Chapter 203
Chapter 203: The Culture of the Barbarians
A few days later, it was time for the customary family dinner of the Demon Lord’s household.
Arriving earlier than scheduled, I was taken aback as soon as I entered the room.
“Hey, Zilbagias!”
Diagias was striking a pose in the infamous Bon-Déji style with all the confidence in the world.
“Ah, ah… Good day, Brother.”
Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the design was slightly different from the last time. Did he order another one…?
My sister, the infamous food fighter and 5th Demon Lord Prince Spinethia, had already started gorging herself, curiously eyeing the scene.
“Looking sharp today!”
“Right? You can tell a man of taste when you see one.”
Diagias puffed up with pride, while the food fighter looked at him as if to say, “You’re one of them too?” Please don’t look at me like that.
…Actually, over the past few days, I’d begun to spot more and more demons in similar getups around the Demon Lord Castle, likely influenced by Diagias.
‘It seems to be steadily gaining popularity…’
I didn’t want to acknowledge it… the fact that I was the spark igniting this trend…
“Hey bro… Aren’t you cold in that?”
The green guy who came in after me took a seat, looking a bit exasperated. He didn’t seem particularly impressed. Could it be that his fashion sense leaned towards mine?
…Just sharing a color with him made me feel queasy. Maybe I should try the Bon-Déji style too…
“Whoa!”
Next, the 2nd Demon Lord Prince Rubyphia came in, carrying the Sleeping Beauty and looked a bit intimidated by Diagias, who was so full of charm and enthusiasm.
“Sister! You look beautiful today!”
“Ah, what’s with that outfit!?”
As she hastily set the Sleeping Beauty down, I thought, wait, is Rubyphia actually flustered!?
She’s totally impressed…!?
“This is the trendy Bon-Déji style. Pretty bold, right?”
Diagias stood up just to strike a pose, showing off his physique with a bang!
“Y-yeah… well… it’s not bad, I guess.”
Rubyphia!?
“I’ll get you one too, Sister.”
“There’s one for women? N-no, I’m good, really!”
Waving her hands frantically, Rubyphia added, “And if you keep wearing such strange clothes, you won’t like what Father will say!”
Just then, as if summoned by her, the Demon Lord opened the door and strode in unexpectedly early!
“Hmm, looks like everyone is here—Diagias!? What’s with that outfit!?”
The Demon Lord shouted with a shocked expression upon entering. Oh boy, did the incredibly novel Bon-Déji style trigger his wrath…!?
“—It’s quite brave, isn’t it!?”
…Demon Lord!!??
I couldn’t help but double-take at him.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the green guy do a double-take too.
“Oh-ho… It’s innovative, but it seems quite functional too…”
The Demon Lord walked around Diagias, nodding frequently, then sat down with a look of admiration.
“Yes. It’s a very good piece, Father.”
With an unusually serious expression, Diagias replied—
“Oh dear… was I the last one to arrive?”
At that moment, the last one, the 1st Demon Lord Prince Aiogias, came in and his expression clouded upon seeing the Demon Lord.
“Apologies. I’m late, Father.”
“No, I arrived earlier than usual today. Don’t worry about it.”
“Glad to hear it… Um, so that’s the trendy Bon-Déji style?”
He quickly noticed Diagias’s outfit—though it was hard not to—and nodded intrigued.
“…Not bad, ‘good’ even. Quite refined.”
…………Barbara!
Come here――!!
If that rapier of hers was done, I would’ve brought her along!
The green guy was staring at his faction leader with a “Seriously?” expression.
“You think so too?”
Meanwhile, the Demon Lord was earnestly stroking his beard as he replied, “Indeed. Father thinks so too?”
“The bravery stands out, and it seems easier to move in than noble clothes.”
“Exactly. It allows one to naturally showcase a well-trained body without hiding it.”
As Diagias struck another pose, it seemed a tasting session of sorts had begun.
“The use of fangs, bones, and pelts as decorations is highly commendable. It symbolizes a return to the good old barbarian culture while being innovative.”
“That’s it! Exactly what I was thinking, Aiogias!”
The Demon Lord slapped his knee, excitedly.
“I’ve felt for years that this formal attire—noble clothing—is merely borrowed culture from the humans…!”
Stroking his elegant, finely tailored noble attire (in a barbarian style), the Demon Lord continued.
“However—this Bon-Déji style is something I’ve never witnessed before… but I can sense magical power! Is it a magical item, Diagias?”
“Yes. It has a temperature regulation enchantment, keeping it comfortable regardless of the weather.”
“To forgo excessive embellishments while incorporating rare enchantments is remarkable! Truly practical!”
The crowd gasped, with Aiogias showing genuine admiration.
“However, for such a fine piece, who made it?”
“Yes, it’s a dwarf who crafted it, Father.”
“Hmm, a dwarf-made piece…”
The Demon Lord seemed a bit disappointed at realizing it was from another race.
“…But I’ve heard that, Diagias, you may be the originator of this Bon-Déji style?”
Aiogias pointed at Diagias with an “I know everything” smirk.
“……”
Diagias glanced at me for a moment.
“…!
I shook my head vigorously.
I’m doing nothing!
The credit and glory belong to you, Diagias…!
“Well, to be honest, I am the one who created the Bon-Déji style.”
He declared it! Diagias owns it—!
“Although it was crafted by a dwarf artisan, she specializes in leather products.”
Diagias explained, while the green guy murmured, “Of course it’s a woman…”
“It originally focused on simple designs using only leather, but I suggested decorations like fangs, horns, and pelts, resulting in the current form.”
“…I see! So you can say you’re the parent of this polished design!”
The Demon Lord’s spirits lifted a little.
“That’s correct…”
Diagias flicked his hair back confidently.
“…We might be witnessing the emergence of a new culture…”
Muttering in reverence, the Demon Lord closed his eyes and leaned back in deep thought for a while—
“—Let’s deem it as ‘formal wear.'”
…!?
Everyone in the room stared at the Demon Lord.
“Formal wear, you say? Father?”
Even Diagias seemed taken aback. No, you shouldn’t be surprised!
“I was considering making it casual wear.”
“No, of course not. Not for today or tomorrow. Instead, you should use it as your everyday wear and spread it among your peers. This way, its pros and cons will naturally become clear, and it’ll become even more refined. You will elevate it as a culture.”
The Demon Lord said seriously while sipping the tea that had just been served.
“Our demon race lacks cultural depth. While our strength may overpower other races, that alone isn’t enough to run a great kingdom across the continent. Having achieved over two hundred years of stability since the founding of the Demon Kingdom, we must strive for the next level.”
Passionately speaking, he stroked his noble attire (barbarian style) again.
“Once the demons escaped the ‘sanctuary’—especially the youngsters—rushed to adopt these appealing, comfortably fitting human styles. The ancient demons viewed it as weakness, but in reality, it’s infinitely better than simply draping pelts. Recognized as formal wear by the first Demon Lord, it spread rapidly and became established… however—”
He flicked a decoration made of fangs, like a button.
“—the discomfort of it being merely borrowed from another race creeps into our essence. No matter how much we might plaster bones and fangs on it, it fundamentally remains human attire. It’s like a wolf dressed in a sheep’s wool trying to appear fierce by decorating itself with horns and fangs—how foolish is that?”
…Rubyphia, clad in a bright red dress, shifted uncomfortably.
“Therefore, I can understand the sentiments of ancient demons who stubbornly refuse noble attire or those who consider battle gear supreme. …But there’s nothing to replace it, and starting to live draped in pelts now would just make us mere barbarians…”
So they acknowledge their barbarism…
“But! That’s where this Bon-Déji style comes in!”
With a bang, the Demon Lord turned towards Diagias.
“While inheriting the traditional culture of pelts and bones, it emanates undeniable craftsmanship. This can symbolize a new era for the Demon Kingdom. It’s regrettable that the origin came from a dwarf craftsman, but as for designs without enchantments, we demons can create them ourselves. If we continuously develop it, it could blossom into a unique demon culture…!”
While the Demon Lord passionately ranted, Aiogias nodded along, seemingly satisfied. Being the oldest, he likely had opportunities to discuss such topics with the Demon Lord and had some thoughts on clothing.
“That’s the plan. Diagias, evolve it to the point where it can be called our unique culture.”
“Understood, Father!”
For once, Diagias seemed motivated to do more than just get things done.
“But if that’s the case, shouldn’t you also try it out for yourself, Father?”
“I see some merit in that.”
Nodding gravely at Diagias’s suggestion, the Demon Lord said.
“—I’ll perhaps place an order for myself.”
“Seriously, Father!?”
The green guy exclaimed, his voice full of disbelief. The Demon Lord replied earnestly, “Indeed.”
“Since we’ve arrived at this juncture, I might as well give it a go. It seems the pelts of the ice snow wolf I hunted in winter would look splendid.”
He chuckled merrily.
“That sounds fun; I might create something myself!”
The food fighter chimed in, stuffing her face with a mountain of appetizers.
“Now that we have Father’s permission, I’ll personally deliver a piece to Sister later.”
Diagias smiled more brightly than ever at Rubyphia.
“Y-you don’t need to… Oh, ‘later’?”
“I already have one prepared for you.”
“Why would you!?”
Rubyphia jumped up. Oh no… the Demon Lord family is getting infected by the Bon-Déji style…!! At this rate…!!
“「…………」”
The stunned gazes between me and the green guy clashed before quickly averting.
Why did it have to be with him…!?
…Shortly afterward, our appetizers arrived, and the dinner party commenced, but the conversation revolved entirely around the Bon-Déji style.
Given that the materials consisted of pelts and fangs, it matched perfectly with the demon culture of merry hunting, and the other guys, aside from me and the green guy, were quite enthusiastic about what to make.
Rubyphia, in her own way, was exchanging ideas with the food fighter on what kind of design she could create and how to balance beauty and bravery, leading to an active conversation that transcended factions, resulting in quite a lively dinner gathering.
It feels like the Bon-Déji style has already been confirmed to become formal attire someday…
‘Seems like the demons do have promising aspects after all.’
I really should get one made for you…
Kusemon would surely be thrilled… I stared off into the distance.
“…Well then. Is there anything else we need to discuss?”
Having finished the mousse dessert and sipping the postprandial tea, the Demon Lord asked.
“…………”
Satisfaction was visible on everyone’s faces as they indulged in the fruitful meeting, while I and the green guy grappled with emptiness.
“Alright. Meeting adjourned.”
As the Demon Lord said that, Diagias vanished in the blink of an eye.
He likely went to collect the special Bon-Déji style gift for Rubyphia… Her expression was one of a complex mix of 10% anticipation and 90% fear.
Yeah, whatever that brother of hers sends will probably be anything but casual wear.
