Chapter 197. Festival of Monsters
Boom, boom.
The pounding beat of drums struck deep into the chest.
Loud laughter mixed together from every direction, and even through that noise, powerful singing still managed to cut across the air.
The enormous crowd moved like waves, pushing and pulling people wherever it pleased.
Even after nightfall, the heat showed no sign of fading.
It was a place where every strange spectacle in the world seemed to have gathered.
“I can’t believe this is actually real.”
What kind of madman would receive a declaration of war...
And immediately decide to hold a festival?
A noble from some foreign kingdom shook his head as he watched the otherworlders laugh happily simply because there was a festival.
No matter how he looked at them, he couldn’t understand their race.
Maybe they simply enjoy destruction itself.
Justice.
Justification.
Honor.
He couldn’t find even a trace of those things in the otherworlders before him.
They looked like moths dancing toward ruin.
Creatures who pursued pleasure even while their bodies burned in the flames.
And because many of the players had physically modified themselves into bizarre forms...
That impression only grew stronger.
“The Demon King of Madness standing above all of them can’t possibly be normal either....”
Honestly, even though he had only come as a representative, he hadn’t wanted to attend.
Who in their right mind would willingly enter a monster nation established by Madness, an existence regarded as absolute evil?
He had no idea what might happen to him here.
He didn’t know what might be inside the food he ate.
The songs reaching his ears.
The temperature of the wind.
The fragrant smell of cooking that tickled his nose.
The city glowing in countless brilliant colors before his eyes.
Who could say what might be hidden inside any of it?
The only reason he had dared come at all was because the Demon King of Madness had once been a Hero.
That gave him the thinnest thread of trust.
“Phew....”
There were other rumors too.
That the Great Hero of Friendship was staying here.
And that Ingwang Kingdom had supposedly already formed a relationship with Karantlia so close they were practically brothers.
Ridiculous rumors.
Still...
There were quite a few people who wanted to verify whether they were true and understand why.
“Welcome...”
The voice paused.
“Ah, no.”
The small figure corrected himself awkwardly.
“Welcome.”
The noble blinked.
“...Thank you for receiving me.”
He hesitated.
“You are... a rat beastfolk?”
“Mm!”
A tiny black-furred rat beastfolk, perhaps only half his height, had come to greet him in front of the Demon King’s castle.
For a moment, the noble wondered—
Could this beastfolk be an important official of the country?
Then he stared at the rat and thought that perhaps the Demon King simply liked cute things.
The rat tilted its head.
“Why?”
“A-Ah, nothing.”
The noble cleared his throat.
“Could you guide me?”
“Mm!”
Setting the Demon King’s tastes aside...
The rat looked so much like an ordinary cute child that it was strangely difficult to remain serious.
Only after he noticed several other carriages already parked nearby did he conclude that the rat was probably just a servant.
He followed along.
Then a question occurred to him.
“By the way, don’t you need to confirm who I am?”
The rat nodded confidently.
“Mm! We were told to let everyone in if they arrived by carriage...”
Then, after a pause—
“...sir!”
The noble’s eyebrows rose.
“Goodness. The Demon King must be extremely confident.”
The rat suddenly stopped.
“...Ah! Here!”
As though remembering something late, the rat searched inside his clothes and handed him a small piece of paper.
It was a pamphlet.
The noble read it.
From what time to what time, this performance.
Then another performance.
And another.
The entire pamphlet was packed with nothing but schedules.
His mind nearly stopped.
Was it because he recognized the names written there?
No.
That wasn’t it.
He had visited the arena several times himself.
So he knew those names.
He also knew many of them were connected to the Demon King.
And he knew the arena itself had been built by that same Demon King.
Recently, followers of Madness have even started appearing in Hopborn....
What truly left him speechless was realizing that...
This really was just a festival.
And they really had simply invited people to attend.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
It was basically nothing but an enormous version of a social gathering for young nobles.
Boom, boom!
The distant music made his head feel light.
But perhaps that too was one of Madness’s tricks!
He straightened his clothes and hardened his resolve.
No matter what awaited him beyond those doors...
He would not be intimidated by the Demon King of Madness.
As a representative, he would maintain his dignity and never disgrace his master’s honor.
BOOM!
Just as he finished steeling himself and tried to enter the hall...
Someone suddenly kicked open the door and walked out.
A man wearing a silver wolf mask.
His large body was squeezed into an extravagant suit so tightly that it looked ready to rip apart.
His face was hidden by the mask, but he seemed fairly young.
The noble could only stare blankly.
A voice called out from behind.
“YOUR MAJESTY!!!”
The noble jumped.
“Huh? What?! Y-Your Majesty?”
He stared.
“You’re the king?!”
The masked man paused.
“Ah, you’re a guest?”
He waved casually.
“Uh, go inside.”
Then he pointed somewhere far away.
“I have to go deal with something because apparently Mother caused trouble over there.”
He opened a corridor window.
“Make some friends inside while you wait, okay?”
And then the Demon King jumped straight out the window.
The noble stood frozen.
Was that...
Really the Demon King?
Unable to erase the feeling that he had just witnessed some back-alley delinquent, he entered the hall.
The interior was no more normal than the outside.
“KYAAAAA! OPPA!!!”
“ME! ME! I BOUGHT A CARRIAGE JUST TO COME HERE!!!! LOOK OVER HERE! OPPAAAAA!!!”
“SHUT UP! I’M TRYING TO LISTEN TO THE SONG!”
“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! DO YOU THINK THIS IS A FAN CAFÉ?! IF SOMEONE NEEDS TO SHUT UP AND LEAVE, IT’S YOU!”
Let anyone in if they arrive by carriage.
And multiple performances by famous stars packed across the entire twenty-four hours.
Had he been a fool for assuming only nobles from across the continent would gather here?
His opponent was the Demon King of Madness, after all.
The noble forced himself to cough and regain composure.
Then he approached people who clearly did not fit in with the crowd.
People in the same situation as him.
One noble was already deep into an I don’t care anymore state, having filled an enormous wine glass to the brim.
He handed the newcomer an empty glass and gave a self-mocking laugh.
“Ah, another one has arrived.”
He raised his own glass.
“Another extra at this festival.”
The newcomer accepted it.
“...Have any of you spoken with the Demon King?”
One noble barked out a laugh.
“Ha! The Demon King?”
He drank wine like beer, gulp after gulp.
Then, with his tongue already slurring, he imitated Ingwang’s manner of speaking.
“Everyone! Are you enjoying the showww?”
He swayed.
“Yeeah, me, you see, when I gooo somewhere with lots of people~ my energy gets draaaained, so I enjoy being aloooone~”
The newcomer stared at him.
“...Did he really say that?”
Another noble sighed.
“Not exactly like that.”
He took a sip.
“But it was similar.”
Then he added bitterly—
“He also said something shocking like, ‘Go make friends on your own.’”
A third noble pointed.
“Even his retainers keep sticking only to the Demon King.”
“Do you see them over there?”
The newcomer followed his finger.
A group of people who felt completely different from everyone around them were chatting warmly together.
He hadn’t felt much from the Demon King when they briefly crossed paths...
But even he could tell that those people were on another level.
The noble explained.
“Those are the Demon King’s retainers.”
He pointed.
“That blue-haired girl is Aien de Yustria.”
“The one who became the spark for this upcoming war.”
Another noble nodded.
“I tried speaking with her once.”
He looked thoughtful.
“She seemed remarkably normal.”
“After hearing her story, I have to admit... she truly is as pitiful as the rumors say.”
The other noble scoffed.
“Goodness.”
“Do you simply believe every story circulating through the marketplaces?”
He raised an eyebrow.
“If that were true, are you saying an Imperial Count picked a meaningless excuse to persecute them?”
The first noble waved his hands.
“Ahem! Why are you being so aggressive?”
He laughed awkwardly.
“It’s a wonderful day.”
“The alcohol is good.”
“The music is good.”
He smiled.
“Don’t take everything so seriously.”
Listening to their conversation, the newcomer swallowed dryly.
If he could learn even a little information from those people...
It might greatly benefit his kingdom.
He filled his wine glass.
Then downed it all at once.
His eyes sharpened with sudden enthusiasm.
He marched toward Ingwang’s retainers.
“Greetings!”
He raised his voice above the deafening music and crowded hall.
“I am Razov Atefultaria Vainer, here as a representative of the Kingdom of Giran!”
A clean and formal introduction.
Naturally, the oldest among the group, the Village Chief, stepped forward to receive him.
“Ah! It is a pleasure to meet you.”
