The Scoundrel's Banquet
The banquet hall. The game I possessed, The Demon King and the Hero's Party, was largely divided into two types of content. One was, of course, the subjugation of the Demon Realm, the stronghold of the Demon King's army. The other was the conquest of the human world. Naturally, even the Hero's Party didn't spend every waking moment slaughtering demons. They were people too, and they needed a kind of rest period. They would stay in the Empire or other kingdoms for a while to recover their strength. While they were at it, they would also handle political matters and other troublesome issues within the human realm. In other words, resolving the problems plaguing the kingdoms could be considered the second main content. In a way, it might seem like the developers had simply tacked on these side characters to pad out the main content of conquering the Demon Realm. But the conquest of the human world was far more important than we might think. After all, it was directly tied to the Demon King's seal.
When I thought about it, the Demon King wasn't so much a living being as a kind of phenomenon. The more sorrow filled the world, the more intense emotions became, the weaker the Demon King's seal grew. The more sins humanity accumulated, the stronger the Demon King's power became. It was truly mysterious. It was almost as if the Demon King was personally judging the sins humans had piled up. That was why I saw him as a phenomenon. His power was simply too vast to be called a mere living creature.
Anyway, moving on. Solving the problems of the human world and making it a better place to live ultimately helped suppress the Demon King. Of course, you couldn't half-ass it. And that was precisely why this was the most difficult content for me. After all, my body was covered in all sorts of curses that made me utterly unlikable. If people so much as looked at me, the Demon King's seal might unravel like weeds sprouting after rain. That was also why I didn't particularly like heading to the Empire. Even now, my party members were misunderstanding me as some kind of mastermind. If I got involved with the nobles in this state, what kind of treatment would I receive? I might go beyond being suspected as a mastermind and end up branded as the Demon King himself. Thinking about how I'd have to be careful with imperial politics from now on... it was bound to give me a headache.
"Haa, I'm really looking forward to this. There must be tons of delicious food, right?"
"There'll be expensive liquor too. It's been a while since I've had wine."
"I just want to go to the church as soon as possible. I want to pray while basking in the warm sunlight of the church."
Of course, regardless of how I felt, the girls were brimming with excitement. By now, news of our defeat of Valcan must have spread throughout the human world. The moment the subjugation ended, Lily and Kamilla had sent letters via magical tools. The imperial capital was probably already lined with crowds welcoming us. A red carpet would be laid out at the entrance of the Imperial Palace, with hundreds of knights, hundreds of nobles, and several members of the imperial family waiting for us. To others, it would be an incredibly lavish reception, but to me, it was nothing but a bed of thorns. With my favorability already in the negatives, what kind of actions could I even take? Fortunately, there was one plan that came to mind.
*
Valcan was dead. One of the Four Heavenly Kings, the King of All Insects, had perished. This news, which had begun with a simple letter, quickly spread across the entire continent. Though the Four Heavenly Kings rarely ventured outside the Demon Realm, their infamy was widely known. Thanks to that, the people of the continent rejoiced. Those who had lost family to monsters shed tears, and those who had trembled in fear of the Demon King's army could finally breathe a little easier. For the first time in a long while, a positive atmosphere filled the taverns. However, while some were simply overjoyed, others viewed the situation with a slightly negative perspective. Mainly those who had encountered the Hero at least once, and the nobles.
—So, this Hero, apparently...
—Really?
Those who had met him even once naturally saw him in a negative light because the curse was in effect. And nobles were inherently people with fast access to information. They knew how to obtain news and knowledge that others couldn't and use it to their advantage. Thanks to that, they already knew that something about this Hero was ominous.
—They say he gives off an inexplicably ominous feeling.
—I heard the Saintess say his soul is pitch black...
Of course, that didn't mean they were simply worried like ordinary citizens. As I mentioned earlier, they knew how to use information.
—If his first impression is that bad, there shouldn't be any political threat.
—Wouldn't it be better to spread rumors and politically isolate him...?
—Then we might be able to use the Hero ourselves.
—Still, I'm curious about his identity, so maybe I should look into him a bit...
Even before the Hero arrived at the Imperial Palace, countless whispers were already circulating behind the scenes. Several days later, the day of the Hero Party's return finally came. The Emperor had prepared a grand banquet for those who had endured over half a year of hardship in the Demon Realm. Nobles from within the Empire, members of the imperial family, and even various influential figures who weren't nobles but wielded immense power in the country—all of them had gathered in one place to see the Hero's Party.
"Presenting Sir Luke, the Hero who shall illuminate the path of the continent!"
At last, the doors of the Imperial Palace opened. Following the grand entrance, the Hero and his party members stepped inside. Kamilla, the honorable knight of the Bright family. Lily, the genius archmage who learned magic from the elves. Yulise, the sole Saintess of the Sun God Church. Adel, the dark elf who had lived for hundreds of years. And the Hero, Luke.
At first glance, the Hero's appearance matched what they had said—it gave off an unsettling feeling. His jet-black hair, as if smeared with ink, and his ruby-red eyes. His well-defined features were undeniably handsome, yet they carried a strangely ominous aura. This assessment came within mere seconds of his arrival. No one could predict how much worse the evaluation would become as time passed. Still, since they had only seen his appearance so far, they decided to observe for now. With everyone taking that stance, the welcoming ceremony began.
"I warmly welcome your return after completing your great feat, O heroes."
As the Hero's Party stood in the center, the Emperor, who had ascended the dais, began his speech in a calm tone. It was a formal congratulatory address.
"The achievements you have accomplished will be recorded in human history for a long time to come. I, Morris von Pildoor, personally declare this!"
You have achieved such and such feats, and you will receive such and such rewards in the future. Therefore, I look forward to your continued efforts. That was roughly the content that would be exchanged. However, just because it was formal didn't mean it could be taken lightly. After all, the Emperor of an entire nation was personally offering his congratulations. Because of that, the party members stood in their places with extreme tension. Once the speech ended, they would probably say something like "It is an honor" while kneeling on one knee, all to preserve the Emperor's dignity. That was the progression everyone expected, and that was how it should have gone. Everyone present believed without a shred of doubt that things would unfold exactly as they anticipated. And so...
"Furthermore, I have prepared a grand reward for the achievements you have—"
"Ah, yeah, yeah. I got it, so stop. Just stop talking already."
When the Hero stepped forward and cut off the Emperor's words, everyone froze for a moment.
"Don't you get tired of repeating the same thing every single time?"
A stunned silence filled the banquet hall, followed by waves of shock. The nobles stared at the Hero with their mouths agape.
What the hell is that crazy bastard saying?
Everyone was thinking the same thing.
*
The atmosphere shifted. From solemnity to silence, from silence to shock. And the banquet hall, once painted with shock, was soon overlaid with anger.
"H-How dare you!!"
"You insolent fool! What kind of nonsense are you spouting in front of His Majesty?!"
The loyal retainers beside the Emperor each shouted out, and the knights placed their hands on their sword hilts. The Emperor's brow furrowed slightly, while Kamilla, who had been preparing to kneel, glared at me as if she wanted to kill me. Of course, I paid no attention and continued speaking.
"Isn't that right, though? Everyone already knows how this is going to go. What's the point of listening any further? It's just a waste of time."
It had been over half a year since I had been burdened with the curses clinging to my body. During that time, I had realized one thing. Perhaps these curses could be used to my advantage. After all, it was already decided that they would distort others' perceptions and make me unlikable. In that case, wasn't it possible to at least twist the direction of that perception to my liking?
"So let's skip the boring ceremony and bring out the drinks. Is there no alcohol? ...Ah, there it is."
And if it was possible, which direction would be best? What stance would be most helpful for my future activities? A direction where, even if I was hated, I would be suspected less. A direction where there would be as few restrictions on my range of action as possible. A direction where, even if I gave up political influence, I could still move freely. If that was the case, there was only one answer. A scoundrel. Rather than being suspected for acting polite, it was better to be a third-rate thug who might be ignored but wouldn't be suspected. That was why I decided to become a third-rate thug. With my hands in my pockets, I walked toward the bottle of liquor on the table. It looked like a rather expensive glass bottle. Judging by its purple color, it was probably wine. I didn't know how many years old it was, but it was definitely ridiculously expensive. I sat down with one leg propped up on the table. Then, after popping the cork, I drank straight from the bottle like a horn.
Glug, glug.
The sound of it sliding down my throat echoed throughout the hall. Because I was drinking so greedily, a few drops trickled down the side of my lips. A burning sensation lingered in my throat for a moment.
"Kuh...!"
Only after emptying more than half the bottle did I set it down. Thud! When I slammed it down on the table with gusto, I could feel everyone staring at me like I was insane. They were all looking at me with blank faces, as if they had lost the ability to speak. I looked at them and said lightly,
"What."
What the fuck.