Gonna Be a Demon King!-Chapter 50: The Central District

Ilya followed Xaren inside the grocery store and watched as he picked out spices, vegetables, and other cooking essentials. He also grabbed a few pots and plates, carrying the boxed items in his hands rather than storing them in his magic pouch.

Curious, she asked why he wasn't using the pouch, and Xaren simply told her to think back to the merchants they had seen earlier—how they moved their goods with carts.

He then pointed out that since neither the merchants nor the average townsfolk carried magic pouches, they were clearly not as common here as they were among the demons.

Flashing one in public would only invite unnecessary attention.

As they were stepping out of the grocery store, Xaren caught sight of the clock hanging inside and let out a small hum.

"It's been two hours already," he noted, glancing up at the midday sky.

Ilya blinked, then glanced around at their surroundings.

"And we're still in District 7? The city doesn't seem like something we can explore in a day."

Her words made Xaren chuckle.

"Of course, it's not. This city is big, you know? Each district is as large as a small town or village on its own. To explore all 15 in a day is impossible."

Ilya considered his comparison for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"True. We still have things to do as well."

Said 'things' naturally referred to the first part of their mission—contacting the Sleeper Agent at the city's library.

"You remember what he looks like, right?"

"Mhmm."

Ilya gave a silent nod, her attention already shifting toward another sight in the city as they walked. In the mission files they'd gone through the previous night, their target sleeper's name and appearance were documented.

"Good. We'll split up and search for him separately when we get there."

"Mhnmm."

Ilya hummed in response, her gaze flickering to yet another object of interest. Just as Xaren was about to speak again, she turned to him with a curious expression.

"This is your first time in a normal human city, isn't it? Aren't you curious about things?"

"Oh, I am—just not as much as you."

Xaren replied, his eyes scanning for a secluded spot where he could discreetly slip the items he was carrying into his magic pouch.

Spotting a nearby alley, he veered off, stepping behind a building. With his left hand, he unstrapped the pouch, while his right balanced the stack of boxes.

He quickly stored them away, recalling that there was still a corpse inside.

'Need to get rid of that.'

Pushing the thought aside for now, he turned a corner and emerged back onto the main street, rejoining Ilya as she passed the front of the building he had looped around.

"So, what are your thoughts on a human city?"

"...not quite what I imagined."

Ilya took a moment before answering, her gaze drifting over the bustling streets as she continued.

"It's livelier than I thought it would be."

Hearing this, Xaren immediately understood the kind of expectations she had for Zlego.

"You thought it'd be dreary because of the war?"

"Yes. Don't wars usually affect the lives of ordinary people?"

She turned to him with the question, and Xaren nodded affirmatively.

"They definitely do. But the way I see it, people don't really have a choice. Even during a war, they have to keep going.

If they don't work or open their shops, they won't earn money. Without money, they can't buy food, and if they can't buy food, they'll starve—and they don't want that. So, they have to carry on. No, they force themselves to."

He pointed to a horse-drawn cart loaded with carrots heading toward the marketplace and continued.

"Farmers have to plant their crops, or there won't be food. Without food, the soldiers fighting the war can't eat. Fighting on an empty stomach is a disaster waiting to happen—morale would plummet, weaker soldiers wouldn't be able to fight properly, and the city's defences would suffer."

Ilya took in his words, then turned her attention to a group of merchants exchanging goods.

"So, they don't have a choice but to force normalcy."

"Yeah. Though, this city seems a lot brighter than it normally would. I'd say their confidence in the barrier around it plays a big role."

Ilya glanced up at the sky after Xaren's response, noticing the shimmering layer of magic power far above them. Then, as her gaze returned to the streets, she caught sight of a platoon of soldiers patrolling in formation and muttered.

"But there are still obvious signs that a war is ongoing."

Although Ilya didn't know much about human cities untouched by war, even she could tell that soldiers patrolling every other street wasn't normal.

Her eyes landed on a group of robed figures wielding staffs, magic power radiating from them. Some carried no visible weapons, but the small protrusions beneath their robes suggested otherwise.

"Those are the mages from the Magic Tower?"

"Most likely."

Xaren gave them a brief glance, noting that their average energy levels were noticeably higher than the average soldier.

'Not surprising, considering this is a Magic City.'

Random thoughts drifted through Xaren's mind as he pulled the map from his pocket, scanning their location before pinpointing their next destination.

"Let's take a public carriage to the Central District," he suggested.

Ilya glanced at the carriages moving along the main street, then nodded. They made their way to the carriage park in District 7, where dozens of carriages bound for different districts stood in wait.

Some drivers were busy feeding their horses, while others changed wheels or made minor repairs.

Each carriage had a sign mounted on its hood, clearly marking its destination, making it easy for them to find the one headed for the Central District.

After a short exchange with the driver, they climbed aboard. The carriage had two long seats facing each other, and the pair took the last open spots on the left.

Within minutes, the right-side seats filled up, and the driver took his place, pulling on the reins to set the horses in motion.

The ride was quiet. Besides Xaren and Ilya, none of the other passengers seemed to know one another, nor did they appear eager to strike up a conversation. The silence remained unbroken for the entire forty-five-minute journey.

There were several designated stops where passengers got off before the carriage reached the Central District's Carriage Park, so when they arrived at the library stop, Xaren and Ilya disembarked.

Not far off, the towering Magic Tower dominated the skyline, with dozens of robed mages moving in and out of its entrance every minute.

They didn't linger, not wanting to stand under the midday sun for too long. Instead, they shifted their focus to the library building as they approached.

It was a four-storey structure, roughly half the height of the Magic Tower. The building sat within a spacious compound where several carriages were parked, enclosed by a short, gated fence.

Xaren could feel traces of magic power emanating from the railheads on the fence—proof that despite its unassuming height, scaling it wouldn't be so simple.

They entered through the main double doors, and the receptionist cast them a quick, appraising glance before wordlessly gesturing toward a wall where a set of rules was nailed.

Ilya stepped up to read them carefully from top to bottom, while Xaren merely skimmed through.

Nothing stood out to him—just the usual library rules about maintaining silence, prohibiting food and drinks, and outlining borrowing regulations.

Once Ilya finished, they moved further inside and immediately came across another board just past the entrance.

It displayed an illustration of the library's five floors—including the ground floor—along with access restrictions for different groups of people.

The Ground Floor was designated as Level 0.

The First Floor was Level 1.

The Second Floor was Level 2.

The Third and Fourth Floors, marked as Levels 3 and 4, were restricted to high-ranking military personnel, nobles of significant status, and mages.

Even among mages, only those of a certain rank were permitted entry to Level 4.

Xaren glanced over the restrictions and immediately suspected that Level 4 housed grimoires and advanced spell books. It also seemed like a likely place to hide the city's barrier core—but that felt too obvious.

After finishing with the illustration, they stepped into the vast hall that made up the main library, silently taking in their surroundings.

The ground floor alone was as large as a football stadium. From their observations of the exterior, the third and fourth floors were only half the size of the first three, but they were still massive in their own right.

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Every five bookshelves were separated by two rows of paired reading desks.

Multiple librarians oversaw each floor, and after walking across the width of the hall, Xaren noted a total of six librarian desks across its length—three positioned on either side.

"You go left, I'll go right. We'll move up the stairs the same way, checking each floor as we go. If no one's at a desk, just look around the bookshelves in that area to see if you can find him.

If you still don't, remember the desk and check it again later."

Xaren whispered this to Ilya, then glanced at a nearby clock—it was about noon. He added in a lower tone,

"Try to avoid getting too close to any mages if possible."

This was to avoid drawing the attention of curious individuals who might notice the strength of their magic power compared to their apparent ages and start asking questions.

As for why they weren't suppressing their magic power entirely—it was because it served as a concealment layer, masking their demonic energy signatures.

Hoping he wouldn't run into any eccentrics, Xaren made his way toward the right side of the hall, scanning the librarians and comparing their faces to the mission briefing he had reviewed the night before.

Unsurprisingly, he didn't find the target on the ground floor, so he moved up to the next level.

On the first floor, he scanned the uniformed librarians but didn't spot the person they were looking for.

He wandered through the shelves, skimming books and pretending to search for a particular topic. If he noticed any mages ahead, he adjusted his route, weaving through the bookshelves until he reached the second floor.

This was the highest level they could access as 'civilians,' so if their target wasn't here, it likely meant he wasn't present today.