Ren hesitated, staring at him. "And why is that?"
The man stared up at him, adjusting his bamboo hat.
Ren continued, "I mean, I can see the condition of the place. It's... terrible. But why...?"
The old man chuckled. Ren didn't see any animal features on him, so he wondered if he was a demon in full-fledged human form. It was rare to see that in the Lower Demon Realm at the moment.
The people he had seen around all had some tail, horn, ear, whiskers, or something indicating their beast forms. This old man had nothing.
He sighed. "Our great city has been fallen for ages now. It's not a tale of today at all. I don't even feel like telling its story."
He shook his head while clearing his throat. "Our land was once great, as you may know—a beloved city." He sighed. "But it fell fast enough into what you see now..."
