Has the Demon King Paid Taxes Today?

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Chapter 39: When These Twins Are Not Smiling

A gentle breeze, damp raindrops, and a vegetable salad.

A slightly bittersweet sauce, especially made by the dwarf chef.

Just a few bites of this rich flavor were enough to wake Lin Lin up completely in the morning.

It was clear that the boy sitting next to her felt the same way.

Sharon covered her eyes and let her tears fall, "This tastes so bad…"

She didn’t react this way when she was hungry yesterday; she ended up crying because the salad was so unpleasant.

Lin Lin handed her a tissue and asked, "Are you okay?"

Sandy cheered for Sharon from the side, "Princess of Light! You can keep going."

After hearing that embarrassing title, Sharon’s expression became even more pained.

Lin Lin gently patted her shoulder to show understanding.

Life and work can be hard, but if you have a silly teammate nearby, the pain in your heart can double.

"So are you going to find the cat?" Lin Lin asked.

"Yes," Sharon nodded, "but we will also take the chance to explore because it’s really interesting here."

Compared to the hero’s mission, these two seemed more like they were out for a fun day.

"And," Sandy emphasized, "we will search for the Demon King’s traces and clear away all the dark power here."

Lin Lin, "…Wow, but the Demon King is sitting on my shoulder eating lettuce."

Lin Lin clapped for the two of them, "Don’t work too hard; you are still growing!"

"Not hard at all! Everything I do will turn into money in my pocket!" The voice arrived before the person, and the orca walked down with his hands crossed behind his head, wearing a cheerful smile.

Lin Lin glanced at the clock, "Waking up at nine-thirty certainly matches an empty wallet. I didn’t say you were working hard."

Wait! Lin Lin saw Arthur yawning behind Allen.

The top button of Arthur’s black-gold shirt was loosely fastened; when he raised his hand to cover his mouth while yawning, the button came undone, but Arthur had a vacant look, clearly still half-asleep.

The real sleepyhead is the brother!

Lin Lin’s belief crumbled; she thought Arthur was the serious type, but apparently not!

But now that she thought about it, Allen’s excited face every day, as if he had been given a shot of energy, really didn’t seem like someone who would sleep in.

So that means these two orcas are not reliable at all! What should we do? It feels like this job is impossible to finish.

Don’t panic, Lin Lin!

Lin Lin reminded herself that this time is different; now, there is the real leader of Demon King Castle, the Demon King involved. Surely, His Majesty the Demon King must have extraordinary intelligence and abilities!

Lin Lin turned her head to look at His Majesty, who was sitting on her shoulder eating lettuce.

Ah, His Majesty was already busy preparing honey grapefruit tea for the afternoon snack time.

Great, he is also completely unreliable.

Lin Lin turned her head back.

At least, let’s keep a good mood. We can’t go out and succeed in nothing, right?

"Wow, searching for a kitten?" Allen looked down at the task list Sharon placed on the table.

Sharon carefully put away the brown paper.

"We won’t take this task," Allen waved his hand, "We know nothing about magic and don’t have the skills to find it."

Sandy spoke up, "You are Orcs, right? Even though you look a lot like humans."

Allen smiled widely, pointed at his toothy grin, and said, "That’s right, I am a killer whale."

Ah, is this public information? Lin Lin was in a daze. Though there are indeed many Orcs in this world.

Sandy gave a slightly strange look, "I heard that killer whales can be quite friendly to humans, but you all look very dangerous."

That’s right!

Just as Lin Lin was about to agree, someone suddenly wrapped their arm around her head and pressed down hard, "Come on! Killer whales have their own preferences too, not everyone is a food for them!"

My hair is being squished! Lin Lin even tied it up in a ponytail today!

Lin Lin jabbed the person who messed up her hairstyle with her elbow.

Allen winced and covered his hurt belly, looking at the brave team, "See, Lin is very smart! She knows that a killer whale’s weak spot is its belly."

For a moment, the brave team felt very mixed emotions and could only show disgust on their faces.

Allen smiled as he sat in an empty seat and began to enjoy his morning salad.

The salad was delicious.

Allen made a face of disgust.

–

Though he said he should check out the fish market, he actually went to the busiest shopping area first.

"Don’t feel any pressure," Allen said with a smile, patting Lin Lin’s shoulder, "after all, we’re just shopping right under the nose of Your Majesty the Demon King, so we’re not deceiving anyone."

It would be more appropriate to say she was provoking right under the leader’s nose, Lin Lin thought to herself.

It is originally a city with a very sweet style, filled with many candy shops and little accessory stores that girls love.

Lin Lin felt like an outsider entering a grand garden, embracing the trends of this world.

There were not only little chains with various horned creatures hanging up, but also services like nail art and painting.

Most of these shops are individually owned, small and crowded. Fortunately, there are not many customers during lunch time; they might all be taking a break, and the afternoon is the busiest time.

Lin Lin walked into a shop marked as a magical trinkets store.

A stunning array of gold and silver jewelry and small beads made of various gemstones.

Lin Lin even saw two golden eyeballs floating in a glass jar.

"Some races also have a need to change their eyeballs," Allen said, startling Lin Lin who was walking ahead, "like the undead."

Lin Lin turned around and said, "How did you get in?"

She thought the orcas would not be interested in this and would stay outside.

"It’s sunny outside, so of course we came in," Allen said with a smile.

Unlike Allen, Arthur did not follow Lin Lin. Instead, he picked up a fishbowl with a serious look and observed it closely.

Lin Lin said, "You must not eat the fish inside."

She now understood that all the strange reminders she thought were silly were actually necessary. She had to prevent any bad possibilities right from the start.

Arthur raised an eyebrow and looked at Lin Lin.

Lin Lin realized that Arthur, as the leader of the orcas and her brother, usually managed Allen. Her words seemed strange to him.

Lin Lin emphasized, "I am just making a suggestion."

The shelves were crowded, and as she walked to a spot deeper inside, the sunlight was blocked by other shelves, leaving only one or two warm beams of light shining through.

Lin Lin spotted the perfume in a corner.

She could tell it was perfume and not a drink because there was a slogan next to it.

"Valentine’s Day Special – The Scent of Love!"

Lin Lin didn’t have much ability to judge perfumes, but since this was a magical little shop, maybe its perfume really did have the scent of love?

Lin Lin picked up a sample that was already opened, gently pressed the pump, and a fine mist sprayed onto the inside of her wrist.

Raising her wrist, Lin Lin lowered her head to smell it and caught a faint sweetness, but it wasn’t exceptionally pleasant; there was nothing else.

Was this scent of love too watery?

It was really disappointing; she had expected something truly wonderful, but it seemed the magic was just a gimmick. Lin Lin saw through the deceptive advertisements of every world.

Allen followed to the inside of the shelf. He was tall and had broad shoulders, which made him feel very cramped in the narrow aisle, like a giant that had wandered into a small animal’s nest.

Allen saw Lin Lin looking down, trying the perfume, and her expression seemed a bit unhappy.

Without really thinking—actually, most of Allen’s actions did not involve much thought—he reached out and held Lin Lin’s arm as she sprayed the perfume, bending down to take a sniff.

The small arm in his hand was too slender; where he held it, the soft flesh slightly sank in, and the owner of the arm was also waiting for his opinion.

The woman lifted her head and asked him, "What do you smell?"

Allen did not answer. He closed his eyes, leaned down again, and let his warm nose brush against Lin Lin’s wrist, gently inhaling.

He concluded, "I don’t smell anything."

"That shouldn’t be," Lin Lin looked at the perfume.

Was the perfume not only lacking in fragrance, but also so weak in lasting power? Could it be because Valentine’s Day had passed, and the magic of the perfume faded with time?

Lin Lin lifted her wrist again and smelled it, still catching a faint scent.

"Isn’t the sense of smell of orcas quite sharp? Does it not work once they are on land?" Lin Lin murmured.

Allen’s gaze fell once more on her slender wrist. This time, because she was smelling her wrist, his eyes shifted to her nose and her soft, warm lips beneath it.

After disguising, Lin Lin’s lips looked redder than their original color. Allen thought about this change without thinking much.

He smiled slightly, and his sharp, jagged teeth felt a bit itchy, opening and closing without reason. Allen realized he wanted to bite something.

It seemed like he was hungry.

Allen’s gaze swept across the tall shelves around him and spotted his brother’s figure near the door.

The shelves were high enough to hide the orca from view, but he could slightly see Arthur’s straight back through the gaps between small items.

His brother was looking at something else. He did not know.

Allen stood on Lin Lin’s right side. He reached out his left hand and placed it on her left shoulder, wrapping her in a gentle embrace.

Allen lowered his head, his dark eyes gazing down, bringing his face closer to Lin Lin’s slightly lowered one.

He opened his lips, revealing sharp teeth hidden in the shadows.

"Allen," spoke the human woman who was half-covered by him.

Her drooping eyes suddenly widened, and she stammered like an orca waking up, "W-what?"

Lin Lin was holding a new gadget next to the perfume, a tattoo sticker that twirled to reveal different patterns. She didn’t look up and said, "Doesn’t this antler one look a bit cooler?"

Allen pulled back his hand from Lin Lin’s left shoulder and said, "Stuff like this doesn’t matter, anyway it will wash off the next day."

Allen’s completely uncooperative attitude made Lin Lin find the tattoo sticker less interesting.

Lin Lin put the tattoo sticker back and walked toward the door.

Allen followed behind slowly, and he caught a glimpse of the little sticker slogan next to the perfume.

Allen saw Lin Lin and Arthur say something to each other.

Yes, even though Arthur couldn’t speak, he could read lips, so sometimes Lin Lin would talk directly to Arthur without going through Allen.

Then, Allen saw his brother lift Lin Lin’s wrist and lean down to smell it.

Suddenly, Allen felt a bit anxious and confused; he didn’t walk over but stood still.

He saw his brother gently shake his head.

Then, Arthur looked in Allen’s direction.

The communication between the orca brothers was always calm, and Arthur looked at his brother calmly as usual.

However, Allen found it strange; why was he suddenly looking at him?

Allen did not receive the message from his brother through sound waves, so he did not have anything to say; he was simply looking at him.

Usually, Allen would not feel nervous under Arthur’s gaze, which made him feel like something hidden was about to be uncovered.

He avoided his brother’s gaze.

Allen’s heart jumped violently.

He then realized that his body had been tense and stiff for a long time.

His heart raced as if it was finally allowed to express itself.

–

Lin Lin admitted that she was indeed drawn in by the offer of five gold coins for the cat-catching task from the brave ones.

But when she finally arrived at the Adventurer’s Guild to accept the task, they asked her to provide a hero’s badge, a wizard’s certificate, or a ranger’s document.

Lin Lin: …

Are we really having a test? If so, then Sandy and Sharon are truly brave heroes with official permits.

Lin Lin looked hopefully at the orca brothers behind her, but both shook their heads.

How frustrating! When you think about it, they are considered top mission targets in the Adventurer’s Guild. Who would have the time to take a test to defeat their opponents?

Coincidentally, as Lin Lin walked out feeling down, she ran into a group of heroes entering the guild.

Sharon was the first to spot Lin Lin; she saw Lin Lin as a friendly, gentle older sister. When she saw Lin Lin, Sharon ran up to her like a happy little bird and asked if she was there to take on a quest.

Lin Lin felt a bit embarrassed and told her that she didn’t have the qualifications.

Sharon, quite enthusiastically, offered to help take on the quest and said she would give the guild’s reward to Lin Lin after completing it.

It’s like they were loudly plotting in someone else’s territory.

Lin Lin rubbed her forehead, and the guild worker coughed loudly to make his presence known.

Sharon immediately stopped talking.

Lin Lin realized that Sharon must be the kind of girl who was very well protected as a child, and her mind was very straightforward; she said whatever came to her mind.

She even wanted to share the interesting things she found in this city with Lin Lin, just in case Lin Lin hadn’t noticed them.

"Isn’t there a lot of magic here?" Sharon said.

Lin Lin nodded.

"Most of it isn’t from people’s own power, but from potions," Sharon said, taking out a small bottle of light purple potion from her bag.

"It’s amazing; even humans without magic can use a little bit if they drink it, but the effect is short-lived," Sharon continued to explain, "and if you leave this city, the potion won’t work anymore."

No wonder this city looked like a paradise of magic, because it really had that privilege.

Lin Lin, who had never used magic before, felt very excited, "If I drink this, can I also have magic?"

"Of course," Sharon looked at Lin Lin. She first agreed with her before carefully thinking about the answer to this question.

In Sharon’s mind, Lin Lin looked like a gentle and strong older sister, so magic would not abandon her. However, Sharon was not sure what kind of creature Lin Lin was mixed with; if it was with an Orc, most Orcs had no connection to magic.

"Can I try?" Lin Lin asked softly.

"Of course," Sharon handed Lin Lin the potion along with her magic wand.

Lin Lin took the magic wand with some hesitation.

"After you drink it, hold it tight," Sharon explained, "we can tell what kind of magic you have by the color of the energy you pass through it."

Lin Lin drank the purple potion.

It tasted better than she expected, just a little bit bitter like herbs.

Then, Lin Lin’s mind felt a bit like being tipsy.

She thought her mind should be clear and alert, but her arms felt weak.

This made her hands shake a little when she tried to hold Sharon’s magic wand for the first time.

Arthur reached out and gently supported her, so she wouldn’t wobble.

Lin Lin squeezed the magic wand with all her might, but the half-transparent wand didn’t change color; it still shone with a milky white glow.

Lin Lin felt a bit discouraged; she thought this meant she had no magic power.

"Oh," Sharon also pressed the magic wand, "It didn’t change color because you, like me, have light-type abilities."

Now, Sharon looked at Lin Lin with some confusion.

Light-type is a very rare quality, and because of the popular belief that "humans are favored by the God of Light," people generally assume that only pure humans can have such magic.

She saw a different race favored by the God of Light.

Sharon felt happy for Lin Lin from the bottom of her heart, but also a little worried. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke up, "You should not let other… followers of the God of Light know about your magical powers."

Lin Lin looked at her in confusion.

Sharon said, "They will be jealous of you."

As humans, they had not been blessed by the God of Light, yet the half-human beings favored by the gods were gifted.

"Especially now," Sandy, who had been silent, opened his light amber eyes. "Many people are trying to become the Holy Maiden. You might be recommended by someone, or you could get hurt."

"This is a bit crazy," Lin Lin frowned.

"There will always be extreme people," Sandy shrugged. He seemed more casual about the God of Light, unlike Sharon who spoke with reverence. "It’s like they think that once they become the Holy Maiden, they can become a new god."

"Sandy!" Sharon stopped Sandy from saying more.

Sandy shrugged.

Lin Lin was curious about his idea, "If you don’t worship the God of Light, which god do you believe in?"

Sandy held his two-handed sword behind his back, "I don’t care about the God of Light or the God of Darkness. I just want to kill those who ruin everyone’s lives. My mind is simple, and that’s all I need to remember."

–

Sharon taught Lin Lin some easy ways to use magic at the Traveler’s Guild. They took a little extra time, and by the time they left the guild, it was already dark.

There were many fewer people on the streets.

Lin Lin noticed that the people from the Adventurer’s Guild were more relaxed at night; there were still one or two lingering when they left the guild, but most of the residents were quite careful.

The Blue Ocean Hotel was in a remote location, and the sun had already set while they were on the way.

Raindrops fell on people.

Sandy had hope for Sharon, "Is there a spell that can protect us from the rain?"

Sharon replied sharply, "Well, isn’t that wonderful? Guess what, I am a genius with both light-type magic and water magic!"

Sandy fell silent.

Lin Lin, who wanted to ask something, felt grateful that Sandy asked the question first.

What a timely rain, Lin Lin sighed quietly to herself.

She hid the king in her slanted bag and tried to block her eyes with her hand, struggling helplessly.

Lin Lin’s hair quickly got wet from the rain.

Of course, everyone was getting soaked, but she felt it more because her body was weaker, and the feeling of wet clothes and the cold wind was uncomfortable.

She thought she couldn’t keep getting drenched in the rain; she might get sick.

Lin Lin saw a gazebo glowing softly; she wanted to hide from the rain.

Someone tugged at Lin Lin’s arm, and she was pulled into a warm embrace.

Lin Lin looked up and saw the other person’s slightly fluffy black hair and their cold-looking eyes.

Lin Lin remembered that orcas don’t seem to get wet from the rain; they have a natural waterproof effect. But while they stay dry, their clothes can still get wet.

When these twins are not smiling, Lin Lin always has trouble telling them apart.

But soon, she knew who the person in front of her was.

Because the young man behind her hesitated and said, "…Brother?"

Arthur looked at Allen, and a brief message passed between the orcas.

Arthur took Lin Lin’s hand and headed toward the gazebo.

Both of their clothes were completely soaked, and through the wet fabric, Lin Lin felt the orca’s body temperature was similar to that of a human.

Only when they reached the pavilion did Arthur loosen his hold on Lin Lin’s hands.

Both the young man and Lin Lin realized that he had made a wrong judgment.

Actually, Allen, who could speak and communicate better, could have stayed here instead of him.

But just now, Arthur made that decision, and his brother, used to being in a lower position, did not notice anything wrong.

Arthur lowered his head.

He thought the wrong judgment he just made might have something to do with the perfume he smelled at noon.

He believed he was calm and peaceful enough, but perhaps reality did not match what he thought.

Arthur released his hands, but clearly Lin Lin did not notice this. She continued to tremble slightly, kept in the half-embrace of his arms, maybe because his body could block some of the cold wind for her.

Arthur opened his lips and slowly "said" a few words with his mouth.

Lin Lin was startled for a moment, then she gazed at Arthur; not knowing how to read lips, she tried to guess what he meant.

It ended in failure.

Lin Lin lowered her head, feeling disheartened.

Arthur smiled slightly in a place where Lin Lin did not notice.

Then he raised his hand and brushed aside Lin Lin’s platinum, wet bangs.

Lin Lin looked at him in confusion, with wet strands sticking to the side of her face, making her look a bit awkward.

The young man leaned slightly forward, pressing his forehead against hers.

Lin Lin’s body trembled a little; she nervously pulled away.

Lin Lin heard a soft sigh, and the young man’s other arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer and limiting her movement.

A strange power flowed from the young man’s forehead.

Lin Lin realized that Arthur could speak, but she did not have the ability to listen to him.