No thanks to the Demon Lord, the Gold Parade weaved through the nation, dropping coins wherever it went, while celebratory sums and Spell Stones were delivered to every household. Perhaps it was inevitable that the populace began to have faith in their new leadership.
By the time the Gold Parade reached eastern Holylight, the people’s excitement was at an all-time high, packing every travel road with crowds dying to lay their eyes on Lord Lucifer.
“Lord Lucifer! Thank you for saving our country!”
“Oh, merciful angel...!”
“Look at those children smile! I knew Lord Lucifer was on our side!”
“You said it! Who believes in myths, anyway?”
Surrounded by passionate cheers, Tahara sent a Communication. “Back in the day, the streets were pin-drop silent anywhere we went. Just hatred glowing in their eyes.” The advisors had been regularly sent to occupied territory to represent the Empire that had conquered nations by force, not to mention host vicious Games to strip the people of their will to fight back. Wherever they went, all they’d heard from the crowds were hateful whispers—never cheers. “You once told Yu that we wouldn’t go down the same path. Is this what you had in mind?”
How should I know when it was all your doing?! the Demon Lord shouted on the inside. I just drank and slept in my room! All he’d done lately was a little bit of dress-up, so being treated like a spearhead forging a path for Holylight’s tomorrow felt a tad extreme. Eager for a change of subject, the Demon Lord replied, “The economy is more active compared to when we started.”
“We gotta start off on the right foot,” Tahara Communicated. “That’s why we made it rain so hard.”
By this time, various programs had paid off by getting gold to the hands of the people, indeed stirring up a powerful economy out of nowhere. However, it had not boomed this quickly just because of the wealth redistribution. Crucially, almost no one saved the money they received—the people of Holylight were both wary and weary of their ruler. The fear that the money might soon be taken from them again by a new tax or fee—or whatever other tricks the central nobles used to pull—drove them to spend the money while they still had a chance to. Years of oppressive rule had indirectly stimulated their spending.
People toasted endlessly to the new golden era in taverns around the country. Droves of men were hired for restoration jobs, creating more work for those who would keep the crews fed during those jobs. Lumber and stone merchants all over Holylight were overjoyed at the skyrocketing demand that cleared out their wares as soon as they were restocked. Under the oversight of the central nobles, who had always found an excuse to underpay, the foremen had had to hedge their bets in every project. Thanks to the Holy Church’s guarantee to pay for their labor and supplies in a lump sum, the foremen felt safe to order supplies and hire the labor they needed.
Holylight was being revitalized in other ways too. For one, new lords and ladies—who’d won the gambit of a lifetime—took charge. The Butterfly sisters and their High Society had been stationed in the south, lined with valuable mountain mines and cotton fields. Most of the other happy winners of lordship and ladyship were moved to the luxurious center. At the height of their excitement for their new lives, they hosted extravagant balls, which drove the sales of dresses, jewels, and flowers, lining the pockets of everyone in those industries. Musicians, gardeners, and jesters were all booked solid for weeks to come. As Suneo’s merchants came into the mix, business was booming on all fronts. Lords and ladies who’d been appointed to rule in one of the central districts were practically lottery winners, with guaranteed revenue year after year.
While Holylight’s civil war had caused significant damage and casualties in certain parts of the country, the benefits of unification were more than enough to make up for the losses.
“We’re almost at the Village of Rabbi, Chief,” Tahara Communicated.
“Mm-hmm.”
The Demon Lord, atop his white elephant, was greeted by all the Bunnies as they wholeheartedly celebrated his return. Kyon and Momo had always theorized that the Demon Lord was Lucifer, and this was enough to confirm it.
“Look at that, Momo. Those black wings...”
“I knew it. He was the black angel, hippity.”
The workers of the village saw him and let out murmurs of surprise, both at the towering pachyderm and the Fallen Angel atop it. The Demon Lord’s transformation was particularly jarring to them because they had grown so familiar with him.
“Yo, that really is Lord Lucifer!”
“I don’t believe it. The Angel has graced us with his presence...”
“So what? He’s always been the one giving us jobs. Nothing’s gonna change.”
“D-Doesn’t he look so much younger?!”
Amid the mixed reactions in the crowd, Hummer and the bitchlet were staring at the Demon Lord.
“A-Am I dreaming...?” Hummer muttered. “The mythical Lord Lucifer...”
“Huh? Are you shaking?” the aforementioned bitchlet taunted as usual. “Is micro daddy wetting his pants?”
“B-But the Fallen Angel is right there, as if he’s come alive from the legends themselves...”
“Aww, you’re all shriveled up. Poor little worm. Worm daddy.”
The Demon Lord heard these comments and leaped off the elephant, causing a stir in the crowd.
“Oh?” Tahara titled his head.
Hummer froze, watching the Demon Lord approach him without a word. As for the bitchlet, her bravado melted away as she fell flat on her rear end.
“Hummer, wasn’t it? Did he contact you?” the Demon Lord asked.
“Y-Yes, sir! H-He’s on his way here...!” Hummer answered.
“Hm. The time has finally come! We’d better give him a grand welcome.” The Demon Lord cackled with glee—evil incarnate.
Tahara sauntered over. “Who’s got you laughin’ like that, Chief? Must be one funny guy.”
“Akane picked him up in Hellion Territory. He has a connection with the Paladin,” the Demon Lord said.
“With that square? Small world, huh...? Speaking of, where’s Akane wandering around without giving us key intel like that?” Tahara grumbled.
“You’d have better luck training a frog to do tricks than Akane to properly communicate,” the Demon Lord remarked.
Tahara guffawed. “True that! That’s as hopeless as it gets.”
Hummer quaked in his boots as this conversation continued before him. He didn’t comprehend what they meant, but he barely dared to breathe, let alone interject. The bitchlet lay on the ground, eyes rolled back, seemingly unconscious.
“I’m going to make my next move. I’m leaving you to handle the rest here,” the Demon Lord ordered.
“Aye aye,” Tahara answered, watching the Demon Lord head to the casino. He returned his attention to Hummer, paying no mind to the passed out bitchlet beside him. “Akane picked you up, huh...? So, ya gonna rise to the Secretary’s expectations, or what?”
“I-I could never! I’m just a middle-aged guy with no skills...”
“All right. Then tuck your tail and get out while you can. Our Secretary isn’t kind enough to keep useless lugs around,” Tahara warned, his joking tone not reflected in his eyes. He didn’t warn Hummer out of malice, though, but his own form of kindness. In the old Empire, Tahara was the go-to man for dirty work. Ally or not, he never turned down a command to eliminate a useless liability. Drawing the Demon Lord’s attention could be a blessing or a curse: a blessing if they were talented like the Madam; a curse if they were useless, only shaving years off their life.
Hummer dredged up words through his clamping throat, Tahara’s suggestion having triggered something. “As you might have guessed, I’ve always lived my life running from challenges. But after meeting some people, it finally hit me... I can’t go on like this. No matter how miserable things get, I need to see it through. So I can change.” Few had lived a more tumultuous life than Hummer had in recent days. He’d gone out to sea, been enslaved, and come face-to-face with the likes of Mynk, Cake, the hero, and the Demon Lord—any one of them had been impactful enough to overhaul his outlook on life.
Smoke coiling from a cigarette in his mouth, Tahara simply said, “All right. Then hold your ground.” He left without another word.
Hummer finally saw that the bitchlet had fainted and rushed over. “Are you all right, miss?! Oh, I don’t even know your name...” Despite the daily insults she hurled at him, he hadn’t even considered that. At this rate, he’d probably never learn it.
Meanwhile, the Numbered children had lapped the village atop the elephant, mesmerized by everything they saw: a grand, golden casino; a spring of crisp, clear water; a mystical forest; the hot springs resort. Anyone in their place would have been entranced by the incredible world within this village. The village of Rabbi, which changed its form drastically every time the Demon Lord returned, was almost like a theme park. Presently, the children gazed up at the enormous temple—the casino—and sighed in awe.
Azur stood beside them with narrowed eyes. There was no telling how he felt at that moment, except a hint of relief that they had finally made it to safety.
“Hey, Azur? Lord Lucifer lives at the top of this temple, doesn’t he?” one of the Numbered asked.
“That is what I have been told.” Azur had been fed all sorts of information about the village from Tahara, and had memorized it down to every last detail. Tahara had pegged him for an intelligent, capable man, and Azur was more than capable of meeting that expectation.
“I want to live in Lord Lucifer’s room,” another Numbered said.
“The penthouse is off-limits, even to Master Tahara and Mistress Yu,” Azur relayed.
“No fair...!”
“There is only one other person allowed to access the penthouse freely.” Azur said, and all Numbered eyes flicked to him—who had been granted access above Yu? “Someone Lord Lucifer holds very dear... Let us go introduce ourselves. On our best behavior.”
“Okay!” the children answered.
Poor Aku would probably be more confused than anything if these children came to introduce themselves with such enthusiasm.
While the Numbered marched on to meet Aku, Cake and Leon were reuniting, for the first time in years, in the Healing Forest.
Cake was stunned for a few seconds as she watched her loyal general kneel in the grass. Then, she ran to him. “Leon!”
“It has been too long, Princess. I failed to protect you from...protect you from...” Leon couldn’t lift his head. He only stared at the ground. He’d dreamed of this reunion for so long, but now the shame and regret was unbearable.
“Where have you been?! All this time, I’ve been...!” Tears trickled down Cake’s face as she held Leon’s head to her chest. These were genuine tears, unlike the ones she so frequently wielded to survive.