Once upon a time, there was a Demon Lord who was known as the most fearsome in the world.
His flames of hellfire could instantly consume anything in their path, and his claws would mercilessly tear through even the toughest of flesh.
This Demon Lord was incredibly powerful and arrogant, quick to kill anyone who displeased him.
No one had ever dared to oppose him and survive.
Humans and even his fellow demons were killed without hesitation if they did something he didn’t like.
Such was the ruthless nature of this Demon Lord.
His followers gradually found it harder to stay by his side.
And then, one day, the Demon Lord found himself all alone.
But being the stubborn and eccentric Demon Lord that he was, he didn’t mind it at all. In fact, he found solace in the solitude.
He secluded himself deep within his castle, surrounded by a vast collection of books, and for many years, he lived in solitude.
As time passed, even the stubborn Demon Lord began to change a bit.
There were nights when he longed for someone to talk to, and days when he wondered if he had been in the wrong at times.
But being exceedingly proud, he couldn’t bring himself to ask his followers to return.
He suppressed those feelings as mere whims and buried them deep within his heart.
During this long period of solitude, challengers from the human realm would often come to confront him.
Though the Demon Lord possessed terrifying power, he had never posed a threat to the human world. In fact, he was like an insignificant ant walking down the road, of no concern to anyone.
However, the people, driven by their irrational fear, would repeatedly challenge the Demon Lord, often meeting their demise.
One day, a challenger arrived, wearing the plainest and most humble armor ever seen.
He defeated the Demon Lord with surprising ease, becoming the new hero.
The Demon Lord, who had no regrets about his existence in this world, quietly awaited his death.
But the hero, instead of killing him, showed a confident smile and said, “I have a favor to ask of you.”
The hero first built a small hut right next to the grand Demon Lord’s castle.
Next to the hut, he planted a sturdy oak tree and created a “portal” through it that connected to the human world.
Before he knew it, the Demon Lord, dressed in a white triangular cloth and a white apron, stood in front of the humble hut.
Despite being born as a handsome man, his appearance was quite unfortunate.
The hero observed the Demon Lord from head to toe and nodded in satisfaction.
“Alright, you know about ‘Children’s Cafeteria,’ don’t you? From today, you’ll be running it here!”
“What are you saying? I am the Demon Lord!”
“Oh, Demon Lord, you know about the Children’s Cafeteria! That makes things easier. I’ll leave everything to Sil Granny, who used to run the cafeteria. Just ask her for any information!”
The hero placed an elderly woman next to the Demon Lord and said, “I’m off to the royal capital for ingredient procurement,” before disappearing through the oak tree portal.
Taken aback by the sudden turn of events, the Demon Lord was struck on the shins by the short elderly woman’s cane.
“Ouch! What are you doing? I am the Demon Lord!”
“Hey, you! You’re planning to run a dining establishment, and yet you’ve got such messy hair and long nails! In a dining establishment, hygiene comes first. And what’s with those hoops on your ears and neck? Get rid of them!”
The impatient Demon Lord wanted to kill Sil Granny immediately, but whenever he felt the urge to do so, the hero’s influence prevented him from using his demonic powers. Thus, he couldn’t harm her.
Furthermore, this Sil Granny seemed to have been a skilled warrior in her youth, as there were no openings in her defenses.
The Demon Lord begrudgingly tied his long black hair into a single ponytail, removed his accessories, and trimmed his beautiful nails. Sil Granny watched him with satisfaction, and finally, the two entered the small hut.
The cafeteria the hero had created was a warm, Japanese-style dining area made of cypress wood. It had eight counter seats on the left and three tatami mats with tables that could accommodate six people each, making it a small but cozy establishment.
“Today is our first day. Let’s start by making dishes that children love.”
“I have no experience with such things…”
“That’s why I’m here to teach you!”
Just as they were getting started, the hero returned, pulling a cart filled with ingredients.
“I’m back! Let’s work hard to open for business at 5 PM!”
“First, we need to wash the vegetables.”
The three of them moved to the kitchen and began washing the vegetables.
The Demon Lord was so strong that when he washed lettuce, it turned to mush, and tomatoes were squished in the process.
He had no control over his strength.
Seeing this, the kind-hearted hero suggested, “Hmm, Demon Lord, maybe you should help with cutting the vegetables.” He handed over a barely surviving tomato and told him to cut it into wedges.
The Demon Lord placed the tomato on a cutting board and cut it like a “comb.”
Thinking he had done a good job, he smiled, but Sil Granny promptly knocked him on the head with her cane.
“You fool! The hero told you to cut it into wedges! Have you ever seen a tomato salad like this? Don’t just move your hands without thinking. Use your imagination!”
The Demon Lord was like a completely useless new part-time employee.
Under Sil Granny’s strict guidance, they managed to finish cutting all the vegetables. However, when they tried to cut the meat, they encountered a problem.
They were out of meat.
“Hehehe… Meat procurement is my specialty! Should I go with a Minotaur or an Orc? Just tell me your preference!”
“There’s a meat refrigerator behind the hut. Get some beef blocks from there!”
Since he had said, “Tell me your preference,” the Demon Lord was now acting as a lackey and went behind the hut to retrieve the meat.
