The morning after our musical showdown, I woke up to yelling outside the tavern.
Mimi burst in, eyes wide. "You need to see this."
I groaned and peeked out the window.
A crowd had gathered.
Banners waved in the wind. People held signs like:
> "CHAOS KING IS MY COMFORT CHARACTER"
"MAKE PANCAKES, NOT WAR"
"RICKROLL ME, SENPAI"
Liria blinked. "Is that… a fanclub?"
Rina nodded. "The spoon predicted this."
---
A girl wearing bunny ears climbed on a box and shouted:
"CHAOS KING-SAMA! WILL YOU SIGN MY FACE?!"
I slammed the window shut.
"This is getting out of hand."
"Correction," Liria said. "It was out of hand 3 chapters ago."
Myra flipped through a fan-made zine. "Hey, they drew me with cat ears. I love this fandom."
---
Later that day, we ventured to the mountains to escape the noise.
Bad idea.
Halfway up, a loud roar echoed through the valley.
A giant dragon landed in front of us, scales shimmering like oil on water.
But instead of attacking, it looked nervous.
"…H-Hello," the dragon said in a small, shy voice.
Myra blinked. "Did that massive, terrifying dragon just stutter?"
The dragon hid its face behind a wing. "I-I'm sorry. I get anxious around new people."
---
Turns out, the dragon's name was Kuro and he was just... lonely.
He invited us to tea.
We accepted, mostly because Mimi said, "If I don't get cookies soon, I'll punch a mountain."
Inside Kuro's cozy cave (surprisingly well-decorated), we sat around a huge teapot.
"I follow your cult's forum," Kuro mumbled. "I'm a big fan. I even made fan art."
He showed me a drawing.
It was me, sitting on a throne made of waffles, surrounded by sparkles and hearts.
"…That's… very detailed," I said.
---
As we were leaving, Mimi casually said, "This dragon is cool. I'd marry a guy like that."
Kuro froze.
His eyes glowed.
"I ACCEPT."
Mimi blinked. "Wait—WHAT?"
A beam of light shot from the cave ceiling. Magical runes floated around them.
Myra screamed, "YOU TRIGGERED A DRAGON MARRIAGE PACT!"
Liria facepalmed. "This is why we don't talk to people."
---
I grabbed Mimi's hand and pulled her back.
"NO ONE'S GETTING MARRIED BY ACCIDENT TODAY."
Kuro looked devastated. "Was it something I said?"
Rina patted him with her spoon. "You'll find love, buddy. Just maybe... not during tea."
---
We left the mountain, slightly traumatized.
And as we walked, I muttered, "First a cult, now marriage pacts? What's next?"
A flying turtle dropped a scroll on my head.
I opened it.
> "YOU HAVE BEEN INVITED TO A ROYAL BALL."
I stared at it.
"…Yup. That tracks."
---
[Next Chapter: Royal Ball Disaster, Secret Identities, and the Return of the Chicken Knight]
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