Chapter 183: Epilogue: Demon King Minato’s Birthday Party
ㅤThat day, a grand ceremony was being held in the Demon King’s Castle.
ㅤ
ㅤThe name of the ceremony was – Demon King Minato-heika’s Birthday Party.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Uu…… I want to escape.）
ㅤ
ㅤAt first, I had intended to have a small, private party with just my close associates.
ㅤI wanted to combine it with a victory celebration and a consolation party, and have fun with my friends.
ㅤ
ㅤBut, during a casual conversation with the Queen of the Tree Country, I accidentally let it slip.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’m having a birthday party soon. Well, it’s just for close associates.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Oh, is that so? Then please invite me too.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Eh? No, it’s just for close associates.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Oh. Am I not a close associate?
ㅤThen I’ll bring Sherry. You’re good friends with Sherry, right?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well, yes.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’m Sherry’s partner, so it’s only natural that I participate in the party with her, right?”
ㅤ
ㅤI was schemed against! By the time I realized it, it was too late.
ㅤ
ㅤStill, if it was just the Queen, I thought I could get away with just flirting with Sherry-san at the venue.
ㅤBut then,
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, that’s no good. If it seems like we’re giving the Tree Country special treatment, it will give a bad impression to other countries.”
ㅤ
ㅤBoroneal said such a thing.
ㅤ
ㅤ『In that case, we should also invite the Princess of Zamzaria, Lady Harriet of Celesta, the Dragon Elder, the High Priestess of Elvansrow, and the High Priest.』
ㅤ
ㅤBy the way, Elvansrow, which was petrified and crashed by G*d, had some elves who managed to escape. Flone-san, Arne-san’s mother, was also safe thanks to the unpleasant High Priest who saved her.
ㅤHowever, many elves were thrown into space and are still missing……
ㅤSince Elvansrow fell, the surviving elves are being accommodated in the Demon King’s Castle.
ㅤ
ㅤ”If that’s the case, I’ll arrange the party.”
ㅤ
ㅤShizu-san, who happened to be visiting, proudly took charge.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Well, I’m sure Shizu-san will do a good job.）
ㅤ
ㅤ”I-Is Loft going to be alright?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Oh, Domotruis-san is safe too. The organizational change from the Adventurer’s Guild to the Guardian Guild is already complete.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s already done? Other places are having a hard time with it.”
ㅤ
ㅤIt was quite difficult to convert adventurers, who were overflowing with the gambling spirit of seeking a sudden fortune, into guardians who protect people.
ㅤ
ㅤ”In Loft, because they were petrified, everyone witnessed the whole battle between you and G*d. There are many adventurers who don’t want to rely on the power given to the Grandmaster.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I see.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”More importantly, could you stop using honorifics with me? It makes me uncomfortable to be addressed with honorifics by the Demon King-heika.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You are my Thief Senpai, though.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You’ve already surpassed me as a thief. In the first place, the thief class itself has disappeared.
ㅤAnyway, in that case, I’ll invite people from Loft too.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Eh, please don’t. I hate standing out. I don’t even like birthday parties in the first place.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I wonder what would be a good gift for the Demon King-heika. You can probably get your hands on most things. This is a difficult problem.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”H-Hey, Shizu-san!”
ㅤ
ㅤOnce Shizu-san’s practical switch is flipped, she can’t be stopped.
ㅤIn the end, applications to participate in the birthday party came from all over.
ㅤIt was also an important time for relationship building, so I couldn’t just refuse them.
ㅤ
ㅤBefore I knew it, my birthday party had become a nationwide event.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Next, we have a congratulatory speech from Harriet-sama, representing the Oceanic City-States.”
ㅤ
ㅤI was enshrined in a huge “birthday seat” set up in the party venue, watching Shizu-san’s emceeing.
ㅤTaking into account my wishes for a casual atmosphere, the party was buffet style.
ㅤThe participants were scattered around, watching the ceremony on the stage.
ㅤThey could be chatting more, but since it was the Demon King-heika’s birthday, they weren’t engaging in conversations that would disturb the proceedings.
ㅤ
ㅤAs expected, the representatives of each country gave tactful greetings.
ㅤIn Japan, a self-important old man would give a meaningless speech filled with “uh” and “um” and be self-satisfied, but everyone here gave short congratulatory speeches with light jokes.
ㅤ
ㅤ……I later heard that information had been circulated that I disliked formality, and each country had worked hard to polish their speeches so as not to incur the wrath of the Demon King. Of course, I didn’t know this at the time. If I had, I would have canceled the speeches altogether. I feel terribly sorry for making busy people practice witty jokes.
ㅤ
ㅤAfter the speeches were over, I was urged by Shizu-san to take the stage.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Uh, ahaha…… I’m sorry, I’m not used to this kind of thing no matter how many times I do it.”
ㅤ
ㅤI started with self-deprecating humor, but it didn’t seem to get any laughs.
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, I won’t chop your head off just because you laughed at the Demon King’s self-deprecating humor. Saying that would make you think you’ll be killed if you don’t laugh, but that’s not the case either.
ㅤOh, sorry. It was supposed to be a thank you.”
ㅤ
ㅤI received eye contact from Shizu-san, the emcee, and started over.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Today is simply the day I was born seventeen years ago, but I’m humbled by how big of a deal it has become. Thank you all for your heartfelt celebrations.”
ㅤ
ㅤI bowed my head on the stage.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Since we’re here, I’ve had various dishes from my home world, another world, prepared. I couldn’t perfectly recreate them due to the ingredients, but I think they turned out delicious in their own way. Since you all came here despite your busy schedules, I would be happy if you could at least take back the story of how delicious the food at the Demon King’s Castle was as a souvenir.
ㅤUm, is there anything else?”
ㅤ
ㅤI glanced to the side of the stage and saw Boroneal giving me a block sign.
ㅤIt was a sign like bunt and squeeze.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Oh, right. We have several sports as entertainment. Well, you all know that, right? We sent out the information.
ㅤThis time it’s baseball and soccer. We’ve gathered guardians, knights, soldiers, and other volunteers from each country and explained the rules before the start. There are actually more detailed rules, but we’ve simplified them for this first time.”
ㅤ
ㅤIn baseball, there’s no stealing bases or sacrifice flies, and in soccer, there’s no offside.
ㅤIt’s like elementary school PE rules, but the players and the audience wouldn’t understand anything more complicated.
ㅤ
ㅤWe’re also trying out various other sports and asking for feedback.
ㅤThe knights seem to be interested in tennis, kendo, and fencing.
ㅤThose who were adventurers are into soccer, basketball, rugby, and American football.
ㅤThe nobles are into golf.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Dungeons will disappear. Wars will not be allowed. I will have my way on that.
ㅤBut, I think there are people who would find life too monotonous and lacking in stimulation if that’s all there is, so the Demon Kingdom is working on promoting sports.
ㅤRadio broadcasting has also started experimentally, and public viewing using magic will become possible in major cities.”
ㅤ
ㅤWhen I snapped my fingers, a large hologram appeared on the stage.
ㅤIt was a soccer match being played outside.
ㅤThe matchup was Loft vs. Celesta. The score was 4-4, and the game was heated. The high score is probably because they’re not used to defense yet. There’s no offside either.
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s like… sometimes it’s suffocating to just talk about what’s right. There are unpleasant things in everyday life. Saying things like ‘don’t discriminate against other races’ and ‘don’t wage war’ won’t be very effective in those situations. Those feelings have to be sublimated into another form. It might be considered something like playing around, but that’s why I want the Demon Kingdom to take the initiative in doing it.”
ㅤ
ㅤApplause erupted from the audience.
ㅤIt wasn’t very loud, but it was a warm reaction.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Regarding the economy, the Minister of Economy – Shizu-san – will explain later. To put it simply from my perspective, the Demon Kingdom’s policy is to develop various technologies to enrich everyone’s lives.
ㅤBoroneal, was there anything else?”
ㅤ
ㅤLaughter spilled from the audience as I asked him casually from the stage.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Military, military!”
ㅤ
ㅤBoroneal said loudly, laughing.
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s right. The Demon Kingdom will not allow any wars. If there is a conflict between nations, please consult us. I don’t think we can solve everything, but we’ll do everything we can.
ㅤRegarding the military power of each country, the Demon Kingdom will not ask you to reduce it. However, I don’t think there’s any benefit to having a large military when there are no wars, so if the Demon Kingdom’s policies work out, I think it will naturally decrease. Or rather, that’s what we’re aiming for.
ㅤI think it’s natural for everyone to wait and see for a while. The Demon Kingdom will neither approve nor disapprove of that. Just wait until you’re convinced and make a careful judgment.
ㅤAlso…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Tell them that the Demon Kingdom will basically not exercise its military power!”
ㅤ
ㅤBoroneal spoke frankly.
ㅤ
ㅤ”As Boroneal just said, the Demon Kingdom will not mobilize its military for any reason other than stopping wars. Guardians will deal with monsters. As for the police, we will create a lightly armed force separate from the military. I think there will be many guardians who become police officers.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”What about thieves and pirates!”
ㅤ
ㅤBoroneal asked.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well, we can deal with that in any number of ways. I could personally crush them. Well, I think they’ll disappear soon. The problem of unemployed people becoming thieves is an economic policy issue, so please ask Shizu-san about that.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”He says to wrap it up soon because the food is getting cold!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe audience laughed.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Oh, sorry, sorry.
ㅤAnyway, thank you all for gathering here today. This is the first time I’ve had so many people celebrate my birthday. I’m sorry, but I’ve refused all gifts. I didn’t want to incite competition.
ㅤWell then, everyone. We’ve prepared various entertainments, so please enjoy yourselves.
ㅤThat’s all from Demon King Minato.”
ㅤ
ㅤI bowed my head slightly.
ㅤThunderous applause erupted.
ㅤI waved my hand lightly in response and stepped down from the stage.
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤAfterwards, sports tournaments, fireworks displays, and industrial exhibitions were held in the Demon King’s Castle, and all of them seemed to be successful.
ㅤ
ㅤTired from the party, I returned to the shared space with Almi and rested.
ㅤElminarsh was displaying the scene of the venue with a hologram.
ㅤ
ㅤ『The reputation is very good. At this rate, it might be good to hold it every year. In this world, information circulation is extremely limited. Such opportunities are valuable.』
ㅤ
ㅤ”Are you going to use my birthday as an excuse for that? Give me a break…”
ㅤ
ㅤ『Next year, they’ll ask why we’re not doing it this year.』
ㅤ
ㅤ”Instead of calling it the Demon King’s birthday, we can call it a World Expo or something.”
ㅤ
ㅤ『However, it’s a perfect opportunity to show the Demon King’s authority.』
ㅤ
ㅤ”We don’t need to show it. A king is just right when everyone forgets their existence.”
ㅤ
ㅤ『The highest good is like water, is that it? The best king is one whose people are unaware of their existence. I see, that’s profound.』
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, I didn’t mean anything that profound.”
ㅤ
ㅤI lazily gazed at the scene of the venue.
ㅤPeople of various countries and races were gathered there.
ㅤThey were engrossed in sports, excited about new technologies.
ㅤSome people seemed to be conducting business transactions.
ㅤ
ㅤ”They sure gathered a lot.”
ㅤ
ㅤ『It’s what Minato accomplished.』
ㅤ
ㅤ”I don’t know about that. It was a coincidence.”
ㅤ
ㅤ『There may be coincidence. But, no one else could have done this much. In fact, the Grandmasters and Cretias haven’t been able to.』
ㅤ
ㅤ”You’re praising me a lot today.”
ㅤ
ㅤ『Because it’s your birthday.』
ㅤ
ㅤAs I was talking to Elminarsh, the sun began to set.
ㅤ
ㅤSharion entered the shared space.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Minato-Onee-chan.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Sharion. What’s up?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Can you come with me for a bit?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Where to?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Just come, just come.”
ㅤ
ㅤPulled by Sharion, who was unusually forceful, I left the shared space.
ㅤThe place Sharion headed to was a small hall in the back of the Demon King’s Castle.
ㅤIt was a place that would be full with a few dozen people, and it was often used for private events among close associates.
ㅤIt was a nice room with large windows and a good view.
ㅤ
ㅤI was pushed into the room by Sharion.
ㅤAs the door opened, the sound of party poppers went off one after another.
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ”””Happy Birthday!”””
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ”Uh……?”
ㅤ
ㅤWith confetti on my head, I looked around the room.
ㅤ
ㅤAlmi, Grunblin, Boroneal, Bearnov, Arne-san, Shizu-san, Sherry-san, Lewis, Escavelm.
ㅤIn other words, only those who could be called close associates were gathered.
ㅤEveryone had party poppers in their hands.
ㅤ
ㅤAt the back of the room was a banner that read, “Happy Birthday, Minato!”
ㅤThe room was decorated with a school play-like, handmade feel.
ㅤThe food was also simple and luxurious, with cake and turkey.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Surprised?”
ㅤ
ㅤAlmi asked mischievously.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Did we even have party poppers?”
ㅤ
ㅤ『It’s a simple mechanism. It can be easily made with the things in this world.』
ㅤ
ㅤElminarsh said from somewhere.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Elminarsh was in on it too?”
ㅤ
ㅤ『I was told to buy some time.』
ㅤ
ㅤSo that was why he was unusually flattering.
ㅤ
ㅤ”We tried to make it like a birthday party in Minato’s world, what do you think?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yeah, I was surprised. It feels very birthday-like.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Good.”
ㅤ
ㅤAlmi smiled brightly.
ㅤ
ㅤ（I don’t have very good memories of birthdays, though. Mine or anyone else’s.）
ㅤ
ㅤBut today was different.
ㅤI’m so happy.
ㅤI feel like my face might break into a grin if I’m not careful.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’m sorry, things got bigger than expected.”
ㅤ
ㅤShizu-san said.
ㅤ
ㅤ”We decided to at least have a party just for close associates, the way Minato wanted.”
ㅤ
ㅤArne-san said.
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s an honor to be invited to such an occasion.”
ㅤ
ㅤSherry-san said.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I guess I’m just an addition to my sister.”
ㅤ
ㅤLewis shrugged, speaking sarcastically.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I can’t be of much use without a fight. Well, the current situation is that I can’t even compete with Minato in a fight.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I think Grunblin is also useful. Both of the Twin Demon Kings-heika are very kind. We need someone to be strict.”
ㅤ
ㅤThis was Grunblin and Boroneal.
ㅤ
ㅤ”If it’s about being useless, I’m the same. I couldn’t follow you when you went to defeat Cretias. I’ve been training since then, but I hope there won’t be an opportunity to use my power, as per Minato’s policy.”
ㅤ
ㅤBearnov nodded his hawk head.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I was hesitant, but Almirash persuaded me, saying that we fought together.”
ㅤ
ㅤEscavelm said so with his arms crossed.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Thank you, everyone.”
ㅤ
ㅤWords of gratitude naturally came out of my mouth.
ㅤEven during the greetings at the venue earlier, I was genuinely grateful, but I felt like I was consciously expressing my gratitude.
ㅤNow it’s different.
ㅤI’m so happy, so happy that I can’t help but speak.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Thank you.”
ㅤ
ㅤI said it again.
ㅤ
ㅤMy vision blurred.
ㅤ
ㅤ”W-Wait, don’t cry!”
ㅤ
ㅤAlmi said.
ㅤApparently, I was crying.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’m going to cry, with this…”
ㅤ
ㅤI even wondered if this was the scene of my desires shown to me by G*d.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Alright everyone, as we practiced.”
ㅤ
ㅤAlmi said to everyone.
ㅤ
ㅤEveryone nodded in unison.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ready… go…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”””Happy birthday to you…”””
ㅤ
ㅤEveryone started singing the familiar song.
ㅤIt wasn’t the original Japanese（English）version, but seemed to be translated into the language of this world.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Maybe…）
ㅤ
ㅤThey might have thought that singing in this language would be better for me than singing in Japanese.
ㅤFor a child raised in a troubled home, birthday memories aren’t that great.
ㅤ
ㅤAfter finishing the short song, everyone said,
ㅤ
ㅤ”””Happy birthday, Minato.”””
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yeah… thank you.”
ㅤ
ㅤI replied, wiping away my tears.