Chapter 11: The Demon Lord’s Heroic Battle

It was a few days after the disastrous shopping trip, and I thought I might finally be able to do something that was worthy of my title. Aria had been telling me all about a small trouble in the nearby village. Some rogue goblins had been causing issues, and the guild had posted a mission for a low-level adventurer to deal with it. I wasn't thrilled about doing something so menial, but I was desperate to regain some respect.

This is it, I thought. Today, I shall prove that I, Leonard Nightfall, the mighty demon lord, am capable of heroic deeds once more.

With renewed resolve, I stood before Aria. "I'm ready for the mission," I said, my voice full of purpose. "I'm going to defeat these goblins. Single-handedly."

Aria eyed me skeptically. "Are you sure? The goblins in the area aren't the weakest. It's not like the old days when you'd summon firestorms and raze cities."

I scoffed, puffing out my chest. "I'm Leonard Nightfall. A demon lord of great power. A few goblins won't stand in my way."

She gave me a flat look. "Uh-huh. Just don't burn down the whole village this time."

"Burning down villages?!" I exclaimed, completely affronted. "I am a hero at heart! I won't destroy anything!"

Aria shook her head with a small grin. "Right. Sure. Good luck, hero."

I set out alone, eager to prove my might. It wasn't long before I came across a small goblin camp just on the outskirts of the village. I could hear the goblins laughing and chattering in their odd language, oblivious to my presence.

I crouched behind a bush, trying to be stealthy, but with my cloak billowing dramatically behind me, it was anything but subtle.

I peeked around the bush, spotting a goblin standing by a fire, poking at it with a stick. "This is it," I muttered to myself. "A demon lord against goblins. I'll make quick work of them."

I stepped out of the bushes and dramatically raised my hand, prepared to unleash a devastating spell. "Mighty forces of darkness, heed my call!"

The goblins turned to look at me. But before I could finish my incantation, one of them snorted. Then, another one burst into laughter.

"What... what are you laughing at?" I said, my face burning.

The goblins exchanged glances, giggling. One pointed at my raised hand. "Big man with the big magic! But his pants... too loose!"

I glanced down and realized, to my horror, that my pants were indeed falling off. In my dramatic gesture, I had forgotten to properly tie my belt. I scrambled to pull my pants up, but the goblins didn't let me forget this humiliation. They laughed so hard they practically fell over.

"What kind of demon lord doesn't even wear pants right?!" one of the goblins cackled.

I stood there, my face turning beet red, trying to regain some dignity. "I am Leonard Nightfall, the mighty demon lord! Fear me!" I raised my arms again, hoping to intimidate them.

"Mighty demon lord with falling pants!" the goblin taunted, making a mock bow. "We surrender to your greatness!"

I clenched my fists in frustration. This was supposed to be my moment! Why was everything going wrong?

Finally, I had enough. "Enough of this! Prepare to face the wrath of Leonard Nightfall!" I shouted, thrusting my hands forward to cast a spell.

I concentrated, hoping to summon a powerful blast of magic, but instead of a roaring fireball, a puff of smoke shot out from my palm—and then, a flower blossomed right in front of me.

The goblins went silent for a moment, before one of them squeaked, "Pretty magic flower..."

I froze, staring at the tiny, innocent bloom in my hand. "I... I'm the demon lord, and I can't even summon fireballs anymore?" I whispered to myself, completely deflated.

The goblins erupted into laughter once more. "Flower magic!" one cried, clutching its stomach from laughing too hard. "Demon lord with flower magic!!"

I stood there, utterly defeated, my pride in tatters. How had I, a once-feared demon lord, been reduced to... this?

Just as I was about to leave in sheer embarrassment, I heard footsteps approaching from behind me. I turned around, and to my horror, there stood Aria. Apparently, she had followed me to make sure I didn't make a fool of myself again.

"I knew you were going to mess this up," she said with a smirk, crossing her arms. "You really thought you could handle goblins?"

I couldn't even look at her. "I'm sorry," I muttered, hanging my head low. "I thought I could do something right, for once."

"Well," she said, her voice softening just a little, "at least you didn't burn down the village."

I looked up at her, feeling completely humiliated. "I didn't even do that."

She sighed, shaking her head. "Alright, alright. I'll help you out. Let's get rid of these goblins."

To my surprise, Aria didn't fight the goblins directly. Instead, she used her magic to put them into a deep sleep, making them collapse one by one. She then motioned for me to grab the crates of supplies that the goblins had stolen and return them to the village.

"See?" Aria said as we walked back, my shoulders slumped in defeat. "That's how you do it. Real adventurers don't rely on flashy magic. They get things done."

I gave her a sheepish look. "I was trying to look impressive..."

She snorted. "You did... in a way. Flower magic, huh?"

I sighed deeply, my pride shattered. "I'm never going to live this down."

Aria raised an eyebrow and grinned. "You shouldn't. It's hilarious."