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Chapter 3: Lanchi, the Contract Enthusiast
Chapter 3: Lanchi, the Contract Enthusiast
Even as the golden hues of dusk faded away, the city remained illuminated by lamplight, revealing a beauty that rivaled the day. Along the ancient buildings that lined the streets, pedestrians in a myriad of attire strolled with relaxed smiles on their faces.
In a residential area, a few hundred meters away from the city gates, a corner lay shrouded in darkness, except for the torches held by guards and the faint light escaping through the windows of nearby homes.
As Lanchi's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he cautiously made his way towards his destination. Soon, he spotted something huddled beneath the wall at the street corner—or rather, there were several somethings.
They were fragile creatures, shivering in the cold.
Lanchi continued forward, drawn by the sounds of these small lives.
"Meow~ Meow~"
He paused and crouched down, opening the lunch box he carried.
The aroma wafting from the box was irresistible.
As Lanchi tossed pieces of cooked chicken onto the ground, the stray cats began to gather, their cautious eyes fixed on the delicious offering.
Unbeknownst to him, across the street, a figure leaned against the wall, her appearance reminiscent of a homeless person from the slums.
This particular street corner, while not the most desirable location, was secluded and frequented by feral cats. It was devoid of other vagrants, and the presence of guards was minimal.
Talia despised humans, and this place, despite its shortcomings, offered her a sembl of comfort.
No one would have guessed that this disheveled girl, dressed in rags, was once a princess of the Demon Tribe.
Time ticked by.
The cats, enticed by the delicious meal, gradually gathered around Lanchi, who looked on with a contented smile.
He had learned from the butler that Talia had been sleeping on these streets for the past two days. So, before dinner, Lanchi had asked the chef to prepare an ample amount of specially seasoned chicken—a treat for the cats and an even more delectable dish for humans.
Now, he had purposely come to this spot under the pretense of feeding the stray cats.
"... "
Though Lanchi hadn't glanced in Talia's direction even once during these few minutes, she had noticed him long ago—this intruder who had dared to trespass into her "territory."
If he had simply stayed put, she might have ignored him like she did with everyone else. But why was he feeding these stray cats such high-quality meat? As Talia reflected on her own struggles over the years, a bitter realization dawned on her. Even these cats were eating better than her.
Finally, she couldn't help but turn her gaze toward Lanchi.
However, her pride prevented her from voicing any rebuke.
All she could do was shoot him a death glare.
Yet, Lanchi seemed completely oblivious to her silent fury.
"Could you please feed the cats somewhere else?" she said, her voice cold and sharp.
Lanchi looked up, a hint of surprise on his face, and turned toward the direction of the voice. After a moment, he responded nonchalantly, "I've been coming here longer than you."
It was as if he were asserting his sovereignty, making it clear that he had been feeding the cats in this spot for a while.
At his words, Talia let out a faint, derisive hum, choosing to ignore him further.
After all, he wasn't lying.
Lanchi didn't say anything more.
What he had said was the truth.
As a native of this town, he had been frequenting this place far longer than Talia, who had only recently arrived. Naturally, she wouldn't have seen him feeding the cats here in the past few days.
However, Talia was stubborn.
She disliked Lanchi, and she was reluctant to give up the spot she had claimed for herself these past two days.
To back down now would feel like admitting defeat.
So, she remained seated in the corner, battling her hunger as she tried to drift off to sleep.
A little while later, Lanchi's voice broke the quiet of the street.
"Can you do me a favor?"
Talia lifted her head slightly, confirming that he was indeed addressing her.
"What?" she asked, though she had no intention of obliging him.
But according to the rules of the human realm, a request for help should be accompanied by an appropriate reward.
And she desperately needed all the rewards she could get.
"Help me feed the cats," Lanchi said. "Make sure the bigger cats don't bully the smaller ones. I'm tired and want to go home and sleep."
He held up the box in his hand and added, "You can have the rest."
"..."
Talia fell silent.
If it wasn't charity but a transaction, she could consider it.
For demons, upholding the rules of a deal was of utmost importance—it was a matter of their dignity.
The nobler the demon, the more steadfast they were in honoring their commitments, even at the cost of their lives.
Even though this human had no idea she was a demon, she, as a princess of the Evil Demon Tribe, would rather starve than break the rules of a deal, no matter how tempting the offer of extra food for the cats was.
She quickly counted the number of cats and calculated that she would still get to eat a small portion of the chicken.
"Deal," she agreed.
Talia saw no problem in accepting this transaction.
Though she didn't quite understand why humans found pleasure in feeding stray cats, it was of little consequence to her.
Lanchi placed the lid back on the lunch box, set it on the ground, and stretched his back before casually walking away.
...
The next morning, in a wealthy merchant's mansion within the city.
Today, as always, Lanchi began his day with discipline. After an early breakfast, he left the house.
The rising sun bathed the plants in the courtyard in a soft glow, and golden canaries sang merrily in the surrounding trees, lifting Lanchi's spirits as he walked through the garden.
However, his steps faltered as he reached the gate, for there sat Talia, as if she had been waiting for him.
But he remained calm.
It was highly unlikely that she could have discovered his misdeeds so quickly.
Talia approached him with quick steps, and the guards standing at the mansion's entrance grew alert at her presence. Lanchi raised his hand to signal for them to remain calm.
Their tension would be of no use anyway; if she intended to unleash chaos, no one here could stop her.
"Here," she said, holding out her hand with the lunch box from the previous night.
She had been able to locate him so swiftly because anyone in this town, upon hearing inquiries about a "black-haired, green-eyed young man," would immediately think of this notorious young master.
However, the image she had formed of the wealthy young man based on the town's gossip didn't quite match the person she had encountered.
Despite his somewhat foolish and lackadaisical appearance, he didn't seem to have a bad temper, at least not like other humans Talia had encountered.
"You can sell it if you want. I don't plan on getting it back."
Lanchi looked at her quizzically, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
The expensive cutlery from his household could fetch at least half a pound if sold.
"That's outside the scope of our transaction," Talia said expressionlessly.
Lanchi nodded and reached out to take the box from her.
This demon princess must have gone to great lengths to disguise herself as a human and strictly abide by the rules of human society.
Before Lanchi could say anything else, Talia turned and walked away without another word, her back a deep shade of gray.
"Didn't you eat much?" Lanchi called out to the retreating figure of Talia, her dark gray cloak the only thing visible to him now.
"I upheld my end of our deal," Talia replied without turning back.
"I see," Lanchi murmured, lowering his gaze to the box in his hands.
The demoness seemed particularly insistent on framing their interaction as a "transaction" rather than an "act of kindness."
Her pride would not allow her to accept charity, nor did she want to owe anyone any favors. She understood all too well that the most expensive things in life are often those that come for free.
Lanchi's plan to bestow favors on Talia and thus alleviate any grudge she might hold against him was not going to be easy.
However, all of this was well within his expectations.
Lanchi signaled to the guard following him that there was no need for vigilance, as he intended to speak privately with the young miss.
The guard dared not disagree and positioned himself at the entrance of the mansion, obeying Lanchi's instructions.
Lanchi then quickened his pace to catch up with Talia.
Talia turned her head slightly, her expression filled with curiosity as she regarded the human who had once again intruded into her personal space.
She couldn't fathom what this seemingly weak yet influential man was trying to accomplish.
"I'd like to propose another deal, and I assure you of its fairness with my family's reputation as collateral." Lanchi spoke with reverence and courtesy.
Talia's golden eyes fixed upon Lanchi, as if trying to peer into the depths of his soul.
He was not lying.
She possessed magic that allowed her to discern the truth in his words.
And their previous transaction had been successfully completed.
This wealthy human didn't seem too bad, and he was likely capable of providing the compensation she currently needed.
"Go on," Talia said, coming to a halt and inviting him to continue.
"Regarding the details of our upcoming transaction, I ask that you refrain from questioning my motives," Lanchi said, his expression turning serious.
Talia nodded, understanding the gravity of his request.
She saw no need to probe further, for no one could deceive her with falsehoods.
"There's someone in this town who wants to kill me. So, I'd like to hire you to keep an eye out for any suspicious individuals near my residence and help me eliminate any potential dangers. I will offer you appropriate compensation for your services." Lanchi's eyes held a hint of worry as he spoke, his gaze unwavering as he addressed Talia directly.
"That shouldn't be too difficult," Talia acknowledged, having discerned that Lanchi was telling her the truth. "Your family must be quite wealthy and influential in this town, and you probably have plenty of capable guards at your disposal."
She paused, glancing at the formidable guard standing at a distance, and directed her next question to Lanchi. "Why would you need my help when you already have such capable bodyguards?"
Lanchi's eyes shone with admiration for Talia, his gaze unashamedly appreciative. Her honesty in returning the box, as well as her lack of prejudice toward him despite his reputation and status, had clearly made an impression.
"So, you think I'm more reliable than the guards by my side?" Talia seemed to tacitly acknowledge her own strength with this question.
She recognized that Lanchi possessed the discerning eye often associated with shrewd merchants.
"Relatively speaking, yes," Lanchi affirmed with a nod.
"My services don't come cheap," Talia stated matter-of-factly.
She had been using her magic to determine the veracity of every word Lanchi uttered, and so far, he had not uttered a single lie.
Among all the humans she had encountered thus far, this was a rare quality.
In her estimation, he seemed to be an honest, upright, and kind individual—a suitable partner for a transaction.
"Three pounds per day. As long as I remain in this city, this agreement will be in effect." Lanchi had already taken out a checkbook embossed with the words "Wilfort Chamber of Commerce" and a pen from his pocket.
Apparently, carrying pounds of gold and silver coins on his person was too cumbersome for him.
Thirty pounds would be enough to support an average family in the southern territory of the Kingdom of Ventina for an entire year.
Talia was visibly taken aback by the offer.
It wasn't just Lanchi's wealthy demeanor that surprised her.
For Talia, who had not encountered the unit of currency known as "pounds" in a long time and was essentially a fugitive in the kingdom, this was an offer she couldn't refuse.
However, she was absolutely confident in her abilities.
Therefore, this was not a matter of "kindness" but a "transaction."
Most importantly, she held the power to terminate the transaction whenever she wished, ensuring her freedom.
"...Deal," Talia whispered.
"Then I'm counting on you." Lanchi directly handed the checkbook and pen to Talia, causing her to pause once again.
Talia looked down at the checkbook in her hand, deep in thought.
So, he wanted her to fill in the amount herself and then cash the check?
Indeed, he was a wealthy and generous human.
And he possessed qualities like kindness and honesty, which were often lacking in humans.
However, humans like him were often the ones demons had the most difficulty dealing with.
...
At that moment, Lanchi turned and began walking in the opposite direction, toward another street.
He struggled to suppress a smile, his lips twitching with the effort.
Talia had no idea that the person who wanted to kill Lanchi was none other than herself.
Even if she were to discover that Lanchi was responsible for the loss of her familiar, she wouldn't be able to harm him.
Because she had to abide by one crucial rule—
"As long as she remains in this city, she must protect Lanchi, and in return, she will receive three pounds every day."
(End of Chapter)
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