Did the old man just say lord or was hunger finally messing with my brain? I spun around and glanced to both sides, no lord was there. Just me and the turtle. And honestly, even though she was now very clearly a pretty woman, she still looked way more deserving of that title than I ever could.

  “I think he is talking to you,” I whispered toward her ear.

  “To me?” she whispered back, surprised. “He said lord, not lady.”

  I shrugged. I had given up trying to understand anything at that point. What I did understand was that watching someone who looked a hundred years old kneel in front of me was starting to hurt in a very uncomfortable way. So I leaned forward and gently touched his shoulder.

  “Ah, sorry, but you really don’t need to bow—”

  

  The old man shot up like a spring-loaded trap. His head slammed straight into my chin, sending me stumbling backward, arms flailing as I barely managed not to fall backwards.

  “I’m sorry, my lord, so sorry! Ah, this foolish ancient brain of mine!” the old man wailed, rushing at me while slapping his own head.

  The two servants beside him also shot forward, circling me and checking my face like I was a priceless vase about to crack. At least one thing finally clicked. There was clearly a mistake. Somehow, the one they believed was their lord... was me.

  “No, no, it’s fine. Really. My fault,” I said fast, trying to stop the situation before it escalated.

  The old man slowly lifted his head, eyes wide and shining, clearly not believing what he was seeing. I looked back at him, just as shocked.

  He was bald except for two small curved horns, with a white goat beard and a deeply wrinkled face. Short and hunched, barely reaching my shoulder, he looked fragile, like my grandpa near the end, which made my chest tighten.

  

  Of course, it was my stomach again. I pressed it, tried to beat it into silence, but it was too late. The old man heard it, grabbed my arm, and pointed inside. Before I could say a word, we were already being dragged in.

  “Please, come in, young lord, young lady,” he said, pulling me inside.

  Soon, we found ourselves sitting cross-legged in a simple sunlit room. Across from us, the old man and his two servants watched in silence. Behind the closed door, a restless crowd stirred; whispers, footsteps, and the unmistakable sound of people trying to eavesdrop.

  “You must’ve traveled far, my lord. I’ve already ordered food, it should be here shortly,” the old man said, finally breaking the awkward silence.

  “Ah, thank you, that’s very kind, but really, you didn’t have to. We... we were just passing by.”

  He blinked in surprise and turned to his servants, who looked just as confused. It was as if a kind thank you was the last thing they expected. Then he leaned closer and whispered in a cautious tone, “My lord, forgive me for asking, but… is there any chance you’ve lost your memory?”

  This time it was our turn to stare at each other, equally confused. The weird tension was getting to us, and I could see the turtle biting her lip, trying not to laugh at the most awkward moment.

  “No, no, I think there’s been a big misunderstanding,” I said, forcing a nervous smile. “It’s just… you keep calling me lord. May I ask why exactly?”

  The old man’s face fell. He glanced at his servants, who now looked utterly certain I was dealing with some tragic memory loss.

  “Because you are our lord,” he said, fully confident.

  “Uh, no I’m not? And who are you people anyway? Don't get me wrong, but we just arrived in this town and…”

  The old man sighed, his shoulders slumping. “We are demons, my lord. I am Satoshi, your old servant. And you are… the Demon Lord. It seems your search for a new body also took your memories with it. Sadly.”

  In the end, what I feared had happened. Deep down, I’d known it, but I didn’t want to accept it. I turned to the turtle, and this time our shock wasn’t confusion, it was the full weight of just how badly we were screwed.

  “I— no! I mean, yes?” I blurted out, the words spilling from my mouth before my brain could catch up. “Okay, well, the Demon Lord did enter my body. That part is true. But I’m not the person you think I am. He is… already dead.”

  Their eyes kept widening. Confusion gave way to tension, then fear. I had to explain this fast and keep it calm before they decided to declare a war. Sadly, calm explanations were never my strong side.

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  “Let me put it this way,” I rushed on. “The Demon Lord tried to take over my body, but for reasons I don’t fully get, it failed. So instead of him taking me, I kind of took him. At least that’s what he told me. Then he went and named me his heir… or successor. Something like that.”

  The old man was still struggling to believe a single word I said. Honestly, the servants behind him, and even myself, found it easier to assume I had lost my memory than to accept what I’d just said. The room fell into an awkward, heavy silence.

  “I guess I should handle this,” the turtle said. “He has no mana source, so the Demon Lord couldn't transfer his mana to him.”

  “That can’t be…” the old man muttered, narrowing his eyes at me. After a pause, he added, “But I think you’re right, young lady. I can’t feel any mana from the young lord…” He then glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “Excuse me, but may I ask your name?”

  “I don’t have one,” the turtle whispered nervously into my ear. “They used to call me the Slow Death of the Wastes.”

  “Don’t you dare tell them that, okay!” I hissed back.

  I shot her a quick look and pushed my brain into overdrive, searching for a name that sounded normal. Anything was better than that scary title she had. After a second of pure panic, a half decent idea finally clicked.

  “She’s Midori,” I said. “She’s my friend, since... last night.”

  The old man looked from me to Midori, a small, weird smile on his wrinkled face. Even the two servants behind him were snickering and looking away.

  “Last night… you said?" Midori whispered, clutching my arm nervously.

  “Aren’t we friends since then?”

  “No, idiot! You made it sound like we did that thing!”

  “What thing?” I asked, still clueless.

  The moment it hit me, my jaw dropped while my ears burned from pure embarrassment. I spun to the old man, ready to wave my arms and explain I didn't mean it like that, when the door opened. A few women entered carrying huge trays of delicious smelling food.

  “Ah, the food is here, young lord,” the old man said. “Please eat first. We can talk more later.” He was clearly trying to change the subject.

  A proper feast was set before us, and my hunger, along with my shame, pressed down hard. We sat down and started eating. I shoveled in all kinds of meat and vegetable dishes I couldn't even name. They looked strange, but the taste felt oddly familiar. Like eating at a random restaurant abroad. This was no time to be picky. It tasted good, and that was enough.

  “Young lord…” the old man said, hesitating. “I’m not sure if that’s the right way to address you. If you prefer, I can say Demon Lord instead?”

  “No no, young... is fine,” I said. It was still embarrassing, but at least less painful to hear.

  “At first, what you said was hard to believe, but one thing is clear. You are our lord. If we showed any disrespect, please forgive us.”

  “No, no, not at all. But there is something I'm curious about. How did you know I was your lord at first glance? I mean, yes, I have horns, but they are nothing like yours.” I brushed my hair aside and pointed at one of them. “They are barely visible.”

  “Yes, perhaps. They’ll grow over time. But you don’t need proof, young lord, your presence alone commands respect.”

  “Ha? I don’t really get how that works?”

  “I’m not sure how to put this,” the old man said, scratching his head. “But think of it like... a boss level monster. The moment it's born, every other creature of the same kind just knows it is their leader.”

  I blinked at him and turned to Midori, she nodded in confirmation. “I see,” I said, even though I absolutely didn't.

  After we finished eating and the plates were cleared, the old man rounded up the servants and started to leave. Just before stepping out, he called back, “Young lord, you should rest if you wish. You must be tired.”

  Once everyone left, Midori and I looked at each other. She seemed way too calm about everything. She leaned back, rubbing her swollen belly, half-asleep, completely at ease.

  I stood and made my way to the door, pressing my ear to make sure no one was listening. Then I turned back to her and whispered loud enough for her to hear.

  “Hey, so what do we do now?”

  “What do you mean, what do we do?”

  “Don’t you see? They just declared me their leader!”

  “Well, that’s how it is… remember, the Demon Lord—”

  “I know, I know, but I didn’t expect things to escalate this fast!”

  “Yeah, but it’s already happened. They gave us food and a place to stay. We could’ve slept outside tonight anyway, so just relax.”

  “Okay, but what if they find out their young lord is actually a hero sent by a goddess… or worse, someone who can’t even do magic?” I snapped mid-sentence.

  “Why would they—”

  

  The door burst open and shoved me backward, slamming me into the wall behind me.

  “Did the young lord say he can’t cast magic?” the old man said. “Young lord? Where are you?”

  I stood up, rubbing my head, and stepped in front of him. “Here, I was just behind the door…”

  “Pardon me, I was just passing by and overheard that. Did I get it right?”

  Overheard, of course. The old goat had been listening by the door the whole time. Too bad for me, it was already too late. He had heard everything I didn’t want him to hear, or at least the most painful parts.

  “Yeah, I don't have a mana source or any trace of it, so…” I muttered.

  “But who said the young lord needs his own mana to cast magic?”

  “...What?”

  “You can draw on the mana around you as well, plenty of it, even ours and all other living things.”

  “Wait, what?!”

  I turned to Midori, completely baffled. She looked just as confused as I felt.

  “Have you ever tried releasing your domain, young lord?” the old man said.

  “Mine… what you said?”

  “All right,” he said, closing the door and tapping his cane as he walked inside. “Domain, it’s your inherited talent. Well, maybe not yours, but it must have been passed down from the previous Demon Lord. We just need to try it to find out.”

  I barely understood a word, but even the tiniest chance to use magic was enough for me to grab onto it like a desperate student.

  “So… what should I do? I mean, how can I try?” I asked, pretty excited.

  “It’s pretty simple, “ he said, “All you need is to focus, clear your mind, and call the mana around you to yourself.”

  I think it worked like Midori's teleportation thing. I did exactly as he said. After a few minutes of clearing my mind, I looked at them and tried calling the mana around with all my strength… maybe a little too much.

  Seconds later, the old man’s cane clattered to the floor as he collapsed to his knees, gasping like a ton of bricks had landed on him. Midori staggered toward me, struggling to stay upright, but before she reached me, she too dropped to her knees with a thud, clutching her head to keep her balance.