Volume 3 Chapter 3, “Look, you’ve got some on your mouth, Hero.”
- Deep in the Demon King Castle, the Demon King’s Bedroom
The Demon King: “It’s okay, it’s okay. You don’t have to treat me like some kind of sick person.”
The Chief Maid: “Don’t say that, Your Majesty.”
The Hero: “That’s right. You are a sick person.”
The Demon King: “This is an injury, not a disease.”
The Chief Maid: “Yes, well, even so.”
The Female Paladin: “Behave like an adult and just accept the treatment.”
The Hero: “That’s right, you’d better behave.”
The Female Paladin: “You too, Hero!”
The Hero: “Ow! Owww!!!”
The Chief Maid: “Well, well.”
The Female Paladin: “You’re the Hero so stop acting like you’re about to die. You’re about to lose to the Demon King, even.”
The Demon King: “Haha, you see, I’m not that bad.”
The Hero: “Heh. If you just leave it alone it’ll heal on its own.”
The Female Paladin: “Without treatment, it could get bad…”
The Hero: “Well, I did just take the brunt of a Demon King-class Destruction Spell. That class of magic, combined with the other damage I have taken, did take quite a toll on my recovery ability.”
The Female Paladin: “Now that I think about it, the Hero’s recovery ability is quite inhuman.”
The Demon King: “Is… that so?”
The Hero: “That’s because I’m really healthy.”
The Female Paladin: “He’s the kind who has never even caught a flu before.”
The Hero: “—!”
The Female Paladin: “But he always gets himself into situations that make everybody worried for his life.”
The Demon King: “Hehe, the Hero is all wrapped up in bandages too.”
The Hero: “Why are you so pleased about that?”
The Chief Maid: “Hehe, it’s like a matching outfit. Very cute.”
The Demon King: “What? No! No! I was just being empathetic to the Hero’s plight and feeling happy that we could find ourselves in similar situations, hence having a shared experience.”
The Chief Maid: “It’s the same thing.”
The Female Paladin: “Aren’t you forgetting that you people were saved by my Healing Magic?”
The Demon King: “Thank you, Female Paladin.”
The Hero: “Yeah, thanks.”
The Female Paladin: “To treat you people, I’m going to have to move to the Demon King Castle for the time being.”
The Hero: “Eh?”
The Female Paladin: “There’s nothing for it, I don’t know when I’ll be done.”
The Chief Maid: “I see, Demon King, please stop being as reckless like before. You were really saved by the skin of your teeth the last time, when you almost died.”
The Demon King: “I’m sorry…”
The Hero: “From now on, leave the reckless things to me!”
The Chief Maid: “You too, Hero.”
The Female Paladin: “Yeah!”
The Demon King: “That guy… was strong, right?”
The Hero: “Yeah. He was okay.”
The Female Paladin: (The Hero… found himself a match? Look at the state he’s in now. This guy’s got to be fairly strong, otherwise the Hero wouldn’t have had so much trouble.)
The Demon King: “This is a problem.”
The Hero: “What?”
The Demon King: “I’m all wrapped up, I won’t get to touch your fluffy hair.”
The Hero: “Well yeah, it can’t be helped.”
The Female Paladin: “I can, though?”
The Demon King: “What?!”
The Chief Maid: “I can do it too.” Fluffs hair.
The Demon King: “Not you too! Why are you doing this!” Struggles.
The Hero: “Wait! Sorry but that’s a really nice smell.”
The Demon King: “Let me go, let me go!”
The Chief Maid: “Hahahaha, if I do this more often, then the Demon King will recover faster.”
The Female Paladin: “This is also an aspect of the recovery process.”
- A Settlement to the South of the Holy Empire
Wind blows…
Settler: “What’s happened?”
Thin Serf: “Don’t know.”
Small Peasant: “We’ve told the Village Deacon to come over.”
Young Farmer: “If he comes over, then we’ll have bread to eat twice a day.”
Settler: “I heard that too.”
Thin Serf: “Yeah, I really want to have some bread to eat.”
Small Peasant: “Me too. Why is it that even though I grow wheat, I haven’t had any bread to eat…”
Young Farmer: “My two sisters… died from starvation.”
Settler: “…”
Thin Serf: “…Even though we’ve had a bumper crop of wheat this spring, the price hasn’t gone down at all.”
Small Peasant: “Well, we’ve been eating that thing, though.”
Young Farmer: “…That thing?”
Settler: “Yeah…”
Thin Serf: “The Demon Apple*.”
Small Peasant smiles.
Young Farmer: “But that’s…!”
Settler: “…We’ve got no choice.”
Thin Serf: “No matter how heretical the crop is, if we don’t have anything to eat, we’ll die. In our village, no, throughout this entire country, there probably isn’t anybody who hasn’t eaten it before.”
Small Peasant: “Yeah.”
Young Farmer: “Is that alright?”
Settler: “What?”
Young Farmer: “I mean, it’s heretical, right? Won’t you develop demonic characteristics? Won’t your hands turn into the cloves of goats, won’t you go crazy and die?”
Thin Serf: “Have you seen anyone like that around here?”
Small Peasant: “I haven’t…”
Settler: “Potatoes are delicious.”
Thin Serf: “Yeah, especially when you boil them in a soup or when you roast them with butter.”
Small Peasant: “If you slice them thinly and fry them, they became very sweet.”
Young Farmer: “That’s…”
Settler: “Well, in the end we have no choice.”
Thin Serf: “We really can’t follow their instructions.”
Small Peasant: “That’s right, they’ve taken away our wealth and our work and our food, we really have nothing left.”
Wind blows…
Settler: “Ah.”
Bishop: “…How quiet.”
Thin Serf: “Your Reverence…”
Small Peasant: “Nice to meet you.”
Bishop: “How splendid, Spirit blesses the faithful followers of the Spirit of Light.”
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Explanation
The Demon Apple: In the 17th Century, when the potato was first introduced to Russia, the Russian Orthodox Church originally declared it the Demon Apple and the Fruit of Misfortune in order to discourage its cultivation. However, it became evident that the tough and resilient potato was best suited for the harsh climate of Russia. By the 18th Century, it was commonly known as the Apple of the Earth (see French pomme de la terre) and became widely cultivated. Even so, up to the 19th Century, Tsars often attempted to ban the cultivation of potatoes, leading to a spate of insurrections.
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Young Farmer: “The Bishop! The Bishop gave us his blessings!”
Settler: “That he would even bless such insignificant villagers like ourselves!”
Thin Serf: “Thank you! Thank you!”
Bishop: “The reason why you Children of the Light are gathered here today is to combat the coming evil. This village has many fields and will now produce rations for our soldiers. Furthermore, we will receive divine instructions on the combat with evil. I will reside in this Village for the next half year and I will do my best to serve the Children of the Light.”
Settler: “Eh? …Combat?”
Thin Serf: “We can’t do something like that?”
Small Peasant: “But the Bishop himself…”
Bishop: “Rest easy! Children of the Light!”
Bishop: “The Spirit of the Light has given you his blessings. In his infinite charity, he has shown us the way. He has provided you with the holy weapons to take down the Demon Race.”
Thin Serf: “Weapons?”
Clank clank.
Bishop: “These metal poles are enough. These metal poles are weapons provided by the Spirit of the Light to blast away the Demon Race, these are muskets. As long as we have these poles, even untrained peasants like yourselves can be as strong as the heroes of old. — Watch!”
Elite Soldiers: “Fire!” Lights muskets.
Bang! Bang!
Small Peasant: “What was that?!”
Young Farmer: “It went through the armour!”
Bishop: “This weapon can penetrate a suit of armour from fifty paces away. With this weapon, no matter the claws or teeth of the enemy, no matter how many swords or spears he has, you can take him down from a distance! Once you train to use these weapons, you will be the finest soldiers throughout the land!”
Bishop: “Listen, Children of the Light! Blessed followers. The Primarch* himself begs for your help today.”
Thin Serf: “The Primarch?!”
Small Peasant: “He’s asking for our help?”
Murmuring.
Bishop: “As I am sure you are all aware, far to the South, in the coldest part of the world, a prison is being built! By the Grace of the Spirit, we have managed to confine the Demonic elements to their prison in the South. I am sure you know. This is where we have trapped the heretics who oppose the word of the church, in this land of ice and death. In our charity, we have agreed to let them keep their lives.”
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Explanation
Primarch: The highest religious figure in the ecclesiastical hierarchy of the Holy Church of Light. In our world, the Catholic Church follows the progression of Priest - Bishop - Cardinal - Pope while the Orthodox Church follows the progression of Priest - Metropolitian - Patriach - Ecunemical Patriach. The Church of Light goes by Priest - Bishop - Primarch with the Primarch being the supreme head of the Church.
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Settler: “The Church has said this lots of times already…”
Young Farmer: “We’re really being beaten back by these Demons.”
Bishop: “However, despite this, these heretics have performed the ultimate betrayal by stealing a treasure of the Children of Light!”
Small Peasant: “Eh?”
Bishop: “What they have taken are the remains of the Spirit of Light. In other words, they are relics! These relics represent the hope of all the Children of Light, they are a symbol of His resurrection, and by taking these relics and hiding them from us, they are insulting not just the Church but the Spirit himself!”
Settler: “?! The Spirit?!”
Bishop: “These are the words of the Primarch himself! We cannot overlook this blasphemous transgression. Even if we have to sacrifice our own lives, we will reclaim the Holy Remains! This is a sacred duty we all have! Children of Light! Rise and take up your muskets! Let us show them the strength of our faith!”
——— The Kingdom of Metal, a Developing Settlement
Patrolling Soldier: “Alright, here we are.”
Refugee Family Father: “So this is it!”
Refugee Family Mother: “It’s cold…” Shivers.
Refugee Family Daughter: “It’s so big! And the road goes all the way to that hill over there!”
Patrolling Soldier: “I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do about the cold. You are in the South, after all. If you work hard then maybe you’ll sweat it out! Alright, let’s go check out the fields. I’m sure there’s got to be someone around.”
Refugee Family Father: “Alright!”
Walking through the snow.
Refugee Family Father: “Alright, horse, I know you’re a bit old but we’re almost there. Just a bit more.”
Walking through the snow.
Female Settler Militia: “Hey! Hello there, Sergeant!”
Patrolling Soldier: “Hey! How’s it going?”
Settler Militia: “Alright. We’ve managed to clear all the weeds on the hill over there.”
Female Settler Militia: “So now the place is ready for the potato fields.”
Patrolling Soldier: “I see! I’ve brought a new family over.”
Refugee Family Father: “We come from the Kingdom of the Kingfisher, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Refugee Family Daughter: “Hello!”
Settler Militia: “Kingfisher! That’s a long way away!”
Female Settler Militia: “Hey, are you alright? You’re looking a bit blue.”
Refugee Family Mother: “It’s very cold…”
Patrolling Soldier: “Right, I’m not feeling too good so this is as far as I’ll take you.”
Refugee Family Father: “If it’s possible, would my wife be able to rest first? The two of us can start to work. Please.”
Refugee Family Mother: “Hey…”
Settler Militia: “Alright, well let’s go to the mustering grounds first.”
Refugee Family Father: “Hey! What are you saying! Take a look. Hey, is it possible… that you’re pregnant?”
Patrolling Soldier: “Eh?”
Refugee Family Father: “What?!”
Refugee Family Mother: “Yeah… I don’t know for sure but based on last month, I’ve been having this suspicion…”
Refugee Family Daughter: “For real?!”
Female Settler Militia: “Take a look! She can barely stand in this cold! Let alone go to the mustering grounds!”
Settler Militia: “Really?”
Female Settler Militia: “It’s all because you’re completely hopeless at finding a wife.”
Patrolling Soldier: “Wh-what should we do?!”
Settler Militia: “This is terrible!”
Refugee Family Daughter: “Only a guy would say that.”
Settler Militia: “You haven’t given birth before either!”
Female Settler Militia: “Even without having given birth, a girl should know these sorts of things! Alright, let’s get you on these blankets first.”
Refugee Family Mother: “Umm… I wouldn’t want to use your blankets like that.”
Female Settler Militia: “Don’t worry, these are military supplies. We’ll just borrow them for a bit. They’re made of lamb’s wool so they’re very warm.”
Refugee Family Father: “Thank you…”
Female Settler Militia: “Alright, we’ll carry you over to the Village Chief. Your family can use the house next to mine. You can start by gathering kindling and Peat*.”
Settler Militia: “Okay! I’ll run ahead and give him some warning.”
Female Settler Militia: “Good! Prepare some warm clothes and some food! Get the Village Chief’s wife to help.”
Patrolling Soldier: “I’ll leave it to you then.”
Female Settler Militia: “Of course! Well then, let’s go. It’s small and nothing spectacular, but it’s a house. It’s just been built so they all look the same and it’s easy to get lost, but after a while you learn to differentiate. My family also lives in one of those houses.”
Refugee Family Father: “Are you sure? You’ve been so nice to us.”
Female Settler Militia: “What are you saying? Everyone here, whether you’re from a foreign land or from one of the Southern Kingdoms, is working hard to make sure we have enough to eat. We’re all comrades planting potatoes together!”
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Explanation
Peat: Peat is a substance created from the fermentation of dead plants over a long period of time until they become a solid, rock-like substance. As it contains many impurities and high water content, it does not burn easily. However, when peat is pressed and dried, it becomes a fantastic source of fuel.
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- The Demon World, Replacement Conference Venue
The Silver Tiger Lord: “Okay.”
The Cyclops: “…We’re all here.”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “My Khans, thank you for your hard work. Well then, Her Majesty the Demon King has temporarily given us her authority, and so that this Kurultai does not stagnate and that we do not omit any important details, we must carry on. Black Knight.”
The Hero: “With regards to this issue, apart from representing the Demon King’s authority over the many Tribes, as much as possible, I would like to seek and respect the counsel and advice of the Khans as we seek to hit the nail on the head. After all, I am still an outsider.”
The Queen of Fairies: “Don’t say such a thing.”
The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “We apologise for causing you any trouble, you are the will of the Demon King.”
The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “Yeah.”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “Anyone who has anything to say in opposition to that is a disgrace.”
The Baron of Steel: “What shall we discuss today?”
The East Fortress Base Commander: “Hmmm.”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “Firstly, I believe that domestic issues of each of the tribes should be settled internally, as they have always been. The purpose of this Kurultai is to address matters which affect the Demon King. In other words, problems which concern the entire Demon Race and the Subterranean World, matters between Tribes, and vital opinions. Or rather, issues which a single Tribe alone will be unable to settle.”
The Queen of Fairies: “Agreed.”
The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “I have no objection.”
The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “Sounds good.”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “So basically, we settle our own problems.”
The East Fortress Base Commander: “The most pressing issue is the Tribe of the Pale.”
The Cyclops: “…Yeah.”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “Indeed, the Tribe of the Pale has left the Kurultai and begun their independent movements. Reports have shown that they have returned to their own lands to regroup and reinforce at an alarming speed.”
The Queen of Fairies: “If the Tribe of the Pale has indeed made enemies out of the entire Demon Race and started on their path to brutality and carnage, then we the Tribe of the Fairies will not stand aside and let it happen.”
The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “We Banshees will also fight to the end, though I suppose it will be impossible to avoid enormous casualties.”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “The Tribe of the Fang too!”
The Hero: “No, wait for a while.”
The Cyclops: “…Why? …Black Knight?”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “What is your view?”
The Hero: “I have fought with their new King. His skills are the real deal. The Tribe of the Pale is really strong, stronger than we think.”
The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “Hmm… It seems that they’ve increased their abilities since the last chaotic period.”
The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “If the Black Knight says so, it must be so.”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “Well then, let us focus this session on resolving the issue with the Tribe of the Pale.”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “Yes.”
The Baron of Steel: “There are many other issues, but this is the most pressing one.”
The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “Let’s solve the issue ahead of us.”
The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “Good.”
The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “Firstly, the Tribe of the Pale has a new King. Secondly, this new King and the army which he now leads attempted to assassinate the Demon King and have then fled from the Kurultai. Thirdly, this new King and his army are currently heading back to their own territory. Fourthly, they number a few tens of thousands. Fifthly, the New King of the Pale bears the Sigil of the Successor to the Demon Throne and his battle ability is out of this world.”
The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “That sounds about right.”
The Baron of Steel: “What an extremely difficult situation.”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “In other words, the problem is…”
The Queen of Fairies: “This is the will of the entire Tribe of the Pale.”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “Huh? You’re saying that the whole tribe are traitors?”
The Queen of Fairies: “Not necessarily. Especially since the position of the New King of the Pale was decided officially at the Kurultai, even though it was a very rushed decision. Have we considered that the New King may be doing all this without any official authorisation?”
The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “Yeah.”
The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “In fact, the entire nation of the Tribe of the Pale may be unaware that it was actually the New King who has betrayed the Demon King.”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “In that case, how about we attack their cities before the armies of the Tribe of the Pale get there. If we do that, then whether the cat is white or black, it doesn’t matter. If it’s white, then we’ve reduced the number of enemy forces. If it’s black, we’ve managed to disrupt the enemy’s supply lines and prevent his units from joining up.”
The Baron of Steel: “That’s all very nice to say, but the Tribe of the Pale moves at a startling rate. Even if we left today to pursue them, we wouldn’t make it.”
The Cyclops: “…White… Black…”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “I believe that much is clear.”
The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “So what should we do?”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “Since we’re on the matter of their movement speed… We do not want to pursue the armies of the Pale. In other words, if we do manage to fight them, we will be in their lands, where their reinforcements can arrive easily. In fact, if we recklessly attack them, we will leave our own cities exposed. Rather, we cannot even ensure the safety of our own lands.”
The Queen of Fairies: “You have a point.”
The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “So what you’re saying is that using our forces to surround their cities will have the reverse effect?”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “What, so we can’t do that after all?”
The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “The combined strength of all our armies exceeds 50,000 strong. If we simply gather all our forces, the Tribe of the Pale will taste despair. The one who betrayed the Demon King is the New King, and he himself has even backstabbed the entire Demon World. In other words, this is an independent act from a single individual and so he may not have very much support. I do not believe that the Tribe of the Pale are all battle-crazed, blood-seeking maniacs.”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “How very troublesome…”
The Baron of Steel: “To begin with, the Tribe of the Pale has always had a very strict disciplinarian military junta in place. We must consider that possibility also.”
The Cyclops: “Hmm…”
The East Fortress Base Commander: (On the other hand, in the worst case scenario, if the New King goes so far as to take his entire Tribe, apart from the military hostage, some terrible things could happen. He’s the kind of guy who could do things that I never even imagined possible, like poisoning, assassination, and who knows what else. He could indeed be planning something truly heinous. This guy has got to be an unspeakable shock to the Demon World…)
The Fire Dragon Lord: “First, let us agree that we cannot avoid letting the armies of the Pale return to their lands. This is something which is beyond us.”
The Queen of Fairies: “Yes.”
The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “Indeed.”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “However, on top of that, we cannot let the Army of the Pale out of our sight. Having seen what terrible things they are capable of here, the Army of the Pale could be like a snake, moving through the Demon World and causing immense sacrifices in their wake.”
The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “Indeed.”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “The lands outside of those belonging to the Pale need to be heavily surveillanced so that we can have as early a warning as possible as to the movements of the Army of the Pale.”
The Queen of Fairies: “Let us Fairies assume this responsibility. We may be weak and small but we are invisible under the cover of darkness and noiseless as we move.”
The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “If the Fairies see anything, then the Tribe of the Fiends will relay the intelligence. The Fiends are everywhere throughout the Demon World after all. Since ancient times, we have always been the ones running the postage service and the pony express.”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “Is everybody agreeable?”
The East Fortress Base Commander nods.
The Chieftain of the Tattooed nods.
The Fire Dragon Lord: “Then we will leave this matter to the Fairies and the Fiends. If there is anything we can help with, do not hesitate to request it.”
The Queen of Fairies: “Understood.”
The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “Leave it to us.”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “Alright, let’s say we do discover the Army of the Pale.”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “Then we must strike fast and swiftly.”
The Baron of Steel: “How?”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “The Tribe of the Fang shall be the vanguard.”
The Cyclops: “…Hmm.”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “Because of this incident, we have suffered an extreme humiliation. We must be the first to throw our lives into the fray.”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “Is that alright, Witch-Queen?”
The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “…Hmm, I understand. Alright, I will leave the vanguard to you. However, the ones who have had the longest contact with the Pale are us Banshees. That’s why we will form the second formation. Should our lands become invaded though, then I cannot guarantee that we will not be the vanguard. To us, the protection of our country and our people is of utmost importance. I hope you will forgive me on this.”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “Of course I understand the desire to protect your own people. I will abide.”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “Well then, the Banshees and the Fang, I trust your skills, however I must reiterate that we do not yet know the true nature of the Tribe of the Demons of the Pale. Please exercise due caution.”
The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “Got it.”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “Leave it to us.”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “Well then, we the Dragons will take a support role. For the four Demon Tribes who have been mobilised, we will provide food and all necessary supplies.”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “Thank you!”
The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “I understand.”
The East Fortress Base Commander: “I have two points I wish to bring up.”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “What is it, Khan of the Gate?”
The East Fortress Base Commander: “The first is about the refugees. No matter how despicable the Tribe of the Pale has acted, the fact is that they are merely small fries carrying out the will of the government and there are, in fact, exceptions. The number is not very large but there are many living in the cities all over the place. I would like to ensure their protection.”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “Why do you care about such small details? It’s just a few people. I don’t even think they have any effect on us.”
The East Fortress Base Commander: “It’s true that they do not greatly affect the war. However, we should address this issue for the sake of the situation after the war. In fact, who can guarantee that we will not gang up on the Tribe of the Pale and exterminate them?”
The Cyclops: “…Hmm.”
The East Fortress Base Commander: “That’s what this war is starting to seem like. Can we promise that we won’t try to exterminate the Tribe of the Pale, massacre their women and children, and leave none standing? That would be extremely unlawful. However, how can we assure that the Tribe of the Pale will not hate us after this? From now on, they will tell stories to their descendants of ‘How the innocent and the defenceless Tribe of the Pale was beset on all sides by the heinous plots of the other Tribes,’ forming their national narrative to their children and grandchildren.”
The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “But that’s not true.”
The Hero: (…This guy has really read the situation completely.)
The East Fortress Base Commander: “That’s why we have to communicate the idea that that is not true, otherwise the situation could get bad very quickly. The Tribe of the Pale are but one race, and if we all unite against them, how can they win? We all the more need to settle the after-effects of the war. Sending all the troublesome elements to the City of the Gate is fine too. Here we’ve got all kinds of Demons, and even Humans, mixing around with each other. The damage they will incur will be small.”
The Baron of Steel nods.
The Fire Dragon Lord: “Right, and your other point?”
The East Fortress Base Commander: “This one is a bit more important. It’s about relief aid.”
The Queen of Fairies: “Hmm.”
The East Fortress Base Commander: “This is related to what I was saying earlier, but just what are we going to begin? Is this going to be a debate between comrades, or a full-blown war, or a series of small skirmishes?”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “Well, to begin with, the Tribe of the Pale unceremoniously betrayed and attacked us. We wish to have them take responsibility for their actions and clarify the blame.”
The Baron of Steel: “That’s right, we cannot allow these questions to remain unanswered.”
The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “But what does that have to do with the lives of the people? The Tribe of the Pale must accept the blame. That is the right thing to do, and they must also answer and address the concerns of our citizens.”
The East Fortress Base Commander: “Indeed.”
The Cyclops: “They must… tell the people… loudly.”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “Hmm.”
The East Fortress Base Commander: “I also believe that that is important. This is about prosecuting the New King of the Pale, who caused chaos in the Kurultai, who committed patricide, who proceeded to commandeer the Army of the Pale to attack the other Tribes.”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “Patricide?! For real?!”
The East Fortress Base Commander: “No, I can’t say for sure but that’s what they’re saying.”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “…I see.”
The Queen of Fairies: “It has not been confirmed, though.”
The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “So he must answer for all of these?”
The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “That is an interesting idea.”
The East Fortress Base Commander: “We should try to understand the fatigue and sadness in the hearts of our people who, despite earnestly tilling and cultivating their fields, have been forced to witness the savage destruction of their temples and lands due to the ravages of conflict. If their hearts get tired, then their hands stop and their feet stop. Once their body stops, what we are facing is famine. War is a very difficult thing but to the people, the most difficult thing is not knowing what to do. Because they do not know what their country or their soldiers are doing, they do not know what their next course of action should be. This feeling of powerlessness can really lower morale and make them feel like they have worthless presences which can steadily cause the decay of large parts of the society. Our cities, our people, our business, they will all decay. And all of these come from the decay of the morale in their hearts.”
The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “…”
The Hero: “…”
The East Fortress Base Commander: “Hence I believe that we should clearly lay out how the situation has come to be, what has happened, how bad the situation currently is, what our methods of dealing with the conflict are, and what we hope to gain from this war to the people. Well, this is a war, so of course we can’t possibly be telling them everything, and we don’t actually even need to tell them the entire truth…”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “Hmm, in other words, this is what you want to achieve? All of the people will now be firmly tied to the fate of the battle whether or not they participate in it directly; it’s a state of Total War* and everybody is a soldier. As generals, we should try to boost the morale of our soldiers.”
The East Fortress Base Commander: “Yes, yes. That’s what I mean.”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “However, hmm…”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “Alright then, we should decide just what sort of conclusion we are hoping to achieve in this battle against the Demons of the Pale.”
The Queen of Fairies: “…Conclusion.”
The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “That’s right. We will fight the Tribe of the Pale where they exit from their lands. But if we do only that, then the war will never end. I’m not saying that we should attack their cities and subjugate their lands, but how else can we end this war?”
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Explanation
Total War: This refers to the mobilisation of the industrial and military output of the entire country in times of war. In order to back up the war machine, even if not all the citizens go to the battlefield, they all still have important roles to play in ensuring the supply chain is maintained, the lack of which will lead to defeat. This concept was first promoted in the early 20th century during the First World War. The Base Commander and the Silver Tiger Lord’s dialogue on this matter also shows that they are aware of this condition.
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The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “Indeed.” (—Could the Demon King really have been considering our lives and futures all this while…)
The East Fortress Base Commander: “…This is very difficult. I have just joined the Council so I’m not completely cognizant of the relationships that each of the races has with the Tribe of the Pale yet.”
The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “Well, in more chaotic times, we the Tribe of the Banshees have been at war with the Tribe of the Pale for a very long time. You could say that there is a deep-seated hatred and resentment against the Tribe of the Pale. However, these were issues related to sovereignty and ownership of the land, and at the time, it was very common for wars to start for this reason.”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “We also were at a never-ending war with the Fiends.”
The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “At the time, all the Tribes, big or small, were fighting in the chaos. The neutral Tribes and the mercenary Tribes were also at loggerheads in trying to mediate or prevent the mediation of the conflict.”
The Hero: “I see…”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “Hmm.”
The Cyclops: “Tell… the people…”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “That’s right. First, let’s tell them, ‘The New King of the Pale has betrayed the Demon King and attacked the Kurultai.’ That’s a simple truth they should know about. To those citizens who are afraid of attacks by the Pale, we can tell them that the Army of the Pale has retreated to their own territory and they are in minimal danger at the time being. At the same time, we can also increase the size of our garrisons and provide more opportunities for recruitment.”
The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “That seems like an appropriate response.”
The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “As for how the war should be concluded, I believe we should gather feedback from the various Tribes and see what the public sentiment is like.”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “Then for now, this is how we will deal with the Pale.”
The East Fortress Base Commander: “Yeah.”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “Shall we return to our territories?”
The Baron of Steel: “Hmm… If I may have a word, Khan of the Gate. This is about trade.”
The East Fortress Base Commander: “Understood.”
The Cyclops: “…Actually, what if we spread some rumours about the loud one?”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “Is that alright, Black Knight?”
The Hero: “Ohh, it just gets better and better. Fire Dragon Lord, I’ll leave this one to you.”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “What are you saying! Hahahaha!”
The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “That being said, how is Her Majesty the Demon King?”
The Hero: “She still can’t get up from her bed but she seems to be doing much better.”
The East Fortress Base Commander: “That’s good.”
The Hero: “I’ll be sure to inform her of today’s proceedings.”
The Silver Tiger Lord: “Thank you, Black Knight.”
The Fire Dragon Lord: “Right then, that’s the end of today’s Conference. If nothing exceptional happens, the next Conference will take place in 40 days. Please continue to track and report on the movements of the Pale.”
Together: “Long live the Demon King!”
- Deep in the Demon King Castle, the Demon King’s Bedroom
The Female Paladin: “Hey, open your mouth.”
The Demon King: “…”
The Female Paladin: “What does that face mean?”
The Demon King: “This scene is something should be going on between the Hero and I…”
The Female Paladin: “The Hero is busy at the Conference.”
The Demon King: “That’s why I said…”
The Female Paladin: “Ahhhh.”
The Demon King: “Mm.”
The Female Paladin: “…Ahhh.”
The Demon King: “Uhh…”
The Female Paladin: “Here you go.”
The Demon King: “…How humiliating.”
The Female Paladin: “We’re friends, it’s weird that you care about this.”
The Demon King: “Really? Is that so?”
The Female Paladin: “Yes.”
The Demon King: “Well… When you speak to me or the Sisters, you use words which are a bit nicer.”
The Female Paladin: “…Really?”
The Demon King: “Yeah.”
The Female Paladin: “Well I suppose that’s what happens when you lead armies. You get used to speaking to men all the time, I suppose you use different words speaking to women.”
The Demon King: “I see.”
The Female Paladin: “…I guess it’s off-putting that I’m not womanly enough.”
The Demon King: “That’s not true, I find you very womanly.”
The Female Paladin: “…”
The Demon King: “?”
The Female Paladin: “Even though you’re the Demon King, I am not convinced.”
The Demon King: “Hmm. That’s not true. I… Well, it’s true that the size is big, but when it comes to maternal instinct, to loveliness and attention to detail… When it comes to being sexy, I still need a lot of guidance. When it comes to being a woman, I’m still vastly inferior to you.”
The Female Paladin: “I wouldn’t say that.”
The Demon King: “To begin with, what exactly does it mean to be womanly?”
The Female Paladin: “Yeah.”
The Demon King: “I’ve tried being like those ones in fairy tales, helping him pick his ear*, even sleeping in the same bed, but I don’t think it’s had a great effect on the Hero. …To begin with, it feels like the world keeps trying to crash in between us every time there’s an opening, we’re never going to become a couple.”
The Female Paladin: “I may be slightly biased about this but I think there’s something we should consider.”
The Demon King: “Really?”
The Female Paladin: “…I don’t know why though.”
The Demon King: “Oh come on.”
The Female Paladin: “Maybe it’s the Hero who has been avoiding us.”
The Demon King: “…”
The Female Paladin: “…”
The Demon King: “Let’s stop this conversation.”
The Female Paladin: “Yeah.”
The Demon King: “Ahh! It’s really going to be nostalgic having the Little Sister Maid’s cooking again.”
The Female Paladin: “Of course. Even though the cooking in this castle is really good too.”
The Demon King: “That’s right, the Little Maid Sister’s cooking has a certain special taste that the food here doesn’t.”
The Female Paladin: “Yeah, I know what you’re saying.”
The Demon King: “I want pie.”
The Female Paladin: “Ahahahahaha. I know how you feel. But, this is what we’ve got right now. Ahhhhh.”
The Demon King: “…”
The Female Paladin: “Hehehe.”
The Demon King: “This is really humiliating.”
The Female Paladin: “When you get healthier you can take revenge.”
The Demon King: “Of course. Only the Hero is allowed to do this.”
The Female Paladin: “Eh?”
The Demon King: “I know just what you’re trying to do!”
- The Holy Empire, the Merchant’s Quarter
Wheat Wholesaler: “Wheat! Wheat! Barley too, just in! Freshly harvested! It’ll taste great as bread or even oatmeal! One bag for just five new silvers!”
Obese Citizen: “What about the old silvers?”
Wheat Wholesaler: “We don’t accept them. You can’t use that money in the Holy Empire. The only people who use that currency are the barbarians of the South.”
Travelling Merchant: “But there’re still lots of old silver and gold coins in the city…”
Wheat Wholesaler: “Just go to the municipal office and you’ll be able to exchange your old currency for the new currency.”
Obese Citizen: “But three and a half old gold coins are only worth one new gold coin…”
Travelling Merchant: “It’s a really bad timing.”
Wheat Wholesaler: “Alright, freshly ground wheat! How about some wheat?”
Obese Citizen: “…Only the really rich can afford to eat such wheat.”
Travelling Merchant: “Dammit.”
Walks further.
Innkeeper: “That being said, have you heard the rumour?”
Obese Citizen: “Rumour?”
Travelling Merchant: “The rumour about the Village of the Children of Light?”
Innkeeper: “Yeah, that one.”
Obese Citizen: “What is it?”
Innkeeper: “Apparently, beginning in the Holy Empire, there have been new villages appearing all over the Continent. Most of them are near the forests, or in the mountains, or in those old, extinct villages that used to be ancient battlegrounds. Those villages have great wheat harvest and nobody worries about going hungry.”
Obese Citizen: “What’s that all about!”
Travelling Merchant: “It seems like this isn’t made up. The Church has been gathering farmers and settlers to train for some kind of special duty.”
Innkeeper: “This is the latest news but it seems that the whole point of this is the Holy Relic.”
Obese Citizen: “Holy Relic…?”
Innkeeper: “You’ll be shocked when I say this but apparently, it’s the remains of the Spirit Himself!”
Obese Citizen: “What?!”
Travelling Merchant: “What?! Is that for real?”
Innkeeper: “Well, it’s a rumour so I can’t say for sure.”
Obese Citizen: “I always thought the Spirit was like the wind or a ray of light.”
Travelling Merchant: “Yeah.”
Innkeeper: “It seems the Church is saying that the Demons have stolen the Holy Relic. In order to seize back the Holy Relic, they’re going to need a lot of elite soldiers. That’s the whole point of the Villages of the Children of Light.”
Obese Citizen: “Hmm… Well, they don’t go hungry.”
Travelling Merchant: “I’ve heard about this in other cities too.”
Innkeeper: “It’s the blessings of the Spirit. They say in those villages, they get bread twice a day, and for lunch*, they get stew. The bread they eat in the evenings is white and fluffy.”
Obese Citizen: “White bread?!”
Travelling Merchant: “That sounds really extravagant.”
Innkeeper: “Yeah.”
Travelling Merchant: “How wonderful.”
Innkeeper: “It seems that the Church is really serious about this.”
Travelling Merchant: “Serious…?”
Innkeeper: “Yeah, it’s just between us, but it seems that the reason for the hike in the price of wheat is because the Church has been buying up all the wheat and sending them to the Villages of the Children of Light.”
Obese Citizen: “!”
Travelling Merchant: “Really? I suppose that’s possible.”
Innkeeper: “Right?”
Obese Citizen: “But if they do that, we’re really going to have a war.”
Travelling Merchant: “I guess so. But it’s for the Spirit, so there’s nothing for it.”
Innkeeper: “Yeah, Spirit be with us.”
Obese Citizen: “Spirit be with us! At least with some paltry black bread, so we can live.”
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Explanation
Lunch: People in the Middle Ages generally ate three meals a day, but out of these, the most important was lunch. Breakfast and dinner were all light meals while lunch provided energy to do the day’s work.
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Travelling Merchant: “But I guess I would really like to take a look at one of these villages.”
Obese Citizen: “Rather than just look, I’d like to live there. Wouldn’t you? To retrieve the remains of the Spirit for a righteous war, and you even get food to eat. Rather than starving here, I want to go to that village.”
Clergyman: “That’s not impossible.”
Travelling Merchant: “Eh?”
Clergyman: “I apologise, I could not help but overhear your conversation… The number of Villages of the Children of Light are increasing as war with the pusillanimous Demon Race draws nearer. You should try coming for confessions every night. We will be choosing some excellent people to establish a new Village of the Children of Light soon. The place will be packed with people trying to achieve this special blessing.”
Innkeeper: “For real, Your Holiness!”
Obese Citizen: “Really?!”
Clergyman: “I am not a bishop yet but this is not a lie. Even tonight, a new squad is assembling their luggage and mobilising.”
Obese Citizen: “I want to go too!”
Travelling Merchant: “Me too!”
Clergyman: “Then, you must surely come to the Church. His Holiness is waiting for your righteous contribution.”
- The City of the Gate, a Cheap Motel
Disciple Engineer: “Well, this is great.”
Disciple Bard: “Mm. Yeah…”
Disciple Engineer: “Is this sheep*? I’ve never eaten it before.”
Disciple Bard: “Yeah, the Surface World keeps them as livestock.”
Disciple Engineer: “The Surface World? To be expected of the City of the Gate. There’re lots of interesting food. I discover new things every day. Even the architecture is completely new and interesting.”
Disciple Bard: “Yeah…”
Disciple Engineer: “What’s up?”
Disciple Bard: “Eh? — No, nothing.”
Disciple Engineer: “This is great… Yum, yum.”
Disciple Bard: “…”
Disciple Engineer: “Alright, here we go!”
Disciple Bard: “Hey, we’re eating, put the maps away.”
Disciple Engineer: “Sorry, sorry. But I’ve got a whole bunch of new ideas and techniques that I’ve picked up. I feel like I should write a memo so I don’t forget them.”
Disciple Bard: “You stupid engineer.”
Disciple Engineer: “It can’t be helped, I want that bridge up as soon as possible.”
Disciple Bard: “Bridge?”
Disciple Engineer: “Yeah.”
Disciple Bard: “You’ve really changed.”
Disciple Engineer: “Is that so? I was about to say that about you as well.”
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Explanation
Sheep: For about 10,000 years, sheep have been reared by humans as livestock. Their meat is more nutritious than that of mountain goats and they are capable of surviving in harsher climates than pigs, hence making them one of the most versatile livestock. Moreover, sheep’s wool can be used to make clothes as their hide can be used to produce leather and vellum. Truly a livestock for which no part is wasted. Even today, many people live the nomadic life, herding their sheep from pasture to pasture.
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Disciple Bard: “Eh?”
Disciple Engineer: “You’re the one who sings like you’re possessed and you actually go on for hours writing new plays.”
Disciple Bard: “Well, I guess.”
Disciple Engineer: “That’s something that comes from inside you, right?”
Disciple Bard: “Eh?”
Disciple Engineer: “In other words, that’s the way you express what’s inside your heart to somebody else, even without using words. Building that route, for me, is like water just waiting to gush out, it feels like it’s about to overflow and when it crashes down, I want to stand up and shout, ‘Build it faster! Finish it faster!’ But, you know? Once we finish that bridge, people will be able to satisfy their stomachs and their heart’s desires without having to risk their lives to transport their goods. The faster we do this, the better their lives will be.”
Disciple Bard: “…Yeah.”
Disciple Engineer: “?”
Disciple Bard: “It’s like a song. It’s a harmony which uses a voice to express the voiceless emotion you’ve created. Inside your heart, you can already hear the fiddle*, the lyre*, the cornetto* echoing bravely. It makes you want to hurry up and produce that melody.”
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Explanation
Fiddle: This was originally a woodwind instrument similar to the piccolo and was often used to play folk-songs. Over time, the definition was extended to the violin.
Lyre: The lyre is an ancient Greek stringed instrument much like a harp. It is often featured in Greek frescoes and drawings, and has the shape of an omega (?). Over time, this has evolved into many different instruments such as harps and lutes.
Cornetto: The cornetto or the zink is a brass instrument shaped like an animal’s horn. In ancient times, a real horn was probably used. It was extensively used in 15th - 16th century European music.
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Disciple Engineer: “Hmm. So I suppose you understand. In any case, because of this, I can’t take my mind off it even when we’re eating.”
Disciple Bard: “Hey, Engineer.”
Disciple Engineer: “What? …Nomnomnom.”
Disciple Bard: “Have you heard about the Holy Relic?”
Disciple Engineer: “Huh? What’s that?”
Disciple Bard: “I’m not really sure. But it seems like there some kind of rumour that’s been going on here.”
Disciple Engineer: “Mmm.”
Disciple Bard: “I was really drawn by that rumour. Sometimes when the wind of curiosity blows too strong, I feel that I must go out and do something, like my soul itself is being propelled towards it. I start dancing and when I stop, I cannot hear the sounds of my surroundings or the environment. All I hear are the echoes of that siren call in my head…”
Disciple Engineer: “…”
Disciple Bard: “I want to go on a trip.”
Disciple Engineer: “Yeah.”
Disciple Bard: “But I also want to be together with you.”
Disciple Engineer: “Yeah.”
Disciple Bard: “…”
Disciple Engineer: “…”
Disciple Bard: “…”
Disciple Engineer: “Don’t make such a face.”
Disciple Bard: “But—”
Disciple Engineer: “Will you go far? To the Surface?”
Disciple Bard: “Yeah… I don’t know when I’ll be back.”
Disciple Engineer: “But you will be back?”
Disciple Bard: “Of course I will.”
Disciple Engineer: “Then nothing is going to change. Go ahead.”
Disciple Bard: “But…”
Disciple Engineer: “Hahahahaha.”
Disciple Bard: “…?”
Disciple Engineer: “Then I’ll make a splendid bridge, and it will welcome you when you come home.”
Disciple Bard: “Ahh—”
Disciple Engineer: “Just go! My bridge will always be waiting for you to come back. Of course, I will too. My bridge is just waiting for a true legend to pass through. The Genius Writer of the Subterranean World! The Demon Singer! The Demon Singer who headed to the Surface World and discovered the most beautiful and melodious music a person could create! My bridge will be the path through which this music passes.”
Disciple Bard: “Yeah.”
Disciple Engineer: “Go see some wonderful things.”
Disciple Bard: “I’ll make sure to hear a lot of beautiful things.”
Disciple Engineer: “We’ll meet again in this City.”
Disciple Bard: “Yeah… It’s a promise.”
Disciple Engineer: “We are Crimson Disciples after all.”
Disciple Bard: “Yeah, it’s a promise.”
- Deep in the Demon King Castle, the Demon King’s Bedroom
Knock knock.
The Hero: “…Hmm.”
Knock knock.
The Hero: “Must be sleeping.”
Door opens slowly.
The Demon King: “…”
The Hero: “She is sleeping.”
The Demon King: “Mmm.”
The Hero: “That’s a very adorable face to make while sleeping.”
The Demon King: “…”
The Hero: “Well, there’s no choice. Even though it was a long trip…”
The Demon King: “…”
The Hero: “…”
The Demon King: “…”
The Hero: “Her hair is so soft… She’s a real beauty, I hope she realises that one day.”
The Demon King: “…”
The Hero: “Eh?”
The Demon King: “…”
The Hero: “Demon King.”
The Demon King: “…?…”
The Hero: “Are you awake?”
The Demon King: “…”
The Hero: “…”
The Demon King rubs her eyes.
The Hero: “Good morning.”
The Demon King: “…Good morning.”
The Hero: “Still sleepy?”
The Demon King: “I want some tea.”
The Hero: “Sure. Looks like the Chief Maid left some here.”
The Demon King: “Thanks.”
Pours tea.
The Hero: “I’m home, Demon King.”
The Demon King: “Welcome back, Hero.”
The Hero: “Is your chest alright?”
The Demon King: “Yeah, it’s not painful anymore. I’m breathing normally too.”
The Hero: “Then I suppose you can get out of bed soon.”
The Demon King: “I’ve had enough of it, it’s too lazy.”
The Hero: “Alright, I’ve brought lots of presents today.”
The Demon King: “What?”
The Hero: “First, this. Can you see it? It’s the Little Sister Maid’s new creation, Custard Pudding*.”
The Demon King: “?”
The Hero: “You’ll understand when you eat it.”
The Demon King: “Mmm… Ah! This is—”
The Hero: “Delicious?”
The Demon King: “It’s not sweet! It’s cold… and creamy… I’ve never had it before. What’s this? Is it the sap of some tree? It’s completely new.”
The Hero: “It’s egg and sugar.”
The Demon King: “What… From the most regular of ingredients, what kind of techniques were used to make something so radically different.”
The Hero: “Yeah, I was shocked by that too.”
The Demon King: “What an interesting deliciousness. The Chief Maid said this too, ‘Cooking is an essential skill for any maid but that girl’s extremely gluttony behaviour has caused her to transcend the culinary powers of even the most powerful of Demons.’”
The Hero: “Hahaha! Indeed.”
The Demon King: “This is really yummy.”
The Hero: “I’ve got other stuff.”
The Demon King: “?”
The Hero: “Here. This is from the Base Commander.”
The Demon King: “Oh, a letter… Give me a knife.”
The Hero: “Yeah.”
Cuts.
The Demon King: “…And this is from the Young Merchant. Hmm. It was made in one of the manufactories in the City of the Gate.”
The Hero: “That’s fast.”
The Demon King: “I met him earlier.”
The Hero: “What an unpleasant yet necessary relationship.”
The Demon King: “What?”
The Hero: “It was a while ago but you gave him a trading decree for the City of the Gate, right? It’s your personal demesne, so it’s fine, I guess.”
The Demon King: “Yeah, he wrote it here too. These are greetings, but also a confirmation. It shouldn’t be much of a problem this time… But if we continue to issue such trading licenses without limitations, we might have a lot of trouble.”
The Hero: “Trouble?”
The Demon King: “They might buy, sell, or borrow trading decrees.”
The Hero: “Ahh, I see.”
The Demon King: “Well, the Young Merchant probably wouldn’t do such a thing that would destroy our trust in him.”
The Hero: “Oh, then?”
The Demon King: “He wants to introduce livestock, like sheep and cattle, and also a clear financial and banking structure.
The Hero: “What? Isn’t there already a financial structure? Seems like the money is used pretty normally.”
The Demon King: “It’s true that it can be used, but it’s basically just extracting gold and using it directly. Before this whole affair with the Humans began, in other words, before I even met you, I had been trying to revolutionise the economy of the Demon World but at that time we were still in experimental stages.”
The Hero: “Hmm.”
The Demon King: “If you’re talking about the Blessings of the Earth, the Demon World has more blessings than the Surface World. We don’t have many areas which are extremely cold and we do have many undeveloped lands. These can be sources of conflict. In the Demon World, more than the Human World, civil engineering works like irrigation and water treatment as well as cultural works like music or legends are extremely important. In response to this—”
The Hero: “What?”
The Demon King: “Uhh, well… Actually, I have a few students here.”
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Explanation
Pudding: Along with a variety of other ingredients, pudding achieves its consistency through the addition of gelatin or corn starch. Pudding’s versatility means that it can be used as an ingredient, a main dish, or a dessert. Custard pudding is widely consumed in Japan, where it is known as purin. It became extremely popular around the turn of the 17th century.
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The Hero: “Huh?”
The Demon King: “Because I’ve been gallivanting with you, I’ve kind of abandoned them.”
The Hero: “Hey, hey!”
The Demon King: “Well, they’re good youngsters. It’s not like they’ll die if I let them be.”
The Hero: “That’s a very abandonist thinking.”
The Demon King: “The world isn’t in the best of shape to have their techniques applied, so they haven’t really been doing anything.”
The Hero: (I feel quite sorry for them…)
The Demon King: “Well, that’s what it’s like in the Demon World. To begin with, it’s obvious that the Demon World is a place for the Tribes to gain riches. If they can build their houses and their fields in peace, then they’ll be able to become prosperous. As a result of this, the currency system needs to be revolutionised in order to boost the economy and the agricultural sector. The Subterranean World could really benefit from such changes.”
The Hero: “I see. Then what of the Young Merchant’s proposal?”
The Demon King: “On the issue of the banks, I’ll put that on hold first. It’s far too early, and I wouldn’t want a situation where the financial institutions of both worlds are controlled by one person. I’ll write back to explain this situation. As for the sheep and cattle, I have no intention of stopping it. It’s actually probably a good thing.”
The Hero: “Now that I think about it, the guy doesn’t know that the Scholar is the Demon King.”
The Demon King: “Really?”
The Hero: “He knows that you’re a Demon, but I don’t think he’s considered that you were the Demon King.”
The Demon King: “In that case, I’ll use the royal stationery of the Demon King. In fact, I’ll put the royal seal on it.”
The Hero: “Really?”
The Demon King: “Or maybe I’ll just leave it as it is. It’s better for him to realise it naturally. I’ll reply in a while.”
The Hero: “Alright. Next thing.”
The Demon King: “What’s next?”
The Hero: “This is a letter from the Elder Sister Maid. It’s quite heavy.”
Rips open.
The Demon King: “Hohoho.”
Unfurls letter.
The Hero: “What does it say?”
The Demon King: “This is… Hmm. It’s a report on the potato cultivation. This is a daily summary of the Village of Wintering. This is a report on the tax receipts of the Kingdom of Winter. Ohh, did she get it from the Disciple Merchant? It’s even got the seal of the Minister of Finance.”
The Hero: “Is it interesting?”
The Demon King: “It’s very interesting. This GDP* report is really amazing. As I expected, once you get rid of the heavy burden of having to constantly prepare for war, you can really make some gains.”
The Hero: “The Three Kingdoms have been trying to deal with the massive influx of refugees and settlers recently. It seems that the Disciple Merchant and the Disciple Soldier have been cooperating on this matter.”
The Demon King: “Yeah, the Elder Sister Maid wrote about that…”
The Hero: “What’s up?”
The Demon King: “Even though they’ve been coming up with all of these special methods, it’s still hard to say what the results of it will be. The idea of half-civilian, half-militia settlers in the Kingdom of Metal is very interesting. It’s quite contrary to the idea of conscription. With regards to income, it’s true that Public Corporations* can indeed form the cornerstone of the industry, however, the big issue will be the productivity?”
The Hero: “What about it?”
The Demon King: “From an economic standpoint… It refers to the rate at which products are created.”
The Hero: “Hmm.”
The Demon King: “It’s the Disciple Soldier’s idea but for the time being, they are using all the refugees and the settlers as soldiers. This has the effect of restoring order while dealing with the short term problem of unemployment. It also has the effect of creating new settlements and constructing new infrastructure like roads.”
The Hero: “Yeah, so it reduces crimes and at the same time develops some important structures, right? And all of this can be done simultaneously.”
The Demon King: “That’s right. You’re catching on to things quicker than before.”
The Hero: “That’s because you talk about these sorts of things all the time.”
The Demon King: “However, in the event that this continues, it could possibly lead to a state of negligence. The settlers may not find an incentive to working hard on their potato plantations, since whether or not they work hard, they will still receive a salary from the state from their being soldiers.”
The Hero: “Yeah… Now that you say it.”
The Demon King: “That’s why at this rate, productivity rates are likely to fall. We may also have an issue of increasing corruption or the rigidity of social class. It’s a state of social laziness caused by the devaluation of effort among the citizens.”
The Hero: “Then, isn’t this a stupid scheme? Shouldn’t we put an end to it?”
The Demon King: “No, that’s not it. Everything has its advantages and disadvantages. Like we said before, it’s true that it has many advantages, especially for solving the problem we have at hand. With this many refugees coming in, the fact is that there isn’t much arable land available. If we didn’t do anything, people would die from hunger. In order to open up more land, we needed to build more settlements. Furthermore, increased organisation along military lines may have its productive benefits as well.”
The Hero: “Hmm…”
The Demon King: “The Disciple Soldier has probably also already considered this, which is why he has established that they be relieved of service after five years. After that, they will have to earn their living through their own hands. If we stop supporting them, a few will probably fail, but it’s not a bad response. It’s good to come up with new plans, but it’s also important to correct and improve existing ones.”
The Hero: “Demon King.”
The Demon King: “?”
The Hero: “I’m sorry that you have to keep teaching me these things. I’m pretty bad at these sorts of things, so you must be fairly irritated with me.”
The Demon King: “That’s not true. Sometimes when my disciples don’t listen to what I’m saying, I feel like stuffing them with black powder. Of course, I want to light the fuse too.”
The Hero: “But you always seem happy to talk about your students.”
The Demon King: “Really? I don’t think so.”
The Hero: “I think it’s a good thing.”
The Demon King: “Hmm.”
The Hero: “Well, whatever. Hey.”
The Demon King: “?”
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Explanation
Public Corporation: This refers to a company or an enterprise which is run by the government. Because it is not focussed on making profits but rather providing services to the people, it is more capable of sustaining in the long-term. Furthermore, since it works for the good of the people, it can tolerate running into debts. However, there are many negative points, especially since employees perceive that they will still get paid no matter how hard they work. This may lead to laziness and inefficiency.
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The Hero: “Here.”
The Demon King: “What is it? What is it?”
The Hero: “It’s more custard pudding.”
The Demon King: “Really… Mmm, it’s delicious.”
The Hero: “Would you like another one?”
The Demon King: “Sure.”
The Hero: “That was fast.”
The Demon King: “No point dawdling when there’s good food to be had.”
The Hero: “Mmm… Yummy.”
The Demon King: “Yeah. This is really the best.”
The Hero: “Shall we just eat half of it?”
The Demon King: “Why?”
The Hero: “It wouldn’t be very nice to eat the Chief Maid’s and the Female Paladin’s share as well.”
The Demon King: “Oh, that’s right… But I want to eat more.”
The Hero: “…? Hmm, you’re right.”
The Demon King: “Hero.”
The Hero: “?”
The Demon King: “Look, you’ve got some on your mouth, Hero.”
The Hero: “You’ve got even more. You’re really bad at this.”
The Demon King: “I’ve got no choice. I’m lying down so it’s not easy to eat.”
The Hero: “I guess you don’t. Here, ahhhh.”
The Demon King: “Really? Ah, ah you don’t have to! It’s cool! But you don’t have to if you don’t want to! I can wait, right?!”
The Hero: “You don’t want to eat?”
The Demon King: “No! I do! I do! I want to eat it eat all!”
The Hero: “What is going on.”
The Demon King: “I want to eat!”
The Hero: “Y-yeah.”
The Demon King: “…Mmm…”
The Hero: “Ahh… Umm, is it… that good?”
The Demon King: “Yeah, it’s really sweet.”
The Hero: “I see. Here, you’ve got some on your mouth.”
The Demon King: “Wait!”
The Hero: “Huh?”
The Demon King: “The custard on your finger is mine.”
The Hero: “?!”
The Demon King: “We’re only allowed to eat half, so it’s very precious. I’m not the kind of person who would go around breaking promises.”
The Hero: “Uhh, yeah.”
The Demon King: “Yumm. Bring some more when you come again.”
The Hero: “G-got it…”
The Demon King: “?”
The Hero: “Nothing!”
The Demon King: “Really? I’m content. That was delicious.”
The Hero: “Yes, yes.”
The Demon King: “As expected, feeding me is something the Hero should do. My heart is pounding from something a close friend could never do for me.”
The Hero: “Uhhh.”
The Demon King: “What?”
The Hero: “Nothing. I’ll go deliver some pudding to the Chief Maid.”
Runs out.
The Demon King: “What a strange Hero.”
- The City of the Gate, the Hall of the Merchant’s Union
The Fire Dragon Lady: “Thank you.”
Union Merchant: “Don’t worry about it.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “I’m back.”
Shrewd Accountant: “Welcome back. How is it?”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “As expected, we came to the conclusion that the road must be built.”
Union Merchant: “Infrastructure, eh.”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Hey! Dragon Lady!”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “It has been a while, Middle Aged Merchant.”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Wow. In the short time since I’ve seen you, you’ve become really wonderful. These clothes and that blouse, are they from the Surface?”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “They’re more suited for movement and it’s easier to conduct business in. The robes of the Dragon Tribe are beautiful, but they’re all inked so it’s very troublesome if they get dirty.”
Union Merchant: “Hahahaha. It really suits you, Princess.”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Eh? Why are you calling her princess?”
Shrewd Accountant: “Welcome back, Middle Ages Merchant, Milady.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “I’m back. That’s just a joke among the merchants here.”
Shrewd Accountant: “You’re a Lady, after all. It’s not that much of a stretch to call you a princess.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “Hmph. Don’t think that’ll put you on my good side.”
Union Merchant: “More importantly, the list you requested is ready.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “Thanks…”
Middle Aged Merchant: “What’s this?”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “It’s the results of the census and quality of life survey which we’ve been conducting. We don’t have guilds so it’s hard to track the movement of talent. You merchants are very organised…”
Young Merchant: “Hey, welcome back.”
Shrewd Accountant: “Councillor.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “You’ve come at a good time.”
Middle Aged Merchant: “For me as well.”
Young Merchant: “That was quick. You are both very hasty.”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Hahaha. Haste is a virtue for a merchant.”
Young Merchant: “Some tea, if you will.”
Union Merchant: “Right away.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “Right, you start first.”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Yeah. First I’ve got a report. With regards to the construction of the bridges across the portal, we may be completing it earlier than expected. To begin with, we’ve increased the amount of manpower and by this week, a lot of the wooden bridges should already be constructed.”
Young Merchant: “Very good. In that case, we should still have time to spare.”
Middle Aged Merchant: “I would like to speak to you about what happens after.”
Young Merchant: “Yeah, is this about the expansion of the projection and the construction of the full route?”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Yes. How is it?”
Young Merchant: “Of course, we would like that to commence. However, we have to consider the time and monetary expenses incurred for an eight year project. If this was all borne by the Union, it could be very difficult.”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Which is why I’ve come up with a new proposal.”
Young Merchant: “Proposal?”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Look at this. This is a map of our observations of the portal.”
Young Merchant: “Eh, what’s this? A waterway? A canal?”
Middle Aged Merchant: “No, it’s more like a sort of well.”
Young Merchant: “Hmm.”
Middle Aged Merchant: “In other words, you can look at this as a road for people and travellers to walk along, but you can also look at it as a sort of special, massive hole. That’s what the architect said, anyway.”
Young Merchant: “Mmhmm.”
Middle Aged Merchant: “And that’s what this slide-like well is for. Of course, we can’t put fragile items on it, but sufficiently durable goods can be ‘dropped’ through it.”
Young Merchant: “Eh?”
Middle Aged Merchant: “We drop it. They’re tied to a cord and placed on a special platform.”
Young Merchant: “Over such a great distance?! No matter how padded the thing is, it’ll be smashed into bits.”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Well, no actually. This is the place where that ‘gravity’ thing I talked to you about gets reversed. If we use this to our advantage, it will come to a point where it has no weight. Well, rather than saying it has no weight, the weight gets reversed? I’m not too sure about the specifics, but basically it will get to a point where the force works backwards and starts drawing it back to the centre, hence it will contribute to slowing down the speed of the object. Umm, you can think of it as gravity acting as the weight on a moveable pulley system.”
Young Merchant: “Uhh.”
Middle Aged Merchant: “On the other side, we can install a water wheel and use the force of the moving water to pull the goods up. The signal can be given using a polished metal disc as a reflector.”
Young Merchant: “And exactly what effect will this have?”
Middle Aged Merchant: “We can really boost the efficiency. We’ll need to have manpower stationed at the various intermediate points throughout the portal. The workflow will be similar to that in a mine. If we can establish this system, even through the most difficult of routes we’ll probably be able to safely deliver twenty caravans of goods a day.”
Young Merchant: “Please further research this.”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Will you provide the funds for the research?”
Young Merchant: “I’ll get approval from the other merchants.”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Please try to be quick about this. The old men in the Council of Ten might not be so receptive.”
Young Merchant: “Sure.”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Alright. I should get going then. There is work to be done.”
Young Merchant: “Yes.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “Let’s meet again.”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Sure, princess. We should have dinner some time.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “I’m not a princess.”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Hahahaha! Goodbye!”
Door closes.
Shrewd Accountant: “He’s really invested in the whole bridges and roads building thing.”
Young Merchant: “I’ve heard about this from some travelling merchants, but it seems he’s found some incredible talent.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “At this rate, we’ll soon have a splendid route going. I can see this route really bringing life to our trade.”
Young Merchant: “Yeah. — Oh, you had something for me?”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “As expected, we’re having difficulties with establishing the Northern Gate as the centre. That area was often attacked in the past, so much of it is in ruins now. It’s probably about time for us to try and improve it, but we’ll need to seek the opinions of the Self-Governing Council.”
Young Merchant: “What sorts of plans do you have for it?”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “As of now, I’m thinking of a Merchant’s Quarter or a residential district.”
Young Merchant: “Hmm…”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “What do you think of the leaf-spring loaded horse carriages?”
Young Merchant: “Those are great inventions. They’ve really dramatically reduced the shaking on carriages.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “They’re technological gifts from the Tribe of Automatons. They’ve expressed a proposal where we offer to them a district in the City in return for their continued assistance.”
Young Merchant: “Oh.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “The Tribe of Automatons have had a long history of being oppressed. In order to prevent a repeat of that history, they’ve been working hard to improve their lot…”
Young Merchant: “I’ve also got some new movements I’ve been expecting.”
The Fire Dragon Lady nods.
Young Merchant: “Have the Wheat Futures Certificates been concluded?”
Shrewd Accountant: “Yes, they’ve all been sold.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “Wheat Futures Certificates? Is this about the wheat which you’d gathered throughout the spring? Are you letting them all go?”
Shrewd Accountant: “Yeah.”
Young Merchant: “We’ve sold them all.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “Why? Wasn’t the point of buying all that weight to improve the situation in the Tripartite Union?”
Young Merchant: “I’m not really the guardian of their Economic Union.”
Young Merchant: “Please think about this. Those Wheat Futures Certificates are very powerful weapons and they are really dangerous for the enemy. However, if as a consequence, the lords of the knights and armies are toppled economically, that is not what we are aiming to achieve at all. Of course, we should be prepared to accept large sacrifices in this economic attack but to sustain this much damage, we’ll need money. It’s already served its purpose.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “Who are you selling it to?”
Young Merchant: “The Church. The one in the Central Continent.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “What?”
Young Merchant: “They’re a target which can never be toppled. Of course, the Tripartite Union and countries friendly to them will continue to sell wheat to us, but in the end, our main business comes from countries affiliated with the Holy Church of Light.”
Shrewd Accountant: “It’s very good business.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “Really?”
Young Merchant: “The big movement which I was speaking to you about is the exchange of old currency with new currency. At the time of this exchange, all of our liquid financial assets have been converted to these Wheat Futures Certificates. In other words, we don’t have any of that now-worthless old currency.”
Shrewd Accountant: “Now that we’ve sold off all of the Wheat Futures Certificates, we’ve made a lot of new currency. Thanks to that influx of new currency, we’ve managed to restore the financial reserves of the Union. — No, actually, they’ve been increased by a lot. Moreover, since the Church bought the Wheat Futures Certificates at such a high price, it will not be in their interest to allow the price of wheat to fall. If they do that, they would lose a lot of money. In order to recoup their losses, they would need to sell it off at a high price as well but if they do that, then their own people will starve. In any case, it’s their problem now.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “…How callous.”
Young Merchant: “I will take that as a compliment.”
Shrewd Accountant: “It’s impossible getting a very detailed report but I can roughly tell you the results in general.”
Young Merchant: “Mmm…”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “How much have you made?”
Young Merchant: “Well, let’s see… We’ve managed to change the exchange rate of the old currency to the new currency from three-to-one to four-to-one. That would put the price increase of the Wheat Futures Certificates at somewhere between seventy to fifty percent, not including the inflation of the certificates themselves…”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “Then you’ve… almost doubled your initial reserves?!”
Young Merchant: “Not by that much. It cost quite a bit to transport and maintain all those grain reserves. Furthermore, we had to buy quite a lot of potatoes from the Tripartite Union at a cost, so that cost quite a bit too.”
Shrewd Accountant: “Yeah… that drained quite a bit.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “So you didn’t make any profit?”
Young Merchant: “Don’t be so downhearted.”
Shrewd Accountant: “Hahahaha. The princess is so obsessed with profit, perhaps she is slowly transforming into a merchant of the Union herself.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “That’s not true. I’m just quite interested in how you merchants can take a lousy pearl, grind it a bit, and sell it for some insane profit.”
Young Merchant: “Well, we didn’t double our initial capital but at the very least we’ve definitely made some profit. We’ve made about as much profit this year as the sum of the last four years.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “Isn’t that enough?”
Shrewd Accountant: “But the real treasure is not gold. Gold is just a tool.”
Young Merchant: “Yes, of course. Now is the time to use that money to buy very valuable connections and business opportunities. You could say that the union has won this battle, but the business battle has just begun.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “Who is your next target?”
Young Merchant: “Well, let’s drink a toast first before we come to that.”
The Fire Dragon Lady: “Hahaha. Just make sure to keep me in the loop.”
- The Village of Wintering, the Demon King’s Manor
(—We may be troublesome, but are you just going to hide us here all the time?)
Elder Sister Maid: “…”
Little Sister Maid: “Sis!”
Elder Sister Maid: “…”
Little Sister Maid: “Hey! Hey!”
Elder Sister Maid: “Ah, what?”
Little Sister Maid: “Don’t space out!”
Elder Sister Maid: “Sorry. What is it?”
Little Sister Maid: “There’s a draft in the guestroom, we need to go take the linen.”
Elder Sister Maid: “Oh, right. Sure.”
Little Sister Maid: “Yeah! Lalalala!”
Elder Sister Maid: “Hey…”
Little Sister Maid: “What?”
Elder Sister Maid: “Are you happy?”
Little Sister Maid: “Yeah! I’m really happy every day. I love our job!”
Elder Sister Maid: “I see.”
Little Sister Maid: “It’s warm, and the blankets are soft. Every day we have lots to eat, and the Mistress and the Chief Maid and the Hero and everyone is really nice to us, and I really love them.”
Elder Sister Maid: “I see…”
Little Sister Maid: “Yeah!”
Elder Sister Maid: “…Lalalala. ?”
Little Sister Maid: “Get that side.”
Elder Sister Maid: “Yeah.”
Little Sister Maid: “Stuff the sheets in nicely.”
Elder Sister Maid: “Okay.”
Slaps sheets.
Little Sister Maid: “All done!”
Elder Sister Maid: “Very good.”
Little Sister Maid: “Ehehe. Ah!”
Elder Sister Maid: “What?”
Little Sister Maid: “I love you too. I love you the most.”
Elder Sister Maid: “Yeah. I love you too.”
Little Sister Maid: “That’s good.”
Elder Sister Maid: “Right, let’s go wash up.”
Little Sister Maid: “Yeah!”
- The Palace of Ice, the Audience Room
Knock knock.
Disciple Nobleman: “Good morning!” Strolls around.
The Queen of Ice and Snow: “Hey! In which part of the world does a courtier just nonchalantly stroll into the audience room of a palace.”
Disciple Nobleman: “No, Your Majesty. You seem very beautiful today and I thought it would be a waste to be so rigid in your presence.”
The Queen of Ice and Snow: “Oh?”
Door opens.
Envoy: “A pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty.”
Disciple Nobleman: “This is an officer of the Kingdom of Red Horses. He is currently a marquis and my guest for this evening. This is my beloved Queen of the Kingdom of Ice and Snow.”
The Queen of Ice and Snow: “Pleased to meet you, marquis. Please pardon my brusque courtier.”
Envoy: “No, no, the Disciple Nobleman is a benefactor to our Kingdom for having brought together our esteemed Prince and the most beautiful flower of the land.”
The Queen of Ice and Snow: “I see.”
Envoy: “My liege, the King of Red Gorses, has sent me to the Kingdom of Ice on a special mission to express our sincere gratitude for his actions. We are extremely grateful for his efforts.”
The Queen of Ice and Snow: “Hoho. Looks like you’ve done something quite impressive.”
Disciple Nobleman: “No, no, it was merely the least of my duties.”
The Queen of Ice and Snow: “It is cold, envoy. You should have some hot liquor infused with the taste of apples. It is one of the things I am proud of in my country.”
Envoy: “I have not heard of this wonder.”
Disciple Nobleman: “Well, it’s nothing legendary, but it’s pretty good.”
The Queen of Ice and Snow: “Indeed. Our Kingdom is but a country on the borders of the South. We do not have as refined manners as you from the Central Continent have. We are but a simple people.”
Envoy: “No, no. It is clear that the Disciple Nobleman is a much finer connoisseur of the customs and literature of the Central Continent than many of the noble families.”
Disciple Nobleman: “Oh no, it’s just that you’ve been very kind in excusing my breaches of courtesy.”
The Queen of Ice and Snow: “He’s a very rebellious person. Hohohoho.”
Envoy: “I’m afraid I have to agree. Hahaha.”
Disciple Nobleman: “Here you go, it’s hot.”
Envoy: “Thank you… Mmm, it’s sweet and fragrant.”
Disciple Nobleman: “The Queen is a connoisseur of wine herself.”
The Queen of Ice and Snow: “It’s just something to pass the boredom of winter with.”
Envoy: “My Kingdom also produces some very fine fruit wines. I will be sure to send some to you.”
The Queen of Ice and Snow: “Thank you.”
Envoy: “Well. If I may begin on my proper suit…”
Disciple Nobleman: “Here we go.”
The Queen of Ice and Snow: “Why don’t you state your terms.”
Envoy: “Yes. His Royal Majesty has decided. In view of the current massive shift in ideology, His Majesty has coolly reached the decision and would like to convey this decision to Her Majesty the Queen of Ice and Snow that our Kingdom wishes to become a part of the Tripartite Economic Union. Please consider this an official proclamation from our Kingdom.”
The Queen of Ice and Snow: “Thank you. It seems we have made a million allies. With this, we have taken yet another step towards establishing truly harmonious relations with the neighbouring states.”
Envoy: “At the same time, our Kingdom would like to recognise and thank the Disciple Nobleman and the Holy Order of the Lake for their cooperation in spreading the expertise to treating the recent outbreak of smallpox. We express our sincere gratitude to Your Majesty.”
Disciple Nobleman: “Oh.”
The Queen of Ice and Snow: “You did that?”
Disciple Nobleman: “I was just trying to help. Should I not have?”
The Queen of Ice and Snow: “No, of course it’s a good thing. But please stop springing these surprises on me.”
Envoy: “Ahahahaha.”
Disciple Nobleman: “But I didn’t do any treatments. What we were doing was prevention, which is why we were seeing all those people who had yet to be infected.”
Envoy: “No, that is more than enough. You have probably saved the lives of thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people, who would have succumbed to smallpox. We have no way to express the sincere gratitude in our hearts.”
Disciple Nobleman: “He’s just exaggerating.”
The Queen of Ice and Snow: “Please thank the Holy Order and the Crimson Scholar.”
Envoy: “On that matter…”
Disciple Nobleman: “?”
The Queen of Ice and Snow: “What do you mean?”
Envoy: “Well, it’s the same with the potatoes and this time’s smallpox treatment—I mean prevention, but the Holy Order of the Lake has helped us time and time again. The Holy Church has officially proclaimed the Holy Order of the Lake to be their enemies and have tried to cut off the lifeline between us but despite that, their assistance has been unwavering and integral. As a result, our country is fairly divided on the issue of which is the real Church.”
The Queen of Ice and Snow: “…I see.”
Disciple Nobleman: “…”
The Queen of Ice and Snow: “Hey.”
Disciple Nobleman: “Yes?”
The Queen of Ice and Snow: “You should go tell that girl to inform the Scholar.”
Disciple Nobleman: “Of course I will. She’s our very, very important classmate after all.”
——— The Village of Wintering, the Demon King’s Manor
The Hero: “Okay. Here we are!”
The Chief Maid: “Your Majesty, we have arrived.”
The Demon King: “I know… Aww man. Now we have to walk for another ten minutes and my feet hurt.”
The Female Paladin: “It’s because you’ve been so lazy recently that your body has atrophied.”
Elder Sister Maid: “Welcome back Mistress, Chief Maid!”
Little Sister Maid: “Welcome back Mistress, Chief Maid! Oh, and Hero! And Paladin!”
The Demon King: “Yeah, I’m back. You guys haven’t changed a bit.”
The Hero: “Here, let me open the door. First…”
The Demon King: “No bed.”
The Chief Maid: “Okay, okay. Then how about… the living room?”
Elder Sister Maid: “Yes, it’s nice and warm.”
The Demon King: “Good. Let’s go there.”
Little Sister Maid: “I’ll bring you a blanket.”
The Female Paladin: “How spritely.”
Elder Sister Maid: “She’s been waiting for a very long time. Yesterday she was acting a bit weird but she’s really excited about cooking for all of you. This manor is big and it does get a bit lonely with just the two of us.”
——— The Demon King’s Castle, the Living Room
The Hero: “So it was just the two of them, eh?”
The Demon King: “I needed someone to take care of the place.”
Elder Sister Maid: “Would you like to inspect our work later?”
The Chief Maid: “Yeah.”
The Demon King: “Hmm, it’s very cold outside.”
The Female Paladin: “That’s because you’re still wearing nightclothes.”
The Demon King: “I’ve got no choice. I’m not completely free yet.”
Little Sister Maid: “Here’s a blanket, Mistress.”
The Demon King: “Thank you.”
The Hero: “Ahh.”
The Demon King: “As expected, this manor is the only place where I can relax, it’s a long way away from the Castle. This room is always warm and nice.”
The Hero: “How boisterous those two are.”
The Chief Maid: “Hehehe.”
Elder Sister Maid: “Would you like to look through the reports?”
The Demon King: “Yeah, I’ll look through them.”
The Hero: “Are you alright? Would you like to go to the study?”
Elder Sister Maid: “No, you don’t have to go to the study, you can read it here. I’ve compiled all the scraps of the report.”
The Demon King: “Thank you.”
Elder Sister Maid: “Right, I’ll bring it to you in a bit.”
Little Sister Maid: “Well, would you like some tea? Should I also bring you dinner? Are you hungry?”
The Demon King: “I’ll be expecting it.”
Little Sister Maid: “Ehehe.”
The Female Paladin: “Yeah, then until dinner, I’ll be at the Holy Order. It’s been a long while since I went back, maybe a week.”
The Demon King: “I’m sorry.”
The Female Paladin: “Don’t worry about it. You should just focus on getting better.”
The Demon King: “Thank you.”
The Hero: “…”
The Chief Maid: “What’s up, Hero?”
The Hero: “Nothing. I just realised they’ve gotten very close.”
The Demon King: “It wasn’t like we had a bad relationship to begin with.”
The Female Paladin: “That’s right. Our relationship has never been bad.”
The Hero: “Really?”
The Chief Maid: “You’ve got to stop worrying yourself with this sort of thing.”
The Hero: “I see. I’m sorry.”
The Female Paladin: “Hero, come with me to the Holy Order for a bit, won’t you?”
—— The Village of Wintering, the Spring Road
Wind blowing.
The Female Paladin: “Ahh, the Dutch Clovers are in full bloom.”
The Hero: “Yeah, it’s a good day. The wind is a bit cold but the sun is still warming everything up.”
The Female Paladin: “Everything is blooming and the green shoots are really poking out!”
The Hero: “Yeah. It’s quite amazing how all of these are able to grow from under the snow.”
The Female Paladin: “It’s spring. I’ve always loved spring in this part of the world.”
The Hero: “I always feel full of hope when I look at all this.”
The Female Paladin: “Definitely.”
Wind blows.
The Female Paladin: “…”
The Hero: “…”
Wind blows.
The Female Paladin: “…”
The Hero: “So, what’s up?”
The Female Paladin: “Eh?”
The Hero: “I mean, you called me here. Is something up?”
The Female Paladin: “Umm.”
The Hero: “Yeah?”
The Female Paladin: “Nothing.”
The Hero: “Eh?!”
The Female Paladin: “I just want to walk together with you. Is that weird?”
The Hero: “No it’s not, but—”
The Female Paladin: “It was very crowded back there. I just want to walk together with my Lord.”
The Hero: “—”
The Female Paladin: “Don’t make such a pained look.”
The Hero: “Y-yeah…”
Wind blows.
The Female Paladin: “Well, it’s not like I wanted to do anything. It’s just that I thought it would be nice to walk along the tree-lined path leading to the Holy Order.”
The Hero: “I see.”
The Female Paladin: “I’m happy to be t-together with you.”
The Hero: (She’s acting really weird…)
Wind blows.
The Female Paladin: “Mmm.”
The Hero: “What?”
The Female Paladin: “Even when push comes to shove, I’ve never been too good at talking. This is difficult.”
The Hero: “You sure think of strange things.”
The Female Paladin: “…”
The Hero: “What a nice spring. The wind is blowing so gently, it’s almost like the war doesn’t even exist. Isn’t that great?”
The Female Paladin: “Yeah. — And our meals look like they’re almost ready too…”
The Hero: “What is up?”
Wind blows.
The Female Paladin: “Hey, Lord.”
The Hero: “?!”
The Female Paladin: “What’s with that face?”
The Hero: “No. What’s with that ‘Lord’ thing. Can you stop? It’s making me feel word. Please stop.”
The Female Paladin: “Oh. I thought it would be okay if it was just the two of us.”
The Hero: “Please forgive me.”
Wind blows.
The Female Paladin: “Well, Hero.”
The Hero: “What?”
The Female Paladin: “…”
Wind blows.
The Female Paladin: “Well… Don’t I deserve some praise?”
The Hero: “Eh?”
The Female Paladin: “Here. I’ve been working really hard to heal the injuries of you two people, right? I’ve got things I want too.”
The Hero: “Eh? What do you mean?”
The Female Paladin: “Come on.”
The Hero: “Yeah. Well, you can’t ask me for that. Even though I’m really grateful to you and you’ve helped me out a lot. This time you really saved me. Thank you.”
The Female Paladin: “That’s not what I mean, something purer.”
Wind blows.
The Hero: “…Even if you say that.”
The Female Paladin: “Mmm.”
Wind blows.
The Hero: “…Umm… Well… Yeah.”
Wind blows.
The Female Paladin: “—Ahaha.”
The Hero: “What a weird person.”
The Female Paladin: “No, no, my Lord.”
The Hero: “Stop that.”
The Female Paladin: “To protect your life, I have pledged to be your loyal shield and armour. Today, I renew this pledge.”