I crouched in the limited shadows available in a well-lit and furnished hallway.

There were some heated discussions going on in a room some lengths away from me, between two noble men.

I couldn't see their faces, but one of them sounded like the one I had come for tonight— A rising star among the court, Baronet Kyle Hohenfelder. He had bought one of my blades, and kept it on his person at all times. He has also been cooped up in his family manor lately, making it more difficult for me to reach him without being noticed. That didn’t stop me from trying, though.

I had snuck past the guardsman easily enough, and made my way to the center of Kyle’s family manor, where I found him having a conversation with an unknown noble.

(Kyle) “Are you sure? I would rather be certain than go throwing stones in the dark.”

(???) “I am completely sure. My uncle had heard about it, when he had been brought in on the strategy meetings. I had overheard him talking to one of his associates about it, and decided to tell you.”

(Kyle) “Yes, I could see how knowing about it would be advantageous—after all, he produces weapons has the most money to make during a war. I’ll tell my craftsmen to ramp up production, but store the goods away.”

(???) “Ah, to drive up prices? Good idea—I might have to use it myself now.”

The baronet laughed, happy that his friend approved of the idea.

(???) “Still, what a heartless thing to do, ramping up prices when the rise of a new Demon Lord is evident.”

(Kyle) “Heartless? It’s simply what anyone else would do.”

I startled at this. I hadn’t heard anything about a new Demon Lord, so I wondered where these nobles had gotten their information. The baronet’s friend had said something about his uncle, making me wonder what sort of nobles they are.

I kept listening to their conversation, and they discussed the thing that I wanted to know the most.

(Kyle) “Did your uncle say anything about where this Demon Lord is right now? How much time do we have before it attacks?”

(???) “Oh, no. The Demon Lord doesn’t exist yet, apparently.”

(Kyle) “Hm? How can that be? If it doesn’t exist, then how did your uncle get information about it?”

(???) “Well, from what I heard, it sounded like the church was involved somehow, with them getting a vision or something.”

(Kyle) “And this vision told them that a Demon Lord was coming?”

(???) “Yeah.”

(Kyle) “Well that’s a bit frustrating. It would be better to have a good timeline of when it’s coming, so I know what my timing to inflate the weapon’s market prices should be.”

The two of them laughed, and I sat in the shadows, intrigued. I wondered who the new Demon Lord would be, and how they would affect the world. I had learned a while ago that Demon Lords, while not rare in this world, are seldom seen in the remote region this kingdom sat in. In fact, I had heard that the rest of the world was completely incomparable to where I was now—The people were much stronger as a whole, the technology more advanced, the lands bigger and more diverse. From what I’ve heard, the rest of the world is a wonderland compared to where I am now.

So why do people stay in this little backwater kingdom?

Well, it’s much more satisfying to be a big fish in a little pond, rather than the other way around. There are a few famous parties or individuals who would leave the kingdom every once in a while, to adventure in the rest of the world, but very few of them return. Those that do tell of dungeons and labyrinths that would challenge the gods should they enter, and the people that challenge them and survive. If our little kingdom is a place where strength determines status, then outside of it, strength is your reason for continued survival.

Put simply, our kingdom is sheltered, and most people wouldn’t survive outside of it.

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It’s not just this kingdom either—North of us, past a sea cutting a path between us and them, in a boundless sea of forests and marshes lives another kingdom, this one comprised of a smattering of elven tribes who are isolationist in nature. While they are stronger than the humans here, they still aren’t as strong as the elves outside our three continents.

Yes, three.

The last one houses the demon kingdoms to the south, who are fractious in nature and warlike as a species. Each demon could be said to be unique, with their own features not affected by birth parents or genetics. For instance, I once knew a demon who had been born to a pale, black haired demon with webbed feet, and fathered by a demon seven feet tall, with red hair supposedly like fire and black skin.

For starters, this demon came out having small scales all over him, four large horns jutting from his head, and blue hair with red eyes.

It’s all completely random.

The demons, as individuals, are easily equal to the elves, but are too engrossed in interspecies warfare to bother with anyone else.

These three continents, the human one in the center, are tiny compared to many of the supercontinents existing in this world.

In fact, when I had first found out about the size of this world, it had seemed impossible. I mean, the gravitational pull form such a planet would crush anything living on it into mush, and the solar system would have to be equally massive.

That was before I remembered that this world has magic. The existence of mana serves to explain quite a few things.

As I was thinking about all this, the two nobles finished their conversation, and I got a glimpse of both the baronet and his guest.

The baronet had a wispy beard and moustache, the type that was meant to prove that you were old enough to grow one, even though it only makes you look stupid. He wore fine robes more than befitting his station as a noble, and had a belt with a simple looking longsword strapped to it.

His guest looked significantly older, though that may have been the work of his truly full beard, black like his hair. His eyes were oddly blue, like crystals. He wore green clothing of fine make, though not as gaudy as the baronet's robes.

I had no idea who he might be—I’d never seen him before now.

However, once he had left, the baronet was left alone, contemplating the conversation he’d had with the unknown man.

This was my perfect opportunity, and I slipped in through the door, not making any sounds through the use of some clever wind magic, creating a void around me.

The baronet was facing the window looking out over the city, so he didn’t notice me come up behind him and quickly hit his head. He slumped over unconscious. I grabbed the sword hanging at his waist, and made my way out of the manor, happily whistling to myself with the wind magic keeping any sound from escaping.

I had just recovered the last sword held by a noble.

In the time it had taken to track them all down and take them back, I had delivered three swords to the resistance, who had made major strides in the same time.

Two of those swords had been from our monthly agreements, the third had been due to a little help I had gotten from them in 

retrieving it.

Two more months have passed, leaving the city closer to rebellion and justice than ever.

Though I wonder what the King will do to the rebellion once it succeeds. Except, I don’t think I’ll be able to stay in the city long enough to find out.

I’ve gotten word that the elves have been looking for me, and I can’t avoid them forever.

Besides, they’ve sealed away someone I want to meet again—someone I haven’t seen for twelve years.

I’m sure he’ll be happy to see me alive and well.

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