38 – Banquet Hall
The game I possessed, ‘The Demon Lord and the Party of Heroes,’ can be divided into two main contents.
One is, of course, the invasion of the demon lord’s stronghold, the Demon Realm.
The other is the conquest of the human realm.
Of course, just because it’s called the Party of Heroes doesn’t mean it’s only about conquering the Demon Realm day and night.
These guys are also people, so naturally, they need a kind of rest period.
They would stay temporarily in the Empire or other kingdoms to regain their stamina.
In the process, they would also resolve political issues and troubles within the human realm.
In a way, it could be seen as the second main content, where they resolved the troubles in the kingdom.
In some cases, it may seem like the developers inserted other random characters to expand the main content of conquering the Demon Realm.
However, conquering the human realm was a much more important content than we thought.
“Well, because it’s directly related to the seal of the demon lord.”
In my opinion, the demon lord was more like a phenomenon than a living being.
As the world becomes more filled with despair and emotions become stronger, the seal of the demon lord weakens.
As people accumulate karma, the power of the demon lord becomes stronger.
It’s truly astonishing.
It’s as if the demon lord is trying to directly judge the sins that humans have accumulated.
Thanks to that, I thought of him as more of a phenomenon. It was too massive to simply call it life.
Anyway, moving on.
The story was about how solving the problems in the human realm ultimately helps in suppressing the demon lord. Naturally, I couldn’t do it sloppily.
However, that’s why.
There was no content as difficult as this for me.
Well, it’s because my body was covered in all sorts of unpleasant curses.
Perhaps just by people looking at me, the seal of the demon lord would be easily undone.
That’s also one of the reasons why I don’t particularly like going to the Empire.
The current situation is already causing misunderstandings among the party members. If I were to get involved with the nobles in this state, I wonder what kind of reception I would receive. Perhaps beyond suspicion, I might be stamped as the demon king.
Considering the need to also be cautious of the empire’s politics in the future… It was truly giving me a headache.
“Ah, I’m really looking forward to it. There will be so many delicious foods, right?”
“There will surely be expensive drinks. I haven’t had wine in a long time.”
“I really want to go to the church quickly. I want to bask in the warm sunlight and pray.”
Of course, despite my own feelings, they were all excited.
The news that we had conquered Balkan should have already spread throughout the human world.
It was because Lily and Camilla had immediately sent a letter of victory using their magic.
By now, there must be a welcoming crowd in the capital of the empire. The entrance of the palace must have a red carpet, with hundreds of knights and nobles, and a few members of the royal family waiting for us.
It would be a truly lavish reception for others, but for me, it would be a bed of thorns.
In a state where my likability is fundamentally negative, what actions should I take?
Fortunately, there was one idea that came to mind.
*
Balkan has died.
One of the Four Heavenly Kings, the king of all insects, has died.
This news, which started with a simple letter, quickly spread throughout the continent.
While the Four Heavenly Kings do not usually come out of the demon world, their notorious reputation is widely known.
Thanks to that, those who were in the continent cheered.
Those who had lost family members to monsters shed tears, and those who were terrified of the demon army were able to breathe a little easier.
Positive energy flowed in the tavern after a long time.
However, while there were people who blindly liked it, there were also those who viewed it with a slightly negative perspective.
Mainly people who had encountered heroes at least once, and the nobles.
-Well, I’m not sure about this hero.
-Really?
Those who had seen them at least once could only see them negatively, as they were naturally affected by the curse. And the nobles, being the early birds with fast information, were originally knowledgeable humans who obtained information and knowledge that others couldn’t.
Thanks to that, they could already sense that something was ominous about this hero.
-Somehow, I have a feeling of foreboding.
-Well, I heard the Saint say something the other day, that their soul is completely dark…
Of course, that doesn’t mean they were simply worried like ordinary citizens.
As I mentioned before, they know how to use information.
– If they feel strong enough from the first impression, they probably won’t be politically threatened.
– It might be okay to completely isolate them politically by spreading rumors…?
– In that case, we could also use the hero.
– Still, I’m curious about their identity, so it might be worth investigating…
With that, countless words were exchanged behind the scenes before the hero even arrived at the palace.
After several days passed, the day of the hero’s party finally came.
To celebrate their return after suffering for over half a year in the Ma’gyoung Kingdom, the king prepared a grand banquet.
Nobles within the Empire, the royal family, and many influential figures who may not be nobles but hold significant power in the country, all gathered in one place to see the hero’s party.
“Welcome, the hero Luke, who will illuminate the continent, to the palace!”
Soon, the doors of the palace opened.
The hero and his party members entered along the main gate.
Camilla, the honorable knight of Brightga, skilled in swordsmanship.
Lily, a genius sorceress who learned magic from the elves.
Yulris, the only saint of the Sun God religion.
Adele, a dark elf who has lived for hundreds of years.
And the hero, Luke.
At first glance, the hero’s appearance did indeed give off a strong impression, as they had described.
Neat black hair, ruby-like red eyes. Their well-defined features clearly suggested that they were handsome, but… strangely, they also carried a sense of foreboding.
Such an evaluation was made within just a few seconds of their arrival. It was impossible to predict how much worse the evaluation would become as time went on.
Still, since we have only seen their outer appearance, let’s observe for now.
With everyone adopting such a stance, the welcoming ceremony began.
“We warmly welcome you, heroes, who have completed your mission and returned.”
As the hero party stood in the center, the Emperor, standing on a podium, calmly began his speech.
It was a formal ceremony.
“The achievements you have made will be recorded in human history for a long time to come. This is the declaration of King Maurice von Fildore himself!”
You have accomplished such and such feats, and from now on, you will receive such and such rewards.
So, please continue to do well in the future. That was the general idea.
However, just because it was formal, doesn’t mean we can just skim over it.
“The Emperor of a whole nation personally stepped forward to give the announcement. As a result, his party members stood there, filled with tension. Perhaps, after the speech, they would say something formal like ‘It is an honor’ while kneeling on one knee, to preserve the king’s dignity. That was the expected course of events, and it had to be that way. Everyone present believed that things would unfold as they had anticipated, without a hint of doubt.
So…”
“Furthermore, we have prepared substantial rewards for your contributions to the field you have excelled in—”
“Oh, yes, yes. We’ve heard enough, so please stop talking.”
When a hero interrupted the Emperor, there was a brief moment of silence. In the momentarily hushed banquet hall, surprise spread this time.
The nobles stared with their mouths agape, wondering, ‘What is that madman saying?’
Everyone had the same thought.
*
The atmosphere changed. From solemnity to silence, silence to astonishment. And the previously astonished banquet hall was soon tinged with anger.
“Outrageous!!”
“This guy! What kind of nonsense is he spouting in front of the Emperor!!!”
The loyalists beside the Emperor each uttered a word, and the knights placed their hands on their sword hilts. The Emperor’s brow furrowed slightly, and Camilla, who had been preparing to kneel, glared at me as if she wanted to kill me.
Of course, I continued speaking without a care.
“No, isn’t that right? After all, everyone already knows the proceedings clearly. Why bother listening further? It’s just a waste of time.”
It had been over half a year since the curse had clung to my body. During that time, I had come to realize one thing: maybe, this curse could be used to my advantage.
Distorting the perception of others and making them dislike me was a given. If that was the case, could I at least steer their perception in the direction I desired?
“So, let’s put an end to this tedious event and bring some drinks. Do we have any alcohol? Ah, here it is.” And if it was possible, what would be the best direction to take?”
What stance will be most helpful for future activities?
A direction that may incur resentment, but receives less suspicion.
A direction with as few limitations on my range of action as possible.
A direction where I can move freely, even if it means giving up political influence.
In that case, there is only one correct answer.
A maverick.
Rather than attracting suspicion by dressing up in false courtesy, it’s better to be a low-level hoodlum who receives less scrutiny, even if it means being ignored.
That’s why I decided to become a low-level hoodlum.
With my hand in my pocket, I stride towards the bottle of alcohol on the table.
It’s quite an upscale-looking glass bottle. Judging by the purple color, it must be wine. I don’t know how many years old it is, but it’s probably ridiculously expensive.
I sit at the table with my legs up, and then, after removing the cork, I take a sip directly from the bottle.
Gulp, gulp.
The sound of liquid flowing down my throat echoes throughout. I was trying to drink it down eagerly, so a few drops even dribbled down the side of my lips.
A tingling sensation briefly swirls inside my throat.
“Ugh…”
From Noble mtl dot com
Only after emptying more than half of the bottle in this way do I set it down.
Clank!
As I cheerfully place it back on the table, I feel everyone around me staring at me as if I’m crazy. They all seem to be at a loss for words, looking at me with blank expressions.
I look at them and casually say,
“Well.”
Well, damn.
