The Silent Deity: Saiki Kusuo in Tensura

The air in the grand banquet hall shimmered with the warmth of wine, roasted meat, laughter, and the curious eyes of rulers who came expecting a feral beast—and instead met a king.

After his commanding entrance and magnetic speech, Veldora—cloaked in elegance and carrying the regal aura Saiki carved into his soul—smiled, spread his arms, and said:

"Please, my esteemed guests… eat, drink, and enjoy. Tonight, we feast not as nations, but as neighbors."

The clinking of glasses, the hum of quiet amazement, and hesitant whispers filled the room as rulers glanced around at each other. Then, slowly, one by one, the court of politics began to move.

The gruff and proud King Gazel, used to being the one with the commanding presence is first to speak to Veldora with the stride of a seasoned ruler. He lifted a golden goblet in greeting.

"Storm King," Gazel said, his voice deep and calm. "This kingdom of yours… is something else. I'll admit, I didn't expect refinement in the Jura Forest. But what you've done here… is remarkable."

Veldora smiled coolly and responded with the same composed confidence that mirrored a king from another world.

"Thank you, King Gazel. Dwargon stands tall as a pillar of technology and metallurgy. Your craftsmanship is something the Storm Kingdom deeply respects. I've seen your trade routes, your mining outputs… even the recent policy shift on export tariffs. Impressive work."

Gazel nearly choked on his drink.

"...You've done your research," he said, narrowing his eyes with a grin.

"A king should know what lies beyond his borders," Veldora said. "Especially when he intends to build bridges."

Gazel nodded, then leaned in closer.

"Let's talk alliance… I have something in mind that could benefit us both…"

And so it began.

Not wanting to fall behind, Queen Elmesia of Sarion floated over next, wrapped in layers of enchanted silk and flanked by two elegant elf knights.

"Storm King," she said, her tone smooth and laced with playfulness. "I see quite a few of my kin living here. Elves seem… welcome in your kingdom."

"We value all who bring knowledge, elegance, and magicule harmony," Veldora replied. "The elven architects helped shape our gardens. Their magic helped nurture the healing centers. Sarion's influence has made its mark here."

Elmesia blinked.

"You're already borrowing our style…"

"Respectfully. And with great admiration," Veldora said with a subtle smirk.

She laughed softly, then gracefully took a seat beside Gazel. "I'll have to discuss an exchange of scholars and artists soon."

King Edmaris of Falmuth and Fuze Guildmaster of Blumund jumped in the conversation, looking more relaxed than usual, especially after seeinh how Veldora was more approachable.

"This place is more organized than I expected, Veldora," Edmaris said. "I thought the Jura Forest was full of wild monsters."

"We tamed the wild," Veldora said simply. "And in doing so, we found purpose."

Fuze chuckled.

"I never thought I'd say this, but... this may be the safest place in the region now. I'm curious about your stance on adventurers and trade guilds."

"We intend to build a system that encourages growth," Veldora said. "Merchant freedom, law-bound guild operations, public security patrols. Your guild may even open a branch here, Fuze."

Fuze blinked.

"You've already written the blueprint for a guild charter, haven't you?"

"Of course," Veldora said with a proud nod. "A kingdom must have its gears oiled before it opens its gates."

Then came Rudra, Emperor of the Eastern Empire.

He took a seat directly across from Veldora, his tone cool but respectful.

"You've caught the attention of the world, Storm King. But I wonder… Do you understand what it truly means to rule? To balance power, economy, morale, and expansion?"

Veldora leaned forward slightly, calm and unshaken.

"It means standing in the center of a storm, yet remaining still. Knowing when to shelter your people… and when to let the winds rage."

"Poetic," Rudra said. "But poetry doesn't build empires."

"Neither does force," Veldora replied. "Not when the world watches. A true king doesn't need to dominate with armies. He leads with vision."

"And what vision is that?" Rudra asked.

"Unity," Veldora said. "A world where the powerful don't prey on the weak. A system that supports diplomacy over war, knowledge over fear, structure over chaos."

Even Velgrynd, sitting next to Rudra, raised an eyebrow at that.

Rudra stared for a moment, lips tightening… then finally said:

"That… was a proper answer."

And he took a sip of his drink.

At the edges of the room, the Demon Lords were watching.

Guy Crimson sipped his wine, eyes narrowed but amused. "He's not the same dragon I fought."

Velzard folded her arms, staring at her brother. "He's... acting smarter than usual."

Milim stuffed her face with meat, eyes sparkling. "Veldora got cool!"

Leon Cromwell didn't say anything, but his sharp gaze analyzed every word and movement.

Carrion smirked. "This kingdom might actually be worth working with."

Frey tilted her head. "He's definitely not the Veldora I remember."

And Clayman, trying to look unimpressed, whispered under his breath:

"I don't like this…"

Invisible to all except Veldora and Testarossa, Saiki lounged at the back of the room near a polished column, sipping coffee jelly with zero interest in politics, yet secretly proud.

"Yare yare… This dragon's finally walking the talk. Looks like I printed the right mind into him."

He watched as the rulers, one by one, leaned in toward Veldora—not as skeptics, but as peers. The Storm Kingdom had claimed the world stage not through war, but through presence.

Through power wrapped in polish.

And the storm had only just begun.

The banquet had been a feast for the senses, the drinks like velvet and the dishes like dreams. But Veldora, now standing once again with his calm, regal expression, raised his hand for one last announcement before night fully embraced the Storm Kingdom.

"My noble guests," he began, his voice smooth and rich, carrying easily across the hall, "you've graced my halls with your presence and shared in my table, and now I offer you the finest luxury in the kingdom—the royal baths. Please, allow yourselves to relax. My maids will guide you."

His tone had the same serene nobility that echoed like the words of a wise ruler from legend. But what his guests didn't know was that just above the ceiling beams, in a small, comfy psychic hammock floating invisibly, Saiki was lying sideways, nibbling on coffee jelly, whispering to himself.

"Yare yare… these baths better break history."

The guests were led down two long, beautifully lit hallways by elegant maids, their every movement precise and graceful. One hallway led to the women's bath, and the other to the men's.

As soon as they passed through the entrance curtains, it hit them—the smell.

It wasn't overwhelming or fake. It was gentle. A mix of fresh sakura petals, soft vanilla, citrus oil, and something ethereal... like the smell of a dream. The floors were warm, the walls carved with golden vines and marble dragon motifs, and the air carried a light, relaxing mist.

The women's bath was a masterpiece—a massive open-air Japanese-style onsen wrapped in crystal trees, with glowing butterflies fluttering around the edges.

Elmesia was the first to gasp.

"This… this must be how elves bathe in the afterlife..."

She held a towel delicately as she stepped into the waters. The instant the water touched her legs, she froze.

"H-Hold on… what is this??"

Velzard, already neck-deep in the water, let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

"It's like… the tension in my shoulders is melting away…"

Velgrynd, floating on her back with her long red hair like a fiery river, blinked at the glowing mist.

"This is… impossible. I've never felt so at peace."

"I feel like the bath is literally massaging my soul…" Milim moaned, flopped over like a sleepy puppy, a rubber duck floating beside her.

Luminous Valentine, the elegant empress of Ruberios, was seated in the corner near a blooming spirit orchid. She glanced around and then whispered,

"There's no hostility here. No fear. Not even toward us, demon lords... I feel... like a person, not a monster."

Lady Frey, adjusting her towel near the edge, smiled faintly.

"For once… I don't feel watched. I feel normal."

They began to talk.

Milim: "You think they got snacks for after this?"

Velgrynd: "You're always thinking about food."

Elmesia: "I wouldn't mind a Storm Kingdom branch in Sarion just for this bath... I could die here."

They laughed.

Even Velzard cracked a rare smile.

"You know… maybe my brother's not a total idiot."

Luminous raised an eyebrow. "That's quite a compliment coming from you, i can almost firgive him for destroying a part of my city."

Meanwhile, the men were also having their moment of rebirth.

The men's bath was grander, more cavern-like, with blue crystal stones glowing from the walls and a dragon-shaped waterfall pouring enchanted water into the pool. The steam was warm, clear, and smelled like fresh rain and mountain herbs.

King Gazel sighed as he sank into the water.

"By the beard of my ancestors… this water is divine."

Fuze dunked his head under and came up like a new man.

"You think we can get the recipe for this water?"

Edmaris, king of Blumund, chuckled.

"You'd need to kidnap the whole bathhouse."

Leon Cromwell, usually serious and composed, leaned his back against the smooth stone.

"This aura… It's not magicules, but it moves like them."

Clayman, floating in the corner, muttered,

"I hate that I love this…"

Carrion, cracking his knuckles, grinned.

"I swear I just leveled up from sitting here."

Then came Guy Crimson, silent for a while, arms crossed, staring at the water ripples.

"That idiot dragon… managed to build all this?"

Next to him, Rudra, emperor of the Eastern Empire, smirked.

"He may be an idiot, but he has vision. And taste."

Even Guy had to admit it.

"Hmph… impressive."

They began talking, slowly at first, but then comfortably. The water had that kind of power.

Gazel: "Storm Kingdom's steelwork is insane. We could trade forging techniques…"

Leon: "I'm interested in the enchantments I saw on the roads."

Fuze: "Their staff is unnaturally polite. Almost like they've been trained by angels."

All of them laughed.

Rudra, closing his eyes, said,

"You know what I think? That dragon of chaos… might become a king of balance."

Above them all, in the rafters, Saiki watched from behind an illusion bubble. He twirled a spoonful of coffee jelly in his mouth, completely unnoticed.

"Yare yare daze… Look at them. They're laughing together. Forgetting they tried to kill each other a year ago."

He smirked and stretched.

"All it took was a warm soak and subtle psychic rewiring of emotional tension fields… easy."

That night, laughter and soft conversation echoed in both baths. The demon lords, kings, queens, generals, and nobles all felt the same thing:

Peace.

The kind they hadn't felt in ages.

The Storm Kingdom had just made its greatest statement—not through power, wealth, or magicules—but through comfort, kindness, and unexpected warmth.

And for a while, the Cardinal World didn't feel like a battlefield.

It felt… like home.