(Imkrag POV)
Since "Lord of the Rings" took off, my family couldn't stop gushing about me. I'd often overhear my mother bragging to the neighbors, "My son's a star now! Go watch 'Lord of the Rings,' he's starring as Gollum!"
But the neighbors would always reply, "Lord of the Rings? We haven't seen it yet. It's so expensive - two whole dollars!"
Living in the outskirts of Ferland City, few could afford to go to the cinema, let alone watch "Lord of the Rings."
One day, my imp mother, Ishla, burst through our rickety door, frustration etched on her face. "I can't believe it, Imkrag! It's been two weeks since your film hit the cinemas, and still no one in the neighborhood recognizes you!"
She slumped into a chair, pouring herself a cup of coffee with a huff.
I couldn't help but chuckle. "Mom, you have to understand. In this whole neighborhood, we're probably the only ones who've actually seen the film."
"He's right, darling," my dwarf father, Imkre, chimed in from behind his newspaper. "Two dollars is still a big deal around here. If it weren't for our precious Imkrag, we wouldn't be able to watch films, eat properly, or even buy a newspaper." He waved the paper for emphasis.
Ishla pouted, then sighed. "I suppose you're right..." Her eyes softened as she looked at me. "My little baby's a star now. He can buy us food."
I couldn't help but smile at them. Just then, the door flew open again as my little sister, Ruru, burst in. "Brother! There's a demon outside who wants to meet you. Says he knows you and has a job offer!"
I raised an eyebrow. "A job? But I don't need—" I trailed off, spotting a behemoth of a demon outside our tiny house. If he tried to enter, the place might crumble to pieces.
Stepping outside, I recognized him immediately. "Ringmaster Kelly!"
Kelly, the circus owner who'd kicked me out before, smiled warmly. "Oh, here you are, dear Imkrag."
"W-what do you want from me, Ringmaster?" I stammered, intimidated by his towering presence.
My family hung back, probably terrified of being squashed.
Kelly bent down, still looming over me. "Oh, you look pretty silly now, dear. I'm here to offer you your job back at the circus. Don't you want it?"
I was stunned. What had caused this change of heart? Kelly wouldn't have set foot in our neighborhood before.
"I-I'm sorry, Ringmaster. But I already have a job," I managed to say.
Kelly's smile faltered. "You're... declining my kind offer?"
I gulped as he continued, "Look, I can even offer you five hundred dollars a month! Don't you want it?"
Five hundred dollars was significant, but... "I'm sorry," I said again. "I have to decline."
Kelly's face darkened. "You're really rejecting my kind offer? After I was gracious enough to visit you here?"
I stayed silent, stepping back as my family trembled.
"Boys," Kelly growled, his facade of kindness evaporating, "give this imp, or dwarf, or whatever he is, a lesson!"
A group of imps emerged from behind Kelly, their eyes gleaming with malice. I recognized them immediately as the circus thugs.
"I'm giving you one last chance, Imkrag," Kelly said, his voice dripping with false sweetness. He tossed a paper at my feet. "There's the contract. Sign it now, or..." He gestured to the imps, letting the threat hang in the air.
I gritted my teeth, aware of the pressure Kelly was putting on me. The contract lay there, a few inches from my toes, like a venomous snake waiting to strike.
Suddenly, a cold voice cut through the tension. "What do you think you demons are doing?"
We all turned to see a young demon in an expensive suit striding towards us.
"Boss Arthur!" I exclaimed, relief washing over me.
Kelly fell silent, eyeing Arthur warily.
"Are you bullying my talent here?" Arthur asked, his gaze fixed on Kelly, eyes cold as ice.
Kelly puffed up his chest, trying to look brave. "So what if I am?"
"You seem quite confident," Arthur said, his voice dangerously calm. "You think you can handle me?"
Despite his size, Kelly flinched. But he quickly recovered, gesturing to his imp thugs. "I have my men here. You're alone. What can you do?"
Arthur chuckled, the sound sending shivers down my spine. "You think you guys are enough?"
Kelly looked smug, clearly underestimating my boss. But his expression quickly changed as Arthur summoned a swirling fireball above his palm.
"Now," Arthur said, his voice casual as if discussing the weather, "you think you can take this fireball? Or maybe it's too small for a behemoth demon like yourself?"
Our eyes bulged as Arthur increased the size of his fireball. Even Ringmaster Kelly took a step back. The imp thugs gulped, the pressure too much for them to handle.
Kelly gritted his teeth, shooting me one last glare. "Hmph, you may have become famous, but I don't need someone like you at the circus anyway." With that, he turned and stormed off, his thugs scurrying after him.
I let out a sigh of relief as Kelly and his thugs disappeared from view. Turning to Boss Arthur, who had just extinguished his fireball, I noticed his eyes scanning our humble abode.
"Imkrag," he said, his tone a mix of concern and amusement, "you've got quite a fragile home here."
Following his gaze, my eyes widened. Our little house looked like it might collapse at any moment, the walls seemingly weakened just from the pressure of Arthur's magical display. My family huddled together in the corner, still shaken from the confrontation.
"Boss," I stammered, curiosity overcoming my shock, "what brings you all the way out here?"
Arthur's lips curved into a smile as he turned back to me. "Well, I was recently informed that you're living in these outskirts. After finding that out, I felt compelled to take action. I can't have my star talent living in a dangerous area, can I?" He paused, letting his words sink in. "So, I've taken the liberty of purchasing a house for you closer to the agency."
Warmth spread through my chest at his words. "That's incredibly generous, Boss. I was actually saving up to move out, but you really didn't need to go to such lengths."
"Nonsense," Arthur waved off my protests, slipping his hands into his pockets with an air of nonchalance that somehow made him look even cooler. "Besides, that's not the only reason I'm here. You've received several project offers, Imkrag. I came to inform you personally and let you know it's up to you to choose which ones you want to take on. We're talking thousands of dollars here, maybe more. And I think I can negotiate even better pay for you."
At the mention of "jobs" and "thousands of dollars," I saw my family perk up, hope replacing the fear on their faces.
"Really?" I asked, still processing the sudden turn of events. "That's... that's incredible, Boss. I don't know what to say."
Arthur's smile widened. "You don't need to say anything, Imkrag. Your performance in 'Lord of the Rings' speaks for itself. Now, what do you say we discuss these offers over a cup of coffee? I hear your mother brews an excellent cup."
At Arthur's mention of her coffee, my mother Ishla's face lit up with pride. "Oh, you're too kind, sir! I'd be delighted to brew you a cup of my finest blend."
I felt a warmth spread through my chest at my boss's flattery. We were about to usher Arthur inside when a worrying creak from the walls reminded us of our home's fragile state.
Arthur, ever the quick thinker, smoothly changed plans. "Why don't we continue this at Imkrag's new home? Lady Ishla, perhaps you could bring your famous coffee there?"
My family's eyes widened with excitement, nodding eagerly at the suggestion.
As we made our way to the house Arthur had bought, I fell into step beside him, my mind buzzing with questions about the new projects he'd mentioned. The walk felt both endless and too short, anticipation building with each step.
Finally, we arrived. The house before us might have looked modest by some standards, but to my family and me, it was nothing short of a palace. We rushed inside, unable to contain our excitement, wide grins plastered across our faces.
"This... this is really ours?" I heard my father whisper in awe, running his hand along a smooth wall.
My little sister Ruru darted from room to room, squealing with delight. "Look! Real windows! And the floor doesn't creak!"
As I watched my family explore our new home, tears of joy pricking at my eyes, I turned to Arthur. "Boss, I... I don't know how to thank you."
Arthur just smiled, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. "Your talent and hard work earned this, Imkrag. Now, how about that coffee?"
In that moment, surrounded by my overjoyed family in our new home, with the promise of a bright future ahead, I felt like the luckiest demon in all the realms. Who would have thought that playing a creepy, ring-obsessed creature would lead to all this?