The Regressed Demon Lord is Kind

e.
His expression looked as if he wanted to advocate to do every good deed in the world. 

Flinch!

Lyla instinctively stepped backward, but Zich paid no attention to her and continued to talk in his kind and gentle voice.

“I saw the commotion in the lobby just now.
Really, there are so many mean people.
They could have just explained it to you if you didn’t know about the system.”

Zich let out a big sigh, but Leona still didn’t let down her guard.

“I wanted to first talk to you because I didn’t want you to think that those people you just met were the standards of all humans.
Would you be able to tell me about your situation? It could be something I can help you with.
Ah, I haven’t introduced myself.
My name is Zich.”

With a smile, Zich looked at Leona whose eyes furtively glanced back at him.
She seemed to be wondering if she should believe in him or not, but she soon made her decision and replied, “Leona.
I’m Leona Pearl in Droud.”

“I got it.
Then may I call you Ms.
Leona?”

An elf’s last name came from the name of the forest they lived in.
For that reason, they didn’t usually call each other by their last names, but by their first names.
This was different from humans. 

“Okay.”

“Ms.
Leona, let’s go to a nearby restaurant.
I will pay for it.
You can tell me your story there.”

Leona cautiously nodded.
Watching everything unfold in front of her, Lyla thought of a word closest to Zich’s current appearance.

‘A swindler.’

A swindler that conned naïve people from the countryside.
He looked exactly like them.

*   *   *

Zich, Lyla, and Leona all entered a restaurant.
It was a fairly expensive restaurant with private rooms so that people could be by themselves.
Zich brought his company to a private room, and they sat around a circular table and looked at the menu.

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“Ms.
Leona, what would you like?”

“W-well…” Leona awkwardly lifted the menu up.
Even though she tried to look calm, it looked as if it was her first time ordering in a restaurant. 

“I can help.”

Zich stepped forward to help again.
He read the menu and explained what each of the food was.
“Since Ms.
Leona is an elf, you don’t eat meat, right?”

“Y-yeah.”

“Then how about this?”

“Okay, let’s go with that.”

Even though Leona nodded, she probably didn’t understand half of what Zich said.
Leona looked nervous and stiff from coming into unfamiliar territory.
However, Zich continued to be attentive and kind to her.
Lyla saw that she was slowly lowering her guard.
‘A wild dog that lets her guard down when fed’—that was the image Lyla got from her. 

The food soon arrived, and they began eating.
Leona seemed pleased by the vegan food in front of her and clearly enjoyed her meal.

“Then Ms.
Leona, would you be able to tell us your story?”

Leona was thoroughly chewing her food before she swallowed everything at Zich’s words.
“Okay.”

Leona quietly began her story.
Leona and her tribe, like usual elves, were living a quiet life in nature.
One day, an incident that completely turned their tribe upside down occurred.

Their treasure was stolen.

“What kind of treasure was it?”

“It’s a jewel called the Lake’s Tear.”

“Just by hearing its name, I can tell that it's a very precious item.
How did it go missing?”

“A human merchant came to us.”

People had the stereotype that elves just stayed in their forest and made no contact with outsiders, but they actually traded with merchants from other species.
Moreover, they even let trustworthy merchants into their homes.

“Like usual, that merchant traded with us and left our forest.
A few days later, we found out that our tribe’s treasure was missing.”

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Of course, all the suspicions moved towards the merchant.
The elves formed an investigation team and sent them to the human world.
The team went to find the merchant who traded with their tribe.
However, they weren’t able to find the merchant anywhere.
The shop that the merchant owned was already sold to a different person, and the merchant’s whereabouts were nowhere to be found.

“He thoroughly planned this out.”

“Yeah.” Leona gritted her teeth.
She even let out murderous intent at the grudge she held against the merchant.

“But how were you able to find out that the treasure was in the Tyroul Auction House?”

“I heard from humans about this auction house.
Since they said this auction house has all sorts of valuable things in this world, I thought that there was a good chance that the thief might have put up our item for auction.”

“And your predictions were right?”

“Yep.
The Lake’s Tear is definitely in that auction house.”

“How do you know for sure?”

“It’s because I can sense it.”

“Yes, I believe you.”

Zich continued to listen to her words.
“Ms.
Leona, the auction house won’t easily believe your words.
They won’t just give you the treasure called ‘Lake’s Tear’.”

“Then I have to take it back! Since it was stolen from us, it doesn’t matter if we also steal from them!”

‘She’s thinking such dangerous thoughts.’

Before Zich’s regression, this was probably the reason why people said she caused a commotion at the auction house in the past.

“That will be very difficult.
The auction house is maintained by the city, so if you try to take something from it, the city’s military force will come down upon you.
Will you be able to handle that?”

“Hmmm.” Leona was not able to easily reply.

“Then what should I do?”

“As the employee said in the lobby, a possible way to get the treasure back is to buy it back.
So that’s why, Ms.
Leona…”

Zich put a slice of steak into his mouth and asked Leona, “How much money do you have right now?”

Once again, Lyla looked at him as if he was a swindler.