The Water Magician

It is the third day of my three-night consecutive posting.

Six men and women arrived at the entrance of the capital, Tantoga.

Each of them was riding a camel, with a spare camel in tow.

"Well, what a splendid city this is," the demon Garwin praised the town.

Surrounding Tantoga, the desert came to an end, giving way to grasslands.

"This is the capital, Tantoga, of the desert kingdom, Jurban," explained a human man.

His expression was more timid than polite, almost fearful.

"Hey, Bozun, first things first — food. Take us to a good restaurant."

"Of course, Lord Garwin," Bozun replied, nodding repeatedly.

Bozun was one of the tough individuals known as members of the devil society, but right now, he was guiding Garwin and the others.

Moreover, on the way, they were made to understand that Garwin and the others were not just humans, but something far more terrifying.

"Lord Garwin, we don't really need to eat..."

"Shut up, Orenju! I want to eat good food. Of course, it’s not an issue if we don’t, but since we’ve come to the city, isn't it fine to eat?"

As usual, Garwin shouted at Orenju.

Naturally, the other three kin remained silent.

Vim Row was, to begin with, taciturn.

Juk's voice could only be heard by Garwin.

And Izolda pushed the role of being scolded onto Orenju.

Orenju had that role.

After finishing their meal, the six of them exited the restaurant.

"Indeed, it was delicious. Bozun, I commend you," said Garwin.

"Ha ha! Thank you very much," Bozun, the only human among them, bowed deeply, almost touching his forehead to the ground.

However...

"Hm? By the way, Bozun, did you pay the bill at the restaurant?"

"Eh? N-no..."

"Why didn't you pay?"

"This is... a restaurant that pays tax to the devil society, so food and drinks are free..."

Bozun answered with a hint of pride in Garwin's question.

"That's not good," Garwin replied.

"Eh…?"

As Garwin denied him, Bozun's face turned pale.

"People pay when they eat at a place owned by other people. That should be obvious. Go pay right now."

"Yes!"

Bozun immediately ran off, rushing to the restaurant's cash register.

Orenju watched this with a puzzled expression.

Not understanding, he decided to ask Garwin.

"Lord Garwin, it's unusual for you to insist on paying."

"What are you saying, Orenju? People pay when they eat at a place owned by other people; that should be obvious."

Garwin answered Orenju with a puzzled look.

And he continued speaking.

"Even if the devil society held a high position of power, no, precisely because they hold a high position... Juk, what do you think?"

"..."

"Isn't that right? The boy duke that Juk took over — being a duke is quite a high position among humans, yet even when eating in the city, he would have paid, right? That is only natural."

"..."

"Indeed, the higher the position, the more they should set an example for the people. That is completely true. That being the case, I cannot understand what Orenju is trying to say at all."

Garwin said this and shook his head slightly.

Beside him, the boyish-looking Juk also shook his head.

"Am I the weird one?"

Orenju murmured with a grimace.

And he continued speaking.

"However, Lord Garwin, you've never paid humans for anything before, have you?"

"Hm? Of course not. What's it to you?"

"Eh? Huh? You just told him to pay earlier..."

"We are demons and our kin. We are beings above humans, correct? Where is the necessity to pay humans?"

Garwin looked at Orenju with the eyes of someone looking at a pitiful person.

"Am I wrong?"

"Orenju, you would understand if you thought about it a little. For example, if those humans over there went to a chicken-run restaurant and ate, would they pay the chickens to leave the restaurant? There is no way they would, right? After all, they are beings that would eat them later. Orenju, you need to think a bit more."

"Is that analogy... correct?"

Garwin confidently explained, while Orenju's voice in response was truly small and unheard by anyone...

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

After a while, Bozun returned after paying the bill.