Volume 9 prologue (2/2)

“Sorry, I got caught up in something.”

“Well, thanks to that, Dan here’s making some moves on me. If you neglect me for too long, I just might get stolen away, you know.”

Marcho said so in jest.

She was just joking, but it was pretty much an indirect appeal for us to spend more time together.

I had no intention of ignoring that, but as it was, I was too busy for anything special and only had time for the bare minimum which was nothing but meeting up with her.

“Well, I don’t want that. Alright, I’ll free up more time to spend with you. Actually, why don’t you come to Avalon next week? A very famous troupe will be coming to the city. The Meteor Theatrical Company, I believe they were called. It seems like they’ll be performing a program about the fight between a hero and a Demon Lord. Let’s go watch it from special seats.”

On days that we didn’t hold a worship meeting, the hall made to be our church was open for rentals.

These kinds of events were always very much welcome. Not only do they have the effect of attracting more guests, they also improved the quality of emotions the guests were feeling.

And because of the large aforementioned hall as well as the Hippogriff stations we had built which allowed more people to come to Avalon, people in the entertainment business were holding our city in high regard. So much so that the next vacancy for the hall was half a year from now.

Moreover, should the shows prove successful, Avalon would turn even more entertainment people’s heads, repeating the cycle over again.

“The Meteor Theatrical Company, you say? Yeah, I’ve seen them before, and I remember them being quite amusing. That program seems interesting, too. As expected of my ward, you know me so well.”

I was glad she liked the idea, but when she brushed my head like I was a child, I got a little angry.

Suddenly, I felt Fel tugging on my arm.

Could she perhaps want to see the show too? Even if that was the case though, I obviously can’t just casually invite her in front of her father, can I? Wait, I just thought of something good.

“Dan, I still have complimentary tickets left. How about you and Fel watch it too?”

“Thank you. Fel, if you’re interested in it, let’s go watch it together.”

At that, Fel had a complicated expression on her face.

She might have originally wanted to watch it together with me, but the idea of watching it with Dan was something she liked just as much.

“Thank you! Let’s go enjoy it together, father! And then, let’s go play those things you’ve been telling me about. You know, that game with that spinning wheel and the flying dragon races!”

Now with a bright smile on her face, Fel said so and nodded.

She really is good kid. Only, I fear that when she sees Dan gambling, she might become disillusioned.

At normal times, Dantalian was a young-looking and beautiful [Time] Demon Lord who had a mysterious air around him, but when gambling, he was just Dan the old man.

Anyway, I took my seat and sipped some black tea. I then tried the snack served with the tea. At first glance, it looked like a plain cookie with some nuts, but upon tasting it, my eyes became wide open.

“Can these perhaps be Arnold cookies?”

“Yes, they are. We occasionally buy some. There’s just no shop that sell better pastry than them. Not even in Avalon, I think.”

Arnold’s, the globally recognized pastry shop. Certainly, not even Avalon had a pastry shop that exceeded their products.

“Yeah, it’s vexing, but their pastries are just so good. …too bad it’s tough to buy them. Not only is their shop two continents away, there’s also the issue of the ever-present long queue.”

“Are you making light of my ability? For the sole goal of being able to buy their pastries, I had sent my subordinates to their main shop via a dragon and made them set up a pair of Transfer arrays that links that place and Eclaba. And then, monsters that could disguise themselves as humans would occasionally be tasked to use those Transfer arrays and queue in those lines for as long as it takes.”

“You’re putting too much effort for those pastries.”

Arnold’s pastries were great not because they were made using special ingredients, but rather because of the pâtissier’s skills. That being said, the ingredients used were not subpar.

In fact, we had received a request from Arnold’s asking for them to open a branch store in Avalon. It seemed like they were interested in the golden apples that could only be found in Avalon. With the present conversation with Dan in mind among other reasons, I would be reviewing their request favorably.

While we were chatting idly like that, [Dragon] Demon Lord Astaroth and [Wind] Demon Lord Stolas arrived.

As ever, Enlil was perched on Stolas’s shoulder. Upon noticing Duke, Enlil issued out a gau, to which Duke responded with a greeting of his own. They definitely had become close.

“Sorry for being late, Dan. There were some things I had to go over with Stolas in order for her to be fully ready for tomorrow’s fight.”

“Ast, you sure you can fight seriously tomorrow? You care for that daughter of yours too much.”

“What a silly question. There’s no way I’ll go easy on her. It’s precisely because I love her so much that I will fight seriously tomorrow. This is her first and last chance to fight with me, so I’ll do my best to make her understand what it means to be one of the strongest Demon Lords.”

Astaroth said so and then laughed.

What drive. I’m getting goosebumps. We’re supposed to challenge such a monster tomorrow? I’m scared, but also very excited.

“I stand corrected. Apologies. I should have known better. You are that kind of guy, after all… anyway, now that everyone’s here, let’s begin. I have prepared a grand banquet today. So, let us end this tea party, and drink alcohol until we drop!”

When Dan said so, his humanoid monsters appeared. They brought out a large table and some chairs, set those, and then brought out dish after dish.

And then, before I knew it, there was an orchestra in the corner. When Dan held his right hand up and snapped his finger, the blue, sunny sky became a starry one and a beautiful melody began flowing.

“In the banquet Procell hosted, he prepared dishes that can only be eaten in his Avalon, so this time, I prepared dishes that only I can prepare. I shall spare no expense to give my dear friend, Astaroth, the sendoff he deserves. By my honor, I am certain you all will enjoy this party.”

Dan proudly declared so.

And then, glasses were lined up and filled with red wine. Just by their scent, I could already tell that it was high-quality wine.

“Now, Ast, come give us a toast.”

“Umu, very well,”

Ast stood up and purposefully cleared his throat.

“For hosting this event dedicated to me and for coming today, I would like to express my gratitude to Dan and you all. I am so happy to be surrounded by my close friends and our successors. Today, I shall enjoy this happiness, and tomorrow, I shall display my might. Stolas, Procell, my greatest wish is for me to able to give you my beloved dragonschildren. So, please defeat me tomorrow and grant this wish. And then, Marcho and Dan, my dear friends, it has been a blast to live a life alongside yours… now, cheers!”

We raised our glasses, bumped it into the other’s, and drank the delicious wine.

Looking at Ast, I said to myself that I want to be like him when I reach the end of my days: to be able to declare with full confidence that I have lived a full and happy life. I wonder, how hard would that be?

He also asked us to inherit and take care of his dragonschildren. I was sure that Stolas was also thinking that it would be serious stain on our honor if we couldn’t do that. Like that, Stolas and I looked at each other and then clenched our fists.

But for now, we should enjoy the party as much as possible.

This was our last chance to drink with Astaroth, after all. This was a miracle that lasted for only one night.

TL note:

In this chapter, it’s become more emphasized how Fel speaks. She refers to herself in the third person much like Kuina does. Moreover, she adds desu(です) to the end of her sentences even if it isn’t supposed to be there.

I’d like to think she has enough personality as is, so I’m not going to change her way of talking to this. I just find it annoying, more so when in English.

Thank you for your understanding.