I Was Supposed to Be Feeding the Pigeons, But Somehow I Ended Up Feeding a Beautiful Demon Lord Instead - 13

Chapter 13

Some time had passed since the royal capital fell into the hands of the Demon King’s army.

The city had regained a surprising amount of peace on the surface, but under the water, embers still smoldered. It seemed the remnants of the defeated royal army and resistance groups who refused to give up were carrying out guerrilla warfare.

A heavy, grating metallic sound — jar jar — echoed through the park. I sat next to Bel on the bench and paused just as I was about to open the package of the “croquette bun” I had bought.

In the direction of my gaze stood a young man wearing a tattered cloak.

His golden hair was caked with grime, and his silver armor bore countless scars. His eyes were bloodshot and burned with tragic determination. He rested a hand on the massive greatsword strapped to his back, nearly as tall as he was, and glared at Bel sitting beside me.

“…I’ve found you. That sinister aura… there’s no mistake…”

The young man growled in a hoarse yet powerful voice.

“The capital has fallen. The castle has been taken. …But! My sword as Hero Leon has not yet broken! I will defeat you and surely bring back the light! Demon King Verzaria! Prepare yourself!”

The air in the park froze. It was killing intent. The real thing — a sharp presence that made the skin prickle.

(…Wow. That’s some serious passion.)

Since the killing intent wasn’t directed at me, I watched him with admiration.

I had heard that ever since the royal theater closed recently, more aspiring actors had started practicing in the park, but I had never seen such a convincing performance.

That dirty armor must be an elaborate stage costume designed to give off the aura of a battle-hardened veteran. The mud smeared on his face went beyond ordinary makeup. This was surely a tragic role — something like “The Knight of a Fallen Kingdom.”

Bel lifted her eyes from her paperback book and muttered in an ice-cold voice, without looking up.

“A fly… I’ll crush it.”

Black lightning-like sparks crackled at her fingertips.

This was bad. Bel was exhausted from official duties. If someone shouted at her like that, she might get in a bad mood and physically remove him. It would be a shame to crush the budding dreams of a young actor over a noise complaint.

I decided to step in as a member of the audience and gently correct him.

“…Hey, hold on a second, you.”

I set down my half-eaten croquette bun and stood in front of Bel. Leon flinched and stopped in his tracks.

“…Wh-what!? Who the hell are you!? Get out of the way! That woman… she’s the root of all evil that will destroy the world!”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s the character setting, right? Your delivery was really good.”

I smiled brightly at him. Leon’s expression shifted from murderous intent to confusion.

“…Setting? Delivery…?”

“Yeah. That part where you shouted ‘Demon King Verzaria!’ had real intensity. But this is a public park. Yelling things like ‘kill’ or ‘destroy’ too loudly might scare the kids.”

I spoke to him calmly. Leon’s eyes widened, and his body began to tremble.

“…Are you sane? The Demon King is right in front of you!? Are you brainwashed!? Or… do you not feel this woman’s ‘aura of terror’!?”

“Aura? You mean for the role? Well, yeah, she does have an atmosphere that keeps people away.”

I glanced back at Bel behind me. She had pulled her hood deep over her face and was radiating full-on grumpy energy.

“She’s always tired from work. So if you’re rehearsing, could you maybe keep it a little quieter? …Or are you nervous because your theater audition is coming up?”

“Th-theater…!? Rehearsing… you say!?”

Leon took a step back.

Huh? Did I get it wrong? But there was no way a real Demon King would just be sitting in a park…

“…What is your name, you?”

“Me? I’m Kazuya.”

“Kazuya… I’ve never heard that name. One of the Four Heavenly Kings’ hidden pawn…?”

He muttered to himself, clearly raising his alert level. I gave a wry smile and rummaged through the bag in my hand.

He looked terribly thin. His cheeks were hollow, and dark circles shadowed his eyes. Life as a struggling actor must be rough.

“You haven’t had lunch yet, right? Here, take this if you want.”

I tossed him the untouched croquette bun. Leon caught it on reflex.

“…What is this?”

“Croquette bun. You can’t give a good performance on an empty stomach.”

“…Poison? A trap?”

“Nope, nothing like that. Just extra sauce.”

Leon stared hard at the bun, then looked back and forth between me and Bel.

There must have been some inner conflict going on inside him. But extreme hunger won out — or maybe my calm attitude had disarmed him — because he cautiously took a bite.

Crunch. Even cold, the crust stayed perfectly crispy — an ideal fry. Inside, piping-hot mashed potato and slightly sweet minced meat spilled out.

“…!”

Leon froze.

In his life on the run, he had survived on wild plants and tough dried meat. Now the sauce-soaked carbs soaked into his starving stomach.

“…Delicious.”

“Right? When you’re done, head home for today. No point straining your voice.”

I waved lightly. Leon gripped the bun with a complicated look on his face.

“…I’ll repay this debt someday. Kazuya, I’ll remember your name.”

With one last sharp glance, Leon walked away — his steps much lighter than when he arrived — and disappeared into the trees.

What a polite kid. He’ll probably become a great actor someday.

“…Phew. He’s gone.”

When I turned around, Bel stared up at me in a daze. Her eyes — unusually — wavered.

“…Kazuya. …You just now…”

“Hm? Oh, sorry. I gave it away without asking. Bel-san, you don’t like people who shout like that, do you?”

“…You drove away a hero… with a single piece of bread?”

“A hero-role guy, yeah. Seems like he was just really hungry.”

I picked up my own bun and gave a wry smile.

“Bel-san, you just sit there looking dignified, so he probably thought you’d be perfect to practice against as the villain in one of those ‘hero plays.’ Tough break, huh.”

“…Villain. …Dignified.”

“But don’t worry. As long as I’m here, you can relax. I won’t let anyone bother you.”

I said it casually, but Bel suddenly gasped and lowered her face. Under the hood, her ears turned bright red in an instant.

“…You insolent man.”

“Huh? Are you mad?”

“…No. My heart is just being loud.”

In a tiny voice she murmured, “…Protected. …Me… by a human,” and squeezed the sandwich tightly in both hands.

That figure didn’t look like the enemy of humanity, the Demon King — she looked exactly like a maiden experiencing, for the first time, being protected by a boy.