I knew from the start that I'd be the one responsible for the kids, so I planned ahead. If they were going to enjoy the festival, then they needed coin. A festival isn't complete without snacks, cheap games, and useless little trinkets. I decided to let them roam freely. I couldn't hover over them every second, but I could ensure they enjoyed themselves under my watch.
Souei and his shadows were already spread through the city, their silent presence like invisible threads woven into every corner. Even if the children split up, nothing would escape my sight.
I handed out one hundred silver coins each—far more than they'd ever need. Most stalls didn't even charge one coin, so they'd struggle to spend it all in three days. That was exactly how I wanted it.
"I wanna play!"
"There's so much weird stuff! You're excited, right, Ken?"
"Yup. It seems like fun!"
"Thank you, sensei!"
"Oh, we'll buy you a present, sensei!"
Their joy was honest and loud, falling perfectly into the plan I set for them. Their anticipation for tomorrow's festival was infectious. I slipped a pendant into each of their hands and scanned their faces one by one, nodding in quiet approval.
On the eve of a festival, excitement like this was only natural.
I considered telling them Ramiris was in town but decided not to. That meeting could wait until the end of the festival. Kenya and Alice were already plotting their next three days.
The inn's waitresses would watch them in the meantime.
"Listen up," I said firmly, letting a trace of authority lace my tone. Instantly, their chattering quieted. "If anything happens, tell the inn's waitresses. I don't expect trouble, but if you truly need me, hold the pendant and call my name in your mind. It will reach me directly."
" " "Okay!" " "
Their energetic voices echoed back, filling the room with a warmth I rarely let myself show. With my preparations complete, I left the room without a sound.
Checklist—finished.
I thought I'd get a moment's rest before the night began. Of course, fate had other plans.
"—Atem-sama." Souei's voice was as smooth and quiet as ever. He emerged from the shadows like smoke, kneeling lightly. "It seems that the 'hero' Masayuki's party has arrived outside the city."
A hero…
My expression sharpened, though my voice remained calm. "Then let's go greet them."
I moved immediately.
The first thing I saw was a wagon filled with elves. Their posture told me everything—former slaves rescued from Orthrus. The wagon was elegant, the elves unharmed.
Ahead of it, a small carriage. A blond boy sat at the front.
Masayuki.
His features were distinctly Japanese, but foreign enough to give him an almost idol-like charm. Blond hair. Narrow eyes. A baby-faced coolness that would make crowds trust him on sight.
But my eyes weren't fooled. His appearance was nothing.
The faint pulse of Heroic Act rolled off him. Weak—but real. A coercive field. It slid over me harmlessly, but I stayed alert.
They noticed me approaching. The boy's entourage slowed their pace and walked to meet me.
"Hey," Masayuki called lightly. "Are you the Demon Lord Atem? I didn't think you'd actually come to meet us."
"Masayuki-sama is a great hero," one of his attendants boasted. "Of course even a Demon Lord wouldn't dare ignore him."
"Hehehe, Masayuki-kun, should we just declare a winner now?" another jeered.
Their arrogance rolled toward me like stagnant air. I stared at them steadily, unimpressed.
"I appreciate that you saved my people," I said, voice low and steady. "As thanks, I'll allow you to stay in my city. If you need lodging, I'll have it prepared. But make no mistake—" my gaze sharpened, my voice cutting like steel "—I do not tolerate unnecessary conflict in Eterna."
Merchants and citizens were beginning to gather, drawn by the tension.
The brute at Masayuki's side barked out a laugh. "Hah! As expected, the Demon Lord fears Masayuki. You talk peace, but rumor says it was you who destroyed Farmus. Maybe you fooled Saint Hinata, but you won't fool Masayuki-sama!"
My eyes narrowed slightly. It wasn't the words that irritated me. It was the way Masayuki stayed silent, letting his zealots speak for him like puppeteers of their own idol.
"Hmph! We need to punish evil," the brute went on. "Masayuki-sama, let's defeat this Demon Lord right now and bring peace to this land!"
This land is already at peace, fool.
The crowd was whispering, unease spreading like ripples on water. I wasn't going to let their loud mouths twist my city's atmosphere.
Enough.
I slowly raised my hand—not even a full gesture, just a subtle flick of my fingers.
The air changed.
A pressure like a tidal wave rolled out from me, silent but heavy. The cobblestones beneath my feet cracked in a clean circle. The wind twisted unnaturally, as if the air itself bowed.
In an instant, the jeering voices were crushed under the weight of my presence.
The brute froze mid-smirk. His knees buckled a fraction, like his body instinctively understood something his mind couldn't. Masayuki's other attendants gasped, their expressions shifting from arrogance to alarm.
Even Masayuki stiffened. His Heroic Act flickered like a candle in a storm, snuffed out before it could push back.
"I allow guests in my city," I said softly—so softly it was almost a whisper, but the entire street heard it. "I do not, however, allow fools to bark in front of me. Remember that, and choose your next words carefully."
The weight of my power pressed down for another second… then I released it. The air snapped back like stretched silk, leaving only stunned silence.
"What are you guys doing here?"
Yuuki's voice broke the silence as he strode through the frozen crowd, his expression carefully controlled.
"Ah, Yuuki-san!" Masayuki finally spoke, his voice slightly tight but steady.
Jinrai—the brute—forced out a laugh that came out more like a choke. "Huh… Yuuki-san. Did the head of the Association come to inspect the Demon Lord?"
"No, Jinrai," Yuuki replied smoothly. "You'd do well to remember that Atem-sama isn't someone you can measure. If he meant you harm, you'd already be on the ground."
Jinrai's jaw tightened.
But another attendant snapped, "What are you saying? Are you implying Masayuki-sama is weaker than Hinata the Saint?"
"I would be grateful if you didn't look down on us!" another barked. "A Demon Lord is no match for Masayuki-sama!"
Masayuki didn't speak. His attendants—drunk on borrowed confidence—were still trying to act like they had control of the situation.
I didn't move an inch. I didn't need to. The pressure of my earlier display still lingered, seared into their nerves. If I chose to, I could crush them with a thought.
But I didn't.
I waited. Calm. Watchful.
And the "hero" they worshiped was finally realizing just what kind of being he was standing in front of.
"That's right, Yuuki-san. Like Bernie and Jiwu said, you know we cannot forgive you belittling Masayuki-san, right?" Jinrai barked, his voice puffed up with arrogance. "I don't care how strong that Hinata woman is, but you said at best she tied with that demon lord over there. Then don't you think it's time to lay down the trump card? Masayuki-sama will make light of that demon lord and flatten him to the ground!"
The crowd murmured louder now, their eyes bouncing between me and Masayuki like sparks ready to catch fire.
Masayuki's expression, however, wasn't what his entourage expected. His face stiffened, but his eyes wavered slightly, betraying hesitation. He's not eager to fight me, I thought coldly.
Yuuki clearly caught on to that too. He stepped forward smoothly, lifting a hand to calm the growing storm. "I told you to calm down. I've said this multiple times already, but Atem-sama isn't hostile toward us. There's no point in fighting."
Jinrai's face twisted with a mix of bravado and self-righteousness. "But he's a demon lord! We don't know when he'll decide to do something evil. Right now, when even the Western Holy Church is moving, don't you think it's time for Masayuki-sama to show his strength as a hero?"
Yuuki narrowed his eyes, but Jinrai didn't stop. He raised his voice, letting it ring out so everyone nearby could hear. "We can't trust a demon lord! Masayuki-sama is the light that will protect everyone. If we show everyone his strength here and now, the people will know who to trust!"
Tch… Typical. I understood exactly what this fool was doing.
He wasn't just defending Masayuki. He was trying to elevate him by stepping on me. To the average person, I was still "a demon lord"—a being wrapped in power and suspicion. They didn't know I was once human, and even if they did, it wouldn't matter to most of them. People feared power they couldn't understand.
But I was no Rimuru who liked dancing around words with soft smiles.
I straightened my back, letting my voice resonate clearly through the square, calm yet sharp. "Are you done barking?"
The words struck like a blade. Jinrai flinched.
I took a step forward. The ground beneath me cracked lightly. The weight of my presence pressed down—not wild or uncontrolled, but deliberate and precise. It rolled over the crowd like a silent, heavy tide.
Souei's shadows instantly tightened their perimeter around the crowd. Yuuki tensed slightly, Masayuki's entourage stiffened, and even Masayuki himself swallowed hard.
Masayuki's "Heroic Act" was still there, flickering weakly, but against my power it was a dying candle under a sun.
"If your so-called hero wishes to challenge me," I continued, my crimson eyes locking onto Jinrai, "then let him speak for himself. I have no interest in entertaining the empty noise of dogs."
"Y-You—!" Jinrai stuttered, his bravado slipping.
Masayuki remained silent, darting his eyes between his followers and me. He clearly hadn't expected this to escalate this far.
Yuuki sighed, rubbing his temple. "Enough. Atem-sama isn't someone you should provoke. This isn't the place for some meaningless performance."
But Jinrai still wouldn't quit. "Yuuki-san, how can you say that? We're talking about justice! About Masayuki-sama proving himself! How can we just let this demon lord walk around and act superior?"
His voice grew more desperate the more I ignored him.
I tilted my head slightly and exhaled slowly. This fool really doesn't understand what kind of power he's toying with.
Masayuki's lips parted, maybe to try and stop them, but the others in his entourage cut him off.
"Exactly!" Bernie barked. "Masayuki-sama will defeat him. That's how we'll show everyone who the real protector is!"
"Yeah!" Jiwu added. "With Masayuki-sama's light, this demon lord will be crushed like an insect!"
The onlookers shifted uneasily. Their belief in Masayuki was real, but what they felt from me was far more tangible—fear.
I wasn't going to waste more breath arguing with insects.
"All right then." My voice cut through their shouting like a blade through silk. Instantly, the noise died down. "If you want to prove yourselves… I'll give you the opportunity. But you'll do it on my terms, not yours."
Jinrai blinked, taken aback by the sheer weight of my tone.
"In the festival tomorrow," I said, my voice firm, "there will be a tournament. If Masayuki wants to prove his strength to the people of Eterna, he will do it in the arena. Win there, and then—only then—I will accept your challenge. Do you have any problem with that?"
The people stirred. A public fight. A spectacle. A chance to see whether the "hero" they praised could match the "demon lord" they feared.
It was perfect.
By doing this, I could assess their actual power and end this nonsense without unnecessary destruction in the city.
Masayuki's attendants, however, took it completely differently.
"Oh ho? Do you want to be embarrassed in front of countless people?" Bernie sneered.
"Masayuki-kun, how should we do this?" Jiwu pressed.
"You have to accept this proposal," Jinrai declared. "This is our chance to spread Masayuki-sama's name in one fell swoop. Let's demonstrate justice in front of the people we're meant to protect!"
Masayuki, caught between their burning expectations, looked cornered. His eyes kept darting around like a lamb lost in a storm.
I watched him quietly, unmoving. My presence was still in the air, heavier than any of their boasts.
In that silence, I didn't need to raise my voice again. Everyone here knew who truly controlled this situation.
And it wasn't the "hero."
It was me.