Becoming the Demon Lord: Taming the Demon Queen Begins

"Mr. Eldric... what were you saying just now?"

"I think Mr. Eldric was saying that no matter how strong love is, once it gets tangled up with money, daily life, and all the mundane stuff, it falls apart."

"But..."

The students had already been somewhat influenced by this idea.

However, what they saw in front of them now completely flipped their perspective.

A simple, rundown house. Two people dressed in plain clothes. Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire

Yet, the man worked the fields and hunted, while the woman spun thread and wove cloth. The affection between them, shown through their hard work, felt far more genuine and heartwarming than any of the romantic ideals they had read about in books.

"Is Mr. Eldric really right about that?"

No, it seemed like even Mr. Eldric himself...

They glanced nervously at Mr. Eldric.

And soon, they realized that even Eldric, who had spoken so confidently just moments ago, now had the same dazed look in his eyes as they did.

"Does this kind of sweet, genuine love really exist?"

Eldric, who had buried his cynicism in the pages of philosophy and suppressed his emotions deep within, felt something shift inside him at that moment.

Since returning to Emberhill Town after failing his exams, he had seen too much of the coldness of human nature and the harshness of life.

His experiences had given him a completely different outlook.

He used to be solely focused on becoming the top scholar, making a name for himself, and chasing the ideal life he had once dreamed of.

But after failing, life in the small town, though simple and unremarkable, had shown him a world he hadn't seen before.

He had witnessed too many families torn apart by the pressures of daily life, too many dreams shattered by the harsh realities of the world.

Eldric had long since lost hope in this world.

Even though he could probably use his Bachelor of Arts degree to land a cushy job in the home of some wealthy city lord, living a life far better than what he had now, Eldric had lost all interest in such things.

In his eyes, there was no such thing as true beauty in the world anymore.

Especially love, which he saw as the most fragile thing of all. The slightest storm could easily tear it apart.

Desire and selfishness ruled the world, and true love simply couldn't exist.

Especially not in this broken-down town, where even putting food on the table was a struggle.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Eldric would never have believed it.

Working the barren fields, mending clothes on a three-legged chair.

And yet, between these two people, there was such a sweet and beautiful love.

"Is this real?"

"It is."

The truth seemed to whisper in Eldric's ear.

"Mr. Eldric, are you okay?"

Noticing something off about him, the children around him looked up, concern in their eyes.

They didn't fully understand what was happening, but they could sense that something was troubling Mr. Eldric.

"Yeah, don't worry about me."

Eldric nodded silently, unsure of what to say for a moment.

"So, Mr. Eldric, about what you said earlier..."

The children couldn't help but look up at him, their eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge.

Their gaze was pure and innocent, just like the love they had witnessed moments ago.

As Eldric listened to the voices around him, a faint smile finally tugged at the corner of his mouth.

He couldn't help but reach out and ruffle the hair of the boy standing next to him, his gaze drifting toward the rundown yard in the distance.

With a hint of self-deprecation in his smile, he finally spoke, "What I said earlier... I was wrong."

"Mr. Eldric... wrong?"

In this small town, where hardly anyone could read or write, Eldric was a figure like no other.

As the only teacher, he was seen as a towering presence in the eyes of the children. Everything he said, every word from the books of wisdom he read, was taken as absolute truth.

The idea that Mr. Eldric could be wrong—let alone admit it—was something the children had never considered.

"That's right. Everyone makes mistakes. Who hasn't made a mistake before?"

Eldric's voice was calm, but there was no hesitation as he admitted his error.

He looked up at the sky, a vast, unchanging blue, as if he had glimpsed a truth he had long sought. A smile spread across his face, one filled with a peace and contentment he hadn't felt in a long time.

"I was wrong. In fact, everything I said earlier was completely wrong!

You're learning from me, and while that means you'll understand more than most people, it also means you'll see more of the world's darkness, and it might feel even more hopeless at times.

But no matter what happens in the future, you must remember this:

There are beautiful things in this world. And yes, true love does exist.

You might not always see it, but it's there... it's always been there.

Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mr. Eldric, we understand!"

The children nodded, though they were still a bit confused. They hadn't yet learned enough to fully grasp the deeper meaning behind Eldric's words.

But they could sense how serious he was, and that was enough for now.

"Maybe I should take the civil service exam again...

It's been so many years, but maybe this time, there's still a chance."

Eldric glanced at the children around him.

Since his failure in the exams and his return to the town, he had rarely smiled. But now, a small, genuine smile crept onto his face, along with a newfound sense of confidence.

Time passed slowly, and the small, worn-out yard remained as quiet and unremarkable as ever.

As the sun began to set, Timothy finally put down his hoe.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, he realized something surprising—his Holy Emperor body, which rarely ever perspired, had actually broken a sweat.

He hadn't expected to work so tirelessly, without even noticing the passage of time, for an entire day.

Looking at the fiery red sunset spilling into the yard, Timothy suddenly felt his stomach rumble.

"At this time of day, it's probably time for dinner," he muttered to himself.

Just then, he noticed something—thin wisps of smoke rising from the old chimney. He hadn't even realized when it had started.

Against the backdrop of the setting sun, a graceful figure stepped out of the house, her movements light and delicate. She waved her hand and called out, "You've been working all day. Come in for dinner... hubby."

Her voice, soft and a little shy, echoed through the yard, and in the glow of the sunset, the small space seemed to fill with warmth and contentment.

Timothy couldn't help but smile, a genuine, heartfelt smile, as a deep warmth spread through his chest.

"Got it, honey! I'm coming!"

In high spirits, Timothy tossed aside his hoe and eagerly headed toward the house, ready for dinner.

"No wonder I haven't seen Sylvia for a while. Turns out she was secretly making dinner.

Sylvia really does have the makings of a perfect wife," Timothy thought to himself, feeling a surge of appreciation.

"I wonder what delicious dish the goddess has prepared?

Duck confit? Steamed fish?

Wait... hold on!"

Suddenly, a chill ran down Timothy's spine as he realized he had overlooked something important... something very serious...