Disclaimer: I don't own Kyou kara Maou.

A.N. - Thanks for the reviews. ffnet is being buggy today, so sorry for any formatting errors. :l

Chapter 6: Confronting a Great Weevil

And thus the Blue Wind continued to gust throughout the land, helping grateful villagers, townspeople, farmers, and even sour-tempered hermits with his heroic deeds.

And yet, all these trials were about to be overshadowed by an ominous threat that was gathering on the border near Shou Shimaron. For it had come to pass that a Great Weevil had befallen the farmers there, infesting their young trees and causing terminal wilting.

And there were whispers of a Greater Weevil yet to come, or so the fearful farmers believed as they stared at their plagued saplings wilting at the tip. And the second Weevil that came to pass was indeed greater than the first, but this one had long silken hair that flowed and gleamed in the wind like the silken strands on the tip of an ear of corn, and lavender glasses that obscured chartreuse eyes above a sensual smirk. The Great Weevil arrived one day with an entourage of minions and vile intentions.

"What happened to the teak trees you were sold by my reforestation company?" Saralegui asked with a deceptively innocent smile.

"I don't think those trees you sold us were any good!" one of the farmers said.

"Yeah," said another, "They all have the same pest problem."

"My, my," Saralegui said with an evil smirk, "You should have thought of that before you signed the contract. Now it looks like I'm going to be forced to confiscate your land."

"You won't get away with this!" a random farmer yelled out from the crowd. A faint murmuring grew as others agreed with her and started voicing their displeasure.

"Oh really?" Sara asked with another diabolical grin, "Who is going to stop me?"

The crowd fell silent.

"That's what I thought," Sara said and twirled a flaxen strand of hair around one finger. "Beries-"

Then in the distance, a clattering of hoofbeats was heard.

"Beries," said Sara, "I thought…"

"Look, he's here!" one of the farmers shouted.

And indeed, up upon the ridge, silhouetted against the morning sun, stood the Blue Wind. His cerulean cape flapped in the breeze, stretching out elegantly behind him.

"King Saralegui," the cobalt-clad hero bellowed, "Cease your vile machinations at once!"

"What a pleasant surprise, Ao Kaze, or should I say - Lord Weller," Saralegui purred.

The crowd gasped. One of Saralegui's minions gasped as well. Conrad slowly removed his mask since it was pretty hot with it on anyway.

"Oh? Was your identity supposed to be a secret?" Sara asked, covering his mouth with a delicate hand. "I'm terribly sorry for such a ghastly indiscretion," he said with a covert smirk.

Conrad clenched his fist and let the blue mask slide from his fingers to fall on the ground below.

"As you can see, I'm quite occupied now, but perhaps we could meet up for supper later." Sara paused to adjust his glasses. "How is Yuuri by the way?"

Conrad's eyes narrowed. "You have no right to be here. I think you should leave," he said.

"Tsk, tsk. You're going to have to work on your manners, Lord Weller. What would King Yuuri think of your diplomatic skills, I wonder?" Sara asked as he removed a rolled up piece of parchment from his robes. "According to this contract, I have every right to be here. I can't say the same for you though."

"You flesh-eating-maggot!" shouted a farmer at King Saralegui. "You're the one who tricked us."

"And who are you going to trust?" Saralegui asked while delicately lifting an eyebrow. "Me, or the man who has already betrayed your country numerous times?"

The crowd lowered their eyes. One of Saralegui's henchmen fidgeted and mumbled under his breath.

"You all signed the same contract. Time to pay up," Saralegui said.

"You never said anything in the contract about losing our land if the trees you sold us died," the farmer pointed out.

"How is it my fault if you didn't read the microscopic fine print at the bottom?" Saralegui asked haughtily. "I need an opportunity to make a profit as well. Otherwise, what incentive would you farmers have to work hard?"

Everyone fell silent again.

"Hmm, well now that all this land is mine, what should I do with it?" Saralegui asked with a sly grin. "Maybe if I'm feeling generous I'll lease it back to you," he paused to give another smile, "But it would be so much fun to build a palatial summer home with a giant swimming pool. Or maybe a golf course? Or a stadium for a rival baseball team that would always beat Yuuri's team?"

And with a loud yell, the Blue Wind did unsheathe his silver blade. Faster than a strike of lightening he did bid the blade to finish with the Great Weevil once and for all. Shredded parchment fluttered down from the astonished king's hands. Never had a work of more precise and swift swordsmanship been seen before in all the land.

"Beries," said Saralegui, "Please tell me you have a copy of the contract back at the castle."

"Of course not, your Excellency, parchment is expensive."

"Well, it looks as if I've been foiled this once," Saralegui said as he mounted his horse and turned to leave.

The farmers cheered.

Saralegui turned his head, "Don't expect it to happen again," he said sweetly. "Oh, by the way, Lord Weller, send my regards to Yuuri."

"But Saralegui," Beries protested, "I didn't even get a chance to draw my sword."

"You need to save your strength, Beries," Saralegui continued in the same sickly sweet tone, "I'm sure you'll be very busy for the next two months making copies of every single one of my important documents in the castle."

Beries paled and bowed his head, "Of course, your Majesty."

Then Saralegui and his minions, including the hung over Morgan and Fredrich left.

Friedrich paused as the Blue Wind's sidekick winked and blew him a kiss. He spent many days wondering if Yoanna really did have an older brother after all.

~o~

Then the grateful farmers gathered around the Blue Wind. "You've saved our land," one said. He handed the mask solemnly back to Conrad. "Don't worry, we won't ever reveal your identity."

Thy all nodded and shared in the tearful emotional moment.

"But the tips of our tree saplings are still infested with weevils," another farmer pointed out after the emotional pause.

"That does seem to be a terminal problem," Conrad said.

There was a clunk, as a few people passed out from over-exposure to his terrible humor.

A throat cleared, and everyone turned and saw that one of Saralegui's minions had stayed behind. It was Herman II, the agroforestry technician. He turned and addressed the famed swordsman with misty eyes. "You saved my son's life," he said, kneeling to the ground in front of the hero, "I haven't forgotten about that. Please allow me to repay part of the debt I owe you by helping the farmers."

Then the Blue Wind did heroically delegate the task of pruning the saplings and teaching the farmers about inter-cropping to the grateful Herman II.

Surely Herman II could take care of the lesser of two weevils.

~o~

"Did you see the henchman from the tavern?" Yozak asked as they rode off. "I wonder if he recognized me?"

Conrad just grunted.

"Maybe he'll dream of Yoanna tonight."

"In his nightmares, most likely," Conrad said.

"Aww, you're so cute when you're jealous," Yozak said before falling into a fit of giggles.

Conrad frowned. He paused, deep in thought, trying to think of a saying that fit the situation. Yozak had been helpful up until the point when he started talking. "Sidekicks should be obscene and not heard," he said at last.

Yozak snickered. "I like the first part," he said.

Interlude: The Giant Mite in the Sky

Even as the Blue Wind traversed throughout the land, other winds of change were blowing. For Varra, the Giant Mite Nebula of Destruction traversed ponderously across the night sky that year, laying eggs as she went. Even the most knowledgable astronomers had no clue as to what this might mean. Some claimed the end of the world was near - for if the land could barely survive the acts of devastation and disaster caused by the celestial movements of the mother acarid, how would anyone survive the destruction that was sure to follow her deluge of offspring once they hatched? Others were more optimistic and pointed out that the celestial beings are not tied to the same biological constraints of like begetting like as mortal creatures. It was entirely possible that Varra's offspring might turn out nothing like their mother and instead bring prosperity upon the land once again. In only one point could the astronomers reach an agreement: a great upheaval or change was coming.

And maids everywhere set up betting pools as to who was the father of Varra's offspring.

The Blue Wind, as if sensing these celestial changes taking place, turned his heroic personage away from the grateful borderland populace, and whirled towards the interior. And the grateful denizens of Dai Shimaron held their collective breaths, wondering what changes the hero's next fearless acts would bring.