The time for tea & snacks was finally over.
Even if they couldn't see out into the city while inside their little hidden chamber - they could at least tell that the soft rumbling of the carriage was coming to an end.
Escaping from their hiding place was simple enough as that archdemon took the lead. Pulling on the handle attached to an oddly out of place panel; appearing far more "rough" than the rest that build their high-class room. Seemingly Necro began to jiggle it about in an almost random fashion.
In truth he was very particular about the motions he made and the result of that was a satisfying *click* that signalled that panel opening towards him. That noise is of course a requirement for building these kinds of contraptions. Elizabeth just followed silently behind as he headed through the small gap made.
Although his travel through the weapons was also markedly more "graceful" than hers; her constantly stumbling over odd protrusions thus catching herself on the equally randomly placed about.
"It's fortunate that we are beyond the roadblock else we would easily be caught."
Elizabeth could only blush as the very honest assessment from the hamster was certainly not an inaccurate one.
Fortunately her attention was soon pulled away from her embarrassment as she jumped out the back shortly after Necro. Immediately finding herself in a situation she had never experienced. Whether as a rich young lady and as the vermin of society.
People.
They were not fawning nobles, antagonistic enemies, avid supporters, church inquisitors or cautious wanders that refused to make eye contact. These were just your average people. Glancing around revealed that their driver had stopped in the stable area of a simple but well built inn.
Looking out towards the streets, meanwhile, showed that they were located within some kind of trading street as people were constantly passing back and forth cash as well as goods. For some that meant entering one of the many stores. Entering the shops (each with their own creative name) with a chime.
More often than not it meant one of the many stalls where more people were hawking their goods to anyone who'd give them an occasional glance.
It was a somewhat strange realisation for the girl.
Her entire life, something like looking someone in the eyes could be the difference between getting away with a snort and entering a life or death fight. To see these people not only living but thriving left a flurry of feelings she couldn't find the words to announce. Such things are completely unnoticed by Nercro.
Not that they went completely unnoticed; Elizabeth felt something soft press against her back as two arms made from solidified flames draped around her shoulders. She knew there were few things that wouldn't be destroyed by those flames… However she found herself strangely unafraid by them.
A feeling which was rewarded as they didn't even set her clothing ablaze.
"Commerce…"
Once again that bell-like voice made everything around her face away in comparison to its resplendence even if that wasn't literal this time. Still, nobody else seemed to realise the presence of the demoness who had hung herself over the shoulders of the silver haired girl. Though Elizabeth had grown to expect such.
Instead her focus was one the following words of the demoness.
"Foundation of all civilisation; without there is no order."
A hand reached up to grab her chin so as to guide it to look around at the various happenings on - soon catching as a lady hands over a single coin for a single apple. Yet a moment later a far less agreeable man was made to hand over 5 for the same apple. Both from the same merchant.
"Worth is assigned to everything and a deal is struck - what is more beautifully simple yet complex than the deals between two consenting parties?"
It was then that the gently guiding hand grew more aggressive as it forced her to look past the light enriched streets. Making her instead focused beyond that and into the darkness that the bright colourful laughter his surprisingly well. Showcasing a group of men surrounding another more nervous one.
"The darker deals, a fact of life, the side of humanity they hide."
Voice coming out like the snarl of a beast; although it contained less anger and more a primal mirthfulness at the fouler side of life.
That nervous man seemed to speak up only to get a fist to the gut from one while another grabbed his hair to drag his face up. Forcing him to look at another of those brutes. Obviously she was too far away and surrounded by too much white noise to make out all the details of the situation.
Yet it was one she was very familiar with.
"Everywhere you look someone is making a deal but we demons at least keep them."
Letting go of Elizabeth's chin and, sure enough, turning around revealed that the primordial demon was nowhere to be seen.
She was sure that that demoness returned to her coffin which in turn had been left behind in the hidden base of their supposed demonic cult. Yet that certainly felt real. Before she could pass off such instances as still being within reach of the demon's magic.
However, more and more, she was beginning to question that.
Necrohamster of the Corrupted Rebirth - a knowledgeable archdemon if there ever was one - seemed fairly sure that she was in that coffin. Not to mention he had offhandedly brought up "energy" negating properties that it apparently had. So it should be impossible for that divine demon to be here.
She was supposed to be recovering so leaving the safety of her coffin seemed silly; it was maybe the only reason this world wasn't a sea of flames.
More and more she had become convinced that the stories she knew of were false.
That there was nobody that could stop such a power demon.
A shiver went down her body yet she strangely didn't feel as much fear as she imagined - a fact that led her to begin looking in on herself. Why would she not fear the end of the world? It was a strange question to have when she had only just found herself possessing a reason to live.
There was a simple answer, though.
"Oi are you listening?"
Fortunately her contemplations were cut off as the annoyed voice of a certain archdemon brought her out of her own mind.
He was looking towards her with his arms crossed in a less than pleased fashion.
It was also now that she realised she was getting a lot of attention from those passing through. At first it began with just an off hand glance only for them to double back as if making sure they actually saw what they thought they saw. Then it spiralled up to them sharing their confused guesses with others.
She was also smart enough to figure out why people of this kingdom would be having such similar reactions to one another.
Especially when she could hear their murmured questions.
Even those in charge of security couldn't help quicken their paces as they passed her and this was most definitely attention she didn't want at the moment so pulled her hood up.
Your average citizen obviously couldn't dare claim to know all the members of the royal family (especially when extended members like her were included) yet they knew that one fact. The royals had a unique bloodline that essentially empowered whatever gifts they had. Purified mana running through their veins.
Even purifying their hair.
Obviously she was no different though she had slowly felt her connection to mana being replaced by something else; not that that changed her obviously shimmering hair by much.
Necrohamster didn't care.
"Now, as I was saying, we need to find a smithy or at least an arms shop!"
"Yes…"
She didn't exactly have a reason to refute him giving her an out to the attention surrounding her (even if he either didn't notice or care about it) with him strutting ahead like usual. Fortunately it seemed like he had done his homework. Quickly guiding them towards a towering smoke stack within the city.
Arriving allowed the sound of rhythmic hammering of metal on metal - something she was used to hearing if in a more chaotic form. Somewhat finding it amusing that the sound of creation & destruction was so similar to one another. Although she didn't have long to ponder on such matters as Necro barged in.
Not caring about anything else as he began to half-heartedly examine all the weapons with only a barely concealed snort to show for it.
Of course she joined him as the weapons littered just about every surface in the front of the shop.
Even having tables in the middle with plenty more weapons upon it.
Despite all that she also found herself rather unfeeling towards the plethora of steel weapons that littered in front of her. One may think that the weapons here would be superior to other places. Afterall, it was right in front of what may as well be a warzone waiting to happen.
Yet it was that familiar bell-like whisper that she found herself agreeing with.
"Such dainty & delicate weapons; are they trying to kill bugs not men?"
All the weapons seemingly seemed menacing to someone who hadn't spent half their lives surrounded by mercs & crooks who would stab them for a penny. She had though. As such she could easily see the perceived flaws in how they would be used by someone like her.
A sword is good until someone doesn't care about getting a little cut up, a spear is good until they face you in a tunnel and a mace is good until it flies out your hands. They all had flaws. But those flaws made it clear that she couldn't find herself using any of them as she simply couldn't trust any of them.
If there was any lesson given by Victory that she believed in it was one of trust; no deal can be considered until there is something to put your trust in.
There was no trust in these mass produced weapons.
"I like nothing; let's go."
Necro blinked for a second only to shake his head with a sigh.
"Whatever then… Let's head back to the inn where we'll stay for a night."
Obviously grumpy yet hardly able to complain as he at least knew the importance of a weapon to a warrior even if he was more of the scholarly type.
"Sigh I'll never understand all that honour jumbo mumbo…"
Mumbling as he headed back the way he came with her following alongside.
A faint whisper follows.
"I'm no smith like brother or nephew… But I'm much much more than them."