queen, my name is Aria, the seventh. Also tell your little squire to lower his metal stick already.” She adds casually.

“H,hah! You wish!” Axel shouts back. Causing Aria to chuckle.

“Please, I could send you flying out of this room by blinking at you. I just don’t want to invoke the wrath of Mister head Bonker over there, one utter defeat is enough in my lifetime.” She responds as she motions her head towards the owner…

“Mister, head Bonker?....” The owner whispers as he frowns.

“Uhh. Wait, you don’t want to piss ‘him’ off?” Axel lowers his sword slightly as he turns to look at the owner.

“ You could team up with us then! Help us defeat the current Demon queen! If you are as strong as this Demon states, it’ll be a breeze!” Axel exclaims as he keeps looking at the owner.

“Aria.” The Ex-Demon queen adds right after with a rather grumpy voice.

“No can do. I’m not a hero anymore.” The owner responds as he folds his arms.

“Ohh yes, please don't do that. It’d be a disaster if you start smacking all my daughter’s subordinates on the head. Because most of them will start following you around after they realize that you don’t intend to kill them. Humans that aren’t screaming bloody murder are a rare sight for us after all. Plus I’ll have to deal with a certain Demon queen bawling her eyes out because a human stole all her friends away…” Aria casually added as she stretched with a moan. Then started to get up. Revealing that she was, in fact, butt naked. And as she got up and exited the pool...

“Ahh! H, how can a married woman be so indecent!” The female mage shouts with a flustered voice as she covers her eyes.

“Married?” Aria asks with an arched eyebrow as she tilts her head.

“You do have a daughter you know, the ‘current’ Demon queen?” The owner adds.

“Ohh, that…” Aria stops for a few seconds, as if she was thinking. Then, she smirks.

“Well. I ‘was’ married.” She replies as she turns to look at the owner.

“But after getting so utterly destroyed by one measly human. My dear husband, he left me for some bimbo succubus...” She adds as she dramatically puts her knuckles over her forehead, lifting her head to look towards the sky.

“In other words, it’s essentially your fault I got dumped. So, what are you going to do about it? Are you fine with destroying a happy family and walking away?” She continues as she quickly reverts back to her usual attitude, pointing her long-nailed, almost claw-like finger at the owner with a smirk.

“...” The owner just keeps staring at the purple-skinned woman for a few seconds, before turning to look at Axel. Who was ogling at the Ex-Demon queen's, assets...

“You’re a hero right?’ The owner asks, causing the new Hero to snap out of his stupor.

“Uhh, y,yea…” He responds with a rather meek tone.

(Well he lost his bark pretty fast. Sultry female Demons would ‘love’ this guy…)

“I got a request then.” The owner starts to turn towards the exit as he speaks.

“Please defeat the Ex-Demon queen. She’s harassing random people. Also she won’t pay her stay...” He adds as he starts to walk away.

“W, what? I don’t...”

“Ohh? You think you take me boy? Ha! Bring it!” Aria then shouts, cutting off the confused Hero.

“W,what?! Wait! I, I didn’t. I didn’t say anytiaaaaaaAAAAAA!!!” And as the owner exited the room. A loud ‘thud’ echoed from inside.

“I should go and deal with that b…”

-CRASH!-

And, a giant hole appeared, right next to the closed door that led into the spring he just left. Axel now lying upside down on the wall adjacent to the hole.

“Boar…” The owner lets out a huge sigh. Goes to the door, opens it, and finds Aria standing where Axel was some seconds ago, Riela on her knees next to her, covering her head with her hands.

“I’m adding ‘smashed wall’ to your tab.” The owner declares flatly as he closes the door again.

(I ‘could’ try to kick her out, but she could easily level the place if she actually resisted. Better I just go along for now. I don’t have the cash to rebuild this place from the ground up…)

With that thought, the owner returned to the main room. Grabbed the boar by a leg, and turned to look towards the door behind the counter.

(I should just shrink it, I don’t feel like thinking…)

And just as he lifted the board and placed his free hand on its torso...

“Ohh, that's one big boar. You serve food here too?” Aria asks as she pops from the doorframe, wearing a black shoulderless bra-like top, said top having two black leather strands that wrapped around her body, before connecting to the sides of a swimsuit-like bottom. Overall, she was wearing something that you’d probably only see on a succubus...

“What exactly are you even doing? Here, let me show you how to do this right.” Aria chuckles as she walks up to the owner and yanks the boar leg from his hand. Then grabs the other boar's leg...

“You just have to use your whole. Arm!” She adds and...

-RRRIIP-

The boar became two boars, or two boar pieces to be exact…

“.........” The owner glanced at the floor, which had some boar on it…

“......” Then at the ceiling, which also had some boar on it…

“...” Then back at Aria, who was staring at the owner with a smug look, weirdly, there was no boar on her…

“I’m adding room cleaning to your tab…” He sighs as he grabs half of the boar and starts dragging it towards the door behind the counter, a blood trail appearing from under the boar’s carcass.

“What?! Come on! I’m helping here!” Aria whined as she grabbed the other boar half and started to follow after the owner towards the kitchen...

“Ahh whatever, my castle’s vault can rebuild this place a thousand times over...” She shrugged as she entered the kitchen.

“Isn’t this vault your nation’s wealth? You’d steal from your own vault?” The owner asks as he enters the frozen ice room, leaving the boar half on a table.

“But of course. I’m an evil Demon queen after all.” Aria replies with a chuckle as she also leaves the other half.

“Ex-Demon queen.” The owner adds as he exits the room.

“And I wonder whose fault that is. But no, we don’t work like that there, what I got in my castle is mine and mine alone. What I give to my followers, I give because I want to, not because I have to.” Aria answers as she also exits the freezer.

“Ex-Followers.” The owner adds flatly, though a slight smirk did appear on his lips.

“The ones in my castle still follow me. They still count…” Aria replies as she folds her arms.

“I see. So, you don’t intend to stop following me around, do you?” The owner asks as he turns to look at the purple-skinned woman.

“Nope.” Aria answers flatly, and the owner just turns around to walk towards the enchanting room.

“Don’t just leave without answering back! We’re bonding here!” Aria shouts as the owner closes the door behind him.

(...Are all Demon queens like this in their free time? I remember her being more queen-like when I went to defeat her....)

He sighs as he starts walking towards the vault, the door rattling behind him as a female voice shouted ‘Don’t lock me out!.. I’m going to eat all your carrots if you don’t let me in!’.

Ignoring the ‘threat’, the owner headed down into the vault.

(Got to leave the bow…)

He then entered the vault, and went straight to the bow section. And right as he took off his bow and placed it on the stand...

“Ohh~ nice vault. Mine’s bigger though.” Aria chimes as she seemingly popped out of thin air, a half-eaten carrot in her hand...

“How did you even…” The owner turned to glance at the carrot munching woman as he spoke...

“I phased through the wall.” Aria casually responds as she takes another bite out of the carrot she looted, her eyes looking around the room.

“Hmm! That’s the sword you used when you first came to my castle, isn’t it?” She points at the scaly black sword on display, then trots up to it.

“Hah, I still remember the day. I honestly thought that you were going to ask me to join my side with the way you were dressed…” She adds as she leans towards the black blade, her face reflecting on it.

“I’m going to leave the room.” The owner adds as he stops by the doorframe.

“Then you told me that you were here to defeat me. And I thought you were crazy, or that you got captured by the resident kitsune and somehow managed to escape from her room, she tends to bring random adventures in from time to time.” Aria continues as she plainly ignores the owner…

“Oi, I’m going to lock you in.” The owner adds again.

“Last thing I expected was that you’d pop up in front of me a second later and knock me out with a single karate chop to the head…”And Aria kept speaking. The owner sighs, walks up to the Ex- Demon queen, grabs her by her sides, lifts her up. And throws her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes…

“Hey tell me the truth. Why didn’t you kill me? Humans that tend to get this far into the Eather are always out for blood.” Aria asks with the same casual tone as she keeps looking around the now moving room…

“I prefer to give everybody a chance. I told you to stop. You stopped.” The owner responds.

“Really? That’s all? Sounds too simple. Are you hiding something from me?.” She replies as she turns to look towards the owner with a small smirk.

“Did you by chance get charmed by mAOUF!” Yet before she could finish, her head collided with the metal doorframe.

“Watch your head.” The owner adds right after with a suppressed chuckle.

“That’s no way to treat a lady...” Aria whines as she massages her head...

“You ripped a boar in half.” The owner responds as he starts going up the stairs.

“Yes, just for you. Yet I didn’t even hear a thank you.” Aria answers as the owner enters the enchanting room.

“Not to add that, Ah! And that’s the armor you used!” And she ends up stopping her own sentence as she points at the armor next to the enchanting table…

So, with the babbling Ex-Demon queen over his shoulder, the owner walked back towards the front room...

The moment he did arrive, he found the young hero and the mage girl standing in front of the blood splatter Aria created when she ripped the boar in half. The moment they heard the door open, they both turned to look towards the owner.

“Are you alright?! Did the Demon quee….” Axel, before he could finish speaking, locked his eyes next to the owner's shoulder. Where the Demon queen’s purple butt was essentially in full view for the entire room.

“Uhh. Do you two, actually know each other?” He adds as he keeps staring...

“No.” The owner answers as he puts Aria down.

“But now we do. He showed me his secret place~.” Aria added as she leaned towards the duo, causing both Axel and Riela to blankly stare at the owner.

“I didn’t show you anything. You waltzed into the room yourself. You also stole a carrot….” The owner sighed…

“I’m adding that carrot to your tab…” He added as he sat on his chair to stare at the mess in front of him…

(...I’m starting to wonder whether she left the castle, or if she got kicked out...)