30 — Chapter 30

And then, the day of the festival arrived.

I was sitting at one of the stalls lined up along the village’s main thoroughfare.

The sign on the stall read: “Pride of Flavor — Grilled Chicken Skewers — Secret Sauce.”

The job consisted of skewering blocks of chicken, grilling them on a wire rack, dipping them in sauce, grilling them again, and dipping them once more. Double-dipping was the standard, but apparently, triple-dipping was also permitted. Since this wasn’t some famous high-end establishment, a bit of sloppiness in the process was forgiven.

Furthermore, while the sign claimed it was a “Secret Sauce,” it wasn’t particularly secret; it was simply made by one of the local women.

However, since the recipe isn’t exactly public information, one could argue that it is “secretly passed down”—or at least, that’s the story I’m sticking to. I don’t know for sure.

Even though it’s a local festival, it isn’t just for the villagers to enjoy. People come from other villages and towns as well.

Besides, during the height of the festivities, many local households are too busy with the event to find time to cook. That is why stalls like this are a necessity.

Chicken can be eaten anytime these days, but long ago, it is said that people would slaughter their own chickens during festivals to share the meat with their families. Perhaps this stall exists as a continuation of that tradition.

Hoping to look the part, I wrapped a bandana-like cloth around my head. I feel it gives off more of a “specialty shop” vibe.

“Mister, three skewers.”

“Coming right up. That’ll be 450 gold for three.”

I handed the first customer three skewers on a plate. The plate is to be returned later. It would be a loss if it were stolen, but few people would want to carry around a sauce-stained plate. Even for those just watching the festival, a plate is a nuisance, so they usually return them properly.

“Boss, give me five over here.”

“Boss” presumably referred to me. Wearing the bandana really brings out the “Boss” energy.

“Coming right up. That’s 750 gold.”

“That’s pretty cheap. They were 200 gold per skewer at the town festival.”

“We use local chicken here, so we can keep the prices down. Here you go, five skewers. Thanks for waiting.”

After that, customers kept pouring in.

The experience of selling something right in front of you and receiving money in return is actually quite fun.

In terms of actual currency, the amounts I handle working as the Demon King are obviously much larger, but this direct exchange with the buyer has a sort of “live” feeling—the joy of seeing the customers’ faces.

The bigger a project is, the harder it can feel to realize you’re actually working, but this is undeniably labor, and the reward is paid in a visible form. It’s quite nice.

No, it’s really great. I wonder if I should incorporate this into training for the demons. Even if it’s just an extension of “playing pretend,” the act of setting a price and selling something on the spot is surprisingly refreshing.

“Mr. Demon King, give me ten over here.”

“Oh, ten? It’ll take a little while to grill them, so please wait a moment.”

“Give mine an extra dip in the sauce.”

“Sure thing. It’s the secret sauce, so it’s delicious.”

I am feeling quite lively. Perhaps I’m even glowing?

“I think I’ll have two~”

The next customer was Lateia.

“Ah, Lateia. For two, that’s 300 gold… wait, it feels a bit strange taking money from you.”

“No, you have to. This is a village event, so there are no family discounts. Besides, the profits go to the village anyway, so it all comes back around in the end.”

Spoken like Lateia—a wise judgment.

“Alright, 300 gold.”

“Received in full. Here are your two skewers.”

“Garto, you look completely in your element. You almost look like you’re frolicking.”

Lateia had seen right through me.

“Can you tell? I started this just to be accepted by the locals, but I’ve ended up thoroughly enjoying myself.”

“If you’re enjoying it, then that’s the best outcome. Please, keep having fun.”

She gave me some encouraging words.

Yes, I’m going to sell these skewers with everything I’ve got. I’ll sell so many they’ll say I had the best-selling stall of the whole festival!

Lateia said she was going to buy some candy over there and headed off. It seems she’s the type who likes to sample all the different snacks. She appears to be enjoying herself quite a bit, too.

Alright, time to step it up even more!

“Chicken skewers are delicious, 150 gold each! Chicken skewers, get your chicken skewers~!”

Since I’m at it, I might as well call out to attract some customers.

Just then, a group of several people stopped in front of the stall. Oh, has a group of kids arrived?

“Demon King, your energy is way too high…”

—It was Angelica and her party.

Including Angelica, most of them looked utterly flabbergasted.

Among them, only Selene the Mage treated me without any sense of awkwardness.

“Lord Demon King, three skewers, please. You’ve blended in completely, haven’t you?”

“Right, right, that’ll be 450 gold. Be careful, the skewers are quite sharp.”

“Will do. You’re really good at rotating the meat.”

“Well, I am running the shop, after all. I’ve been in this business for three hundred years.”

Of course, I haven’t been doing it for three hundred years. That would make this a legendary establishment.

“Ooh, looks tasty. Lord Demon King, three for me, too.”

Jaunis the Thief also adapted to the mood.

“Coming right up. Just because you’re a thief doesn’t mean you can steal them; pay up properly.”

“I know, I know. Here, five million gold.”

“Right, here’s your 500,000 gold in change.”

I’ve always wanted to try that bit where you joke around with “millions” as the unit.

“Wait, wait, wait!”

Angelica raised her voice.

“Demon King, stop. And Selene, Jaunis, you guys stop, too!”

What? Is there some kind of problem?

“Everyone, listen. We are the Hero’s party and the Demon King. Even if the state of war is over, aren’t you all being a bit too relaxed? Shouldn’t we have at least a little bit of tension?”

“Angelica, even between nations that were at war, once it’s over, they casually send out merchant ships; that is simply how humans are.”

“No, Selene, I understand the logic… But still, this is going too far… You’re being too accepting…”

It seems Angelica still worries about the small details.

“Angelica, you need to be more of an adult.”

“The Demon King is being too much of an adult!”

She’s snapping at me again. Adolescence is a difficult stage.