The winter sun was slowly sinking. Rosa Kevin, once the Demon King, stared blankly at the bread in the shop. A faint burnt smell drifted from the oven, while the sweetness of sugar filled the air.
"Auntie~ Long time no see. How is your Labi Village revitalization plan coming along?" Eliyi asked quietly beside Rosa Kevin. "Do you need me to lend you a hand?"
"Ho ho ho—then what?" Rosa merely glanced at Eliyi and immediately saw through his scheme. "What do you want? Let me tell you, a few loaves of bread won't be enough to sway me."
Eliyi said, "As your junior, I simply felt a little uneasy seeing the former Demon King reduced to the point where she can't even afford a loaf of bread..."
"Oh~ Then goodbye."
"Wait, Auntie." Eliyi's tone remained calm and unruffled. "Name your price... As long as it's within my abilities, I'll give it everything I've got."
"Is that so... Let me think..." Rosa's greedy nature finally revealed itself. "I thought about that plan you mentioned, rebuilding Labi Village, for a long time. Then I suddenly realized that funding alone isn't enough. I also need people to develop it. You understand—without enough population, you can't build a village."
"Oh~"
"Oh, and I hope you can leave the people on this list to me..." Rosa pulled a parchment scroll from her pocket and tossed it to Eliyi. "Whatever you do, don't eat them. That would put me in quite a difficult position."
"Ah~ Yetara, isn't this Canfor's lord..." Eliyi unfolded the scroll Rosa had thrown to him. The first name written on it was unmistakably that of Canfor's lord. "Isn't he a lackey of the Old Gods? Are you sure you want to keep him?"
"A snake can't go without a head. Whether it's a good head or a bad one, we'll make use of it for now..."
"Looks like you've been to quite a few places these past few days..." Eliyi fully unrolled the scroll in his hands. "There are certainly a lot of names on it."
"Please don't pay too much attention to me. I merely went to chat with some old subordinates. After all... I was a Demon King for a while too... That's all..." Rosa said with narrowed eyes.
The slanting sun sank beyond the horizon, dyeing Canfor's entire sky a dark brown. Tiadam, utterly exhausted, was hurrying back to the hotel where he and Denolan were staying. A gentle breeze blew through the Upper District, easing the ache in Tiadam's weary body.
"I hope that guy bought a decent weapon. He'd better not waste all my hard work..."
As Canfor's only district protected by magic, the entire Upper District was warm and peaceful like spring all year round. It had neither Rosa Kevin's Curse nor the Bikasoya Empire's invasion. The people of the Upper District lived rich, tranquil lives, though such lives belonged only to a select few.
"Tiadam—I've been waiting for you for ages!" Denolan waved at Tiadam from beside the inn. A warhammer weighing around twenty kilograms lay at his feet. "It's almost time for the banquet. Hurry over here—"
"Is this guy an idiot?!" The moment Tiadam saw the warhammer at Denolan's feet, he rushed over at full speed. "You idiot, why did you buy something like that?!"
"The owner of the weapon shop said it was the only weapon immune to elements, so... I bought it..." Denolan replied.
Tiadam said, "Then how exactly do you plan to bring it into the banquet hall?"
Denolan said, "I have to bring it in...?"
Tiadam said, "Why else did we go to the weapon shop? Banquets held by mages usually don't restrict decorative weapons like longswords and daggers, but they do restrict weapons such as shields, spears, and hammers. It's a banquet, not a boxing match. Did you bring that hammer because you want to start a fight?"
Denolan said, "Can I return it now...?"
"Do you think you'll still make it to the banquet if you return it now?" Tiadam grabbed Denolan by the waist and carefully searched him.
"Y-you... what are you doing?" Denolan asked in alarm.
"I'm checking whether you've got anything hidden. Knowing that goblin blacksmith, whenever he sells a heavy weapon like that, he usually throws in some little knife or dagger as a gift..."
At last, Tiadam pulled a Mithril dagger from Denolan's chest.
"Just as I thought... You're not very honest, are you?" Tiadam tucked the dagger into his clothes. "Looks like you wanted to keep this dagger all to yourself..."
"I... I didn't!" Denolan immediately denied it. "The weapon shop owner gave it to me... as a gift. I... I forgot to tell you..."
"Do you think I'd believe a lie like that?" Tiadam ignored Denolan's explanation and merely grabbed him by the collar. "As future partners, I hope we can be honest with each other. If you can't do that, then we should part ways as soon as possible..."
Tiadam held the dagger against Denolan's throat before finishing his words. "I've already been stabbed once by a traitor. I won't be stabbed a second time. If... I ever discover that you've betrayed me in even the slightest way, I'll use this knife... to slit your throat. Do you understand?"
"Y-yes... I understand..." Denolan swallowed.
"Alright—then we're partners." Tiadam casually flipped the dagger around before tucking it into his clothes. Then he said brightly, "The letter behind your butt has already started getting restless. Open it. It'll take us to the banquet venue."
"Um... Aren't you angry anymore?" Denolan asked cautiously.
"I was angry because you lied to me, but..." Tiadam leaned against Denolan's shoulder. "People have to keep moving forward... After all, we're partners now."
"I-is that so..." Denolan turned toward the letter, which had now completely transformed into the shape of a dove.
"Is this... magic too?"
Denolan released the dove. It flapped twice on the ground, then its wings turned into horses, its claws became wheels, and the feathers of its tail transformed into a carriage.
The moment Tiadam saw the dove become a carriage, he grabbed the reins and mounted the white horse using the stirrup. Then he said to Denolan, who was still standing on the ground, "Well? Don't I look handsome riding a white horse? Don't I look like a prince?"
"Uh... I still think... sitting inside the carriage would be safer..." Denolan, a farm boy, also mounted the other horse in one motion. "But this horse is surprisingly gentle..."
"Ho—" Tiadam teased Denolan on his left. "You look pretty handsome on a white horse too. If you'd been born into royalty, plenty of girls would probably have liked you."
"But... I'm only a farmer's son..."
"Just kidding~" Tiadam shook the reins, and after a neigh, the white horses began to move.
Tiadam said, "By the way, kid, why aren't you sitting in the carriage? It looks pretty luxurious. It would be a waste not to use it."
"Luxurious carriages like this are for wealthy gentlemen... I'm afraid I'll dirty it," Denolan said. "What about you? Why aren't you sitting in the carriage?"
"Me?" Tiadam laughed. "Occupational habit. The ones doing the robbing ride horses, and the ones being robbed sit in carriages. I don't want to be one of the people getting robbed."
"Oh, I see..." Denolan said in sudden understanding.
Meanwhile, in the home of Canfor's lord, Yetara, Yetara's butler Ivena was busy preparing for the upcoming banquet.
"Remember, tonight's menu must follow the rituals for worshipping the Old Gods. All tableware must be high-quality bone china with gold trim. Replace all silverware with gold. Hurry—hurry—change the tablecloths to the special royal capital design. And you goblins, clean the cushions on the chairs. Today's guests are all distinguished—"
Knock, knock, knock— Just as everyone was frantically busy, a knocking sound came from outside the manor gates.
"The guests are here—" Ivena shouted. "All goblins, withdraw! The maids will welcome the distinguished guests with me."
Creak— The heavy doors opened, and Tiadam and Denolan walked into the villa together. They were the first guests to arrive for the dinner banquet.
"Wow—what an impressive place."
The instant Tiadam entered, he saw the crystal chandelier hanging in the center of the house. It shone brilliantly, making the marble floors and walls gleam as clear as water. The redwood staircase was covered in a carpet woven from gold thread, and the portraits on the walls looked lifelike.
"Is this... how rich people live...?"
Dozens of maids knelt halfway to the ground to welcome Tiadam and Denolan. Beside them, the butler stood to the left of the entrance with fine formal clothes and leather boots in hand.
"Please come with me, gentlemen. We have prepared clean clothes for you both. We hope you will bathe and change before meeting our master."
"Take a bath?"
"Change clothes?"
Tiadam instinctively touched the dagger hidden in his clothes. "I've already bathed, and these clothes are new. I don't think that's necessary..."
"Is that... so?" Before the butler could finish speaking, the dozens of maids who had been kneeling all drew their blades. In moments, they had completely surrounded Denolan and Tiadam.
"It's only a bath... There's no need for you ladies to draw weapons, is there?" Tiadam glanced at the blade held over his head. "They're all fine Mithril blades. Looks like the owner of this house is quite wealthy..."
As he spoke, Tiadam took the dagger from his clothes and tossed it onto the ground. "Miss maids... Can you take the blades away from my neck and my brother's now?"
"Please forgive us..." The butler picked up the dagger from the ground and placed it onto a duck-down cushion held by a maid. "Our master holds a prominent position, and countless people wish him harm, so the necessary security measures must be taken..."
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