Several days had passed, and Caeldaemos’ party finally arrived in the city of Hyuden, the central location of Yanni’s domain.

During their trip, they easily dealt with a couple of bandit groups and several monster attacks. They pulled up to the large mansion, and Caeldaemos hopped out of the carriage to speak with the guard.

“May I help you sir?” The guard asked.

“I should have an appointment with Lord Yanni. My name is Michael.” Caeldaemos answered.

“I see. One moment sir.” The guard went to the guardhouse to call into the residence.

A few minutes later, the guard opened the gate and waved them in.

They were greeted by Yanni and a tall, tanned woman who was nearly a foot taller than the short man.

“Welcome, Michael, my friend! It is so good to see you!” Yanni vigorously shook Caeldaemos’ hands.

Caeldaemos could not help but smile at his friend. “Good to see you, Yanni.”

“Yes, yes. Ah! This is my wife, Aurelia.”

“A pleasure to meet our benefactor finally. You have done so much for us. Though I remember Yanni saying you were a demon?” Aurelia tilted her head.

“This is just a simple form change. I did see a few demons during our trip here but chose to err on the safe side for now.” Caeldaemos explained.

“Well, come in so you can get more comfortable!” Yanni invited them inside.

Caeldaemos took a moment to introduce his party to the couple before they entered.

They were relaxing at a large table, enjoying some light snacks and drinks.

“So, how is noble life treating you?” Caeldaemos asked.

“I swear, it is a pain in my rear! But I have received considerable benefits from it. Because of the Philbra business, thank you for your purchases, I turn all taxes back toward the domain, not keeping a single Tress to myself. My wealth from my business is more than enough to maintain my household. I did have to sink some of my own money though into improving law and order.”

“The slave trade remnants?”

“You heard about that?”

“We did. If there is anything I can do to help, I would be more than happy to.” Caeldaemos offered.

Yanni gave a warm smile. “I thank you for the offer, but I have a capable knight commander making headway in the more fringe towns.”

“Rana?” Caeldaemos turned to her.

“I’m still investigating.” She replied.

Yanni looked at his friend questioningly.

“Rana is a golem master. She has several mouse-sized golems investigating the whole city.” Caeldaemos answered.

“Really! If you happen to find anything, please let me know! I wish to be rid of such disgusting people.”

Caeldaemos looked about the room at the various servants. “Yanni, could you send them out? We wish to speak with you privately.”

“Of course.” Yanni had the servants leave the room, leaving only him and his wife with the party.

Caeldaemos sighed over the heavy subject he had to broach. He established a privacy domain around the room so no one could listen.

“What was that?” Aurelia asked.

“A privacy barrier. I’m sorry, but this is something that cannot leave this room…” Caeldaemos’ jaw tightened. He undid his transformation, changing into his True Demon-Lord form.

“W-What? You… look far different.” Yanni was hesitant.

Caeldaemos had checked Yanni’s status, and he had the Demon-Lord Follower Special.

“I’m sorry. I dragged you into something troublesome by associating with you.”

“What do you mean?”

They could see Caeldaemos was having a hard time.

“Let me start off, Cael.” Listamati offered.

He nodded, hating himself for freezing up like this every time. He thought he got a bit braver after the town of Hallibrush, but it was still hard to be rejected for something that was forced on you.

“Allow me to start off with this.” Listamati changed to her demonic form. “My name is Listamati. The man who sits before you was cursed by the goddess Sylfaerune with a fate worse than you can imagine. Let me start from the beginning.”

Listamati, Liara, Rana, Lily, and Mari ran through the story of the poor soul, Michael Dale Lemos. A man murdered by a goddess for her greed for a great hero. How he was thrown into the world and nearly killed by an ogre. They continued up to the point where Caeldaemos saved the children.

Rana continued. “He clenched his head in pain after falling from his magic cycle. I thought all was lost, but an ominous, dark mana began to pervade his body. It was so terrifying to see that the soldiers froze up. Even I fell to my knees. The amount of power that was radiating from him was unnatural. But then, a grand silver light exploded from his body, purifying and consuming the dark mana. When the light died down, he was larger than he was before. A chill ran down my spine when I looked at him. He easily defeated the soldiers and helped me to save the children.”

“What would cause such a change? In all my years of dealing in the demon nation, I have never heard of such a thing….” Yanni paused before looking up at Caeldaemos. “It can’t be.”

“It is as you think, Lord Yanni. Cael was forced to become the Demon-Lord.” Rana stated, looking down at the table.

Yanni jumped to his feet, his chair clattering to the floor. “You have to kidding me! You can’t be!”

“I’m sorry, Yanni.” That was all Caeldaemos could say.

“The damn Demon-Lord!?” Yanni paced back and forth, rubbing his head. “You said you dragged me into something, right?! What?!” He was upset.

“I already checked your status. You have a unique special called Demon-Lord Follower.” Caeldaemos replied, feeling horrible.

“Seriously…” Yanni slumped against the wall. “All it would take is a single hero or Blessed Plate, and I would be executed….”

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“I can prevent that from happening!” Caeldaemos stood, wanting his friend to believe him.

Yanni stood, stepped up to the table across from Caeldaemos, and placed his hands on its surface.

“Answer me. What are your intentions?” Yanni asked with a deathly serious tone to his voice.

“I just want to help you. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

“That is not what I was asking! The world! What are you planning!?” Yanni demanded to know.

The man was trembling in fear but kept up his determination to learn the truth.

Caeldaemos stood up straight, placing a hand over his heart. “I swear to you, Yanni, in the name of Io, I do not want the destruction of the world nor its people. I just want to live a peaceful life with my family and friends. If I can help others, I will. If I find evil people, I will punish them. My name is Caeldaemos the Benevolent, a Demon-Lord trying to help the world.” The silver light activated to a near-blinding level.

The light died down as Yanni blankly stared at Caeldaemos.

“Heh.” Yanni’s legs gave out and collapsed onto his rump. “Heh, heh, heh. Hah! Hah, hah, hah!” The merchant noble began laughing loudly.

“Unbelievable. Who would have thought? A good, no, a benevolent Demon-Lord.” Yanni stood and took his seat.

Yanni sighed. “I’m sorry, Mi-… Caeldaemos. I am going to have to ask you to leave my home for now. I need time to think. I promise I won’t reveal the truth about you, but I must think about what is best for my family.”

“I understand.” Caeldaemos and Listamati changed back into human forms. “Take this pendant. So long as you wear it, the Demon-Lord Follower will not show up.”

“Thank you.” Yanni took the amulet and saw them outside of the mansion.

They arrived at an inn and got checked in. But it was apparent Caeldaemos was feeling depressed over what had happened.

“Cael.” Liara approached him.

He looked up at her with tired eyes.

She smiled at him. “You look horrible.”

He chuckled.

“Why don’t you set up a domain here in the room and go to Hallibrush. Spend some time there. Maybe try to speak to the goddess once more?” Liara offered.

The other girls agreed that it might be helpful for him.

“Alright. Just be careful, okay. I’ll try to be back by tomorrow.”

After establishing his domain in the room, he teleported back to Hallibrush.

“Okay! What the hell!” Caeldaemos covered his eyes the moment he appeared.

“Welcome back, my lord. You have impeccable timing,” Orelia commented, moving over to the edge of the tub she was bathing in.

“This was not a bathroom when I established this domain!” He shouted, feeling around for the door.

“Come now, Cael, why not join us?” Sophia’s voice called out to him.

Caeldaemos stood up straight as an arrow. “S-Sophia!? You’re in there too!?”

The priestess giggled. “Join us.” She offered again.

“Absolutely not, you teasing minx!” Caeldaemos found the door and rushed out of the room.

He faced the door, absolutely red in the face. “This was your doing, Io. I just know it.”

The embarrassed Demon-Lord left the church and headed into town in his true form.

“Ah! It’s Lord Caeldaemos!” “My lord!” “Welcome back!”

Several children crowded around him.

Caeldaemos smiled back at their warm and welcoming smiles. Accessing his storage, he pulled out some candies for the kids and handed them out.

The children cheered as they enjoyed their treat. They asked him for a story of his adventures, and he happily obliged.

“Alright. How about the time Liara and I defeated a group of trolls?” He asked.

“We haven’t heard that one yet!” “Trolls?” “They’re tough to defeat, right?”

“Yes. Trolls have a powerful regenerative ability that is stronger than even demons. Lia and I used One with Darkness to travel through the shadows in the forest, trying to find them. Before long, we spotted their den.”

“What’d they look like?”

“Nasty creatures. The moment we emerged from the shadows, we nearly retched our lunches from the horrid stench!” Caeldaemos played up his expression, but it was probably nowhere near how bad it really was.

He continued. “The outside of them is rotten, constantly regenerating, leaving trails of diseased flesh behind. Does anyone know what the greatest weakness of a troll is?” He asked the group.

“Um, isn’t it fire?” A boy asked.

Caeldaemos smiled. “Correct! Fire is their greatest weakness. They have no resistance to fire like demons do, and it greatly slows down their regeneration.”

“Is that how you defeated them?!” An excited girl asked.

“Yes. Lia came up with the plan. It was simple and quick. Lia jumped out and made a bunch of noise, drawing the attention of the trolls. They let out a wicked, gurgling roar as they began to bare down upon her!”

“Is she okay?” A young girl asked.

“Yes, it was perfectly safe. As the trolls got close, I sprung up a rock wall to protect her. With several more rock walls, we had the trolls trapped. They beat against and claws at the walls, trying to escape, but I sunk the ground beneath them, lowering them many feet underground.”

“You buried them?” A boy asked, confused.

“Nope. I put them into an inescapable pit. Dropping the rock walls, Lia and I glanced down to see the trapped trolls trying to climb their way out, but they could not. Trolls are not good at climbing.”

“What did you do then? Fire?” A boy asked.

“Correct. Observe.” Caeldaemos created a small ball of fire. “This is the normal fire you see. But if I tweak the amount of mana, I put into it.” The ball changed from orange to blue, then to white.

“Wah!” Some of the kids in the front had to back away from the heat.

“I used this. White fire.” He dissipated the fireball. “Dropping a large one into the pit, I reduced the trolls to ashes. Never to harm another person again.”

“I wish I could have seen that, but that was hot!” A boy joked.

“My lord.”

Caeldaemos looked up to see Mayor Toto and a few smiling parents waiting nearby.

“Good to see your Mayor Toto. Sorry for dropping in.” Caeldaemos turned his eyes toward the ground.

Mayor Toto could see the demon needed some cheering up. “I heard the demi-bears were demanding a rematch with you.”

Caeldaemos laughed. “How many times do I have to tell them I can’t get drunk! I feel like they are just using me as an excuse to drink!”

Mayor Toto chuckled. “Come, I will join you.”

“Really? I’ve seen how much those guys can drink. I don’t know if you can hold your own against them.” Caeldaemos thanked the children for spending some time with him and followed after the mayor.

“Don’t worry about me. I do things in moderation.” Mayor Toto chuckled.

A few hours passed, and the only two still drinking were Mayor Toto and Caeldaemos.

“Damn, I did not expect you were a drinker Toto.” Caeldaemos joked, enjoying his glass of brandy.

“Mm. Like I said. Moderation.” Mayor Toto smiled.

Caeldaemos smiled and looked down into his glass. “Thanks, Toto. I needed this.”

“It is no problem, my lord.” Mayor Toto stood up. “Well, it is late. I best get back home before my wife gets upset with me.”

Caeldaemos raised his glass. “To Mayor Toto! Best mayor in the world!”

Mayor Toto smiled brightly and headed out.

Some wives and other large demis came into the bar and laughed as they took their loved ones home. After paying his tab, Caeldaemos headed to the temple for the night.

He found Sophia waiting for him in the large bed already.

“You expected this?” He asked, going behind a screen to change.

“Somewhat. I could feel that you were troubled and looking for guidance.” Sophia replied.

“And the truth?” He asked.

“Liara called me.” She giggled.

Caeldaemos sighed and headed over to the bed, lying down. Sophia cuddled up next to him. Her sweet and gentle scent tickled his nose. He had to be careful that Daemos did not wake.

“I hope you get the guidance you seek tonight,” Sophia whispered as he drifted asleep.

His eyes opened, and he saw the familiar location.

“Good to see you again, Caeldaemos.” Io welcomed him.

“Hello, Io.”

“Any drink requests?” She asked.

“Oh, uh, there was a tea Lista recommended… What was it?” Caeldaemos tried to remember, but a cup appeared before him.

“Fruit tea. She wanted you to try it.” Io giggled.

“Thanks.” He picked up the cup and gave it a try. “That’s good. I’ll have to make some with Lista later.”

“I heard about what you did at the temple. Thank you for not destroying the whole temple.” She bowed her head to him.

“Oh, well, I don’t have any problems with all of you gods, just her. I’m guessing she wasn’t too happy about it?” He asked.

“She was livid.”

Caeldaemos laughed briefly before covering his mouth. “Sorry.” He felt bad.

“It is alright. It is a necessary step. She still refuses to tell the truth and accepts her faults. I hope you are well?”

He sighed. “I had my first rejection since becoming a Demon-Lord. My friend Yanni.”

She quietly listened to how the meeting went.

Caeldaemos felt horrible once more. Remembering Yanni’s terrified expression.

Io placed her hand on his. “You do not have to worry so much. I am sure in time, he will realize who you truly are. Give him time.”

Her gentleness calmed his turbulent heart. Liara was right. Coming to Hallibrush was an excellent decision.

“You really are a great goddess,” Caeldaemos commented.

“I’m also still a virgin,” Io replied brightly.

“CAN YOU NOT!” He shouted as he felt his consciousness returning to his body.

Caeldaemos opened his eyes. He was in the bed, and a top of him was a naked Sophia. Binding his right arm was Orelia, who snuck into the bed.

“Really?” He asked Sophia.

“All I ask is to be desecrated by you.” She smiled brightly.

“Yeah. Not gonna happen.” He teleported out of bed and checked his Crys-Link. “Huh?”

Sophia looked back at him sadly. “What is it?”

“Why the hell is my Crys-Link silenced? I have multiple missed calls.” Caeldaemos called Liara.

“Cael!” She answered in a panic.

“What’s going on?” He quickly began changing his clothes.

“Rana is gone! Someone kidnapped her! Lily is tracking her scent but left us behind. She is being too reckless! Hurry!”

It had been a while since he had felt the feeling roiling inside of him. Rage.