Defeating the demon king didn’t mean the end of trouble. Post-war restoration was still necessary—reviving desolate lands, stabilizing disrupted industries, trade, taxation, and diplomacy. Without these efforts, the kingdom couldn’t function properly.
Diplomacy was particularly crucial. The Roselant Kingdom, blessed with fertile land, valuable resources, industries, and a rich culture, had long been a prime target for surrounding nations.
“That’s why—listen up—we gotta make the hero Dagan and the prince Lunarsion’s wedding reception absolutely grand. Otherwise, people will underestimate us! It’s obvious, right?!”
The conversation took place in King Baldred’s office. Shortly after the banquet ended, Dagan and Lunarsion met with Baldred, demanding explanations. The king had already suffered his son’s reprimands and his son-in-law’s punches. But instead of relenting, he shamelessly defended his actions, prompting Lunarsion’s cold stare.
“Our issue is that Your Majesty failed to consult or notify us. Why do you always charge ahead with family matters based on your own assumptions? Did being burned by Stella Lilis not teach you a lesson? I, too, have magic tools at my disposal. Honestly… I might start resenting you, Father.”
“Nooooo! I’m sorry! You’re absolutely right! It was all my fault! Please don’t hate meeee!”
Baldred tried to cling to his son in desperation, but Dagan intercepted him with a firm grip.
“Stay away from my husband.”
“Shut up, lovestruck pervert! He’s my son first!”
Lunarsion blushed slightly, hiding a shy smile. Adorable, but they had to focus. If things continued like this, the conversation wouldn’t progress. Dagan spoke up.
“I get why the reception is necessary, but inviting dignitaries from across the continent in just six months feels way too rushed.”
That was the core issue. The wounds left by the demon king still ran deep.
Five years ago, the demon king had emerged in the northern neighboring nation of Garganzia. He spawned hordes of demons and monstrous beasts, quickly annihilating Garganzia before invading northern Roselant, ravaging it. Even the kingdom’s existing demons and beasts turned more aggressive and multiplied as if in response.
The Kingdom of Roselant fell into an unprecedented crisis. If not for Baldred’s strategy—channeling ample funding and protection into the knight and mage corps and allowing nobles to maintain private militias for territorial defense—the kingdom wouldn’t have lasted a year. Everyone fought fiercely to minimize destruction, including the royal family.
Even so, several territories and cities were ravaged. Six months wouldn’t be enough for full restoration. Some remnants of the demon king’s forces still needed to be eradicated.
“Can’t we at least extend it by a year? No, to be honest, even that would be difficult.”
“No can’t do. Even six months is late. We need to emphasize our victory and recovery—show the world that Roselant Kingdom remains unshaken. Especially to Gilik.”
Baldred spat out the name of their western neighbor, his tone dripping with disdain. At the same time, Lunarsion’s expression hardened.
“Understood. Your Majesty is right—if possible, we should hold the grand banquet immediately. …Dagan, do you know about the Gilik invasion of Rubilic two years ago?”
Dagan recalled the grim news he had overheard during his travels.
The devastation of the land was not solely the fault of the demons and beasts.
Three years after the demon king’s emergence, in the spring, the part of the kingdom of Gilik which extended to Roselant’s south suddenly invaded the southern territory of Roselant, Rubilic. The invading force consisted of approximately 20,000, including knights, soldiers, and mages.
This was a blatant violation of the Grand Yuran Continental Treaty, which dictated that all nations set aside their conflicts to unite against the demon king. It was also a direct insult to the Roselant Kingdom. The tragic result was the annihilation of the border marquis and his troops, who were trusted allies of the royal family—all slaughtered in ways too horrific to describe.
Naturally, Baldred flew into a rage.
He led 10,000 troops alongside the Second Princess Lavinellissa, an incomparably powerful ice mage, and utterly crushed the Gilik forces. Most Gilik soldiers were frozen and sliced apart by Lavinellissa’s ice magic, or literally exploded into bloody fireworks under Baldred’s devastating punches. Baldred, especially, fought like a true demon, showing no mercy to the enemy and crushing them with ferocity. It’s said that pools and rivers of blood formed in the mountains of Rubilic after the battle.
Thus, within just three months of Rubilic’s invasion, the outcome was decided. The Gilik army was obliterated, and a peace treaty was signed. In reality, Baldred had wanted to invade and wipe out Gilik entirely, but ongoing demon and beast threats made that impractical. Moreover, Gilik lacked valuable resources, making full-scale conquest pointless.
Eventually, with mediation from the Church and their eastern neighbor, Laspania, Gilik was forced to pay massive reparations, issue an official apology, and enter into an “Oath of Non-Aggression.” This oath was a soul-binding contract that prevented the Gilik royal family from ever invading Roselant Kingdom again. Gilik’s king trembled with humiliation at the peace ceremony, but Roselant was still in a rage.
“Those opportunistic thieves will never truly repent. The ‘Oath of Non-Aggression’ has loopholes, like getting another country to attack on their behalf. That’s why we have to prove our superiority—crush any rebellious thoughts before they even begin. And not just Gilik, but all nations. Got it? Dagan, you’ve been away from the kingdom, so it’s understandable, but Lunarsion—you should have already realized this. You’re too lovestruck!”
“You’re absolutely right. I’ve been short-sighted.”
“Me too… I got carried away.”
Lunarsion and Dagan humbly admitted their mistakes. Baldred generously accepted their apologies. Dagan then spoke again.
“That aside, stop making decisions about our lives without consulting us. I could leave this kingdom with Lunarsion, you know.”
“…Wait, what?”
“I agree. Of course, I’ll properly hand over my duties and research before departing. Rest assured.”
“NOOOOOO! I’M SORRY! I WON’T DO IT AGAIN!”
Thus, the public humiliation of the king came to an end.
From the following day, Dagan and Lunarsion were overwhelmed with responsibilities.
Dagan resumed his role as the commander of the Royal Knights’ Third Division, leading efforts to hunt down the remaining monsters and demons across the land. In six months, a full eradication was unrealistic, but they had to at least clear out remnants in key locations.
Meanwhile, Lunarsion worked alongside bureaucrats and officials to plan the grand reception. Neither of them intended to be mere figureheads—so their newlywed bliss had to be put on hold.
Two days after the award banquet, Dagan set off.
“We won’t see each other for a while… I’ll try to return soon. Take care of yourself.”
“Yeah. I’m waiting for you to come back. I’ll make it a splendid wedding reception. …And I’ll also prepare my body properly, so that all of you can fit in…”
Lunarsion whispered the latter half so that only Dagan could hear. Since the day of the banquet, it had been torture for Dagan, who did nothing but share a light kiss.
“You… Don’t provoke me here… Make sure to remember this when I’m back home.”
Despite the stern voice, he gently stroked his cheek. Lunarsion smiled, accepting it as it was.
“Yeah. I want you to punish me a lot. Just looking at you now makes me ache…”
“You’re a naughty child. Should I punish you right now?”
At this point, the knights nearby couldn’t help but comment.
“Um, Lord Dagan, it’s about time to depart…”
“Is Lord Dagan the type to be head over heels for his partner?”
“Honestly, it’s great to see such devotion.”
“Aaaaah! Forget what you heard! Just forget it!”
Apparently, in his moment of distraction, Dagan had completely forgotten he was surrounded by knights.
Either way, the couple had to part ways for now.
Dagan led his knights to aggressively hunt down the remnants in all directions of Roselant—east, west, north, and south. His squad’s morale reached bizarre levels—so much so that, within less than two months, they had already eliminated nearly a thousand beasts.
“For Lord Dagan and Prince Lunarsion’s reception and newlywed life, let’s wrap this up quickly!”
“YEAHHHHHH!”
Mountains trembled at their battle cry, sending monsters fleeing in fear.
“Guys… I appreciate the enthusiasm, but do we need this war chant every time?”
“Of course, Dagan-sama! It’s our way of showing our support!”
“HYAAAH! SLAUGHTER THEM ALL!”
The squad members laughed cheerfully as they slaughtered the magical beasts. The splatter of blood and guts was staggering. Even the division commander nodded in approval.
“Actually, the members are really motivated. You have more popularity than you realize, former Division Commander Dagan.”
“I see…”
Dagan was unsure whether to feel honored or utterly bewildered.
When he wrote and sent letters to Lunarsion, he received his replies with genuine delight. Despite Lunarsion’s heavy workload of official duties and research, the preparations on his end seemed to be progressing smoothly.
They were busy finalizing every detail—choosing the costumes, planning the ritual proceedings, staging the program, arranging the meals, and setting the scale for security. Invitations were being prepared and dispatched to dignitaries from both home and abroad, with countless other matters handled simultaneously. Not only the bureaucrats, but also First Prince Skyred, Stella Lilis, and even his elder sisters—who had already married into other houses or descended from nobility—were lending their support.
Dagan felt truly blessed by everyone’s good wishes, and couldn’t wait to come home. The unabashed, passionate love letter from Lunarsion kept urging Dagan on.
“Maybe it’s because I always think of you, but at night my body gets unbearably hot. My fingers just aren’t enough, and I’m going crazy.”
“I am comforted by the clothes you left behind and the topaz necklace that reminds me of your eyes. But nothing can compare to the strong arms that held me tightly and your sweet gaze that burned into me.”
“I can remember the time when you couldn’t stop messing with my hair. I want to see you soon.”
“I want to hurry back to the Moonflower Palace right now, so we can embrace.”
Still, there was one thing that concerned Dagan.
Someone had been stalking Lunarsion.
Author: Yohan O
A bit of this, a bit of that, a bit of everything except straight
