Kazuki followed a narrow dirt path out of the forest, cloak pulled tight, [Conceal Presence] still active. Birds scattered as he walked, and despite the sound of his footsteps, not a single creature looked his way.
> MP: 480/500
"Okay, so this skill's great for avoiding attention," he muttered. "But if it keeps draining MP like this, I'll be toast if I run into anything big."
Up ahead, smoke curled lazily into the sky—not the ominous kind, but the cozy, wood-fire kind. A village. Straw-roofed houses, wooden carts, and distant voices.
Kazuki let the skill drop.
> [Conceal Presence] deactivated.
MP: 460/500
He walked toward the gate, already working on a cover story. I can't tell people I have a unique god-granted skill, or that I died from divine smite oopsie. His eyes lit up with sudden inspiration.
He grinned wide.
"I'll say… I'm a Demon Lord. From another world."
> Title Created: "Demon Lord from Another World"
(Note: This is purely cosmetic and self-assigned. No stat bonuses.)
[Celestia has added this title to your profile out of sheer amusement.]
"You're really going with that?" Celestia's voice chimed, stifling laughter.
"Why not? Sounds cool. And maybe it'll scare the wrong people off."
As he approached the wooden gate of the village, two guards gave him a suspicious glance. One had a spear. The other had… possibly the smallest mustache known to man.
"Halt," said Spear Guy. "Name and business."
Kazuki straightened his back and projected his voice like a theater kid on opening night.
"I am Kazuki, the Demon Lord from Another World."
There was a long pause.
"…Is that some kind of joke?"
Kazuki smiled, sharp and confident. "Nope. Just passing through. Looking for an inn, maybe a quest. Got any bandits need smiting?"
The guards exchanged a glance. Mustache Guy whispered something. Then they both burst out laughing.
"Well, Demon Lord," Spear Guy said, still chuckling, "You can find what you're looking for in Windale. Try not to vaporize anyone."
Kazuki entered the village with a smirk. "I'll try my best."
Inside, Windale was quaint. Children chased each other through the market, merchants haggled with adventurers, and the smell of bread drifted from an open bakery.
"You do realize calling yourself a Demon Lord is going to come back and bite you, right?" Celestia asked.
"I'm counting on it," Kazuki replied. "Let them look the other way while I prepare. I'll hide in plain sight."
"…You're actually serious about this whole live-free-and-make-people-smile thing, aren't you?"
He smiled, watching a little girl hand her toy sword to her younger brother.
"Yeah. I died for nothing once already. This time, I want to live for something—even if it's just giving people a reason to laugh."
> [Alignment Shift: Chaotic Good]
Minor boost to [Charisma]
Current Charisma: 10
And with that, Kazuki stepped into Windale proper—his first real step toward a life he could call his own.