C09: Ente Isla Finds a Way
It was just a normal morning day in MgRonald's. Except this time, there wasn't Chiho to involve in. Maou promised to just take a break from one shift from Manager Kisaki and he never wanted to get through the lectures. Kisaki's lectures were always scary, and the last thing that he wanted is to be threatened by her presence.
The huge rain was really not helping. This was probably the biggest rain in Sasazuka yet. Lots of winds blowing and people preferred to stay inside, which is why not a lot of people are in MgRonald's right now. people were too busy avoiding the rain to get into their destination, and their last detination right now was freaking MgRonald's. Even SFC had to suffer from the consequences of this bad weather.
The restaurant wasn't entirely empty. There were still a few people who were forced to stay in here after the huge rain occupied them entirely. Some of the staff took a lunch break and even had some chats with one of the customers who were their friends. After all, MgRonald's took some locals who were willing to work out the fast food restaurants and give them decent wage for the day. There weren't a lot of tables to clean, and someone was already in front of the cashier. Not much to do today.
It's going to be a boring day.
After cleaning the table, Maou noticed two people running from the rain. One is a little girl and one is a man. The man was in his late 30s and the little girl was just on her pre-teens. The girl had a long white hair and red eyes. The man was significantly different, having medium grey hair, thick beards with the same color, and a nearby Friendly Supermarket dressing with the nametag "Hitoshi Satou". The man had his coat covering up the top of his daughter so she didn't get through the rain. It's quite a tight family connection, and through the banther it showed.
"Oh that was so close!" Hitoshi said. "Are you alright, Tsubasa?"
"Yes." Tsubasa said. "I'm fine, dad."
"Good lord. My working coat is wet. Someone needs to ask god to stop the rain." Hitoshi giggled. "So what are you going to order for today?"
"Can I pick my own orders?"
"Yeah definitely." Hitoshi said. "It's up to you."
"Okay."
Maou smiled. The girl had an incredibly sweet voice. It's the kind of voice that would make kittens sound like grunting 80s action movie heroes. Unfortunately there was one problem: Nobody was at the cashier.
Maou widened his eyes. He cursed mentally inside that someone would leave the place like that unmanned. He rushed through the staff room and in an instant, immediately popped in right in front of the father and daughter to pick up their orders.
"Welcome to MgRonald's!" Maou said. "How may I help you?"
"I uh... I'm going to take number 2." Hitoshi said. "Replace the cola with orange juice. And Tsubasa, what about you?"
"Can I have the chocolate Miro?"
"Yeah sure definitely." Hitoshi said. "And... what's for your lunch?"
"Same as you." Tsubasa said. "And can I get the uh... the... ribs."
Maou froze still in place as the girl said something in a language that perhaps only a few people in this entire world would understand.
"Oh of course." Hitoshi said. "So two number twos, replace the cola with orange juice, chocolate Miro, and one of the number two is breast."
"Oh ah... yes I get it." Maou said. "Two number twos with one is ribs, orange juice, and chocolate Miro right?"
"Yes."
"Thanks!" Maou said. "That'd be ¥749.09."
##
After getting the orders right, Maou couldn't help but to get out of the cashier's duty and just to clean some tables. Thankfully, an employee was kind enough to replace his duty for once and let Maou to take care of the rest of the business. Maou however, was a lot more curious on how the girl got a hold on that kind of language in this sort of time. How could he had more Ente Isla beings coming right into him? He didn't want to have anything to do with that place again. Coming right there is going to be the last thing that he's going to ever do.
Thankfully he got an opportunity. Right after they got their orders, another customer just left their table. However, one employee, Koto, was pushing the cleaning trolley right near that table. He should probably do the cashier duties for now as Maou get on whatever kind of dialogues that they were having.
Maou walked right near Koto and asked him politely. "Hey Koto. I got the table. Go to the cashier."
"What?"
"I think I dropped my house keys in that table." Maou said. "I'm going to need to check it out."
"Oh alright." Koto said. "Go ahead."
With Koto leaving the scene, Maou had the opportunity to spend some time on eavesdropping the conversation. Maou started cleaning the table by just picking up the leftover bones and rices, while also listening to whatever kind of conversation that the father and daughter had. The language that they had right now is more of a confirmation of the entire thing, as they spoke entirely in Ente Isla.
"You should work out with your Japan, Acies." Hitoshi said. "Tsubasa I mean. I just got used to on calling you that when I speak this language."
"How do you think that we can find mom here?" Tsubasa said.
"Well, we're going to find her eventually." Hitoshi said. "The recent suspicious activities that happened right here should lead us into them."
"I really hope that we can see Emi as well." Tsubasa said.
Maou was cleaning the rubbish left down the table. Hearing that name coming out of the girl's mouth just stopped him from his activities entirely.
"Don't worry, Tsubasa." Hitoshi said. "We'll get to your big sister too."
In result of hearing that last line, Maou bumped his own head down the table. The noise was so noticeable it echoed throughout the entire room. Maou grunted on that awful damage that he did when the back of his head made contact with the table's metal support. He scratched the back of his head and, while still under the table, apologized to the rest of the people.
"Sorry! Sorry!"
##
There was an incredibly tingling feeling when he glanced at Hitoshi talking to Tsubasa like there was nothing happening. He couldn't even think of anything else. This is grand news. Emi's father is in Sasazuka with her sister and they're looking for her mother. They are both alive and they are here. If there's one way for Maou to properly apologize to Emi - the last one wasn't convincing enough for him - this is the only way. This is the proper way to apologize.
Thankfully Maou already know things about this man. He managed to take the man's photo in secret with his brand new phone he got through monthly income. He worked on Friendly Supermarket so Maou knew where to begin looking for. His daughter has a noticeable white hair and a cute face. The one thing that he didn't know is his address.
The rain was dying down. When the father and daughter came, the rain was like pouring a large bucket full of cold water into someone's face. Now, it's like a constant droplets of water coming out of the same bucket. It's not too hard, but you're still going to get wet if you come out. Still, it's safe enough to go out that it wouldn't completely drench someone into wetness.
How about asking them directly? That's a good plan right? Well, what would happen if he did ask directly? They'd be extremely suspicious. He probably knew that the Hero is here looking for the Devil. Someone just came out of nowhere and said that he knew Emi. Calculations probably go that he's the Devil, because Emi wasn't with anyone else. Not to mention that Maou was cleaning the table from that entire conversation and just completely attracted the rest of the people inside the restaurant including of course the father and daughter. If he confronted them after they know that he eavesdropped their conversation, that's a huge alarm sign.
Not a good plan. Avoid entirely.
So he had no choice. He had to stalk them and follow them wherever they go. Hitoshi said that he'd be going home after all of this. So it should be easy to just follow them out. It's his final few hours of the shift anyway so he should definitely go and follow them out.
They quit the restaurant. Maou followed them from the back. He was hoping that they wouldn't see him out, but he was also hoping that they wouldn't suspect him following him entirely. He did bring his raincoat that he put on his new bike. The raincoat covered up most of his head so he wouldn't be found. They weren't too far away so it should be good to catch up with them at this rate.
But someone interrupted him. He stood up just as close as Maou's route on going towards the father and daughter. Maou glanced at the person and he understood something. There was his short spiky white hair and that boy-ish face that hinted everything.
Interrupting is not the right word. Sabotage was more accurate.
"Stop!" the man said. "I will not let you take one step closer into a civilian."
"Eh?" Maou said. "I... Oh..."
For the record, he hasn't seen him in years. This was the same man who tried all sorts of tactics who get through the demon. Perhaps getting through a personal quest is something that he loved to do. The Devil never wanted his existence to come the same way he didn't want the perverted scum Sariel to be around. This was the man who was a bit clumsy and unskilled in combat, but considered by the angels and once admitted by the Hero as one of the most brilliant tactician in the history.
"Archangel Gabriel." Maou said. "Of all the people that they sent, they sent you."
"Yes." Gabriel said. "I see that you suspiciously follow a father and a daughter. What are you going to do with these innocent beings?"
"I'm not going to do anything." Maou said. "They're Emi's father and sister."
Gabriel gasped. "So you are going to use them as a bargain for the Hero?"
"What? No!" Maou said. "Why would I do that?"
"You're the Devil." Gabriel said. "You're going to do anything to use them."
"Hey, that's exactly why I can't talk to them right now." Maou said. "They're talking Ente Isla language right in the middle of MgRonald's like a bunch of foreigners and if I just go in front of them and say that I know Emi right after two Ente Isla attacks, they'll probably suspect me."
Gabriel shrugged. "The one thing that I'm surprised is that you're not turning into your devil form and force these two hostage."
"I won't do that." Maou said. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"I'm looking for you, Maou." Gabriel said. "You're threatening the peace of Ente Isla."
"Eh? How!?" Maou said. "Look, I'm not going to Ente Isla. Tell me how I'm going to prove it. I'm not going to fight you at all."
"There is no way that you can convince me out of your power, you bastard!" Gabriel said. "You are going to die!"
Gabriel shouted as he pointed his finger towards Maou. Maou himself ignored the short grey haired former angel. He rode his bike and moved on from him. He was not important for this entire conversation, and he never wanted to get involved with him at all.
"Hey!" Gabriel said. "Come back and fight!"
"I don't have time for this, Gabriel." Maou said. "I need to go home. I got a morning shift tomorrow-"
"Stop right there!"
Two police officers stood right on Maou's way. One of them gave him the same 'stop there!' gesture that Gabriel gave and shouted his commands. Maou stopped on his tracks. He didn't know what he had done to deserve that kind of gesture.
"Is there something wrong, sir?" Maou asked. "I don't think you need a license to ride bikes."
"No, you don't." one policeman said. "But you're coming with us."
"Eh?" Maou said. "For what!?"
Gabriel turned around. "I recognized that the police has legitimate authority on everything. If you want to keep your life, then please comply to the officers."
"The hell?" Maou said. "I didn't even do anything! I... wait."
"I have my own personal army, Devil." Gabriel said. "You're not going to go anywhere."
