My name was Menek.
I was a demon with the head of a goat. I was often mistaken for a member of the beastman race, but there was a distinct difference. Beastmen were far more humanoid—possessing human features adorned with animal ears and perhaps a bit of fur. My head, on the other hand, was purely that of a goat.
However, I could speak. I was quite the conversationalist, in fact. Furthermore, my physique tended toward the caprine, though it wasn't fully a goat's body. It was just... goat-ish. Because of that, I wore clothes and walked upright. If I ever went stark naked on all fours, there was a high probability I'd be mistaken for common livestock, so I made it a point never to do so. That was my pride.
Why was my head a goat's? Whether you were a demon or not, failing to control the magic power within you would cause your body to mutate. That was the long and short of it. Demons possessed vast amounts of innate magic, so physical mutations weren't exactly a rarity. Though, I suppose someone like me, whose entire head had changed, was still an outlier. I was born with such immense magic power that I had already taken this form within a year of my birth.
I wasn't bitter about it, though. My current appearance evoked the demons of legend. The Daseki of Baphomet—the king who had plunged not only humans but demons as well into the depths of terror. My appearance matched the ancient descriptions perfectly.
And it wasn't just my looks. I possessed the strength to overwhelm others, along with the intellect and magic power to weave complex spells with ease. I was the Daseki of Baphomet himself. I could say that with absolute confidence.
Eventually, a faction was formed by those drawn to my power and appearance. The Anti-Demon King's Army. One hundred thousand strong. They weren't gathered in a single place, but were scattered in small pockets throughout the Demon Kingdom. They were waiting to mobilize at my signal.
Heh. Heheh... hahahahaha! World, tremble in fear! Starting with the Demon Kingdom!
...And then I was caught.
I was surrounded while in the middle of trading blows with a monstrously strong elf. If it had been just her, I might have managed somehow. It was a real shame.
...I'm sorry. That was a lie. I couldn't lay a finger on her. She was a cheat. A total rule-breaker. To be that strong despite being an elf... she had to be someone famous.
Wait, she wasn't an elf? A high elf? As in, one of those "man-eaters"? Hahaha. No way. ...Seriously? You aren't joking?
Whoa... that was a close one. To think that being surrounded by sentries actually saved my life. Knowing that, being interrogated in this sentry box felt like a stroke of luck.
"So, do you understand why you were apprehended?" the young sentry asked me.
His condescending tone, as if he were soothing a child, was starting to grate. It was hard to judge a demon's age by their looks, but he was clearly younger than me. I had lived for forty years, after all. Even if the Demon Kingdom didn't put much stock in age, one should still show respect to their elders. Wouldn't you agree?
"I'm turning fifty this year, you know," I said.
...I apologize. You have a very youthful appearance.
"I get that a lot. So, I'll ask again: do you understand why you were caught?"
"Because I trespassed onto the academy grounds without permission and held a party."
"That's right. But that's not all, is it?"
"Because I lit a massive bonfire."
"Still not quite everything."
"..."
"Is that really all you think you did?"
"No, well... I suppose I shouted some rather anti-social things. I'm reflecting on my actions."
"Mm, that's a good attitude. I'm handing you over to the security team in the Royal Capital after this, so make sure you show them that same remorse."
"Wait, what? I'm being handed over?"
"Well, when someone screams about bringing ruin to the Demon Kingdom at the top of their lungs, we can't exactly let it slide."
"Please, I didn't mean any harm! Help me out here!"
"You said all that without meaning any harm?"
"I just let it slip. I'm sorry."
"I heard you have a hundred thousand comrades?"
"No. That was an exaggeration. I sort of included my parents and siblings in the count without asking..."
"How many are there actually?"
"Twelve."
"Twelve, huh? Including yourself? Since we caught exactly twelve people on the scene. So, how does twelve become a hundred thousand? Even with parents and siblings, the math doesn't add up."
"I-I included my relatives..."
"And that gets you to a hundred thousand?"
"I... I also included every friend whose name I knew."
"You know the names of a hundred thousand people?"
"Actually... one of the friends caught with me belongs to a family serving a Baron. I used the population of that Baron's territory."
"That would be Baron Keek, right? His parents already came to pick him up. But wasn't the population of his land less than a thousand?"
"I figured if I included those thousand people's parents, siblings, relatives, and friends, it might come out to around a hundred thousand or so..."
"Ah, I see. Fair enough. You really shouldn't use that kind of math anymore."
"Yes, I'll refrain. But please, about the transfer to the security team..."
"I don't know what to tell you. Um... Menek, was it? What do you do for a living?"
"I am a freedom warrior."
"No, give me a real answer."
"I'm unemployed."
"Unemployed, huh... My cousin was out of work for a while and had a rough time of it. Are you doing anything to find a job?"
"I was gathering companions to build professional connections, and then..."
"And then you threw that party. Right, I forgot to ask—was this the first time?"
"We've had small gatherings at friends' houses, but this was the first time we took it outdoors."
"Why the change of venue?"
"Someone suggested they wanted a big bonfire..."
"Someone? Aren't you the leader?"
"I am the leader, but the bonfire wasn't my idea."
"I see. Hmm..."
"I-is there a problem?"
"No, just thinking. Anyway, I'll put in a word with my superior—the captain of the sentry squad—but if he says no, there's nothing I can do."
"Please, I beg of you!"
If I was handed over to the security team, who knew what horrors awaited me.
"The security team really is a terror, isn't it? Fine. I'll tell him you're actively seeking employment, so make sure you play along. And don't forget the remorse."
"I-I understand! Thank you so much!"
After the sentry left, I waited and prayed. Please. Save me.
I'm not sure how long passed before the young sentry returned, accompanied by a veteran-looking officer. This was likely the boss. As soon as the veteran saw me, he burst into fits of laughter.
I was stunned. I had no idea what was so funny, and the endless cackling was starting to offend me. But I had to endure. This might be a test to see if I'd lose my temper. I waited patiently for the laughter to subside.
"Ah, that was a good one. My apologies."
I didn't think an apology quite cut it. Even the young sentry was giving his superior a cold look.
"No, really, sorry. There's a reason I laughed. Want to hear it?"
I didn't particularly want to, but I did want to know the reason.
"Demons with goat heads like yours almost always try to become the Daseki of Baphomet."
"What?"
"They go around claiming they're Daseki's reincarnation and the like."
"..."
"The trademark move is a big outdoor party around a bonfire. When I heard the report, I thought, 'No way,' but you look even more like Daseki than I imagined. How could I not laugh?"
"U-um... do I really look that much like him?"
"Exactly like him. Do you know Hannes's Weapon Shop in the Capital? They have a portrait of Daseki hanging there. You look so much like the painting, I'd swear it was you."
I knew it.
"You also threw that party claiming to be the reincarnation, didn't you?"
"I didn't say I was the reincarnation. I said I was the man himself."
"Of course you did! Hahaha! Well then, how about this? Was that anti-social line you screamed one of Daseki's famous quotes?"
"Y-yes."
"Alright. Give it to me once, right here and now. Do that, and I'll let you off the hook."
"Pardon?"
"You practiced the pose and everything, didn't you? Come on, let's see it."
"..."
I couldn't refuse. I put my heart and soul into it.
"Heh. Heheh... hahahahaha! World, tremble in fear! Starting with the Demon Kingdom!"
Currently, I was working at the Galgard Noble Academy in the Royal Capital.
One of the academy instructors owned a ranch, and I'd been hired as the manager. The sentry who interrogated me had set up the job for me. I was grateful. The work was demanding, but I intended to give it my all. The meals they provided were delicious, and the portions were generous.
However, two problems weighed on me.
First, the goats in the pens would charge me the moment they spotted me. I wanted to believe they were just being playful, but I felt a distinct sense of hostility. Perhaps they thought I was just a fellow goat that had managed to get outside the fence. It was humiliating.
Second, the high elf I'd fought. Her name was Rigne, and she seemed to have taken a liking to me. She frequently dragged me out for training sessions.
"You have the aptitude," she'd say. "You'll grow as much as the effort you put in."
While I was happy to be recognized, I really needed her to respect my working hours as a ranch manager. Telling me to just "cut back on sleep" was a bit too much, really.
My name was Menek. I was a demon with the head of a goat. And my days were quite fulfilling.
"Menek-san! The goats are escaping again!"
...Yes, they were quite fulfilling indeed.