31 — Chapter 31

“Angelica, do you live your life at home with that same ‘I’ll defeat the Demon King today!’ kind of energy?”

The mage, Selene, asked the question.

Immediately, Angelica’s eyes began to dart around nervously.

“Eh… No, well, that is, um—it depends on the time and place—”

“It’s quite normal. We’re not too close, but not too distant either. For now, she’s told me not to wash our clothes together, and she gets mad if I go into the bath first.”

“You weren’t the one being asked, so you don’t have to answer!”

Selene, Jaunis, and the martial artist Zenkei were all laughing. It felt like the party had a higher level of adaptability than she did.

“Now, now, you won’t gain anything by acting all stubborn like that. He isn’t doing anything wrong, so it’s a bit strange to be so angry.”

Selene truly was an adult. I hoped she would continue to support my daughter in the future.

“Speaking from the perspective of a priestess, we must forgive those who have reformed.”

Priestess Naharin showed little emotion on her face, but it seemed she accepted the situation as well.

“No… I get what everyone is trying to say, but he’s the Demon King, you know? He’s different from your average low-rank demon. A Demon King running a stall at a local festival… no matter how you look at it, isn’t that just too extreme…?”

Naharin stood in front of Angelica and took her hands in hers.

“Accept it. People change. Even a Demon King can become an angel.”

“A Demon King becoming an angel is just gross, so that’s definitely impossible.”

Well, even I couldn’t imagine that.

“Haaa… I guess I’m the weird one in this group… Good grief, even the slogan about ‘subduing the Demon King’ is starting to sound like a gag…”

“Don’t you worry, you haven’t managed to subdue me yet.”

“Shut up! Be quiet!”

I must have struck a sore spot, because Angelica’s face turned bright red.

“Besides, when you’re young, your likes and hobbies change all the time. It’s not rare to get hooked on something because of the influence of friends or people you admire. I don’t even know if being an adventurer is the job best suited for you. You might actually have a different calling. You should try various things.”

“Uwaaaaaah! Stop, just stop! This is doing serious mental damage, so stop! The position of ‘Hero’ is starting to feel more and more pathetic, so stop it!”

I see. Angelica thought that if I lacked dignity, her own value as the Hero would decrease.

It was true that because the Demon King was a wicked and terrifying existence, the Hero who stood against him gained prestige. That was likely why she was so displeased with me running a stall.

However, even if I understood the reason, I intended to keep running my stall. I would become a Demon King who was loved by everyone. That would be for the sake of Lateia as well. If I remained wicked, it would only cause trouble for her.

I couldn’t be the kind of man who would coolly cause trouble for the woman he loved!

However, Selene had a much sharper insight.

“Haha, I’ve figured it out.”

Selene gave a devious little grin.

“Angelica, you just don’t want your acquaintances to see your parent on their day off. This is a classic ‘girl of that age’ thought process!”

“I see!”

I reflexively clapped my right hand against my left palm.

“That makes perfect sense. I understand how it feels a bit embarrassing to be seen by your friends when you’re with your father! Especially if that father is in a relaxed, everyday-clothes mode—that’s even tougher! You’d at least wish he’d maintain the same dignified aura he has while he’s working!”

And for Angelica, the dignified appearance she wanted from me was that of the Demon King.

“D-Don’t explain it all in such detail! Because this Demon King is way too adaptable, it actually makes things harder for me… Forget it, I’m going around by myself!”

Her shoulders squared with indignation, Angelica made her escape. It was an act that would never be permitted inside a dungeon, but since we were in the middle of a festival, it was fine. The festival grounds were small anyway, so we would likely run into each other again soon.

“My, my… she really is at a complicated age.”

Selene maintained a composed attitude, like a woman who had already moved past that period of awkward distance with her father.

“Mr. Demon King, the current Angelica will probably complain or snap at you no matter what you do. But she doesn’t truly hate you, so please rest easy on that front.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s that thing called ‘puberty,’ isn’t it?”

Since we lived together, I knew well enough that she wasn’t actually trying to attack me or anything of the sort.

I had no choice but to continue navigating this strange sense of distance between us for the time being.

“Eventually, a daughter realizes the depth of her father’s love. Someday, both the runaway daughter and the prodigal son return.”

“So even you, Naharin, accept me as a priestess. I appreciate that.”

“The peace treaty has indeed been signed. To go against it would not be the righteous path.”

It seemed that, at the very least, I had gained the understanding of the Hero’s party.

“Boss, two more skewers,” Jaunis called out.

Even among adventurers, I had finally been demoted from ‘Demon King’ to ‘Boss.’

Just then, the village chief arrived with the relief staff for the stall.

“Lord Demon King, it’s almost time for the dance, so we’re here to swap out.”

“Right, understood! I’m on my way!”

Now, it was time for the climax of the festival.

Though calling it “dramatic” might have been an overstatement.

I draped a white sheet over my head. My field of vision was cut off, making it hard to see much of anything.

The other men were dressed the same way—or so I assumed.

Looking like a bunch of plain white ghosts, we were supposed to dance around in a chaotic mess.

According to legend, this was meant to entertain the gods. Another theory claimed that if we danced like this, the real gods would come down to join us. Regardless, it was a dance for the divine.

The men covered in white sheets moved here and there.

Since we couldn’t see what was in front of us, we occasionally collided with one another and fell over.

The audience seemed to find those mishaps part of the fun.

A festival was a ritual meant to destroy common sense and create a simulated state of chaos.

Creating chaos—wasn’t that perfectly suited for a Demon King?

The Demon King of this new era would disrupt the order of the world by participating in the local festival!