#1150 With Prestige on the Line

not sure how it posted the same chapter twice but ive updated it now, sorry about that!

==========

The trade fair is now open for business.

The Mermaid Kingdom was the first to set up their booth, and their display was nothing short of groundbreaking.
Could any other nation’s specialty goods possibly top that excitement? A fascinating question indeed.

"Fuhahahahaha…! With these hands, I shall grasp the heavens…!"

Oh, it’s the Demon King.
This must be the Demon Kingdom’s booth. To have rulers of other nations showing up in person for this event, it looks like everyone’s taking it seriously.

"Of course...! We have staked our honor on this trade fair! The winner shall not be the Human Kingdom! Nor the Mermaid Kingdom! No! It shall be...the Demon Kingdom!"

Uh, there’s no such thing as winning in a trade fair.

How did we even get to this point?
The sheer intensity radiating from the Demon King right now is way beyond his usual energy levels.

Why is he this fired up?
Did a trade fair kill his parents or something?!

"We, the demons, are the supreme victors of the Human-Demon War...! And as the rulers of the surface world, we must reign supreme in the trade fair as well! That is why I, the Demon King, shall show no mercy!!!"

Wait, since when does the Demon King talk like this?!
Is a trade fair really capable of making someone lose their composure like this?!

"Uh… I think he just got a little too hyped up by the people around him…!"

That voice... Mamoru?!
Mamoru, the most reasonable and level-headed of the Demon King’s Heavenly Four?!
Mamoru, the guy everyone in the demon army relies on no matter what?!
Mamoru, the guy who gets saddled with all the unreasonable tasks?!

"They were saying things like, ‘A trade fair is a stage to showcase your nation’s most valuable goods!’ and ‘We can’t present anything inferior to the other countries!’ Normally, no matter what the ministers say, the Demon King wouldn’t bat an eye, but… This time, Lord Lucife Focale said something that really got under his skin, and now we’re here…"

Apparently, Lord Lucife Focale himself was devastated, regretting his words as he cried, "I accidentally activated the Demon King’s weird switch!"

"So, I’m here as his chaperone to keep him in check. Though… I have zero confidence that I’ll actually be able to stop him…!"

Mamoru’s been forced to take the short end of the stick again?!
Why is it always him?! There are plenty of people with higher ranks and more power, right?!

It looks like I have no choice but to help rein the Demon King in.
I don’t have much confidence in my ability to do so, but… It’s fine. If we work together, we can probably manage!!!

"So, what exactly is the Demon Kingdom showcasing? Meat? Vegetables?"
"What nonsense is this?! Do you truly believe such mundane goods will allow us to surpass our rivals?!"

Eek!
What is up with the Demon King today?! He’s so hard to deal with!!!

"It must be something unique to our kingdom! Something unparalleled! Only by unveiling such a product can we prove the greatness of the Demon Kingdom! Behold! After countless discussions and intense deliberations, this...this is the soul of our nation!!!"

I think you’re putting way too much effort into this!
It’s just a trade fair! Please relax a little...!

So, what exactly did the Demon King decide to present…?

"…What is this?"

A… doll?

It’s about the size of my palm, maybe a little bigger.
But the design is… kinda rugged? Definitely not the kind of doll a little girl would play with.

Is this… a buff, muscular old man figurine?
What kind of hobby is this?

"Have you forgotten, Lord Saint?! The days of our fierce and passionate battles?!"

Uh? I don’t recall ever having days like that?
I take pride in being the kind of guy who, even in a fantasy world, avoids combat whenever possible.

So, no...
...No such memories exist.

"Lord Saint, it's that! The God Figures!"

God… Figures?
Um… Huh…?

Wait, give me a sec. Let me think…!

…Oh.
Ohhh, that thing!

Yeah, I remember now! It was a whole thing where people used these god figurines like plastic models and made them fight with magic!
Originally, it started with elves crafting divine statues. Then, to make them more accessible, they shrunk them down and mass-produced them. The moment they hit the market, they became insanely popular.

People even started customizing them, enhancing them with their own magic, until a full-blown battle tournament emerged. It was a huge craze back then.

Even I got completely obsessed for a while; my inner child absolutely lost it.
Man, there really are phases in life where you just get totally immersed in something, huh…

"God Figures have continued to thrive, and in the Demon Kingdom, they’ve become a full-fledged cultural phenomenon..."

Wait, what?!
So, while I quickly lost interest and forgot all about it… this happened?!

"New releases sell out instantly. Beyond the figurines themselves, customization kits and crafting tools also fly off the shelves. The demand was so great that a spin-off series, Demon King Figures, was launched, and those are just as popular!"

Demon King Figures?!
What the hell is that?!

"They’re figurines based on past Demon Kings. So far, 74 models have been released. The most popular is the First Demon King, Belial, with over 500,000 units sold."

Is this okay from a legal standpoint?!

"Well, considering we already sold god figurines, that ship kinda sailed…!"

…Fair point.
Mamoru sounds completely drained, and honestly, his exhaustion is contagious.

"The God Figures market is still booming. New models are constantly being released, including special editions like Hades—Clear Version, Metallic Version, and even the Star Build Strike Hades Full Cross, loaded with extra weapons. All of them are massive hits."

Wait, this thing’s still that popular?!

For something to be adored for this long… Now I feel like a total casual for dropping it so fast!
Damn it!
My collector’s pride is wounded!

"The God Figures are a phenomenon unique to the Demon Kingdom. No other nation—human or merfolk—has anything like it...!”

With a low rumble, the Demon King declares:

"Thus, we have chosen it as our proudest national product! No other country can surpass this...!”

So, your nation’s signature product is toys?
…Well, why not?

People don’t live on necessities alone.
They need things that nourish the soul.

"Originally, there were talks about showcasing the Five Holy Swords instead…"

I beg your pardon?!
Mamoru’s digression shocked me.

"Since no other country possesses them, it was suggested… But thanks to the last remaining rational voices in parliament, we managed to steer away from that…!"

If you bring out a holy sword, this isn’t a trade fair anymore, it’s a legendary artifact exhibition.
You are just planning to put it on display as a non-sale item, right? Please tell me that’s the case.

"But then I had a revelation! This God Figure is the true embodiment of demon pride and craftsmanship! It is our ultimate specialty product! And I definitely wasn’t scared at the thought of someone actually buying a Holy Sword instead!!!"

Yeah, you were totally scared.
I can’t blame you, though. Most of the stuff at the fair is up for sale.

"Today, we’ve prepared a special limited-edition Hades—Farm Color Variant just for this event! Only 1,000 units available!"

Oh, no. That’s gonna start a riot.
Please, everyone, stay calm! Don’t push! No shoving!
One per person! No getting back in line for a second one! No scalping!!!

"Well… at least it’ll bring in a crowd."

Mamoru chuckles awkwardly, scratching his head.

"Now that things are heating up, how about a duel, Lord Saint? It’s been a while! My beloved Super Hellmetal Hades versus you, right here, right now!"

Huh?
I mean, even if you challenge me out of nowhere, the figure I used back in the day is probably still sitting at home. I can’t exactly pull it out right now…

"No worries! A brand-new Entry Style series just launched for people looking to get into God Figure or make a comeback! I’ll even gift you one, Lord Saint!"

…Business genius?!
So, this is how they lure in old fans and reel them back into the hobby, huh?!

And even knowing that, I still can’t say no when the Demon King himself is handing me one!!!
Guess I just have to go with the flow…!

God Fight, Ready... Go!!!