episode_0014

“Ugh, this is driving me crazy.”

I drank until the night ended yesterday.

I received at least one drink from everyone.

Of course, I wasn’t drunk, but isn’t there a certain charm in getting carried away by the atmosphere?

Emotional judgment prevailed over rational judgment in the heated atmosphere, and I found myself getting swept up in it unknowingly.

“Even so, singing in front of everyone, it’s a bit…”

No, it was a song from my world, so even though the others didn’t know it, they still responded.

How embarrassing.

I’m such a show-off.

“No, I should be satisfied since we’ve grown closer.”

I muttered to myself, lost in thoughts about yesterday.

After that, I also had a conversation with Mari.

Anyway, it was quite fun… but it seems like the evening has flown by already.

“…There’s another banquet tonight.”

Apparently, not only me but many people from various places were invited to the banquet.

They said it would be grander than just a palace ball, with kings, princes, princesses from other countries, and even priests from the Temple of Evil participating.

“Teacher, since everyone agreed to use teleport scrolls for transportation this time, it’s better to use them.”

Yesterday, Teresia said that to me as she handed me a teleport scroll and left.

She must have been quite drunk yesterday too.

I don’t know, I can’t remember.

Caught up in the atmosphere, I also can’t seem to remember well… Why can’t I remember?

I feel like I ate something yesterday… but I can’t recall anything after that.

Hmm, my body usually doesn’t react much to drugs or substances, so what was the problem?

“Anyway, I need to get ready for the banquet.”

Muttering to myself, I started picking out clothes for the banquet.

This habit of talking to myself developed over time from spending so long without anyone to talk to.

After finishing preparations, I had about 3 hours left.

“…I should have prepared more leisurely.”

Instead of taking a carriage or flying on an airship, we’ll teleport.

Thanks to that, I had plenty of spare time.

I didn’t even have much to do to pass the time, so I ended up just sitting at the desk even after finishing preparations.

“Lord Demon, Lady Veronica requests your presence.”

Hearing the voice at the door, I leisurely stepped outside.

It was the voice of an ordinary priest, not a major figure.

It feels like it’s been a long time since I heard such a voice.

Perhaps it’s because minor matters are usually conveyed by relaxed and time-rich individuals like Ryu and Adel.

Today, with preparations for the banquet and everyone being quite busy, ‘By the way, can I have a proper conversation with Veronica?’

It seems like I’ve become a bit more comfortable with strangers recently.

Originally, I couldn’t even have a conversation with someone new, but thinking back to yesterday, at least now I can manage a conversation to some extent.

With these random thoughts in mind, I slowly walked towards Veronica and Abel’s room.

“Oh, you’re here? Please have a seat for a moment….”

Originally stuttering and speaking briefly, now the conversation was flowing a bit better.

Of course, her face turning red was inevitable.

Veronica skillfully poured tea.

Recently, I heard that Veronica has been practicing how to pour tea properly under Abel’s guidance, so she must have practiced hard for situations like this.

Impressive, she’s already grown up so much. This demon is proud of you.

“So, what did you want to talk about? If you have something in mind, I’m here to listen.”

Since it was the first time Veronica called me, I felt strangely pleased.

In the end, does this mean that she and I have become closer?

Although most of them were sincere from the start, if I can become this close to her, maybe I just need to get closer to Mari.

Mari takes one step closer when I move away, and one step back when I get closer, so I don’t know how to get closer.

“Did Father choose someone to dance with at this banquet?”

Seeing her blushing as she asks… she must need someone to escort her.

Hmm, I remember reading in a fantasy novel that if there’s no one to escort you into the banquet, you go with your father.

Okay, that’s a cliché.

But there’s Abel.

“Isn’t Abel around?”

“It seems like…”

They might not fight openly in front of me, but like all siblings, these two were just ordinary siblings.

They fight when I’m not around, make promises with clenched fists… come to think of it, I might know why they’re not asking Abel.

If they did, he’d probably hold it over them for three years, but they’ve been stuck in their own little world for life.

So they had no one to ask for an escort. Damn it.

…Come to think of it, none of the kids from the little world have friends…

“Oh right, there are only nerds here…”

An outcast who doesn’t belong anywhere, a weakling, an assassin who cut off all ties, an elf who corrupted the World Tree, a female loner, an abandoned princess.

The saintly siblings grew up relying on each other, but the original heroine… come to think of it, I really don’t know about this side.

Just quietly listening to others’ opinions at dinner.

I still don’t understand.

I should have been grateful for the elixir before.

Anyway, chances are her friendships ended after she joined the little world.

“You guys, really…”

Tears cloud my vision.

It’s so sad, kids…

“Oh, Father?”

“Yes, let’s all go together…”

“N-no, that’s not…”

“Let’s all enter together. No one left behind, all together.”

Yeah, that’s right.

A lonely little world is just like this.

“Abel, you know he’s right outside the door. Go tell everyone what I just said.”

“Alright, Father.”

Usually I can sense where everyone is, but strangely, I can’t feel Mari’s presence.

I wonder how they figured out my behavior patterns.

Maybe I should investigate the World Tree next time.

With the weird things like the elixir before, not being able to pinpoint things precisely makes it intriguing and interesting.

“Don’t worry. If we all go in together, everyone will be happy without anyone left out, right?”

“I-I really… uh, no…”

She looked at me once and changed her words.

We’ll have to move together shortly.

Instead of a teleport scroll, I should just move them all at once.

It’s overwhelmingly more beneficial to use my power, which costs nothing, than those useless expensive scrolls.

As Veronica and I drank tea, the others soon gathered one by one.

“Geez, we’re so obvious… ugh!”

“It’s not good to speak so rudely about the demon, Ryu.”

“Really? I was just talking about myself. Kai, it’s been a while. Sorry, sorry. My bad. Right?”

Ryu seems a bit out of it, like he just took some medicine, and Caesar… brought this guy along well.

“What do you mean by ‘we’re all going’? I want to be alone with the demon lord and go far away.”

“…Teacher, I heard what you said to Abel, but you’re lucky you weren’t born human.”

“…”

Beatrice is originally from the Empire, and since the banquet is held there, she’s probably working in her own empire.

Adele unfortunately couldn’t attend the gathering due to the Dragon Lord exam or something like that.

Seems like everyone is gathered here.

“Alright, let’s go to the palace on my ability, let’s all go together.”

It’s about time and all.

I instantly moved to the coordinates stored in the teleport scroll.

Everyone arrived in front of the massive palace at once.

The gatekeepers guarding the lobby where the gathering was taking place blocked us with windows and asked, “Please state your identities.”

“Hmm, you don’t know who we are? Really?”

“Even if you are members of the Dark Sect, as gatekeepers, we cannot allow those who do not properly prove their identities to enter here.”

Oh, they seem more sane than I thought.

Hardly anyone I’ve met in this world can be called sane, so I thought the world had ended.

“I am Pope Damian from the Dark Sect. Please verify.”

So, I also politely said.

As soon as I spoke like that, I felt a strange gaze from behind, but I neatly ignored it.

After confirming our identities, he cleared the way for us to pass.

Such normalcy is truly rare…

“Ugh, ugh!”

“Someone, someone is dead!”

“…Damn.”

My head throbbed.

This is insane, who did it…

“If you didn’t know that obstructing the path of the father is heresy, it’s a pity. Heretics are to be executed immediately.”

Abel.

What nonsense is this.

I was leaving satisfied, why did you kill him.

Sometimes I think the Dark Sect might be like a nuclear bomb.

But they are so sensitive, horribly sensitive, that just a touch can make them explode.

It feels like living with a nuclear bomb.

“Please come in.”

Abel casually said while wiping blood off his gloves.

Yes, we will feast on the best MVP of the gathering.

The crazy ones are the MVPs.

“Uh, uh…. Ah, Dark Sect members… please come in…!!”

Even the messenger seems terrified of the situation.

To tell the truth, I was surprised too.

Except for Caesar, there shouldn’t be anyone armed, but I never knew Abel could pierce through thick armor and penetrate bodies with his bare hands.

Really, I never thought of that.

“Oh, look over there, isn’t that the famous Damian…”

Rumors have already spread far and wide.

No, maybe the story started spreading since the continental conference.

Even I, knowing that this lunatic would be executed if touched, must have stayed away and roamed around my kingdom.

“We have prepared seats for the Dark Lord.”

…Isn’t that where the Emperor sits?

Is it okay to show this openly?

Does the power of the Emperor crumble… or not? Does having the Dark Sect right behind elevate it instead?

I’m not sure.

“Let the gathering begin.”

With my words, the gathering commenced.

In fact, the gathering wasn’t much.

Just kings and queens from other countries coming personally to offer tributes.

Pleading for favors from the true rulers, the Dark Sect, things that would please them and asking them to take care of their country.

That was all they could do.

“Which countries did not attend this gathering, and who are the nobles?”

“Four kingdoms did not participate, and a total of 105 families, including foreign ones, did not attend.”

“Hmm… send warnings. If they did not attend the gathering where the father himself came out, then as a consequence, the eyes of their children…”

“No, let it be. Each may have their reasons, let it go.”

Stop killing and let it go.

At this rate, the world will end faster.

If you keep killing like this, you’ll be branded as enemies of the world, and now you’ll have to wage war even against dragons.

“As expected, Father seems to think that we should conserve our strength to conquer these different species, but even if it’s just us…”

“That’s not it. It means for all of you to enjoy the banquet.”

By the way, these different species have not been conquered yet.

Come to think of it, since I’ve been here, there have only been Adele and Mari among the different species.

Elves, half-dragons.

Hmm, I vaguely remember dwarves, giants, and such, but it does make me curious.

“Then let’s enjoy first. Everyone, please enjoy the banquet.”

The evil cultists who had been gathered in front of me like a gang dispersed.

It was only then that I sat alone in my seat… No, I’ll attend too.

It’s too boring here.

I casually changed my appearance and mingled among the people.

Hmm, it was a good idea to observe the etiquette training of the original protagonist.

From my gait to my manners, I successfully corrected everything.

“The Holy Maiden of the Celestial Faith, Lady Rebecca, is entering!”

…Somehow, I ended up leaving her alone, which seems fitting.

I didn’t go with her now because I thought there might be some conflict if she mixed in, like oil and water.

Her expression still maintained its usual impassiveness.

Of course, I was sipping wine in a corner.

“Oh my, look at that. Seems like he’s perfectly fine?”

“Isn’t he no longer just a toy of the Sacred Empire?”

It wasn’t a pleasant sight, somewhat reminiscent of the fate of defeated countries.

Well, technically, everyone here is from defeated countries.

“Would you like to dance a song together?”

“Of course, my lady.”

I also decided to enjoy this banquet.

Once I disguised myself with a handsome face, the lady asked me to dance first this time, unlike the previous banquet.

Is it all about the face?