The grand hall was filled with a lively, high-spirited atmosphere. Everyone raised their glasses to celebrate the return of the Great Sage. The reappearance of Lanina, the Demon Lord's former right hand, had clearly given the remnants of the Demon Lord's Army tremendous confidence. Hao Ren gazed curiously at the scene. He saw humans and beastmen drinking and laughing with their arms around each other's shoulders, demons squatting on the floor and arguing with dwarves over whether hammers or axes were more useful, and elves and Dark Elves studying the patterns on the table together. The last two had simply drunk themselves silly.
These were the most loyal people under Izax, the ones who had remained in the city and refused to surrender even when the Demon Lord's Army was on the verge of total defeat. They had all been more or less infected by the demons' rough "culture," to the point that even the elves were drinking until they could barely stand, completely unconcerned with their dignity. At the same time, though, they were enjoying a kind of happiness in this chaotic feast that only they could understand.
Perhaps their fellow clansmen in the Human World would see this scene and condemn them for abandoning tradition and changing their customs, but no one here cared.
After Izax and Lanina accepted everyone's greetings, they began discussing matters with their old subordinates. Gadamor had been allowed to sit beside Izax, and now asked cautiously, "My king, should we announce your return..."
Izax waved his hand. "No. It's enough that only you know I disappeared for a year. There's no need to spread it to anyone else. The city's order has been maintained well. Keep it that way."
Gadamor nodded to show that he understood, then followed up with another question. "What