The game I've transmigrated into, "Demon King and Hero Party," is divided into two main contents.
One is obviously the subjugation of the Demon Realm, the stronghold of the Demon King's forces.
The other is conquering the Human Realm.
Naturally, the Hero Party doesn't spend all their time subjugating the Demon Realm.
They're people too, and they obviously need some downtime.
They stay in the Empire or other kingdoms to recover their strength.
While they're at it, they also solve political issues and other troubles in the Human Realm.
You could say that solving kingdom troubles is the second main content.
It might seem like the developers just threw in these side characters to extend the main content of Demon Realm subjugation.
But Human Realm conquest is actually an extremely important part of the content.
"Well, it's directly related to sealing the Demon King."
In my opinion, the Demon King is less of a living being and more of a phenomenon.
As sorrow fills the world and emotions intensify, the Demon King's seal weakens.
The more karma humans accumulate, the stronger the Demon King becomes.
It's truly profound.
It's almost as if the Demon King is personally judging the sins accumulated by humans.
That's why I think of it as a phenomenon. It's too powerful to be simply called a living being.
Anyway, moving on.
The point is that solving problems in the Human Realm and making it more livable helps suppress the Demon King. Obviously, we can't half-ass it.
But because of that...
There's no content more difficult for me.
After all, my body is covered in all sorts of unlikable curses.
People probably break the Demon King's seal just by looking at me.
That's also why I don't particularly like going to the Empire.
I'm already being misunderstood as some kind of mastermind by my party members. In this state, what kind of reception would I get if I mingled with nobles?
I'd probably be branded as the Demon King, beyond just being suspected as a mastermind.
Thinking about how I need to be careful around the Empire's political circles in the future... it was truly giving me a headache.
"Ah, I'm really excited. There will be so many delicious foods, right?"
"And expensive alcohol too. I'll finally get to drink wine again."
"I just want to go to the church. I want to pray while basking in the warm sunlight of the church."
Of course, regardless of my feelings, they were all quite excited.
News of our defeat of Valkan has probably spread throughout the Human Realm by now.
As soon as the subjugation ended, Lily and Camilla sent letters using magic tools.
By now, there's probably a crowd waiting to welcome us in the capital of the Empire. A red carpet will be laid out at the entrance of the Imperial Palace, with hundreds of knights, hundreds of nobles, and several imperial family members waiting for us.
It would be a luxurious reception for others, but for me, it's like sitting on a bed of thorns.
What should I do when my likability is already in the negative?
Fortunately, I had one idea in mind.
*
Valkan is dead.
One of the Four Heavenly Kings, the king of all insects, is dead.
This news, which started as a simple letter, spread quickly across the continent.
Although the Four Heavenly Kings rarely venture outside the Demon Realm, their infamy is widely known.
People across the continent cheered.
Those who lost family to monsters shed tears, and those who lived in fear of the Demon King's army could finally breathe a little easier.
For once, there was a positive atmosphere in taverns.
However, while some were unreservedly happy, others viewed the news with a somewhat negative perspective.
Mainly those who had encountered the Hero before, and nobles.
"No, this Hero is..."
"Really?"
Those who had seen him even once naturally had a negative view due to the curse. And nobles are people with fast information networks.
They know how to obtain information and knowledge that others can't, and use it to gain an advantage.
Thanks to this, they already knew that something was ominous about the current Hero's condition.
"Somehow, he gives off an ominous feeling."
"I heard the Saintess say his soul is pitch black..."
Of course, they weren't just worried like ordinary citizens.
As I mentioned earlier, they know how to use information.
"If he gives off a suspicious first impression, he won't be a political threat."
"It might be good to isolate him politically by spreading rumors."
"Then we could use the Hero."
"Still, I'm curious about his identity, so maybe we should investigate him..."
Thus, even before the Hero arrived at the Imperial Palace, numerous discussions were taking place behind the scenes.
After several days, the day of the Hero Party's return finally arrived.
The Emperor prepared a grand banquet for them, who had been struggling in the Demon Realm for over half a year.
Nobles within the Empire, imperial family members, and various influential figures who, though not nobles, wielded enormous influence in the country. All gathered in one place to see the Hero Party.
"The Hero Luke, who illuminates the path of the continent, is entering!"
Finally, the doors of the Imperial Palace opened.
The Hero and his party members entered through the main gate.
Camilla, the honorable knight of House Bright.
Lily, the genius Archmage who learned magic from elves.
Yulice, the only Saintess of the Order of the Sun.
Adel, the Dark Elf who has lived for hundreds of years.
And the Hero, Luke.
At first glance, the Hero did indeed give off a suspicious feeling as they had said.
Jet-black hair as if painted with ink, ruby-red eyes. His well-proportioned features were certainly handsome, but... they also carried a strangely ominous feeling.
This evaluation was made within just a few seconds of his entrance. It was impossible to predict how much worse the evaluation would get as time passed.
Still, since they had only seen his appearance so far, everyone decided to wait and see.
With everyone taking such a stance, the welcome ceremony began.
"We warmly welcome you heroes who have returned after completing your great deed."
As the Hero Party stood in the center, the Emperor on the platform calmly began his speech.
It was a formal congratulatory address.
"The achievements you have made will be recorded in human history for a long time to come. I, Maurice von Fildoor, personally declare this!"
You have achieved such and such feats, and you will receive such and such rewards in the future.
So I ask for your continued service. The content would roughly go like this.
But even if it's formal, it shouldn't be taken lightly.
After all, the Emperor of a nation is personally giving a congratulatory address.
Because of this, his party members were standing in their places, extremely tense.
Probably when the speech ends, they would say something formal like "It's an honor" while kneeling on one knee. To respect the king's dignity.
It was the progression everyone expected, and how it should have been.
Everyone present believed without a doubt that things would proceed as they anticipated.
Therefore...
"Also, I have prepared substantial rewards for the achievements you have made—"
"Ah, yes, yes. I understand, so stop, please stop talking."
When the Hero stepped forward and interrupted the Emperor, everyone froze for a moment.
"Don't you get tired of repeating similar words every day?"
The banquet hall, which had momentarily been dyed in silence, was now filled with shock.
The nobles stared at the Hero with their mouths wide open.
"What is this crazy bastard saying?"
Everyone was thinking the same thing.
*
The atmosphere changes.
From solemnity to silence, from silence to shock.
And the banquet hall, which had been filled with shock, was soon painted with anger.
"How, how insolent!!"
"You! What nonsense are you spouting in front of the Emperor!!!"
The loyal subjects beside the Emperor each rebuked him, and knights placed their hands on their sword hilts. The Emperor's brow furrowed slightly, and Camilla, who was preparing to kneel, was glaring at me as if she wanted to kill me.
Of course, I continued speaking, paying no heed.
"Don't you agree? Everyone already knows the content of the proceedings. Why bother listening more? It's just a waste of time."
I've been dealing with the curses attached to my body for over half a year.
During that time, I realized one thing.
Perhaps, this curse can also be utilized.
The fact that it distorts the other person's perception and makes me unlikable is a given.
If so, isn't it possible to at least twist the direction of perception in the way I want?
"So let's stop this boring ceremony and bring some alcohol. No alcohol? ...Ah, here it is."
And if it's possible, what direction would be best?
What stance would be most helpful for my future activities?
A direction where I might be hated but less suspected.
A direction with minimal restrictions on my range of actions.
A direction where I can move freely, even if I give up political influence.
Then there's only one answer.
A scoundrel.
Rather than being polite and arousing suspicion, it's better to be a third-rate thug who might be disrespected but less suspected.
So I decided to become a third-rate thug.
With my hands in my pockets, I walk towards the bottle of alcohol placed on the table.
It looked quite high-class. Judging by its purple color, it's probably wine. I don't know how many years it's been aged, but it must be terribly expensive.
I sat down with my legs up on the table.
Then, after removing the cork, I drank straight from the bottle.
Gulp, gulp.
The sound of liquid flowing down my throat echoed throughout. I drank so greedily that a few drops trickled down the sides of my mouth.
A burning sensation lingered in my throat for a moment.
"Phew...!"
Only after emptying more than half the bottle did I put it down.
Bang!
As I placed it down on the table with a loud thud, I could feel everyone around looking at me as if I were crazy. They all seemed speechless, staring at me with blank faces.
I looked at them and casually said one thing.
"What."
What the hell.