《Reincarnated into a Werewolf, the Demon Lord Servants》 Prologue Capturing the Trading City Ryun (prologue) I didn¡¯t remember my previous life. Not that I feel the need to remember it. My current name is Raito. Everyone shouldn¡¯t worry much about how to pronounce it, since I¡¯m now a demon. (Tl note: his name is called Vu~aito but It is impossible to leave it like that right? Ahahaha) ¡°Raito-san, the infiltration is complete.¡± ¡°Alright, the advance team has sent the signal. White assault team, wait for my instruction.¡± I¡¯m now a werewolf race, a demon that is able to transform from human form into a wolf form. Before the transformation, I¡¯m looked similar to my previous life. However when I transformed, I¡¯m a black werewolf that is feared by human. I¡¯m confident that I look cool. I wonder, in many races to reincarnated, I hit the jackpot to be reincarnated into this race. The current me is a servant of the demon lord. Demon lord army third division commander. That is my title now. It may not be much but I lead several people under me. I have fifty six people were wolf to command and two hundreds Inu race engineer loaned from another division. The mission given to me is to attack a frontier trading city. It is surrounded by walls and the population is around three thousand people. The city is called Ryun castle. Right now I will attack the city from the forest on the back. Currently I¡¯m overlooking the city at the bottom of the hill. The Inu race messenger now is giving me live report. ¡°The enemy stationed is around two hinder people and patrolling around the city.¡± ¡°Is that info reliable?¡± The messenger that looked like a beagle then puzzled. ¡°The info is reported from the wolf corps that is infiltrating the city. I can¡¯t confirm it with my own eye.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± However I need to be sure since the mission given to me is not ¡°annihilation¡±. My mission is ¡°taking control¡±. While walking, I issued an intstruction. ¡°All Inu corps, began to march, we¡¯re starting the mission.¡± After the messenger conveyed the order, we began to walk towards the city. On top of the wall, there are guards monitoring all the time. Although they won¡¯t notice that I¡¯m a demon from my appearance alone. I didn¡¯t look any different from normal human boy. My look is like a teenager boy with black hair. The guard with a simple helmet and short spear in hand stopped me when I arrived. ¡°You there, I couldn¡¯t see your face.¡± My face is hidden while I am carrying luggage. ¡°Ah sorry about that, I¡¯m here to deliver some toys to the shop.¡± I take out from the boxes, a small whistle in the shape of the bird. I blow on it and a silly supyorororo sound is emitted. ¡°That is funny.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it interesting?¡± Seeing me smile, the guard smiled too. ¡°Alright, you may come in.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Just when the gate is opened, a noisy sound can be heard. ¡°There are monsters!¡± ¡°Help!¡± It comes from a peddler group inside the town. ¡°There are monsters?¡± The guards then looked confused before regained his sense. ¡°They looked like dogs. Their face is those of a dog and they carried weapon.¡± ¡°There are a lot of them.¡± ¡°Quick, you need to help.¡± The guards then looked at each other and immediately do what they have to do. ¡°Ring the bell three times.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll contact the other gates guard.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll close down the gates. Everyone enter!¡± Although the travelers that are lining up to enter the city are panicked, the guards on the other hand seemed to be well trained. There is no wasted motion, leadership, morale, they are good. Upon entering the town, I take out another whistle and blow on it. The sound couldn¡¯t be heard by normal humans but for the werewolf, it is clear as day. It is a sign to move to the next stage. Without anyone being suspicious of me, I headed towards the city square in the center slowly. After a while, there is another commotion. ¡°There¡¯s the monster!¡± ¡°It¡¯s demon dogs!¡± Of course it was the werewolf corps that has infiltrated in advance. They seemed to have started their action. However there are still guards that is watching from on top of the wall. They conveyed another information. ¡°The city, it is surrounded by demons too!¡± ¡°Another dog monsters.¡± ¡°Guard, don¡¯t worry, stand firm.¡± ¡°Can the guard protect us?¡± Surely, there is Inu race that looked like cute dogs, but my race is werewolf. We¡¯re demons, not monsters. After confirming that the time is right, I also transformed. I take a deep breath and shouted ¡°Uooo¡± loudly. Of course, transforming to my werewolf form is exhilarating. My strength increased tenfold, moods uplifting, this is exciting. Of course the people around me didn¡¯t think so. ¡°Hiii!¡± ¡°AAAh, another one!¡± Seeing the people around me fell into panic, I can only smile and showed my fangs in the progress sending some intimidation. (ps: as I said this is double chapter post,, yeay) Capturing the Trading City Ryun (part II) ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t eat you.¡± However no one listened as I left alone. The people are busy fleeing from me. Casually, I jumped to the top of a building. It was only three stories high but I was able to overlook the city. As planned, the werewolf corps has surrounded the count mansion. Only a few guards surrounding it so it looks pitiful. ¡°I said that they should hold back and didn¡¯t kill but I wonder¡­¡± Werewolf strength is difficult to hold back. I run along the roof and approached them. Just in time when the reinforcements guard arrived. ¡°Protect the count.¡± ¡°Attack!¡± Soldier incoming with their sword brandished at me. I only need to kick lightly to the one on my back and turn my body around. I blocked a sword with one arm and shove it away. Since even my claw could mistakenly kill them, I only send a light jab to incapacitate them. ¡°Is it too much?¡± With a leg sweep, I send another three guards on the ground. I can hear their bones creaking; I¡¯ll make sure to treat them later. While thinking so, I talk to the five people. ¡°I¡¯ll treat you later, for now just go to sleep.¡± When I look towards the mansion again, I noticed that there is a room on the second floor that appeared to be the master bedroom. I break in trough the window that the thickness isn¡¯t able to block me. I examined the room and sure enough this should be the counts¡¯ room. ¡°What?¡± I was surprised since what I saw there is only a woman. Around twenty years old, dressed like a man, with a saber hung down from the waist. There are no other people escorting her. My ear and nose didn¡¯t detect any other presence inside or outside the room. I have to be careful so this isn¡¯t mistaken as sarcasm while bowed. ¡°I am the demon lord army third division leader, Raito. Are you perharps Count Airia-dono?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Count Airia nodded. I can tell her lip is trembling and couldn¡¯t say any other words. Although she isn¡¯t suitable to act as an emperor, at least she is the perfect vessel for us to use. At least, her appearance is above me. Now we will begin the negotiation. ¡°Our army has taken control of the city and we have surrounded it too. Any resistance would be meaningless. Therefore I will be asking you to surrender.¡± ¡°Never!¡± ¡°This city, Ryun is such a strategic point. Therefore we hope this could be the first alliance city.¡± I think my words means nothing for her. ¡°Just kill me.¡± Although she said that, she is frightened and her whole body is trembling. That was expected. As I am a werewolf, I could easily tear up knights in armor, what¡¯s the trouble in breaking such a delicate lady. I take a step forward but she still shows her hostility. ¡°For the honor of the family name, I choose to die fighting. Now, taste my sword.¡± She put her hand on her waist and takes out her saber in a hurry. But she barely holds it as she is engulfed in fear. ¡°I,I, am the count of the city¡­¡± Even if she drawn her sword, this is still couldn¡¯t be called a battle. I bare my fangs and howled. The window glasses tremble and broken into pieces. At that moment, she screamed and dropped the saber. ¡°I will not surrender¡­¡± No matter how hard you try, your enemy is a werewolf. If it was the old me, I won¡¯t even raise a finger against you but I have a mission. I am now moving closer to the count that is sitting on the ground. ¡°Do you think you could defeat a werewolf with such saber? Even if you defeated me, do you think you can save this city? Give up.¡± Airia then with trembling hands pick up a saber and pointed it towards herself. ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait!¡± I urgently moved and seized the saber from her hand. She is ridiculous. ¡°There is no point even if you committed suicide. Can¡¯t you use your head a little bit more?¡± ¡°Head?¡± She is now looking at me puzzled like an idiot. Maybe she was shocked because I use such words. ¡°You know, the demon lord army only wants to take over of the town. We have no intention of hurting anyone. Do you understand that far?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Like a child, Airia nodded. ¡°We¡¯re going to dominate humans, but we don¡¯t want to kill them nor enslaved them. That¡¯s is why we still need the leader.¡± ¡°Do you mean me as the count?¡± ¡°Yes, in order to prevent confusion we just need you to compromise. You will surrender and cooperate with the demon lord army. At some extent, you can make request to us in return.¡± ¡°Are you telling the truth? If you guarantee the citizen safety, then I accept the offer.¡± ¡°You have to be thankful that this city take over plan is entrusted to me. You can imagine if Beelzebub is the one who come. Don¡¯t worry, I guarantee it.¡± Airia stood up and held out her hand. Is she asking for her saber? I returned it and she accepted it with both hand, however she held out her hands again. ¡°I am, Airia Ryutte Aindorf, the count of Ryun city, officially surrendered to the demon lord army. I am thankful for your generous offer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a deal then.¡± Thus, the plan to take control of the city ended smoothly. CH 1 I don¡¯t remember my previous life. Not that I feel the need to remember it. Currently my name is Vaito. No one should worry much about how to pronounce it, since I¡¯m now, a Demon. ¡°Vaito-san, the infiltration is complete.¡± ¡°Alright, the advance team has given the signal. White assault team, wait for my instruction.¡± ¡°Yes su~.¡± I¡¯m now, a werewolf, a demon that is able to transform from a human into a wolf. Before the transformation, my looks resemble to my previous life. However, when I transform, I¡¯m a black werewolf that is feared by human. I¡¯m confident that I look cool. I wonder, in many races to which I could have reincarnated, if I hit the jackpot to be reincarnated into this race. The current me is a servant of the demon king. More precisely, the commander of the third division of Demon army. That is my title now. It may not be much but I lead several people under me. I have fifty six werewolves to command and two hundred Inujin engineers loaned from another division. The mission given to me is to attack a frontier trading city. It is surrounded by walls and the population is around three thousand people. The city is called ¡®Ryun Height¡¯. I looked at the city at the bottom of the hill from back of the forest. The Inujin messengers, waiting beside me, are now giving me a live report. ¡°The enemy stationed here, is around two hundred people, patrolling around the city, for security maintenance.¡± ¡°Is that info reliable?¡± The child soldier, that resembled a Beagle, tilted his neck as he looked troubled. After the messengers relayed the orders to each unit, we started walking towards the city. On top of the wall, that surrounds the city, there are guards monitoring all the time. Although they won¡¯t be able to notice that I¡¯m a demon from my appearance alone since I don¡¯t look any different from a normal human boy. I look like a teenager boy with black dull hair. The guard wearing a simple armor with a breastplate and helmet and holding a short spear in one hand stopped me. ¡°You there, I haven¡¯t seen your face before.¡± From the luggage bag, that I was carrying, I took out a small bird shaped whistle. ¡°Ah sorry about that, I¡¯m a broker, came here to deliver some whistle toys to the shop, the Petun shop.¡± ¡°Hmm..¡± The guard took it in hand, blew lightly. A goofy sound, ¡®Supyorororo¡¯ was emitted. Just then, it became noisy around the gates. ¡°It¡¯s a monster!¡± ¡°Help!¡± Merchants with their luggages rushed in desperation. Immediately surrounding became abuzz. Guards surrounded the merchants. ¡°It¡¯s a monster!?¡± They replied this with a pale face, ¡°It¡¯s a dog! Their face is those of a dog and they are carrying weapon.¡± ¡°Wow! There are a lot of them.¡± Upon entering the town, in the covers of the crowd, I took out another whistle. So as to not to be found out, I blew in it, big time. The sound couldn¡¯t be heard. But to us, the werewolves, it was clear as day. That¡¯s because it was a dog-whistle. It was a signal to move to the next stage. Without anyone being suspicious of me, I headed towards the city square in the center, slowly. I expect there to be the mansion of the Viceroy in there. After a while, it has become noisy is in the city, also. ¡°There¡¯s the monster!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a demon dog!¡± Of course it was the werewolf troops that had infiltrated in advance. They seemed to have started the action. It has become a fuss. However the nasty guards are still glued to the wall. Moreover, the information relayed was confusing. ¡±There are inujin outside of the city!¡± and ¡°There are werewolves in the city!¡±, it¡¯s become jumbled up. ¡°It¡¯s a demon dog!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, the guards are fighting back!¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± This is a perfect example of chaos. But I want them to differentiate between cute inujin and vigorous werewolves. We are not dogs. Situation is exactly as planned, there are no troubles which I was worried about. Soon it is a good time, so I also decided to transform. With a deep breath, I release the power within me. ¡°Uoooooooo!¡± It is exhilarating every time I transform. I am filled with power and mood is uplifted. This excitement is just like a child. But of course, it is not so for the people around me. ¡°Hiiiiiiiii?¡± ¡°Kyaaaaaa!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a monsterrrr!¡± I smile wryly at the people in panic. Because I am a fusion between in human and wolf now, it would not look like anything but threatening with baring fangs at them. CH 2 ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t eat you¡­.¡± Ignoring the escaping humans, who were unable to stand up due to fear, I jumped lightly. My body gently floated in the air and I jumped up to a height of third floor. I was able to get a panoramic view of the city. As planned, the werewolf corps has surrounded the Viceroy¡¯s mansion. There were several guards, but it had become pitiful. ¡°I had said to hold back as much as possible and not kill but¡­it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Strength and fighting spirit of a werewolf is difficult to hold back. I ran along the nearby roofs and jumped off in front of the Viceroy¡¯s mansion. At the worst possible time, the reinforcement of guards arrived. ¡°Protect the Viceroy-sama.¡± ¡°Attack!¡± Brandishing their swords, five soldiers swooped down on me from behind. First I kicked the one on my back lightly and then I turned around to start attacking. I blocked a sword with one arm and broke it off. Since attacking with my claw could mistakenly kill them, I¡¯m only throwing light jabs towards breastplate. ¡°Guhaaa¡­.¡± What I broke was a glass window of such a poor quality, which would not be found in my previous life. The thickness was not uniform, on top of that, transparency was also poor with bubbles and impurities. After breaking the glass window without any hesitation, which was equivalent to the monthly income of an upper class citizen in this world, I entered the viceroy¡¯s mansion. The room, that I jumped into, is the office of the viceroy. I had investigated beforehand. Just as I thought, there was the viceroy. ¡°Who are you?!¡± The one glared at me is a woman in her twenties. She is wearing clothes like suits, but this is formal wear of a noble man. She had a saber hanging on her waist. I look inside the room, but there is no presence of guards. There was neither a response to hearing nor to smell. Outside the room also there is only sign of werewolves. While being careful, I bowed to the Viceroy, hoping to not look sarcastic. ¡°I am the demon army third division commander, Vaito. I assume you are the viceroy Airia-dono. Am I right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Because I had already decided that she is an enemy to be respected, I start talking as calmly as possible. ¡°Our army has taken control of the entire city of Ryun Height. Any resistance would be futile. Therefore, please consider surrendering.¡± ¡°Never!¡± Viceroy shouted while clenching her fist with a pale face. She is a superior person, but doesn¡¯t seem obedient. ¡°This city, Ryun Height is an important strategic point of our alliance! To be under control of the likes of demon king¡± In order to silence her, I opted for a little rough approach. ¡°In that case, die¡± Baring my fangs, I stand ready. Just as I thought, viceroy was petrified with fear. Her whole body was trembling. That was expected. The opponent is a werewolf. A monster, which can tear off heavy armors with claws and runs faster than the cavalry. Not an opponent against which such delicate young lady can win. I take a step forward to further the provocation. ¡°For the honor of viceroy-dono, I shall grant you the right to fight one-on-one to the end. Come on, draw your sword.¡± She put her hand to the sabre on her waist in a hurry, but she could not grip skillfully, because of the fear. She is not much accustomed to the fighting, it became clear in a glance. ¡°I,I¡­ a second class regional noble¡­. the Viceroy of Ryu, Ryun Height¡­¡± I almost burst into laughter instinctively, but it couldn¡¯t be helped if the opponent is a werewolf. Even I would not have been able to stand up due to fear if it were my previous life. So I stopped howling, and I moved closer to the Viceroy sitting on the carpet. ¡°Like a werewolf could ever be defeated with such a sabre! Even if you defeated me, you can not save the city. Give up.¡± With her trembling hands, Airia then picked up the sabre and pointed the sharp edge towards herself. Her lips are trembling with a ghastly pale face. ¡°If, if that¡¯s the case¡­¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait!¡± I rushed in a hurry and snatched away the saber from her hand. She is ridiculous. ¡°There is no point in committing suicide. Use your head a bit more!¡± ¡°Head¡­..?¡± Airia is now looking at me puzzled like an idiot. It seems her thinking has stiffened from the shock. I sighed, responded, ¡°You know, we, the demon army have only invaded the town. Although we have not killed any citizens, which would be scary. Do you realise that?¡± ¡°E, eh,yes,¡­. I understand that¡± Like a child, Airia nodded. I continued persuasion with a nod. ¡°We¡¯re going to rule the humans, however, we neither want to kill them nor enslave them. In general we don¡¯t mind them living as they did until now. That¡¯s why a human leader is needed. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Umm¡­. in other words, I would continue to be the Viceroy?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She being the viceroy, as I expected, has a quick understanding. ¡°In order to prevent the chaos, won¡¯t you give in?Surrender and cooperate with the demon army. If possible, we will also agree to the demand of humans to some extent.¡± I waited for her reply. Airia seemed troubled, but soon vitality returned to her eyes. Decision was fast. ¡°If there is a lie in these words, I will call out all citizens to a do-or-die resistance. Do you still want that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Under the direct order of demon king-sama, this city is left to my discretion.¡± When I nodded, Airia stood up. She held out her hand, so I returned the sabre. Airia held the sabre reverently with both hands, presented it to me again, respectfully. ¡°I, Airia Ryutte Aindorf, the Viceroy of Ryun Height city, officially surrender to the demon army. Please treat us generously.¡± ¡°Accepted.¡± I nodded, with this the voyage of capturing the city came to a close. CH 3 Episode 3 (Ps: Apparently the author considered the first two prologues as two chapters so this chapter becomes the third chapter) (Ps: if you are new on this site please take note that most of the work was done from phone so it may take longer for me to update the ToC since our web organizer went missing. But the search function is working well. And my translation on this site is MTL or machine translation. To minimize the error I use dedication¡­ instead of translating the whole chapter, I break it down into sentence per sentence and word per words. Well, mistakes sometimes may still occur, so feel free to point out my mistakes. ) (ps: and this site donation is not a must, at first I only take donation for my own original works and recently adding donation for translation but it was only because of life circumstances however even if you don¡¯t donate, nothing will change. Regular chapter is still there and I believe I still poured the same amount of love to this site.) (ps: as per you who confused why I take extra series while I still have series on hand it is because I add more time to translate not reducing it. So please understand. And the series that I translate have a charm in it, like this one and sleep learning. I just want to share that there are still interesting stories out there.) Well, there goes my rant so let¡¯s proceed with the chapter¡­ The progress escalated quickly. Airia called together her frightened maids and issued a command. ¡°Please relay this message. Everyone should stop fighting. We will surrender to the demon lord army.¡± Since she has done that, I will also need to tell my men. ¡°I¡¯ll just howl a little. Don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s just to inform my men.¡± The maid who is going to leave then turn her attention to me. I walked towards the window and let out a howl. ¡°Awooo! Ooo! Ooo!¡± It caused the window glass to trembles and some to break. The maid screamed ¡°Ah!¡± I didn¡¯t mean to scare her or caused this but with this, my instruction should be transmitted throughout the city. ¡°We have accomplished our mission.¡± Immediately here and there, many werewolves howled back to me. ¡°Stop fighting.¡± ¡°Regroup.¡± ¡°We have taken over the city.¡± I can hear with my ear that the town grown quiet. The battle that occurred here and there is finally over. I didn¡¯t want this but it couldn¡¯t be helped. The werewolves are gathered in the city square together with the count. My men appearance is very intimidating. Tough looking werewolf and werewolfie. (Tl note: he mentioned wolf man and wolf woman. What could it be? Lol) They are also not my subordinate; it wasn¡¯t the right terms to define them. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I go on a rampage. I was tired a little bit.¡± It was a gray werewolf grinning to me. He was an old man that lives near my neighborhood. Kokoya of the gray hair. Mary is an old lady running a general store and behind her are my cousins. In short, everyone is my acquaintances and relatives. Werewolf likes to hunt in herd. Residents of the same village after all are fellow hunters in this case; everyone is fighting together with me, not my lackey. However after all, werewolf is also a demon, monster. We follow the order of demon lord, and we obey the strong. The law is also applied to us. It wasn¡¯t weird that people that are questioning my ability come and complain. ¡°Hey, Raito, do you think it is fine to leave it this way?¡± It was a big red haired werewolf. Without a mistake, it must be the Gurnee twins. His name is Niberuto. His twin brother Gaberuto also comes speaking his discontent. ¡°I couldn¡¯t forget at how the human despise us. I never forget how many times they hunted and tried to kill my father. I wouldn¡¯t be satisfied if they are not exterminated.¡± These guys are my childhood friend. However they are still talking with their muscle. Even after I was appointed as the commander of the werewolves, they are not convinced. It can¡¯t be helped. It was annoying that this whole process is dragging me which originally a human in my previous life. So now, let¡¯s just solve it with power. I jumped down from the second floor window and arrived in front of the Gurnee twins. ¡°Are you unhappy?¡± The twins then looked at each other in the eye. They are thinking whether the two of them can win against me. Sure enough they are backing down. However they still didn¡¯t show me some respect. ¡°Oh, no. I was just saying what I would have done if I were the commander.¡± The red haired wolf awfully emphasized the last part, ¡°If I were the commander.¡± Rebellious indeed. The wolves around has guessed the atmosphere. They take a distance from us. Those who walked backwards are not going to oppose me. I glared at the Gurnee twins. ¡°I am the commander. If you don¡¯t agree, you can take my position by killing me.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± The Gurnee twins grinned. It seemed like this is what they aimed for. The Gurnee twins are influential among the werewolf corps. It is because their physique is one of the toughest. If I were to fight them head on, there is not a chance of me winning. Even just facing one of them, I have no memory that I win against them when I was a kid. However right now I am the commander of the demon lord army. So I laugh hearing that. ¡°That is true.¡± After that I was barking. It was not a howl, it was full of power. A shockwave ran through the surrounding. It shakes trees, buildings, even houses windows are all shattered. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Wha.¡± The Gurnee twins staggered a few steps. Even other wolves around rigidly moves their body. Some crouched on the spot holding their ears. The roar of the werewolf has the power to awe people and beast. For humans, it can be used to crush their will to fight. However to fellow werewolf, it wasn¡¯t working. But my roar is different. My roar is imbued with strong magical power. It is a roar that is reinforced with my own magic. I am not a warrior of the werewolf race. I¡¯m a sorcerer. The demon lord army third division commander, the werewolf magician, Raito. That is my identity. (Tl note: werewolf with magic? That is interesting right?) That roar is one of my magic, ¡¶soul shaker¡·. There is a magic circle floating on my side. The effect is to make my roar unharmed to human but increasing the damage to demon. This spell works to those who are hostile to me. How strong, how brave, someone is, they are rendered useless in front of my skill. Because this skill attacks directly on the soul. Sure enough, the Gurnee twins are frozen in place. ¡°Commander¡­oh¡­¡± ¡°Sir¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± The two people are now easy to kill so I approached them. To them who are trembling, I smiled. ¡°Listen to my order.¡± After I said that, my spell is released from them. However after completely lost the will to fight, they can only stand there undignified. Finally the older brother speaks. ¡°Ah, yes, I will listen to your order boss.¡± I laughed, and once again I tell the circumstances to everyone. ¡°Trading city Ryun is now under the demon lord third army division jurisdiction. You must not engage in battle with others except for self-defense reason.¡± The other werewolf lowered their head, swore obedience to me. Then I explained further. ¡°Our objective to put this trading city under our rule. That is including cooperating with the demon lord army. So please protect the city and its residents.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± The Gurnee brothers¡¯ neck is tilted. Rather than being rebellious this time they just don¡¯t understand. Although they are brave but they are stupid. Even when speaking, they are thinking so long to decide the words. ¡°Say, this town is like a herd of delicious deer for the demon lord army. If they are killed, then our mission is failed.¡± ¡°Oh, I get it.¡± Now when I explained using simple words, they are nodding. I wonder if they really get it. The older twins then said. ¡°But really, can human obeyed us? Even around us, they are sending murderous intent.¡± What he says is exactly true. I¡¯ve been sensing it for a while. ¡°That is my job to make sure that they listened. You just need to follow my instruction.¡± ¡°Yes commander.¡± I glared at him and he is backing down. Ah, there¡¯s still more that I need to tell them. ¡°Well, because of that, don¡¯t think of the human as your food. You should go hunt deer outside in the forest vicinity. You must absolutely not attack the human. Understood?¡± Since there are some elderly people in the group like the old lady running the convenience store, I tried to be polite and use some honorific. They are all agreed to my order. ¡°That¡¯s okay. You are the commander. We will pledge absolute obedience.¡± ¡°So, please rest now and prepare for the next war.¡± The group is disbanded slowly. Since there are some veteran werewolves, there are also youngster in the group. ¡°Raito onii-san, please give me food!¡± ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you find it yourself? Aren¡¯t you going to be starving tonight?¡± ¡°Oh, come here, we have prepared it. Don¡¯t bother the commander.¡± As I said, werewolf corps is a group made of our village. There are elderly people, children, we have brought everyone except the sick. Even the youngsters have to defend for their selves. Still, our werewolf Corps looks horribly strong and intimidating. We¡¯re not here for picnic and they realized that. 3000 human in this city. However there are only 56 werewolves and 200 Inu race corps to rule over the town. I really wondered myself if this is going to be okay. I myself have anxiety. CH 4 After the war (prequel) Episode 4 The invasion of Ryun city ended successfully. In less than an hour it was finished but the post war process is cumbersome. It was inevitable that there are deaths because of the battle. Of course it wasn¡¯t the werewolf corps, it was the Ryun city guards. The werewolf corps have considerably hold back their power but still seven guards fall into victim. The number of injured are more than one hundred. If they aren¡¯t holding back, even a massacre of the whole town isn¡¯t impossible. So here I am, treating people with recovery magic. It is even better than going to hospital since the medical standards of this world is too low. Just by simple infectious diseases, people can die. ¡°Is it finished?¡± I already returned to my human form when treating the injured. Magician, in this world is considered as elites, even more prestigious than doctors and lawyers. Even if Ryun city is a strategic city, there is no single magician in this place. Of course that also makes me special in the demon lord army. Therefore, when I start treating the injured, the guards face all changed. They look at me as if looking at a midable arcane. Therefore I also need to tell the guards. ¡°There are only a small amount of people that could confronted werewolves without fear. Even more, those who survived fighting them. Although we¡¯re holding back, still the guards are worthy of respect.¡± This is praising but also holding back. It is necessary to show the differences between our power but I need to keep their pride. It¡¯s difficult. ¡°These seven heroes, we are sending them to the other world in the name of viceroy Airia hall. They will forever be known as the most courageous and formidable warriors.¡± It¡¯s unfortunate that some people are died but sacrifice are necessary. I give a salute to the fallen and followed by the guards. Still, this is awkward¡­ I also have lots of thing to do. The Inu tribes, can¡¯t be place in town so we make camp around the gates. Actually they are pretty weak. If one of them go against a group of farmer they have a chance to be beaten. So, actually their number isn¡¯t for battle reinforcement. They are here as an engineer, craftsmen, they are here to maintain the city wall and report to me if there¡¯s abnormality. Food also becomes a problem since the number I brought are massive. Fighting for food between werewolves and Inu tribe are happening but they need to do it to survive. My fifty six werewolves are residing at the lord¡¯s mansion. It was normal since they can turn into human but still the food are gathered by their self. Now, another problem will be deciding the representative to be the guards leader. Who is good enough to be appointed? The Gurnee twins are out of the question. Even if they are powerful, their rebellious nature need them to be put directly under my care. I wanted to ask some of the veterans but most of them aren¡¯t fit when they returned to elderly human form. I really wanted to settle this problem and rest. When I was thinking, a woman that is a little bit older than me approached. Her name is Fern, she was the ¡®onee-chan¡¯ of the neighborhood. She was my first love. We even made a promise to get married when we I¡¯m five years old. ¡°Raito, don¡¯t you have something for me to do?¡± ¡°Ah, Fern¡­ wait a minute.¡± Unconsciously I said that in my childhood tone so I was panicked. Fern is only looking at me while chuckle. ¡°You have finished organizing the Inu tribes right? What do you think about leading the guards?¡± if it was her, there would be no problem. She often leads the pack when raiding and she is also someone I can trust. To tell the truth, if I were to fight her without using magic, I couldn¡¯t win, she is that strong. Because she was qualified so this matter is settled. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll appoint you to be the guards captain. This is the list of the member, some might be moved to other squad.¡± ¡°Let see¡­ yeah, okay. Leave it to me.¡± Fern send a wink to me when she said that and involuntarily my heart beats *doki*. However I should pretend that nothing happened and remain calm. ¡°Fern¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± She bowed with a smile and went out while looking at the paper. Actually, I was wondering what would she say if I ask her to marry me. CH 5 After the war (part II) ¡°It¡¯s surprisingly tiring¡­¡± I am now at one of the room at the lord¡¯s mansion. I was sighing while looking down at the street. After taking control, some residents rebelled but it was soon put out by the guards. However it was still tiring so I just pray that nothing else will happened. At that time, someone is knocking on the door. ¡°Excuse me.¡± the one who come in is the count Airia. I didn¡¯t take her off her position because she is talented and trusted by the people. The only question for now, is whether she is willing to completely cooperate with us. If she wanted, it wasn¡¯t hard to raise another rebellion and even the guards will followed her order. So, if she did that, the werewolves control of the Ryun city will definitely gone. When I was lost in my thought, Airia was puzzled. ¡°Is there something wrong Raito-dono?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing Airia-dono.¡± Airia then told me the story. The guard corps is not the private army of the Airia household. It actually belong to the allied force of Mirarudia kingdom which Ryun city belongs to. Because of that, even Airia as the count couldn¡¯t give an order to them. Even to give a mission, she need to ask the permission from the Mirarudia senate. I roughly understand the situation. ¡°In other words, even if they¡¯re not going to acts against the demon lord army but we can¡¯t cooperate with them either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right since I can¡¯t ordered them, I¡¯m your only ally.¡± when looking at Airia expression, she isn¡¯t lying. She doesn¡¯t have the smell of lying. Actually, when a person is lying, we werewolves can pick up a faint smell of sweat which is signaling their hidden intention. The guards corps total is around two hundred people, with their main duty is to maintain security. Since they don¡¯t want to cooperate with us then I need to assign some werewolves to guard too. However if that is happening, when the werewolves are guarding the city it will reduce our overall strength and we couldn¡¯t rely on the Inu tribes strength. If one day the Mirarudia kingdom troops come to free the city, I am not confident that we could win. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± there is always an option to threaten the guard or I can kill half of them to teach them a lesson but that will makes my domination is based on fear and it is hard to maintain the fear level. If I did it wrong, it could in fact lead to another rebellion. When I was thinking about the trouble, Airia opens her mouth timidly. ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you threaten the guards?¡± ¡°Do you want me to?¡± with a wry smile, Airia shook her head. ¡°But if you didn¡¯t want to then surely you will have a hard time.¡± ¡°Well, after all just getting along with a demon lord army causing many people to have a hard time.¡± Airia understand well the meaning of my words. If they Mirarudia kingdom found out that she agree to make a pact with the demon lord army, she will face hardships. Afterall, I gave up to controll the guards. ¡° For now, just take their equipment and disband the guard corps. If they make a move please inform me.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Airia tried to leave the room but after a while she turned her body. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± while I asked, she takes out a cross ornament. ¡°What if the security will be done by the chamber of commerce instead of the guard corps.¡± ¡°Chamber of commerce?¡± ¡°Ryun city has maintain security, disaster prevention and others by working together with the chamber of commerce. Of course if some problem happened, the chamber of commerce will also receive the impact.¡± ah, I see. Although I lived in the city in my previous life, I am now living in Kakurezato, the werewolves village and didn¡¯t think about it. Airia then continue. ¡°The chamber of commerce is under my direct control. Even if we didn¡¯t have the guard corps, I can still ask them to patrol and it might be sufficient.¡± to this offer, I am thinking. This proposal, I won¡¯t lose anything but Airia didn¡¯t get anything either. It only makes me owe a favor to the chamber of commerce. So, why did she tell me this? ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to thanks Raito-dono.¡± ¡°Thanks?¡± since the time we raid the city, this is the most shocked condition I¡¯ve ever been. Airia then look at me with a serene face. ¡°You are really thinking of working together, when your group is raiding the city, you tried your best to reduce the number of victim. Because if you go all out, it even possible to leave no citizens alive.¡± ¡°Well, I can do that.¡± However, I don¡¯t think that is something that she should be thanked me for. But Airia lowers her head deeply. ¡°This is to repay your generous treatment to the citizens. Also, in the future I will cooperate with you.¡± To the count, if Ryun city isn¡¯t protected anymore by the Mirarudia kingdom, they will have to rely on the devil lord army. This is where we are asked to be responsible for our alliance. Again, I didn¡¯t feel facing the Mirarudia kingdom is such a big deal. There is no other reason to reject the proposal. ¡°Thank you for your help in this matter. Now I must trouble you to contact the chamber of commerce.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± after that, Airia smiled as if she is relieved. Her expression¡­ is quite lovely¡­ CH 6 Chapter 6: Chibi general Thanks to Count Airia cooperation I was able to sleep without too much trouble at night. Of course I still have someone to do watch in shifts just in case something distrubing happened. In the next morning, Ryun city has regained it¡¯s calmness. ¡°Last night, there are some bandits but it was only a few people.¡± A youngster from the wolf corps is giving their report in my room. Perhaps it is because he saw my fight with the Gurnee brother yesterday, his gaze at me is full of emotion. As if he is looking at a hero. ¡°What do you want me to do? Do you want me to teach them a lesson?¡± that youngster has transformed into a werewolf but he¡¯s waving its tail like a dog that said ¡°come on, give me the ball¡± but I shake my head. ¡°We¡¯re soldier, not the police.¡± ¡°Police?¡± hearing that word, the youngster are curious. Ah, I need to explained it. ¡°maintaining security is the job for human. We will have them punished in accordance to the laws of Ryun city. What is the verdict?¡± Then a human attendant that has been standing there replied in a hurry. ¡°Theft and robbery is subjected to do a forced labor as long as they need to repaid or compensate the damage. If the goods is not returned, it will be double the amount.¡± ¡°Compensate by earning it? Are they allowed to work in the field?¡± ¡°Field work?¡± ¡°yes, we have lots of things to do. After all the city population has been increased by around 260 since yesterday.¡± needless to say that the 260 is from the inu race and the werewolves. First commanding them, searching for food, and now we have another project coming one after another. ¡°Some shop that is involved in the battle are undergoing repair so business can resume.¡± now cleaning up has to be done one by one. ¡°Now, while the shop are under repair, they can stay in the inn and we will pay for the money.¡± this might cost a bit but I will repay you one day Airia. For now please pay for it¡­ ¡°It is dangerous if the sewer under the walls are leaved like that. Immediately send people to repair it and because we also are able to infiltrate from the sewer, increase the defense of it.¡± even if we have two hundred inu race, they need to work in shift so I assigned three shift made up of sixty people each. This kind of job is tough. ¡°Increase the mission assignment for Gurnee brother but in return they will be paid in chicken as benefit. More work more food.¡± ah, just noticed that I had no time to take breakfast as the noon approaching. I stretched while sitting down on the seat. ¡°Fuuuh¡­¡± ¡°Are you tired?¡± at that moment I can hear a cute voice. When I look back in a hurry, there is a little girl floating in the air. She wears black cloak and a pointed hat. I fall down to my knee immediately on the floor and paid my respect. ¡°I have been waiting for Gomoruiroa general.¡± ¡°Just call me Mobi-chan.¡± this person in front of me is the head of the devil army third division, ¡ºthe great sage Gomoruiroa¡». (Tl note: the third army has several commanders and one general. That¡¯s the correct power standing right?) she was inflating her cheeks unhappy like a child but still she is the devil army strongest magician. Even if she has a human appearance, she is the strongest demon in the third division. Also she is my magic teacher. ¡°I said you can call me Mobi-chan or even just call me teacher.¡± ¡°That is not polite but I¡¯ll try.¡± My teacher Gomoruiroa sighed but she smiled after that. ¡°Well, now we already take control of Ryun city.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to teacher. By the way if teacher is coming, will your ¡®Naoe¡¯ troops coming?¡± Teacher smiled again as I expected. ¡°Well my spear bone corps may look poor and pitiful but please allow two thousands of it to merge with the inu corps.¡± ¡°Yes teacher.¡± Teacher specialty is ¡¾Necromancy¡¿. The skeleton soldiers she produces is able to move at will. If there are two thousands of skeleton spear men, it was even possible to face several thousands of human army. They also doesn¡¯t need to sleep and eat. Teacher is sighing again. ¡°You didn¡¯t think of something useless again right? Like skeleton do not need to eat rice so it¡¯s easy to keep.¡± ¡°N-N-no.¡± ¡°If you even think of that, I¡¯ll cut the heck out of you.¡± of course, it was something she is free to say out of love and effort because she is the number one. ¡°Did you say something?¡± ¡°No teacher.¡± But still, teacher is a magic master not an expert on tactics so my real pain isn¡¯t still relieved. ¡°teacher, do you have any idea on what to do about our food? Do we able to hunt alongside human?¡± ¡°Well I don¡¯t really like hunting. How about foraging?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure if we do that the best thing we can get is only insect.¡± Teacher laughed ¡®hohoho¡¯ at that remark. I might even think that she is a human if not for her monstrous power. In one fingertip movement, she is able to resolve some problem. Like creating some settlements around Ryun city, it is finished in less than half a day. Well even is she is a human beings, she stayed in the demon lord army because we provide her the things she needed. ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t believe I have a disciple that prefer magic rather than close combat fighting.¡± ¡°excuse me.¡± Teacher words makes me remember the first time I approached her. I can still remember it clearly even now. ¡°What are you saying? You want to be a magician? You are a werewolf!¡± ¡°I¡­ I want to be stronger¡­ I can¡¯t do it on my own.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°I want to protect everyone in my village. After that everyone of my race and everyone that needed my help.¡± ¡°I can see you¡¯re being honest¡­ alright, I like your intention. Let us see whether you have talents or not.¡± ¡°Thank you teacher.¡± ¡°But there is no giving up¡­ do you understand?¡± Teacher also seemed to remember the same thing as she showed me a wry smile. ¡°Although you have the ability to manipulate magical power even as a werewolf, it was too bad that you aren¡¯t able to do necromancy.¡± ¡°after all I¡¯m only a werewolf.¡± The magic that I can use is only limited to the magic to help strengthen the body. It doesn¡¯t work in any other way. In my previous life, I remember a job called ¡ºEnchanter¡». It was a hobby of mine and also some recovery magic can be used. Thanks to that I have some grasp of magic as a werewolf. Because werewolf itself is a fairly strong race, one day I hope to be the one with the best strength in the demon lord army. Well, but still I have a long way to go. ¡°By the way teacher, I didn¡¯t know that you will come.¡± when we are having a briefing at the demon lord castle before, I know that she was scheduled to be stationed in the castle. The second division and third division has an objective to capture a city at the same time and only the division commander is there to help. Then teacher is laughing responding to my question. ¡°It seemed like you needed some help aren¡¯t you student? Your troops are lacking in number so it is my duty to help.¡± ¡°Yes teacher.¡± still this amount of troops is still small compared to other deputy division commander that led thousands in scale. So I¡¯ll be using this chance proudly. ¡°Also I have to praise you. The victim from yesterday battle is zero. You keep the number of casualties to the minimum too.¡± of course it is because we have been planning it carefully. ¡°But still, yesterday rebellion from the were wolf corps was something unexpected.¡± ¡°Why is that teacher?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of your personality student.¡± and then the great sage Gomoruiroa laughed while sitting on my shoulder. ¡°student, do you have someone to entrust public service?¡± ¡°Yes, there is Fern working at the gates and I also have her take some responsibility. You have met her before.¡± ¡°Ah, the girl that¡¯s within your strike zone.¡± ¡°Eh, why did you say that?¡± ¡°I know that she is your favorites.¡± teacher then smiling childishly and grinning. ¡°Well, now I¡¯ll give you some face. We need to give your report to demon lord-sama.¡± ¡°Do I need to go?¡± because report on mission details are usually delivered by adjutant. I wonder should a division commander like me go and said it myself. Teacher nods and said to me. ¡°I want to hear you tell it directly to the demon lord-sama. But of course I will come with you.¡± teacher then cast a spell as if she was singing in a pretty voice. The next moment, my view is distorted. CH 7 Chapter 7: another division commander the demon lord army headquarters, Gurung Stadt Castle. The name was somehow stern but it was a former frontier deserted castle. It was destroyed when the humans have conflict within themselves several hundred years ago and now the demon lord army is using it as a base. Originally it is a ruin but it was rebuilt by making full use of magic and has become an impregnable strong fortress now. The surrounding has been covered by fog that is also tinged with magic. It has camouflage effect so the castle can¡¯t be approached or seen. Humans who touched the fog will be paralyzed and at the same time all of his five sense will be messed up. Even if a whole army entered the fog, it may be wiped out without being able to reach the castle. Trough the fog, demons like us can walk normally. I am now walking with teacher on my shoulder. Since it was prohibited to teleport directly inside the castle so we have to walk from the nearby gates. I didn¡¯t transformed just so I can carry teacher in my shoulder but it¡¯s also to inform the guards. ¡°Your face is creepy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not looking bad either dragon man.¡± Still we¡¯re stopped because teacher looked like a human. Dragon man soldier that protected the castle gate didn¡¯t even look me in the face. After all the defensive force that guarding the castle is the elite of the dragon man. They belong to the first division and the head of the first division is none other than the demon lord. After we walked past the guard, and walking towards the castle, someone come waling from the other side of the fog. It¡¯s a huge figure coming. ¡°Ayatsu?¡± at the same time when teacher said that, I also noticed the identity of that figure. There is also a blood fishy smell in the air. ¡°Oh, wasn¡¯t this the third division?¡± It was a giant that has a face that like a beast. The height is around three meters too. It was nearly two times my height. It was a beast demon race and carrying a steel club, half naked. It was the second army division commander. His name is mad dog. The name might be funny but it is what describing him the most. The mad dog bowed to my teacher, overlooking me. ¡°Are you going to report?¡± ¡°It¡¯s that trading city right? What takes you so long? I¡¯ve take down the mining city Boruc far earlier.¡± once again he is brandishing his club and boasting with a triumphant face that looked like a dog. ¡°You know, it¡¯s mining city. You know what? We can mine iron out of it. What is the use of trading city? It doesn¡¯t have any worth.¡± ah, it¡¯s this kind of thing. Now, in short he want to say that his prey is more worth than mine. It¡¯s just that he doesn¡¯t realized the importance of trade. Not his fault, for demon, even some human in this world may have not understand it. And since there is no other reason to compare which one is more important, I shrug it off lightly. ¡°It¡¯s good if you¡¯re happy.¡± instantly the dog face was brimming red. You see, I like seeing blood red color. ¡°You¡­ are you asking for a beating? Don¡¯t you know who I am? I¡¯m a genius with the power of shishioni, I¡¯m mad dog!¡± well he might be genius in elementary school level but I¡¯m already a genius in junior high school. ¡°I¡¯m a magician possessing werewolves body. Which one is stronger you think? Aren¡¯t you a genius?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s me!¡± ah, how can someone be this stupid? I looked up and glanced at teacher and she is speaking lightly. ¡°division commander should get along.¡± ¡°Teacher.¡± it seemed like she doesn¡¯t really care about this as she floated away. So I look at the shishioni. In the demon lord army, strength is all that matters. Once you lost, you are trash and I¡¯ll face my opponent with all my strength as I glared at the mad dog. ¡°Don¡¯t block the road. It¡¯s the habit of the weak to stop the strong.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± the club was swung down suddenly but of course that kind of thing won¡¯t hit me. Under my werewolves eye, it doesn¡¯t even seemed to be moving. The club missed the target and crushed the stone pavement on the ground and sprinkled debris everywhere. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t break the property of demon lord castle.¡± since he is blocking my way, I¡¯ll play with him a little. ¡°You need to receive some lesson.¡± werewolf against Shishioni. If it was pure strength, shishioni will comes out as the victor. Not to mention the physique differences, his club swing range covered a wide area and they are a specialist in destruction. Still it has a weakness. It¡¯s movement are slow because of its large stature. But not a lot of demon are able to courageously faced their attack. More than anything, it is difficult to give them a fatal wound because their flesh and skin are tough. Even if you deal a fatal wound, they won¡¯t stop attacking. They are monsters. That¡¯s for sure, for human being. While thinking like that, I dodged his second attack. It¡¯s bad that the second division army commander is this weak. I won¡¯t let him attack the third times so by lightly jumping, I impress a kick upon his jaw. ¡°Ugh..¡± if it was a normal human, their skull will be shattered but indeed he is a shishioni. It seemed that the kick didn¡¯t have any effect. His body is quite sturdy. If it was an ordinary enemy, they would surrender but he is a division commander. His spirit is still strong and full of composure. In reverse his club swing is now enhanced with vengeance. He started to attack blindly because of that one hit from me but if I carefully dodged, it won¡¯t land. As I looked to my teacher, it seemed like the time to add magic a little bit. I leaned sightly and gathered magic in my palm. ¡°Prepare for this.¡± my werewolf claw is charged with heinous light and pounced to the mad dog jaw. The claw that is shining in black landed. ¡°Guooo!¡± Shishioni chin has a dent and it can be seen that his jaw has been dislocated. As expected even this amount of pain couldn¡¯t incapacitate him. But he has lost his fighting spirit as he put down his club. ¡°Ya, it¡¯s better if you surrender.¡± I recommended it to him but he is still stubborn and only screaming. It can¡¯t be helped. ¡°Now, you can sleep.¡± I attacked the chin again as shishioni head is trembling and his eye can only showed me white parts as he lost consciousness. The mad dog fall to the ground and caused a small tremor. It didn¡¯t stand up anymore. Well, it¡¯s my win for the werewolf. ¡°Alright, alright, that was over.¡± teacher came down from her flight and landed in front of the mad dog. She struck his shoulder two times to treat him. ¡°still your bravery is enough to put you as a division commander.¡± ¡°I¡­uuu¡­aaaa¡­¡± I think teacher has healed him but the mad dog is still writhing in pain. Apparently teacher didn¡¯t use a simple magic to close the wound but use a therapeutic magic to increase natural healing power. That guy will experience excruciating pain until his wound healed on his own. My teacher is quiet sly indeed. After that teacher come towards me and flick my head two times with unhappy face. ¡°This is the first time I saw your fights, it was really poor.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I think I brilliantly won but teacher seems dissatisfied somehow. While flying to my shoulder she said. ¡°It was good you¡¯re not being fearful but my heart couldn¡¯t take it¡­¡± ah, you can just say that you are worried about me. My teacher is quietly sly but also caring and protective. CH 8 Chapter 8: demon lord After we left alone the beast demon laying down on the ground, we have reached the demon lord castle. To tell the truth, this will be the second time I meet with the demon lord. In front of the door made from intimidating steel, I take a deep breath. The one who I will see is the strongest demon. The demon lord that commands more than ten thousands of demons under him. If he wanted to kill me, it can be done without even wasting one breath. ¡°Third division army general Gomoruiroa and division commander Raito come to report.¡± after teacher said it in a calm voice, the huge door opened slowly. Pillars from polished obsidian that is decorated by specialty silversmith. The whole room tones is black and decorated with silver. When the silver is saturated, it blends nicely with the black color as if it is combined to form a harmony. Nearby, some dragon man is guarding and armed with short spear. Their scales are also black in color. The black scales, silver spear, it all undeniably added the beauty of the scenery. With a thunderous sound from deep inside the room, someone said: ¡°please enter¡±. I was trembling but I was trying not to cause shame for my teacher. Even if something bad happened, we can fix it. Even if I died, there is still a chance to be reincarnated again. I was trying to ease my mind as much as possible as we walked. In that hall, my footsteps are echoing but it was strange. The echo and my movement isn¡¯t match. Somehow in this shiny black obsidian and silver decoration there is a picturesque trick. Because of that I also think it wasn¡¯t possible to walk by erasing the footsteps. And still there are more dragon man inside. There is one that¡¯s called lizard man but they will cry called that since they are after all still a dragon race. Still, why he can be here? It¡¯s because the demon lord are from the dragon race himself. He is not from the demon race but from the dragon race. Sitting on the throne, it is ¡ºthe demon lord Den Richter¡». Indeed even if he come from the dragon race he is still the demon lord. His physique isn¡¯t like normal dragon man who is only two meter tall. He is a giant that stands out. His scales wasn¡¯t dark brown or green but it is blazing red as if he is covered by fire. And as he aged, he will possessed what is called majesty coming from the dragon race. However the thing that inspired me the most is his magic. Magician can see the flow of the mana and right now around him, there is an overwhelming density of magic flowed just by him breathing. His level far surpassed other demons and the level of magic he achieved far beyond anyone. Even if me and the whole werewolves corps attacked and even teacher helped us, there is no chance for us to win. There¡¯s a big gap between us. So naturally as a demon I will give my respect to him. While kneeling I give my respect. ¡°Third division deputy commander ¡ºMaokami Raito¡» reporting in.¡± Maokami is my title that is given by the demon lord. After all important people in the demon lord army has a title. Mine is just a small fry. The demon lord is looking at me with his eyes that is shining in gold color. Involuntarily I stand up straight. ¡°We have capture the trading city Ryun and now it is under own control.¡± ¡°I know.¡± it was a modest voice but it was intimidating enough to cause the pillars to tremble. Ah, my report is done, now I want to go home again. But then the demon lord continue to ask. ¡°Can you explain to me concisely what kind of tactics you used?¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± I involuntarily bowed but now I need to answer the question carefully. Let¡¯s just speak of the conclusion for now. ¡°I made a strategy to do an ambush. At first, I asked some of the werewolves to infiltrate as traveler and we also used the inu corps as diversion.¡± the demon lord looked down at me still within silence. Was the explanation not enough? But contrary to my expectations the demon lord nodded slightly. ¡°That tactics, what is the advantages?¡± ah, a simple question this time. ¡°It is to minimize the damage to the army and at the same time facilitate the governance of after the war better.¡± ¡°Tell me more.¡± ah, quite persistent but still within my capabilities to answer. ¡°The werewolves corps is made of elite so it wasn¡¯t easy to find replacement for even a soldier. If we still think of the incoming future war, any casualties should be avoided.¡± ¡°So, tell me the second part.¡± ah, he also still want to know about it. It is also something I remember when I was studying under teacher. Demons sense of submission is only to the strong. Losing a fight, or facing someone stronger, we will pledged our loyalty only to the strong. However human beings are different. If we killed their strongest family member, they could still fight back to us. He might be worried about this. ¡°I¡¯m also trying to try to suppressed the damage to the enemy side. We can do it as long as the human is in fear of our power and doesn¡¯t have any grudge. We also let the count to cooperate with us.¡± the demon lord eyes is focused on me as he speak in growling voice. ¡°That method.. isn¡¯t it easier to do it by force?¡± clearly the atmosphere has changed. This question is bad. Ruling by force is the demon common sense. Of course the demon lord is doing this right now. If I answered it wrong, it can be considered as a criticism to the demon rules as demon always tried to show their superiority from others. The demon lord voice echoed heavily. ¡°Answer!¡± ah, I have prepared myself. There is nothing lose anyway. ¡°I want to avoid unnecessary conflict and cooperating with the humans, I am confident it will be the best and most secure route.¡± ah, I¡¯ve said it now. Clearly the expression of the dragon soldiers is changed. Well they didn¡¯t clearly show it on the surface but they are now releasing battle spirit. What should I do? Run away if I¡¯m going to be killed? Or can I still expect my self to be reincarnated as another Kazuya? However the demon lord doesn¡¯t even react indifferently and nodded. ¡°Very well if that¡¯s the case.¡± so, it was over. The blood thirst that is filling the hall dissipated in a blink of an eye. Apparently I won¡¯t be killed today. But once again a hot feelings struck my chest. The demon lord speak again. ¡°Since you will be cooperating, you will need some ample funds. For the governance cost, you can take one million copies silver.¡± ¡°Ah, Thank you demon lord!¡± ¡°If there¡¯s anything else you need, don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡± certainly the burden on my chest has been lifted. The demon lord sagacity are also outstanding. There is a clear reason why he is the demon lord. Then, teacher who has been silent all along asked the demon lord. ¡°The demon lord, aren¡¯t this going to cause a problem in your plan? It¡¯s only for a trading city.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± the demon lord isn¡¯t fazed when replying. ¡°The second division Nuyue, gained silver from their raid and it has been given to us as a loot. Therefore we still have more funds.¡± ¡°I understand. Thank you demon lord.¡± after that teacher also gives a bow and our report is finished. CH 9 After leaving demon king¡¯s room, I finally got back the sensation of being alive. ¡°I thought I would die, teacher¡± ¡°Unexpectedly, you are a coward¡± Teacher got on my shoulders, while laughing violently. ¡°The Demon Lord¡¯s conduct is very overbearing but he is in fact very gentle. Without a significant error, he doesn¡¯t normally punish¡± ¡°I wanted to hear that before we met¡­¡± When I sulked, teacher patted my head without reservation. ¡°I thought you would be knowing that much. You novice.¡± ¡°sorry for being a novice¡­.¡± While we were having such conversation in the courtyard, a shishioni came out of the fog. It was second division commander Dogg I slightly put myself in guard. ¡°Want to fight again?¡± But he denied. ¡°It is vexing, but this time it is a loss for my great self.¡± Saying so, Dogg conceded the path. In the world of Demons, strength is the justice. Those, who don¡¯t follow this law, don¡¯t live long. ¡°You are unexpectedly sincere¡± I crossed Dogg, while still being on my guard, but he didn¡¯t even show any animosity. Instead, he said this. ¡°Next time, I will crush you.¡± After coming out of the castle, teacher called me. ¡°Don¡¯t be careless. He is also an unique person among the shishioni.¡± ¡°He seems to understand a little bit tactics¡± When I nodded, teacher continued further. ¡°Also he had trained after understanding the strengthening technique. That agility is way out of class compared to other shishioni. He has less opening compared to his large build.¡± ¡°May be due to that?¡± ¡°Anyway, werewolves can understand better¡± Teacher patted my head without reservation while laughing happily. ¡° He may be a genius to leave his name in history as a shishioni but not as much as you. Because you are my student¡± Teacher got down from my shoulders after saying so. ¡°Then, as I have military duties, it¡¯s goodbye for now.¡± ¡°For the command of skeleton troops, what will you do?¡± ¡°I told them to follow your commands, make a proper use of them. If something happens, I will be there immediately.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± It is disheartening if teacher is not there, also it is a little lonely, but teacher is a general in the demon army. It is useless. For now, I returned to Ryunheight. My room is the viceroy¡¯s mansion. I am concerned if it was fine during my absence. I was absent for one hour only. But, in this world without a clock, I can¡¯t be sure about time. ¡°Oh, it has arrived¡± Seeing the large quantity of gold coin bags in a corner of room, I was once again surprised by the skillfulness of Demon King. Looks like, someone delivered with magic. Today also, there are many matters required to be paid for. I am grateful. ¡°Alright, let me finish it in one go¡± When I turned back to human, I resumed the officework. I took out the map, and thought about what to do hereafter. Mirarudia is an Alliance comprising of seventeen city-states. The senate holds a large power, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that it is a hodge podge of different parties. Currently, demon army is concentrating its entire force on conquering Mirarudia. Second division is in the middle of capturing the northern part of Mirarudia, while the third division is capturing the southern part. We have already captured three towns in the north and two in the south. ¡°The second division is rushing ahead¡­¡± By the way, that town Dogg of second division had captured is not even a proper town, it was just a mining town. It was not counted in this. Except for this kind of cities, the second division had also assertively captured essential strategic locations. It feels like the person in charge of second division is acting violently. Well, those would only kill and destroy. If that is fine, then we could also do so. Then, the problems comes here, that is movement of Mirarudia allied army. If the Mirarudia army is dispatched towards the north, then it would be peaceful here. ¡­. No, in any case, I should also confirm the strength of our side. At first, there are 56 in the elite werewolf troops I can command. They are elite among the elites, but lacking in number. There are 200 inu tribes. They are small and weak, so as war potential, they are below werewolf troops. But, fortunately, there are 2000 skeleton spear troops lent by teacher. They are strong. Arrows are not effective, and leadership is flawless. They would not shrink back from fear. The army strength is around 2250, but food is required only for 250 persons. It is because the skeletons don¡¯t need either food or sleep. I am indeed grateful. ¡°Why are you grinning, Raito-kun?¡± When I was called suddenly, I raised my face in a hurry. Oh, it is Faan-oneechan. ¡°Eh, Ah? Wh, what happened Faan?¡± ¡°Well, there is a little problem. Look, it is about the treatment of Radiant Church.¡± ¡°It¡¯s them¡± There are many religions in Mirarudia, but the biggest are the radiant church. The doctrine respects cooperation and philanthropy, but in this case, the bad interpretation make it looks like a totalitarian. Even though they are philanthropist, they seem to have lack of interest towards heretics. Faan-oneechan breathed a sigh, while playing with the end of her ponytail. ¡°It is about the priest of radiant church in this town, he is requesting for the freedom of belief. Do something for the worship and pilgrimage duty.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± I folded my hands. Well, worship is fine. In the name of religious gathering, there might be some people planning strange things, but banning those people is also useless. But, approving the pilgrimage duty is somewhat difficult. In the radiant church, there is an obligation to visit one of the many sacred places. According to the documents I sent previously in a hurry, pilgrimage has to be done once in two years. ¡°Among the population of 3000 in Ryunheight, around one fourth are radiant church believers, so is it 1200 people?¡± ¡°Around half of them, that is 600 people have obligation to visit some place for pilgrimage this year.¡± Faan-oneechan also made a worrisome face. It is like that. I pondered while patting my head. ¡°It seems to be around hundred people who would try to run away under the cover of confusion.¡± ¡°Also there would be people who would infiltrate here in the pretense of pilgrimage.¡± ¡°Aa, it can also be that way¡± While I was being troubled, Faan-oneechan peeps on my face. ¡°Does it have to be banned?¡± ¡°That is so, but it is unwise to restrict faith thoughtlessly.¡± I stood up. I remembered the bloody history which I have learned bitterly in previous life. ¡°I would request the viceroy of Ryunheight to gather all of the religious leaders.¡± ¡°All of them?¡± Faan-oneechan looked amazed, so I nodded vigorously. ¡°All the leaders of Radiant Church, Stillmoon Church and also from other indigenous faiths.¡± CH 10 Chapter 10 As I expected, this meeting became awkward. Everybody was looking at me with vigilance. The priest of the Radiant church, a position leading forty percent of the population. The manager of the Stillmoon shrine, twenty percent of the population follow her. The rest are from other indigenous faiths like animism, nature worship etc. Because it is a trade city, there are many drifters, those are members of multifarious faiths. Even werewolf worshiper was among them. It is fine to be choked with tears of gratitude, but I don¡¯t want him to pray. Priest of the Radiant church, wearing a dignified robe, stood up immediately. He was a middle aged man with a good physique. ¡°I am Yuhito, Priest of the Radiant church. Art thou the commander of demon army, Vaito-dono?¡± ¡°Indeed. I am third division commander of demon army, Vaito¡± While maintaining as much dignity as possible I put the petition, sent by him, down on the table, ¡°I saw the petition of Yuhito-dono. Before I answer about individual circumstances, I have something to convey to all the leaders of each faith gathered here. Is that fine?¡± Then the Priest of Radiant church nodded serenely. ¡°Yes, if it is to receive reply.¡± He was unexpectedly calm. Since he sent a petition, I guessed he would be like a fanatic, but he looked dignified. In front of everyone, I convey the decision: ¡°I will convey decision regarding the faiths in Ryun height taken by third division of demon army.¡± Everyone became tense. Well, the werewolf worshipers looked with shining eyes. So don¡¯t pray. I continued speaking, while I pretended not to see him. ¡°We pay respect to your faiths and will continue to allow the freedom of faiths in Ryun height, as before.¡± As I displayed a pleasant smile, everyone had an expression of relief. There were many with a forced smile. Oops, I had to remind them, ¡°But, following three things are prohibited. First, any hostile act towards the demon army. It contains things like, inciting rebellion and insult of demon king etc. Although I said that, I won¡¯t ask you to worship the demon king. It suffices to follow the rules of society.¡± I looked at the faces of everyone, but there didn¡¯t seem to be any disagreement. ¡°Second, all the acts of violating the law of Ryun height. The law has to be followed thoroughly.¡± This also did not seem to have any objection. If they had, then I would definitely complaint to Airia. Then this was important. ¡°Third, the acts of persecution towards heretics. If you want your faith to be recognized, you should also permit faith of others.¡± The people that reacted to this were the leaders except for leader of the Radiant church. Besides, the Radiant church is the largest faction, their peer pressure is strong. The forced relentless religious conversion of the heretics by the Radiant church was common knowledge in this world. The concerned persons were following it with good faith, so it was easily manageable. Accordingly, I cautioned them, at the same time, I did a favour towards other sects. ¡°Demon army will not force anyone to religious conversion, also would not approve of it. Like we worship the demon king, each person may worship their own gods as well.¡± The werewolf worshiper cried from overflowing emotions, but I decided to ignore that. For a brief moment, the radiant church priest certainly had a frown. From now on, they won¡¯t be able to do forceful religious conversion in the name of missionary work. I showed him a smile. ¡°So it is like this, the worship and pilgrimage of radiant church are approved. There is provision for establishing restriction during war time, and this is also specified in the law of Ryun height. Are there any objections?¡± The troubled face of radiant church priest became covered with a smile, and he bowed politely. ¡°I thank you for your generous consideration. I did not even think that the freedom could be granted to such a degree.¡± This fellow is rather a sly fox. I replied such with a smile: ¡°Therefore, I would appreciate if there are not riots¡± As these were only directions from me in this meeting, it was over quickly. It seemed the other leaders also had some petitions, but given that I acted in advance approving all of them, they didn¡¯t had anything left to say. While all the participants left one by one, the leader of the Stillmoon faith walked up to me. She is a decent woman around thirty. In contrast to the priest of radiant church, this person was plain. ¡°Thank you, Vaito-dono. I extend my thanks on behalf of all the Stillmoon believers.¡± She was a woman, who would bow her head very deeply. She didn¡¯t say anything, but it seemed like she was bothered by the forceful religious conversion of radiant church. She continued in this way, ¡°We, the Stillmoon believers, will cooperate with Vaito-dono completely. But it is only limited to Vaito-dono¡± Cooperating with demon army is still impossible, but cooperating with me was a form of gratitude towards me personally. ¡°Thank you. Respecting the individual, improving diligently, there are many who have a deep impression towards these teachings of Stillmoon faith. It is impossible for me to treat it as a special sect, but I would like to treat courteously equivalent to other sects.¡± Even if I said that, it was like a political comment, but it can¡¯t be helped as I am actually a politician. The current me could only say this much at best. The leader of Stillmoon faith nodded with a smile, and came for a handshake. I responded to that. It might be the first time that a werewolf and human were shaking hands. ¡°Vaito-dono, if thou art in a predicament, please use my magic. Even though I am a novice, still I will use my poor ability.¡± ¡°Magic¡­?¡± Thereupon she again introduced herself with a smile, ¡°Sorry for the late introduction. I am Miti. I have opened an private astrology school in Ryun Height.¡± There is a reason behind becoming friends with Stillmoon faith. In Stillmoon faith, which respects individualism, non-intervention and self-improvement, there are many artists and magicians. They are small in number, but they possess power to influence the people and even the ruler. Of course, as a minority their standing is weak, but they are troublesome as enemies. ¡°Thank you, Miti-dono. Because I am also a scrap of a magician, it is highly likely that our topics also match. I will be in your care from now on.¡± As a werewolf I am good at body strengthening magic, but as for forecasting past or future with prediction magic, humans are very proficient. It might be because the humans are excessively fond of the fortune telling. The insecurity and the expectations towards the future, drive them towards prediction magic. Because there was an unexpected outcome in the meeting, I returned to my room. To prevent the residents of Ryun height from rebellion, I have to start working on the plan to seize the human nature. It should be before Mirarudia allied army arrives. CH 11 The 10000 silver coins received from demon king were more useful than expected. At first, I prepared the lodging of werewolf troops and inujin troops. When I issued an ordinance via Airia that I wanted to buy old houses and inns, all the private houses and inns in the neighborhood of viceroy¡¯s mansion, applied together . ¡°Now, because this mansion is the base of demon army , there are many wealthy people who are thinking of changing residence.¡± Airia had a bitter smile, but it was certainly like that. ¡°If possible, isn¡¯t it better for you to move to a peaceful place quickly?¡± ¡°Because I am the viceroy, I can¡¯t go. I have to make sure that you people will protect the citizens.¡± She was a persistently honest woman. I bought the selected properties at more than the market price, so that no one could complain later on. With this, the inujin troops, also, could come inside the city. ¡°Vaito-sama, thank you very much!¡± ¡°It is a splendid house! Hey, there are silver coins!¡± ¡°That is the price of house! Don¡¯t use it as you please!¡± After somehow distributing the lodging house among the inujins in high spirits, I was finally able to close the castle gates. Leaving it like that is too careless. The appearance of skeleton soldiers were too scary, so I deployed them altogether in the forest outside. If the Mirarudia alliance army would come, then it would be from north side. But as there is no forest on north side, inevitably they would hide in the forest on the west side. It was the forest in which we hid during invasion. With this, nothing beside the castle walls would be visible to anyone looking from afar. They would neither produce smoke from cooking, nor wander around to relax. Until there is an order, they would have to continue to standby in the forest. The total silver coins paid as price of houses are about 3000. Either way that much money is required to reasonably accommodate around 250 people. Next is food expenses. In this world, the daily income for the common jobs is around one to two silver coins. With that much one can survive. ¡°Those who don¡¯t work, don¡¯t get to eat!¡± In front of the 200 inujin troops, I shouted, ¡°As soon as the drainage system reinforcement is finished, you all will do the farmwork!¡± I plan to stay in Ryun Height for a long term. If it is like this, food expenses will have to be earned by ourselves. ¡°To cover the army provisions, is an important military service. There might be some dissatisfaction, but¡­¡± The eyes of inujins are shining brightly. One among them, opened his mouth coyly. ¡°Vaito-sama, leave it to us. That military duty, we will accomplish it splendidly!¡± ¡°Oh, is that so¡­..you seem awfully eager¡± Then, they all replied in unison, ¡°We love digging holes!¡± Really. so, Basically they are all dogs. We are the rulers, but at the same time, we are also freeloaders. In any case, robbery should not be done. If the Mirarudia alliance army comes while we are in a situation being blamed by majority of citizens, with a revolt from both inside and outside, the defense would be impossible. But, just making sure that we are not being hated, is not enough. Even more service is needed. ¡°Should we eliminate the thieves?¡± Gani older brother growled with dissatisfaction, but I don¡¯t care. ¡°Since the palace guards will not cooperate, catching the thieves is our job. It is fine to beat up as long as you don¡¯t kill.¡± ¡°Vaito says difficult things naa~¡­.¡± Gani younger brother complained, but I didn¡¯t pay any attention. ¡°If it is said that the city fell into ruins because the demon army invaded, then it will be a disgrace to us. Work hard, so that it would be said because of the demon army came, living became easier. I will let you eat meat accordingly.¡± ¡°Alrighty, let¡¯s do it!¡± Those guys are easy to handle. After that few days were busy like anything. Since the town was captured suddenly, many travelers got locked in the city. In addition, the radiant believers have their pilgrimage duty. They want to leave the town, but since they know about the surprise attack by werewolves, it is impossible to let them go. Because it is inevitable, I put out an ordinance, ¡°Now, because there is a ferocious demon of the demon army loitering around, it is dangerous outside. As I guarantee your lives,so for the time being, don¡¯t go outside .¡± Regarding the pilgrimage duty of Radiant believers, an ordinance of wartime amnesty was passed with joint signature of viceroy Airia and priest Yuhito. Besides law reforms and negotiations with trade association etc., there were many things to be done, but because I have the viceroy and leaders of faiths coaxed together, somehow I was able to cut through. In the human society, many things can not be done with fangs and claws. However, thanks to that, Ryun Height regained daily life, a little by little. Because the trade is stopped, there is no liveliness, but that also needs a little patience. ¡°Vaito-sama, there is a report from castle gate guards! A group is approaching from south gate!¡± The messenger of inujin troops rushed in, while sticking out his tongue from being out of breath, and reported. I stopped my hand signing the documents, and asked him who looked like a shiba dog. (T/N: Shiba is a breed of japanese dog.) ¡°Are you the commanding officer, Vaito-san?¡± The inujin with a beagle-like face, who reached the castle gate, asked while looking at me. I nodded. ¡°Yes, I am Vaito, third division commander of demon army. I am the chief executive here.¡± When I held my hand out, the inujin grasped back my hand. ¡°I am Kuu, nice to meet you. Also, my younger brother is in your care.¡± ¡°Joey is a excellent soldier. He is a hard worker.¡± Joey is the child soldier who carried out the duty as messenger of inujin troops during invasion. Because he is excellent, I am thinking of making him the leader of inujin troops eventually. To meet the elder sister of my subordinate like this, is not really a coincidence . I had thought of what to do after capturing the city, so I had negotiated with inujin trade association beforehand. Learning that Joey¡¯s older sister is a trade dealer, immediately I got in touch. Negotiations were simple. Because they immediately jumped at the extraordinary condition that they will soon be able to trade with humans. Of course, on the premise that the demon army has to guarantee their safety. Behind Kuu, her subordinates are unloading the cargo. It seems like they pulled the cargo until here in a cart similar to the trailer towed by bicycle. The quantity is quite something. ¡°What is in the cargo?¡± ¡°Jerky of deer meat and horn carvings. The rest are silver work and wooden mosaic work.¡± Kuu looked up at me with a bragging face. ¡°Handiworks are numerous, but definitely better than human craftsman.¡± Because these guys have small hands. There are natural leather gloves, suitable for craftsman. Just to make sure, i order inujin soldier. ¡°I entrust you with the cargo check. Don¡¯t take bribes, ok?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Inujin soldier similar to Dachshund galloped forward. (Editor¡¯s note: Dachshund =a dog of a short-legged, long-bodied breed.) Not only, it is from outside territory of Mirarudia, but also these are various valuable articles made by demons. For the merchants of Ryun Height, they would want those very badly. That¡¯s right, I have to request another thing. ¡°Hey, Kuu¡± ¡°What, commander-san?¡± Kuu, who was bribing inujin soldiers by feeding jerky, looks back without being shy. I, instead of blaming her, asked for this, ¡°I need charcoal and sulphur, in addition to saltpepper. Can you supply?¡± ¡°Nnyoro, I think¡­. I can do it. But what do you use those things for?¡± I grinned towards her, who made a face full of curiosity. ¡°It is a military secret.¡± I have already secured funds. Finally, I should start developing gunpowder. I came from a world with science. Sometimes it feels like I am forgetting. CH 12 I, Airia Ryutte Aindorf cannot help but leave this record with surprise. Just a few days ago, our Ryun Height city underwent an attack from the demon army. It has not even been a year since I was appointed as the Viceroy of Ryunheight, after my father passed away from illness, by the senate. I was wary of the demon army, but I did not expect them to attack the base so suddenly. There should not have been anyone who would understand the importance of trade route within the demon army. So, I was careless. Therefore, my inexperienced self did not even have any measures for the sudden attack. The commander of demon army was a werewolf with jet black hair. I know very little about the werewolves. They are the demons, who attack humans after turning into wolf-humans on the night of fullmoon. They can¡¯t be harmed without silver weapons. And, also, they are the race destroyed by humans several decades ago. That is all. However, because the werewolves have not perished, my knowledge can not be entirely relied upon. They arrived in the daytime and took control of the city with terrifying power. Since, werewolves are known as human devourers, I was prepared to die. But that black werewolf, took the sabre out of my hands and said, ¡°Won¡¯t you give in to prevent the chaos?¡± He promised not to do useless slaughter and advised me to surrender. I had no choice. Those werewolf troops easily kicked around the elite palace guard troops, but unexpectedly only seven people were killed in war. After treating and disarming the injured soldiers, he really did nothing, as he promised. As I was prepared for the mass slaughter of elite troops just for the sake of showing off, I and the elite troops, both, were left perplexed to the same extent of being relieved. The third division commander of demon army, Vaito¡¯s objective of capturing the city was somehow different. Suddenly he gathered the leaders of religions and approved the freedom of belief. Because everyone was in fear of religious conversion, this also, left us perplexed to the same extent of being relieved. I wonder what their gains might be when they are allowing so much freedom. But it is a fact that citizens are happy. The relief is as big as the fear in the beginning. That trust seems to be directly related to the demon army¡­.. no, to that individual, Vaito. There are also other unusual matters. They will absolutely not do robbery. They take whatever they require without any reservations, but always pay the appropriate price. Since there were not enough lodging houses for the soldiers, so, I was thinking of offering some of the vacant houses, just then not only Vaito took applications from sellers, but also bought it at a higher price than the market value. I have never seen an army commander with such good manners. It is absurd. The disastrous scene of Mirarudia unification war, which I had heard from grandfather, was not something like this. Vaito had an understanding that this is a trading city. He is eagerly making efforts to deal with the public order, and he invited the caravan of demons to resume trading. At first, the trade dealers were anxious, but soon, they started doing transactions willingly. The inujins are sincere and keep their promises, and they bring unusually good quality items. There is no trouble at all. It is a strange feeling. But I haven¡¯t let my guard down. He is a demon and a subordinate of demon king. I should not forget that they are ruling this city with force. He is a rational, intelligent and gentle person. Perhaps, he might develop Ryun Height even more than this. But at the same time, I sense a person with immeasurable depth to which people like me can not match at all. I have to be vigilant. I think so, but when I see the peaceful Ryun Height, I sense my heart gradually being swayed. After getting occupied by the demon army, I feel like my official duties have become easy¡­. I experience a strange comfort in governing this city in cooperation with Vaito. Therefore, I sincerely hope that Ryun Height will be freed by the Mirarudia alliance army. Before I get any more charmed by that black werewolf. Hurry. Hurry. CH 13 Since we occupied Ryun height city, about half a month has has passed by. Ryun Height was trying to regain its appearance of a trading city, a bit of liveliness had returned to the city. However, before the invasion, it is a base city for trades where the trade routes intersected, where many caravans used to come and go frequently. It is not much as before. But now, they have acquired a new business opportunity, that is the trade with demons. ¡°How¡¯s the business?¡± I, now, have come to visit the caravan of inujins gathered at the south gate. There are roughly a dozen of non-military inujins. There are some ten-odd carts parked, and around them is a crowd of human¡­ no inujins. ¡°Ah, Vaito-kun¡± Faan-oneechan, who is the person in charge of south gate, smiled after seeing me. ¡°Business is good. Look, look, I received so much silverworks.¡± ¡°Bribe is no good¡­¡± Seeing the silver ring and necklace Faan-oneechan had, I sighed. In the world of demons, where strength is considered absolute, it is difficult to explain why bribe is no good. I gave up quickly. ¡°Hey Vaito-kun, aren¡¯t inujin supposed to hate silver?¡± Because Faan-oneechan is holding up the silver ring with a curious face, I will explain. ¡°That is a rumour circulated by humans.¡± Looking at Faan-oneechan¡¯s blank expression, I continued further, ¡°The silverworks of inujins, humans could not imitate. The humans who didn¡¯t like that, spread the false rumour.¡± Thanks to that, inujins were driven away from the mines and they had to live in the forest in hiding. It is an unfortunate story. Even after that, inujins are not particularly holding a grudge, but think of it as misfortune. I enquire Faan-oneechan about the situation here. ¡°Are the transactions with humans going well?¡± ¡°Yes, it is great. At first, they were afraid, but seeing the appearance and behaviour of inujins, they got used to it.¡± When I look around, there are also human merchants, who have gathered. They are still a little timid, but price negotiations are all the same. ¡°These silver spoons, since I will buy fifty of them, won¡¯t you give a discount for five of them?¡± ¡°It is fine for three.¡± ¡°Ok, that¡¯s settled then. ¡°Inujin-san. Won¡¯t the salt from south beach be in the return cargo? ¡°Ah, I wonder if sugar is better than salt.¡± ¡°I have it, I have, it¡¯s just a little expensive though.¡± Hmm, hmm, it¡¯s not a bad feeling. Although they won¡¯t count towards the military power, but it was good to bring those inujins. Just to be sure, I remind Faan-oneechan who is grinning while looking at silverworks. ¡°If there are any dispute, be sure to quickly inform the trade association of Ryun Height. Be sure not to arbitrarily handle it yourself.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Taking a break, I buy the fruits from a caravan that came transporting goods from the southern countries. It looks like a pineapple from previous life, but the cross section is bright green. ¡°Is it tasty?¡± ¡°Hmm, I really like this.¡± I pay the price after taking the round slices from the inujin that looked like a borzoi. (T/N: Borzoi is a breed of dog.) The smell is perfect, but sugar content is so-so. I realize again maybe the fruits from previous life were sweetened. When I was chewing the green pineapple without knowing its name, suddenly the inujins and werewolves started a commotion. ¡°What happened?¡± Faster than the reply of my subordinate, my ears sense the abnormal event. It is the emergency dog whistle. From the direction of north gate, it could be heard faintly. Three whistles! It¡¯s the enemy attack. Before I order, Faan stands up. ¡°Close the north gate! Notify the caravan to take refuge inside the city.¡± I gulped down the green pineapple and transformed on the spot. ¡°Woooo!¡± The humans nearby are unable to stand up due to fear, but it is not the time for that. If I don¡¯t transform, then I can¡¯t howl. ¡°Aaooon!¡± I issue emergency call to the whole army of werewolf troops and inujin troops. Because it is my command, everyone is supposed to move at once. Immediately I start to pick up personnel from the personnel of south gate. ¡°Jerik squad, Monza squad and Hamman squad follow me! Rest of you defend this place until you get a specific order! Protect the citizens!¡± As soon as I ordered, all the named subordinates transformed at once. The screams all around are rising, but it can¡¯t be helped at this moment. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± With twelve people in three squads, I leave the south gate. As I run along the roof, werewolf howlings can be heard from here and there. ¡°Enemies!¡± ¡°Close¡± ¡°Strong¡± The content of all the howlings give indications of an enemy raid. It is possible to have instant communication because we are werewolves. However this howling is very simple, so there is no notion of tense. (T/N here tense is as in past tense and present tense) From this much, you have no choice but to guess either this ¡°Strong¡± is the impression after actual fight or just that the enemies look strong. Please, don¡¯t be fighting already! When I returned to viceroy¡¯s mansion, I pull out three squads from here also. Total, twenty four werewolves, approximately half of the total. When we rushed to the castle walls of north gate, the inujins on duty were trembling. ¡°Vaito-sama, enemies are here!¡± ¡°I understand already, it¡¯s not necessary to blow the dog whistles anymore. Where are they?¡± I jump, and land upon the scout tower of castle wall. Other werewolves also observed the enemies from the places they like. Hammam, the werewolf with dark brown hairs, mutters in a calm tone. He comes from desert, so he has good sight in spite of being a werewolf. ¡°Commander. Looking at their banner, they appear to be Mirarudia alliance army. Affiliated with Tuban.¡± Tuban, so that means, the industrial city north of Ryun Height. If I am not mistaken, they are supposed to have a archery unit. But it is mysterious. Monza, who has a carefree personality, has his head leisurely tilted to a side. ¡°This Tuban, isn¡¯t a big town, right? From the looks of it, it¡¯s not even around four hundred including foot soldiers and cavalrymen?¡± ¡°Weapons for castle siege are also not visible.¡± Even Jerik, the son of blacksmith, was puzzled. With at most four hundred soldiers, it is impossible to encircle Ryun Height, which is comparatively large in population. Also, they don¡¯t seem to possess means to breakthrough the castle gate. Unless it is a group of madmen, they should not begin a fight when there is no chance of victory. With only that much military force, it is not possible to capture Ryun Height. In that case, I can only think of one thing. ¡°Monza squad and Sukuji squad, defend castle gate at once! If there is any suspicious movement by anyone, arrest them thoroughly.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± ¡°Yessir!¡± Eight werewolves descend towards the north gate. It would be nice if it is my miscalculation¡­. CH 14 I hesitated, but decided to use the trump card here. I ordered other werewolves to maintain vigilance and I start chanting the spell. ¡°Returned from the gates of Gevena, you who, declined from the gates of Hauran. Behold my right hand. This becomes the freezing sun.¡± For an instant, my whole body becomes engulfed in magic power, a freezing brilliance dwells in my right hand. It is the ABCs of ghost techniques. Waving my right hand, I ordered the skeleton spear troops, hidden in the forests on the west, to advance. It might seem ridiculous to move two thousand skeleton spear troops just to oppose, at most, four hundred infantry and cavalry. In fact, I want to keep their existence hidden for the decisive battle sooner or later. However, while being reluctant to show the war potential, if the enemies rush inside the city, it would be disastrous. As of now, without any negligence, let us crush them with full power. Only the problem was, the slow movement speed of skeleton troops. They can not advance at a fast pace. Ambush is their specialty. As I expected, the Mirarudia alliance army noticed the skeleton spear troops emerging from the forests on the west side. They can¡¯t catch up¡­. Thereupon, the enemies breaking their column formation reformed it into a line formation with the cavalry only. Without change, speed increased dramatically No way, are they going to leave the infantry behind? The infantry also picked up the speed, but if it is only that much, skeleton spear troops would be in time for the interception. It looks like, they are going to divide into multiple routes. While patiently staring at the enemies approaching closer, Hammam grumbled. I ordered the sixteen remaining on the castle walls, ¡°We will intercept the enemy archery unit in front of the castle gates! Hammam squad, Woddo squad, Shurein squad, Jerik squad, follow me!¡± The werewolves made a surprised face for a moment, but it is absolute obedience towards the leader of the pack. Immediately, they put up a reassuring nod, and jumped off the castle walls. Jumping from a height comparable to a four-storey building, the werewolves landed quietly. Maintaining the four person squad, war preparation is started. ¡°Hammam squad, Woddo squad, Shurein squad, spread out on the left-wing! Go around and cut into enemy right hand side!¡± The right-handed archer carries the bow in left hand. It should be difficult for them to aim at the right side as they would lose their postures on the horseback . In spite of gradually approaching archery cavalry, twelve werewolves sprint towards the right side of enemy troops. ¡°Commander, what about us?¡± Jerik and the three werewolves under him looked at me. I replied while estimating the distance from the enemy. ¡°Jerik squad is my direct protection squad.¡± ¡°Yes, leave it to us, commander¡± The blacksmith¡¯s son with reddish-black fur, laughed with a grin. The archery unit of Tuban draw closer very fast. Before long it was in the shooting range of bows, but they didn¡¯t fire. I don¡¯t know the reason, but this is a good opportunity. I inhaled a breath and howled to the utmost limits. This is the magic I am most proficient in, ¡®Soul Shaker¡¯. Indeed, from this distance, the howl imbued with magic can not show its full potential. The ¡®Soul Shaker¡¯ has power to shake the soul at point-blank range, but it seems like, this time, it was not sufficient to completely confine the enemy. Stamina-wise it is not a technique which can be used continuously, there is a need for a bit more improvement. However, it was fortunate for me that the opponents were the cavalrymen. Only a few soldiers faltered from my howl, but their horses began to fluster. The speed of enemies reduced in the blink of an eye. Some of the horses, threw off their riders after falling into complete panic. Trailing horses got dragged into that, even more soldiers fell off the horse one after another. It was a huge chaos. The twelve werewolves which had cut into the right side of enemy troops, begin the assault without letting that chance go. Well, let¡¯s do a bit more. ¡°I will use support magic. Cover me.¡± ¡°Yes, commander. I will defend against the arrows.¡± Jerik stood in front in order to cover me. Other three also consolidate around in order to protect me. I absorbed the magic power floating in the surrounding with a breath. Repeating the deep breaths, when I gathered enough magic power, I converted that to magic. ¡°Oh full moon smeared with blood, shine upon the frenzied us¡± At that moment, the surrounding immediately became gloomy. And the magic power drifting in the battle field started to flow towards us. ¡°Oh!oh!¡­ it came, it came¡± Jerik waved his tail with an happy face. Same with the other three. I, myself, also felt a power gushing forth from inside., my entire body was engulfed in a cool wind at the same time, and I felt a sense of security, like being protected by something. It is the body strengthening magic which I specialize in. This was one of them, ¡°Blood Moon¡±. To back them up, I ordered the Jerik squad to attack. ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s a extermination war!¡± ¡°Ooou¡± After affiliating to the demon army, this was the first fight where ¡®killing everyone is fine¡¯. The werewolves shiver with the ecstasy of fight. ¡°Guooooo!¡± ¡°Hyaa, uwaaa!¡± The archer cavalry of Mirarudia alliance army fell into chaos. Before they could fire enough arrows, the werewolves attacked with the speed faster than the horses. The archer cavalry are the elites with mobility and long range, but now, they are not much different from the infantry with that confused and dull movement. The arrows they are carrying, are short arrows to be used from the horseback, so they can¡¯t produce the power of long arrows. Their strong point was completely sealed. Still, the fight was never optimistic. I run while dodging the flying arrows. Dodging the arrows by matching their speed with my speed, was an extremely difficult task. I was fine, but someone from Jerik squad collapsed after taking an arrow. It seems some among the twelve, who started the earlier assault, also got struck down by the arrows. Please be alive. While praying for them, I ran without looking back. At any rate, it is not worth it unless it becomes a close combat fight, so, we jump in the midst of enemies. ¡°Gaaaat!¡± While continuing to howl, I plunged my claws into the archers on horseback. My claws dove into the chain mail, small chains scatter together with blood splash. The scream drowned in blood and soon could not be heard. Throwing aside the enemy who was torn down into two halves from face to throat, I immediately aim for the next enemy. There is a guy who is aiming for someone with his arrow placed in the nock. ¡°Like I¡¯ll let you do it!¡± I jumped on the horseback and cut off the bow string before the arrow is released. At the same time, he screamed like I cut off his fingers. It¡¯s a pity, but you are the ones who attacked. Let me skip the ones unable to fight. Needless to say, I pushed through between humans and horses, and cut off one after another with my claw. The thin armored bow cavalrymen collapsed in funny a way. Unawares, I was also drowned in the ecstasy of blood. By the time I noticed, the battle was over. There was no sign of a standing enemy, the horses alive were empty. ¡°Seems like it¡¯s over, commander¡± Jerik wet with spurt of blood, said with a laugh. Apparently, he continuously protected me all this time. It¡¯s no wonder I am unhurt. Looking far away, the enemy infantry and my skeleton spear troops were still in the middle of the battle. Since there is an overwhelming difference in battle power, mostly it has not been a fair fight. I want to let them get away, but it is not possible as they have seen the werewolves. Because it is troublesome if they take this information back. Victory was evident even if I leave it as it is, but I changed the formation of skeleton spear troops by holding my right hand up. ¡°Surround them¡± From defense to envelopment extermination. Both edges of the skeleton spear troops which made a linear wall started to advance and went around to the back of the enemy infantry corps. The two thousand skeleton spear troops which boast of its overwhelming number, closed down the both ends behind the enemy. There is no escape anymore. Next is simply using that overwhelming numbers and leadership to grind them to dust. The sounds of battle lasted for a while, but that was also over soon. The skeleton troops takes no prisoners. As long as there is someone alive, attack would not stop. Thus, the primary defensive battle of Ryun Height closed its curtains with the complete annihilation of enemies. CH 15 End of battle was a little bit awkward. I would not regret my decision as the commander of demon army, but it¡¯s not possible to not have a heavy heart after killing this many. Since they attacked suddenly, with that much number and weaponry, it was obvious that there was no room for negotiation. I would not be struggling if I could win with persuasion. Still it is melancholic nonetheless. Who¡¯s the enemy general to come up with such a reckless strategy. There were three injured among the werewolves. They are the ones who got hit by arrows directly. ¡°You three fought bravely. It is fine, it will be healed soon¡± While treating the injured with recovery magic, I praised them for good fight. Besides a few scratches, everyone else seems to be in good health. As one would expect of the werewolves. I entrusted the rest to Jerik, and returned to the castle gate in a hurry. Because there is something to be worried about. ¡°Ah, commander¡± Monza greeted me with a troubled expression. Seems it was as I feared. ¡°Look at them. They were loitering around carrying knives.¡± Near her feet, some men are squatting. There were silver knives scattered in the vicinity. Their faces looked a bit distorted, so I timidly ask Monza, ¡°Isn¡¯t it too much?¡± ¡°They tried to run, so a little?¡± Monza cracked a smile. She is carefree, but she was a person who has room for leisure while executing any kind of cruel act. I question the men. ¡°Who are you guys?¡± Thereupon the men flared up. ¡°Because the outside is noisy, we just came to see the situation!¡± ¡°There are howls of werewolves, everyone is completely frightened.? ¡°Well enough about that, why are you carrying things like knives?¡± They sink into silence. There is a law that prohibits armaments of civilians, but since knives used for cooking are daily use tools, so carrying is permitted. I picked up the knife and looked, after removing the silverwork scabbard. ¡°Hmm¡± The knife blade is also made of silver. This seems like the handiwork of inujin artisan, there is a splendid flower engraved on it. All the other knife blades are also made of silver. Silver is heavy and soft. Not suitable for daily domestic use. But, among humans, there is a legend that ¡®werewolves can only be harmed with silver weapons¡¯. A false rumour that ¡®inujin spoils the silver¡¯ is also spread by humans, but this case is the opposite. ¡®Werewolves can only be harmed with silver¡¯ is the false rumour spread by werewolves. Because doing so, they would attack with soft and weak silver weapons. I cross-examined the men while looking down. ¡°You guys wanted to perpetrate something?¡± No answer. I become a little more angry. ¡°Things like silver knife should not be used in cooking or packing. Why were you carrying these? Answer.¡± I bared my fangs at the silent men. The men were expressionless, but obviously frightened. It smelled of fear. Finally one man started talking. ¡°G¡­ Oh God, it is used to break the seal of letter.¡± ¡°Letter?¡± Is it a paper knife. Well since silver knives are soft, that would be the most one can do. But it¡¯s like a luxury. Who would believe it. ¡°Just to observe the situation because of outside is noisy, did you guys bring tools for breaking the seal of letters?¡± I laughed. They remained silent. So I raised my head and announced so that the nearby citizens can also hear. ¡°Check their backgrounds thoroughly. Hand over them to the viceroy. I entrust the punishment to viceroy.¡± At last the final punishment would be left to viceroy. There was a need to show off like that. Monza squad restrained the men, and dragged them away. Sending them off, Sukuji asked me. ¡°Vaito-san, is it fine? The viceroy is the human, right? Won¡¯t the punishment be mild?¡± This young guy seems to be dissatisfied with this punishment. So I reply with a troubled face. ¡°Can¡¯t do anything, if we start punishing the citizens, animosity would become worse. They are undoubtedly suspicious, but they didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°That, That is so, but..¡± Sukuji makes a face showing disagreement. Well that would be so. As far as demons are concerned, there are no obligation for the strong to show that much concern towards the weak. If there are signs of revolt, then it¡¯s sufficient to slaughter them all. Although, doing that would definitely make it unfavorable later. ¡°The humans like to be coaxed. They resent immediately. Conversely, if you do something good, it¡¯s easy to make them follow. In truth, I am also thinking of killing them all.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Still it doesn¡¯t look like he is convinced, but he is a werewolf. Even if there is something to complain, he will still obey the boss. ¡°Well, leave it to me. I will do it so that we will get the most gain.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± As I laughed patting his shoulder, Sukuji also barely smiled. At that moment, the castle gate opened, Jerik and others returned. I had asked them to inspect the battlefield, seems like that was over. ¡°It¡¯s strange, commander. Look at this one. This is a silver arrow.¡± He held up an arrow, which the enemy had. I ponder for a bit. ¡°This arrow, however I look at it, feels like it is made for werewolves.¡± ¡°Ah, I have no doubt. Silver is softer than iron. There is no one to make weapons out of them deliberately.¡± ¡°In that case, the Tuban people know that werewolves are here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. What I know is that because of the fragile silver arrowheads, everyone¡¯s wounds are minor.¡± Jerik shrugged his shoulders. He is truly a master blacksmith in all aspects. However I can¡¯t afford to be like that, so I muttered folding my hands, ¡°How did the people of Tuban know that werewolves are here?¡± We have completely shut down the human movement in and out of the city since we have invaded Ryun Height. Other than that only the inujin caravan can leave. Because the inujin caravan would only go towards the places under the influence of demon army, information should not have been transmitted to the Tuban people. ¡°It¡¯s strange¡± While watching the townscape of Ryun Height, I had a unpleasant feeling. It seems information is leaking somewhere. At that time, castle gate opened again, and Woddo squad returned. ¡°I held a memorial for the war dead. Things like holding a memorial for humans, I never would have imagined.¡± ¡°Thank you, Woddo-jiisan¡± Woddo-jiisan is currently a peaceful retired old man, but originally he is a mercenary. I have heard that he had slipped into humans and participated in war in various places. ¡°By the way, Vaito-ya, look at this one¡± The white werewolf with long military service held a bow that appeared to be picked up on the battlefield. ¡°Is this? Looks like the enemy bows.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But it is a little small.¡± Woddo-jiisan laughed merrily, and continued, ¡°This is a bow used by cavalry, but even in that case it is a little too short. Doesn¡¯t seem to be fit for battlefield.¡± ¡°¡­.is it for urban warfare?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± According to the Woddo-jiisan¡¯s explanation, the bows carried by Tuban cavalry are made pursuing the merit in handling. In exchange, the accuracy and power would be lost, but it¡¯s easy to use even in confined urban area. ¡°In that case, isn¡¯t it unsuitable for siege wars?¡± ¡°Quite the opposite. Other weapons are also like that, but it¡¯s as if they haven¡¯t thought about anything prior to passing through the castle gates.¡± I was startled. They attacked with only four hundred, because they had means to break through the castle gates. And the men with silver knives caught earlier. I, being wary of the betrayers, left two squads of Monza and other for security, but it became a result just as feared. Perhaps, the tactics of Tuban side is like this. With the assumption of demon army not being deployed except for castle walls, Tuban organized their forces. The fifty bow cavalry with silver arrows are the counter werewolf urban warfare troop. The three hundred fifty infantry would be the rear guard for urban suppression. That¡¯s why that time only the bow cavalry started attacking suddenly. Taking advantage of mobility the bow cavalry unit would attack the north gate of Ryun Height. The defectors after opening the castle gates would lead the bow cavalry unit. The bow cavalry unit would rush into the main street or plaza, and fire the silver arrows at the werewolves who came to counterattack. As a trading city, the gate or main street are made wide, which is just right for moving around for bow cavalry. The infantry would break into the city by the time most werewolves are defeated. They would then recapture Ryun Height by overwhelming the inujin with quality and quantity. That sort of thing. Since their assumption was completely wrong, the tactics and forces collapsed. Thinking of moving the troops without thorough intelligence gathering, I wonder if the enemy generals are incompetent. Possibly, there is some reason. In this case, I should have questioned after taking prisoners of war. If the werewolves¡¯ blood boils, then it becomes this brutal¡­¡­ CH 16 Thus, Ryun Height defense battle was over too quickly, but it is evident that postwar period is more troublesome than battle itself. Most of the citizens don¡¯t know what had happened, but they seem to have noticed that a battle happened outside. Speaking of the enemies of demon army, of course it is humans. They obviously are aware of the fact that we had killed humans in the battle. Even if it is a proper battle from our point of view, for general populace it is not different from ¡®Monsters are killing humans¡¯. The battle between humans holds a little different meaning. Well, what¡¯s to be done. I confirm that my subordinates buried all the war dead besides the castle walls. Hmm, it is a well made grave. But, I had hoped them to make at least a single gravestone¡­. Too cold. Is this the difference between humans and werewolves. Let me consult with the mason guild later. After I joined my hands to show respect towards the enemy soldiers who fought bravely just now, I headed to the viceroy¡¯s mansion. Oh, let me quietly return to my human form. The moment I returned to viceroy¡¯s mansion, an angry roar summoned me. ¡°Vaito-kun!¡± It is Faan-oneechan coming towards me dragging Gaani brothers with her. I think it¡¯s been ten years since I have seen her so angry. What had happened. ¡°Vaito-kun, sit there!¡± Ah, I was being scolded. I don¡¯t know the reason, but anyway, can¡¯t oppose Faan-oneechan. As I am told, sitting on the chair I looked at her. ¡°Wha, what happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not what happened, it¡¯s WHAT HAPPENED!¡± Faan-oneechan hits the table with a bang. Gaani-elder brother clinging to her right hand swung together. ¡°Vaito-kun, in the battle just now, you yourself also plunged deeply into middle of enemies?¡° ¡°Ah, aa¡± ¡°The commander must not be rushing into melee battle! The main point is if something happened to Vaito-kun, who would command the skeleton troops?¡± That¡¯s also true. I had completely forgotten about my position as the leader of soldiers. Somehow after I reincarnated into a werewolf, there seems to be a tendency to be over excited when it comes to battle. Even though I carry memories from my previous life, this head is a werewolf¡¯s head, there might be a rush of adrenaline. It is intriguing. ¡°Are you listening?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, I am listening!¡± I unknowingly spoke formally with a straightened back. Faan-oneechan, still dragging Gaani-brothers somehow or other, came closer to me. ¡°You are not the neighborhood boy Vaito anymore? Because you are our boss.¡± ¡°Ah¡­. it is true.¡± It was entirely my mistake. Seeing my face, Faan-oneechan softens her tone. ¡°Really, be careful. Only Vaito-kun is reliable. Because, we don¡¯t know how to handle humans¡­¡± Certainly, if I am to disappear, there is no one who could take over the current occupation plan. It is easy to imagine what would happen next. Therefore I once again bowed to Faan-oneechan. ¡°Sorry, Faan. I was thoughtless. Hereafter I devote myself to issue commands.¡± ¡°Hmm, leave the fighting to us.¡± Faan-oneechan finally showed a smiling face. It was a dazzling smile like the sun in summer. Nevertheless, it is indeed troublesome to be the person in charge¡­. As the anger of divisional officer Faan subsided, I resume my official duties. There is something that needs to be taken care of hurriedly. ¡°Eh¡­. that, are the captured men in the basement?¡± Then Gaani-younger brother nodded. ¡°Ah, six in total. As instructed all of them are locked in different rooms.¡± Standing up I gave order to those three. ¡°All right, I will go for interrogation. Don¡¯t let the viceroy into the basement until then.¡± ¡°In that case, is it my turn?¡± Faan, giving a big stretch, made a victory pose. ¡°Just in case, I am considered to be the second most powerful person after Vaito-kun. I will let them know properly.¡± ¡°Please.¡± Well, let¡¯s head to the basement. ¡°Ah, Commander.¡± Sitting on the stairs in basement, Monza lazily turned to me. ¡°going for questioning?¡± ¡°I will. I ask you to keep records.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Leaving the guard duty to the other three, we begin the interrogation. After dragging out the eldest of the six men, I began the interrogation in one of the rooms in the basement. He is in his forties. His attire is neat, even the fabric of his clothes is also top class. ¡°Name?¡± There is no answer. It¡¯s fine even if he don¡¯t say anything. Given his attire, he should be living a luxurious life in Ryun Height. I would know if I ask anyone. ¡°Monza, would he understand if we drag him out to the plaza and pilloried him there?¡± Then Monza seemed to guess my intention, while turning the pen round and round, slowly answered. ¡°Instead just kill this person, how about asking the next one? Such a waste of time.¡± ¡°Hmm¡± The man is expressionless, but gradually there is smell of sweat. It is the smell of fear. I decided to scare him a little more. ¡°Anyhow, we are killing him, so let¡¯s do that after we find out his family.¡± I said only that much, but expression of the man visibly changed. The smell of fear increased rapidly. A movie, I watched in my previous life, had a scene like this. Well, I never thought I would be doing this¡­. After scaring him plenty, I quietly said. ¡°Hey, did you plan to kill werewolves? If you can¡¯t answer, I will kill you here.¡± This is not a threat. If he doesn¡¯t concede, it¡¯s a matter of asking until we ask the next one. After showing an expression of suffering, he opened and closed his mouth. Then again he opened his mouth, and replied. ¡±no¡­. It¡¯s not that¡± ¡°Then what was your objective? If you can¡¯t answer, I will kill you here.¡± The man shuddered again, in the end he barely replied. ¡°I went only to see the si..situation¡­.¡± ¡°I really hate liars. Let¡¯s kill him.¡± Monza muttered at the best possible time, the man is scared. I also gradually became afraid of Monza. If Monza is playing the bad cop, then It would be fine for me to play the good cop. It is just the right time. ¡°Well, wait Monza. These guys haven¡¯t done anything yet. If they cooperate, there is no reason to kill them.¡± ¡°But he doesn¡¯t seem to be cooperating¡­ then, how about killing his family?¡± ¡°Calm down, no need to go that far.¡± Although I don¡¯t know how serious she is, but that man is frightened of Monza¡¯s attitude. Perhaps he has wife and children. Their lives should be more valuable than his own life. I, with a softened expression, said to the man, ¡°You went to see the situation outside holding a silver knife used for breaking seal of letters. Is it so?¡± ¡°Ah,aa¡± Although the man peeked at my expression, he doesn¡¯t have any other choice but to nod. Since he is the one who said this while being constrained. I smile. ¡°In that case, is there any reason not to give your name? If it is only that much, the demon army would not kill the citizens of Ryun Height.¡± If he doesn¡¯t name himself even with this much, then there was something he did, so that he can¡¯t name himself. It¡¯s fine to punish him with that judgement. The man didn¡¯t seem to be an idiot, and he said seriously, ¡°Kozun¡­Rafel company¡¯s Kozun¡­ branch manager in the we,west district.¡± Speaking of Rafel company, it is an influential member of trade association. Oh, a manager hired there. Well, well, let¡¯s have him talk a little more. Once one opened his mouth, a man lost to his fears is a fragile thing. How far should he remain silent, that judgement becomes corrupted. ¡°The west side store, does that mean the import store with sharp yellow color roof? The inujins were praising it to be an upright and good store.¡± ¡°Tha, thanks..¡± Let me ease his mind a little with more idle talk. Behind me, Monza must be glaring dangerously. I got it from his expression. ¡°In the trade association, Rafel company is cooperating efficiently to maintain law and order in Ryun Height. I am grateful.¡± I implicitly hint your employer is under my control. If he is a hired manager, he would not dare to defy the employer. After I put enough pressure as a ruler, I ask the man, ¡°I am asking once again, did you really not have intention to attack werewolves?¡± ¡°No, Noo! I didn¡¯t have such intention.¡± The reticence in the beginning seemingly blown off, the man hurriedly nodded. I smile. ¡°In that case, demon army would not do anything to you. Including your family and workplace also.¡± Conversely, if he is planning something, then it is like threatening to kill everyone including his family, but that much intimidation is allowed. We are the rulers. I with a smiling face, continue, ¡°That being the case, let me send you back home at once. It is really good that it was a mere misunderstanding.¡± Tapping the man¡¯s shoulders who is still frightened, I decided to end the interrogation. Let me just stick the nail in the end. ¡°Ah, right, I should return the silver knife. Because it is a valuable asset. Not to lose it, isn¡¯t it better not to walk holding it?¡± Of course the real meaning is, ¡®don¡¯t loiter carrying these things¡¯. The man promptly nodded repeatedly. He should have learned a lot from this. If he has not learned enough, next time he would definitely be killed. I may be reluctant, but I also got used to play the villain¡¯s role¡­. CH 17 Finishing the remaining five people¡¯s interrogation one by one, I extracted information little by little. The second one goes like this. ¡°I had a very good chat with Mr. Kozun.¡± When I crossed my hands on top of the table, the young man completely withered in fear. ¡°Ah, well¡­ anything about me¡­¡± I smile cheerfully. ¡°If you also answer honestly, let¡¯s have you return home safely. If you tell even a single lie¡­.¡± Behind me, Monza starts transformation into werewolf. Looking at the youngman with a pale face almost on the verge of fainting, I smiled. ¡°Understand?¡± Surprisingly the interrogation proceeded smoothly. Just as expected, when it came to the main point, they shut their mouth. Seems like they are holding in a big secret which is not to be uttered with a small amount of threat. Well, what to do. After finishing interrogation, Monza mutters looking at the memo. I refused Monza, who can say such disturbing things with a smiling face. ¡°If we overdo things, then we will give rise to the antipathy of citizens. It is almost the limit, release everyone.¡± ¡°E,eh? Is it alright?¡± Monza makes an anti-climactic face. Seems a little disappointed. So I gave her a new order. ¡°Of course, there is no need to send them straight back. From today, for a while, tail them thoroughly.¡± ¡°Ah, the wolf-escort. I¡¯m happy.¡± (TN: okuriookami-A wolf-escort is a ¡®gentleman¡¯, who escorts a woman home, only to make a pass at her) Monza clapped happily, but was suddenly puzzled. ¡°In my squad, there are only four¡­¡± Leaving the rest of the things to Monza, I returned to my room on second floor. ¡°Vaito-dono¡± Just as I thought, immediately the viceroy Airia rushed in with a pale face. Behind her, Faan-oneechan shrugged her shoulders. It seems like, there were sufficient exchanges during the interrogation. Airia not in her usual state of mind, cane closer to me. Well, that would be so. Currently she is in submission to the demon army, and that demon army has slaughtered the compatriot Mirarudia army, her situation is complicated. ¡°Looks like there was a war outside the city, please tell me the details! Also, what about those men?¡± Offering her a seat, I started explanation sitting down. ¡°Because four hundred of Tuban soldiers attacked, our army repelled them. The men arrested were the people who were loitering around the north gate. All of them were armed with silver knives. ¡°Silver knife..?¡± Airia made a dubious face, but soon realized the meaning. ¡°No way, attacking the werewolves?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it can¡¯t be helped to be perceived like that.¡± Getting more and more flustered, Airia urges me. ¡°Ple..,please treat them with leniency. I don¡¯t want to see the blood of the people of Ryun Height.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for me too Airia-dono¡± Setting villain-ish attitude adrift, I show a wry smile. ¡°To tell you the truth, I didn¡¯t want to kill the Tuban soldiers. But as the vice commander of demon army, there is some obligation to the war.¡± Gazing at the flustered beauty in male clotheing, I continued. ¡°Similarly, as my position was given by the demon king to look after Ryun Height, I should confront the people who reject the rule of the demon king with a strict attitude. Do you get that?¡± Implicitly, I am letting her think that¡­ I am going to execute the arrested persons. But actually it is my plan to let them free and investigate in the background. Interestingly Airia became ghastly pale. ¡°Wai..,wait! Please wait! Investigate a little more!¡± ¡°Unfortunately, for me, rather than investigating the truth, maintenance of public order is more important. The people under suspicion should be punished.¡± Airia is on the verge of fainting, but I am not here to play buddy-buddy with the humans. If required, I would threaten them. Since threatening them too much is counter productive, I decided to offer a negotiation around here. ¡°Nonetheless, those guys did not do something specific. There hangs a fine thread. That thread to rescue them.¡± Remembering the story of spider threads, I put on airs. For me to do such trickery, thinking about what the other guys tried to do, this much should be forgiven. In fact, executing them there itself would also have been fine. Airia is waiting for my next words holding her breath. It¡¯s a good look. ¡°There is no reason to let those guys, who aimed at our windpipes with silver knives, live, but I can¡¯t ignore the appeal of Airia-dono. Well there is a debt regarding the public order affair. Let me show clemency.¡± ¡°Th¡­thank you very much¡­¡± Relieved by my word, completely exhausted Airia put her elbows on the table. Seems she was under a great deal of mental strain. Well well, with this I returned the debt when I requested her for the maintenance of public order. Because from the beginning I didn¡¯t have any intention to kill, this is kind of sneaky, but negotiations are things like this. But the sneaky me did not forget to put forward the bargaining conditions. ¡°But, it is a strict condition that they should not do something foolish like this again. If something like this happens again, we will not show such lenient treatment like arrest.¡± If they do it again, I will definitely slaughter them. This is not a threat. I am serious. As my seriousness is transmitted, Airia also nodded immediately. ¡°Understood. I will order all the organizations under my jurisdiction to obey the demon army. It should reach to majority of the citizens. ¡°That is helpful!¡± Even I don¡¯t know how much effective that would be, but I can¡¯t get anymore information than this. It is essential to stop the threats. Covet too much, lose all. Well, the rest depends on the work of Monza and others. CH 18 Monza knocked on my office door three days after that. ¡°Commander, is it ok?¡± ¡°Yes, please¡± Calm faced Monza slips into the room without making a single footstep sound. Even though she looks like this, she is a master hunter. She laid the obtained documents on my desk. ¡°These are the records of tailing those six people. Simply put, all of them are believers of radiant church. At the same time, they all worship at the same place. There is no other contact besides this.¡± ¡°I see.¡± So, the religion is the common point. If that is the link, I can understand the weird attack on the other day. Unless they penetrate the castle gate, the bow cavalry had no choice but to move around in confusion. That was rough tactics, perhaps there was some absurd pretext. Smilingly Monza asks me. ¡°Shall we do it?¡± The question she asked is, in short, ¡®Will you kill off all radiant believers?¡¯. Although it is sufficiently disturbing thought, but it¡¯s common sense for demons. Once you go against the strong, you should be ready for death. Be that as it may, against humans I don¡¯t really want to do it. Because they would begrudge immediately. I shook my head. ¡°If you want to eat the chicken, let it lay the eggs first. Let¡¯s watch the situation¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Monza looked dissatisfied. You, showing an attitude like that towards me, the boss, are also considerably insolent. On the same day, my suspicion towards Priest Yuhito turned into conviction. Yuhito, the Priest of Radiant Church, Ryun Height, was born in the the neighbouring industrial town Tuban. From the deacon of Tuban, as a promotion, he became the chief of neighboring church of Ryun Height. Naturally, he has an influence among radiant believers in Tuban. As in any city, most of the palace guards are radiant believers who believe in discipline and cooperation. Then the final clue is this. ¡°All of the six people we caught were always praising Yuhito. Seems he was very enthusiastic about ¡®preaching¡¯. The neighborhood heretics were very much bothered by it.¡± Monza said that while sniffing the tea leaves in my room. ¡°Oi, that tea is my favourite. Don¡¯t open that much, the fragrance will spread.¡± This tea, I found at last in this world, is the closest to japanese tea. Grabbing that out of Monza¡¯s hand, I locked it in the drawer of my office table. Monza making a disgruntled face, asked me. ¡°Stingy commander. So, what do we do? This time for sure¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do it.¡± I smiled at the discontent Monza. ¡°This is my job from this point onwards. You people return to the surveillance of the six people we had caught. I, with Jerik squad, will meet Yuhito.¡± ¡°What are you going to do? Ah, commander will deal with it himself.¡± ¡°No¡­ but why, do you want to kill so much¡± As a demon, that is natural, but I can not keep pace with it. Opening another drawer, I take out the prepared sealed letter. ¡°I will deal with the human in human way. Well, leave it to me.¡± ¡°Commander is also a werewolf, right?¡± There are many places of worship of the radiant faith in Ryun height, but there is only one church where ceremonies are held. It is a majestic stone building. Night has fallen. Lamps are lighted here and there making the church stand out with whimsical light. The suspended sculpture in the middle of darkness imitating the sun is quite mysterious. Climbing the stone steps, I requested the doorkeeper in front of the door for a meeting with the priest. ¡°I am the vice-commander of third division of demon army, Vaito. I want to meet with Priest Yuhito-dono.¡± Being led into a guest room with splendid interior, I waited for Yuhito sitting on a chair. After sometime, the middle aged priest came in. ¡°Since I had prayer duties, I was late. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, I also apologize for this sudden visit.¡± Well, let¡¯s begin the fight. At first, I apologized about arresting the six people of radiant belief. It is a light jab. ¡°Since it was an emergency situation, I restrained the six people and had them investigated. But that is also my duty, please forgive me.¡± ¡°No no, not at all¡± Hmm, seems he is not trembling. There is no smell. As expected of a man who leads a faith exceeding a thousand followers. ¡°By the way, I heard Yuhito-dono is from Tuban.¡± I did not overlook eyebrows of the priest which moved for an instant. Remaining very calm, he fleetingly glances at me. ¡°Eh, that is true. What about it?¡± Seems he wants to play dumb thoroughly. Here is the ruler. If the other party wants to play dumb, then there is no need for sluggish moves. The Priest takes a deep breath. Then, he muttered this. ¡°When I was in Tuban, I had doves.¡± Without interrupting his remarks, I patiently listened carefully. Priest Yuhito continued. ¡°When I was newly appointed in Ryun Height, I brought a few of them with me. They still remembered the pigeon house in Tuban.¡± I see, he used carrier pigeons instead. This time, Yuhito asks me a question. ¡°I think, you came here with the intention to kill me?¡± Without answering that, I told him this. ¡°Because of you, I ended up killing four hundred of the Tuban soldiers who I had no grudges against to begin with. All of them.¡± Yuhito¡¯s complexion changed quickly. In field battle, he never expected that all of four hundred people would die. Practically, in general, if there are around a hundred casualties, then they should have retreated. ¡°All, all of them, is it¡­?¡± The priest¡¯s voice is trembling. To daunt him, I purposefully grin broadly. ¡°You underestimated us. Demon army doesn¡¯t forgive those who defy us.¡± After causing the feeling of despair a plenty, I drew closer to Priest Yuhito. ¡°You made a stupid move, Priest-dono. But why do you antagonize us going to such length? Are you dissatisfied with the freedom of belief.¡± Then Yuhito taking a deep breath, stroked his own cheeks. ¡°Humans¡­¡± Stopping for a little bit after saying that, he continued in one go. ¡°Humans must not be ruled by someone other than human.¡± I see, so it¡¯s like that. I was also a human in previous life, I understand the feeling. It is not fun to be ruled by werewolves. Therefore without hiding my intention, I ask the necessary question. ¡°Is that your opinion as the leader of Radiant faith?¡± Immediately, Yuhito shook is head. ¡°Not at all. This is strictly my personal opinion.¡± ¡°Yuhito-dono, even though you don¡¯t have enough power to dispel demons, seems to dislike living together with demons.¡± I made him listen to plenty of irony. I am the one holding the sword of life and death. If I have even a second, I can roll that head on the red carpet. But Yuhito without fear, looked straight at me. ¡°This world should be ruled by humans, not the demons. Same as it had been until now.¡± If a demon hears it, he would not be able to hold his laughter, but I understand that feeling all too well. Even if I say it, we occupied Ryun Height with our military power. With the power of words, we should not let go of that right. What¡¯s more, denying the rule of demons itself, doesn¡¯t leave a room for compromise. However much of a human I may have been previously, I would not concede on that part. I can understand that emotion, but the time for negotiation seems to be over. Moving my face closer to him, I showed him the expression I had practiced just for times like this. ¡°Interesting. In that case, let me subdue you with the power of humans.¡± I took it out from my breast pocket. CH 19 When I looked back at Ryun Height¡¯s castle gate visible in the distance, for a moment I stood still. There is no chance to pass through that gate anymore. When I learned that the demon army consisted of only a few werewolves and powerless inujins, I thought that the powerful bow cavalry of Tuban could easily win against them. The commander of Tuban palace guards is the best pupil I had taught the doctrine of Radiant faith. After I informed him about the situation with carrier pigeons, he secretly recruited volunteer soldiers. But to deploy the soldiers without the permission of the senate, even the viceroy doesn¡¯t have such privilege. Just a mere palace guard commander doing such an act, would be punished as an act of insurrection. Even so, around fifty of the bow cavalry accepted. Also from the civilians, around three hundred something people volunteered to be the soldiers. If it was a force of about four hundred people, as long as they have silver weapons, they should be able to easily exterminate inujin and werewolves. Afterwards all my disciples had to do was to open the gates and welcome them inside the city. Even among the citizens there would be people who will agree on this. It was a dangerous gamble, but there was sufficient chance of winning. But the werewolf commander did not kill me. He calmly listened my story and occasionally even showed signs of appreciation. Even if I say myself, it is an impossible story to believe. He is a demon, and is supposed to be enemy of humans. He should never be able to understand our feelings. But I can surely guarantee that he had some sort of understanding of my opinion. Of course, he didn¡¯t say it out loud. When the werewolf commander finished his questioning, he looked deeply in disappointment for a moment. And it suddenly changed into a strong cynicism. Even now, I can clearly remember the words he said at that moment. CH 20 In the shadow of a watchtower of castle walls, I secretly sent off Priest Yuhito. Certainly he is an enemy, and also the person behind the foolish plot, but I cannot bring myself to hate him. If a city is invaded by monsters like us, I know that there would be people who would like to regain the city however extreme the method may be. Well, Priest Yuhito would be fine. I have conferred him with the status of official envoy of Viceroy Airia. He is also a clergyman in active duty, so there is no worry for him being adrift in the streets. Driving that troublesome old man off to his hometown Tuban, let me have some peace over here. Monza, standing beside me, is making a unsatisfied face, but ignore her, ignore. ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine to just go and kill him now?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Grabbing Monza¡¯s head in a tight hold, I put power in my grip. ¡°Humans are weak, but it¡¯s a problem if you kill them. Look, it¡¯s like bees.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ bee, sure is frightening.¡± Monza, in her childhood, has suffered terribly when she broke the nest of bees imitating a bear. It seems she is convinced. Climbing down from the watchtower, I continue to walk on the main street. Monza followed me. Buying some twenty skewers in the nearby stall, I gave Monza half of them to thank her for her work. ¡°Well, with this the Radiant Church would also be quiet.¡± After that, as I predicted, Radiant Church suddenly became quiet. The reason is simple. The absence of the head of the church, Priest Yuhito. He, by the decree of the Viceroy, has proceeded to Tuban as the envoy. Well, he would not be back again, but still he is the leader. During the absence of Priest Yuhito, they cannot take important decisions. Having said that, if they make another leader, it would be troublesome when Priest Yuhito comes back. That¡¯s why they have to continue waiting for return of Priest Yuhito indefinitely. As expected Viceroy Airia suspected something, and enquired ¡¯Did something happen on the night of meeting with Priest Yuhito?¡¯. But I don¡¯t have any obligation to tell her the truth. The target this time was not Ryun Height, it was us, the demon army. So I replied like this. ¡°I talked only of the doves.¡± Since Airia made a suspicious face, I added further. ¡°He was truly a humane person.¡± Therefore, the radiant believers having dissatisfaction towards us, the demon army, were unable to do something as a religious organization. What I wanted to do is something like this. The method to purposefully vandalize a person who is not to be killed, this was written in a novel I had read in my past life. Citizens of Ryun Height, who were anxious for a moment, with the dispatch of Priest Yuhito as an envoy, seemed to have quite relieved. After ten days, the war outside the castle walls got buried in the daily life as an affair of the past. Just as intended. While I was gloating in my office as a strategist, I heard knock on my door. ¡°Please come in.¡± Immediately after I replied, a small child with a pointy hat makes her appearance in the room. It¡¯s teacher. ¡°What happened, suddenly?¡± ¡°I knocked now right.¡± It¡¯s even more surprising. The great sage and famous spirit user Gomoviroa came closer to me floating lightly. ¡°The skeleton spear troops I had borrowed, had received a little damage.¡± Since I let the two thousand skeleton troops fight until they completely annihilated the three hundred fifty enemy soldiers, they received quite a fierce resistance. Even then, only hundred or so had been felled, as expected it was the difference between quality and quantity. This can be said to be closer to unharmed. To use them in the next fight again, I hid them in the west side forest. Teacher seems to be extremely dissatisfied. ¡°Again I have to create the reserve forces within a day¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it alright, owing to that not a single werewolf or inujin died.¡± ¡°A person not using spirit technique, can easily say something like this.¡± Because her appearance is like a child, it¡¯s totally like she¡¯s throwing a tantrum. Apart from that, I have to report the additional things. I explained in detail about the war this time, which was a plot of Priest Yuhito of Radiant Church whom I exiled. ¡°Understood. Well, that¡¯s just like you¡± After listening to the explanation, Teacher nods in agreement. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a strategy to conceal the movement using the absence of the leader. It sure is a little roundabout.¡± ¡°Even teacher would do something like this, right?¡± ¡°Well may be, but it is troublesome to keep down the dissatisfaction of underlings. Depends on the situation¡± Saying so, teacher looked at my face. ¡°You, even compared to me, who is a human, seem to have quite a human like thinking.¡± Teacher grins. Unknowingly, I think she might have seen through that I have memories of my previous life. I can be frank about the truth with teacher who is intimate with the truths of life and death, but this time I would have to explain about the world I had lived in my previous life. I don¡¯t think it is still the time for that. Teacher still intently looked at my face, but finally shrugged her shoulders a little. ¡°Well, receiving my education, anyone can smell like humans.¡± ¡°Oh, that is so!¡± Without pursuing the matter further, teacher shows a smile this time. ¡°Either way, we can say you defended this town well. The subsequent dealings were also good.¡± ¡°Th, Thank you very much¡± ¡°So be relieved, make an excuse to the demon king.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I watched the surroundings vanish warping in a whirl dumbfoundedly. CH 21 Mist enshrouded demon king¡¯s castle, Glenstadt. As usual I transformed into werewolf, and took a deep breath. ¡°An excuse, specifically¡­¡± Looking back, I stopped speaking. Teacher was not there. It seems teacher teleported me alone. ¡°Would she do house-watching of Ryun Height ?¡± Bewildered I walked towards the castle gate. Base of the demon army, Glenstadt castle is also the base of every division. The first division consists of only ryujin elites. Also known as the ¡®Imperial Guards¡¯. Although the total war potential is uncertain, perhaps it is stronger than the second division and the third division combined together. All the ryujins are believers of the demon king. The second division consists of demons with destructive power like shishioni and giants. Those guys are mostly belligerent and atrocious, not at all suitable for a conversation with me. Although they have sufficient war potential, but because everyone is a war freak up to the division commander, there is no considerably influential voice. The third division has a lot of demons with peculiar traits like werewolves and vampires. The lower rank soldiers consist of gentle guys, who aren¡¯t a match for the mood of second division. All the aides are mostly the disciples of the great sage Gomoviroa. That¡¯s why they are also magicians. I am not boasting, but we can be considered the brains of demon army. However, the insufficient numbers is almost a matter of crying, also it is unfortunate that we can only capture a city with surprise attacks. Generally, these three divisions are coming and going for training or supply, there is considerable liveliness. But today the second division is awfully pretentious. Even the soldiers just enlisted are nervously running around wearing shining armors. ¡°Is there some big operation?¡± Mystified, I decided to wait for the demon king in the room where I was guided by a soldier. Drinking the iron-ore tea popular among ryujins, I picked up a chicken-filled cookie. Saying this is bad, but the iron-ore tea tasted just like the water of a rusty pipe, and I can think of the chicken-filled cookie as a bad joke. Even though I was summoned specially, the audience with the demon king didn¡¯t begin right away. Sometime after I drank two cups of iron-ore tea, and ate all the chicken-filled cookies, finally the door opened. Thinking that the demon king has come, I immediately stood up, but the one who came in was a ryujin officer. He is the vice commander of first division. If I remember correctly, his name was Barce. Title was ¡®Blue Knight¡¯. ¡°Barce-dono, it¡¯s been a while.¡± When I bowed, the ryujin, with blue scales just like his title, lightly nodded. ¡°Long time no see. I am very sorry to keep you waiting.¡± Since the ryujins have lizard-like faces, their expressions were hard to understand, but it seemed he was sorry. In addition he also seemed worn out. Immediately, I was brought into the conference room. This is a special place where only the top executives of division commander class only can enter. I also went for first time. Entering the room with the vice commander Barce, I promptly bowed respectfully. ¡°Demon king-sama, this is third division vice commander ¡®Demon Wolf¡¯ Vaito.¡± ¡°Hmm, it was tiresome.¡± Beyond the round table, the demon king nodded to me. Since it is hard to figure out the expression of ryujins, I have no idea about his current emotion. At the very beginning, the demon king threw a question at me. ¡°Hey Baito, I have something to enquire.¡± To be honest, I don¡¯t like the demon king calling me by name. Because of the peculiar structure of mouth of ryujins, they can¡¯t pronounce Vaito. It becomes Baito. The concerned persons seem to pronounce it correctly, but I couldn¡¯t figure out the difference at all. Even though vice commander is a somewhat important position, somehow I lost my confidence. Despite my perplexity, the demon king continued talking. ¡°You have ordered charcoal, sulphur and saltpetre through the inujin merchants, right?¡± While I was thinking about that, the conversation took an unexpected turn. ¡°Where did you learn about the mixing components of the ¡®Dragon¡¯s Breath¡¯?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Does it mean, gunpowder already exist in this world? While I was bewildered, Barce from the side put in a good word for me. ¡°The ¡®Dragon¡¯s Breath¡¯ is a secret mixture which creates explosion from fire. This is a secret among the secrets of ryujins. Also in the demon army, this belongs to the highest class of military secret.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so.¡± It became a bigger issue. Staring at me, the demon king was awaiting my reply. If I can¡¯t give a clever answer quickly, I would be executed over the matter that I came in contact with the highest military secret. I resolved myself. ¡°During my apprenticeship, after I read the book collection of my teacher Gomoviroa, I conjectured that these combination might be able to cause explosion.¡± ¡°Hmm, Gomoviroa¡¯s library¡­¡± Once the demon king nodded, at that critical moment, I started explaining. ¡°Planning to increase the war potential of inujins, I just ordered those for research. I didn¡¯t know that it was a top class military secret.¡± Although I wasn¡¯t resolute enough to speak honestly, but after I laid the blame on teacher, I decided to apologize later. Even if I say it myself, this is a pitiful excuse, but it is still better than remaining silent. The demon king generously replied to my desperate excuse. ¡°As I expect of the favourite pupil of the great sage, you seem to excel not only in strategy, but also in pharmacy. Fine, in light of that discernment, let it remain unquestioned.¡± Somehow or other I was forgiven. Every time it is very bad for my heart. Continuing, the demon king said to me. ¡°But even you wouldn¡¯t know about the mixing ratio of the ¡®Dragon¡¯s Breath¡¯!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± This is the truth. At first I was going to mix them in the equal ratio. Then the demon king did a little headshake. ¡°Proportional to the weight, for ten portions of saltpetre, two portions of charcoal and one portion of sulphur. Remember this hereafter. Given how dangerous it is, I strictly prohibit the mixing .¡± Is it required to have that much of saltpetre¡­ nevertheless, he told me but mixing is prohibited, I didn¡¯t understand the meaning. As if the demon king read my thoughts, he solemnly said. ¡°Although a small amount, I¡¯ll specially provide ¡®Dragon¡¯s Breath¡¯ to you. Since the handling is difficult, specialists are required, so I will dispatch an engineering division from first division. Add them to the unit you command.¡± ¡°Yes, I humbly receive.¡± ¡°If the secret is leaked, regardless of the situation you will be severely punished. Is that fine?¡± ¡°¡­yes¡± I slightly regretted, but it¡¯s already too late. I deeply bowed. CH 22 ¡°By the way, is governance of the trade city Ryun Height going well? I received some reports that it got attacked by a small scale enemy. ¡° That¡¯s right, I have reported about that incident. I honestly reported about the scheme of Radiant Church Priest to liberate Ryun Height and that I banished him. ¡°I see, the clergyman had a secret collusion.¡± There are no clergyman among demon races. There is only one religion that worships the ¡®Demon King¡¯, who appears once in several decades, or possibly several centuries. Demon King silently nodded, and commented. ¡°Sometimes religion pushes humans to madness. Is there no choice but to rule by force?¡± The sore place has been pointed out. As this remains, my Ryun Height governing policy would be considered narrow minded. I explained in a rush. ¡°Fo..fortunately disorder was kept at the minimum. Banishing the leader as he was, and not appointing a substitute, I have stopped the movement of hostile forces.¡± The demon king motionlessly staring at me, asked. ¡°As long as you keep up your governing policy, hereafter also you¡¯ll have to compromise with the religious forces. Do you understand?¡± ¡°I am readily prepared.¡± Honestly speaking, I am having more difficulties than expected. I, myself, was not very religious in my previous life, so I actually can¡¯t understand their feelings. But even with that, I don¡¯t want to kill humans whenever possible other than on the battlefield. Somehow I¡¯ll have to try. I don¡¯t know whether my resoluteness was conveyed or not, but the demon king didn¡¯t pursue the matter further. ¡°Regarding each city¡¯s governing policy, that is left to the commander on site. As long as the governance in Ryun Height is proceeding smoothly, I approve that policy.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± From now on, my worries have increased by one, but for the time being I seem to have got through it. The demon king continued. ¡°Just now, I had a war council with the second division regarding the northern war front of Mirarudia. Do you have an understanding of the situation?¡± ¡°Unfortunately I have only heard casually.¡± That rumour being true, the demon king slightly nods. ¡°Counter attack of humans have become furious. Hence, the second division commander, personally leading the entire army, departed for the front line.¡± I see, that was the ostentatious feeling in the castle. When I looked, there was a map spread on the round table with various writings all over it. Looking at it roughly, one of the three cities they had captured in the beginning seemed to have been recaptured. It seems they¡¯ve lost consecutively in subsequent wars. The demon king, rather than rebuking me for looking at the map, pointed his rough fingers at it. ¡°I have heard ruling the two cities in the south is proceeding smoothly. From now on, these cities would deeply affect the strategies of demon army. Keep it in mind¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Straightening my back, I bowed. After that the demon king offered me to sit on a chair. ¡°From here on wards, this is an informal audience. I allow you to sit. Be seated.¡± The ones that can sit in front of the demon king are the top executives of division commander class. Pulling the chair nervously, I sat on the chair not being able to calm down. Looking back fleetingly, I found Barce, also an aide like me, to be standing as is. I would have been comfortable, had he sat with me, but he was standing in attention with his hard to read reptile face. Facing the demon king across the round table, I wait for the next instructions. But looking at him so close, there is an staggering sense of tremendous intimidation. I am almost intoxicated from the released magic power. ¡°From sometime ago, I wanted to have a talk with you at ease for once. Among the various commanders of demon army I recognize you as one of the excellent commanders.¡± ¡°I am very much ob..obliged.¡± The demon king asks me with a calm demeanor. ¡°For example, I have heard that you have divided your werewolf corps into squads of four people. Speaking of which, is there a special meaning to the number four?¡± I bow my head. ¡°I¡¯m awed at your divine discernment.¡± Of course, there is a meaning to the four people squads. While doing a dangerous task, a pair has more survival rate compared to someone alone. This is the same for both humans and werewolves. But I had realized that there is a limit to a-two man cells. Once one of the two is injured, they lose their combat capability. The other person has to aide his injured partner, so without any back up they have to retreat. Even if one forcibly fights as it is, the battle potential automatically falls below half. Thereupon, I combined two two person teams. This is the four person variant. Even if one is injured in one of the teams, the unhurt team would continue the battle. Otherwise the three of them can merge and fight. On top of that, even if only two of them remain after the casualties, they can still barely maintain the two man cell. Again, during reconnaissance occasionally one of the teams can go for scouting, and the other can maintain safety at the current position ¡­. Such operations are also possible. Even if I say that, I didn¡¯t think of all that, rather these are the knowledge from a game in my previous life, it¡¯s not a story to brag about. Nonetheless, it was the first time anyone¡¯s asked me this question. The demon king deeply nodded to my explanation. ¡°Let me use it as a reference. Aide, record the current statements of Baito.¡± It¡¯s not Baito¡­ rather vice division commander¡­. Well, it is a problem with the structure of their mouth, complaining won¡¯t solve anything. Barce was skillfully recording the current conversation. ¡°As you command. I have recorded the statement of Vaito-dono.¡± No, wait.. Barce can correctly pronounce me, ¡®Vaito¡¯, right? The demon king continues to ask me questions. ¡°This is a good opportunity, if you have anything to ask regarding the demon army, state away.¡± ¡°Me?¡± I am just a vice division commander. I may sound bossy, but I am nothing more than a mid-level executive. I had never expected that a person like me would get a chance to ask the questions regarding the demon army to the demon king in person. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Since this is an unofficial audience, there is no need to take responsibility for your remarks.¡± As a matter of fact, the demon army has been sufficiently modernised. When I enlisted, I was surprised by the fact that there exists a supply train. The demon king¡¯s headquarters, Glenstadt castle, is a huge accumulation point for supplying personnel and goods to the frontline. Since the supply lines are maintained by the first division, we can fight with peace of mind. Meanwhile, the human army depends on pillaging or purchasing. In worse cases, it¡¯s on the whim of the soldiers. Had I been reincarnated as a human, I would have gained merit for introducing the supply train, but that I could not do in the demon army. The enlistment system and training regimen are also well-prepared, so they can build a new unit in a short period. The humans seemed to be afraid that ¡®the demon king can summon military forces infinitely from the hell¡¯, but in reality it is just that sophisticated a system that has been established. The demon king looked at my face, prompting the remark. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Speak.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I am not really holding back, but the question, right¡­ oh, right. ¡°With all due respect, I want to enquire regarding the chain of command of our demon army.¡± ¡°I permit, you may speak.¡± In these last few years, the demon army has expanded its battle prowess at once. In the beginning, it was only an armed group of ryujins, but in the blink of an eye, it became this large-scale by adding believers from other races. However, that was the reason of various disorders. For example, my social status. An aide or a vice division commander, which one is it?. When I joined demon army, the respective divisions were called ¡®Ryujin Troops¡¯, ¡¯Kyojin Troops¡¯, ¡®Majin Troops¡¯ etc. (TN: Kyojin: giants, Majin: devils) When the scale got bigger, the division was used for displaying the majestic appearance. However, the chain of command and the responsibilities below the division commander level remain vague. For example, Aide Barce is a close associate of the demon king, while the shishioni Dogg is just a group leader. Then, I am the local commanding officer governing Ryun Height. Speaking of the ranks, obviously it would be Barce, me and then Dogg. Yet everyone has the same rank. On top of that, is it an aide or is it a vice division commander, that is not distinguished. At a glimpse, it looks the same. ¡°Considering the current scale of demon army, there are a lot of ambiguous matters in the chain of command or the class system, I am anxious that this might be a problem hereafter.¡± Saying this, when I looked at Barce, he had an stiff expression. Maybe I am the first and last person to criticize the demon army¡¯s organisation in front of the demon king himself. The demon king nodding in a calm demeanor, indifferently explained. ¡°That is a good question. Since following the strong is the way of life for demons, there would be more inconvenience if army is structured.¡± Rather I think it¡¯s better to make the hierarchy clear, but what is the difference? ¡°If we establish strict chain of command or rank system, there is more chance that the weak soldiers with wisdom would be superiors of stupid but powerful soldiers. But the demon army is not matured enough to accept those.¡± Now that I remember, there were those who started fighting me¡­ ¡°So, keeping the hierarchy vague, I can only entrust it to the division commander¡¯s order. Naturally, as you say, I¡¯ll have to revise it sooner or later.¡± Unexpectedly so, the demon king seems to be critical to the rule of supremacy of the strong. Immediately, I apologized to the demon king for impoliteness. ¡°A fledgling like me has said too much. I beg your honour for forgiveness.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok, your question is sharp. I am also satisfied with your ability to govern Ryun Height.¡± Saying such, the demon king happily continued. ¡°That¡¯s right. I suddenly remembered the elated face of Gomoviroa when she recommended you.¡± What kind of exchange happened¡­. But the demon king seemingly satisfied with himself, stopped the audience. ¡°The audience this time was extremely meaningful. Hereafter, come by periodically and report the governing status. I have expectation from you.¡± ¡°Yes my lord.¡± It was thus, that I was finally freed from the presence of the demon king. CH 23 I had decided to return after the audience with the demon king was over, but after I left the meeting room, aide Barce stopped me and said. ¡°Thank you for your good work, Vaito-dono. It¡¯s already the time for lunch, how about going together?¡± The ryujins have the image of being difficult to approach because of their lizard faces, but in reality they are a sagacious and rational race. Particularly, he seems to have a gentle personality. Even if we are both aides, he is a senior, so I accepted the proposal. Which reminds me, there is a high class cafeteria here for the executives. ¡°Thank you very much. This hungry wolf would accompany you.¡± We, the ryujin and werewolf Aide duo, proceed towards the salon for executives inside the castle. At the entrance, the ryujin soldiers saluted us. We enter while quietly returning the salute. Since I had never been to such a high class place in my previous life, this is not a bad feeling. Although the level of civilization is different, but it imitates the pleasant feeling of family restaurants of my previous life. I order the inujin waiter for the deer saute and the potato stew. (TN: saute is a quick fried dish with less amount of oil) This being the lunch, I ordered the saute for only three people. It¡¯s not good to eat too much. Somehow Barce has his mouth open, was something funny? He had ordered the stir-fried fragrant grasshopper. Ryujins are fond of eating insects. (TN: Picture of stir-fried fragrant grasshopper) During the time the food came, we discuss like the officers of the army. ¡°Is the northern battle front too fierce?¡± As a result, all the humans run away from the city and take refuge in the nearby cities. In other words, refugees. ¡°The refugees, to take back their homeland, organizing the volunteer soldiers, with the allied army that came attacking. With morale on the high, they fight with their life on the line, it exhausts the battle prowess more than expected.¡± ¡°But that is only militia without the proper training, right. Isn¡¯t is ineffective against the kyojins or ogres of the second division?¡± They are idiots, but strong are anyways strong. Then Barce shook his head. ¡°You know, there are more radiant churches in the north. They are systematic, and have capabilities as soldiers.¡± The harsh climates in the north suited the doctrine of ¡®cooperation and unity¡¯ of radiant church. If it is individualism like the stillmoon church, passing even a single winter is also quite difficult. ¡°They are not afraid to sacrifice an individual for the whole. That¡¯s why, it becomes a war of attrition by all means.¡± Because the food arrived at that moment, we halted our discussion for a moment and bit onto the food. With my werewolf fangs, I enjoy the dripping juices of deer meat to my heart¡¯s content. But there are plenty of methods to avoid the war of attrition. ¡°To avoid the war of attrition, don¡¯t they do defensive battle in the cities they have acquired?¡± ¡°The second division destroys the castle gates and castle walls, which are not even needed to be destroyed, just to test their strength¡­¡± Explaining to me, Barce gradually became more and more angry, and muttered holding the stir-fried grasshopper. ¡°There is no regulation or order in the second division. Do they even have the realization of carrying the flag of his majesty, the demon king¡± Sorry. I, too, didn¡¯t have much of that realization. While I am relishing the deer meat, someone came to the cafeteria. ¡°Ara, isn¡¯t it Vaito. How rare!¡± White skin and black hair, and then the dress exposing the skin. Swaying breasts. Appearance of a bewitching beauty. I lightly greet. ¡°Long time no see, Mereen-senpai¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine with Mereen-sama¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Mereen is also an aide in the third division, but among them also she is a top level character. At the same time, she is the first disciple of division commander Gomoviroa. She is my senior apprentice sister. By the way, she is a vampire. Not a succubus. Barce also greets her, and offers a seat. Mereen-senpai sat next to me with a smiling face. ¡°The leader of the Blue Scale order and the commander of Ryun Height, what is the private talk?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not a private talk. I was just explaining the situation of the second division.¡± Thoroughly diligent Barce, explains in a gentle tone. Mereen-senpai orders soul sake, and then sighs while leaning on the chair. ¡°You are also greatly troubled, Barce-san.¡± ¡°Not as much as you people who are ruling humans, Mereen-dono.¡± The capture of Bernhainen by Mereen-senpai was completely absurd. Along with a hundred vampires, she attacked Bernhainen at night. Overnight, the viceroy and all the palace guards were turned into vampires. After that, just do whatever you want. It¡¯s completely unfortunate for them, but still there was one good thing that happened. Since the viceroy and others were made into vampires, the daily life was peaceful. Of course, they are completely obedient to Mereen-senpai, but other than that its same as usual. There are a number of important intellectual properties, such as the royal library, in Bernhainen, although it was required to limit the destruction in battle to the minimum, but maybe I am thinking too much. Thinking about those thing, I gazed at the glass of Mereen-senpai. Senpai drank the entire glass of soul sake emitting heavy white vapors at once. ¡°Compared to mine, Vaito¡¯s place is more troublesome. You are ruling living humans without even brainwashing? What kind of magic is that¡± I am just doing little by little with the sense when I was a human, senpai. Coughing, I vaguely dodged. ¡°Since werewolves are indistinguishable from humans, it doesn¡¯t affect the mentality of humans that much.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Mereen-senpai laughed a little, and poke at my forehead. ¡±Well, the cities we have invaded are neighbouring, let¡¯s get along. That¡¯s right, won¡¯t you trade? This side also began to calm down.¡± ¡°Ah, sounds good. Then I request you for the defense of the trade route.¡± ¡°Very cheeky¡­. Well, leave it to senpai¡± Knocking her bountiful huge breasts, senpai winked at me. Finishing his food, Barce begins to talk to senpai while wiping his mouth. ¡°By the way, Mereen-dono, who is in command of conquering Tuban?¡± ¡°Ah, I pass. The vampire troops have their hands full with the defense of Bernhainen. I am sorry. Instead I will make a promising rookie to be the incharge.¡± Oh, they want to conquer Tuban. With great pains I had got rid of the nuisance, priest Yuhito, but it would be troublesome if he comes back again¡­. After that, for a while, we spent some time complaining about the superior authorities. Though our master is exceptionally prominent as a magician, but she doesn¡¯t have any interest in strategy. Saying, ¡®Crushing them with force is fine¡¯, she is engaged in production of skeleton soldiers. Thanks to that we disciples, using those, have hardships one way or other. For one, I heard an interesting story from Barce. Usually the demon king is always thinking about things, so if someone is not looking after him, he doesn¡¯t even care to eat or sleep. Since he¡¯s always making difficult faces while having food, the young ryujin waiters are very scared. ¡°It¡¯ll be alright if he becomes a bit more relaxed, since we serve with whole energy, but¡± The competent aide seemed a little bit lonely. He seems to respect the demon king a lot. The demon king himself has perfected the sophisticated system of the demon army, obviously he would be thinking about the complicated things. If he is someone with mighty physical strength only, even if they are the demon race, this much of crowd would not have followed. As expected he possesses ingenuity and popularity. I, again, felt satisfied of the fact that I am enrolled in the demon army. CH 24 Bidding farewell to aide Barce with a handshake, I walk with Mereen-senpai along the hallways. ¡°Senpai, what will you do after this?¡± ¡°Since I already finished reporting, I will return now.¡± ¡°How?¡± The moment I asked, teacher entered from the window floating lightly. ¡°Oh, you both are here.¡± At that moment, Mereen-senpai threw her arms around teacher. ¡°Sensei! I longed to meet you!¡± The scene of a big breasted beauty hugging a small girl sure is pleasant, but the pair is vampire disciple and spirit technique teacher. The great sage Gomoviroa pushes aside the face of vampire Mereen and makes an annoyed face. ¡°Didn¡¯t we meet a little while ago. This, stop this. My hips will break.¡± ¡°But I wanted to meet sensei!¡± If people from another division see this, they would be surprised, but for us disciples it''s a scene of our everyday life. The first disciple Mereen-senpai loves the teacher dearly just like her mother. After teacher finally pushes senpai away with some troubles, she hits lightly on her head. ¡°Despite it¡¯s already been fifty years you have been my disciple, still you can¡¯t calm down.¡± While clearing her throat, teacher alternatively looks at us. ¡°Listen, the cities you two govern would be of more importance hereafter. You two know the precarious situation of the northern warfronts?¡± I and senpai nodded simultaneously. In case the northern war front collapses, it will be inevitable for the demon army to invade from the south. At that time, the two cities we both control will become the war front bases for demon army. Putting her hands on our shoulders, Teacher mutters. ¡°Originally as your teacher, it was my role to share the profundity along with the fun of magic. That became this kind of thing, it is inexcusable.¡± It seems, teacher who was a persistent researcher, regrets that she involved her disciples in the war. Then Mereen-senpai laughs cheerfully. ¡°Oh sensei, aren¡¯t we a school which focuses on practice? Vaito, don''t you think so?¡± ¡°Of course. And if we are there, we will reduce the useless slaughter.¡± Also to reduce calamity brought upon by the second division, our, the third division¡¯s existence is necessary. Although we cannot avoid the deaths of humans or demons in the future, but if we''re there, more or less, it is going to be better. Nodding deeply, Teacher pats on both of our heads. ¡°I have got good disciples. I am sorry to have you carry those heavy responsibilities but please take care hereafter also.¡± ¡°Yes, sensei!¡± ¡°Leave it to us!¡± With smiling faces, I and senpai bumped our fists. After that, being sent off by teacher, I returned to Ryun Height. Most of the minor official duties are performed by the Viceroy, Airia, and the practical work is being done by the squad leaders of each squad. Be that as it may, I am the chief commander. As usual there were several documents on the table awaiting my approval ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± There is a joint petition by the North East and West districts of the trade Association. Since the inujin Caravans only utilize the South Gate, the money doesn¡¯t come down to the main streets of each district. Am I responsible for that. Nonetheless, their livelihood is dependent on this. ¡°Hmm¡­.. Ah, that¡¯s right¡± Let me get them permission to put a stall or a temporary shop in the South district. And then, once the trade with Bernhainen in the Northwest starts, I will disperse the people on the north gate and the west gate main street. On the east gate¡­ That''s right, let''s make a workshop for inujin. With this, I guess it may become a little bit more crowded. After that, there are some trivial things like the Gaani brothers made a ruckus in the bar after getting drunk, or the plantation report of inujin troops. I decided to smack the Gaani brothers afterwards. But, there was one document that caught my attention. ¡°Oh, a request letter regarding the treatment of palace guards¡± Airia is the proposer. It is also jointly signed by palace guards¡¯ captain. The palace guards are affiliated to the senate, hence the salary is also paid by the senate. But currently, it is not possible for the salaries to be delivered by the senate. Although Airia is providing for the livelihood of the distressed palace guards, but leaving as it is forever is also a problem. She hopes for reconsideration regarding the treatment. That was the content. I misunderstood in the beginning, but palace guards were not an existence like some weak characters to do away with. They are the specialists of public security and also professional soldiers. There are only about two hundred of the palace guards in Ryun Height, but in case of emergency, the citizen soldiers were mobilized in the scale of hundreds. It is the same in all the cities. The ones supervising them would be the professional soldiers, the palace guards. That¡¯s why they can be considered as non-commissioned officers. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± My intuition tells me that this is a good opportunity. The reaction from these kind of adversaries are the negotiation materials which can bring profits to the demon army. Immediately I adjusted my appearance, and decided to visit the lodging house of palace guards, alone. ¡°This is the demon army third division vice commander Vaito. Is the palace guards¡¯ captain here?¡± When I went there suddenly, the palace guards in the lodging house were in the middle of muscle training. It seems they don¡¯t have any idea to sit by idly even if there are no jobs. After they looked at each other, a brawny middle-aged man came from inside. It¡¯s a giant mustache. ¡°This is Ryun Height palace guards¡¯ captain, Vengen¡± There is dignity, and at a glance, looks strong. I understand that I can kill him easily when I transform, but somehow I feel nervous. On top of that, they are covered up in the smell of sweat, so I can¡¯t read their emotions at all. This, is a problem. Looking at the soldiers gathering in groups, I state my purpose to captain Vengen. ¡°Regarding the treatment of palace guards, I received a suggestion from Airia-dono. Therefore I want to consult with Airia-dono afterwards, but for now I want to hear your opinion.¡± Thereupon, Vengen makes a puzzled face tilting his head to the side. ¡°Our opinion, specifically, what kind?¡± ¡°The one you offer your swords to is the Mirarudia senate, right? The one that pays your salary is also the senate.¡± That is the problem. ¡°You have surrendered to the demon army, but of course you are not part of the demon army. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t get salary from the demon army.¡± As though it is a matter of fact, the palace guards nod. It¡¯s a splendid loyalty. ¡°Having said that, you are also not the private army of Viceroy. The Viceroy is the immediate superior but not the employer.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± Vengen nodded seriously. I looked up at the giant, one head taller than me. ¡°You have the duty of maintaining the public security of Ryun Height but currently the demon army and trade association is doing it in your stead.¡± The palace guards didn¡¯t say anything, but their faces became gloomy. Then, I said with as much as possible cheerful expression. ¡°I don¡¯t ask you to submit to the demon army. You can still remain as the palace guards of the senate. So, can¡¯t you help with maintaining the public security? I will return your weapons, and won¡¯t meddle in your business.¡± Listening to my words, the palace guards seemed disturbed. ¡°Return our weapons?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you request allegiance?¡± ¡°What is this about?¡± I hope you don¡¯t look down on me. These are the brave palace guards who faced the werewolves from legends without any fear. I am not stupid enough to think that I can change their loyalty so easily. ¡°If you help in maintaining the public order of Ryun Height, there will be a provision for the Viceroy to pay wages to you people. There are no changes in the laws of Ryun Height after its occupation. It¡¯s fine to keep it same as before.¡± Commotion spreads among the palace guards. ¡°Is it fine to be same as before¡­¡± ¡°But, it would be like you are cooperating with the demon army¡­¡± ¡°For all that, maintaining public security is our duty.¡± After waiting sometime for their hesitation to pass, I say again. ¡°Either to remain loyal to the senate forever or to serve the people of Ryun Height, that is a decision you have to make for yourselves. The demon army will respect your decision.¡± Silence ruled the vicinity. Seemingly guessing the moods of his subordinates, Captain Vengen said. ¡°Vaito-dono, I request you to return our swords.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I returned the key to the armory to them. Right after several palace guards ran off. Soon they held swords again. Inside the spacious lodging house, Captain Vengen ordered the palace guards. ¡°Fall in!¡± The footsteps briefly gathered, and the palace guards neatly aligned. Looking at the two hundred palace guards completely armored, even I also feel nervous. In case they start a war playfully like priest Yuhito, the tragedy from few days ago might repeat itself. While drawing his sword splendidly, Vengen issued a command again. ¡°All hands, draw!¡± Oi, do you really want to fight? Captain Vengen shouted in a resounding voice. ¡°Our Ryun Height Palace Guards are affiliated to the senate! But we exist to protect the public order of Ryun Height!¡± He solemnly declared. ¡°Therefore, today for the time being, our troop temporarily withdraws from under the command of the senate! Hereafter, with my responsibility, we return to our duty of protecting the public order! To Ryun Height, we dedicate our swords!¡± Then all of them offered their swords with both hands simultaneously. That surprised me. When I realized, Captain Vengen and the palace guards are looking at me earnestly. ¡°Vaito-dono, I wanted to say something for a long time¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You are way more powerful than us, but in no way, you ever scorn us, or hold us in contempt. Always you treat us as your fellow military men. We are grateful for that.¡± If our position reverses, I also want to be treated as a fellow military man. That¡¯s why I do it like this. Captain Vengen laughed as a mischievous child, and continued. ¡°Be that as it may, we lost very badly in the beginning. So if I am a little afraid, can you please forgive?¡± This guy, tsk! Smiling wryly, I nodded a little. ¡°Please don¡¯t make the timid me more afraid. I will report it to the palace guards, if you do it again.¡± The cheerful palace guards laughed simultaneously, and I also joined them. Thus the Ryun Height Palace Guards resumed their duties while remaining neutral. To make the humans obedient, it sure takes a lot of effort. But with this, the werewolf troops would get a little more rest. CH 25 Then for a little while, I also was able to spend some days at leisure. Trade started with the demon army occupied city, Bernhainen, and Ryun Height became lively day by day. Just that, the peddlers come from that side are all vampires, but if they don¡¯t cause any trouble here then it can be overlooked. The palace guards also resumed their duties, and they are diligently protecting the order in street corners and main street. They still make grim faces while looking at us, but once in awhile one can see that they are chatting with the werewolf squads. On one such day, finally the thing I am waiting for has arrived. ¡°I have put you through the trouble of this long journey.¡± I was greeting the group arrived at the north gate. It¡¯s a ryujin squad. A lot of water proof barrels were stacked on the cart. The leader-like ryujin stepped forward, and saluted me. ¡°I, Dragon Flame Mechanic Division Technical Officer, Kurtz, arrived after being transferred from the first division. Total twenty four members, no changes.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± I also returned the salute. Looking at his blue scales, I suddenly realized. ¡°Perhaps, Kurtz-dono is a relative of Bartz-dono?¡± ¡°Yes. Bartz is my younger brother. To have such an excellent younger brother makes me very proud.¡± Since the names are similar, I thought of the possibility, and it¡¯s really likewise. ¡°Since my younger brother had always praised Vaito-dono, I was looking forward to meet you.¡± Kurtz has not received any titles from the demon king, hence he is treated as any other soldier. He looks like an intellectual worker, I guess it¡¯s understandable. If he fights with Dogg from the shishioni troops, then he would be flattened in one punch. But, when I conversed with Kurtz, I realized that he is an excellent person. If this is the case, he might be highly valued by the demon king. Perhaps, he is equal to me, possibly even higher. Technical officer Kurtz, while drinking the treasured green tea in my office, explained about the gunpowder the demon army had produced. ¡°If ¡®Dragon¡¯s breath¡¯ is used as a weapon, the effect is tremendous, but thinking about the time and the effort, it¡¯s not reasonable to make use of it.¡± Well, I want to prepare a gun squad using that gunpowder¡­ I wanted to say that but if I say too much then it would look suspicious again. Perhaps it may be under development, let me remain silent. ¡°However, the mixing ratio I have independently developed, could create even more useful weapons.¡± Oh, is there a gun too? Is it a matchlock? When I leaned forward, technical officer Kurtz brought out a tiny ball. It¡¯s different from what I expected, but it seems like a bomb. ¡°This is the newly developed ¡®Dragon Ball¡¯¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Metal is used.¡± It¡¯s a type which kills using splinters. Terrifying. ¡°Red, Blue, Yellow, Green¡­¡± ¡°Wait, what¡¯s the story?¡± Thereupon, laughing proudly, he said. ¡°If you burn the metal, Various coloured flame can be produced. With this, we can produce multicolored explosion.¡± I have not been disappointed like this before, but I understood that Kurtz is an excellent technical officer. Besides if you think about it, there may be a way to use this fireworks. ¡°If it is launched, orders and reports can be delivered in a wide area.¡± Kurtz was surprised. ¡°I agree. How do you know?¡± ¡°These personnel and equipment were sent by the Demon King himself, so I thought that there would be a way to use them. It is all but a guess.¡± The dog whistles can get through to only inujin and werewolves, but if it¡¯s the signal balls, the ryujins or humans can also be conveyed. It¡¯s faster than the signal fire and can also be used at night. Alright, let me receive it gratefully. ¡°It¡¯s a wonderful invention, Kurtz-dono. As expected of the elder brother of Bartz-dono.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honour. ¡­ but, to see through this weapon in just a glance, you sure are a famous commander as per the rumors.¡± I am not really a famous commander, but I am happy to hear compliments. ¡°By the way Vaito-dono, there were armored humans in front of the castle gates.¡± Kurtz is saying about the palace guards. I guess it is unusual. ¡°They are the Mirarudia alliance army¡¯s palace guards stationed in Ryun Height.¡± ¡°What!?¡± I heard a ryujin shouting in a loud voice for the first time. ¡°What, what. Won¡¯t it make me surprised.¡± ¡°So,sorry to be rude. But aren¡¯t they the enemies!?¡± ¡°After they have surrendered, currently they are independently acting to maintain the public order in Ryun Height. It¡¯s a neutral standpoint.¡± ¡°Neutral¡­¡± Kurtz, still being in a state of disbelief, looked down the palace guards in the street corner from the window. The palace guards are armed with short spears, and if they feel like, they can easily harm the inujins or the ryujins. ¡°Is it really fine?¡± I also don¡¯t have confidence if it really is fine, but there¡¯s not enough hands only with the werewolf troops, so I decided to believe. ¡°Even if they offer their swords to the Mirarudia senate, they¡¯re not the god they believe. It¡¯s the citizens of Ryun Height. That¡¯s why they won¡¯t cause unnecessary disputes.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t comprehend¡­.¡± Kurtz looked impatient with worry, but I think he will get used to it. Like this, Ryun Height became a place, where werewolf, inujin, ryujin and vampires can come and go. The werewolves are rough, but are completely obedient to me, and the inujins are cheerful and like humans. Ryujins are calm and intellectual, and the vampires are not that different from normal humans as long as they don¡¯t suck blood. Looking at the town where humans and demons pass by, somehow I felt like healing from the tiredness of the days. Viceroy Airia seems very busy with more and more cases at disposal, but taxes would also increase, so let her keep at it. Apart from that, the problem at hand is conquering Tuban. As, currently, the northern war front is on the only path of retreat, the southern war front has to continue its progress. It will affect the morale of the entire demon army. The demons only follow the strong. The demon king himself boasts of strength to the extent of a demigod, but if the demon army is not strong, the soldiers will be alienated. That¡¯s the way it is. Since it¡¯s already the time teacher would come to pick me up, let me go to report the demon king. ¡°What a bad luck, again another city was recaptured.¡± After finishing my report, I was having lunch with aide Bartz in the executive cafeteria of Glenstadt castle. Bartz is greatly perplexed. Today also, picking the fragrant grasshopper fry, heaved a sigh. The captain of the Blue Scale order, the strongest even in the first division, is in a really miserable plight. Well, since in this place he can¡¯t be seen by the soldiers, this is probably his true face. ¡°The second division without coordination among the races, each pursuing their own achievements, are separately marching forward. Because they also don¡¯t maintain the supply line, one after another troops are being crushed after getting isolated.¡± The demon king is moving the army with a rational and modern logistics. But, because the orders don¡¯t spread through the front line, as the war progressed, second division¡¯s selfish conducts stood out. Even an idiot like Dogg of the shishioni troops is treated as a resourceful general in the second division¡­ ¡°The second division has its hands full with maintaining the war front, it seems there is even no one to come back for a report. Instead I am the one reporting his highness, the demon king, but it¡¯s very bitter to read out loud the pathetic letter¡­.¡± After the meal, Bartz took out a small cloth bag in the cafeteria and gulped down a tablet similar to a small stone. ¡°Ah, this? For my stomach pain, I got a gastrolith for medicinal use from the army doctor. It doesn¡¯t work so well, but This thing looks like stomach medicine. ¡°¡­.anxiety, you might guess¡± Although his face is like a lizard, I feel like I¡¯m rapidly getting familiar with this person. For the sake of the nervous temperament of a co-worker, I have to work hard. ¡°For the southern front, we, the third division, are responsible for capturing. Ryun Height began to calm down, please let me help in conquering Tuban.¡± Then Bartz grabbed my hand from across the table. ¡°His highness also expects great things from Vaito-dono . Please, I request you for a report to ease the mood of the demon king.¡± This person is also really a handful. CH 26 After that, there was a confidential meeting of Teacher and the Demon King for the purpose of capturing Tuban by the third division. Apparently, the commander is also decided, so I got busy suddenly. Ryun Height, where we currently are, is the closest from Tuban. That¡¯s why, this city will become the relay base for the Tuban capture army. I ordered the inujin troops to start the construction work in front of the forest outside the west gate. ¡°It¡¯s a place of rest for the soldiers tired from marching, just make it so to endure rain and wind! The rest doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Even if I say so myself, it¡¯s a harsh statement, but there is not enough materials or personnel. The main forces this time around are the jinba race. Their upper body is human and lower body is horse. It¡¯s the so-called centaurs. They are a troublesome group. What the trouble is that they require lodging houses of stable standard. Even if I let them inside the city, there is no place for them to stay. Because five hundred animals¡­. No, five hundred people will be coming. Therefore, in a hurry, I ordered the inujin military engineers to construct lodging house. ¡°Yo, commander. There you were!¡± The one that called me to halt is the blacksmith of werewolf troops, Jerik. He rushed up to me half naked, and showed me horseshoe. ¡°Because this is the size for jinbas¡¯ use, the horse ones couldn¡¯t be used. I had no choice but to make it anew. How is this?¡± ¡°Even if you ask me that¡­¡± I held it in my hand, but I don¡¯t get it. ¡°There wouldn¡¯t be mistakes in your work. I leave it to you.¡± ¡°Alright, then I will rush to make these. Don¡¯t put anything in my shift?¡± ¡°I understand already.¡± This time, it¡¯s Faan-oneechan. ¡°Vaito-kun, what do the jinba race eat? Dry grass?¡± ¡°Well, because the upper half is human, may be they don¡¯t eat dry grass¡­¡± ¡°What to do, I can¡¯t prepare that much meat.¡± ¡°The ones that go ¡®meat meat¡¯, are only us, the werewolves. It¡¯s fine to put in bread and dry fruit.¡± ¡°Understood, I will prepare that.¡± Faan-oneechan hurriedly ran off. Since the common sense and ecology is different if the races are different, anyway it¡¯s a big job. When we are having troubles with this and that, an inujin guard comes running. ¡°Something is getting closer in the north gate! Around fifteen hundred!¡± ¡°Fifteen hundred?¡± ¡°Looks like a cavalry!¡± It¡¯s strange, considering the jinba troops, the numbers don¡¯t match. Immediately, I ordered the suspension of construction work, and made the inujin retreat inside the city. What is going on. When I reached the north gate, I ordered to close the castle gate. I summon my underlings with a howling. Receiving the emergency summons, werewolves gathered at the northgate one by one. ¡°Vaito, isn¡¯t this the day for the reinforcements to arrive?¡± ¡°From that direction, enemies won¡¯t come, right?¡± To the werewolves saying unanimously, I ask them to be vigilant just in case. It was also just like when Tuban volunteer troops came. The ones getting closer certainly look like cavalry, but gradually their figures could be seen clearly. What, isn¡¯t it the jinba race after all. And soon the jinba troops are aligned before the castle gate, and a little jinba soldier came forward from within. A jinba equipped with a short spear and a small shield, brandishing and swinging the spear shouts. ¡°Ya Ya I am the demon army third division aide, ¡®Violent Runner¡¯ Fernel! Open the gate, open the ga~te!¡± It¡¯s the voice of a girl. (TN: the second time, she says it cutely, Kaimon) Since Fernel was the name I had heard, getting down from the castle walls, I greeted them. The anxious werewolves also follow in succession. ¡°This is third division Aide Vaito. Nice to meet you, is it?¡± (TN: Here nice to meet you is Hajimemashite, which is normally used if you¡¯re meeting someone for the first time, that¡¯s why Vaito is confused if it was the first time they met) When I introduced myself, the girl of jinba race happily nodded. ¡°Hmm, nice to meet you! Although I am not a magician, I believe I am a disciple of Gomoviroa-sama! Please treat me well, senpai!¡± ¡°O,oh.¡± Somehow the rhythm is amiss. (TN: She refers herself as ¡®Boku¡¯, which is normally used by young boys, aka bokuonna) It seems like there are no problems, so I guided them to the west forest. ¡°Since there are no facilities for jinba race inside the city, I have prepared the camps here. Although it¡¯s only for five hundred.¡± ¡°Eh, why is it only five hundred?¡± I explain, with a sigh, to the sullen looking Fernel. ¡°Because you didn¡¯t report the exact numbers.¡± ¡°Well, the intention was to bring five hundred, however everyone said they want to came along¡­ ehehe¡± It¡¯s not ehehe. Since it can¡¯t be helped, I decided to order the inujins to spread out the tents. I can¡¯t bring myself to make the officers of demon army to sleep outdoors. Somehow it should be enough. ¡°Fernel-dono..¡± ¡°I am a junior, so you can call me without honorifics.¡± Fernel laughs. She¡¯s innocently cute, but is she really fine as a commander, this girl. ¡°Fernel, listen well. The demon army is neither a collection of hobbies, nor is it a charity. It is troublesome if you don¡¯t report accurately, or do not act according the decided plan.¡± When I rebuked, Fernel saluted straightening her back. ¡°Yes, I will be careful from now on!¡± Hm, isn¡¯t she quite obedient. ¡°So, please don¡¯t be angry anymore, senpai?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you please stop that way of calling.¡± I invited her to the Viceroy¡¯s mansion, lead her to the office. I think the carpets would be considerably spoiled with the hoofs, but well I will apologize to the maids of the viceroy later. Well, it¡¯s a discussion regarding the job. ¡°The fifteen hundred jinba troops and three hundred shiro troops from Mereen-senpai. The rest are the thousand skeleton troops from Teacher, adding together it¡¯s three thousand, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Senpai?¡± Stop calling me like that. Somehow it feels ticklish. ¡°Well, the werewolf troops have to defend Ryun Height¡­¡± The chance of rebellion by the palace guards of Ryun Height is exceedingly low, but just because of that I can¡¯t leave it unattended. I can¡¯t move the werewolf troops. ¡°Teacher was saying that she has lent senpai two thousand skeleton troops?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t take it out. I will use it for Ryun Height¡¯s defense.¡± Then Fernel cheerfully laughed. ¡°It¡¯s fine, even if enemies were to come, they would be Tuban¡¯s relief forces.¡± I fixedly gaze at the map. As Ryun Height is a trade city, all the neighborhood cities are connected with trade routes. Although it¡¯s convenient to attack from here, similarly it¡¯s also easy to be attacked. Just that, Mirarudia alliance army¡¯s main force is fiercely battling in the northern war front, the possibility of an attack here is very low. ¡°But, we can¡¯t be careless.¡± When I was hesitant, Fernel leaned forward, and said. ¡°Senpai, on the capture of Tuban lies the northern war front¡¯s¡­ no, the demon army¡¯s future. We absolutely can¡¯t fail. That¡¯s why, please, lend me the soldiers.¡± It was a serious gaze. Without thinking, I nodded. ¡°Th,that¡¯s right¡­.¡± ¡°Besides look, once we capture Tuban, Mirarudia alliance army would come to recover Tuban first before Ryun Height? Wouldn¡¯t Ryun Height be peaceful?¡± With a complete change, Fernel made a carefree expression. But, the serious gaze of Fernel was burned into my mind. Also, her point is correct. As one would expect, she has the qualities to be a vice commander, and she sure has a discerning eye for the war situation. ¡°Fernel. You, can you move the skeleton soldiers?¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± ¡°Then, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± I coldy refuse. Fernel is disheartened. Standing up, I patted her back. ¡°That¡¯s why, I would take the skeleton soldiers with me. Get the permission from Teacher.¡± In the blink of an eye, her expressions became cheerful, and kicking up her hooves she hugged me. ¡°Thank you! I love you senpai!¡± So, please stop calling me like that. CH 27 (Fernel¡¯s POV) Today, I met Vaito-senpai for the first time. Senpai is also in the third division of Demon army, and a vice division commander same as me. Eh, was it aide? Oh, well. Senpai is a werewolf, and seems incredibly strong. Teacher-sama was saying that he easily defeated the famous commander Dogg of the second division. Commander Dogg, wasn¡¯t he one of the five most powerful person in the second division? I haven¡¯t fought with anyone stronger than me yet. I am very anxious. In addition, Vaito-senpai is also great even as a commander. I have heard that he has captured the city of Ryun Height with just Fifty-six werewolves. On top of that, there were no casualties. Really amazing. Even if I were to command fifty six jinba troops, I simply wouldn¡¯t be able capture this big a city. Even as a magician, it seems he¡¯s considerably skillful. Although I don¡¯t understand those things, Teacher-sama was saying as such. Isn¡¯t he great. He is strong as a soldier, as a commander and also as a magician. But, even more wonderful thing is his ability to rule the humans. Although senpai is ruling Ryun Height, it is a completely different method than Mereen senpai. How you ask, it¡¯s that senpai is using the human viceroy as she is. He also made the human palace guards to be his allies. No, it really is true. I saw the palace guards working. We, jinbas are approximately half same as humans, but the insides are completely different. We are the soldiers of the proud demon race. So, I don¡¯t know about the thinking of humans. Although I have heard that the werewolves are also proud demon race hunters, but senpai seems to completely know what the humans were thinking. Everyone is saying such rumours. Because he is such a wonderful senpai, of course the demon king also trusts him very much. In the stories I heard, he also has a ryujin squad, which was previously under direct control of the demon king, under his command. I saw them in Ryun Height by accident. Even the division commander Teacher-sama does not have any ryujins as her subordinates. Indeed, he is one of those called as ¡®the strongest aide¡¯ in the demon army. But, I was surprised the most, when I met senpai personally. You see. My heart was beating very fast. He is so cool! Despite being a famous commander of the demon army, who everyone knows, he was very kind to me, who he met for the first time! Oh, just remembering that makes my heart almost blow up. Even though I brought three times the soldiers I have reported, he immediately prepared lodging for everyone, the way he does things are all very cool! Although he got a little angry, since his scolding is also like that of an adult, made my heart throb. Without thinking I replied respectfully. But, I can¡¯t remain too shy. This fight, is the fight for our, jinba squads¡¯, survival. For a several hundred years now, the humans have invaded the lands of jinba race and little by little, we have lost places to live. We are the people of prairie. When the plains are converted into agricultural lands, we lose our living space. Because it is not the same for the demon races living in mountains and forests, we may be the ones with most conflict with the humans. According to the elder, our numbers have continued to decline. If it continues like this, we would absolutely perish one day. I planned to bring around five hundred of our soldiers, but hearing it is the crisis of entire jinba race, the people from other clans also joined in. Adding up to a total fifteen hundred! Honestly, I am afraid to be in charge of this many lives. Because, this is the large part of soldiers of jinba race. The future of jinba race is on the line. With my one mistake in commanding the entire jinba race may perish. I am very much afraid. That¡¯s why the cowardly me relied on senpai. Senpai¡¯s fame has spread beyond the demon army. Among the jinba races also, Demon Wolf Vaito¡¯s name is well known. Although senpai who mostly lives in Ryun Height doesn¡¯t know about those things. When the jinba troops learned about senpai participating in the war, they became very excited. Of course it would be like that, since he is ranked after the demon king and division commander in the list of most influential person. Fighting alongside strong soldiers is the highest honour for the jinba race. I think with this, everyone can freely put forth their true strength in capturing Tuban. But, doing it like this and relying on senpai is not good, right?¡­ I am reflecting on it. Soon, with experience I will also become a splendid commander like senpai! So please overlook me for now! ¡­If capturing Tuban goes smoothly, I wonder, will senpai praise me? CH 28 For the last discussion on Tuban capture, various commanders of third division gathered in Ryun Height. Borrowing one of the rooms in viceroy¡¯s mansion, we carry out the review of the protocols. ¡°I wonder, How thick the Tuban¡¯s castle gate is.¡± The queen of vampires Mereen-senpai put her hand on her face as she tilted her head to a side. Senpai is the first disciple of Teacher and also a master of spirit technique, and has demonstrated her skills in negotiations and strategies but when it comes to battle tactics she is almost like an amateur. ¡°Senpai, remember the castle gate at your place.¡± ¡°The castle gate of Bernhainen is just a grill gate¡­¡± As an ancient city famous for its scenic beauty, Bernhainen didn¡¯t have any attraction for the demons, so it seems that amount of defense sufficed. If it is the same thickness as Ryun Height¡¯s gate, then there would be no trouble, but it¡¯s the city which has continued to develop new technologies as the workshop of Mirarudia. It will not go much easily. The strength of Mereen-senpai lies on the point that she can make humans her servants easily by turning them into vampires. Or rather, there¡¯s no hope otherwise. Converting the commander of enemy into a vampire and making him betray is the only surefire way to win. The vampires in this world don¡¯t fear sunlight or religious seals, however they can neither fly in the air nor transform. Surprisingly plain. ¡°Vaito, didn¡¯t you think of me as useless just now?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Without breaking the things like the castle gate, senpai jumping over the castle gate¡­ what was that, yeah ¡®Soul Shaker¡¯, can¡¯t you use that?¡± The one said that this, carefreely, is the new disciple Fernel. This jinba race girl seems to have come to city for the first time, now she is in a daze sniffing the smell of window glass. ¡°Originally that is a technique to dominate in a magic battle. The range of effect is not so wide, and also I can¡¯t use it consecutively.¡± Besides, I know that there are large crossbows of fixed type are deployed in large quantities on the castle walls of Tuban. If I was hit by the lance like huge arrow in vitals, even if I am a werewolf, I would still die. ¡°As expected, the plan have to be like squashing them with skeleton troops.¡± The one to say that is our Teacher, the Great Sage Gomoviroa. Teacher, who can summon deceased soldiers infinitely is a moving supply base. That said, leaving aside all other work, she can at most summon a hundred in one day. If we lose a thousand, then Teacher can¡¯t do anything for ten days. As a supreme commander, she can¡¯t only be doing things like replenishing soldiers. As a matter of fact, the demon army doesn¡¯t have any know-how of siege warfare. Well it would be like that. Until recently they were having little skirmishes only with demon extermination punitive forces of humans. No one has an experience of anything like a siege attack on a fortress town. Well, the same can be said about the human side, there should not be just about anyone who is an expert in castle attack in Mirarudia. So much time has passed since the unification war. Furthermore, the thing I am most troubled about is a thing common to the demons. That you can¡¯t switch a branch. For example, the jinba race are excellent cavalry, but they can¡¯t dismount even if they rush inside a city. Well they are not particularly mounted, so it¡¯s obvious. On the other hand, the bow cavalry that Tuban is proud of, once dismounted can function as bow infantry. In the past when demons continuously lost the wars against humans, this difference had always been the decisive blow. Which reminds me of a game in my previous life, the demon-like unit had low growth rate, restrictions on equipments, less freedom in choosing branches, and other things like that. In the industrial city Tuban, the main street is wide to bring in materials, but inside the town it seems to be completely jumbled up with various different sized workshops. For the jinba race who can¡¯t make sharp turns, it is a disadvantageous environment. The battle after storming the city would likely to be more bitter. That¡¯s why we can¡¯t spend too much energy on breaking through the castle gate. First, the skeleton troops can be considered disposable, they can somehow fight in the narrow places also, but as they are just automatic fighting dolls, they can¡¯t make trivial decisions. They can¡¯t differentiate between citizens and soldiers, can¡¯t understand even if someone surrenders, if we put them in a street fighting, it would become a massacre. Our mission is to capture, neither destruction nor mass murder. If we call the stone throwing kyojin soldiers from the second division then the castle gate can be easily destroyed, and if we have the ryujin soldiers from first division then the battle inside the city would also be easy, but unfortunately it is not a situation to call either of them. Since most of the powerful demons are generally grouped by their races, it is a headache that I can¡¯t use them flexibly like humans. My werewolf troops are few in number, and the inujin troops don¡¯t have enough strength. Mereen-senpai¡¯s vampire troops are not very good in direct fights. Besides, each troops have missions in their own occupied territories. It is very distressing that I can¡¯t battle in an ideal situation, but doing something about that is the job of us, the commanders. Then, what should we do. The plans for breaking through the castle gate is ready, but since the information about the strength of castle gate is unknown, the success rate is meagre. The battle inside the city¡­ being prepared for casualties, there is no other way than to send in the jinba troops. Fernel also seems resolute. Just that she still has some hesitation about the resulting casualties, Fernel sent a look to Mereen-senpai like imploring her. ¡°Ano.., is it useless if Mereen-senpa¡­Mereen-sama converts the viceroy of Tuban to a vampire?¡± The use of words is entirely different compared to when she talks to me. Seems like she was harshly scolded by senpai. Looking closely, Fernel is rubbing back of head as if it is painful. In the first meeting itself, she seems to have been smacked. For a second Mereen-senpai showed an expression of thinking, but immediately shook her head apologetically. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s a little difficult. It is fine after the successful first surprise attack, but now the human side are already vigilant. For me and Vaito also, our identity can be revealed with simple magic.¡± After all the humans are not fighting us for hundreds of years just for show. There is a simple good luck charm, which can even be used by an apprentice magician. Then they can easily figure out that we are demons. That¡¯s why the ancestors of werewolves left the town and secluded their offsprings in hidden villages long ago. After all the discussions remained unsettled, and the meeting became a class reunion, before one knew the topic had changed to yearning for the days of training. Although we are not to be seen as a gathering in college laboratory, but as for me, I want to make the plans¡­. At that moment, the door was knocked and nervously Airia came in. ¡°I am honoured to meet you for the first time. I am the viceroy of Ryun Height Airia Rutte Aindorf. Although meagre, I have arranged your dinner. Please come to the dining room later on.¡± With the arrival of male clothed beauty, all the women became excited. ¡°Vaito, this beautiful child is the viceroy here!? Why didn¡¯t you tell me before! Kyaa, cool!¡± ¡°Because if senpai sees anyone beautiful, you would suck their blood disregarding their gender. Rather, please change that bad habit of yours.¡± If Airia becomes a vampire, my ruling policy would collapse at its base. It would be a problem unless she remains a human. ¡°Teacher-sama, perhaps senpai is popular?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. This is a stubborn person. That¡¯s right, there is an interesting story from the training period¡­¡± The loli Teacher and jinba girl are happily talking with each other making childish faces. Just like middle schoolers who fall in love with love. ¡°Airia-dono, who has chosen to walk on the path of cooperation with the demon army, is an important strategic partner. Please stop that kind of distrust! It¡¯s discourteous to her!¡± ¡°As expected, she is senpai¡¯s partner!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I am telling you not to be sceptic!¡± After that, until everyone returned, I was continuously suspected about the relation with Airia. Due to that, I could not propose an important proposal, but well let me prepare at my convenience. To a group of magicians, making proposals for siege warfare is impossible to begin with¡­ It¡¯s like even I don¡¯t have any professional expertise. Although, the scale has become bigger, but the demon army still has insufficient number of capable persons. In the next audience, I will propose the demon king to develop a siege attack fit for the characteristic of demon army. Definitely. While making the preparations for the attack, I vowed as such. CH 29 And finally, Tuban capture battle commenced. The commander is ¡®Violent Runner¡¯ Fernel. From different clans, she had brought fifteen hundred soldiers. The reinforcement is the Queen of Vampires, Mereen. She is participating with her three hundred Grave Wax soldiers which were summoned in advanced. Teacher, the Great Sage Gomoviroa is also participating along with thousand skeleton troops. I too followed bringing my treasured two thousand skeleton troops. Total count is close to five thousand troops. The population of Tuban we are facing is five thousand. The bow cavalry, who also work as palace guards, are estimated around one fifty to two hundred. Because I defeated fifty of them previously, so they had a considerable reduction. The bow cavalry can¡¯t be replaced so easily. Although there would be quite a number of citizen soldiers, but the total number is unknown. Assuming half of the population to be males, and if further half of them are healthy young men, then at least there would be a thousand more. From what I have heard, Tuban citizens know how to use crossbows, and so it is a gathering of archers. And so, the first problem is the impregnable fortress, which Tuban is proud of. It is higher than the castle walls of Ryun Height, and everywhere it is filled with large crossbows. It can fire large arrows consecutively, and easily shoot down anything, be it a horse or a castle siege weapons. I want to say as expected of an industrial city, but is it even possible to capture it without a surprise attack. ¡°It seems the encirclement has been completed.¡± Beside me, Technical Officer Krutz mutters. He is responsible for handling the gunpowder, the one they call as ¡®Dragon¡¯s Breath¡¯. To blow up the castle gates at the critical moment, I had him come. This town is thoroughly secretive, so to monitor the comings and goings of the people, there are only two, one in the north and the other in south. So it is enough to predominantly block each. The one to capture the north gate are the sacrificial thousand pieces of skeleton soldiers and three hundred Grave Wax soldiers. And following which, the one thousand five hundred Jinba soldiers would rush inside the city. The moment encircling was completed, Fernel sent the messenger recommending them to surrender. But before the Jinba soldier carrying the letter of Fernel could reach the castle gate, he fell receiving concentrated attacks from crossbows. I see, they don¡¯t seem to have any intention to discuss at all. As the unarmed messenger was killed before their eyes, the Jinba race soldiers are in a rage. It seems like they won¡¯t stop until they see blood. Fernel is waving her spear from a little distance away. ¡°Senpai! Bone, please!¡± ¡­ Behave a bit more like a commander. Well it¡¯s fine. Nodding, I make hand signs and chant the spell. ¡°Returned from the gates of Gevena, you who, declined from the gates of Hauran. Behold my right hand. This becomes the freezing sun.¡± It¡¯s the usual chant to use the dead. By the way, Gevena is the world of darkness filled with the dead, and Hauran is the world of light leading to rebirth. I don¡¯t know which one is better, but let me have them do one thing. When the skeleton soldiers responded to my voice, I order them to advance. ¡°Group number one, prepare shield in advance! Anti-air defense formation!¡± All the sounds become uniform, the skeleton soldiers put up their shield. ¡°Target, Tuban North Gate! Assault with highest combat speed!¡± The five hundred skeleton soldiers holding spear and shield, simultaneously started attacking. Immediately, arrows were fired from the castle walls of Tuban. As feared, the firing range is long. It would hit. It would hit. The skeleton soldiers are holding up the shield in defense but that shield itself was skewered. However invulnerable the skeleton troops may be, once the spinal cord is smashed, they can¡¯t move their body. But even if the ribs are broken to the extent of shattering they should still be able to move without any inconvenience, so they have a good compatibility with the arrows. Since they were slow, half of them were already defeated as they barely managed to reach the castle gates, but this is not a big loss. If the same had been done by the Jinba soldiers, then it would have been worse. ¡°It¡¯s a war of attrition.¡± Because Krutz muttered anxiously, I nodded. ¡°For now, we have to endure, but little by little we will follow next.¡± After confirming that Fernel is waving her spear again, as planned I ordered the second wave of attack. The second group advances towards the place where the first group has gathered near the castle gate. Somehow, I remembered the tower defense game I played a lot in my previous life. Although right now, I am on the attacking side. The first group of skeleton soldiers is half destroyed with the violent counterattack from enemy, but the second division did not receive such resistance. It would be like that only. Even the large crossbow string is stretched with human power. If they shoot too much, they would be tired and eventually there would be failures. And then in the second group, Mereen-senpai¡¯s specialty Grave Wax soldiers¡­ in other words white waxed zombies are slipped in. More and more it is like Tower Defense, but these guys are the leading actors this time. The Grave Wax soldiers, being dehydrated, are a variant of the zombies with possibility of long term preservation. But there is a disadvantage that they are easy to burn. However the defect can become the strong point. The Grave Wax soldiers that reached the castle gates escorted by the skeleton soldiers, started self-destructing according to the prior setup. Since it is far from here, it is not clearly visible, but it surely is a splattering scene. But I can¡¯t still be careless. It would be bad if the Tuban side know what we are planning. If they make the gate wet with large amounts of water, our plan would go out of order. That¡¯s why, deliberately using this kind of roundabout way, we are showing that we are attacking pointlessly. I can¡¯t do these kind of things with live soldiers, but with bones and zombies, no need for any reservation. They don¡¯t have feelings or soul, they are just corpse puppets. Since the groups I command are already gone, along with Krutz, I regrouped with Fernel¡¯s Jinba troops. ¡°Senpai, thank you!¡± ¡°So far, it is going according to the plan. Also, stop calling me that way.¡± It just remains to set fire to the oily castle gate, but because of the shooting range of arrows, we can¡¯t get close to shoot fire arrow. There, it¡¯s Teacher¡¯s turn. Firing a lightning attack, she would ignite it with electricity. At least if there are copper wires, it would be much easier, but it can¡¯t be helped since there are none¡­. The Great Sage Gomoviroa, in not more than a few minutes, with a difficult expression on her innocent face, is chanting the spell. ¡°Vaito-dono, what is Gomoviroa-sama doing?¡± Unable to control his curiosity as a technician, Krutz asks me in a low voice. The spell Teacher currently chanting is not the lightning spell. To tell you the truth, the destruction magic in this world is not much useful. Mostly because the magic is ¡®Centered at oneself¡¯ and ¡®Follow the general laws of physics at the time of activation¡¯, if someone uses without thinking, then the user himself would receive most damage. To prevent that, various spells are required to control it, but compared to doing such a sluggish move, it¡¯s faster to strike with a sword. I didn¡¯t understand the contents of Teacher¡¯s spell, but can roughly make a guess. ¡°She is creating a path for the lightning.¡± ¡°Path of lightning, is it?¡± I have heard that just before the lightning strikes, in between the thundercloud and earth¡¯s surface, path of lightning is made by the ionised atmosphere. Inside the thunder cloud, the electric charge is divided up and down verti¡­ what was that? Forget it. At any rate, if lighting magic is casted without any thought, it may strike someone¡¯s armor in the demon army. That¡¯s why it should be guided. ¡°She is at the point where she is defining the aim such that it would exactly hit the castle gate. If it isn¡¯t done, then it is unknown where it would strike¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Technical Officer Kurtz enthusiastically started taking memos. ¡°Vaito-dono, can you use that magic?¡± ¡°It was impossible¡­¡± Please don¡¯t make me remember that. ¡°Hmm, yes. It¡¯s time.¡± Finally securing the path of lighting, Teacher started chanting the lightning magic immediately. This took just an instant. It¡¯s sufficient to just tamper with the magic in the surrounding, and convert it to electric energy. As she finished chanting, Teacher waved her wand. Along with a bluish-white light, a thunderous roar, which can make the atmosphere vibrate, mowed down the surrounding. CH 30 Teacher¡¯s lightning attack had a terrifying power. Even from here, it can be seen that the door of the castle gate received severe damage. At the same time, the remains of Grave Wax soldiers burned up, the great door was blazed aflame. ¡°Hooray!¡± Fernel jumped delightfully, and raised her spear. ¡°Yes, oh¡­ ¡° Hurriedly, I restrained her. ¡°Wait! The door has not fallen after burning! If it failed, we would be wiped out!¡± ¡°Ah, that is also right¡± Fernel, turning her head, puts down her spear. ¡°Forget the one I just said! I will wait a little longer!¡± (TN: she¡¯s talking about the hooray!) All the jinba soldiers, that were ready to charge in, again went back to standby position. It¡¯s splendid leadership. Just a little dangerous. When I looked to the side suddenly, Technical Officer Krutz was observing the situation of Castle gate. This guy, doesn¡¯t he have a telescope or something. ¡°What a nice thing you have, please lend it to me a little.¡± ¡°Do you know what this is, Vaito-dono?¡± Ah, damn it. This seems to be the cutting edge tech of this world. Let me deceive him properly. ¡°Since you are peeking through it like that, it must be observation equipment. Isn¡¯t it a device to look faraway things by magnifying it with glass panels?¡± ¡°I am really surprised. It is exactly like that.¡± Borrowing the telescope from the surprised Krutz, when I peeked I found the great door on the verge of collapsing. It¡¯s really is burning. They are actively pouring sand from the sides on castle wall, but this fire, made of three hundred Grave Wax soldiers¡¯ body fat, cannot be extinguished in that way. However, there was a single miscalculation. ¡°It is iron lattice¡­¡± Behind the shadows of the crumbing burnt door, a flap door made of iron lattice became visible. They seems to have two fold defense mechanism. Compared to Ryun Height, this is considerably stronger construction. I am a little envious. But it really is distressing. The iron bars cannot be destroyed by burning. When I relayed what I saw, Fernel made a gloomy face suddenly. ¡°What to do, senpai!? If this is the case, then don¡¯t we all have to attack with battering rams?¡± If you call it the battering ram, it sounds cool, but it is just a log reinforced by iron. It is useless unless it hits several times while being held by many people. But slow strikes with that big a thing, there surely would be heavy losses. ¡°Calm down. I was prepared for a time like this.¡± I order Kurtz. ¡°Bring me all of that.¡± ¡°All of that!? It¡¯s a large barrel!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, hurry..¡± Technical Officer Kurtz is currently under my command. Just like a soldier, he saluted right off the bat and brought the gunpowder barrel with several people carrying it. The barrel, that took several of the Ryujin Engineers carry it together, I lifted it easily with my werewolf powers. Although half the weight is of the barrel, but it probably is no less than a hundred kilo. Even though I don¡¯t know anything about gunpowder, but this much should be sufficient. ¡°I will be back in a while¡± ¡°Where are you going, Vaito-dono!?¡± ¡°Umm, to blow off the lattice door¡­¡± ¡°You are the commander, right!? Please stop it!¡± When I and Fernel are arguing, Fernel calls me out. ¡°If you want to go, I will lend you my power. Get on.¡± ¡°I request the fastest among the Jinba soldiers. Who is it?¡± When I looked at the lined up Jinba soldiers, all of them looked at Fernel at the same time. The petite girl proudly puffs her small chests in pride. ¡°Because, I am the shrine maiden of Jinba race. The title ¡®Violent Runner¡¯ is not a lie.¡± When I look closely, compared to other Jinba soldiers, her magic power is also manyfolds different. It seems like, this girl is also a mutation like the Demon King. When I was pondering over what to do, from Tuban¡¯s side a plosive sound is heard. It is a signal from Mereen senpai at the north gate. I have also left some Ryujin engineers over there. It seems they shot the Dragon Ball with the dedicated slingshot. Krutz looking through the telescope, immediately relayed the meaning of the signal. ¡°¡®Enemy¡¯ ¡®South¡¯ ¡®Main force¡¯¡­ The enemy main forces seem to have headed towards this side!¡± Oh, the enemy are coming from the north gate. Mereen-senpai¡¯s skeleton troops are out of the shooting range of crossbows on the castle wall. The enemy bow cavalry came from the castle gates while being backed up by the crossbows. East side or west side, which side they might be detouring is unknown. There is not much time left to be worried. When I nodded, Fernel raised her spear. ¡°Divine Protection of Ancestral Spirit!¡± Then suddenly, she took off her helmet and threw it away. Further, she threw off the armor she was wearing. Finally she even threw off her dress. Her small breasts were exposed, but she¡¯s all smiles. What, what is starting. Naked Fernel, holding only the spear and shield, shouted. ¡°Both wings Defensive Formation! Shooting Battle Formation!¡± The Jinba soldiers are highly excited. They are not particularly excited because of the breasts, rather they seem to be drunk with the exaltation of being a soldier. Some strike the quiver, some knock the spear and shield together, and shout. Speaking of that, I have heard that the Jinbas are a race, who show valour in a reckless manner. But seriously, I never thought that it would be to become nude after taking off armor in the middle of the battlefield. ¡°This is the time to show the bravery of the Jinba race! Everyone, let¡¯s work hard~!¡± ¡°Oooh,oooo!¡± What a brilliant charisma. As one would expect from a commander of Demon army. Soon, under the cover of dust cloud, the prided bow cavalry of Tuban arrived from both sides of the castle wall. They intend to do pincer attack left and right. Since, compared to us, they are overwhelmingly few in number, they would aim to have a surprise attack on the commander. But we have already inferred the surprise attack beforehand, so we can meet the enemy thoroughly prepared. It is thanks to the Dragon Ball. ¡°Not yet, not yet~!¡± Fernel ordered the soldiers to standby. The distance gradually becomes smaller, but she still doesn¡¯t move the soldiers. The enemy bow cavalry prepared their bows on horseback. At that moment, Fernel shouts. ¡°Attack!¡± ¡°Ooooo!¡± As it they are a single living being, the units on both side started moving. In the face of flying arrows, they start running towards the castle walls of Tuban. ¡°Let¡¯s go, senpai!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Shouldering the gunpowder barrel, I hopped on the back of running Fernel. I was on guard against the crossbows on castle walls, but thankfully most of the arrows were not shot. ¡°If they shoot now, it would hit the bow cavalry..¡± Attracting the enemy until the limit, we are caught in the middle of castle walls and enemy bow cavalry. Of course, this is an extremely dangerous situation, but we were able to prevent attacks from the most terrifying fixed type crossbow. Since the power is too much, even a stray arrow could result in casualties among the bow cavalry. She is indeed quite thoughtful, isn¡¯t she. Fernel¡¯s leg strength is completely out of class compared to other Jinba soldiers. In spite of carrying a werewolf and a gunpowder barrel, she ran steadily leaving behind the other jinba soldiers. It¡¯s a breakneck speed making the breathing difficult in the head wind. Certainly the title ¡®Violent Runner¡¯ is not just for the show. In the blink of an eye we drew close to the castle gate. In the outskirts of the castle gate there are many surviving skeleton soldiers. ¡°Align! Hold the shield aloft!¡± After I made the skeleton soldiers to construct a path, I made them form a wall of shields. Although arrows from the crossbow would come flying, but since I blocked their field of vision with shields, their aim would be random. Finally the burning castle gate is before my eyes. ¡°Fernel, once I jump, turn around!¡± ¡°Senpai?¡± ¡°I would do something!¡± After I shouted, I leaped kicking off her horseback. In the middle of flying crossbow arrows, I threw the gunpowder barrel aiming at the castle gate. ¡°Take this also!¡± I felt like I saw the momentseeing the fuse lighting up. A huge explosion occurred. CH 31 In terms of the conclusion, my act was not an reckless one. To begin with the amount of gunpowder was too much. Since I can¡¯t face anyone being stingy from failure, so I used all of it, but it seems I overdid it. ¡°Ha!?¡± For a few moments I seem to have blacked out. When I regained my consciousness, I was lying in front of the castle gate. The iron lattices are blown away without a trace. Since some places were rusted, it was probably more fragile than I had thought. Also, unusually wasteful, all the skeleton soldiers in the vicinity were annihilated. They were blown to pieces. Had I been a human, I also certainly would have died. After I destroyed the iron lattices, the plan was to rush in with the skeleton soldiers, but the plan completely went out of order. If we don¡¯t control the castle gate, then incidentally there would be casualties among the allies at the time of rushing in. The one that currently could rush in, is only me. There¡¯s no choice but to do it. Without anymore hesitation, I plunged into the castle gate. Perhaps, the Jinba soldiers would also rush in immediately. I just have to buy a little time. That¡¯s why I shouted at the enemy soldiers falling on their butt from the explosion. ¡°Hear my voice, oh near and far away people! Look with your eyes also, if you come closer! My name is Vaito! I am the commander of Demon Army! Those who don¡¯t want to live regrettable lives, gain fame by killing me!¡± I wanted to give my name to the gathered enemies once, but those childish things I practiced in my previous life finally seem to have become useful. But, the development afterwards was somewhat funny. Those guys, who looked like civilian soldiers, screamed after hearing my name. ¡°Vaito!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Vaito, the annihilator!¡± ¡°Four Hundred People Killer came out!¡± In the end, Tuban capture battle finished because of that. Hearing rumours like ¡®Four Hundred People Killer, Vaito has broken the castle gate¡¯, the citizens and volunteer soldiers escaped from the north gate. Surrounded by the skeleton troops on standby, they surrendered just like that. But I still haven¡¯t fought with anyone¡­. In this way, the Jinba troops led by Fernel had captured the Industrial City, Tuban with merely insignificant damages. ¡°Somehow, it ended quickly!¡± Fernel, who put on her clothes in a haste, said while walking with me inside the city. ¡°You, next time don¡¯t take off your clothes. Other races would be surprised.¡± ¡°Is that so!? Rather, I was surprised about that.¡± Since it is just after the capture, the Jinba soldiers are strictly escorting us. Even so, the whispering sounds that could be heard are nothing but fear towards me. ¡°Oh, that is the General of Werewolves, who singlehandedly killed four hundred¡­..¡± ¡°Apparently he destroyed the castle gate in a single strike¡­¡± ¡°The crossbow troops attacked all together, but it seems the arrows did not get through at all¡­.¡± I can hear everything. Because the werewolves have sharp hearing. But somehow, isn¡¯t there too much of exaggeration in those rumours? ¡°By the way, senpai, what was that before?¡± The thing Fernel is asking, is of course about the ¡®Dragon¡¯s Breath¡¯. Since that is a top class military secret, I can¡¯t tell her about that. Beside me, Krutz is also persistently winking at me as if to say ¡®Be silent¡¯. That¡¯s why I had to answer like this. ¡°It¡¯s a secret technique of Werewolves¡± ¡°It was awesome!¡± At any rate, what is this stinking smell drifting from a little while ago. To head for the viceroy¡¯s mansion, we came to the plaza. There I saw something very strange. Located in a corner of the plaza, there is a space surrounded by iron fences. A crucifixion stand was installed, and there was an almost decomposed completely dried up corpse pilloried. Perhaps, he is a grave sinner. If it is only that much, then it is not that unusual. Even in Ryun Height also, I have heard that at least once in a several years an execution for the crime of murder is carried out. But my eyes are fixed at the bottom of the crucifixion stand. There is a man handcuffed and chained. Around him, food scraps and filth were thrown in, and it made the bizarre smell even stronger. Just as I stopped my legs, the Jinba soldiers surround the envoy without a little gap. Fernel also halted, and looked at my face. ¡°What is it, senpai?¡± ¡°¡­there is something that I want to confirm.¡± I went closer to the crucifixion stand. The clothes, the handcuffed old man was dressed in, had become rags. He might have been hit with stones, there are severe wounds here and there. Because of lack of sanitation, it had festered. Since his physical strength is already completely run out, the old man lied down without moving with his eyes shut. I barely noticed that he is still breathing. ¡°Senpai, perhaps someone you know?¡± ¡°No¡­ no way!¡± Just to make sure, I try calling out the name of the person I remembered. At that moment, the injured old man opened his eyes slowly. Although completely changed, unquestioningly those are the eyes of the Ryun Height Radiant Church¡¯s leader, Priest Yuhito. ¡°Va¡­i¡­.¡± Oh, he doesn¡¯t even have enough power left to make a sound. Priest Yuhito¡¯s cracked lips only trembled. Without thinking I pulled out the iron chains. ¡°Priest Yuhito!¡± Uprooting the simple chains easily with my werewolf powers, I threw it away on the stone pavings. Enduring the nose stabbing stench, I helped up Priest Yuhito. Tearing off the padlocks, I shattered the handcuffs. ¡°Pull yourself together! What is this!¡± Technical Officer Kurtz, who was looking at the notice board nearby, replied. ¡°Here, ¡®Execution of the Traitor Bert, and the status of commanding officer is revoked. The traitor Yuhito is to be pilloried until death¡¯ is written.¡± ¡°Traitor!?¡± Priest Yuhito should not be a traitor. Rather, we the demon army are the ones who betrayed. Apparently the Tuban people seem to have forced the responsibilities for the failures of Ryun Height¡¯s liberation on the palace guard captain and Priest Yuhito. It is natural considering the weight of the responsibility, I can understand the emotions of the citizens of Tuban who lost their comrades. The act both of them did was illegal to begin with. But at any rate, isn¡¯t it unnecessary to treat this old man so cruelly. ¡°Humans, Listen well!¡± I howled. The ones hiding here and there hearing me, drew back being frightened. But they should be listening. ¡°Is this your way of doing things! Arresting an unarmed old man, and shaming him in front of others, are you satisfied with that!¡± ¡°Senpai, wait¡­¡± Fernel restrained me, but I shook her off. ¡°If you want to make him pay for his sins, taking his life is sufficient! Where is the need to do such an ugly thing!¡± While shouting, I calmed down a little, and I remembered the discrepancy between my position and claim. To the last, I have to make it look like a statement from a commander of the demon army. Let me correct the trajectory of the current situation skilfully. I continued in a scorning voice. ¡°But, this is funny! To be satisfied with pillorying a pitiful old man during demon invasion! Thanks to killing off the palace guards captain, the invasion was real easy!¡± When I smashed the pillar of crucifixion, the corpse of the palace guard captain also got unshackled. Looking down at the crucifixion pillar falling on the stone pavement, I laugh. ¡°Since you are in such a mess, that you people lost to the demons twice! Be afraid! We won¡¯t show any pity towards you!¡± At the same time, I have to say something as the ruling commander of Ryun Height. ¡°This Priest Yuhito was the messenger who received the request of demon army, and he is also the official diplomat of Viceroy Airia of Ryun Height! I consider this an insult to Ryun Height and to the demon army!¡± With great trouble, I and Airia guaranteed the social position of Priest Yuhito, it all became meaningless. This is my responsibility. After shouting as much as I liked, I made a fleeting glance at Fernel. ¡°Since I already played the role of villain, you say something suitable like good people. They will fear me, and cling onto you.¡± ¡°Ah, oh, I see!¡± Making an agreeing expression on her face, Fernel shouted. ¡°Ah, alright, alright~! The governing here would be done by us, the Jinba race! I won¡¯t let this scaaary werewolf do anything~!¡± But she didn¡¯t forget to add this thing after. ¡°Unless you go against me.¡± Like that, it should be fine. Then the rumours gave birth to more rumours, it didn¡¯t even take half a day to spread across the entire Tuban. ¡®Breaking the castle gate with a single kick,¡±Four Hundred People Killer, Vaito¡±, contempted the dead, in rage he is going to massacre all the citizens of Tuban¡¯ is the mistaken rumour. Well, anyway, let me leave this misunderstanding unresolved. CH 32 I freed Priest Yuhito under the confusion, and occupied a room at the Viceroy¡¯s mansion. Unexpectedly, Fernel turned up and asked me. ¡°That old man, what do you intend do?¡± ¡°Since I sent this old man as the envoy of the Demon army, I have the obligation to protect him.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± As a matter of fact, there is no such obligation. In this world, it is not that unusual for a messenger to become disposable. In fact, just now when we suggested surrender of Tuban, the messenger Jinba soldier was killed. Originally it is a dangerous job. Viceroy¡¯s servants cleaned Priest Yuhito, however he still doesn¡¯t have power to get up from the bed. Weakness and injuries seem to be the reason for his grave infectious disease. I wonder, if I should let him die quietly like this. But, I have the power to save him. Let me do as much as I can. My healing magic is not very significant, but since I have the basic medical knowledge such as disinfection and the like, the treatment is sufficient. Because this is probably an infectious disease, the sterilization effect of anti-poison magic or the immunity enhancing effect of body strengthening magic should be helpful. Later sending in a little bit of magic, I would make it a substitute for IV. Whether or not you would recover from this, ask it to the god of Radiant church. Looking at these, Kurtz murmured. Fortunately, my healing magic seems to be adequate. On the night of that day, Priest Yuhito¡¯s condition was stabilized. He started to get better. Although he is still weak, but with a firm gaze Priest Yuhito looks at me. ¡°Vaito-dono¡­. Why here? No, did you captured Tuban?¡± ¡°That is correct, Yuhito-dono.¡± Taking a deep breath, I continued. ¡°After you recover a little more, we will return. Be prepared.¡± Priest Yuhito seemed surprised. Straightening his body, he asks me a question. ¡°Return, means¡­?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the Priest of Ryun Height Radiant church? Or else, do you want to spend the rest of your life in Tuban after retirement?¡± Although Priest Yuhito¡¯s expression became more and more surprised, still he shook his head looking down. ¡°No¡­. this place is not a place I can stay any longer. Let¡¯s return to Ryun Height¡± Ordering the skeleton soldiers to guard and monitor Priest Yuhito, I went to see the situation in another room. I can hear Fernel quarrelling with Tuban¡¯s Viceroy. ¡°Didn¡¯t you kill my messenger? Do you think you can get normal treatment surrendering this late?¡± At that moment, the Viceroy prostrated himself. ¡°Please forgive me! If only you guarantee my life, I don¡¯t need anything else! Please have mercy!¡± Hey you, didn¡¯t you make a crying face just now merely looking at my face? The Viceroy is the main culprit behind the sufferings of Priest Yuhito, but it is the truth that Priest Yuhito is also a grave sinner. Well, let me overlook that incident. That¡¯s why, don¡¯t you cry. The next part of the negotiation proceeded smoothly just by staring at the viceroy and clicking my tongue a little. Like this almost completely accepting to the conditions set by us, next was to determine how to deal with the Viceroy. ¡°Senpai, what¡¯s the best thing do, I wonder?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to have this person, who doesn¡¯t treat the messengers courteously, at the same table.¡± When I lightly roared showing my fangs a little, the Viceroy tumbled down from his chair. When Fernel came closer to the Viceroy resounding her hooves, she thrusted the short spear at him. With a threatening look, Fernel grumbled in a low voice. ¡°Because my messenger was also killed. I, also hate you.¡± ¡°Hiiiii!¡± ¡°For my ruling of Tuban, you are unnecessary. Is that fine like that?¡± Although the Viceroy of Tuban was neither a bad person nor incompetent, but I and Fernel agreed on the view that ¡®He cannot be trusted¡¯. To be associated with the demon army, an ordinary Viceroy is no good. When he was asked to choose between retiring in Tuban, or to go away to another city, he immediately chose to go away. If it is a person who forsakes the citizens after losing to fear, we also don¡¯t have any use. It¡¯s fine wherever he goes. I¡¯d pray that he won¡¯t end up like Priest Yuhito, but even if that happens, please don¡¯t hold a grudge. All things considered, it was really great that our Airia was exceedingly talented. Once in a while, let me try to treat her kindly. Let me take something famous from Tuban as souvenirs. The fixed type crossbows I seized or the book on the cavalry drill, which might be to her liking? Since I can¡¯t be absent from Ryun Height for much time, I decided to return with Kurtz and the others of the Dragon Flame Mechanic Division as soon as possible. Because all the skeleton soldiers at the southgate have blown off, I would return with the half I had left at the north gate. It¡¯s a thousand of them. It¡¯s fine if Teacher provides me with reserved soldiers, but it indeed is unreasonable¡­. The remaining thousand skeleton soldiers are guarding the important points like the Viceroy¡¯s mansion and the castle gate. I guess, this might seem like nightmares to the citizens, but the Jinba soldiers are not much fond of the town area. For a while Mereen-senpai will stay here, and look after Fernel. Also there is Teacher. Let me check up on her a little. In a room of the Viceroy¡¯s mansion, Mereen-senpai is looking over the important documents of Tuban. Beside that, there was a bed, and Teacher was lying down there. ¡°Mereen-senpai, what is Teacher¡¯s condition?¡± ¡°As you see, she is sleeping well. I think, she will wake up in a few days.¡± At the time of Tuban capture, Teacher had continuously used powerful magics for healing or protection, she had squandered all her power. Currently showing an innocent sleeping face, she is wheezing cute breaths in her sleep. Teacher¡¯s body has been weakened, and without magic, she can¡¯t even make her heart beat. The reason seems to be the fact that once she almost got killed, when she was a human very long ago. From that moment onwards, the time had stopped for Teacher¡¯s body. That being the case, if she consumes too much of her magic power, it even puts burden on her normal daily life activities, and she completely becomes dormant for a while. This appears to be complicated magic theory, but I roughly interpret it as ¡®HP and MP are one¡¯. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m right. I really am an unworthy disciple. Two days later, entrusting the rest of the things to Mereen-senpai, I decided to hurriedly return to Ryun Height. Because Priest Yuhito is still not in a condition to walk, I let him sleep in the carriage of Ryujin troops. Behind the Carriage, family members of Priest Yuhito and his former disciples followed. Because they are wishing to emigrate to Ryun Height, I decided to take them with me. Somehow, it seems they were secretly helping Priest Yuhito. Otherwise, he would not have survived in that situation. Most of the disciples are artisans in the workshops or former soldiers, if I take them back, they might be helpful with something. Well, let me hurry up and return. I am concerned about Ryun Height. There would be a lot of paperwork in the office. I don¡¯t want to return yet¡­. No, no, I can¡¯t think like that either. ¡°All troops, we will return to Ryun Height!¡± The thousand skeleton troops and the twenty four of the Dragon Flame Mechanic Division, together with the asylum seekers, I safely returned to Ryun Height. Lastly, let me add that I was senselessly scolded by Faan-oneechan that ¡®you attacked again!?¡¯. CH 33 (Mereen POV) Fer! Fernel! Come here a little. It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine, those paperworks. Later I would look over it in a flash. Hey, sit here. Yes, pour me alcohol. Hmm, that¡¯s good. Good work today also. ¡­ that¡¯s right, from what I have observed, the humans are being obedient. It¡¯s your ability, right. It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t be embarrassed. If there is an imprudent fellow, I would turn him into a vampire and make him obey. Hmm, don¡¯t worry. Well, saying ¡®Let me bring Ryun Height¡¯s Vaito-senpai here for a little¡­.¡¯ like Fer is also a good scourge. Ah, hmm. Certainly, I feel like you are relying on Vaito¡¯s power a bit too much. But, that¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it? Using your senpai skillfully, grow up strong. But, I feel like that Vaito somehow rapidly grew up on his own. Perhaps, I was undependable? Ah, that¡¯s right. Since it¡¯s the perfect opportunity, let me tell you. Although I think it¡¯s a troublesome time for Jinba race as well, but it¡¯s not that easy to handle Vampires also. Ah, thanks for filling the glass. I became a Vampire hundred¡­. ah, nothing, just a little while back. At that time the Vampires were awesome. They were strong soldiers like Werewolves, and furthermore with only their gaze, they could control humans at will. Even before that, they were even stronger. Flying in the air, transforming into fog, they were really invincible. Huh, yes you are right! We are steadily becoming weaker and weaker. But, thinking that there is no future for Vampires like this, I started studying magic at Teacher¡¯s place. There I met with Vaito. At that time, he was very little, and also very cute. But, that guy, when he heard my worries, he said, that ¡®Degeneration is also one kind of Evolution¡¯. At first, I thought ¡®what is this kid saying?¡¯. Werewolves were continually strong from the beginning, so they had it easy. However, if you think carefully, the Old Vampires were completely and utterly destroyed by the humans, but we, the New Vampires, are mostly fine. Passing through the castle gate carved with holy symbols, we can run away in the daytime boldly. This is a feat the Old Vampires could never perform. Certainly, just as much we got weaker, our tenacity has evolved. That¡¯s why, judging him as a worthy junior disciple, I planned to take care of him all the way. But, that guy, sometimes says things with no meaning. This one time, something like Tutors¡­ Yes, at the time you were there, was it ¡®Native American¡­.¡¯ ? I wonder, if it is a language of Werewolves? Well, thanks to that I could envision a future for Vampires. Thanks to the training I did at Teacher¡¯s place, I came to know that Vampires have talent for spirit techniques. As for me, I can create five¡­ seven¡­ no, ten Skeleton soldiers in a day! I can! After I made the other Vampires from my family train at Teacher¡¯s place, in a day we were able to make several times more Skeleton soldiers. Perhaps it might be a little difficult to understand for you, but the moment you can make Skeleton soldiers, you are a first class spirit technique user. ¡­err, well if Teacher has a day, she can create about a hundred Skeleton soldiers, but that is something ridiculous. Anyway, in this era, it is useless unless the Vampires also learn a vocation. Vaito says it all the time, but it¡¯s good to discard your past self somewhere. The yesterday¡¯s sun will not rise again. I wonder, if you understand? Yes, the serious talk is finished! Fer, say something funny! You have, right. Something like love stories. I know already, you are also interested in Vaito, right? Eh!? It¡¯s different, I only think of him as a younger brother. Really, for real. I mean¡­ that guy, kind of dull, right¡­.? It is impossible for him unless he reincarnates once. Well, I am cheering for you. If you have something, consult with this beautiful Mereen-sama. Oneesan is really kind? Ah, paperwork, right. Umm,hmm, tomorrow I will do it. Is tomorrow no good? CH 34 After that, for a while I was busy governing Ryun Height. I want to go to the Demon King for reporting and consultation, but I feel awkward to ask Teacher, who is still not in her normal condition. I want to let her rest a little bit more. Instead, making use of Technical Officer Kurtz¡¯s subordinate as a communication officer, only the written report has been sent. Lunchtime at the office. ¡°I was saved because Kurtz-dono was here. Had it been the Werewolf troops or the Inujin troops, they would not be able to explain the contents of the report properly if questioned.¡± To Technical Officer Kurtz, with whom I completely got along, I was offering skewers I bought at the food cart. As always, the sweet sauce is very delicious. ¡°I personally like the taste of the food carts here. I hope it suits your taste.¡± ¡°It is very delicious.¡± Like a carnivorous species, Technical Officer Kurtz also eats a lot. ¡°This sweet sauce, I think it will go quite good with grasshopper rice also.¡± ¡°¡­.that¡¯s right¡± They really love bugs, the Ryujin race. After eating a few pieces of roasted chicken skewer, Kurtz drank my treasured green tea and earnestly said. ¡°Being a trade city, the food culture here is rich. What is this flavoring?¡± ¡°This is distilled soya bean flavored liquid with salty-sweet seasoning.¡± I am honestly happy that the fans of soy sauce flavor increased in another world. But as I thought, the taste is sublimely a little different. Kurtz nodding hmm, hmm, replies. ¡°Maybe his Majesty the Demon King might also like this flavour. Can¡¯t you please tell me about the food cart retailer? For some compensation ask him to turn it over.¡± (TN: The author seems to be talking about the compensation for sweet sauce recipe. Another possible translation can be: Let us have him sell it for some compensation.) Technical Officer Kurtz really was a close associate of the Demon King. If he knows about the Demon King¡¯s palate , then he must be a considerably close associate. I have to be careful about my remarks¡­.. ¡°This non-fermented tea also is fragrant, and very interesting. I would also like to present this to his Majesty the Demon King. Is that fine?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s good if he likes it.¡± Honestly it hurts a little to send it away, but not being too much stingy, let me present this tea caddy. Well, I still have three hidden. Taking a breath of relief, Kurtz looks at the drifting steam of the tea inside the office room. ¡°That¡¯s right, I have already picked samples of soil from various places of Ryun Height and Tuban. Sending those to Glenstadt, I have plans to analyse the composition.¡± ¡°You can do that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a traditional technique like the Technical Officers with a strong palate decide the taste, but¡­ maybe we will find some valuable mineral source.¡± Their approach is scientific, but the technology has not caught up yet. After that, Kurtz and I sent off the Ryujin Technical Officers carrying the written report. Please carefully deliver that sweet sauce and green tea to the Demon King. Glory to the Japanese food. Meanwhile, Priest Yuhito has recovered and is doing well. However, since the time, he was pilloried, was longer, it seems his legs and loins have weakened. He became unable to walk without a stick. I sometimes go and visit him in the breaks between official work, but because of the bitter experiences his heart has become weak. ¡°Is it fine for a sinner like me to be alive¡­.. I am a old man who let a lot of my fellow brethren die, and brought only misfortunes.¡± Because Priest Yuhito suddenly said such a thing, I thought a little. Even in this world where magic exists, the dead humans can never be resurrected. If I request Teacher, she can revive any number of them, but the ones revived are just the dolls of the dead without memories or wills. Those would not be the person when they were alive. If one uses reincarnation magic, theoretically one can reincarnate after death, but since they lose their memories, the effectiveness is not verified. There is not much meaning. However much may one regret, the dead won¡¯t come back. That¡¯s why after a long period of thinking, I could only say this much. Priest Yuhito staring at me, nodded a little. ¡°Equal number of lives, is it..¡± ¡°If you are not satisfied with four hundred, it¡¯s fine save eight hundred or four thousand. The sin will never disappear, but it¡¯s better than dying without even saving anyone.¡± When I stood up, Priest Yuhito bowed. ¡°Recovering soon, I want you to return to the coordination of the Radiant Church. They are anxious.¡± With those words, I left the hospital. Was it a little cold. Well, that¡¯s fine. Then, Priest Yuhito returned to the temple¡¯s job, but it seems his tone has changed with respect to before. Before he was a totalitarian who boasted of intense peer pressure, but yesterday¡¯s sermon was like this. ¡°I was naive. The people with the same sense of values, and the same morals cooperating doesn¡¯t exceed the wisdom of humans. The wisdom of God is, something more profound. Because the sun shines equally above people with different sense of values, different morals also ¡­¡± Though I don¡¯t clearly get it, it seems Priest Yuhito has called for the coexistence with the demons and the heretics. I don¡¯t know about the change of mental state, but due to that the Radiant Church believers of Ryun Height became completely quiet. Because wherever they go, they are received kindly, so even the violent Werewolves also are in a good mood recently. Suddenly I realised, there were no forces left in Ryun Height who possess hostility towards the Demon army. The palace guards and Radiant Church also are cooperating currently. And this would bring about a new development. ¡°Vaito-dono. I have a little consultation to do, but can I have a little time?¡± Then Airia unusually hesitated, but then said with resolution. ¡°I am thinking of making Ryun Height independent from Mirarudia.¡± ¡°What?¡± I stood up without thinking, looked at her face intently. Are you sane? We, the Demon army, have completely occupied Ryun Height. To the last, we are only occupying it, and Ryun Height still is a member of Mirarudia alliance. In short, it¡¯s the hostage of the Demon army, and we the Demon army are like terrorist group who has illegally occupied this territory. Unfortunately, we the Demon army are neither a regular army nor a country of humans. Since the Demon army has occupied the neighboring territories, the hope of Ryun Height being freed lies only with the Mirarudia Alliance main forces. But if Ryun Height becomes independent from Mirarudia, then the rescue will not come anymore. On the contrary, it would end up making enemy of all the cities in Mirarudia. When I was wondering what to answer, Airia continued. ¡°The independence and at the same time, I want Ryun Height to formally enter into an alliance with the Demon army.¡± ¡°No, wait wait..¡± I am thankful for your suggestion, but I can¡¯t help but worry about Airia. ¡°However much of a Viceroy you maybe, can such a decision be made at your discretion alone? Isn¡¯t it better to think it over calmly?¡± ¡°In that case, it¡¯s alright.¡± Airia took out a bunch of letter from her pocket. ¡°All the Trade Associations, Radiant Church, Stillmoon shrine, Ryun Height Palace Guards. And all the organizations other than those, are all officially in agreement with the Ryun Height Independence.¡± ¡°Seriously!¡± I was surprised with the development, but thinking over it after I calmed down, I consented. Currently, the possibility for the Mirarudia Alliance to free Ryun Height is exceedingly low. In that case, the sooner they change the sides with the Demon army the better it is. Currently I am ruling Ryun Height, but if the commander changes after I die, the objective of governance would also change. But, as an independent city-state, if they form an alliance with Demon army, Ryun Height would be peaceful in future. Having said that¡­ it¡¯s very bold. ¡°You thought properly about such a gamble¡± When I said being astonished, Airia put the bunch of letters on the table. ¡°Ryun Height is a trade city, a town of merchants. After weighing the risks and rewards, at the end I would make a decision for gains.¡± ¡°The result of that is this absurd proposal, is it¡± Thereupon Airia showed a troubled smile. ¡°You are the one who made everyone to think like that, Vaito-dono¡± Am I? ¡°Looking at your capture policy, everyone decided that the Demon army can be trusted. If Vaito-dono were to become the mediator, we can certainly get along well with the Demon army.¡± I agree with this logically, but I still have some hesitations over the decision. Then Airia, with a low voice, whispered softly in my ears. ¡°As the first city-state to ally with the Demon army, please let us drink the sweet juices forever?¡± Oh, is it like that. Quite the villain, she is. In that case, I also, as the Vice commander of Demon army third division, do what should be done. ¡°The independence and the alliance are the prior investment towards the Demon army, isn¡¯t it. Got it. Considering it as my responsibility, I will report it to the Demon King-sama.¡± When I extended my hand, Airia grabbed it back. It was a refreshing smile. CH 35 (Kurtz POV) ¡öSixth Periodic Report (A-Class Secret)¡ö Submitter: Dragon Flame Mechanic Troops Special Technical Officer Kurtz Since the results of investigation has been cohesive to a certain extent, although it is incomplete, I am presenting this report. ¡ö State of Affairs of Ryun Height The governance of Ryun Height is extremely favorable. The public order as well as business is preserved at the highest quality, and there is no disorder at all. To my surprise, Ryun Height Palace Guards are helping with the maintenance of public order. They are retaining neutrality as their public position, but practically they are in a cooperative relationship with the Demon army. How this is possible, we, the Technical Officers, debated and analyzed it many times amongst ourselves, but have yet to reach to any conclusion. Public sentiment is not bad, and many of them are favorable towards the Demon army. It seems, the Werewolf troops and the Inujin troops respecting Ryun Height¡¯s laws and the morals of society, particularly deemed significant. As for the character evaluation of the Viceroy Airia, I must wait for the upcoming investigation, but I can infer that she is a person loyal to her duties. Please wait for the additional report. ¡ö Tuban Capture Battle Because the strength of Tuban¡¯s castle gate was more than assumed, the plan to burn down the castle gate with the Grave Wax soldiers and the Lightning magic failed. The fact that the main force, the Jinba soldiers are weak at battles inside the town, and the other main force Skeleton soldiers are poor at assaulting, narrowed the choices of strategy, can¡¯t be denied. But acting on Aide Vaito¡¯s second plan, we succeeded in breaking through the castle gate. With a little personnel loss, Tuban was captured. However as a result, all of the ¡®Dragon¡¯s Breath¡¯ reserved for the manufacturing of the ¡®Dragon Ball¡¯ was lost entirely. Immediately I request for additional support. The following problems could be observed in Aide Vaito¡¯s action. ?The ¡®Dragon¡¯s Breath¡¯ which should be carefully handled was stuffed inside difficult to handle large barrel. ?Prior experiment was not performed. ?Without establishing safe handling process, the commander himself made use of it. ?Using the secret weapon ¡®Dragon¡¯s Breath¡¯ without any concealment. These can be considered as the differences in the thinking of a Technical Officer and a Military Officer, but I strongly wish for the Technical Officer to handle things hereafter. However, this being the first data regarding destruction of castle gate with ¡®Dragon¡¯s Breath¡¯, can be considered to definitely have a large contribution towards weapons development hereafter. Currently, the Tuban residents hold an abnormal amount of fear towards Aide Vaito, and there are not any hostile acts against the Demon army at all. Furthermore, as an experiment when three of the prisoners of the war from bow cavalry were told that ¡®Aide Vaito is calling¡¯, immediately all of them fell into an extreme state of panic. Since they need a lot of time to calm down and recovery after that, from a humane point of view, I decided to stop these psychological experiments. In relation to the above, results of an additionally conducted investigation are the names that the Tuban citizens have given to Vaito, which I have confirmed from several Technical Officers. ?Four Hundred People Killer Vaito ?The Annihilator Vaito ?Castle Gate Destroyer Vaito ?Skeleton King Vaito ?Werewolf General Vaito ?The Setting Sun, Vaito Regarding the last name, I guess the origin lies in the fact that Vaito had dispatched the Radiant Church Priest as a messenger in the past. ¡ö New Weapon When Aide Vaito was given the explanation of ¡®Dragon Ball¡¯, he was clearly disappointed at first. But soon, he saw through the fact that this is a tool for information transmission. Putting it to use right away in actual fight in the Tuban capture battle, we succeeded in avoiding the surprise attack of enemy bow cavalry. Regarding this, among the Dragon Flame Technical Officers, this has gained a significant assessment. Also, regarding the prototype Telescope, he immediately saw through that this was a observation equipment, and adequately put it to use. Excelling in both insight and comprehension, he can be considered a person with flexible thinking. ¡ö Postscript I have picked up an interesting sample. As I have attached with the report, please receive it from the communication officer. The grievances of Technical Officer Kurtz are based on the received impressions. I take this opportunity to offer my thanks. Thank you very much. CH 36 In my next regular reporting, I conveyed the proposal from Airia to the Demon King. ¡°Hmm, I see¡­¡± This is the Demon King¡¯s office, and there is no one other than me. Surprisingly it is a simplistic small room. The Demon King nodded a little, and muttered. ¡°It is a bold proposal, but it suits reasons as well as benefits. Looks believable, Baito, what is your opinion?¡± It¡¯s not Baito by the way¡­¡± I Immediately, in order to persuade the Demon King, opened my mouth. ¡°So far from the sequence of events, Ryun Height¡¯s Viceroy Airia possesses rational thinking, and can be judged as wise and sincere.¡± Of course these are my true feelings. I unmistakably think of her as the Viceroy¡¯s vessel. ¡°Further, our army has favorable relations with the various forces of Ryun Height, the possibility of occurrence of a fatal problem can be considered low with this alliance.¡± Since the most problematic Palace Guards and Radiant Church became meek, there are no big obstacles. The Demon King was listening to my views silently, but soon he nodded deeply. ¡°This is a proposal with huge benefits for our Army. But this affects the future of the Demon army, so I must examine it carefully.¡± Of course, a little time is needed, isn¡¯t it¡­ The Demon King, turning pages of the report, asked. ¡°At the time of Tuban capture, I heard that you used all the ¡®Dragon¡¯s Breath¡¯. Is there any discrepancy?¡± As expected it got exposed. Straightening my back, flusteredly I answered. ¡°Since the success or failure of the strategy was going to affect the situation, to be absolutely sure, I used the entire amount.¡± Actually, if we could not broke through the castle gate there, then we would not have captured. I am not regretting the fact that I have used the gunpowder barrel. I accept that I overdid things. I thought the Demon King would get angry, but he just nodded silently. ¡°Very well. However, this being a top secret, and also the best operational procedures are not established yet, so for the time being, abstain from using this strategy. Is that good?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Instead, from now on, I will hasten the research on castle siege war.¡± Oh, I am really thankful for that. ¡°Regarding the usage of ¡®Dragon Ball¡¯, I have received the report. Since the effectiveness was confirmed in a real battle, you can continue research under the Dragon Flame Mechanic Division.¡± ¡°I am grateful for the blessings.¡± If I can use those fireworks, then some sophisticated tactics can be practicable. I am also thankful for this. The Demon King got up from the large chair, and muttered looking at the scenery from the window. ¡°The plants inside the fog also have a fresh color.¡± ¡°Oh it¡¯s almost summer. Speaking of fireworks, it should be summer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just as you said.¡± Gleefully, I deeply nodded. Wait. Isn¡¯t it strange? Turning around, the Demon King is staring at me. ¡ºWhat is fireworks, Vaito!¡» ¡°Yes, that is¡­..¡± ¡ºThose things i did supply to thou art Dragon Balls. Then what is fireworks?¡» ¡°Fireworks is¡­.¡± At that moment, I realized an outrageous thing. From a little while ago, the Demon King is speaking in japanese. ¡ºThee understandeth Japanese, right, Vaito!¡» The Demon King addressing me in fluent japanese, pronounced my name correctly as ¡®Vaito¡¯. I don¡¯t understand anything anymore. No, I understand exactly. The Demon King is also a Japanese, same as me. ¡°Perhaps, your Majesty, the Demon King is¡­..¡± Being careful thoroughly, I asked in this world¡¯s language, but the Demon King no longer paying any attention to it, answered in japanese. ¡ºThat¡¯s right! I am a reincarnated person. Same as thee.¡» I shouted instantaneously. ¡°What¡¯s that!?¡± Offering the confused me to sit, he said in japanese. ¡ºAlloweth me to talketh in order. Sitteth for a while, and won¡¯t thee listen to mine own story¡» When the dumbfounded me, sat on the chair, the Demon King said ¡ºI knoweth not if the Japan thou speaketh of and the Japan where I wast, were whether the same period, or the same world or not¡» as preface and spoke in this manner. When the Demon King was reincarnated in this world, the conflicts amongst the Ryujin clans were becoming more severe. The cause were the humans. For the development of mines, the humans drove away the Ryujins living in the mountains. As a result, the clans, who became refugees, invaded the mountains where other clans lived, and it became a dispute. Fearing this, the Demon King with a large military force as the background, united the entire Ryujin race. The united Ryujins finally succeeded in recapturing their old home from the humans. Then, to protect all the surviving demons, he formed the Demon army and brought in other demon races. Although in the past there were many heroes of the demon race, who were called the Demon King, but the one who organised the modern army for the first time was only the current Demon King Frieden Richter. With an efficient organization system, the fights with humans were succession of Victories. Using new tactics which were not yet established, at a stretch he raised the Demon army to an invincible combat group. That would have been like that. Because he has the knowledge from his previous life. ¡­..Damn it, that seems fun. ¡ºI couldst not arriveth at the conclusion that there art other reincarnated persons. Engrossed in the war day after day, there wast no such a scope too. But then, thee hath appeared.¡» In the beginning, the Demon King did not recognize me and thought of me only as an excellent subordinate. Since he is not very good at pronouncing my name, when he inadvertently called me as ¡®Baito¡¯, I made an unpleasant face, there I caught his eye a little. Though, if someone is not called by their correct name, anyone would be unpleasant. Thinking like that, the Demon King forgot about that immediately. After that, it seems he practiced so that he could pronounce it correctly. ¡ºYou sure are more hard worker than I expected, Demon King-sama¡» ¡ºSince I feel guilty towards the subordinates who putteth their lives on the line¡­.¡» He felt the genuine problem, when I tried to make gunpowder. ¡ºDragon¡¯s Breath¡­ I mean gunpowder. When I did learn that thee did want to mix that, I felt something unexpected¡» If a modern person becomes a soldier after reincarnated in another world, at first he would certainly try to do that. There is no way of not being suspected. At times, deliberately calling my name ¡®Baito¡¯, he observed my reaction. But, this time also the Demon King could not reach the conclusion. If he is the disciple of the Great Sage Gomoviroa, it is not strange to realize the preparation of gunpowder. ¡ºBut then, thee did accumulate achievements one after the other. Particularly the contributions in winning over various forces of Ryun Height, and Tuban capture art most wondrous.¡» I didn¡¯t realize at all, but with this my fame has already became steadfast. On the desk, the Demon King placed the tea caddy, I recognize, and a pot with familiar smell. Those are the green tea and the sweet sauce. ¡ºThese art the green tea and soy sauce sent by Technical Officer Kurtz. Now, it is too much to just be a coincidence.¡» ¡ºNo way! your Majesty, were you investigating my background using him?¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s not right. To aid thee thoroughly, I hath used the excellent Technical Officer Kurtz. At the same time, I also did want to make the Ryujins learn about thy governing methods.¡» As I suspected, Technical Officer Kurtz was an important close associate of the Demon King. Technical Officer Kurtz observed my behavior as expected by the Demon King, and it seems he even sent those as reports. ¡ºBut I still have questions even now. Thee, wherefore aren¡¯t thee interested in mine background at all?¡» ¡ºEven I can¡¯t possibly know.¡» But the Demon King speaks mysteriously with a serious look. ¡ºIsn¡¯t it obvious looking at mine name?¡» ¡ºYour Majesty Demon King¡¯s name¡­ Frieden Richter, is it?¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s right. In german, it means the mediator of peace. To not let myself drowneth in power, as a warning to myself, I am calling myself as such.¡» At the very least make it english please. ¡ºThe names of Ryujin race sounds more like German. At the hour I named myself as the Demon King, I couldst not help but doth so.¡» Since I didn¡¯t react to the Demon King¡¯s name, the Demon King was troubled to the end whether I was a reincarnated person or not. Do you get it, that kind of thing. ¡ºWith all due respect your Majesty,¡» ¡ºSpeak!¡» ¡ºSince this is all so sudden, somehow my feelings are in a disarray¡­¡» When I timidly said that, instead of getting angry the Demon King, made an excuse in a rather apologetic voice. ¡ºWell, wait, doth thee get mine standpoint?¡» ¡ºI understand your position more than anything, but calling out the reincarnated persons in the Demon Army, or to appeal the reincarnated persons with more easy to understand way, weren¡¯t there these methods?¡» The Demon King cleared his throat forcefully. ¡ºWait wait, that wast because thee wast unfamiliar with German. This much is the maximum amount of compromise for me.¡» Is that so? ¡ºIf it becomes widely known, that I am a reincarnated person and am looking for other reincarnated persons, it would be a troublesome matter. Pretending that they are reincarnated person from some different world, there would be people who would tryeth to curry favor with me. To not let the power of the King be abused, I must at each moment be vigilant.¡» I see. Somehow it seems, being a king requires to have more cautious conduct than we thought. I understood the situation in general, but my feelings are not settled yet. I am still a little bit confused. Perhaps that was shown in my expressions, the Demon King bowed to me. ¡ºForgive me for various things. It wast mine own ineptitude¡­. Nay, I wast afraid. To ascertain who thee exactly art.¡» ¡ºAh, no, it¡¯s not absurd at all. Your Majesty¡¯s position, as a novice I sympathize with you.¡» Looking at the apologetic face of the usually dignified Demon King, I feel humbled. Of course, I want the Demon King to have frightening amount of dignity. ¡ºWell, let¡¯s get down to business. I, being a demon, wanteth to protect the demons from humans. But because I wast a human previously, I can¡¯t bringeth myself to misprise humans. If I can, I wanteth to maketh a state whither Humans and Demons can coexist.¡» After the Demon King stood up, he stepped up close to me. ¡ºI won¡¯t ask, who thee wast in thy previous life or how thee hath spent thy lifetime. I also don¡¯t have any particular intention to divulge into those. Just that, if it is thee, thee couldst understandeth mine troubles. Fighting along side me, won¡¯t thee grant me this extraordinary dream?¡» In that case, the answer is already decided. Standing up from my chair, I kneeled down on one knee in front of the Demon King. ¡ºI am also currently a part of the demon race, a Werewolf. To abate this world off of the useless bloodbath of the humans and demons, please use me from now on.¡» ¡ºYour loyalty, I accept anew¡­¡­ Thank you, Vaito¡» On my shoulders, the Demon King put his massively heavy hand. ¡ºRegarding the matters of Ryun Height, since I already knoweth that thou art a reincarnated person, I can entrust thee with peace of mine mind. Let us welcome Viceroy Airia as our sworn ally. I would decide the particulars on at a later date after having a meeting. Particulars shall be decided at a later date upon further meeting.¡» Oh, yes. She will also be happy. ¡ºOf course, thee has to work harder from now on. I expect a lot from thee.¡» ¡ºYes! Strangely, my feelings are not sorted out yet, but I would do my best!¡» ¡ºYou seem surprisingly particular about it¡­¡» When the Demon King smiled wryly, I also cramped up a laugh. ¡ºWell, fine, curse me later. Even so, during dinner together, let us have you hear the stories of my hardships.¡» ¡ºYes, certainly.¡» CH 37 The Demon King and I spoke about various things till late in the night. In the beginning the Demon King also had hardships in succession. First he wanted to solve the food problem with agricultural reform, but since the Ryujins were mainly carnivorous eating bugs and the like for livelihood, so making them produce grains was useless. ¡ºThen reluctantly, I began apiculture and rhinoceros beetle culture.¡» ¡ºRhinoceros beetle culture, is it.¡» For a moment, I imagined the Demon King digging in the sawdust mountains wearing a straw hat. ¡ºSince the Ryujin race wast a hunting-picking race, cultivation wast a new concept.¡» ¡ºSo then, at first it would have been difficult, right?¡» Then the Demon King calmly nodded, and closed his eyes. ¡ºIn mine previous life, I hadst only heard of those, also thither wast not any actual knowledge or observation¡­. Finding the fitting edible breed wast one of the hardships. Furthermore, to establish the method of culture, I dived in it with the Technical Officers forgetting to eat and sleep.¡» Although it¡¯s fine to leave the minor details to the subordinates, he is one worrier person. ¡ºBut, thanks to that, I wast able to maketh the larva, which wast a high class ingredient, into commoner¡¯s flavor. Since I wast able to supply high quality proteins consistently, I bethink it largely contributed to the Ryujins¡¯ physique and health.¡» The Demon King looks a little proud. ¡ºNext, reforming the breed of grasshopper, I wanteth to domesticate it to be used as meat. If it turns out well, Bartz would be happy.¡» Even the Demon King is enjoying well enough. The Demon King also taught many new techniques to the Ryujin races, but as expected he had a lot of difficulties. Like agriculture, there were many technologies which failed to take a good hold. At any rate, the mode of living and the body structure is different from humans. Even if the way to use swords is one, there are differences with humans in minor things. Because the skeletal structure of shoulders and hands are subtly different. ¡ºThe culture and techniques of humans can¡¯t be directly inherited by the demons as it is. Therefore, I hadst to changeth mine way of thinking.¡» The Demon King, teaching only the basic techniques and general ideas to the ryujins, decided to watch over the Ryujins develop by themselves. It¡¯s a feeling like the Skill Tree gradually getting released. I don¡¯t know if there were Computer Games in Demon King¡¯s previous life, but he definitely is in the Strategy Game faction. From the military aspect, the most troublesome thing was, not able to establish a common standard. The armors for the Kyojin race would be large than for the other races, and with a single day¡¯s meal for Inujin race, the other races would be starving. To begin with, the things everyone eat are different. Ideally he wanted to make an army exceeding the boundaries of race, but for the time being he operated with units having single race. Listening to those stories, I keenly felt the worrier personality of the Demon King. This person is really serious. Neither does he have any desire for any selfish benefits, nor he wish for respect or praise. He only wishes for the demons to live in peace. It¡¯s good that this person is the Demon King. That¡¯s why, for this damn serious Demon King, I think I will work harder. Then a few days later. Among the jubilations of citizens, at the plaza, formally dressed Airia declared. ¡°Here I proclaim that Ryun Height is independent from Mirarudia, and form an alliance with the Demon army.¡± Applause welled up together with deafening shout outs. Human citizens and Palace Guards. Werewolves, Inujins, Ryujins. From the neighborhood towns, the Jinba race and Vampires have also gathered. Everyone is smiling. ¡°Today, as Ryun Height¡¯s Independence day, I would like to celebrate grandly! Everyone, let¡¯s Eat, Drink and Sing!¡± The cheers covered Airia¡¯s voice. The Viceroy of Ryun Height, Airia was bestowed with the title of ¡®Demon Official¡¯ by the Demon King¡­ no, Demon King-sama. I heard that it has the significance of tying the Demons and Humans together. Thoroughly, she is a civilian, not a military officer, but the treatment is like special division commander. Eh? Isn¡¯t she more important than me? Thinking about those things, when I was drinking the celebratory sake, the Demon Official Airia-sama came to me. ¡°Congratulations, Airia-dono.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, Vaito-dono.¡± Continuing her smile, Airia toasts with me. She, who was a hostage of Demon race until now, also is a splendid enemy of Humanity from today. If the Demon army is destroyed, then certainly she would receive the capital punishment. owever Airia seemed to be fully aware of those things. ¡°With this, it can be called a common destiny, Vaito-dono.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Do you regret it?¡± Theereupon she shook her head. ¡°No, I am happy. Very.¡± She really is one weird girl, grinning like that. Continuing to smile, Airia said to me. ¡°Rather than that, Vaito-dono, this time my position and power is higher than you, right?¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s right¡­¡± Because this girl gets Division Commander treatment. I am still an Aide as usual. Though not quite satisfactory, I too got promoted. Not in the third division, I became Aide in the first division. My immediate superior became the Demon King himself. But it¡¯s still an Aide. It¡¯s fine, me being an Aide. ¡°Airia-dono is an appropriate person to guide the Humans, but it¡¯s just right for a person like me to be just an Aide. Unmerited fame can ruin oneself.¡± ¡°Vaito-dono¡­. Is that some kind of joke?¡± ¡°No? I am not a person of your calibre.¡± For some reason, Airia heaved a sigh. (TN: Here Æ÷ (utsuwa) means both a vessel and calibre.) ¡°Please hang in there. Aren¡¯t you the highest level of management staff of the Demon army, Vaito-dono.¡± Is it so? I realize that I became a personal confidant of the Demon King, but I don¡¯t have any feeling as to how much important I have become in the Demon army. Since the hierarchy of the Demon army is too vague, that I also don¡¯t know. Anyway, hereafter in collaboration with Airia, it has been decided to develop this frontier trade city into Demon army¡¯s base, Demon Capital Ryun Height. Honestly, I do not know where to start the work, but from here on out is the real fight of the Demon army. Joining hands with the human forces, we took the glorious first step on their map. Looking up, on the Viceroy¡¯s mansion, the flag of Demon army is fluttering. ¡°Let¡¯s work hard together, Vaito-dono¡± ¡°Ah. My best regards.¡± ¡°For Ryun Height as well, I will make you work hard.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± ¡­..all too soon, aren¡¯t I being dominated? With that question in my mind, I look towards Airia. However, she was just joyfully laughing forever. CH 38 Thus Ryun Height became separated from the city-state alliance Mirarudia, and formed an alliance with the Demon army. In fact, Ryun Height is the ¡®Capital City¡¯ of the Demon army. That¡¯s why we have to improve the facilities and defense mechanisms in the city. The feeling is like Castle Building Simulation. However, the lives are on the line. ¡°Then, what will you do as the first act?¡± Before the heat of Ryun Height¡¯s independence subsided, on the next day itself Airia and I were having discussion about the future. At any rate, Ryun Height is the traitor for Mirarudia. If we slowly do the things, then it would be attacked. I decided to put into effect a plan I had previously thought. ¡°Let¡¯s expel the hindering citizens.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Airia stared in wonder. he citizens I am talking about here, of course, are not all the citizens. ¡°There might be citizens who were opposing the independence of Ryun Height, also weren¡¯t there citizens holding animosity towards the Demon army?¡± ¡°Although I think the numbers won¡¯t be that much, but certainly there would be some.¡± Everyone is different, it impossible to have the same opinion. Then I granted all the citizens the freedom to leave Ryun Height. If you don¡¯t like it, then you can leave anytime you want. Around a hundred people immediately responded to this. Since the population of Ryun Height is three thousand, it¡¯s about 3%. Although there would be several other people who are still hesitating, but for now it¡¯s only this much. Airia is lonesomely seeing off the citizens leaving Ryun Height with their luggage. ¡°I hope they find their migration point safely¡­¡± ¡°I have made arrangements whenever they come back, if it¡¯s no good, then they can live in Ryun Height again.¡± After the matter of Priest Yuhito, I revised my view of Humans of this world. The Humans of this world don¡¯t trust the fellow countrymen once involved with the Demons. Of course, everyone is not the same, but some percentage of the people who left would come back after failing to settle down. At that time, to let them live in Ryun Height, it has been decided that the Demon army would take care of their house and fields. We would buy the houses of those people and once they return they can buy it back for the same price. Since there would be people who would come back broke, so interest-free installments are also acceptable. If we do it like this, when they return, incidentally they will know at once. At that time, let¡¯s have them inform about the situation outside. But, if possible, I want them to settle down somewhere. Since they are not in much favour for the Demon army, they would probably spread hateful rumours about the Demon army. Like we are violent, or arrogant. In that case, the citizens of that city would feel uneasiness towards the Demon army. Since our aim is to gain total control of all the cities of Mirarudia someday, at that time I plan to use the image, ¡®The Frightening Demon army¡¯, to its maximum. Just like Mafia¡­. ¡°Your face is like conspiring something evil, Vaito-dono¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny, Airia-dono¡± Well then. Driving off troublesome people and strategic arrangements for the future are done, so let¡¯s get down to the next plan. I must make Ryun Height much bigger and stronger. ¡°If we rebuild the castle walls, then it would be defenseless during construction. If possible, I want to leave the old castle walls as it is, and make a new wall on the outside.¡± I made this request to the group of engineers. The leader of the Tuban Skill Division, a middle-aged man, nodded to my words. He is named Azure. He is Priest Yuhito¡¯s son-in-law. ¡°Given the construction time, I think it is agreeable. The castle walls of Ryun Height have high value culturally and historically, and it¡¯s not a good idea to destroy it.¡± Is it like that. I don¡¯t know exactly, but if it has cultural significance, then suddenly it becomes precious. Then, Azure added this further. ¡°An investigation of surrounding ground is required, and since it would circularly surround Ryun Height, it would be quite large construction work. We will take care of making plans promptly, but the construction time would be in years. Is that fine?¡± ¡°Partially constructed castle walls are the perfect shields for enemies¡­.¡± I wonder if we should have declared independence after constructing it beforehand¡­. I brooded over it, but in any case it was impossible to build. ¡°If we don¡¯t build it now, eventually the day of regret will come. Start constructing from the east side.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± For a while, putting effort in diplomacy and intelligence, let me avoid decisive battles between armies. Like this, I steadily engaged in the demonic remodelling of Ryun Height, but there were other things to do as well. The Demon King¡¯s castle, Glenstadt. As usual, I was sent by Teacher, and when I visited the castle for reporting, as always, Aide Bartz comes from the other side. ¡°Vaito-dono, his Majesty can¡¯t be found.¡± ¡°Again¡­¡± The Demon King Frieden Richter, is a busy leader. We are dependent on Demon King-sama not only for military affairs, but also for domestic affairs. Demon King-sama has a certain knowledge as a reincarnated person, and on top of that everyone follows Demon King-sama¡¯s words. There are countless requests and applications arrived from various departments of the Demon army, one could lose oneself trying to deal with those. Aide Bartz, whose bravery resounds on the battlefield, is loitering around holding a bunch of documents. ¡°It¡¯s troublesome. There are some reports that need to be looked into immediately, but I don¡¯t know the whereabouts of his Majesty.¡± ¡°Ah, if that is the case¡­¡± I think for a little bit. If I remember correctly, yesterday while drinking green tea, he was saying something. [I has¡¯t not encountered real fight for a long time now, so I can¡¯t help but feel like the movement of mine body hast become dull] [There is no one who can keep up with your majesty¡¯s movements] [No no, as a military person, if I am negligent in training, I can¡¯t exemplify to my subordinates.] Hmm, perhaps that¡¯s the case. ¡°I think he is in the parade ground.¡± ¡°Oh, I am saved!¡± Just as I thought, Demon King-sama was rampaging violently against the new recruits of Ryujin race on the parade ground inside the castle. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, everyone come at me together.¡± ¡°Ye,yes!¡± The new recruits holding poles for spearmanship practice, around thirty people surrounded Demon King-sama and thrusted at once. But, turning over his large body, Demon King-sama easily jumped over that encirclement. By the time he lightly landed, three of the new recruits are wavering. They received a blow from Demon King-sama after he jumped. When did he do that? After that it was mostly an one-sided fight. ¡°Disappointing¡± Looking down at the new recruits who fell unsightly, Demon King-sama is heaving a sigh. No, please praise them well because they fought this bravely against Demon King-sama. If those were human soldiers, then they would be running around screaming. ¡°I could not jump as higher as I thought¡­. I have grown dull¡± That is, is it. ¡°Your Majesty, urgent documents¡± Demon King-sama quickly perused the documents Bartz handed over. ¡°Hmm¡­. alright, in the afternoon I will start a temporary war council. Call the officers in charge.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Aide Bartz ran off after saluting. After that, Demon King-sama gives pointers to each of the new recruits. I am a complete amateur in spearmanship, so I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s quite an enthusiastic coaching. ¡°Everyone, you have worked hard. Please make even more effort so that you can manifest those moves in real fights.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After encouraging the new recruits who have become stiff in nervousness, Demon King-sama turns towards me. I have a bad premonition. ¡°Vaito. If it is you, can I do some training a bit more closer to the real fight?¡± ¡°I would like to refrain.¡± It¡¯s not a joke. He is more agile compared to me, a Werewolf, and he has more power than the Kyojin race. With such a thing, how am I supposed to fight. ¡°Besides I am a specialist in hand-to-hand combat, the sword master Bartz-dono is more suitable. Because the humans are armed.¡± ¡°Hmm, I see.¡± Forgive me, Aide Bartz. Be that as it may, I wonder what was the reason for temporary war council? CH 39 It was decided that I would also participate in the emergency war council. Because currently I belong to the first division. Still, substantially I am in the third division being in charge of southern war front¡­. Leaving that aside, why the war council is in the castle courtyard. When I was thinking about these things, suddenly it got dark overhead. ¡°Oh, everyone seems to have gathered.¡± A relaxed, bold voice is heard from above. In This situation there can be only one possibility. The commander of second division has returned from frontline. The commander of Second Division is a Kyojin. Second Division Commander, ¡®Roaring Mountain¡¯ Tibert. Boasting the largest body among the Kyojin race, the largestgreatest soldier of the Demon army. White beard on his bald head, and then terrifying muscles. Majority of the Kyojins are at most a few meters, but Division Commander Tibert is some ten-odd meters. He is an unique existence even among the Kyojin race. Though for any kind of packed three dimensional object, When the height doubles, the weight becomes eight times. Because the width and length also will become double. Since the Division Commander is around 10 times human height, so ten times ten times ten¡­ thousand times, is it. How much weightforce a single blow will have, one can guess even without receiving it. Since his head is at 6 story height, he is like a walking castle. But this Division Commander is surprisingly kind. Smiling in a friendly manner, he sat down quietly in a corner of the courtyard. ¡°Everyone, Forgive me to keep you all waiting. The humans are very persistent.¡± Division Commander Tibert detecting me, moves his face closer and closer. It¡¯s scary even if I know he is an ally. ¡°You, aren¡¯t you a Werewolf. Why are you in Ryujin Division?¡± Even if he has a smiling face, it¡¯s a staggering feeling of oppression. I answer straightening my back. ¡°I was transferred from the Third Division.¡± ¡°Hmm, I see, I see.¡± He is nodding, but I think probably he doesn¡¯t get the situation at all. DIvision Commander Tibert ranks next to the Demon King-sama in valor, but he has mostly gone senile. He can¡¯t think about difficult things. Shortly after Demon King-sama also appeared, and the war council started without delay. As Division Commander Tibert¡¯s irrelevant report continued for a relatively long time, I think the set of methodical First Division Aides are quite irritated. Since I am unrelated to the northern war front, I heard the story with comparatively more patience. All in all he said that, the Second Division which retreated from Shuberm city, redeployed its troops before the last city Bahen, and fought with the pursuing Mirarudia Alliance army. Although I didn¡¯t understand all that actually happened, but I could roughly guess. Mostly the Division Commander drove away the enemy by himself. Because of his large build, unless they use large catapult used in castle siege wars, they can¡¯t cause any harm to him. But this old man, if it¡¯s only something like catapult attack, then returning it with his club, he would dive into the enemy territory. ¡°Well that¡¯s called the potential of the Second Division, isn¡¯t it?. If we have the fighting spirit, we can win, hmm.¡± The First Division¡¯s Aides exchange glances with the Division Commander Tibert, who finished like that. At that time, Demon King-sama opened his mouth. ¡°Hey, Tibert, what¡¯s the situation with the armies under your control?¡± The Kyojin scratching his head. ¡°About that ¡­ while we are battling, everyone became separated. Because currently my subordinates must be gathering their troops, I will report again.¡± It¡¯s an awful report, but as if the Demon King was used to it, nodding instructed Tibert to leave. ¡°I acknowledge. It must have been troublesome, rest inside the castle for a while.¡± ¡°No No, I must not. Everyone is waiting.¡± Division Commander Tibert unhurriedly stood up so not to trample the Aides under his foot. ¡°I will return to the battlefield immediately. If I am not there, then I don¡¯t know when they will come invading. I returned here, just to take food for my lad.¡± Demon King-sama looking at him, saluted in a little cheerful manner. ¡°Hmm, don¡¯t do something unreasonable. I pray for the fortunes of war.¡± ¡°Thank you, Demon King-sama¡± Division Commander Tibert laughed with a friendly grin, and slowly went through the private gate, carrying three fully loaded food carts in each hand. He doesn¡¯t seem like a evilhateful person¡­. Once the Division Commander Tibert left, the actual war council of First Division genuinely commencedstarted. First Division¡¯s Aides are not only men of valour, but also cool headed strategists. Regarding the northern war front, there were violent disputes during debate. Since I am unrelated, I am doing nothing but sitting silently . The one who said that is leader of ¡®Red Scale Order¡¯, ¡®Red Knight¡¯ Aide Shure. It¡¯s an hardworking armed school. By the way, she is a woman. She is a famous beauty among the Ryujin race. Unfortunately, it¡¯s not at all a good news for me. ¡°Northern war front, is it¡­.¡± Even if you ask my opinion¡­ the northern war front is too much different from my way of doing things, I don¡¯t even know where to start. But there is just one thing I can say for sure. ¡°This being invaded so far, the strategy like the southern war front won¡¯t work. It¡¯s now impossible to win over the various human powers and incorporate them as allies.¡± Then Aide Shure showed an openly dejected expression. Oi, oi, were you expecting something? Ryujin race are good at keeping their emotions and reasons separated while thinking, but their emotions are distant in that sense compared to the other races. They are not a race with sparse emotions but in such situations they can be misinterpreted as a cruel race. ¡°I hoped with Vaito-dono¡¯s strategy we could avoid further exhaustion, but¡­¡± ¡°Persuasion won¡¯t work, on the humans whose livelihood was disrupted and many brethrens were killed, at all.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Bartz and others are also making bitter expressions. No, impossible. I also want to do something, but if I could do something on this bogged down war front, then I could have been President in my previous life. ¡°In that case, there is nothing but decisive battle. Let¡¯s put in war force from the First Division also. I will go.¡± Aide Shure said it in a dignified tone, but Aide Bartz stopped her hurriedly. ¡°Y, you must not, Shure-dono. If something happens to you¡­.¡± Eh? It¡¯s rare for Aide Bartz to be this fidgety. I don¡¯t know the capability of Aide Shure, but since she is a leader of one of the several orders of First Division, she should be a befitting warrior. ¡­.ah, it¡¯s like that. Of course, they also have feelings that they do not want to lose their loved ones. I thought of him as an honest straight-faced person, but Aide Bartz also shows his emotions from time to time. After that, various opinions ranging from evacuating Second Division to attacking with the full force of First Division, raised. I was looking at Aide Bartz while grinning, but since I don¡¯t have forces to send to the northern war front, it can¡¯t be helped. In the end, it was decided to strengthen the defense of Bahen for the time being, and leave the front lines to the Second Division. It was decided that, Aide Shure with five hundred of the Red Scale Order and three thousand infantry to go as reinforcements from First Division. ¡°Listen well, Shure-dono. To the last, you are only the aid during evacuation of the Second Division. So please don¡¯t go to the frontlines.¡± ¡°I know, Bartz-dono. We should not stain the military reputation of the Second Division.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­.¡± The interactions between these two, I can never get tired of it. Good luck, Bartz-dono. CH 40 Regarding the northern war front, I decided not to be involved as much as possible. There are Aides who think of me as an expert negotiator, but I am just an ordinary Werewolf, who once was a human. Can I bear to let them do as they please with me? After politely declining Aide Bartz¡¯s ¡®I want to stop Aide Shure¡­¡¯ request, I returned to Ryun Height with Teacher¡¯s magic. ¡°Whew¡­ I don¡¯t want to make an appearance in Glenstadt for a while.¡± ¡°Your diplomatic skills have become famous in the Demon army. Aren¡¯t you the rumoured Scheming Magician?¡± ¡°Please stop, it¡¯s embarrassing.¡± Being teased by Teacher, I returned to my office in order to make plans for the future. Still, what I feel uneasy about is regarding the Mirarudia Alliance Army. The northern war front is yet to collapse, and since the Division Commander himself is participating, it can be said to be in the last stages. Currently, the first priority is to gather the remaining armed forces in Bahen, which will eventually be withdrawn ¡­. If that happens, then the Mirarudia Alliance will be able to turn their troops towards the south. Among the seventeen cities of Mirarudia, three cities in the south were captured. The remaining fourteen cities became hostile. Although only one city is captured In the north, but since all the citizens had ran away and hid in the other cities, so it is not any different from having the population of fourteen cities turned into enemies. Moreover, Mirarudia Alliance Army has a standing army for emergency purposes, which, in total, seems to be around ten to twenty thousand. The five thousand troops in the northern city Shuberm, were also the standing army of the north, and according to rumours, many of them are still in outstanding condition. Usually, they are living in various places as part-time farming units, but since these guys are full-fledged professional soldiers who received government salaries, I think they would still be formidable. They are perhaps training pretty hard during the farm-work, I certainly don¡¯t want to fight these guys. Although there are other small-scale combat units, but these standing troops are the imminent enemies. It¡¯s not like the forty thousand troops would descend on us, but it¡¯s not unusual for these ten thousand to attack at anytime. I can¡¯t remain at ease. ¡°You are brooding with a troubled face.¡± ¡°Teacher, were you still here!?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s comfortable here.¡± Sitting on the chair, Teacher laughs with an innocent face. Her actions are childlike, however she looks a little tired. Perhaps the fatigue from Tuban capture battle is still remaining there. ¡°Would you like some tea?¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright¡± Leisurely boiling the water on a stove, I consult with Teacher about the future. ¡°The defending forces of Ryun Height are not sufficient.¡± ¡°Yeah. If I am in a bit more better condition, I can quickly mass produce skeleton soldiers, but¡­. However, if I am to prepare ten thousand units, I need more than three months and have to ignore my official duties.¡± That¡¯s troublesome. Although Teacher looks like having free time, she is in fact busy supporting her disciples who are serving as Vice Division Commanders. ¡°Besides, I have to send Skeleton soldiers to Mereen and Fernel too. So we must defend against invasion from the north.¡± That¡¯s also right. Because these two cities are our shields on the north. ¡°I give up on the Skeleton soldiers, but aren¡¯t there any better forces somewhere?¡± ¡°The races which are still revolting, my disciples are going around trying to convince them. Since every race has their circumstances, it can not be forced.¡± In that case, the only possibility left is to call out those in my connections. I have already brought all the Werewolves, and I can¡¯t bring that many Ryujins. Then Inujins?¡­. Hmm, but they are weak. No, wait. ¡°You got something, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I came up with a good idea, so I will give it a try.¡± ¡°Load OK!¡± ¡°Load OK!¡± ¡°Loading Angle OK!¡± ¡°Loading Angle OK!¡± ¡°Firing!¡± An intense sound of bowstring sounded like BASHIN, and a thick arrow went flying. electing a few personnel from the Inujin troops, I had them train in operating Tuban¡¯s special fixed-type crossbow. This being oversized, it was troublesome to carry it, but anyone can use it after installing on the castle wall. Because the loading is handle type, as long as they turn it round and round persistently, the Inujin can also draw the bow string. In Tuban, it seems there were only two persons handling a crossbow, one for shooting and the other for drawing however, I put two persons for drawing. Using only a single person would make the person tire out during a long drawn battle. The remaining members are a shooter and the squad leader in charge of command and observation, four people in total . For this I have been referring to the tank and artillery crew from my previous life. Let¡¯s make the observation unit an independent division once they succeed in mass producing the telescope. Lowering my body, I ask the Inujin soldier diligently rotating the handle. ¡°How is it, fun?¡± ¡°Yes, very much fun!¡± ¡°Shooting is also fun!¡± ¡°Going to pick up arrows is also fun!¡± These guys can really have fun with anything¡­.. But the question is, whether or not they can shoot people in a real battle. ¡°If the enemy comes attacking, you have to kill them with this. Are you prepared for it?¡± ¡°Yes! I think that would definitely be fun!¡± ¡°I will kill a lot!¡± Looking at their pure smiles, I felt guilt as if I¡¯m making children train in order to kill. No, these are adults. I need to work hard so that they won¡¯t have to fight as much as possible. But if this is the case, having more Inujins definitely would be fine. I ordered several old veteran Inujin soldiers to return to their village in the forest to recruit volunteer Inujin soldiers. Because there are many Inujin people, young men alone should be more than a thousand.. ¡°They would get a Sasami Jerky as afternoon snacks, and there are also civil engineering work and field work, so they can dig holes as much as they want. Please tell them so.¡± ¡°Yes! We¡¯ll do our best!¡± Saluting smartly, they went towards the west. It will probably be fine, but I still can¡¯t figure out where the switch stimulating the Inujins¡¯ motivation lie¡­. CH 41 Knowing I was troubled over the issue of lack of military forces, Teacher seems to have called out Fernel and Mereen-senpai. ¡°Oh, senpai, well if you insist. Then, I will lend my troops for a little while.¡± ¡°What are you grinning for. Is it fine with Tuban¡¯s protection?¡± ¡°There are Skeleton soldiers¡­ though I can¡¯t make them move¡­¡± ¡°Fine, I will send a spirit technique user from the Vampires to Fer. Leave the command and control of Skeleton soldiers to them. In exchange, please lend me some Jinba soldiers.¡± ¡°Uwaa, so shrewd!¡± An exchange like that happened, and the Fernel led Jinba troops reshuffled five hundred soldiers each. Cavalry, finally the cavalry is coming! ¡°This is Seychez¡­¡± The one who came to North gate leading five hundred Jinba Soldiers was a robust young man of Jinba race. On his finely sculpted face, a deep wrinkle is carved between the eyebrows. Why is he angry? ¡°I am not¡­ angry¡­ even though I may look like this, it¡¯s my laughing face¡­.¡± Wishy-washily talking , Seychez is making a displeased face. Since I could not be sure that he really is laughing, I requested him. ¡°Make a serious face.¡± According to what Fernel said, this guy is respected by everyone in the Jinba race. Although there are considerable differences, it seems he¡¯s second strongest after Fernel. ¡°My¡­ doubt?¡± Oi, didn¡¯t you omit a lot in between just now? Just looking at the sharp guess about what I was thinking, he doesn¡¯t seem like a normal taciturn guy. Be that as it may, still I don¡¯t know how to deal with him. Then Seychez got half naked, and beckoned me. ¡°A soldier¡¯s¡­ salutation. Once we fight, you will know¡­.¡± Again. Because the Jinba race are also a Demon race, at the end physical strength says everything. ¡°If you can hold me down on the ground¡­ you win¡­ there is no other way to decide¡­¡± ¡°Seems interesting. Let me be the opponent.¡± In the end, a lot of Werewolves also gathered, and being watched by both the troops, it was decided that I and Seychez would do the wrestling. Looking at Seychez again, he has a good expression. He has an appearance of a veteran soldier. He looks sufficiently self-confident for this scuffle. If I grapple amateurishly, it may drag on. But I am an Aide who reports directly to Demon King-sama. I cannot be allowed to have an unsightly fight with an obviously low-ranked Seychez. I will finish it in a flash. ¡°Come on¡­.¡± ¡°Then here I come.¡± When I transformed, I activated the magic I already prepared to cast. It¡¯s an acceleration magic that rapidly enhances the reaction speed of brain and sensory organs. With this I can react even to the small movements of opponent. ¡°There!¡± Grabbing the momentous gap, I go around Seychez¡¯s back. Because the bottom half of Jinba race is that of a horse, they are not good at turning around. Also they have a large blindspot. That¡¯s why they hate it the most if someone goes behind their back. ¡°¡­. Do not take me lightly.¡± Seychez¡¯s hind legs kicked aiming at me with a speed of lightning. It¡¯s not a reflexive kick like a wild horse. It¡¯s the kick of a well trained master. But I was waiting for this. With my magically strengthened kinetic vision, I can predict the trajectory of the hooves. Since the aim of the kick is incomparably precise, on the contrary predicting is not difficult. Going underneath it, I started sliding. The target is the front legs. There was a positive feeling. ¡°Unbelievable¡­.¡± Remaining toppled over, Seychez was dumbfounded for a while. The werewolves praise me with loud shouts. Placing my hand on that toppled over horse-body, I asked just to be sure. ¡°I held down. Is this fine?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ it¡¯s Vaito-dono¡¯s win¡­¡± Nodding with a serious face, Seychez nimbly stood up. While falling down, he took proper defense measures, so he does not seem injured in his legs or body. From the Jinba troops also, applauses ensued praising me and Seychez. ¡°Were you expecting¡­ my kick¡­?¡± ¡°As a warrior who is entrusted with troops from Fernel, would definitely not be unprepared for the weakness. I thought you would definitely kick since you don¡¯t have any weapon.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± ¡°But, to kick with a horse body, you have balance only on your front legs. I aimed there.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Seychez is nodding many times. ¡°On top of acknowledging me as a first class soldier, and then seeing through after inviting my attack. As expected of the brave warrior praised by the Demon army.¡± ¡°You, suddenly sound eloquent.¡± When I pointed it out, Seychez scratched his head embarrassingly. ¡°Sorry, when it comes to fighting¡­. I become a fast-talker¡­..¡± Saying so, he extended his hand. ¡°We will¡­. Obey Vaito¡­. Please take care of us.¡± ¡°Ah, same here.¡± I firmly grasped back that hand. At that moment, Technical Officer Kurtz came out from castle gate in a hurry. ¡°Vaito-dono, a serious matter! Please return immediately!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Then adjusting his tone, so that the humans can¡¯t hear, Kurtz answered. ¡°It¡¯s a Hero. In the northern war front, a Human Hero has appeared.¡± CH 42 Sometimes among the Demon race, unique individuals praised as the ¡®Brave¡¯ are born. They protect their races with their outstanding abilities and lead them towards development. Among them, a particularly great person takes the name of ¡®Demon King¡¯ and leads the entirety of the Demons. The likes of Jinba race¡¯s Fernel or Shishioni race¡¯s Dogg are substantially of lower stature than Demon King-sama, but are still existences suitable to be called as the Brave of their respective races. But I was reincarnated as an ordinary Werewolf, so it¡¯s different. On the other hand, Braves also exist among humans. Among them, the humans call the one having enough power to rival the Demon King as the ¡®Hero¡¯. We also sometimes call our comrades as heroes, but the ¡®Hero¡¯ of the humans is an official title recognized countrywide. No matter how long one has served, no one is allowed to call oneself a ¡¯Hero¡¯ on their own. ¡°Is that so, a Hero¡­¡± Learning about the situation, Airia murmurs with a slightly uneasy expression. She is also currently on the Demon¡¯s side, so the Hero is the enemy. Technical Officer Kurtz of Ryujin race, who is in attendance asked this to Airia. ¡°I have been wondering for quite a while now that why is the Brave with equal ranking as the Demon King not called ¡®Brave King¡¯ but ¡®Hero¡¯ instead?¡± (TN: Yuusha: Brave Person, Yuuou: Brave King, Eiyuu: Brave, check the featured comment below for more info) ¡°Ah, let me answer¡± ¡°The Demons revere the strong as their King, but the Humans are different. Basically, only the ones with the King¡¯s bloodline is able to become the King. If you don¡¯t like that, then you don¡¯t have a choice but to build a country yourself or steal it from others. That¡¯s why the Hero can¡¯t become the King.¡± ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s a strange story.¡± Technical Officer Kurtz taking notes looks puzzled. ¡°If it¡¯s not a strong individual, he won¡¯t survive a situation of crisis. Once the weak King falls, what happens then?¡± ¡°Only the descendant of the King will become the next King.¡± ¡°What is the point in that?¡± Since I was born in democracy, I don¡¯t know about that. Then Airia raised her head, and continued like this. ¡°Royals and Nobles learn the knowledge and technique required to rule the populace. If one is only arrogantly incompetent, then no one would follow along. That kind of country would fall eventually.¡± As expected of the leader of a city-state, there is no hesitation in the explanation. ¡°Also, the Hero not being the leader of the country, has a particular advantage.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Oh, it isn¡¯t the time to be amused. The opponent is the Hero, in other words Human version of the Demon king. Naturally, we, the ordinary demons don¡¯t stand a chance. Once in a while, a person with insufficient ability or bad luck gets killed by low ranked demons, and is treated as the ¡®Tragic Brave¡¯, but in reality they have almost no chance of winning. According to the report brought by Technical Officer Kurtz, the Hero is currently somewhere in the Northern war front. The Second Division has continued to scatter due to the prolonging war, the isolated troops are continuing to self-sufficiently resist, with guerilla warfare in various places. Changing the perspective, after being lost, they are ruined like thieves, subjugated by the Hero one after another. Because the isolated troops can¡¯t successfully receive communications, it seems it took quite a long time for the Demon army to notice the Hero. Since Demons were completely annihilated. Thanks to that the important information, like the abilities or the appearance of the Hero, could not be obtained at all. I was more and more disinclined towards participating in the Northern war front, but there is one thing I can¡¯t turn blind eye to. ¡°I want to collect all the information regarding the Hero, is there any way?¡± When I asked, Airia raised her head after thinking for a bit. ¡°Even the Hero is made out of Human flesh and blood, it¡¯s not like the Hero is always sleeping outdoors away from the town. There should be a base somewhere. It would be a temporary one of course.¡± This reminds me, even in the RPGs in my previous life, the Hero who was aiming for the Demon King was also moving from place to place. ¡°How about sending spies to the Northern war front. If it is a town where the Hero is staying, news would surely spread around. This is because neither beasts nor thieves can carelessly approach.¡± That¡¯s also right. Since the Hero is the righteous hero. ¡°In that case, I am thinking of sending the Werewolf troops, but I am afraid that their identity would be revealed by magic. I feel worried about long distance reconnaissance. Besides, I want to preserve the precious war potential.¡± ¡°Then, please leave it to me.¡± Airia smiled sweetly. ¡°Ryun Height is a town of traders. Let me request the local traders from my side.¡± ¡°Is that fine, really?¡± I am not doubting the citizens of Ryun Height, but there¡¯s the anxiety and the guilt about making them spy on the Hero. But Airia was laughing. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Alternatively, I will request for the permission for them to sell the goods they bring from the other side as they please.¡± ¡°I see, so this is also a good business opportunity for them.¡± They can go to the North directly, their travel expenses would also be provided, and on top of that it is a chance for them to earn a great profit. I admire their commercial spirit. ¡°I understand, let¡¯s proceed with those conditions. I will also grant the expenses. If it¡¯s fine, take the silverworks produced by our Inujin troops with them. I will keep it cheap.¡± ¡°Yes, everyone will be happy.¡± To the derailed Airia and me, Technical Officer Kurtz silently mutters. ¡°Vaito-dono also gradually becoming influenced.¡± ¡°¡­ that¡¯s right.¡± The commerce in this world is interesting, therefore it can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯d be good if the dream that ¡®the circulation of money and goods is undeveloped¡¯ is true. Once it becomes peaceful, partnering with Demon King-sama, I will start some business. But before that, it seems a little bit of bloody business is absolutely necessary. CH 43.1 Chapter 43: The Price Tag of a Strategy And then again for a while, I worked on the re-modelling of Ryun Height With a large amount of sandbags made with the effort of the Inujin over several days, the construction site was surrounded. It was to protect workers even for a short while in a sudden enemy attack. By even saving a few dozen seconds, you earn time enough for the werewolves warewolves could likely save the workers. Also, I have not told anyone about this but, when the enemy occupiesoccupied the enclosed position that was surrounded by sandbags, I planned to throw a gun barrel inside. I thought it would be Probably probably work well. The problem was that Technical Officer Kurtz operator will not dare touch the explosive at all. ¡°Vaito-dono must never approach¡± the breath of the dragon ¡°!¡± Why such a stern tone? It was secret to everyone, but I was used to handling gunpowder. In my past life, I tried putting firecrackers in empty cans and I tried burning weeds with fireworks, and so on. At any rate it can be used to make guns. I decided to watch the progress of the construction for the moment, while refining the idea of ??attaching a bomb to the arrow of a large crossbow. There were many things to do but, the most concerning thing was to be brave. If you are as strong as the devil, honesty honestly I do not know how to win. The perspectives are too different. At least it was certain that we could not win even if all the wolves are hit. In any case, what was troubling was, we did not know what kind of person the hero was and how to propose acting accordingly. Unlike in the military, and an individual¡¯s behavior is hard to predict. Even if they appeared tomorrow suddenly in front of the castle gate of Ryun Height, this would not be strange. At any rate, because this place was ¡°Makoto Ryun Height¡±. There is a reason enough for the hero to attack. At that time, it was planned to conduct an ambush with one thousand skeleton soldiers, at any rate it would be hard to catch with any single rider. When the time came, we also consider the possibility of challenging the fight with all the wolves. Everyone was prepared for such when we left hidden village. However, they did not want to fight ¡­ ¡°Lord Vaito, I¡¯m back now!¡± It was a few days later that the Inujin ancient soldiers came back to Ryun Height. ¡°Oh, you see seem better than usual, how was the recruitment of recruits?¡± ¡°Yes, five ¡­¡± Surely it was not are not five people?, I guessed. Fifty? ¡°500 people gathered!¡± ¡°Too many!¡± Could we really feed so many people? It was a small town with a population of about 3,000 people. The other 500 horse troops had only just started their garrison the other day. ¡°But they are gathering in front of the castle gate¡± ¡°Have you brought them here suddenly?¡± ¡°If the Devil King Army is impossible, it seems to be OK even if you move to Ryun Height!¡± They were brazen lot. I hurriedly consulted with the officer class of Inujin troops and utilized one hundred people out of five hundred as recruits. I rearranged the troops, reorganizing with 200 combat engineers and one hundred crossbow troops. Because the selection was left to the Inujin troops, so there would be no mistake. They have a sense of smell to pick out their friends. The remaining four hundred people would be deployed as workers of the wall extension for the moment. When a new castle wall is completed, we could go about making a new town in which to reside. Anyway, at that pointed we needed hands. And so in this way the population of Ryun Height exceeded four thousand people, Airia would be swamped with all this for a while. ¡°Demonic immigration is also greatly welcomed, but please moderate this.¡± ¡°They will be made to pay taxes properly, so please take a closer look.¡± Outside of Ryun Height, with the economic shouts and construction sounds echoing, finally the information I was looking out for arrived. CH 43.2 ¡°The line of the Hero was sojourning in Shubelm, in the northern part¡± One of trade traders at Ryun Height, Mao reported so. It was a person that looked nice. ¡°In a row?, there are a number of Heroes?¡± ¡°No, the Hero is one. The name is Ranhalt. It would seem that there are three companions to assist him. Both are considerably skilled ¡± It is troubling. Humans suddenly are strengthened when they form cabals. However, speaking of Shubelm, it should have been destroyed by the invasion of the Devil¡¯s army. It was now being recaptured by the Miladia Alliance Army but, could it become a base? ¡°I saw refugees returning and rebuilding the streets. The row of the Hero destroyed the remnants of the surrounding Devil¡¯s Army and seemed to have recovered security.¡± This bastard, I was going to treat the second division as a remnant party. It was reality. Maou noticed my gaze and smiles grinning. ¡°Please excuse me. Now the emergency repair of the destroyed castle walls and the castle gate is over, and five thousand Shubelm stationed troops are returning soon.¡± This was unpleasant. Shubelm was next to Bacchen, the last city where the second division would stand. If five thousand armies come back to Shubelm, there would be no chance victory. ¡°Do you know the movements of the Miladia Alliance forces?¡± ¡°Because it was out of the scope of the request ¡­ ¡­.¡± Mao apologized and continued like this. ¡°I have investigated a little. The main force of the Miladia Alliance Army in the northern part, is that five thousand forces stationed in Shubelm and one thousand citizen militia¡± ¡°O, this is welcome¡± ¡± The Citizen militia seemed to be retreated back to their respective cities because the battle conditions had settled, and if there is a massive offensive there will of course be recalls¡± OK, let¡¯s quickly stick someone on Schubelm. ¡°There are several people who are troops staying at Schubelm for business negotiations. We can tell the situation in the city any time we rendezvous in the city.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Is it not too much?¡± Maou laughed. ¡°We believe with sincere cooperation, there should be a sincere return.¡± ¡°If you truly are sincere in your cooperation¡± Like demons, there are many kinds of human beings. Apparently, this guy seemed to be a good type. However, it was appreciated that useful information was gathered. Since the expressing oneself without words or gestured was tiring, we got straight to the point. ¡°What is the honest expectation in terms reward you want? It is not likely to be simply money, right?¡± Mao looked happy. ¡°As you guessed. We want several of the Centaurs, they would be welcome for our transport team¡± ¡°The reason being?¡± ¡°Their good legs and valiance, and for the bargaining power with the demons they are valuable to trade for merchants. There is no need for them to belong to the Devil¡¯s Army.¡± Certainly the Centaurs, had human intelligence and the mobility of a horse. Even if it is not a trained warrior, if you are a wolf you could not rout them. And if they are present, one can safely pass through the areas dominated by demons. A few people, even if it is not soldiers, whatever it is going to be. But I decided to exercise caution towards such beautiful speech. ¡°Is it really, only because of that?¡± ¡°Of course, of course. Both the Devils¡¯ army and traders, seek outstanding talent,¡± CH 43.3 I did not feel like giving out personal connections and privileges to this cunning guy ¡­ ¡­. I felt that there is something behind this. Ahh! then I understood. ¡°Do you intend to publicize your network with the Devil army by hiring the Centaurs, and using it for business?¡± Maou seemed to be jerky, with an awkward smile. ¡°Oops, did I say something? ¡­¡± ¡°You are a rogue,¡± ¡°Why yes, a rogue, you say¡± This guy! ¡°No. We cannot cooperate if the goal is to become a hotbed of stinking corruption¡± Maou seemed to be very badly disappointed . It was nothing to do with carelessness. After a while I would tell him. ¡°It because I made a little more contribution to the Devil army.¡± ¡°A little more?¡± ¡°Oh, a bit more.¡± Get a load of this! Mao sighed and lowered my head to me. ¡°Let¡¯s do it a little more, Lets be useful. Next time in the future we will deliver information free of charge as Vaito¡¯s personal spies.¡± This guy had a lot of hidden elements for negotiations. There There was still something. When appealing on line of sight, Maou has also opened up negotiations withdrawals. ¡°And, I make it so that we can secretly procure the building materials for the walls. Because as soon as a lot of building materials move, they will expose themselves to the enemy.¡± ¡°What do you have in mind specifically?¡± To my question, Maou spread out a map and indicated towards it with his fingers. ¡°I will procure high quality stone from the southern city with the pretext of being a merchant coming from the north and using it for the rebuilding of the northern city¡± ¡°Hey hey, is there a merchant who comes to buy a heavy stone from the north?¡± ¡°You are a rogue,¡± ¡°And, what if I am?¡± Maou smiled. In the previous life, I saw endless bastards like him but, it was a type uncommon for a demon. Most of the time they would be destroyed. But it was also a fact that it seemed to be useful. ¡°I will be fine. I will ask you again next time. But as I go along, the snake may be forced to raise its head.¡± ¡°I will keep this proposal in mind.¡± Maou bowed, cautiously. After he left, I faced the door next door and raised my voice. ¡°Monza¡± ¡°Yees, the captain¡± One of the most intelligence agents of the werewolves, Monza opened the door without sound and revealed its appearance. ¡°Keep an eye on him with your corps¡± She looked happy and laughed thinly. ¡°If he betrays us, shall we kill him?¡± ¡°You can kick the shit out of him, but please bring him back alive¡± ¡°Okay, understood.¡± How will it all end? CH 44.1 Chapter 44 :The Northern Front The emergence of Heroes was quite dangerous, even amongst the Devil Army. In the past, the demon king appeared many times but, the Heroes were like natural enemies for the demon king. The reason was in the habit of the demonic group. Devilkind who obey the strongest person, will fall completely into state of chaos when demon king is defeated. It would be great if the next strongest person acted as a replacement for the demon king, but even that person is in a state of chaos too, so no one can fight The Heroes who punished the demons in the past, cut into enemy team deeply, and they beat down the devil by direct confrontation. It is the weakest point for the demons. However, there are various method for preparing a shadow warrior and growing successor. But the real issue is, whether demonkind feeling to accept them or not ¡­ ¡­ it is probably impossible. This is not a theory. There is no replacement for the Demon King. Even if there were someone powerful in the same as the demon king, he must also raised up his own strength again from the start. ¡°Making a difficult face again¡­¡± ¡®Wha!?¡¯ bittersweet voice was muttered close to my ear, i turn my head abruptly. ¡°Yahoo~, Movi chan here.¡± Master wave his hand unnaturally, it¡¯s almost as if like a children ¡°Master, did not you give up that damn nickname yet?¡± ¡°Parents who give the nickname ¡®Gomovila¡¯ to their beloved daughter are not bad you know ¡± I always held a grudge. I know the character of my master well, but the Master was unexpectedly depressed at such a joke. I tried to ignore it to forcibly make my surroundings more peaceful. ¡°Is Master interested in the Hero too?¡± ¡°¡­ Well..¡± It was a curt reply but, Master¡¯s anguish had been transmitted clearly. The Demon King Freedenrichter , the Giant Tiberito, the Great Sage Gomovila. They were comrades from the time of raising the demon army. On the northern front, there was the officer Tiberito, and the Hero aims at the Demon King. I worried about both. While I looked at the young profile of my master, I remembered the deal with businessman Maou. The Hero was in the northern part of Schubelm. It seemed that Maou ¡®s subordinate was infiltrating it, so it may be good to ask the Master go have a look. CH 44.2 There may be some information that can cheer up the Master. ¡°Master, if you do not mind, we would like you to forward to the north¡± ¡°To the north?¡± I explained the circumstances to the Master. Master seemed to be thinking, and muttered. ¡°Well ¡­ I see ¡­ it is a human spy. It¡¯s not a trap, right?¡± ¡°I do not know¡± If the enemy set up an ambush, we would run away at full power. We wolves are sturdier than an infantry and faster than a cavalry. It would be managed somehow. ¡°However this information is from trader, he have no reason to betray me. It doesn¡¯t make a benefit after all.¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s because price money from Miraldia, or maybe because religious reason, is that area really safe?¡± ¡°For going that far¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a low possibility that Miraldia put money reward on me.¡± As I am one of the aide. . Also, as long as I let Monza investigate, Mao would be a moonlight believer, the type who was not too enthusiastic. There is no religious reason to dislike the demonkind. There was a possibility that it¡¯s someone grudge against demonkind, and it can be anyone. So I decided not to worry about it. ¡°You , are there an awareness that I am the key figure of the Devil King¡¯s army?¡± ¡°not really¡­¡­¡± Although there is heavy responsibility in governing Ryun Height, even if I died, Arilia and officer Kurtz would have to do something for me. ¡°Comple¡­ well¡­well, it would probably be simple to escape, if I stay with you¡± The Master sighed, and jumped off effortlessly from the chair. ¡°Schubelm will hold forward team from the enemy ground. It would be better if we wait¡± While waiting for the Master to finish the necessary ceremony for transfer, I went ahead and finished the office work today. The details are entrusted to Arilia. And then with master magic, we leap to the northern agricultural city bachen. ¡°uwaa ¡­ ¡­.¡± This was the first word that came out of my mouth , bachen was such disaster.. There were two reasons. CH 44.3 The first was the cityscape. Buchhen¡¯s infrastructure had completely stopped functioning because of the destruction from the invasion of the second division. There were only agricultural establishments and the waterways were also being controlled carefully, but everywhere was decimated. In the drinking place red/black mud was accumulating, the fountain which imitated a lion was knocked down. Secondly, there was the second division of Devil King¡¯s army. The troops that could still fight were camping outside the city, but the injured soldiers in the city were moaning over and over. An ogre soldier of a size as small as a human being was groaning with his arm wrapped in a blanket. However, one of the arm that should be there doesn¡¯t exist. . If I think about it, a giantkind of about five meters got on the wall of a private house, his shoulder move motionlessly while breathing without staring still. It seemed that both eyes were pierced with a spear, and a bruise scar remains. ¡°just barely escaped ¡­ ¡­ I think¡­.¡± The Master was pretending to be calm, but he seemed to be very shocked. Hundreds of soldiers were collapsing everywhere right at the road that entered into the castle gate. Some also were no longer breathing. It seems there¡¯s a private house somewhere turning to temporary hospital, I heard a tremendous scream. Probably he was cutting off the hands or feet. Master look at me and said. ¡°Even though the main army have returned with a lot of hardships, it sad to leave them die like this. I will treat the wounded soldiers.¡± ¡°That is nice, but what about the Hero?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, If something happens, come back here.¡± It seemed that the injured soldiers were on tenterhooks , and as Master leaving it, so she began treating the soldier at hand with magic. ¡°Let me be blunt, I will not hold it. just block the wound immediately¡± If the bothersome Master continued like this, there will be no way to stop it. ¡°Well, master, I will go by myself. I will return as quickly as possible¡± ¡°Umm, be careful, i¡¯ll meet you afterwards. ¡° The Master was already treating the third soldier. The two giant soldier¡¯s eyes were cracking while stroking the healed wound time after time. Well, it can¡¯t be helped¡­¡­ i didn¡¯t want an ally to die in front of my eyes. ¡°Take care of yourself Master, please don¡¯t collapse again after using to much magical power. .¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, there¡¯s that guy Tiberito here. I¡¯ll give my regards afterwards.¡± As I transformed, I ran through the castle gate of Bahen. Outside the castle gate, I glance at wide field of wheat beside me while running to Schubelm. Bahen was a city which supposed to supply food to the garrisoned army of Schubelm, so the distance was quite close. With the leg power of a werewolf, who are faster than horses, the arrival could be in the night. CH 45.1 The Hero Renhalt chapter 45 There¡¯s the castle wall of Schubelm right in front of me, it has been quite a while since sunset. The devastation of Bachen was very bad, but Schubelm was also quite terrible. Because the castle walls collapsing here and there, there were lots of cracks gaping out of the castle. I see, at this rate there is no way Miraldia alliance army can carelessly go out attacking like this. It was supposed to be infiltrated by the subordinates of Mao the trade trader of Lune Height. I also knew how to make contact with them, so i can call them and will know various circumstance from asking them. But honestly speaking, I do not trust Mao. after all because the castle wall is already collapsed, i can scout out with my own eyes when I return to the human figure. Alright. With my eyes can see them, i can listen the detailed conversation.in the worst case situation, even if i have been betrayed by mao, i still can get the information.i will immediately know if i get a fake information. When I returned to human form, I changed to the casual clothes prepared before. Then, I infiltrated the village from the gap of the collapsed castle wall. Unlike Bachen, Schubelm was recovering steadily. Although the repair of the wall was still in the middle of progress, temporary huts and tents were lined up in the city, and currently there¡¯s soldiers going back and forth. I see a lot of place without roof on it, maybe it become construction material. Then that means , after this, they will make a full scale reparation. If I were the commander of an Allied Army, I would have considered to recapture bachen before reconstructing Schubelm. I will put main force at bachen and i can slowly reconstructing schublem from behind. However, there is a lot of citizen participate as soldier in the Allied Army. For Schubelm citizens, the reconstruction of their city would be first rather than Bachen. It was my thoroughly impression, it seems that things were being improved not for military motive. Not only the demon army, it seems even allied army have a lot of internal circumstances. However, what outside my expectation was the high proportion of soldiers inside Schublem. There is a few normal citizen here , so me who was wearing casual clothes could not help but stand out conspicuously. Moreover, the relaxing clothes of the southern style were quite different from the airtight clothes in the north. I had chosen clothes that were as far as possible like that, but due to coloring and design, I remained flirtatious with danger¡­¡­ It seemed better to go away early. I did not really go to the center of the city so much and eventually went out of the castle wall from the same place a while ago. Ah! I was disqualified as a spy. I took a brief breath and I thought to contact Mao¡¯s subordinates. In the next moment, I transformed and kicked the ground. I heard a windy noise almost at the same time. I kicked the collapsed wall and flew. Something went through the sleeve of my clothes. CH 45.2 ¡°Werewolf hah¡± the one who attacking me suddenly was three armed soldier. At few distance from this place, there¡¯s one people who seems like a magician. My sense of smell and hearing didn¡¯t notice his presence at all and they skillfully surprise attacking me. I can only think that it hid its existence with some kind of magic. I take distance from the soldiers and observe them in hurry. This 3 people also have amazing magic power.they are probably not an ordinary human being. The magician behind not that much, but the flow of magic power was well trained. Before long, one of the warriors responded to my question. ¡®My name is Hero Renhalt. With holy defense, we immediately know about you infiltrating Schubelm.¡¯ ¡°You will be perished, impure being¡± ¡°Impure hah ¡­ ¡­¡± At the moment when i murmured that, the hero party slash me simultaneously from three sides. This is bad. I prepare all my strengthening status magic and invoke it. My body got lighter and the movements of the enemy looked slightly slower. My natural healing ability improved in preparation for injury, my fur also became hard with magical energy. ¡°Tch!¡± Head, tip of shoulder, legs. This party show a good cooperation, i only can dodge with paper thin difference . Looks like if it¡¯s only the hero, he will didn¡¯t have a chance to win, but with the other 3 people I don¡¯t have a chance to win. Although I wanted to run away, but there was no room for escape. The three-people collaborated skillfully and they would not let me escape from this place. Even with full boosted magic, my hand still full with defence. Furthermore, the bad thing is, the sorcerer behind started chanting something. I do not know what kind of magic, but even then, if it were still inferior, something had to be done or I would surely die. I stopped my feet for a moment and released the roar of the devil ¡°Soul Shaker¡±. The effect was dramatic. The surrounding magical power adjusted the wavelength to the devil kin and started to flow toward me. The spell that the magician was trying to cast ended in failure. After that, i only need to endure the attack from hero party. I also applied the magic of fast recovery, it will be weird if i die with this state. When I look at the surrounding, suddenly, the three people from hero party were stiffening. Their expression was evenly distorted by fear and anguish. It was an incredible story, but the hero could not move due to the fear effect of my ¡°soul shaker¡±. Impossible. The opponent was a superhuman comparable to the demon king you know!? Regardless of their shock, my hand reflexively pulled off an attack. The claws of the werewolf became make a black storms and blew violently. A man¡¯s neck was bent at an eerie angle, half of that man face has been blown off. And a man who was cut off at more than half on the windpipe fell slowly. The end of this is came too quickly. Hero party has been defeated by one werewolf. This is a lie right!? ¡°Such a foolishness ¡­¡­¡± I whispered to myself, suddenly i remember this uncomfortable feeling. When i look closely, the way magic powers flowed was different. The Devil King has magical power that springs infinitely from the inside of the body, but their magical power seems to be emitted from swords and armor. Moreover, even after they died, their magical powers did not fade as well as before their lives. CH 45.3 ¡°So it¡¯s something like that¡± As I murmured, I picked up a that fallen sword. I felt a strong magical power. Perhaps, this weapon was made by ancient sorcerers. ¡°That was a fake hero. Right?¡± I laughed at the sorcerer trembling with stiffness. I do not think that the very smile of a werewolf can be understood, but whatever. ¡°Hii ¡­ ¡­¡± It was the voice of a young woman who leaked from under the hood. At the same time as she staggered, her face, alongside her long hair was exposed. She was a close friend of the hero and she was plain, but she was quite a beautiful woman. A dull and yellow stain was spread across the trembling pure white robe. She seemed to have been incontinent with fear. When I took the first step, she falls with her but and cried with a like a kid. ¡°No, no don¡¯t ¡­ ¡­ Please do not kill me¡­ ¡­¡± There is nothing as helpless as a sorcerer who cannot use magic. Especially human beings. There was no way to survive for her, confronting a wolf who had just killed three people in a moment. ¡°Please, I, I will do anything you want¡­ ¡­¡± She is just surrendering like that. Negligence is a taboo when your opponent is a magician, but right now she could not use any magic. Besides, at this distance, whatever will she do, my attack would arrive first I judged that I was in a safe position and decided to give her choices. ¡°If you would not like an honorable war death, there is only a life imbued with insult and stain. Would that be alright? ¡° ¡± No, No, it¡¯s okay! I will do whatever you want, please do not kill me! ¡° Even I was unable to take the life of this sniveling and trembling girl. More useful alive than killed, well it¡¯s okay then. First of all was the interrogation. ¡°Who are your employers? ¡° All the weapons and armor worn by them were of high-quality exquisite items. Magical swords and armor cannot easily be made, in terms of technically or financially. Even then, if you used, the nicks and scratches on the blade increase rapidly. It is not something that individual persons could use very much. ¡°There are of course some bastards who paid for this equipment and raised you ¡°Heroes¡± , Tell me¡± Saying this, the woman magician trembled and finally answered. ¡°Se¡­¡­ sena,tor¡­¡­desu¡± ¡°I see.¡± I see, it all match. If you are a senator of Miraldia government, then it¡¯s possible to obtain such equipment. And there are reasons to make the heroes like this. ¡°Propaganda hah¡± ¡°Propa ¡­ ¡­ gan?¡± When I say it again, the woman nodded a lot with frightened eyes. Then it was only me who can close this act¡­ If master Tiberito blew away the captain in one shot, the morale of the second division would have improved. CH 46 Chapter 46 ¡°Are you finished with the interrogation?¡± Unexpectedly there¡¯s a voice that came from behind me, then I turned my back. ¡°That was fast, master¡± A chibi sage with a pointy hat, fluently floating in the dark night. ¡°I¡¯m very tired because of the treatment¡­¡­ Oh my, ain¡¯t that thing so handy?¡± Master said that then touched the rolling sword. Just like the dry cloth sucked up the water, magic power instantly vanished from the magic sword. It was master who absorbed it ¡°What are you doing master!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m supplying the magic power. It was to know the effect, Vaito.¡± ¡°Absorb it now master, maybe that was the dragon slayer magic sword Lionnich¡± That was a bizarre sword which held the power to kill a dragon and dragonewt. Usually to equip it you needed at least the power to hold 2 big shields. ¡°I know, it¡¯s okay I just tried it for a bit. It¡¯s dangerous after all. Oh, this shield is good too.¡± ¡°This shield has a kingdom crest on it, obviously it was stolen since a long time ago¡­¡­ isn¡¯t it at least around 150 years?¡± ¡°what, that is not at this period?¡± After shield then next is the armor. Oh that was¡­¡­ perhaps that person was really the hero¡¯s successor. ¡°Stop! That¡¯s too wasteful! It¡¯s okay to leave the armor!¡± ¡°I know, I know, I¡¯ll go prepare it for demonkin next time. I¡¯ll use my magic power to recover for now. The treatment at Bachen is still in progress after all¡± ¡°Liar, you absolutely will not be doing that right?!¡± If my mana that I held is equal as 1 Vaito, then, for now, the sum of the sword, armor and shield is equal to 27 Vaito. I would be happy if this was given to the second division¡­¡­. Master showed a great satisfaction after absorbing all magic power from the equipment of hero imitation. I keep counting for it but, if I am not wrong then it¡¯s equal to around 128 Vaito. This lolibaba, her magic power capacity is bottomless. ¡°Not bad. So, who is this apprentice witch?¡± ¡°it seems she is a hero companion¡± And then Master was convinced and gave a nod. ¡°I see, so this haribote is pretending to be a hero. This girl, I don¡¯t want to know her height so I¡¯ll destroy her body¡± All that person¡¯s companions are already destroyed you know, master. That girl magician face became pale and as if ignoring her, Master lightly marked and bound her. ¡°I¡¯ll bring back this fellow corpse, It will become a feast. Now wake up, I¡¯ll begin to give you a temporary life. ¡± Master wave her finger a little bit, and 3 dying corpses begin to rise up. It became a zombie. A small hand gently stroking the zombie who was dripping fresh blood at the time, then master kindly said. ¡°You better go to your compatriot¡¯s place. And then bury them courteously.¡± Master waved his hand and made an innocent smile. This is why necromancers are misunderstood as big rascals¡­¡­. they walked unsteadily while spilling out blood, going to find their former comrades. The girl magician raised her face like she was attracted to it, that made her start trembling and clattering. Seeing that girl, Master made a sneering smile. ¡°What, you can walk by yourself, right? You all, it¡¯s better if you take your comrade that is still alive as well¡± The zombies turned their backs slowly, then looked at the girl magician with their hollow eyes. ¡°Hi¡­¡­¡± While walking swayingly, they caught that girl waist and lift her. ¡°Heee!? Nnnnoooo!¡± ¡°That surprisingly good. Oh well, just go¡± When master swayed her hand, false hero zombies carried the girl magician and disappeared into the crack between the wall. ¡°So messed up, master is¡± ¡°is something wrong?¡± ¡°No¡­. it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll go scouting for a bit ¡± Master has lost her human heart since a long time ago. It can¡¯t be helped, I¡¯ll sneakily return to schubelm town. If there¡¯s something then master will come to help, so it will be easy. As I thought, the town was in an uproar. ¡°Hero-dono!? That wound is!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s dead! That¡¯s a zombie!¡± ¡° That zombie was Ranhart-dono!¡± ¡°Sword saint-dono and holy knight as well!¡± They have pretty good titles. That¡¯s unfortunate, It¡¯s self defense after all, so it can¡¯t be helped. ¡°Wait! Saint dono is still alive!¡± So that girl is a saint. Please just leave me alone. The zombies walking to the center of Schubelm plaza, then they got crushed there. After fulfilling the order from necromancer Gomovira, they turned back into dead bodies. There are a lot of soldiers in the surrounding, but they were overwhelmed with the situation and can¡¯t do anything. Of course, it would be like that. It is because of Hero-sama and his party are the stars and hope for the northen front, suddenly became a zombie parade after all. When officers from The Alliance troop become dumbfounded,a civil official that looks likely a noble ran away in panic. Actually, it¡¯s the first time I have seen that, but that appearance is certainly that of a Senate secretary. The middle ageSecretaryy looked at saint-sama, then cross examined her with high tone. ¡°What happen!? Explain now, Saint Mildin!¡± And then the magician girl who fell on stone pavement, gave a reply while shouting. ¡°It¡¯s werewolf desu! The one who killed all of them was just one werewolf! Furthermore, they had been turned into zombies¡­¡­¡± ¡°Werewolf you said!? Impossible, there¡¯s no way enemy of that degree can beat hero-dono!¡± If that was an average werewolf then, it¡¯s certainly can¡¯t beat a surprise attack from 3 people. (Tn: for those who don¡¯t remember, the number of people who gave a surprise attack is only 3. This magician came after that.) Maybe I would out too if I didn¡¯t use ¡°soul shaker¡±. However, the girl that they call as Mildin is shaking her head in objection. ¡°When that werewolf howling, it¡¯s completely block the magic and the sword desu! It¡¯s impossible to win!¡± When they keep arguing back and forth, the soldier began to leak out a troubling conversation. ¡°One werewolf can take on 4 people and defeated the hero, is that true¡­¡­?¡± ¡°No, I heard there¡¯s terribly strong werewolf general in the demon king troop¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way such an important person came tothis place nonchalantly.¡± I hear that. I hear that you know. Because of troubling noise from the soldiers, the secretary became flustered. ¡°Wait, Saint-sama just got distracted! Now, come here please!¡± The secretary pulled Mildin¡¯s hand, then gave a command to the one of the soldiers. The civilian soldier who was wearing casual clothes arrives and placed his helmet on his chest. ¡°Wait a minute, is that really the hero Ranhart-sama!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, there¡¯s no way hero will die with only this!¡± ¡°No way, are we being tricked!?¡± The reserve army who were hired by the Senate was a group of retired swordsmen and Nomad soldiers. They are professional, so they will fight no matter what happen with their companion. But if it is a civilian soldier from a garrison, there¡¯s no way they will do that. the only one who can take control at the garrison was only themselves, but civilian soldiers¡¯ way of fighting was amateurish. Their morale will easily drop If there¡¯s bad something happening. The soldier numbers that are arriving at plaza kept increasing, and they were falling into a state of utter chaos. The senate secretary tried to stop the frenzy of the soldiers, but his face got punched. His nose and mouth was covered with blood. After that someone grabbed his sleeve, and then that secretary figure dissapeared inside that horde. No one paid any respect to the fake heroes¡¯ dead bodies, and the soldiers surrounded that fake saint. ¡°You, for 26 years you thoroughly went to the magic school and became master right!? If it¡¯s only one werewolf , then isn¡¯t it possible to defeat it with magic?¡± That¡¯s amazing. Isn¡¯t that beyond my master? And then saint Mildin shake her head horizontally, she look at them with scared expression. ¡°Im, impossible¡­¡­ I can¡¯t do that¡± ¡°What do you mean!?¡± ¡°Because I, I was a senior magician just¡­¡­ in, in genjutsu¡­¡­¡± ¡°Genjutsu!?¡± Threathen by The rough soldier, she blurt out everything. ¡°Hi!! It, it just a service to make situation lively, and concealing the scandal, that kind of job desu!¡± It became silent instantly ¡°This terrible woman was a fraud!¡± ¡°So you are just a fake saint! Don¡¯t joke with me!¡± ¡°Just think how many our comrades died because of obeying this person!¡± ¡°Just kill this person!¡± ¡°Kill! Cut her head!¡± Oi oi seriously? It¡¯s unusual if they gather just to kill an unarmed and non-resistant woman. After all, it¡¯s because of helping them in taking back their town , isn¡¯t it for their sake so that they can raise their morale by becoming fake heroes? When I was thinking about that, my sleeve was pulled from behind. ¡°Vaito-sama, Vaito-sama¡± In this situation the only one who calls me like that was¡­ there¡¯s no mistake it was trade dealer Mao¡¯s subordinate. There are 2 young trade dealers, I stared at them with a shocked gaze. ¡°For Vaito-sama himself to be coming here, what are you doing at this place?¡± ¡°Well, somehow when I looked at the situation here I got attacked by the hero¡± ¡°That was ridiculous!?¡± To tell the truth, it¡¯s because your boss is too stinky. ¡°Anyway, come here. Change your clothes¡± I was pulled into the nearby tent and was dressed in a general coat of the northern civilian common soldier. ¡°Please remember to not be conspicious, it¡¯s dangerous for us¡± ¡°Sorry¡± As I said, the one at fault was your boss. CH 47 Chapter 47 Inside there, it seems the citizen soldiers beating up that fake saint-sama . ¡°Nooooo!¡± The one who was being dragged away by pulling her hair was the saint Mildin. ¡°it¡¯s not my fault! The one who said that was the people from the distinguished Senate! I was just doing what they told me, so why I should die for that!¡± Mildin clinging to the stone pavement, and the tears made her face crumple. There¡¯s already not a shred of dignity found from that saint ¡°You are saint-sama right! Just try to be the saint until your death ora!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a saint! I am just a lowly government official!¡± She was shaking her head in refusal and resisting so desperately. All of the citizen soldiers were being tricked by the fake hero to fight to the point of life and death, so I understand their anger. But this guy, they are just tools for The Senate to use. There¡¯s so much part of the Senate that is still unknown but, I know there¡¯s no way for the lowly officials to oppose them. Finally Mildin is dragged to the stone podium at the plaza, and then several people pin her down. ¡°That damn senate! They always act so high and mighty!¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be forgiven anymore, just be prepared for it!¡± ¡°No,no, nooo!! I don¡¯t want to die! I¡¯m sorry so please forgive me!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, do it!¡± ¡°No!!! I don¡¯t want to, I don¡¯t want to, I don¡¯t want to die!!!¡± Surprisingly there¡¯s no one try to stop them. she gets burdened by all the hatred for the senate. It looks like there¡¯s no good reputation for The Senate anymore. However it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s order from the senate or not, it¡¯s still the truth that that girl deceived all the people and made them head to their death. Moreover, that girl is our enemy. But even so, It still impossible for me to see the girl being killed. I was whispering slowly, I am the subordinate of the demon king. ¡°For transforming like that, please stop it¡± ¡°Vaito-sama, what are you doing!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an act of mercy I guess?¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculuous! Everyone here except us is Vaito-sama¡¯s enemy you know?¡± I already know how greatly ridiculous it is. But I don¡¯t want to see other people die anymore except at the battlefield . I transformed and jumped onto the platform. the soldier nearby flew away, then I went toward to the crowd and threw them away immediately. At that moment all of the soldiers didn¡¯t understand what¡¯s that big thing. ¡°Werewolf!?¡± ¡°We..werewolf is coming!¡± ¡°Enemy attack?!!¡± Suddenly, it became an uproar like a beehive. I randomly kicked all the soldiers on the stage, and obstinately caught their helmet and massaged them lightly. I skillfully crushed their helmet and made sure they can¡¯t see at all. After that just kicked them away. I quickly disposed 10 people, and occupied the stage. If I compare it with the fake hero from before, as expected ordinary soldiers are far more weaker than them. This will be easy then. It¡¯s a good chance, so I made a little demonstration. ¡°My name is Vaito! The commander of the demon king! I am the one who made a bloodbath out of the hero! All of you the brave men, you will become the underlings of us the demons!¡± At that moment, all of the soldiers stopped moving. ¡°Vaito!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the one who destroyed Tuban, the werewolf shogun Vaito!¡± No, I didn¡¯t destroy it¡­¡­. All the soldiers who heard me, the reserve and stalwart soldier, and the frenzy citizen soldier, they stopped moving and became frozen. ¡°The legend say he killed 400 people¡­¡­¡± ¡°no, it¡¯s not just 400 people. There¡¯s also no one still alive at the tuban anymore¡­¡­¡± ¡°even the castle wall can¡¯t hold that werewolf¡­¡­ It looks like the castle wall at the tuban can¡¯t endure one attack from that guy¡­¡­¡± Isn¡¯t the story from before becoming more strange? Rather, if that rumour is true then the power is the same as demon king you know. I plan to beat all the guys who want to defy me but, it¡¯s troubling if they are withering like this. How troublesome, even though I expected to rampage a lot. Like a newbie actor who forgot the script, I restlessly looked at the surroundings around the stage. Ah, there you are saint-sama. If I remember correctly, this girl is an expert at black magic so she should have a lot of rite. Let¡¯s give her a little job to do. ¡°Oi, if you don¡¯t want to die, then use your magic to make them scared. Then just slip away when they are still confused¡± ¡°Why do you help me¡­¡­?¡± You never imagined I would help you right? Me too. ¡°I promise not to take your life. If I abandon you here, than it¡¯s the same as breaking that promise.¡± I gave a suitable excuse, then urged her to hurry. ¡°just hurry up, do you want to die?¡± ¡°Wa,yes!¡± That fake saint Mildin nodded so many times, then skillfully chanted the spell even though she is still confused. When the aria is complete, the surrounding became dim. What? ¡°Kuhahahahaha!¡± that was my voice. there is a lot of effect applied to my voice, and my voice resounded from the sky. then they looked up timidly and saw a big werewolf standing there. This illusion is dreadfully realistic. As expected of someone called an expert. ¡°I want to satisfy my stomach with all of you! the guy who wants to die, come fight me now! It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s 400 people or 4000 people, I will kill all of you!¡± The digit has increased once again¡­¡­. However, all the soldiers at the surrounding, their fighting spirit is already gone. The fake hero, has become a zombie, The saint is just a lowly official, and there¡¯s a giant werewolf too. If this still continues then a lot of accidents will happen, then everyone will panic. And my illusion was shouting even more. ¡°There are werewolves everywhere! There¡¯s even a werewolf hiding among you! you better watch your back!¡± Ah, right, my appearance is a citizen soldier of Miraldia army right now. When my illusion say that, all the soldier restlessly look at the surrounding. Their attention is gone from the stage. Nice improvisation, I didn¡¯t think she will skillfuly produce such a very good play. As expected of saint-sama. From behind my werewolf illusion, I huriedly turned back to my human appearance. And then I lift Mildin and put her on my shoulder, then said goodbye to this place. ¡°Ano, who is it?¡± After I arrived, the subordinates of the trader Mao come and timidly asked me, then I simply answered. ¡°just take this girl away¡± ¡°O,Okay¡­¡­¡± ¡°you too should be careful. And never imitate my recklessness¡± They looked at each other and replied. ¡°It feels strange when you are the one who says it¡­¡­¡± Is that so? After that, I escaped from that big chaos in Schubelm, then took fake saint-sama and returned to Rune height. After that, it looks like the northern frontier state became strange. The citizen soldiers in the northern frontier started to not trust the Senate, and almost all citizen soldiers went back to their homes. The Senate desperately deny ¡°The fake hero Ranhart theory¡±, it seems that this case has ended suspiciously at miraldia¡¯s side. They said I was as strong as the demon king, it seems they forcibly made them think like that. I hear they one-sidedly made my rank semi demon king grade or something like inferior demon king class. I wonder if they will stop portraying me as if I was that strong¡­¡­ it¡¯s very embarrassing because I¡¯m not that powerful. The ones who remained at Schubelm were only the reserve army, the garrison corps from each city, and citizen soldiers from Schubelm and Bachen. Furthermore, they checked every soldier to prevent the demons from slipping in. Thanks to this personnel management labour have increased, and it made it difficult for us to move also. At the demon king army side, Because Master has been absorbing mana and diligently continued healing 2nd division, all injured soldiers survive and were going back to the frontier. The hand and even the eyeball have been completely healed, so they can return. Naturally, it consumed a lot of mana but, it looks like thanks to that Master has been called holy Mary or saint now. That makes me a little bit happy, and I heard that master showed her face at north frontier sometimes. ¡°But master, that magic armor still has strategic value if we research it, so please don¡¯t handle it so roughly¡± ¡°This human armor is not fit for demons. That¡¯s because the hand is bigger also the body and head is different. And above all, this is my emergency mana bag for me to use ancient magic. So this is a proper way to make it useful¡± ¡°It was very valuable right now, the morale of the military officer will rises if you give it to them. at least just give that shield to them.¡± I think Master decision is certainly reasonable somewhat but, I think she doesn¡¯t need to absorb all of it. Most of warriors wished to have a magic armor. Even I at my previous life when I played net games, I always tried to possess fortified magic armor. I am a wereworlf now, even though that thing become reality but I can¡¯t use almost all the equipment¡­¡­. ¡°so it was something like that. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll make something at a time when I have enough mana to spare, then send it to the 2nd division. It was a rare article from the great sage Gomovila. So it¡¯s good, right? So stop making that scary face.¡± ¡°Well, if you say so¡­¡­¡± ¡°how about a necklace that can turn people into zombie when they are dead? In that way they can continue fighting.¡± ¡°the only one who will like that thing is a necromancer. Please make something so they are not dead.¡± Master scratched her head in worry. ¡°There¡¯s no method to allow necromancers to make something like that. To make something like that is outside of my expertise, I think all the soldiers will be happy if we give them a helmet that can give them courage and protection¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, do you think it will be okay?¡± When Master made several helmets and sent them, it looks like Master reputation in the 2nd division is increasing even more. Even though usually it will be good if it like that but, Master isn¡¯t good at interpersonal relationships¡­¡­. I understand that all magicians distance themselves from society but, it is especially bad for necromancers. The world we see is different after all. Master is a problem child in different meaning than captain Tiberito-shi. The powerful demon can live within their own pace, which make them absolutely like this. That¡¯s why they need a reliable subordinate as an aide. With the strength and morale of the army improved, and with a powerful equipment in 2nd division, they can be a good match against Miraldia Allied forces. The power of our army has been dropping sharply compared to the time the invasion began, but it will be possible to occupy Schubelm if there¡¯s an opportunity. With this, the northern frontier will be peaceful for a while. However, trade dealer Mao seemed unsatisfied. ¡°Why you didn¡¯t contact my subordinate first?¡± ¡°that¡¯s because you are too shady. Be sure to reflect on it.¡± ¡°I will not deny that I was too shady. But I will not betray you just because I didn¡¯t gain profit from it. You are so rude¡± It looks like it¡¯s not because I was suspecting them, rather they were unsatisfied because of the idea ¡°they will betray me if there¡¯s no profit in it¡±. ¡°those who are unable calculate the gains and losses from their trading partners are the one at fault. They are disqualified as trading partners¡± ¡°I..I see. I¡¯m sorry for that¡± Why I¡¯m the one who gave an apology? Furthermore, my subordinate said various things about me. ¡°Oi, it seems captain wandering around without permission again¡± ¡°why the supreme commander of the southern frontier goes wandering around to northern frontier¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, it seems it was to defeat the fake hero¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand the reason for it¡± All of you, I can hear you talking ill about me here so don¡¯t bother me in the office. You can¡¯t read this document right? ¡°So, who is that female prisoner?¡± ¡°It was the fake saint, the comrade of the fake hero¡± ¡°That guy was already unreasonable¡± Until when you will speak ill about me, just go away. I want to say something about it, but I can¡¯t say anything because all of it is true. ¡°Even though captain is a werewolf, he is very strong¡­¡­ it¡¯s cool to be rash, but he become more and more reckless¡° ¡°We can¡¯t give a support to that captain¡¯s reckless side. It¡¯s troubling if he dies¡± ¡°Yup, it¡¯s important responsibility. The future of the demonkin is dependent on it¡± Isn¡¯t I who have been treated as a problem child now? CH 48 Chapter 48 ED: Asami Kaname That¡¯s the problem, Saint Mildin-sama. ¡°That¡¯s wrong¡­¡­ That¡¯s not my name¡­¡­¡± The saint-sama with a gentle face look downward and whispering. ¡°My real name is Lash¡­ a Senate member from the magician department¡­¡­¡± So Mildin is a stage name. ¡°My family is poor, the Senate gives me the scholarship to learn magic. But in return, I need to work in the senate. That¡¯s all¡­¡­¡± I understand, so don¡¯t cry. It seems that she was struggling with this as well. ¡°I understand that you didn¡¯t have a choice, but do you understand what will happen if you get exposed as a fake hero?¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡­¡± Mildin, no Lash, nodded her head. ¡°That¡¯s why in case it gets exposed, they make a plan and a special place to make hero Ranhart as if he was dead in action¡± ¡°Is it okay like that?¡± ¡°If the popularity of the hero is too high and bigger than the senate, the important people of the senate will be in trouble too.¡± For them to include a place to die in their plan, that¡¯s scary. ¡°Ah, of course, it¡¯s not really dead in action. They said about challenging the demon king to death and then retired. After that, there will be a lot if ceremonies and speech that will boost the morale¡± I see. They will say don¡¯t let the hero¡¯s death in vain or something like that. I nodded with a complicated feeling, then Lash look up into my eyes. ¡°Ano¡­¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Were they strong?¡± The girl was talking about the 3 people that I killed before. If I knew that the hero is a fake, I could use it without killing it. But even so, that situation was really dangerous. Even though they are too reliant with their magic weapon, but that guy has definitely mastered that weapon. If that weapon was wielded by a small fry, then they will certainly can¡¯t touch me. Even though they are an enemy, they are definitely a good warrior. So, I need to give an honest answer at least. ¡°If I make a single mistake, I will die right now. It¡¯s certainly because of the magic weapon, but even without that weapon, they are really first-rate warriors. I wished my subordinate can be like that¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­ I¡¯m so glad¡± She made a sigh of relief and Lash stroked her chest. ¡°From the beginning, those three can¡¯t make such resolution. But at that time they always said they want to die as a real hero¡± Please stop it, my guilty feeling is ready to explode at any moment. ¡°By the way, that guy¡¯s real name isn¡¯t Ranhart, right? I kinda forgot if that guy was Ranhart or not.¡± ¡°Yes. Ranhart is using a substitution system, all members have a body double. It¡¯s a countermeasure for an unforeseen killed in action¡± They really make a hero. That¡¯s why the Senate is looking very impatient. Lash calmly said something. ¡°Those three are really kind, they are good people. It was short, but it¡¯s really fun to spend time together with them¡± Even though they are good people, they are still our enemy. In the first place, at the time when all of you had a great time, a lot of our comrades got killed. My mouth can¡¯t say it, but it seems it shows at my expression. Lash suddenly change her expression, and lowered her head to me. ¡°I, I¡¯m so sorry. We are, your enemy after all¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. For us, they are a detestable enemy, but for you, they are precious comrades. Even me, a demon accessory, for you and your comrades, we are an enemy too right?¡± (Tn: it¡¯s like he is saying that he is nothing for the demon.) Because of that, Lash makes a curious face and tilt her head. ¡°Accessory?¡± ¡°Yup, Accessory. In this big demon army, I¡¯m just an aide after all¡± With a curious face, Lash searched something in her bag and take out a scrap of paper. ¡°Ano, here. This is the arranged issue document from the Senate¡± ¡°Hnn?¡± [The ruler of werewolf Vaito] 70000 silver coin. ¡°What is this¡­¡­¡± I make a full retort. In the first place ¡®There¡¯s no one who returns alive after fighting him¡¯ or ¡®Bitten person will become a werewolf¡¯ is really weird right? I will not bite when I¡¯m in battle. When I make a complicated feeling because of that document, Lash sees me, panics and makes an excuse. ¡°Aaa, we know Vaito-san is the supreme leader of demon army is based on that. I didn¡¯t mean to offend you¡± ¡°No, well, that¡¯s okay. But even so, I want to meet with the guy who wrote this¡± This is why the rumor piled up like that. I wonder can he added something like ¡°refreshing ikemen¡± here? I want to see that no matter what. Lash took my word in a different meaning and became frightened a lot. ¡°I, I¡¯m so, I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡­ since a long time ago I can¡¯t read the situation very well¡­¡­¡± I certainly think like that too. Perhaps I pull a wrong lottery here. Even so, my bounty is 70000 silver coins¡­¡­. If in this world 1 or 2 silver coin is enough to live for one day, then I will become rich easily for 100 years if I spend only 700 silver coin/years. I want to pretend to be dead and tell someone to take the bounty. If I look closely, there¡¯s also our demon official Ailia-dono bounty here. [Betrayal viceroy Ailia Ryutte Aindrof] 100.000 silver coin So that girl is a talented noble-sama¡­¡­ and now, there¡¯s this array of deprived qualification. With all of this qualification has been deprived, now it¡¯s not just ¡°disguised as a beautiful woman¡±. It looks like she got so much curse. She even got more bounty than me, a demon. She may already know about it, but I¡¯ll tell her later. Leaving that aside, what should I do now with Lash. ¡°Do you want to go back to the Senate?¡± ¡°I want to go back, but if I return, they will beat me and execute me¡­¡­¡± Well, of course, it will be like that. It can¡¯t be helped, let¡¯s take care of her until the end. ¡°So, do you want to live at Lune height? With your skill, it¡¯s okay if you want me to employ you for demon army¡± ¡°The, then¡­¡­ I want that, please¡± Lash as the former fake saint Mildin, bowed and lowered her head to me. When there¡¯s a sign of war at northern frontier will be prolonged, Lune height citizen from here and there start to return. Those who migrate failed to find a place to live and they went back bit by bit. ¡°Please hear this, Vaito-san¡± A citizen came to the window teller at 1st floor of Viceroy hall, and a bunch of citizens who wore traveling clothes came to talk to me. ¡°Those guys, they said because I¡¯m from Lune height, they treated me as if I¡¯m a member of the demon army! Please look at that cart!¡± Because he said that, I looked at the cart, there are 2 arrows sticking there. ¡°They shot me from the castle wall! And they said for me to quickly disappear¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­ that was very unfortunate¡± All Lune height trade merchants can manage that with bribery or pull some connection, but it¡¯s different for a normal citizen. Nevertheless, it¡¯s not good to give a threat by shooting. ¡°Those guys, please destroy them immediately!¡± ¡°Which ally are you?¡± With such situation, it looks like Lune height immigrants aren¡¯t welcome too much. More than one hundred passed away, and more than half of that number coming back. There are some people who still seek a place to emigrate, there are some unfortunate people who die at the roadside, and there are a few citizens who looked like they managed to safely migrate. The citizens who came back from various places have lots of information. But, well, there¡¯s a lot of prejudice mixed in there. They will be given a house if they will restore the field for demon army, and they cry when they know that. ¡°Thank you, thank you so much¡­¡­ if we didn¡¯t come here, maybe we will be wandering that desert forever¡­¡­ seriously, thank you very much¡± ¡°For Lune height, we will never abandon a Lune height citizen. Please don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s okay now¡± After hearing my reply, they cried and nodded so many times. ¡°Thank you Vaito-san! So please quickly destroy them!¡± It¡¯s because of your personality that they refuse to accept immigrants CH 49 Chapter 49 And thus, Lash isn¡¯t known as Saint Mildin anymore, she is just an illusionist and is living in Rune Heights now. I had seen her ability in genjutsu a few days ago. I also didn¡¯t need to worry about her betraying me. After all, for now she doesn¡¯t have any other option except to live under the demon king¡¯s army. I need to get the appointment permission from demon king-sama later. She will follow Aria in joining the demon army as a human, but will only receive the same treatment as an ordinary soldier. Let¡¯s keep it this way to capture more humans. ¡°Hoho, do you think so?¡± ¡°Yes, I am also against that.¡± I could hear the conversation between Master and Lash from the room next to the office. Apparently, it was a conversation between fellow magicians. Master is a shy type of person, but she seems to be able to talk with another magician. I wondered what kind of conversation could be had between a necromancer and an illusionist. Let¡¯s wait and see for a bit. ¡°Its just an example, but which one would you chose between ¡®Eating a full course menu along with a coworker¡¯ or ¡®eating a sandwich in the corner of the library alone¡¯?¡± What kind of question is that? Of course the answer will be a full course menu. There will be a lot to eat after all. ¡°Of course it will be ¡®eating a sandwich in the corner of the library alone.¡¯¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°It feels relaxing to silently eat a sandwich alone in the dim room, doesn¡¯t it?¡± I don¡¯t get what she means. I opened the door in the next room and vaguely looked at the both of them with pity. Master, who made a smile and laughed, noticed me and turned her head. ¡°Oh, Vaito. As an apprentice magician, you need to hide that bright personality of yours, okay?¡± ¡°What personality are you talking about?¡± I don¡¯t need the kind of personality that makes me disappear when eating. Lash, who also smiled and laughed, grasped the hands of master. ¡°Vaito-san! Gomovira-sama is really sociable! I really like talking with her!¡± That¡¯s right, I think¡­? if I think carefully, both of them are the type that are not good at communication¡­ Master, who nodded in approval, made an announcement. ¡°I think I want to make Lash my disciple. I know some powerful genjutsu that has been lost in human society. How about it, Lash?¡± ¡°Yes, Gomovira-sama!¡± ¡°Now now, it¡¯s okay to call me Movi-chan.¡± ¡°Yes, Movi-chan sensei!¡± ¡°Umu umu, that¡¯s good.¡± My head hurt. Let¡¯s go back to work. I¡¯m happy to get a younger sister disciple, but I also felt troubled from the information i received from Lash. ¡°Do you know of Shaldir in the East of Rune Height?¡± ¡°Of course I know. It¡¯s not nearby, but it¡¯s on the East side.¡± Shaldir is a trading city like Rune Height. Mineral resources are mined at the Northern Bolts mine and processed into products in the industrial city Tuban. And then they bring it to Rune Height and it transport it to each city in the South. Shaldir is further East from here, and if you go a bit further, it will be outside Miraldia territory. It¡¯s quite different, but you can think of it as something like the Silk Road. But that Shaldir has a bad relationship with the city in the North. It seems there¡¯s a lot of things that happened during the time of the unity war, and they kept holding grudges against each other. ¡°There¡¯s a rumor about Shaldir that they have a plan to become independent from Miraldia. This rumor is flowing throughout the North, you know.¡± ¡°Oi oi, Shaldir will perish if they decide to become independent now.¡± ¡°However, the one who will be truly troubled would be the senate because all the Southern parts will slowly become demon king army supporters. There¡¯s also the fake hero project, which makes the situation look weird.¡± Shaldir can¡¯t survive if they don¡¯t maintain the status quo. No matter how much discord gets stirred up in the North. Even if they want to join hands with the demon king¡¯s army, they need a good resolution to even try to do that. There will be no unity if they can¡¯t build trust. However, I also remembered some pertinent information. A portion of the citizens of Rune Height aim to go to Shaldir. Well, they will come back in the end, but there are rumors that say it seems the viceroy of Shaldir is making a weird movement. Miraldia has requested to place a reserve army at the garrison of Shaldir, but the viceroy has refused the request. There is Brunehainen in the Northwest of Rune Height, and Tuban at the Northeast. Both are under the rule of the demon army. The west is outside of Miraldia territory. So to capture Rune Height, the only way to attack would be from the South and the East. They will most likely attack from the East. They need to take a detour if they do it from the South. Even so, the story about the viceroy who refused to receive the reserve army is quite interesting. Of course, this time I will use the Werewolf Trader Corps to find out about it. And the result of the investigation is troubling me. Shaldir has refused the request from the North for a long time. Even now, they refused with a reason that, ¡°it¡¯s impossible to prepare adequate supplies and preparations for the reserve army that is coming from the North.¡± This reason is too weak. Of course it¡¯s just used as a formality. Their real motive is, ¡°we hate you so leave.¡± However, the dislike of the Northern cities are common for the Southern cities, including Rune Height. That¡¯s because the Northern army was fighting the Southern army at the time of the Miraldia unification war. The problem is not about the liberal soldier, it¡¯s about the rumor from the Senate. If it is strong enough that it can shake and control a regular person psyche, then it¡¯s not a mere rumor anymore. It¡¯s a weapon for intelligence warfare. Is there something that I can use here? After that, Aria came to the office room. I wanted to have a consultation with her for a bit. ¡°Ah¡­ that kind of trouble, I properly understand. There¡¯s a tradition of giving a second rank noble to Aindolf, that¡¯s one of the reasons.¡± Aria said that while take a glance at master and Lash. ¡°Even though my father and I offered a huge amount of the profit we got from trading to the Miraldia national treasury, we still stay as is.¡± ¡°Because of that, you abandoned Miraldia.¡± ¡°Second rank noble is just a caretaker and doesn¡¯t have an authority for urban development. If the citizens want to ask for sorting and expansion, they need to get permission from the senate. And it will not be accepted unless they pay a large amount in donation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a terrible story.¡± Right now, Rune Height is in the middle of redevelopment and such permission is unnecessary. ¡°Shaldir is also getting the same treatment. The viceroy¡¯s predecessor received abuse from the Senate because they interfered with father and I, they are doing good enough to hold onto such resentment.¡± However, if the bad rumor is flowing even until the North, perhaps there will be room for negotiation. ¡°Can you negotiate with the viceroy of Shaldir?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I understand the ability of Alam-dono who is the current viceroy, but I don¡¯t know the situation around Shaldir, so I can¡¯t give a solid answer¡­¡± That Alam guy, even though he hates the North, it seems he is not foolish enough to simply make a deal with the demon king¡¯s army. Yup, he needs to be that kind of person. ¡°That¡¯s interesting. Let¡¯s go try to meet him for a bit.¡± ¡°Vaito-dono will go?¡± Aria is surprised, but I have already decided. ¡°If he is an acquaintance of Aria-dono, then it¡¯s okay if it¡¯s just a chat. If it¡¯s not good¡­ Well, we will manage somehow.¡± This is the bad habit of a werewolf, not thinking much about what would happen if he fails. The risk of being killed is low, too. ¡°Now that it has been decided, I need to choose an attendant immediately. Please cover for me while I am absent, Aria-dono.¡± ¡°Be sure to tell Your Majesty the Demon King, okay?¡± ¡°Now, don¡¯t say such stiff words and just overlook it, please. This is also for the safety of Rune Height. So just drink the tea and go back to public service.¡± I forcefully pushed Aria¡¯s back and drove her out. Now I need to think of who I will take with me. CH 50 Chapter 50 (Lash¡¯s Letter) Mom, onee-chan, how are you? This is your ridiculous foolish sister desu. To tell you the truth, the other day, I was working as saint Mildin in hero Ranhart¡¯s party. But I had stopped doing that. I am in Rune Height now. Ah, by the way, Ranhart is not a person. That is a pretense made by the people in the senate. A few days have passed since I stopped became a fake saint and live in Rune Height. At first, I was puzzled by the climate and topography in the southern part, but thanks to my decent personality part, I was able to get used to it. And the food in the southern part is delicious desu. The situation in Rune height is quite different from what I thought. When I got an order from senate to join in the hero party, I received an explanation like this desu. ¡ºRune Height is dominated by demons, the sound of executions and tortures is echoing every day. There are a rotten smell and a lot of corpses. The water in drainage is dyed in dark red blood, and even clean water can¡¯t be obtained properly.¡» Honestly, I thought it was scary. But in that case, even we are just a fake heroes, we need to unite the people of Miraldia. That is what I thought desu. However, that strategy is not going well. I will never forget that night. And, I never want to remember that. (Tn: I think that means the memory will never disappear for her whole life, but she doesn¡¯t want to remember it.) Those 3 knights are death at the same time. And I am the only one who survives, I am sorry. Vaito-san the werewolf saved me, and I ran away from Schubelm and come to Rune Height. The people here didn¡¯t know about me who was a fake saint, and they didn¡¯t care too much about it. for example, the priest-sama of the radiant light church here is different, he is really kind. He didn¡¯t feel it was a bother to come and see me. When I confess my sin, he made a big nod and said ¡¸ I am also the same, a sinful and lost person. You can¡¯t erase your sin, but you can atone for your sin. That is what I think.¡¹ The important people of the radiant light church have an impression of a very proud person, but it is different in here. There is a lot of demon walking around inside the town. Dog person-san? Even I think they are a dog person-san, but they are really cute. They are so fluffy. (Tn: I want to translate it to kobold but I think they are different in this novel. please vote if I should translate it as the dog person, inujin, or kobold) There is a werewolf too, and there¡¯s a person who looks like a lizard. I was scared at first, but they are surprisingly kind and polite. Oh yeah, there¡¯s also a person who has a lower body like a horse. Most of them are handsome, but somehow they are so masculine. Ah, that¡¯s right. I forgot to write the name of the 3 knight who works with me. I don¡¯t know if this is their real name, but if you met their family, please tell them. in charge of the saint sword is Evinem-san. ¡¸Even though there¡¯s a lot of people who better than me at the sword, this name is a little¡­¡­¡¹ he always said that. In charge of knight Kiyoshi is Kaniza-san, ¡¸It¡¯s good to be famous, but it¡¯s painful because I need to have upright attitude¡¹ And the most who did a service as hero Ranhart is Scherk-san, his favorite phrase is ¡¸If someday I drive away the demon from Miraldia, will there be a day where I could tell the truth¡­¡­.?¡¹ Even though Vaito-san is the one who beat those 3 people, but Vaito-san praised those 3 people. He said they are a first class warrior. So for those 3, please sleep peacefully. Please be a gentle, reliable and kind like always, thank you very much. The coward me have an intention to live under the protection of the demon king army from now on. I am truly sorry. Vaito-san is risking his life to save me who is his enemy. I don¡¯t know why. And the other strange thing is, Vaito-san only killed those 3 knights at that night. Even though he made a big rampage to save me, he didn¡¯t kill even one soldier of Miraldia. When I asked the reason, Vaito-san¡¯s face looks like ¡¸Oops¡¹, and say this behind my back. ¡¸Ah©`¡­¡­ that is, hora. It was boring to kill those small fries¡¹ I am not a demon nor soldier so I don¡¯t understand about it, isn¡¯t that how it is? But thanks to that, I feel at ease. I didn¡¯t want people to die after all. Even so, Vaito-san is a demon, so it feels a little strange desu. he looks like a friendly neighborhood oniisan. (Tn: Spiderman reference.) Oh yeah, there is also a very great magician in demon king army, and I became a pupil of that great sage Gomovira-sama. I called her Movi-chan sensei. But the name of Gomovira reminds me at the time when I still learning. Isn¡¯t it Magic history? I am not good at magic history. It¡¯s very fun to study again after a long time. It is good that magic is moving according to the technique formula input, so it is not tiring like society. When I said it to Movi-chan sensei, she nodded very deeply. By the way, even after I was saved, I keep thinking ¡¸Even though i just do as those important person said, why they are angry at me¡¹. But in the end, I need to take responsibility for what I did. I can¡¯t blame those important person desu. ¡­¡­No, I still want to pursue those important person to take responsibility. If I think about it, it¡¯s like a disposable pawn isn¡¯t it? Apart from that, I also need to reflect on it. So I think I will start to do something as much as the number of people i deceived from now on. I think there is something I can do even for underling like me. Maybe. Like world peace? Well then, I hope this letter can be send by someone, but¡­. I think it will not get send for now. That¡¯s why, I will live and met wit mother and oneechan. Please be well you two. Ps: I think the senate was probably fired, so I will return the gold for scholarship by working in the demon king army. I will return it even with only my willpower. You will see! CH 51 Awkward Diplomacy Chapter 51 ¡¸Beside the caravan, can you deliver this?¡¹ I held out a letter to the trade dealer Mao. Recently, whenever he had a free time, he always hang out at my office. Mao tilted his head when he looked at the lovely sealed letter with red light on it. ¡¸Where do you want to deliver this?¡¹ ¡¸At the Clarkhem in northern part. The address and the recipient¡¯s is as written here¡¹ ¡¸This is quite far isn¡¯t it¡­¡­. Accidentally, I had something to do over there, so it¡¯s okay¡¹ He received that letter, but his face still had curiosity on it. ¡¸Do you have an acquaintance at Clarkhem?¡¹ ¡¸It seems it was the hometown of the fake saint-sama. I already checked the content, so it¡¯s no problem¡¹ Mao still made a weird face, but he nodded and put it in his pocket. ¡¸I will carry this duty carefully. Do you need the delivery proof?¡¹ ¡¸Yes please. it¡¯s okay with a reply letter¡¹ ¡¸I understand¡¹ But the Clarkhem is a remote region. What is he doing there? ¡¸What business do you had in Clarkhem?¡¹ ¡¸It is this, here¡¹ What he take out was a lump of white stone. At first, I didn¡¯t know what it is, but the sense of smell of the werewolf helped me. It was a rock salt. ¡¸If it¡¯s about the salt, then you can take as much as you want from the sea in the south right? Why do you need to go to Clarkhem?¡¹ Then Mao shrugged his shoulders. ¡¸The flavor of the rock salt and sea salt is different after all. From here we will take a salt that has been purified from the salt field, and we will buy the rock salt from there. Because we carry both salt on the way back, it makes the management of commodity easier¡¹ ¡¸Well, the taste is different but¡­¡­¡¹ There was a smell of sulfur from the rock salt that Mao brought. With the werewolf sense of smell, it can¡¯t be helped if it¡¯s smelly even before transforming. ¡¸Rub the meat and tallow with it, and warm it lightly, it¡¯s good you know? The bad smell will fly with fire, and it will make a good taste. It can be sell to high-class restaurants and rich people at a good price¡¹ Really? ¡¸By the way, do you have a connection in Shaldir?¡¹ ¡¸No, I am mainly at the north and south¡­¡­ even if I bring the purification salt to Shaldir, it will only bought with a cheap prize. But sometimes I coming there to sell the rock salt.¡¹ what a useless guy. ¡¸The viceroy Alam-sama is a gourmet, so sometime he order a rock salt from us. We able to managed somehow if it just to met him¡¹ ¡¸You¡­¡¹ That would be enough. If it has been decided, then I didn¡¯t need to talk with this scoundrel anymore. ¡¸Then arranged it immediately¡¹ ¡¸Understood. specifically, how do you want it to be arranged?¡¹ I made a thin smile. ¡¸Just tell them I will go for a greeting¡¹ ¡¸I understand¡¹ I immediately pushed all of the public affair to Aria and made a preparation to go to Shaldir. I made a detour to a small desert in the east, it just a small petty trip. Actually I wanted to go alone, but If I made a solo action, the guys in werewolf corps will be noisy. It¡¯s a good time, let¡¯s take Hamam¡¯s corps. Since they are originally a nomads from desert, so they should be used to traveling in the desert. ¡¸I¡¯m depend on you, Hamam¡¹ ¡¸Understood, aide¡¹ Trade city Shaldir is located beside the beautiful lake. It¡¯s the oasis of the trade route. Even though it¡¯s the same trade city, the emphasis seems to be put on the comfort and replenishment of the caravan. The gist in here is a little bit different than Rune height who focus on the trade of shipment. There seems to be a red light district as well, that place made me a little anxious. Since I reincarnated, I lived a life without a net and television. it can¡¯t be helped to anxious about showy thing like that. I will not going there because it was an enemy ground but¡­¡­ When I made a request to met on front of the castle gate of Shaldir, the guards were blatantly shaken. We are just 5 people, furthermore, we are all unarmed, but we are still an envoy from demon king army. However the commotion settled immediately when the viceroy Alam himself appeared. There¡¯s no soldier like atmosphere, but he has the power of leadership. maybe it¡¯s almost the same like Aria. But this guy had an appearance like a young nerd. ¡¸It is nice to meet you. I am the viceroy of the Shaldir, baron Alam Souk Shazaf. I thought to met you one day¡¹ ¡¸The aide of the demon king army first division, Vaito. I apologize for a sudden visit¡¹ Well then, show me your true personality. I made a way to a gorgeous room with a nice view. It seems it was a viceroy¡¯s parlor. ¡¸For those attendant, please come over here to relax¡¹ ¡¸No, we are¡­¡­¡¹ Hamam waved his head horizontally, then I made a command. ¡¸If it¡¯s about me then don¡¯t worry. Just take a rest¡¹ when I said that, Hamam knitted his eyebrow, but looks like he guessed that it was bad to protest in front of the viceroy. ¡¸Well then, as you wish¡¹ Hamam party was guided to a separate room, and I will faced each other with viceroy and 2 more people. Alam made a ridicule smile, then offered me a cup of jasmine tea. ¡¸it¡¯s quite a surprise, I never thought that the highest top brass in demon king army Vaito-dono will coming here¡¹ ¡¸I am just an aide¡¹ Without being cautious, I sipped the tea. It will be a serious affair if he served me a poison, but for me who is a coward, I had prepared a magic to counter it in advance. Also, I drunk it magnificently to appeal that any trickiness is pointless. I don¡¯t know the tea leaves that he used, but this is delicious. I put the glass teacup and begin the chat leisurely. Very recently, it seems my bad reputation is spreading, so let¡¯s try to talk with a little bit gentle. ¡¸The aroma of the tea is very good. is it due to the trade?¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡¹ The unusual tea and a high priced glass utensil. So he appealed the economic power and the influenced power of the trade. So his character is schemer type. But this tea is really delicious. Even in my precious life, I never drunk this something with this flavor before, let¡¯s try to request it casually. ¡¸If there¡¯s a chance, I would like to cool it down and drink it¡¹ ¡¸Well then, I will prepare something cooler later¡¹ ¡¸Yup, with a lot of ice floating on it¡¹ ¡¸Ice?¡¹ The facial expression of Alam became stiff. ¡¸ice¡­¡­ is it¡­¡­ I, I see¡­¡­¡¹ Oops, the one just now was a verbal slip. Of course there is no freezer in this world. It seems there is a ice house in the northern part, but since it¡¯s in the south, the snow will not falling. (Tn: ice house is a storage room to store an ice) It was doubtful whether Alam has seen ice before or not. Maybe he didn¡¯t have information about it. it was thoughtless of me because at the master¡¯s place, I often made an ice. When summer came, master always made a huge ice then divide and give it to everybody to drink it with tea and fruit juice. It was fun¡­¡­ No, It¡¯s not a case of escaping from reality. ¡¸It would be great to relax with an ice floating on a tea while looking at the lake of Shaldir¡­¡­¡¹ As Alam suppress the trembling, he laughed and said it. The smile is awkward. It seems I hurt his pride. Sorry. Or rather, you are surprisingly troublesome. It¡¯s not like I came to said the culture in Shaldir is bad. I came with the intention to build a good friendship from now on. It¡¯s a great hospitality, so I need to praised it somehow. Ah right, this tea utensil is wonderful. ¡¸This glass tea utensil, it¡¯s really takes out a nice air and flavor. This strain is not artificial, also the thickness make a calm effect instead¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ The expression of Alam change once again. Now what? ¡¸The hot water, the thickness and strained is it¡­¡­ That was, umm¡­¡­¡¹ Ah right, I forgot. Long time ago, when I split the window glass in Rune Height, it was such unpolished glass. Even after repaired it. Even though I thought the shade off inside the room is enough for preservation of high classified information, it¡¯s not like I warped it on purpose, it seems the thickness is not good. ¡¸It-Its a crude product but¡­¡­ It seems you liked it the most desu¡­¡­¡¹(Tn: really awkward¡­.) The voice is blatantly sunk. I have done a bad things. But, I thought this is a good design though. If you buy it at antique store in the previous life, it should cost around one thousands yen. It maybe 10 thousands. However, in this way, I don¡¯t know what to compliment and how i should compliment it. I abandoned talking about the cultural difference, then decide to stab his nail for the time being. ¡¸By the way, there seems to be someone inside this room¡¹ At a first glance, they are nowhere to be found inside this room. but my sense of hearing and smell told me that there¡¯s someone in this room, hiding behind Alam. It¡¯s for the sake to run away, maybe this is what they called ¡¸Hidden warrior¡¹. the soldier for escort is hidden. (Tn: it say ¡¸ÎäÕßëL¤·¡¹ or musha kakushi and translated it to¡¸hidden warrior¡¹. But I am open for a suggestion) A damp of cold sweat floating from Alam, the he responded with an awkward smile. ¡¸Tha-That is¡­¡­ umm, t-the maid is cleaning in the back¡­¡­ I am deeply apologize about that¡¹ Well, I thought it¡¯s fine to hide the soldier in different room. It¡¯s an interview with the enemy of the viceroy so it¡¯s normal to do it. But, if he feels like to attack me with that soldier, a useless sacrifice will come out. Let me advise him properly. even so, it¡¯s difficult if he said they are a maid. ¡¸They really stink like a man for a maid. And they seems to come along with a clothes made from iron¡¹ My sense of hearing captured a faint sound of metal armor. it seems they pay attention to soundproofing, but it¡¯s totally useless. A vague smile is floating from Alam¡¯s cramped face. ¡¸No, umm¡­ that was¡­ uuuuh¡¹ From a little while ago, every time I speak the air gets more awkward, so i will tell him straight to the point. ¡¸What to say, if the maid who wear an iron armor is only 6 people, then it¡¯s unreliable. Also, the distance is too far¡¹ ¡¸Wha!?¡¹ Since it was possible to classified the smell and the sound of footstep, I able to understood the number of people. It is also a fact that the distance is too far. The wall where the soldiers are hiding and the seat of Alam are more than 2 meters apart. Even if Alam suddenly dashed towards the wall and the soldier jumped out at the same time, it will be faster for me to transform and break Alam¡¯s neck. Of course I will not do such a thing, but if i try to do it, I think it will be easy. In other words, Alam is confronted me equally without any escort. That¡¯s why, I wanted to not raised any weird felling. It¡¯s not easy to going easy on someone in order not to kill. Even so, my poor conversation is troublesome¡­¡­ With this I can¡¯t laughed at what master and Lash said. CH 52 Negotiate With Each Other Chapter 52 It can¡¯t be helped. It seems it¡¯s impossible for me to be friendly, so I¡¯ll be plain and business like. ¡¸So, the reason for my visit today is to make a discussion with Alam-dono¡¹ ¡¸Discussion?¡¹ The sweat stain appears on Alam¡¯s clothes and his expression has become quite stiff. It seems he is quite stressful. He didn¡¯t know what to do with this werewolf, and more than that, the guy he faced had a high bad reputation in Miraldia. If the position is reversed, I will be incontinent somehow and it¡¯s not funny. I felt sorry for Alam, but I will explain it briefly. ¡¸Will you take a friendly relationship with demon king army instead of Miraldia alliance?¡¹ ¡¸Wha!?¡¹ Alam made a strange voice while raised his hips. ¡¸Do you want me to betray Miraldia!?¡¹ ¡¸No, it is not. Calm down¡¹ From this point, I need to continue this conversation carefully. The basis of the negotiation is to explain the advantage of the opponent. I thought it was important to explain¡¸There will be a benefit if you ride on this proposal¡¹ Furthermore, the threat is suitable to this. It¡¯s a business negotiation that he could get his safety back by taking this proposal. Of course, this is for the last measure. With a low voice, I continue to choose my words slowly. ¡¸To begin with, why do you place a loyalty to a country who sometimes will be destroyed?¡¹ ¡¸Destroyed¡­¡­?¡¹ Any country will perish sometime. At the previous life, I learned it in the class. But I slept in the half way though. Anyway, in order for a city like Shaldir to survive, it needs to keep moving on the stream. Rather than clinging to an old-fashioned alliance forever, it is better to sell a rave review with demon king army. Alam fixed his gaze on me. His complexion is bad. ¡¸As expected, do you intend to destroy Miraldia?¡¹ ¡¸It will perish depending on the case¡¹ Perhaps if they receive the demon kin, maybe it will change the shape of the country. Fortunately, Miraldia is not a monarchy. It might become something unexpected if a demon added to the senate. However, Alam¡¯s complexion is gradually becoming worse, did he misunderstand something? ¡¸Please don¡¯t misunderstand. we are not interested in bloodshed. Actually, three cities and Rune height has lived under the control of demon king army.¡¹ ¡¸In-In other words¡­¡­ If we become your allies, Shaldir will not be destroyed?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. That is only if you become an ally.¡¹ It¡¯s not like it will be destroyed even if you become our allies. But if I say that, it won¡¯t become a negotiation, so I¡¯ll be quiet for now. Alam bit his lips and look downwards. I felt somehow the misunderstand has deepened, let¡¯s explain the advantage before it turned into a strange direction. ¡¸ I understand that the cities in the southern part including Shaldir have antipathy with northern part. that¡¯s the reason why demon king army is shaking Miraldia from the south and the north.¡¹ This is a lie. Because 2nd division and 3rd division has so much different objective, demon king-sama ordered both divisions to proceed from different routes. It¡¯s because we are a countryman who lived in the mountain and the forest. We didn¡¯t know the situation inside the alliance. However, Actually, it¡¯s not a problem. It¡¯s fine as long as the opponent believe it. ¡¸Bernhainen, Tuban, Rune Height in the southern part are already occupied by demon king army. Especially Bernhainen and Rune Height, the Viceroy himself has shown the allegiance to demon king army¡¹ It¡¯s because Bernhainen¡¯s Viceroy had become a vampire, so it¡¯s not like a voluntary will. But he will not know if I remained silent. ¡¸Among 8 city in the southern part, only 5 city remains. As a demon king army, I would like to reward the city who become an ally at the early stage.¡¹ It was a casual appeal, it¡¯s better if you became an ally earlier. ¡¸Especially, because Shaldir is a little bit far away, but it still next to the east of Rune Height. If it¡¯s possible, I would like to build a friendly relationship at early stage.¡¹ When I took a fleeting glance at Alam Face, his complexion is calming down. Maybe that was his expression when doing a calculation. But, from this point, it¡¯s a taboo to keep persistent in negotiation. Shaldir had accepted to become a member of Miraldia alliance. Betrayal entails a great deal of risk. As the result of their independence, in the case they are attacked by Miraldia army, Demon king army will not protect them. I would like to protect them if it¡¯s possible, but I had an insufficient force now. If there¡¯s a proper judgement remain, they will have no choice but to reply ¡¸No¡¹ even if I killed them all. And then, if they are clearly rejected it now, the negotiations will end with this. That will be a problem. That¡¯s why I stood up and gave a light nod to Alam. ¡¸Of course you can¡¯t reply it now. A trust relationship takes time to build. So, it¡¯s okay to reply it later¡¹ Because of my words, Alam had a relieved expression on his face. ¡¸I understand. Please let me consider it a little bit more¡¹ ¡¸Yes, It would be helpful if you could. Then see you later¡¹ I took this opportunity to do a quick inspection in the Shaldir and went home. Because there¡¯s a lake at the north side, the town is full of caravans. A merchant with various clothes coming from many places is relaxing at taverns and inns. It¡¯s lively, and the people¡¯s living standard seems to be good, but I noticed that the number of the guard is too small. Instead, I saw a soldier with the same clothes as guards. Who are they? On the way back, I heard a complaint of Hamam¡¯s corps. ¡¸Captain, Why you didn¡¯t do something to that Viceroy?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, isn¡¯t it enough with just 5 of us to attack them?¡¹ ¡¸I thought I will be able to rampant around after a long time¡¹ These guys only want to rampant around after all. When I sighed, the team captain Hammam said. ¡¸Just believe the adjutant. The adjutant has a good intelligence that we do not have.¡¹ Because of that words, the werewolves look at each other and nodded in agreement. ¡¸That¡¯s right¡¹ ¡¸It will be okay if we leave it to captain¡¹ I had a good subordinate. But it¡¯s not like I had a good intelligence, it¡¯s just that I was a human being in the previous life. After I came back, I found out the true reason why Alam didn¡¯t accept Miraldia army. According to the rumors from the trade dealers, Alam seems gathered a private army secretly. Shaldir¡¯s guard assignment is only 120 people. it¡¯s less than Rune Height. It seems it¡¯s because of the unification war, even so, that¡¯s too small. In the trade route, there is a nomad tribe which didn¡¯t belong to the city. They are a neighbor as well as thieves who sometimes haunt the trade route. they gathered tolls from the traveler without permission. If you give them gold obediently, they will give you directions and other conveniences, but even so, they are a not well-behaved people. Of course, I will not drop my guard. But with 120 guards, the best they can do is only to protect the city¡¯s security. Because it¡¯s a city with many people coming in and out, it will take a considerable manpower just for examination of the castle gate. Tentatively, they need to dispatch a reserve army for an emergency, but it¡¯s insignificance if they didn¡¯t make it. Therefore it seems Alam used the extensive funds from the time he was appointed as a viceroy and hired mercenaries and swordsman. So what I saw in Shaldir was the private army. The exact number of people is unknown, but according to the rumors, it¡¯s probably around 200 people. And as far as I saw, the equipment and the discipline level is equivalent as guard corps. The order is also not bad. But this violated the Miraldia agreement about a city is prohibited to have a reserve army. If that thing comes to light, it will be frightening. I thought that truth will be exciting. It¡¯s quite bold for a coward. Perhaps he is the type of schemer who drowning in the plan. But this is the best chance for demon king army to eat. Why not sell our power and let them became our allies. In the near future, let¡¯s go and try it again. CH 53 Chapter 53 After that, when I found a spare time, I went to visit Shaldir. Although I had an intention to be gentle as much as possible, but I felt that I¡¯m not welcomed here. If I thought about it, I wonder if my bad reputation has spread through this place. It¡¯s very difficult. No matter what I say, I felt it will become misunderstanding in a strange way. While holding such concern, I went to greet Shaldir. ¡¸Thank you very much for the often visit¡¹ I saw a glimpse of Alam¡¯s expression, and his expression looks bad today. ¡¸The matter about the other day,the conclusion is still¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸What, I¡¯m patient enough so don¡¯t worry. I just come to give you a silver tableware as souvenir today. I heard that Alam-dono is quite a gourmet¡¹ Alam received the spoon and fork set with a delicate design on it, his face became more and more painful. Today, his expression grew bad just like usual. In this way, perhaps he can¡¯t feel anything when eat something with this silverware. Anyway, let¡¯s take a step forward so we can get used to it. If the relationship with Miraldia Alliance was not going well, then soon the only option for Alam was join with demon king army. That was what I thought, but Today Alam looks a little strange. His expression looks like thinking hard about something. ¡¸I¡­¡­ I do not have any intention to expose the people of Shaldir in danger¡¹ I thought it was strange for Alam to suddenly start saying in a low voice. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Alam-dono?¡¹ ¡¸At first glance, it seems that they leave the choice to me, but this is to make me fall into the trap¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Trap?¡¹ ¡¸Th-That¡¯s right. If the executive of demon king army come to visit frequently, someday the rumor will spread in Miraldia. They will concluded that Shaldir is on friendly term with demon king army¡¹ I see. So there was such a way of thinking too. But maybe I was a little too worried. ¡¸Calm down Alam-dono. It¡¯s an informal and private visit with a small number of people, there¡¯s no way they will know about it¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s no good! I-I will not going to make the relationship with Miraldia more worse than this! I can¡¯t negotiate with the demon king army anymore¡¹ I thought he was a timid nerd, but it turned out he was quite a brave man. but he is slightly too sharp. ¡¸My Shaldir is the member of Miraldia Alliance! We will never betray our brethren¡¹ I planned to advance this negotiation gently, but they clearly refused it. It seems that I was intimidating him more than I thought. In this way, I didn¡¯t have any option except to threaten them. Just like usual, let¡¯s used the plan to threaten them and do conciliation. I slowly started transforming into werewolf. When he saw my bizarre appearance, his face became completely white. ¡¸Alam, can I take that as refusal for the proposal of demon king army?¡¹ ¡¸Th-that¡¯s right!¡¹ Alam clenched his fist, he is shivering and trembling. ¡¸This Alam Souk Shazaf, That¡¯s my resolution as viceroy! so what if you killed 4000 people!¡¹ Like I said it¡¯s just 400 people, and at that time I only defeated 300 people. (Tn: I think it still quite a lot of number) ¡¸Resolution?¡¹ I take 1 step forward and Alam shrugged his shoulder while trembling. ¡¸I-i-if you want to kill me, than kill me! I will not let you touch even one finger of the citizen!¡¹ It was bad to say this, but the skill of his warrior was still amateur. Because his caustic word cut me even as a werewolf, I can understand how much his resolution. The leader who will protect the people at the risk of his life, this is the second person beside aria who act like that. Or rather, wasn¡¯t this guy a schemer nerd? I was surprised that he was unexpectedly a hot blooded person. If I think about it, as tactician it¡¯s quite bold to take a risk for breaking the agreement for not to made a private army. He might be the type who is not suitable for plotting. Should I check it at once? ¡¸So you ready to wage your life for people in Shaldir?¡¹ ¡¸Th-that¡¯s right!¡¹ Even he was trembling and clattering, but he didn¡¯t lose the glint radiance in his eyes. ¡¸It¡¯s true that you demons are strong. But with strength alone, you can¡¯t make human abide you! Don¡¯t think that you can get Shaldir just by killing me!¡¹ What he said is right. Because who take the command in demon kin is the strongest warrior, when the leader collapses, the successor will be the next strongest warrior. the command will surely collapse. however the leader for human is a little different. Even if the leader is defeated again and again, the successor will be equal or more superior than the previous leader. This difference is the definite difference between human and the demon kin. This is why we demon can¡¯t beat human. But unlike the first impression, Alam was more passionate than expected. It was surprising that I ran straight away to his real intention like this. Alright, I¡¯ll stop threatening him. Let¡¯s told him our real motive. let¡¯s try to explain the reason rather than the advantage. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. Demon king-sama and I do not want such bloodshed¡¹ the second division is a little bit different, so it was a pity that I can¡¯t say ¡¸demon king army¡¹. ¡¸Even at the time capturing Rune Height, only 7 soldier got killed. There was no single wound on the citizen. We admit that we killed 400 soldier in Tuban, but that was because they come to invade Rune Height¡¹ ¡¸I-is that true?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s true. To begin with, there¡¯s no way Aira-dono will tie an alliance with demon king army if we are a fiendish race just like in the rumor¡¹ That words seems quite effective. Alam became silence. I told it to Alam to cleared the resentment. ¡¸Our objective is not to control nor destroy human beings. Instead, it was human beings who tried to destroy us, so we need to stand up¡¹ ¡¸Th-that maybe the case but¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Demon king-sama is the first person who try to find a way to coexist with human. We are different than Miraldia, we do not have any grudge again Shaldir. I think it certainly will turn out well¡¹ But Alam had difficult expression and bites his lips. ¡¸B-but if we join hands with demon king army because of that reason, the citizen of Shaldir will be in danger¡­¡­ I have a responsibility to protect the citizen¡¹ If they admit to coexistence with demon kin, the world surely will changed. Because the superior military in Miraldia want to maintain the current situation, they will never admit it. Even so, we didn¡¯t want to perish. We need to make a place somewhere. Because of that we need to retort to violence. ¡¸That¡¯s the same like us. Demon kin lost their home because of human being and being driven to the corner. We can¡¯t take a step back anymore. If you make an alliance, then demon king army will come to help and protect Shaldir. And won¡¯t you change the era?¡¹ Alam bit his lips hard enough to make a congestion. There was a bitter wrinkle crave between his eyebrows. ¡¸Change is certainly important. It¡¯s the same as a boat descending a river, there¡¯s a limit for staying at the same place. But at the same time, the boat will turn over if it gets too fast. I was taught so from my predecessor. And it needs strategy to ride on the current¡¹ I see, so he behaved to be like tactician was probably because of what his predecessor said. You will be tired of playing character that didn¡¯t suit you. ¡¸When we get on the flow of coexistence with demon kin, Miraldia¡¯s ship is certainly will be overturned. So will Shaldir¡¯s ship get overturned too?¡¹ I shook my head to the side. ¡¸It¡¯s not. It will be good if you come to Rune Height. The human are living happily with demon. If you do things with care, we will be able to walk together.¡¹ But Alam still stood in silence. ¡¸Can you¡­¡­ give me time to think about it? This time it¡¯s not to prolong the time¡­¡­ I really want to have a time to think. I want to talk with everyone¡¹ I didn¡¯t smell a lie from him. His expression is serious too. Let¡¯s place a thrust in Alam. ¡¸I understand, you can think about it carefully. I will not interfere with Shaldir from now on unless you do a strange things¡¹ I was entrusted to make a move in the war of southern part, so I able to promised something like this. In Alam case, it¡¯s better to not made excessive interference. Alam stared at me motionlessly, But after that, he open his mouth. ¡¸You¡­¡­Who are you?¡¹ ¡¸I just an adjutant of the demon king army that exist in the mountain¡¹ I gave a simple answer and turn my back from him. ¡¸See you next time, Alam-dono¡¹ On the way back after I withdrew, I greatly reflected on it. Recently, it seems I was becoming arrogant. I even didn¡¯t take a consideration at the proposal, it was a problem if I give a threat to the person. Perhaps it was because I had the strength of werewolf that I became haughty. Also, I think it was because all of that detestable betrayal¡¯s plot that my hearts in rage. Sometime it was important to hit the real intention rather than relying on minor techniques. Anyway, it was good that Alam seems to be honest. I still can¡¯t be negligence, but it seems I can continue the negotiation with that felling. CH 54 Chapter 54 It was a little bit after the viceroy of Shaldir, Alam, decided to visit Rune Height. Looks like he was curious. It was a very happy story, but there was only one miscalculation. I never thought he who was hesitating will make a decision so quickly. He was more decisive and manly than I expected. It was troubling. The wall on the east side is still not finished yet. ¡¸Can you do something about it?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s impossible. Even by using magic¡¹ I consulted it with Azul of the Tuban engineering team who lead the construction, but it was easily rejected. If somehow magic able to do it, we can manage it since a long time ago. No, wait a minute. A few days later, Viceroy Alam along with 100 private armies came to visit Rune Height. I guess he brought to many escorts, but since it was the viceroy who come to the enemy ground, it¡¯s normal to do so. From the past conversation, I knew that Alam is not the kind of man who will suddenly start a war here. ¡¸Oh¡­¡­ So this is the gate of Rune Height¡­¡­¡¹ It is no wonder that Alam was amazed. The newly created gate boasts the dignity of the demon capital. With the Tuban solid gate as a reference, we made it even stronger. The walls from here continue to surround the perimeter of Rune Height. Both the height and thickness are correspondence to full-scale siege warfare. ¡¸How much time do you need to make this?¡¹ Actually, we didn¡¯t make it. Except for the gate, it was an estimated projection made with illusion magic ¡¸Rune Height is not the servant of Miraldia anymore. Even we made walls, no one felt constraint by it. That¡¯s why we immediately rebuild it¡¹ After I said it with full of confidence, I talked in a low voice with Lash who pretending to be my aide. ¡¸Is it really okay for this guy to touch it?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes. I reproduced the texture as if ¡ºI feel like touch something¡». It¡¯s fine even if he hit it¡¹ As expected of the great sage Gomovira¡¯s disciple. her Ability is originally high, but the growth speed is amazing. Maybe she wasn¡¯t just a Saint-sama. However, it was just an illusion. It will be exposed if she dropped her guard. even though I was slightly impatient, I invited Alam to the gate. ¡¸I would like you to see the state of the city that better than this one. I¡¯m sure you will be surprised¡¹ Hey? come in quickly. Here, look at the city. Aah, please don¡¯t look at the wall too much. As we passed through the new east gate, there was a wide vacant lot in the neighborhood. ¡¸In the near future, we had a plan to make a new residential area here. Since Rune height citizen lives in the old city, perhaps there will be a lot of human and demon will come and live in here. I was a consideration for rune height citizen who wants to maintain their old life. There was a lot of conflict between local people and newcomers even in the previous life. Then, we passed through the old east gate. When Alam saw the main street in the Rune Height east gate, he and his private army let out a voice of admiration. ¡¸Wow¡­¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸So this is the demon capital¡­¡­¡¹ When the east gate was blocked, I was asked to revitalize the district, so I set up a workshop for inujin here. It was a salon of inujin, a combination of hobby and profit. The revitalization is going well, and there were a restaurant and game place made for inujin now. In the corner of the workshop, a human trader and inu jin craftsmen are talking about something. When I looked at those two cheerful appearances, looks like the products seem to be sold quite well. I think there are several dragonewt at the butcher¡¯s shop. They carefully calculate the chicken meat to use for dinner. They are subordinates of Kurtz. Maybe on the way back, they order something from the studio. In another place¡­¡­ Hey isn¡¯t that Fern onee-chan? ¡¸Fern, what are you doing!?¡¹ Then Fern onee-chan waved her hand to me while being surrounded by inujin. ¡¸because my corps is off duty today, I am having a tea with inujin. How about you joined as well Vaito-kun?¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t! I told you that there¡¯s an important person coming right!?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, right¡¹ Don¡¯t become a piece of junk as soon as the inujin is involved, Fern onee-chan. I felt Alam stared at me, so I cough in hurry. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I showed you an ugly part of my subordinate¡¹ Alam was watching me and Fern onee-chan over and over. Then because she can¡¯t hold it anymore, she asked me in a low voice. ¡¸Ano, that ¡ºVaito-kun¡» is¡­..?¡¹ ¡¸Would you be so kind to forget it?¡¹ He nodded so many times when I threatened him. Then I explained it to Alam once again. ¡¸There¡¯s a workshop for inujin in east district, you can also buy their product here. They are a master in silversmiths. To corrode a silver is a bad thing for them¡¹ ¡¸Wow¡­¡­ is that including the silverware that I receive before?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. it was their work¡¹ ¡¸I see. This is going to be a great industry. They have both values of cultural and artistic¡¹ Oh, I was happy when he said so. because we have a same dog face and demon, I wanted to wipe out their bad image. ¡¸Please forgive me for giving you a lot of suspicions when I got a silverware from you who is a werewolf. I didn¡¯t mean any ill intention¡¹ ¡¸I also apologized because made such misunderstanding¡¹ Aah, so it was like that! the problem was solved now. ¡­¡­Let¡¯s be careful next time. After that, we headed towards the center of Rune height. In the front of the Viceroy house, Aura is waiting in a full dress. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while Alam-dono. Usually, I should welcome you in the gate, but as you can see¡­¡­¡¹ Two of her secretary follow her while carrying a bundle of documents. Behind them, there were 20 guards corps and 2 werewolf corps following them. It seems the paperwork didn¡¯t finish in time. That¡¯s why I went back and forth between Shaldir and this place. There was another reason for why she wait in here. Because there was a risk of being assassinated, she can¡¯t leave the gate. she was the weakest among the important people of demon king army. She can¡¯t walk out freely like me. When Alam looks at Aura¡¯s face, he takes a step up while being relieved. ¡¸I¡¯m glad to see you well. You were called ¡ºDemon official¡»now¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I was working hard to connect human and demon right now¡¹ Because of that great title, Aura will be embarrassed whenever this topic comes up. ¡¸Let¡¯s talk a bit further about what happened in the past. Please come this way¡¹ Aura invited and guided Alam to the hall I¡¯ll also come, but it will be peaceful if I leave it to her After heard Aura¡¯s story, Alam nodded keenly. ¡¸I see, I understand¡­¡­ Then it¡¯s no wonder that the scene of the town will be like that¡¹ After he said that, he takes a sip of the green tea. ¡¸If I was the Viceroy of Rune Height, I will make a similar decision in the end. I can¡¯t make prompt decision like Aura¡¹ Liar, you also have a pretty good determination. I look at his face and Alam made a bitter smile. ¡¸Even so, Shaldir has a few troops and is the protection is not hard. It¡¯s impossible for the country not to look if there¡¯s demon king army stationed in there¡¹ Yeah, that¡¯s true. But there was a military force that I can turn around¡­¡­ But it was only in the case of emergency, it was impossible to stay permanently. Then, Alam continues to speak. ¡¸I would like to make a cooperative relationship in the form of secret agreement. I would publish the official alliance anytime. of course as a friend of demon king army¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m glad to hear that¡¹ I can¡¯t completely relieve because it still in secret agreement, but it still made a lot of conciliation. After that, I signed the informal document, then we exchange a handshake with each other. From now on Shaldir will become our allies. I finally got 4 cities on my side. CH 55 The secret agreement with Shaldir Had been established, It¡¯s been a while since I give a report to demon king-sama. ¡¸You looks so busy, Vaito¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ve cleaned up my chores¡¹ Because I answered it so honestly, demon king-sama made a bitter smile. ¡¸Is it like defeat fake hero, dropped the morale of north Miraldia army, brought the enemy magician to our side and established a secret agreement with trade city Shaldir?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, well¡­¡­.¡¹ Compared to the difficulty of the demon king-sama¡¯s objective, this was nothing more like a chore. It will be fine as long as I cleaned up this kind of things It can¡¯t be helped if demon king sama find this quite funny, so I put the report document on the desk. ¡¸If this is just a chore, then maybe demon king army just a people who only do a chore. If you are asking for more bigger job, then isn¡¯t it fine to withdraw from the demon king position and give it to you?¡¹ ¡¸Pl-please wait a moment. If your majesty withdraw from the demon king position, then I will also resign myself from demon king army and go back to rural area¡¹ ¡¸You really a man without any desire¡¹ Demon King happily laughing, I also laugh intentionally. Aide position is really comfortable you know. ¡¸You did a good job in the fake hero case. How about that fake saint?¡¹ ¡¸Right now, she can be called as my aide. her personality is gentle, not ambitious and a nice person¡¹ Lash¡¯s illusion is a first class. It can be used at the tactical level. She is a coward, but her core is a nice person. demon king nodded deeply. ¡¸You are skillful in finding out enemies. Beyond that arm, you have more to surpassed¡¹ ¡¸That word is too good for me¡¹ I can¡¯t simply kill the enemy and just leave it to rot¡­¡­. But since I got praised, I keep silent about it. ¡¸And for the viceroy of Shaldir¡¯s case, your skill has been demonstrated very well¡¹ ¡¸No, it was just a failure¡­¡­¡¹ I honestly told him that I had misunderstood about Alam¡¯s personality and that I had carelessly scared him. ¡¸originally, I am not a person who able to persuade people. It¡¯s just that I was a former human being. It was hard for me to know that he was desperately playing the role as schemer¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see¡¹ Demon lord was nodding. ¡¸But, Vaito. In the first place, the idea of performing oneself to be different from usual doesn¡¯t exist in demon kin. There¡¯s no one who will be able to understand that lad¡¹ That¡¯s certainly true. even among the demon, it didn¡¯t necessary to make a character. Things were decided by strength. Even if they are equal, they somehow able to determine which one is above the other. If the opponent is a strong person, then it¡¯s okay as long as you do exactly to what the opponent said, if the opponent is weak, it¡¯s okay to protect them if necessary. that¡¯s it. Demon king-sama talked gently to me. ¡¸Human society is complicated. There are a lot of points that can¡¯t be understood by demon kin which survive by a simple and clear way of life. That¡¯s the reason why I need someone like you. but maybe there will be a lot of hardships¡¹ demon king-sama made a wry smile and I unintentionally laughed. ¡¸No, mine is easier than the hardship from the pressure that demon king-sama get. So please leave it to me¡¹ No good, I promised without consideration again. Hearing my word, demon king-sama nodded and say. ¡¸With you as an ally, Viceroy Alam will turn Miraldia Alliance into his enemy. At a time like that the true value of demon king army will be asked whether we can protect them or not. ¡¸Yes¡¹ It surely made me anxious. Anyhow, the people in this world able to kill random people or a whole family¡­¡­ No, maybe it¡¯s because in the previous life I live in peace. Because how comfortable it is, it seems I lost the judgment around that part. ¡¸Fufu¡­¡­¡¹ Demon king-sama was strangely happy and laughed with his head tilted. ¡¸Is there something wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. Hmm, I see¡­¡­..hmm hmm¡¹ Why are you laughing like that, demon king-sama? ¡¸Vaito¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡¹ ¡¸Along with the expansion of ruled area, surely you need more power from now on. My right-hand man, I¡¯ll bestow you 500 knights from blue scale knight order as your subordinate¡¹ Speaking of blue scale knight order, it was an elite that leads by aide Bartz of demon king army first division. ¡¸Y-you must not do that demon king-sama. They are a shield that protects your majesty right!?¡¹ However, demon king-sama shakes his head. ¡¸They are not to protect me. But to protect the future of demon kin. And it was not in here but in Rune Height¡¹ demon king-sama raised up and place his hand on my shoulder. ¡¸When I approached Bartz before, Bartz willingly accepted it because we are a friend from the same first division¡¹ ¡¸But, who will protect your majesty¡­¡­¡¹ The red scale knight order who is equal with The blue scale knight order was dispatch to the north. Many of the infantry forces of the first division are still in the Grunstadt castle, but it was still not enough with just an infantry alone. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry Vaito. I am more than enough to protect myself. I can¡¯t be called as demon king if I can¡¯t do that¡¹ Demon king-sama said so and then laughed. ¡¸Thanks to my retainer, I have a lot of free time. It made me a bit uneasy if I didn¡¯t do things like demon king once in a while¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you for your benevolence¡¹ I bowed very deeply and respectfully accept the goodwill of demon king-sama. ¡¸If they fight along with Vaito the hero killer, I¡¯m sure my subordinate will be in high spirit¡¹ Aide Bartz was laughing and marched along with me. ¡¸What I defeated is just a fake hero, so I¡¯m not proud of it¡¹ ¡¸But it still the fact that they are a threat for the second division. It was amazing. What they ride is a bipedal monster called mount dragon. I can¡¯t put heavy things on it, but they had a good maneuverability because it has 2 feet. And its greatest forte is its nature because mount dragon is a carnivorous animal, so it¡¯s a natural enemy for the horse. Therefore, the horse rider is instinctively reluctant to fight the mount dragon. So it can be called as cavalry anti unit. But they want to be ride only by dragonewt. Thanks to that, I¡¯m walking right now. An ordinary horse can¡¯t march together with them, so I can¡¯t ride a horse. Even though I am also an aide¡­¡­. ¡¸You just grinned while getting depressed since a while ago, is there something wrong?¡¹ ¡¸N-no. I¡¯m glad to be able to fight along with blue scale knight order, but I¡¯m keenly aware of the weight of the responsibility.¡¹ Then, aide Bartz smiled and laughed. ¡¸It¡¯s also the same with us. We will be more diligent so we can be used to serve Vaito-dono¡¹ Wow, so reliable. But with this, my troops will become more and more in chaos¡­¡­. After I came back to Rune Height with blue scale knight order, inujin corps was making a place for the dragon user. ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s Vaito-sama¡¹ ¡¸Welcome back, Vaito-sama¡¹ ¡¸Uwaa, a real dragon!¡¹ Well, what you made right now is a building for the mount dragon to rest right. Why you be so surprised like that. ¡¸Vaito-sama, can we ride this too?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s impossible. Only dragonewt who is able to ride it. ¡¸Ehh¡­.. it¡¯s regrettable¡¹ Just go back and do your job already. When I returned to Rune Height, the tiredness from the trip was still not healed yet. When I was thinking about what to do with the dragonewt soldier and the food for mount dragon, Aura ran to me. ¡¸It¡¯s bad desu! The Miraldia Alliance army is coming to Shaldir from the north!¡¹ ¡¸What!? Who gives that report!?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a fast horse from Rune Height trade merchant desu! the composition is around 2000 cavalry and 2000 infantry from the reserved army!¡¹ ¡¸What about siege weapon?¡¹ ¡¸It seems nobody saw it desu¡¹ If there¡¯s no siege weapon, then I think they didn¡¯t want to attack Shaldir seriously. Perhaps it is a kind of political performance. But I had an unpleasant premonition about this. I stood up. ¡¸Called werewolf, centaur troops, and blue scale knight order. Maybe Alam is in crisis right now¡¹ CH 56 ¡°Now, let us head toward Shaldir to provide reinforcement!¡± I shouted in front of the centaur soldiers, dragonewt cavalry and werewolf corps. ¡°However, in the eyes of the public, Shaldir is on the side of Miraldia. Because of that, this time, each corps will have to move differently from usual. Bear that in mind.¡± ¡°Roger!¡± Blue Scale Knights Order, lead by aide Bartz, bowed along with Saches and centaur corps. ¡°Understood¡­¡­¡± Since the demon kind act rashly right away, I felt worried about it, but if it¡¯s them then it will probably be fine. ¡°All mebers of the werewolf corps, transform! Well then, GO!¡± I transformed along with the werewolf corps and departed along with all the cavalries. Naturally, I was leading in front of them. ¡°Oi Vaito, you are the captain, so keep to the back¡± I never thought the muscle-brained elder brother Gurney would say that to me. Elder sister Fern also nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. By the way, which team is in charge of Vaito for this week? ¡° ¡°Aah, it¡¯s mine.¡± Jerich and his team raised their hands. What¡¯s going on? CH 57 Trade City Shaldir Rescue Operation (Last Part) Chapter 57 I, along with my escort, Jerich corps and Woddo corps, silently watched over the situation of the war from a hill which stood slightly away from the highway. There were three hundred cavalry units, and when I looked more carefully, I became certain that they were heavy cavalry. The horses were also wearing the armor. On the other hand, there were five hundred infantry in lightweight equipment. They wore expensive chainmail and their weapons, which I could confirm, were bows, short spears, and swords. ¡°That¡¯s very strange.¡± Hearing my whisper, Jerich also tilted his head. ¡°That¡¯s strange, captain. These guys are dressed as if they¡¯re saying ¡°We spent a lot of money, you know?¡± ¡°You also think so?.¡± They might be able to capture Shaldir with that number but I did not understand where they were planning to use their costly equipment. It¡¯s fine for the infantry to use chainmail, but I feel it will not be as effective for the price against the bows during castle seige. Woddo jii-san, who was accustomed to the battlefield, leisurely whispered. ¡°They have probably come here to scare Shaldir a little. It happens quite a lot, showing off army to make better negotiation.¡± ¡°I see, but to use such precious iron¡­ Oh captain, look!¡± Jerich grabbed my shoulder. I observed the situation. The Infantry was marching while surrounding a carriage. It was probably an prisoner carriage, made from thick planks and iron plates. ¡°They are probably looking to restrain Alam as well.¡± I was not sure if they were being serious or just appealing, but I understood their purpose. I¡¯ll prepare the dragon ball¡­. which is also known as the signal ball. ¡°If those guys enter by crossing the lake, we¡¯ll attack at once.¡± ¡°Roger, captain.¡± The Miraldia army who were going south would collide into the Shaldir army north of the lake. And thus they began to move to the west along the shores of the lake. If they went by the east shore, the soldiers would be exposing their right side to Shaldir but if they go by the west then they would expose their left side. From that side, the heavy cavalry shield would be most effective. Looks like they are being wary about it. At that time, the movement of Miraldia army became slower. It seems they noticed that the demon king army had surrounded Shaldir¡¯s gate. ¡°Now!¡± ¡°Okay, captain!¡± Jerich launched the signal ball. It was the signal to attack. At that moment, the Blue Scale Knights Order, which had been lined up at the east gate, changed their direction in unison. The Kiryuu, which the dragonewt ride, formed a row as if they were a single living being. The level of their skill was frightening. Miraldia army quickly responded to it. As expected of veterans. Their heavy cavalry tried to reorganize their formation. But on their left was the lake. They could not spread out. Because there was nowhere else to go, they spread out greatly to the right. They lined up horizontally in a single line. It looked like they were going to assault with the cavalry¡¯s spears. However, the Blue Scale Knights Order did not give them the time to do anything. They nimbly moved and killed the heavy cavalry who were still not done changing their formation. Although the bipedal Kiryuu was inferior in charging, they were far superior in maneuverability compared to the warhorses. Moreover, the fangs and body odor invoked fear in the horses. The armors on the horses wouldn¡¯t prove to be of much use against these. ¡°Ooh¡­ ¡° ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± I can understand their amazement. The war was really one-sided. The heavy cavalry who brought long spears as a demonstration was rushed into melee combat before they could form a row. They drew their swords hastily, but this time, their horses started panicking. In addition, aide Bartz moved the corps into a formation that cornered the heavy cavalry into the lake. For the normal cavalry, the water was not that deep. But if the heavy cavalry fell from their horses, then they will certainly drown to their death. They can¡¯t afford to enter the water. Moreover, the horses were on the verge of panic. At this point, the command of the heavy cavalry completely fell into chaos. Some who wanted to create some distance between them by advancing into the water Some who decided to turn around and resolved to fight back. Some who escaped towards Shaldir. Some who tried to escape towards the back of the army. The heavy cavalry who resolved to fight met a miserable fate. ¡°I am the Blue Knight Bartz! I will be an opponent for those who do not want to be a disgrace to their military fame!¡± Aide Bartz drew his sword and declared this with a loud voice. He was a master in double sword technique. He wielded his two katanas while riding on his Kiryuu and took out all the heavy cavalry near him. Despite the fact that his sword was light, his blows seemed to be terribly heavy. Their armors were shattered and crushed until they fell from their horses. The number of the unburdened horses around the aide Bartz¡¯s was steadily increasing. It was like a blank space in the battlefield. It would feel like his usual gentle leader appearance was a lie watching this. But Miraldia army didn¡¯t stay silent. The following infantry corps were preparing their short spears and started to surround aide Bartz and his corps. Now the one who was being driven toward the lake was the Blue Scale Knights Order. However, the leadership of aide Bartz was brilliant. ¡°Turn around!¡± Taking advantage of the maneuverability skills of the Kiryuus to the fullest, the Blue Scale Knights Order was withdrawed to Shaldir. They were able to escape from being surrounded. And this time, the heavy cavalry who ran away to Shaldir were being annihilated without mercy. The remaining heavy cavalry at the infantry side witnessed this and lost their nerve. Their friendly troops decreased in number before their eyes and in order to save their allied army, they reorganized their formation and started to charge. The battlefield to moved from the lake to the west gate of Shaldir. As to not be noticed, we chased behind them. ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡± ¡°Yes¡± As far as I could see, the remaining number of heavy cavalry were only over a hundred and the others were either dead or injured. The ones who got strayed from their units could not fight right away. They had taken devastating damage. Meanwhile, the five hundred infantry solders of the Miraldia army was still in good condition. It looked like the enemy decided to fight with infantry as their main force. Even though their specialization was a short spear, the cavalry was a nasty opponent for them. However, at this time, the sound of the hooves began to roar. ¡°Proud warriors, show them our way of fighting which will not ashame our ancestor spirit!¡± ¡°Oooooh!¡± Five hundred centaurs from the east gate, came from the south side of Shaldir. They sought and charged the enemy while shooting arrows. They immediately regrouped with the Blue Scale Knights Order. Unlike the horses, the centaurs were not afraid of Kiryuus, so it was possible for them to form a formation with them. Now there were a thousand soldiers. Because of this reinforcement, the infantry¡¯s courage was crushed, as expected. Their formation began to collapse. With double the number of cavalry than the enemies, it was no longer a fight. It would have been different if they were armed with long spears and big shields but with light equipment, they would only fall prey. Even a volley of arrows came raining down upon them. On top of that, they could not run away from horses on foot. If they desperately keep resisting like this then they will get annihilated. At this time, Shaldir¡¯s west gate opened. Along with the loud sound of a trumpet, fully armed infantry came out in formation. They raised up a battle flag of the Guards ¡® army. Longswords and big shields, all in a dense formation. It resembled the phalanx of the Spartan army. The number was around three hundred, but it was quite a threat for the cavalry. Furthermore, they took a shape that would pierce the back of demon king army. ¡°Now! Save our brethren!¡± Owing to the hearing sense of the werewolves, the sound of Alam could be heard from far away. He was so eager. Shaldir should have only one hundred twenty people, but three hundred soldiers of guard corps were slowly approaching toward demon king army. Is that okay, to take out all you have like that? Meanwhile, the five hundred infantry soldiers of the Miraldia army rebuilt their formation to be protected by the heavy cavalry. Because of that formation, it became unfavorable for demon king army. ¡°Yosh, it is about time.¡± I ordered Jerich to launch the signal bullet. The signal bullet was certainly faster than a messenger. I can¡¯t let go of it anymore, can I¡­? The centaur corps and the Blue Scale Knights Order saw the retreat order, then immediately withdrew from the battlefield. The majority of the opponents was infantry and the remaining cavalry riders were also wearing heavy equipment so they were slow. It was impossible for them to pursue. In a cloud of sand, the demon king army vanished into the direction of Rune Height. Yosh, it¡¯s going according to the plan for now. I¡¯ll leave the rest to Alam. CH 58 Chapter 58 The Shine of Disaster As I waited for the werewolf troop to return, I observed the scenario of the castle gate with a telescope. The scattered worn out heavy cavalry units were gathering up from here and there. Some were staggering, having lost their precious horses. The war flag, which had gotten all wet in the lake, was damply dangling. It was hard to even look at these elites, who had prided themselves in their dignity, now all tattered and lifeless. The infantry were all uninjured but they were laying on the ground, completely exhausted. They had probably prepared to die. Before long, Alam walked up to them, meeting the leader of the heavy cavalry, who was also walking towards him, halfway. They were too far, so I could not listen to their conversation but I could see the leader lowering his head many times. ¡°Looks like it went well.¡± I said, as the returning werewolf troop were posing triumphantly. ¡°That was an easy victory!¡± ¡°We did nothing at all, though!¡± ¡°We wish we could have gone wild a bit, too!¡± It seems that they were actually pretending to be happy, and were actually expressing their disappointment to me. CH 59 Chapter 59 Collapse of the 2nd division The centaur messenger I had sent in the middle of the night was taking quite a long time to return. Finally, at noon of the next day, the centaur returned. ¡°You took quite a while; Did something happen?¡± As I asked the young centaur, he answered with a pale face, ¡°It¡¯s terrible¡­. division leader Tiberit has¡­¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°¡­ has died in battle..¡± Are you kidding me? That titan who is even taller than castle walls, that veteran soldier? ¡°You¡¯re sure it is not some sort of a mistake?¡± ¡°It was reported by Gomoviroa-sama, therefore, the chances of it being so are really low¡­..¡± So master went and confirmed it herself. ¡°Wait, is the 3rd division leader all right?!¡± ¡°Ye-yes. She just returned this morning. She was all exhausted so aide Mereen has been nursing her.¡± It seems like something beyond my imagination had occurred. According to master, it looked like the 2nd division was attacked while they were stationed in the agriculture city, Behhen. Naturally, division leader Tiberit had confronted the enemy but then, a citizen soldier appeared. And at the end of the intense battle, they had slayed division leader Tiberit. She went on further saying, that it turned into a battlefield of hell. The demons fight and follow a strong leader but, when that leader is defeated, they fall into a state of panic. One would not comprehend this feeling if they are not a demon. That in itself just goes to show how much they are relying on the leader. The reason why the demon king or I do not go to the front line is precisely because of this. Having lost their leader in battle, the second division had started to panic. For the Miraldia army, it probably seemed like a bonus round. They could not fight nearly as well without their leader. And in the blink of an eye, the soldiers of the 2nd division were defeated. However, master, who had come running into the battlefield, used fog magic to cover the whole area. It is of the same type which drifts outside the Glenstadt castle. Master ordered the 2nd division to retreat and barely managed to avoid total annihilation. At that time, master had spotted a soldier, on whom the fog magic had no effect. Only around that one soldier, the fog was clearing up. For master¡¯s magic to not work on someone, that person cannot be anyone other than the hero. ¡°Did anyone go to report to the demon king?¡± ¡°The 2nd division has started to retreat aiming towards the Glenstadt caste. I sent a messenger to Bernhainen just in case.¡± ¡°Got it, thank you. Please rest for a while.¡± I immediately called all of the leading members. Airia and the leaders of all the squads. This turned into a serious matter. Now, when the 3rd division leader is in a lethargic state and the 2nd division leader has died in battle, the demon king army¡¯s command has been entrusted to the vice commanders of each division. ¡°Vaito-dono, let¡¯s return to Glenstadt at once.¡± Aide Bartz said with a calm tone but, one could feel his unexpressed strong feeling of impatience. ¡°At the very least, permit us, the Blue Scale Knights¡¯ Order, to return. We will protect the Demon king.¡± However, I could not approve of it. If our opponent is the hero, no matter how elite squad we send, it will be of no use. Even if 500 of the Blue Scale Knights fight till annihilation, it would do as little as to tire the hero a bit. The opponent is like the demon king of the human side. Right from the moment Tiberit division leader was defeated, our chances of winning were reduced to zero. Tiberit division leader was strong enough to go up against all of the Blue Scale knights alone. ¡°Bartz-dono, I cannot give you permission for that. Every squad under my command will devote themselves to Rune Height¡¯s defence.¡± ¡°But¡­..¡± ¡°Against the hero, we cannot afford to exhaust anymore military strength. And also, the demons¡¯ future is at stake in this town. If we neglect defending this town, we will surely get scolded by the demon king.¡± ¡°Airia-dono, I will temporarily entrust all right to command the squads under the demon king army to you. You, being a human, can surely deal with it calmly. Lash will command the skeleton soldiers.¡± ¡°I-I understand. Umm, what will you be doing, Vaito-dono?¡± There will probably be opposing opinions if I say this but, I resolved myself and declared, ¡°As the representative of all you here, I will go to protect the demon king. I am a magician, therefore I can surely protect the demon king even without engaging in direct combat.¡± As I finished saying, the room became silent. Technical officer Kurtz, aide Bartz, the centaur troop leader, even Faan-onee-san looked at me in silence. As expected, was it unfair? Before long, Kurtz started talking. ¡°There does not¡­ seem to be any other way. Even if anyone else returned, I doubt they would be of any use.¡± As Kartz said with a bitter expression, his little brother Bartz also agreed. ¡°Unfortunately, it is as brother just said. Vaito-dono can also use healing magic. If someone were to be beside the demon king, Vaito-dono would be the most reassuring.¡± ¡°And also, Vaito is absurdly strong¡­ Now, when the division leaders are not present, Vaito is the strongest¡­¡± It seems like among them, I am considered as the strongest after the demon king and the division leaders. They are probably overestimating my magic. I shall let it be like that for now. Forgive me. At the end, Faan-onee-san gently said, ¡°I will look after the werewolf and inujin squad so you don¡¯t need to worry, okay? You must definitely not die, Vaito-kun.¡± ¡°Yes, I will try my best.¡± After I entrusted everyone their jobs, I immediately started preparing for the journey. It is already past noon and no recent news have been delivered. It would probably take 2-3 days to reach Glenstadt castle on foot but if I transformed and kept running without rest, I could probably reach there by tomorrow. I can take detours through routes where humans or horses cannot cross. I brought out the old leather cover magic book from my office drawer. It was the textbook I was using during my training. As I went through the marked pages, I confirmed the spells written there once again. It would be nice if I do not have to use this¡­¡­. CH 60 Chapter 60 The fallen, and the ones about to fall There was a fog surrounding the Glenstadt castle which did not let the humans come close. I carefully walked closer to the castle. Fortunately, it looked like the castle was still safe. The guards saw my face and immediately opened up the gate. However, the moment I stepped inside the castle, I realized all over again that the 2nd division was annihilated. There were demons and giants resting their body on the courtyard. Most of them were not injured. At a glance, it looked like the damage was low but that was probably not the case. Most likely, the ones who had been injured could not return alive. Their decreased number and pensive expressions indicated that quite clearly. As I was going through them, I asked about the situation. In the 2nd division, the ones I feel most comfortable talking with are the small demons. They have a small build, so-so magical mana and somewhat good intellect. They are quite weak. In other words, the goblins. ¡°I came rushing after I heard that Tiberit division leader had died in battle. Tell me the whole situation.¡± As I said that, they looked at each other and replied, ¡°Boss, died¡­ Killed by one human. After that, a lot more human came. Killed many comrades.¡± ¡°What was the human who killed the division leader like?¡± ¡°Normal human. He was a man. Wearing normal clothes, with a sword and shield.¡± I do not understand. However, I did understand how they did not want to stand out like the fake hero. ¡°Is everyone here all that is left of the 2nd division?¡± ¡°I do not know. Holy mother used fog magic. Everyone got separated. Thanks to holy mother¡¯s helmet, I was able to come back.¡± When I looked at him carefully, I noticed he was wearing the helmet master had made. They called it the ¡®Spirit of the war dead helmet¡¯ in the 2nd division. ¡°Zuku, Gyobel, Gubuf¡­. and a lot other died. I could hear the voice of the dead. I ran towards it. And met red dragonoids. They saved me.¡± The Crimson Knights¡¯ Order of the 1st division, I see. So they were able to assist the retreat as planned. As I watched over the situation in the courtyard, I noticed they were sitting as groups differentiated by their tribe. And among them, there were a few wearing that helmet. It looks like the helmet master made helped them to escape through the fog. But if I assume the ones in the courtyard to be everyone remaining, then the 2nd division can not function anymore. Even the largest group of Yokai troop only had a few hundred remaining. If I am not wrong, they had close to two to three thousand members at the beginning of the war. The giants or large-scale demons, who take retreat as an insult, were at an even tragic state. The giants only had a few members remaining so they also cannot work as a troop anymore. Which reminds me, I did not see the beast tribe. ¡°Oi, where is the beast troop? You know, the one with Dogg. The self-proclaimed genius.¡± As I asked them, they looked down sadly and said, ¡°Dogg-sama, is not here anymore¡­¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡° He said ¡®Protecting the weak is theresponsibility of the strong¡¯. He fought with the humans. I couldn¡¯t see him in the fog. And then it became silent.¡± It seems like the goblins knew what happened afterwards. They sat silently, among them there were a few who were sobbing. I see. So he had that kind of a part to him as well¡­. It would be cruel to ask them further questions. ¡°I understand. The 1st division is protecting this place. Rest well.¡± ¡°Thank you, Vaito-sama.¡± Looking at how disheartened they are, it would be impossible to expect them to participate in any more battles. It would be better if I consider the whole 2nd division unable to fight when strategizing hereafter. As I hurriedly entered the castle, a Crimson Scaled Knight came rushing toward me. It was Shure. ¡°Vaito-dono, thank you for coming.¡± ¡°I am glad that you are safe, Shure-dono.¡± That is good, I should inform Aide Bartz later. It seemed like he was worrying quite a lot. I asked her about the situation while walking. It seems like the Miraldia army rushed into the castle gates of Behhen after Tiberit division leader was defeated by the hero. The Behhen castle walls were repaired but as the 2nd division did not know anything about castle siege battles, their strategy was full of flaws. Even if they tried holding the castle, the hero was already inside. Everyone in the 2nd division did try to retreat with the help of the fog but, the unfortunate ones who had encountered the hero or the Miraldia army were annihilated. ¡°The fog had surrounded Behhen but there were a few troops who came chasing the 2nd division. My squad exterminated them and escorted the remaining member of the 2nd division to Glenstadt.¡± ¡°Well done. If it weren¡¯t for Shure-dono, the 2nd division might have been completely destroyed by now.¡± When I praised her efforts, she shook her head and said with a regretting tone, ¡°No¡­ I could do nothing but retreat with the 2nd division. Against the terrifying fighting spirit of hero¡¯s army, we could not afford to stand and fight. If they advance onto here, we can not avoid having a hard fight.¡± I do understand her concerns but, it is highly unlikely they will be able to pin down this location. The Glenstadt castle is deep inside the forest. Unlike the time when the castle was under humans, no roads remain which lead here. And on top of all that, there is the thick fog. Not only does this fog obstruct their vision, it also eats into human bodies. The effect was not as high in Behhen but if the humans walk in this fog even for half a day, they will surely collapse. The problem is the hero. If it is the real hero, I doubt even master¡¯s magic would have any kind of effect. ¡°I am a magician so I know that it will be difficult for the humans to be in this fog for a long period of time. The hero singlehandedly will be the threat.¡± After I told her that, Aide Shure pondered for a while and agreed, ¡°I understand. I will have the Knights¡¯ Order patrol the area in squads. I will order them to avoid battle completely.¡± Maybe because she had gone through that battle and saw the 2nd division¡¯s condition up close, she had become even more cautious. Feeling relieved, I said to her, ¡°I understand. I shall lend a hand as well.¡± After bidding Aide Shure farewell, I went to meet the demon king. As always, the demon king was in the office, looking deep in thought. ¡°Vaito, you went to the trouble of coming here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a serious matter for the demon king, after all.¡± ¡°You should have just devoted yourself to Rune Height¡¯s domestic affairs without needlessly worrying about me. Well, you did well coming here.¡± The demon king said while wearing a bitter smile, offering me a chair. I had worried the demon king would be depressed after Tiberit, one who has been member of the demon king army since it¡¯s creation, died in battle. But it looks like the demon king is holding up. ¡°So Tiberit has also departed for the afterworld, eh¡­.. He was once an outlaw, laying waste in the dragonoid¡¯s territory.¡± the demon king said, staring at one point of the desk lost in thought. ¡°But when I went to subjugate him, he surrendered without even fighting. He looked like a man with a short temper but he could also catch onto the true nature of things.¡± Ah, this is bad. The demon king has indeed, taken quite some damage. ¡°With this, the only one remaining alive from the starting of the demon king army is Gomoviroa.. I must live for their part as well.¡± ¡°Yes, please guide the demon king army, for the ones who have departed, as well for the ones remaining.¡± I encouraged the demon king, and continued, ¡°Even a hero could not possibly find Glenstadt castle that easily. Please, in this period, finish up the preparations.¡± After staring at my face for a while, the demon king murmured, ¡°Not asking to strengthen the defence¡­ that is very much like you.¡± ¡°After all, it would be useless no matter how many of us went up against him.¡± The one called the demon king, is equal to the sun which appears above the land. There is no way a normal human can win. And similarly, the hero as well, is a being of completely different nature than the normal human. It would have been a different matter if the hero was in the middle of his growth but, otherwise, normal demons cannot stand up against him. Of course, I do not plan on fighting the hero head on. I will be able to buy some time but I will definitely get killed. If that is the case then I might as well buy time in different way to help the demon king finish the preparations. My job would probably be to provide medical treatment after the fight is over. If both of them fought, surely the winning party would not be left unscathed. CH 61 The Annihilator¡¯s Footsteps For the past two days, I waited for the hero to appear at Glenstadt Castle. I¡¯m worried about Rune Height as well, but I¡¯m the only magician who can use healing magic in the castle. I plan to change shifts with my master once he recovers, but by that time if the hero comes by I have no choice but to heal my master immediately. Meanwhile, I received a strange report. ¡°In the past two days, someone killed a squad of three on patrol.¡± Aide Shure carried a serious expression. The x-mark on the map was slowly approaching Glenstadt Castle. ¡°I can only think that we are going to meet the hero soon.¡± As I said that, Aide Shure nodded in agreement. ¡°I was given strict orders to avoid the battle and give top priority to the report, so it appears that those who could not escape have been killed.¡± It¡¯s just like a horror movie. If there is an encounter in the fog, the hero has a chance to ambush, which could be a big advantage for him. ¡°Vaito-dono¡¯s troops who participated each had four horses. Furthermore, having two horses in the front and two in the back, if either one was attacked, the troops were told to have one withdraw and report back. Even so¡­¡± Listening to the sound of the cavalry behind the scenes, I could only think that those troops were not able to escape. How dreadful. ¡°Vaito-dono also seems to have seen the dead bodies.¡± I saw them. I thought they might still be breathing, but they were definitely dead. ¡°Each of the cavalries were cut with a knife; it had a unique cut that shouldn¡¯t be mistaken for just any old sword.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± There is a possibility that they used a large weapon, but I had no feeling of the ¡°heaviness¡± like in the drawings of the axes and swords. For that reason, I believe he might have a razor. Despite my disbelief, I answered in this way. ¡°This is my guess as being the best magician of this time, but it seems to resemble the magical power of the hero.¡± ¡°I see¡­. Then it looks like something that is impossible for us to deal with.¡± Withstanding Aide Shure¡¯s frustrated look, I prepare to tell her. ¡°Seeing how badly the last squad was defeated, the hero is most likely already quite close to Glenstadt. Stopping the patrols would be dangerous.¡± ¡°I agree. Let¡¯s avoid the battle and stay alert in the castle.¡± Aide Shure said, and continued her talk. ¡°All the soldiers of the 2nd division were ordered to fall back an hour ago.¡± ¡°Good idea. I know roughly where the hero is, so we won¡¯t have to encounter him and should be able to escape.¡± The 2nd division has no chance anymore. Because their chief was defeated, they no longer have the confidence nor courage to continue fighting. Moreover, they must be exhausted from the long fight. Since the 2nd division dissolved, the only combatants in the castle are the dragonoids. Five hundred Crimson Scaled Knights vs. 3000 soldiers. Plus, there are 12 guards able to aide. Each of their three aides were commanding 1000 soldiers at a time, but I consulted the Demon Lord, and forced them to retreat. If my calculations are correct, it shouldn¡¯t matter whether they have 3000 or 30,000 soldiers. It was the Crimson Scaled Knights who could make it until the end. ¡°Please let us take refuge momentarily outside the castle.¡± ¡°We cannot do that. Do you not serve our Majesty?¡± Aide Shure asserted in a dignified tone. How troubling¡­ it¡¯s hard to swallow, but despite how many Crimson Scaled Knights there are, they look like mere bundles of hay compared to the hero and his companions. Even if I told Aide Shure, she most likely would not take back her words of refusing refuge. Then came the Demon Lord cladded in armor, accompanied by his black scaled guards. ¡°Shure, it looks like you have been troubling Vaito.¡± He talked to her with a soft voice, as if it were his own daughter. Shure straightened her back, and spoke nervously. ¡°N-no, I have been dutifully carrying out my orders as an a-aide!¡± ¡°I am enamored by your loyalty. However, I have been hearing differently, Shure.¡± The Demon Lord bent down from his tall position, and gazed directly into Shure¡¯s eyes. ¡°According to Gomoviroa and Vaito, the hero is getting strong enough to match my level. If that is true, I will have to beat him using a carefully planned strategy. No matter how excellent you and your Crimson Scaled Knights are, are you certain you will be able to win?¡± Of course. Even if our entire army was challenged, it would most likely be our Demon Lord¡¯s victory. Destroying humanity in general is easy enough for the Demon Lord. Even though I don¡¯t really have the desire to do that. Gently persuaded, Shure hung her head in shame. Then in a painful voice, she answered. ¡°I agree with you¡­. I¡­.¡± ¡°Good, that¡¯s what I expect. I am proud of your loyalty and military prowess. Therefore, do not lose because of these petty trifles.¡± The Demon Lord called the hero¡¯s invasion petty. I¡¯m sure the Demon Lord knows it is not that easy, but he expects Shure to keep herself safe. It looks like Shure finally understood. ¡°I am sorry for my inexcusable behavior. I will follow Vaito-dono¡¯s suggestions.¡± ¡°Yes, I have Vaito and other guards as well. Them alone should be equivalent to ten thousand armies. You protect the survivors of the second division. Have them also return to the front again some time.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Well, well, it looks like she¡¯s finally on track. Shure looks happy; it¡¯s almost like she¡¯s a changed person. Is this the effect of the Demon Lord? ¡°Vaito-dono.¡± Aide Shure turned towards my direction, and informed me in a serious tone. ¡°In place of my powerlessness, the power of the Demon Lord will keep you safe.¡± I really don¡¯t understand her honesty. Even if I¡¯m a little lucky, there¡¯s still a good chance I could be killed in battle.¡± Which is why I answered, ¡°With all my power.¡± Suddenly the inside of the castle became quiet, the eeriness of the deep forest creeping up in the night. Hidden behind the fog, he appeared. CH 62 Chapter 62 Courtyard Tragedy Only one figure emerged from the fog. He was lightly armoured. ¡°All the sentinels, retreat. No matter what happens, do not make a move unless I order to do so!¡± I ordered the dragonoids remaining in the castle from the watchtower. I made them open the castle gate. A castle gate won¡¯t defend us from the enemy who cut down the Tiberet division leader. It will just get destroyed. However, I do not quite like the idea of letting him just enter like that. The person thought to be the hero, crossed through Glenstadt castle gate without any fear. As he came closer, gradually his strength became clear. He doesn¡¯t even seem to be a magician but his magical power seems to be on a completely different level. And, just like the Demon Lord, it gushes out from the inside. There is no mistaking it. He¡¯s the real hero. The power the hero was releasing cleared the surrounding mist. The mist was clearing away only from around him. An overwhelming presence. ¡°Vaito-sama¡­..¡± The guards who gathered around me wore an anxious expression. They weren¡¯t the elite guards, just the normal ones. But being experienced soldiers, they clearly understood the hero¡¯s overpowering presence. I strictly order them, ¡°It is definitely the real hero. Even if we launched an attack on him altogether, we will probably get defeated. Do not make a move.¡± ¡°Ye-yes, sir!¡± The hero who had now come inside the courtyard, headed inside the castle without any hesitation. He was wearing normal clothes like the citizens of Miraldia and had only equipped a simple Miraldia guard breastplate on top. I don¡¯t know if he was from Bahhen or just equipped the armor from Bahhen but there was a Bahhen city symbol engraved on the armour. Even at his waist, as expected, only a common soldier sword hanged. He was not even carrying any other bags. It looked like he doesn¡¯t have any projectile weapons so we might as well try shooting some arrows at him. It was at that moment. ¡°For Tiberit division leader!!¡± ¡°We will protect the Demon Lord!¡± From inside the castle, figures came out from all around and jumped at him. About a few dozen of them. When I looked closer, it was the remaining of the 2nd division. So there were some left. There seems to be a few new dragonoid recruits in there as well. ¡°Don¡¯t! Stop!¡± I shouted at them but, they had already gone attacking the hero. In the next moment, the hero drew his sword. He cut a straight line with his cheap-looking sword. But even before he drew the sword, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the hero¡¯s hands. Magic circulated from his hands and it formed an invisible sword blade. And that too, absurdly long. ¡°Lie down!¡± I shouted in panic but the only ones who were able to lie down after hearing that were the dragonoids. Their backs were slightly grazed by the invisible magic blade. We got to see what happened to the ones who were not able to duck right away. All of them were cut into two. Almost all the guards gathered in the courtyard were annihilated with just that one swing. Deep sword cuts were even engraved into the castle walls. ¡°Run! Run inside the castle!¡± To my command, all the guards left alive started to withdraw inside the castle but, the hero did not let that happen. With just a simple step forward, the hero had leaped over 10 meters ahead. By the time he had turned his back to the dragonoids, all of them were sprouting out blood and falling down. None of them were able to escape. After slaughtering everyone in the courtyard, the hero looked at his sword. Not being able to withstand the hero¡¯s tremendous power, the cheap sword had snapped from its core. He kicked the corpse of one of the dragonoids lying dead and took their blade. The swords dragonoids use were quite different from the human ones but, it seems like anything is fine as long as it is a sword for him. Probably because it was only a wick for him to clad magic with. Then the hero looked up, and stared fixedly at me. The dragonoids around were faltering and stepping back. I was also scared but I had the pride of an aide. As if I will be beaten by a stare. But if he gets closer, I will most definitely die. Before long, he turned his back on me and went running into the castle. I had expected this but, really, we can do nothing about something like this. ¡°I will return to the castle. You guys see if there are anyone alive in the courtyard and run.¡± There probably weren¡¯t any survivors but, if I did not give them any order, they would probably end up doing something reckless. After parting from the soldiers, I ran through the castle¡¯s passages. I hurried to the audience room. But then, I noticed a figure coming from there. It was the hero! Worst of all, I had ended up encountering the hero in front of the audience room. This guy, he came this far in the castle without even being puzzled. He¡¯s like a hound. Concealing my fear, I glared at the hero. If I am going to die anyway, might as well not have an unsightly end as the aide of the 1st division. But as soon as the hero spotted me, he stood still. He did not come attacking me. ¡°The Demon Lord is in there, right?¡± He said with a cold voice. Even though he was a human, it felt like he had no kindness in him. Anger, hatred and murderous intent. Those were the only human-like feeling I got from him. I had frozen in place in reaction to that inhuman-like aura, but it seemed like he was waiting for my response. I have no choice, I shall boldly reply to him. ¡°Yes. Come if you wish, human.¡± I was afraid but I wasn¡¯t going to shout out ¡®hero¡¯. The real hero, that is a being of the same level as the demon lord. I opened the door and let the hero in. When he was passing by me, I suddenly felt a dreadful killing intent. I felt as if the magic floating around him were only polished for offence. I instantly took a step back and took stance. But the hero was still there, standing up straight. Was he testing me? Damn it, surprising me like that. I will have you hear my objections. ¡°Human, do you wish to fight with me?¡± As I said that, the hero turned his back on me again and started walking again. I would have been killed just now if I let my guard down¡­.. In the audience room, the elite guards were all equipped and standing in a line. On the throne deep inside the room, the Demon Lord was sitting in his war attire. The room was filled with a frightening air of intimidation. But the hero kept advancing forward, completely ignoring the elite guards. He was probably tired of us underlings. The hero struck the Demon Lord with his hatred-filled gaze. ¡°It¡¯s Ashes.¡± That was probably the hero¡¯s name. He didn¡¯t introduce himself as the hero. The Demon Lord nodded, and replied in a calm tone, ¡°Friden Richter.¡± The Demon Lord, too, did not introduce herself as the demon lord. The hero held his sword, aiming for the eye, and declared, ¡°I have come to avenge Meltia.¡± He spoke of a person I had not known. It was not the name of a city. Probably a woman¡¯s name. The Demon Lord sat in silence. She gazed at the hero quietly and then stood up. The hero and the Demon Lord both did not say anything more than that. They probably don¡¯t plan on talking at this point. The Demon Lord picked up the spear which was beside her. It was a small spear, which could be rotated in one¡¯s hand. But it was a bit different in shape to the normal spears. It¡¯s tip wasn¡¯t straight, rather it was like a board, like a hunting gun or an old infantry gun. The Demon Lord took a stance with the spear and gently said, ¡°I shall listen to what you have to say with this.¡± In that moment, the hero leaped towards the Demon Lord. CH 63 Chapter 63 Death Battle and Demon Wolf The battle between the demon lord and the hero was grand enough to be called a death battle. The demon lord¡¯s spear flew towards the hero at an unbelievable speed. The overflowing magic in the spear was raging. But the hero¡¯s sword did not fall behind even a step. His swordsmanship was like a silent storm, sweeping from side to side as he pleased, he stopped the spear¡¯s tip. In the blink of an eye, the demon lord had lunged her spear towards the hero multiple times and all of them were blocked. Because of the intense shockwaves from the magic, the pillars behind got smashed to pieces. I was dumbfounded as I watched that fight but suddenly realized a certain thing. The hero has been dexterously moving around for awhile, trying to drag in the guards to the fight. The demon lord was trying to not hit the guards and restrain the hero from doing so either. I hurriedly made the Black Scale guards fall back. ¡°Fall back! Don¡¯t be fooled by your eyes! Both of their weapons have extended range due to magic!¡± Reacting to my words in no time, the guards leaped back. As expected of the elites the demon lord is proud of. However, they are not magicians so they can¡¯t comprehend things which they can¡¯t see. On the other hand, I was able to perceive their divinity, or rather their spiritual power as a flow of magic. At a glance, their fight would look like a repetition of offense and defense. However, they were actually fighting with all their strength to completely annihilate each other. Just by getting grazed by the demon lord¡¯s speartip, the hero¡¯s magic was being stolen. Conversely, just by a scratch from the hero¡¯s sword, a huge amount of magic leaked from the demon lord¡¯s body. As their existences contravened each other, it looked like even the smallest scratch was able to inflict a deep injury. If it was possible, I would have loved to assist in the fight but I would probably get cut down to pieces the moment I step in. And besides, the demon lord would not probably permit any sort of assistance either. I would have also used support magic but that probably won¡¯t have any effect on the demon lord either. It is impossible to amplify the demon lord¡¯s power with my puny magic. And so, while being aware of the surrounding, I watched over their battle with the guards. It seemed they were equal in terms of strength. The spear lunged forward, which the sword brushed off and tried to attack, being blocked by the spear again and the flow repeated. It was a bewildering exchange of blows. However, after lunging the spear forward, when the demon lord was pulling it back, there was a slight gap. Just for a moment, her handling of the spear grew slack. I immediately understood what had happened. It was something the demon lord had talked about long ago, the cross of the reincarnated. The demon lord and I reincarnated into a demon from a human but the constitution and feeling of a human and a demon is different. I did not know martial arts in my previous life so now when I know werewolf martial arts, I do not feel any inconvenience. But the spear technique the demon lord was using now was probably something she learned in her previous life. It was completely different from the dragonoids. However, that is only the humans¡¯ technique. There are a ton of differences between humans and dragonoids. And so, if one were to forcibly use such a technique, they might end up hurting themself. Actually, the demon lord¡¯s strongest forte is the sword. But as she would end up hurting her shoulder or wrist if the fight draws on, after testing various things, she decided on the spear. The demon lord¡¯s handling of the spear was as sharp as ever. I don¡¯t think it has gotten dull. However, in a fight between two beings who have transcended the normal realm, that gap was fatal. ¡°Die!¡± The hero succeeded in striking the demon lord. The demon lord did try to dodge it but was a moment too late. The hero diagonally sliced the demon lord from shoulder to the waist. In front of my eyes, I could clearly see the demon lord¡¯s magic leave her body. This can¡¯t be. The demon lord can¡¯t lose. But the fresh blood scattering everywhere was unmistakably real. ¡°Splendid¡­.¡± As the demon lord said that, she fell to her knees. On the other hand, now when I look closely, the hero had also received a deep wound. The spear had pierced the hero¡¯s stomach. The demon lord had used all her might to land a counter. But it seems like it was too shallow to defeat the hero. The wounded hero gripped his sword again and leapt towards the demon lord. I also tried to go between them but was too late. The demon lord¡¯s body fell to the ground and did not move. The hero threw the broken sword and wiped off the blood on him with his shirt. He did not seem to be affected a bit. And as if he had lost interest on the demon lord, he turned to face towards us. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can run away. You guys are next.¡± Looks like the hero-sama does not plan on letting us small fries escape either. He plans on killing every single demon he meets. All the guards drew their sword at once but I signed them to stay back. It was futile. ¡°Stay back. I will deal with him.¡± The hero looked at me. ¡°You, you look like a human but you are a demon, aren¡¯t you? What is with that?¡± Instead of replying, I transformed. And howled at the top of my lungs. The soul shaker. The chandelier broke down and the candle light scattered away, shrouding the surrounding in darkness. Only the moonlight illuminated the place. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can leave this place alive.¡± I ended up saying something too pompous. But I don¡¯t regret it. No matter what happens to the demon lord army, I absolutely can¡¯t let this guy live. ¡°Looks like you think you can win because I am wounded, huh?¡± He placed a hand on his wounds and they disappeared without a trace. Seeing that, even the experienced guards trembled a little. Then he took a knife and gripped it with his underhand. ¡°What happened? Come at me.¡± I am being quite underestimated, huh? Certainly, he just healed his wounds just now. But that¡¯s just on the surface. When he took the blow and also when he healed it, he lost a lot of magic. Now, this guy isn¡¯t the super-being he was before he fought the demon lord. The unlimited magic I felt overflowing from him before had also weakened. He probably can¡¯t heal up like that anymore. If the hero is wounded like this, even if it¡¯s a little, I have a chance at winning. However, I need to be resolved for that as well. I released all the magic I had prepared, increasing my physical strength at once. I was drawing in the magic from the surrounding with soul shaker, so its effect was much stronger than usual. Moreover, I decided on using the secret strengthening magic. ¡°Burn, my body! Turn the sleeping insanity into strength!¡± It was one of the incantations, ¡®fanatic burn¡¯. It is only temporary but with this, I am able to cross the limits of my body. It is a magic which keeps on giving me strength, without caring the least about breaking my bones or tearing my flesh apart. After using it, I might die off the recoil but I will be killed either way if I do not win here. The moment he realized I used magic, he came at me with full strength. The tip of the knife came straight at me. My strengthened eyesight could barely catch his movements. It was pretty much up to my instincts to dodge. Dodging the knife, I drilled in a kick to hit stomach. I certainly felt it hit him but looked like it didn¡¯t affect him much. But it made a hole in his breastplate and sent it flying. ¡°You!¡± I barely dodged his knife again. I do not have as much magic or stamina as the demon lord. If it hit, that would probably be the end. As payback, I socked him on the face. It was a clean hit but it looked like it didn¡¯t affect him much either. What a person. It¡¯s a werewolf¡¯s punch which can instantly kill a bear or a war horse, you know?! Close combat makes my vision narrow and is risky for me. Taking some distance, I calmed down to think. Calm down. I am a werewolf. Werewolves are not proud warriors. They are cruel hunters. This fight too, is not one of a proud and honorable soldier. It is a fight out of anger, to use any foul move to hunt the hero down. And so, I hid myself behind a pillar. ¡°What? You scared now?!¡± The hero chopped off the pillar with his knife. Multiple times at that too. The huge pillar got chopped up as if it was a candle and slid down. As I expected. He only attacks. He is a daredevil who doesn¡¯t know when to back off. I kicked some of the debris towards him. And immediately after, I got on all four like a real werewolf and ran on the floor. Black floor, black walls, black pillars, black ceiling, black stones, and, a black werewolf. For just a moment. For just a moment, which would not even be tenths of a second, he couldn¡¯t sense me. He was bewildered to find me blending in with the stones. That one moment was enough. Putting my life on the line, I bit his leg with my fangs. Without hesitating, I crunched down his shin. ¡°Ugguu?!¡± With the sound of bones breaking, I could smell a human¡¯s blood. A werewolf¡¯s real weapon is not it¡¯s claws or fists. It¡¯s the fang. Everything except the fang are nothing except countermeasures to block the enemy. I do not know how a human fights but I fully understood how a werewolf fought. Other attacks might not deal damage, but an attack with the fangs would even inflict a deep wound on the hero. And if so, I still have a chance to win. CH 64 Chapter 64: Blood-Stained Fangs Injured or not, Heroes remained heroes. ¡°Guooooooh!¡± The Hero roared as he approached, his knife ready to swing downwards. There was barely a sliver of the Hero¡¯s magic left. I narrowly avoided the swing, its movement already dulled by his pain. I brush off his hand and push him down to the black floor. Seeing that we¡¯d come this far, it was fair to assume that we were evenly matched. Both the Hero and I were risking our very lives in this battle. It was now merely a question of who would strike first; whether I would dig my fangs into his windpipe, or whether he would use that knife to stab me in the neck before I had the chance to do so. The well of physical strength the Hero held was just barely greater than my own, but he did nothing to hold me down. Was he being vigilant, wary of the surrounding personal guards? The Hero had purposefully forgone slaying the guards, instead opting to use them as a means to hinder the Demon Lord¡¯s movement. Now, however, the very same guards had become the shackles that bound him. While the conditions were optimal and could be nothing but advantageous, I had finally come this far and was now finally standing on even ground. Apart from the single lunge with the fangs that boasted the acme of my might, there was nothing I could do that would connect to the Hero. On the other hand a single punch, a single kick from the Hero would be more than sufficient to deal immense damage to me. If my focus wavered for even a single moment, I would be knocked out and this would all be settled. But there was no way I could stand the thought of losing. A big Hero, so what? I would never accept someone like him. I feigned a lunge, my fangs aiming for the Hero¡¯s throat, then sunk them into the wrist of his right hand instead as he attempted to defend himself. My teeth chomped down on the joints of his wrist. His right hand was useless now. At that very moment, his left fist slams into me with all of his strength behind it. His strength was equal to a giant¡¯s. For a moment, I could feel my consciousness starting to dim. Coming back to my senses with sharp breath of air, the first thing I noticed was that the Hero was pinning me down. Lost in his own rage, his face had contorted into a grimace. ¡°You bastard!¡± This wasn¡¯t good. He had pulled his left fist backward, as far as it would go. If I were to be on the receiving end of a punch with that much force behind it, there was no doubt that it would all be over. The Hero had grabbed me in a mounting position. I couldn¡¯t move a muscle, almost as if I was being pinned beneath a slab of rock. The guards around me were readying their spears, but it was clear that they couldn¡¯t make it in time. Was this it? While I had long since prepared myself for the eventuality of death, my vain struggle pushed me to cast sorcery to counter him. I was utterly incapable of using any sort of attack spells. Unlike the others, the only forms of magic available to me were those that reinforced and healed the body. So I used them. I somehow managed to cast my spell a split second before his fist came flying. It was a healing spell borne of my desperate struggles. One that had been stripped down to its bare, rudimentary elements. ¡°Guoooooooh?!¡± The Hero let loose an anguished scream, unlike anything he had let out before. In pure agony, he alternated between cradling his right wrist and then his shin. For a mere moment, all of his movements ceased. The magic I had cast was of a sort that amplified one¡¯s naturally-given regenerative properties, a kind of sorcery that gradually healed wounds. It was the same magic that my master had used on that dog, the head commander of the Hell Beasts. It could be utilised with barely any amount of magic, but until the wound had fully healed it would accelerate the process of cell division to an abnormal degree, causing the wounded area to become incredibly painful. It wasn¡¯t a spell meant for practical use, and was instead regarded as nothing more than magic required to move on to the next stage. The pulpy mess of a wound, courtesy of the fangs of a proper werewolf, coupled with this unnatural healing process was sure to bring about a pain of unimaginable magnitude. Any normal man would have fainted in a heartbeat. The virtue of being a Hero was enough to keep him from losing consciousness, but it seemed that even he couldn¡¯t bear to endure the sheer pain. Giving my thanks to my master, I used this moment to my advantage. I pushed the Hero¡¯s body to the side, then weighed him down and pinned him to the floor. This was the one moment that gave me even the slightest chance of victory. I was going to end him. I bit down on his windpipe. I let my werewolf fangs dig into his neck, then ripped out more than half of it. Blood gushed from the wound and sprayed about, clouding my vision in pure red. I didn¡¯t even hear a scream. I barely managed to prop myself up, almost smothered by the stench of the spouting geysers of blood. My breath was entwined with the metallic scent of blood. I wiped my face clean and was greeted with the sight of the Hero as he writhed in an ocean of blood. The most horrifying thing to see was that he was still attempting to rise to his feet. But as it so was with the loss of these large quantities of blood, his movements became duller by the minute. Needless to say, the healing magic I had cast earlier was no longer enough to be of use to him. Drowning in the massive sea of his own blood, the hero was close to drawing his final breath. His eyes were forced wide open by his own fear and shock as they regarded me. He heaved, blood escaping from between his lips. They moved as if he had something to say to me. His left hand shook as it rose, the tip of his finger pointing towards me. I wondered what he was trying to say. I had no idea myself. That was when I remembered that I had yet to introduce myself to him. ¡°My name is Vaito. A simple aide.¡± I had no idea if my words had reached him. The man¡¯s hand dropped and sunk into the puddle of blood, and the light in his eyes vanished. These were the final moments of the Hero Arshes. Having survived this ordeal, I stood there with the guards, basking in a while of silence. I staggered and leaned against the crumbling stone pillar. Now fatigued, I was unable to further maintain my form as a werewolf. I found myself returning to my original human form against my own will. This was the first time this had ever happened to me. My field of visions grew more and more narrow, then started to turn dark. I was starting to feel the recoil from the Fanatic Burn. Still staggering, I made my way to the fallen Demon Lord. My body felt heavy. It was as if I was pulling along weights of pure stone. Her Majesty didn¡¯t move. From what I could see from her magic, the light of her life had been completely snuffed out. No matter how skilled a sorcerer there was, it was impossible to treat her now. I had wanted to at least be able to offer her some parting words. But fact of the matter was that even I didn¡¯t know what would happen to me now. I could feel my entire body shrieking in pain, an after-effect of the excessive boosts brought about by magic. In the end, the words I offered the Demon Lord were in Japanese. ¡°I¡¯ve avenged you, my Lady.¡± Demons no longer needed to fear the Hero. So I could only ask that they rest easy now. My surroundings went dark. This was the first time since my transformation into a werewolf, whose eyes could pierce through the blackest darkness, that I truly found myself in the embrace of the shadows. My surroundings were plunged into a world of dark. If I died here and now, would I be able to meet the Demon Lord? Those were my last thoughts¡­ ¡­before my consciousness ceased to be. CH 65 Chapter 65: Of the Demon Lord¡¯s Mausoleum and the Man That Gnawed a Hero to Death By the time I finally opened my eyes, several days had passed by. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake.¡± I was greeted with the sight of Melehn peering directly into my face. She brought her own closer and pressed her forehead against my head, then proceeded to hum thoughtfully. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s a problem with your magic. Spirit waves are fine too. Can¡¯t spot any after-effects either.¡± ¡°Sorry, but¡­ where is this¡­?¡± Had I given it more thought, then I wouldn¡¯t have posed the question. I was, of course, still inside Glenstadt Castle, resting in my own room. ¡°So I made it, huh? I didn¡¯t die¡­¡± I let out a long sigh. I was more than certain that, had I kicked the bucket then and there, I would have gotten an earful of the Demon Lord¡¯s scoldings once I made it to the other side. Melehn responded by giving me a rather chilling look. ¡°So tell me, is it just in a werewolf¡¯s nature to overdo it like that? Or is it just you, Vaito?¡± Ow, Ow! That hurts! That really hurts! Stop grinding my temples, Senpai! ¡°Um¡­ How did things turn out?¡± I managed to bring myself to avoid Melehn¡¯s relentless assaults and had opted to ask the question that rested heavily on my mind. In a rather surprising gesture, she let her hand fall onto my shoulder and gave her answer in an unexpectedly soft tone. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about. Our teacher took care of it all.¡± She went on to tell me that the guards had personally nursed me after I had lost consciousness. They had also gone through the trouble of calling for the Dragon Folk to return from their refuge, then gotten to work on enshrining the remains of the Demon Lord and the Hero. In a more convenient turn of events, the Master had come to relieve me of my unconsciousness soon after. To shed a more light on that, it seemed that he had been perceptive enough to feel the loss of the two titanic entities that were made up of the Hero and the Demon Lord. He had even forced himself to come here in spite of his lingering troubles with movement. I was also told that upon his arrival, the Master had gone on to toil away. He had spent the entire night at the Demon Lord¡¯s side doing everything within his power, but it was far too late for any forms of healing or resurrection to have any effect. It didn¡¯t matter whether you were the Lord of all Demons or a Hero; once you were subjected to the full extent of death, there was nothing that could bring you back. In the end, the exhausted Master had been forced to officially declare the Demon King as deceased. He had done so through rivers of his own tears. The Demon Lord¡¯s remains had been carried way to the mausoleum, where he had been buried in the graveyard beneath. Demons did not have much in the way of customs that included a proper funeral service. Their life-long experience of dwelling alongside nature had taught them to bury their dead as quickly as possible, or there would be no way to protect their remains. Nevertheless, there was no doubt that they would go into mourning. The Hero¡¯s body, on the other hand, had been returned to the Miraldia Army that had been awaiting him outside the mist. The Master had done so believing that all those dead should be mourned equally, but it would seem that he had been met with the unbelievable shock of the army. It was no wonder. After all, the most lethal wound visible on his corpse appeared to have been made by some king of gargantuan wolf. They misinterpreted the situation, believing that the Hero had failed to subjugate the Demon Lord and had instead been gnawed to death by one of his underlings. Believing the Demon Lord to be alive and well, they neglected the body of their Hero and fled for the hills. This being a fate no one deserved, the Hero had been brought to the mausoleum of Glenstadt Castle for a temporary burial. Some day, his remains would be returned to his home town. A scout¡¯s report had come in, confirming that the Miraldia Army had succeeded in escaping the forest and was now back in Bachen. The public militia had scattered completely, and whatever remained of the official army had holed itself up in Bachen under the pretence of a defensive manoeuvre. Other stories that were passed on to me told of horrific rumours that were circulating about. Rumours of me, mostly. I also heard that there were additions being made to the wanted posters published by the senate. In the end, neither side had really gained anything. Both sides had lost their paragons. The Miraldia Army should be silent for the time being, at least. The real problems had festered in the Demon Lord¡¯s Army. With the Demon Lord defeated, only the division commander was left to command the troops. With Division Commander Tiberit having perished in battle, the only one left was my own commander, Gomoviloa. He had been making use of the past few days to console and encourage his men, sometimes even scolding them, all responsibilities that had fallen to him. Had he not been there while I was out cold, there could be no imagining what might have happened to the distressed troops. Considering his skill and prior accomplishments, the Master was a very suitable fit for the position of the new Demon Lord. He himself seemed to be hesitant to pick up that mantle, but I¡¯d do my best to convince him later. And in any case, it had been thanks to the instigations of the Master that the Demon Lord had even raised his army. Until he had done so, the only forces worth speaking of were the relatively miniscule forces of armed Dragon Folk. That had then changed to include the likes of the great giant Tiberit and the countless demons that had decided to join their ranks. I myself was one of those who had been pushed upward by the Master to join the army. That¡¯s why I¡¯d made sure that the Master would shoulder the responsibility for it all. That I would aid him every step of the way went without saying. While the army was one point of concern, what weighed the most heavily on my mind was the Demon Lord¡¯s mausoleum. I wanted to bid him farewell. On my own terms. I rose from my bed. I could feel my body creaking at every joint, but I was still perfectly capable of movement. ¡°I¡¯m going to His Majesty¡¯s mausoleum.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come with you.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t. I¡¯d rather do this alone, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Melehn gave me a long look of great concern, but then offered me a defeated smile. ¡°¡­ I understand. Don¡¯t push yourself, alright?¡± She lent me her shoulder to lean on, then ruffled my head like she used to do long ago. It brought back a lot of memories. It just went to show that I¡¯d beleaguered her far too much while I was unconscious, namely by making her worry her head off. The minute I ventured out into the hallway, I was surprised to see all the aides of the first division forming a row in front of me. There was no way of telling when they had come here, but they were accompanied by the likes of the aide Balsche. Even Kulsche, the technical officer, was there. So were the personal guards. Once I entered their field of vision, they all felt content to greet me with a silent salute. The thoughts that ran through my head couldn¡¯t be expressed with mere words, so I returned the gesture and gave them my own quiet salute. Then, I left. In the great park that was behind the castle Glenstadt, there was a mausoleum built out of stone. Those that had formerly resided in the castle must have planned to make use of it at some point, but they had never been able to make it inside. They had been overthrown by their own ilk, dragged down to ruin by other humans. And now, it served as the resting place for the Demon Lord himself. Once I had made an offering of incense, I looked up at the gloomy stone structure. This world had no actual incense, so I had been forced to make due and borrowed something with a similar enough scent from Melehn. I closed my eyes, folded my hands together, and spoke to the Demon Lord. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ Dying on your own was hardly fair.¡± I had been reincarnated into this world as a werewolf, and had finally come across someone who had undergone a similar experience. It had even been someone from Japan, just like me. There were no words to describe the familiarity I had felt towards him. He had rarely ever spoken of his time in our old world, but he was still Japanese. Like I was. There were too few things we had spoken of. ¡°You Majesty¡­ I don¡¯t mind the bread this world has to offer, but I¡¯d like to eat some rice again. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Indeed. Rice could make use of the same amount of land and feed even more mouths. I¡¯d love to introduce the people here to the idea of rice cultivation. Some day.¡± ¡°No, no. I¡¯m just saying that I want to eat some for myself¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s much easier for you to eat grains, you know. Being a werewolf and all. But I¡¯m part of the Dragon Folk. Our bodies just don¡¯t handle the stuff well.¡± ¡°That sounds harsh¡­¡± We had many conversations like that. While the Demon Lord had passed away without ever telling me what kind of person he was in his previous life, it wasn¡¯t hard for me to visualise him as some kind of workaholic. Even in this world, he had put his life on the line for his work. Now, he was dead. The more I thought about it, the more socially awkward he seemed. He had, after all, died without even giving me his old name. A voice behind me called my name. ¡°I thought I might find you here, Vaito.¡± It was the Master¡¯s voice. I turned around and was greeted with his usual smile. He still seemed to be awfully tired. He was leaning on his staff in an almost dependant manner. Even the hue of his face seemed to be off. ¡°Master, are you feeling alright?¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no need for you to worry. Let¡¯s focus on what¡¯s important here: you managed to defeat the enemies of the Demon Lord and Tiberit. Thank you, Vaito.¡± ¡°The only thing I did was to take on a wounded Hero and kill him. It¡¯s really nothing worth the praise.¡± The Hero, Arshes. He had only fought against the enemies of the one called Meltia¡­ and died for the same person. Or possible person. Had Meltia been part of his family? A lover, perhaps? It was also possible that the two shared the same relationship a master and student might have. It was possible that he was another person that had been reincarnated here? Now, all of that would remain a mystery. The Master held out a single, sealed letter. ¡°This is the Demon Lord¡¯s last will and testament. It said to hand it over to you.¡± ¡°To me¡­?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say I received a single one of these myself. Once you¡¯re done with it, come and meet me in my room.¡± With those final words, Master turned to face the mausoleum and bowed his head in silence. CH 66 Chapter 66 Demon Lord Friden Richet¡¯s last will and testament ¡®Vaito. If you are reading this letter, it means that I have been defeated by the hero. At the same, it would mean you have defeated the hero too. I don¡¯t really think the hero would reconcile with you guys, after all. But I do somewhat feel that you might be able to beat the hero. And so, I shall leave this letter behind. First of all, about the business of inheritance, all the knowledge I had gained in the previous world have been recorded in Japanese. There are about 4 red-spined books in the right table at the office. I want you to translate and pass the parts you deem worth passing to the technical officers. Also, about my successor, if no one has any complaint, I would like it to be Gomoviroa. She has a great track record and strength to back that up as well. I did think about recommending you as the successor but was rejected. However, I do understand your feelings ¡ª on why you firmly declined. You probably properly understand the weight of the responsibilities of someone who becomes king. There are times when a casual word uttered by the king can sow seeds of fear, mistrust or discord in the surrounding. There will also be people who would want to use the king¡¯s power. And so, the king must always be careful. Well, I do not quite have confidence in whether I was careful or not. Moreover, kings must pass down heartless orders sometimes as well. There are times when one must kill their enemy¡¯s whole clan and there are also times when they must execute the soldiers who have surrendered. Just as the daimyo in the warring states period were once. But, I do understand that you may not be able to do such things. And as such, I won¡¯t ask you to be the demon lord. Being kind to your opponents¨Cthat¡¯s your weak point but at the same time, it is also your strong point. In this world, that kind of peaceful outlook is very rare. However, I believe that with that outlook, you can change the world. It might be best for you to keep changing the world as you see fit, as an agile aide. By the way, there¡¯s one thing I must apologize to you about. Before, I had said that I won¡¯t raise any topic of the previous world. That I won¡¯t ask who you are. However, I had presumed who you were, though it may be vague. You have probably come from decades ¡ª no, centuries after the world I was in before. It seemed like you lived in a world rich of materials and technology. By your leadership and outlook, many have learned a lot, including me. I am grateful. You are probably not aware of it yourself, though. When I think about it like that, I come to the conclusion that you have probably lived in much more peaceful times than I did. From your speech and conduct, I feel the presence of a peaceful era. And so that means, the stuff I have accomplished in the previous world with my whole life on the line might have beared fruit in some way. Sorry for assuming a lot. I can¡¯t stop thinking once I start, you see. But because of that, I was able to live with my all and without any grief in this world. Well, I am not dead at this point of writing, though. I don¡¯t plan on losing to someone like the hero. I am the king of demons. The mediator of peace, Friden Richter. I don¡¯t have any sorrow now. I can brag that I have conquered both my previous world and this world. The demon lord army is also slowly gaining more area. I have brought up many talented people. I am also not worried about my successor. Now that it has come to this, life and death just seem like a trivial matter to me. This is a good opportunity, I guess I will go all out to my heart¡¯s content in a long time. But even still, since I have gone to all the trouble of writing this, it might be quite interesting to still hand it over to you after the fight with the hero. I am pretty curious to know what kind of face you make at that moment.¡¯ CH 67 Chapter 67 Everyone¡¯s determination After reading the Demon Lord¡¯s letter, I just blankly stared at the mausoleum. Despite being so full of confidence, you lost, didn¡¯t you, Demon Lord? Even though everyone is so depressed, it is not fair for the person dying to be happy, don¡¯t you think? Is it possible that you are reincarnating somewhere right now? Could that be somewhere in this world? If that¡¯s so, we will all go searching for you, you know? But there was no answer. Putting away the letter in my pocket, I scrubbed my eyes clean. I took a deep breath and lowered my head to the mausoleum. Just as the Demon Lord was the Demon Lord for an entire life, I shall be the aide for my whole life as well. Looks like I have forever lost the chance to stop being an aide. Demon Lord, leave the rest to us. This aide shall do something about it. After returning inside the castle, I decided to start solving problems one by one. ¡°Master, hurry up and become the Demon Lord.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± The great sage Gomoviroa was rolling about on her bed like a child. ¡°I am not worthy of a king¡¯s vessel, you know? I¡¯m just a researcher¨Cand a human at that! Not happening, nope, nope!¡± ¡°Please stop acting like a child. Do you want the Demon Lord army to collapse? A lot of humans have also been affected so we can¡¯t go back anymore.¡± Master hugged the pillow and pouted. ¡°If you¡¯re saying that much, why don¡¯t you just become the Demon Lord?¡± ¡°Me?!¡± ¡°The one who defeated the true hero. You are also the person who brought up the demon city, Ryunheight. Nobody would oppose.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to bring that up then, master, you are the oldest member ¡ª you have been here since the demon army was brought up. You¡¯re also the strongest magic user.¡± But master was determined to not admit it. ¡°I was sleeping at the most important moment! This would just look like an usurpation.¡± ¡°No one would think that. And I was also sleeping at the important moments.¡± Despite all my efforts to convince master, she just kept shaking her head horizontally. ¡°I-do-not-wannaaaa!¡± ¡°Are you a kid?!¡± ¡°I am not even good at going out in front of humans. I would have to go in front of them then, right? Demons are still better but I can¡¯t go in front of humans. There is no way I can become the Demon Lord.¡± How troubling. Master being this shy. But I have known her for quite a while so I kinda understand. I think master is probably trying to depend on me. Having lost everything with her sworn friend, everyone is now expecting her to be the next Demon Lord and flourish. Master is the strongest magician, an expert researcher and a very passionate educator but she is neither a politician nor a soldier. If I had to say, I would say she is not suited for it. And so, by talking to me like this, she is probably trying to steel her resolve. I felt like that so I decided to accompany her willfulness to the end. ¡°If that¡¯s so, there is one good way, master.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± I took out the magician¡¯s training puppet from master¡¯s closet. ¡°Let¡¯s make this dude the Demon Lord.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± After listening to my explanation, master nodded with a ¡®hmmm¡¯. ¡°I see. So you¡¯re telling me to use the doll just when I appear in front of the humans, right?¡± ¡°Yes. With this, you could make it as nice as you want and wouldn¡¯t have to worry about assassinations either. You could just hide from the view and give your speech with a script or something.¡± It was a pattern I had seen several times in mangas in my previous life. The one sitting on the throne would just be a doll and the real Demon Lord would be its close aide, standing beside it. Yep, this is it. It looked like master was thinking a bit about it too. ¡°I see, I see. I am scared of humans but if I can hide from view then it is possible.¡± ¡°Right?¡± She thought for a while after too but then gave a big nod. Seems like she has steeled herself while we were having this absurd conversation. ¡°I can¡¯t let the army the Demon Lord spent her life for fall just because of my selfishness. I will do it with my life on the line.¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s my honorable master!¡± She came close to me and grabbed my hand with her small hands. ¡°But, I will feel uneasy alone. Starting with you, I would have to rely on my disciples too. Alright?¡± ¡°Of course, master. Let¡¯s fulfill the Demon Lord¡¯s will.¡± ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s do that.¡± She said with a smile. And so the new Demon Lord, Gomoviroa was born. This was very easily accepted by the whole Demon Lord army. The previous Demon Lord had also always spoken about their successor. And because of that, everyone in the Demon Lord army had always thought that if something were to happen to the Demon Lord, someone would succeed the throne. Master is the oldest member, who was also present when the army was first being formed. And although she can only go all-out for a short period of time, for the time she has her mana, she is practically unrivaled. The third division leaders were master¡¯s disciples so they had no objection with their respectable master being the Demon Lord. And also, the second division had also been saved twice now by master at the north battlefront. Thanks to which she is being treated as a saint by them. It seems they wouldn¡¯t have any problem with it either. The first division also agreed to master being the one succeeding the Demon Lord. They are respecting the Demon Lord¡¯s dying wish. Moreover, most of the members of the first division have been here for quite a while so they have a good bond with master. Thanks to that, collecting everyone¡¯s opinion was surprisingly simple. And this is how the Demon Lord army would be guided by the new Demon Lord, Gomoviroa. The memorial of the previous king and the enthronement of the new one was scheduled to be done in a few days. However, because master would inherit the title of the Demon Lord, the spot of the third division¡¯s leader was vacant. ¡°Who will fill in?¡± ¡°You should be the one.¡± ¡°No, no, I am the aide of the first division. And besides, I am also your direct aide, you know, master?¡± If I were to become the squad leader, I would have too much to do in my hands which I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to handle. We looked at each other and said, ¡°Then, let¡¯s ask Merayne-senpai.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± If it¡¯s Merayne-senpai, the other disciples would also oblige. I stayed in the first division and became the direct aide to the Demon Lord. When I think about diplomacy, this way is easier. Merayne-senpai came complaining later but since it was the new Demon Lord¡¯s imperial command, I ignored her. ¡°Oi Vaito, why is the person who defeated the true hero himself still just an aide?! Become the squad leader!¡± ¡°Ehh, I don¡¯t wanna be your superior officer, Mereen-senpai.¡± As I refused, she turned to face Fernel. ¡°Geez! Vaito, you are not cute anymore! It¡¯s fine, I will make Fer do it.¡± ¡°It is even more impossible for me!! My experience as both master¡¯s disciple and the Demon Lord army¡¯s general is too shallow!¡± Please give up and take on the role of the squad leader, queen of vampires. Even with the pain still lingering in our hearts, we determined ourselves and decided to move forward and keep fighting by inheriting the Demon Lord¡¯s will. We will build a country where demons can live with humans. We will still be chasing after the dream Demon Lord Fredenrichter drew. But before that, I was requested to help master with something little. I wonder what it is¡­ CH 68 Chapter 68 Gomoviroa¡¯s Recollections What are Demon Lords? Throughout the ages, those that were called Demon Lords were recognized for their apparent disparity in strength. Some would only pursue their own strength, some were intoxicated by plunder and destruction, some tried to destroy the humans and some strived for coexistence with humans. Looking at these diverse lives, it would seem that the endgame of those that gain power is not always the same. On the other hand, heroes are also full of mysteries. In the past, whenever a Demon Lord started to invade a human territory, Heroes would make an appearance before you knew it. During peacetimes, do these Heroes just reside in the midst of the public, or do they appear as a response to a Demon Lords arrival; I do not know the answer to this either. There are many mysterious aspects of our current Hero as well. As a Hero to the humans, his equipment and actions were bizarre. The simplistic weapon, his act of going straight away to challenge the Demon Lord. I have heard that his purpose was not the protection of mankind, but simply vengeance. Demon Lords and Heroes work to counteract each other. Like hot and cold water. By opposing each other, one will be annihilated and the other too will eventually disappear into the shadows of history. Much like after the combining of hot and cold water, what is left is just tepid water. Perhaps this is the law of the universe to maintain a state of equilibrium. Or perhaps Demon Lords and Heroes have a relationship like that of a mound of dirt and a hole. If one were to dig into the flat ground, a mound of dirt would be made right next to it. The mound is the Demon Lord and the hole is the Hero. If one were to throw the dirt back into the hole; we return to a flat surface, and in other words, return to a state of equilibrium. In any case, we have received a tremendous blow by this attack from the Hero. Friedenrichter, old Tiberito too, they have all left in succession. Alas, there is no one but I, who can be the successor to the Demon Lord¡¯s seat. No, accurately there is someone. However, I do not think that he will ever accept the mantle of Demon Lord. I know, as I¡¯ve observed him for a long time since his childhood. Seen as a leader of monsters, he is soft; to put it harshly and moderate; to put it kindly. He will surely struggle endlessly with that personality. As his tutor, forcing my will on my own student is not an option. I myself may have a rather suspicious track record, but I¡¯m also a veteran. That shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Fortunately, there are no opposing forces within the Demon Lord¡¯s Army. The only problem is whether I possess capabilities fitting of a Demon Lord. As an organism, I am no more than a young human girl. Even more, I am half dead. CH 69 Chapter 69 The Necromancer¡¯s Last Door (First Half) And so it was decided that Glenstadt Castle was to hold a coronation for the succession of the name of Demon Lord. We could not proceed without any ceremony, and it would at least clear things up once and for all. It also had the purpose of being a memorial to the late Demon Lord. Master had also decided to make Ryun Height her base after succeeding to the throne. As far as public events held at Glenstadt, this looked to be the final one. The night before the coronation. In a room in Glenstadt Castle, I listened to Master as she spoke ¡°Being the Demon Lord is not about simply being ¡®the strongest demon¡¯. You must possess god-like power; transcend.¡± ¡°You can say that, but even you can¡¯t be like the late Demon Lord.¡± There is no doubt that the Master¡¯s magical ability is world-class, but that is only when compared to humans and monsters. She is not like the Demon Lord, whose power was like that of a god. Master nodded at my words and continues. ¡°That is right. But as long as I take on the name of Demon Lord, it won¡¯t do for me to be fainting every time I use some magic in succession.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even get that far in the best of times¡­¡± Even when she does try to use magic consecutively, not being able to gather the needed types of power prevents her. There is a need for her to wait a while. It is very similar to cooldowns for magic and special attacks in games. ¡°The truth is, there is something I can do about this problem of running out of magic power.¡± The words were so unexpected that it surprised me. ¡°There is something you can do?¡± ¡°Yes. If I succeed in this, I too will gain powers equal to that of the Demon Lord¡­¡± ¡°Gain?¡± ¡°¡­maybe.¡± That¡¯s certainly vague. ¡°In truth, I should have tested it a long time ago, but the ever-worrying Demon Lord had long forbidden it.¡± I¡¯m lost. In the first place, I do not understand the need for Master to become stronger. ¡°Master, it is not as if you were chosen to be the Demon Lord due to your promising strength.¡± For the First Division; it was you and the late Demon Lord¡¯s long and unyielding relationship of trust. For the Second Division; it was your kindness that saved them twice. For the Third Division; it was your character. The reasons vary, but they all accepted you as Lord for factors other than strength. If anything, I think they do not care too much in regards to your strength. If that is indeed so, then it might be the first time in the history of monsters. However, Master just shook her head. ¡°I understand that well. But I also understand that I cannot allow myself to be accidentally killed, either.¡± Master cleared her throat; suddenly a far away look came to her eyes. ¡°Every time a Lord dies, the subjects are shaken. If the second Demon Lord were to die right after the loss of the late Demon Lord, then do you not think, that we would be moving even further from the Demon Lord¡¯s will?¡± ¡°That¡¯s, well¡­that¡¯s true.¡± If Master were to somehow die, it would certainly cause all of us who are already dispirited to become even more so. Master cracked a smile and continued. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have no intention of taking reckless chances. Theoretically, there is no real imminent danger to it.¡± ¡°Um, that actually has a very worrying ring to it.¡± Master gave a forced laugh. CH 70 I wonder what master meant by I showed her the answer to ¡°The last door¡±? Then, matter answered as she removes her hat. ¡°When you were still young there was a time where Mereene broke my teacup, right?¡± Did something like that happen? I feel like it did. But no, I¡¯m not really sure¡­.. ¡°At that time I was wondering why the teacup broke into pieces even though Mereene did not use any powers. Where did such power came from¡± Now that I think about it, I feel like we did have such conversation before. ¡°At that time, you told me that ¡®The one that is on a high place has such strong force¡¯ ¡° Hmmm, I can¡¯t remember. What I probably told her was about potential energy. It¡¯s something that is taught in physics during middle school. The teacup that was placed in a high position has a potential energy. If you drop the cup, the potential energy will gradually change into a kinetic energy and the cup would be destroyed. That¡¯s all in to it. It seems like master had understood everything just from the snippets of information I gave her. An energy doesn¡¯t start from nothing. it exists but it¡¯s just not visible to the eye. It didn¡¯t take half a day for the master to realize the existence of thermal energy and chemical energy on her own. She¡¯s not called the great sage just for show. Now that I think about it, it was during that time when master started to earnestly research about the magic that is outside of her expertise such as destruction and transition magic. All her apprentice thought that she was just a curious person but it was all for her research huh. ¡°During that time I thought that magic might be one of those said powers. And even life itself.¡± ¡°Even life?¡± ¡°Precisely. From the moment we are born, our life will start descending. And as it increases its force, we will just fall to the ground and break into pieces on our last day.¡± I see. Her interpretation of life to death is the same with the transition of potential energy to kinetic energy. ¡°A life that is broken can no longer be called a life. However, that doesn¡¯t mean the power from that life is gone. It just lost its shape but it still exists somewhere. If that is so, then what is there to fear about death?¡± Master said as she put her staff to open the door. What lies beyond the door was a little room. The blinking pale blue light faintly illuminates it. Although the atmosphere was quiet, I felt a flow of some disturbing magic power. A magic circle has been drawn on the floor. By the looks of it, it¡¯s an old technique. Things such as insufficient symbols that are no longer used were drawn in it. The magic circle itself was emitting a pale blue light. It seems like the light in the room was coming from the circle. Master stood in the middle of it. ¡°This is the magic circle that I use to supply magic for my life support. From here on, I will close this magic circle and open ¡°The last door¡±. You need to step inside the circle too.¡± ¡°Me too?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s for ¡®safety measures¡¯.¡± Is it really safer inside of that? I did what she told me and fearfully entered the circle. The density of magic inside was quite high. If one recklessly use magic here, there¡¯s a high possibility for it to get out control. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s begin. No matter what happens you must not get out of the circle, okay?¡± ¡°I, I understand¡± Master nodded once she listened to my reply. She then started chanting a spell that I have never heard of. The magic circle was then gradually enveloped by a strong light. ¡°ugh¡­¡± Master painfully knit her eyebrows as she clutches her throat. And at the same time, some kind of magic power started drifting around us. That immense magic vortex swirl around me and master. Inside the magic vortex, master, with her little legs, stood firm and bid with a steady voice ¡°Death is not the end, it is merely one of the circulating flow of power. Oh death, come and grovel before me¡± The vortex started emitting a bright light. It¡¯s starting to get out of control. The part of the oozing power are gradually turning into light. ¡°Master!¡± By the time I shouted, the whole room was enveloped by an overflowing stream of light. This is bad. ¡°Do not fret¡­¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡­¡± I heard master¡¯s voice from afar even though she was supposedly beside me. Should we stop the ritual? We can still make it if we do it now. However, I decided to believe in master and endure it. Before long, the stream of light gradually settled down and the only light that remained was the one inside the circle. Due to the night vision of a werewolf¡¯s eyes, it was too bright for me to see anything. I still don¡¯t know the state of master. At that time, I realized that the room suddenly turned cold. I can see my own breath; the floor and the walls of the room are starting to frost. And so, the immense light was completely gone. Master was standing inside the circle that was still shining in a pale blue light. Nothing in her appearance changed. Maybe her skin tone has gotten a little bit lighter? But then, the moment I saw that, I realized that master has completely changed. When master holds up her hands, the temperature inside the room rapidly drops. Around her was radiant lights. The vapor in the atmosphere froze and the diamond dust breaks out. She was probably absorbing the heat in the surrounding. ¡°As I thought, it turned out like this¡­¡­¡± Mastered whispered and then looked at me ¡°I understood that life is one of the various powers that exist. Life itself is a power and a power is a life. I thought that if it is like that, one can make a life out of the power that has been absorbed.¡± When master put her hand down, the temperature stopped dropping. ¡°I will no longer cause any trouble to the people around me because I will not run out of magic anymore and there¡¯s almost no one who can beat me now. This is ¡°The last door¡± the I entered.¡± In other words, master has now become a ¡°vortex¡± that absorbs magic¡­ No, she absorbs all sorts of powers. Be it magic powers, vitality or some kind of energy in Physics, she can absorb them all. And now, master has surpassed life and death. That is because nothing exists in the center of a vortex. My voice barely came out as I said ¡°Ma, Master¡­¡­.you¡¯ve become outrageously powerful¡± ¡°So you notice it too¡± She let out a smile. ¡°Right now, a person¡¯s life is like a mass of power to me. You understand what I mean, right?¡± ¡°I do¡± That means all life and heat quantity will become her prey. And not only that, She can absorb thermal energy from a flame and kinetic energy from an arrow. She can even absorb the energy from the enemy¡¯s attacks to neutralize them and use it to regenerate her own powers. It¡¯s a crazy cheat ability. Master originally had the ability to absorb magic powers since before. That is what she used in order to absorb the magic powers from the armors of the fake heroes. But who could have thought that it will turn out like this. ¡°Umm, master¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Could it be that you have become someone who can¡¯t be defeated even by a hero?¡± I nervously asked her. She shook her head as she bitterly smiled. ¡°This ¡°vortex¡± is not so big. It is mainly for the purpose of regeneration. My body won¡¯t be able to bear it if I absorb a power bigger than this vortex. This could also be destroyed by a power like the hero from earlier has¡± That means it also has its limits even though it can absorb attacks. ¡°The main problem here is my personality. For the current me, the life of humans or magical beings will become my food. Due to that, there is a high possibility that it can adversely affect my personality.¡± ¡°Please stop, I do not like that¡± I can¡¯t even imagine a crazed demon lord. However, master just laughed at me. ¡°As long as I have a connection with the people around me, I won¡¯t absorb a life without any reason. Take Mereene for example. She is a vampire but she has never done such thing, right?¡± ¡°Ahh, that is true¡± Master then cleared her throat and glanced at me. ¡°That is why¡­¡­ You know?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so slow. That is why in order for me not to go mad, you, together with everyone, must pamper me and give me attention.¡± ¡°That means it is alright to act as usual, am I right?¡± ¡°Ye¡­ Yes. That¡¯s right¡± For a moment, she looked a bit disappointed but she continued ¡°Of course, I created some safety measures¡± ¡°Of what sort?¡± ¡°You were with me inside the magic circle earlier. That means you are recognized as a part of my vortex. Therefore, my vortex cannot absorb your powers¡± ¡°Huh? That means¡­¡­¡± Master cracked a smile. ¡°Precisely. Only your attack can hurt me. You can defeat me with just one bite.¡± I wonder why master purposely made such weakness. Ah, I know now ¡°If ever I became conceited with my power or if I couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure and had gone mad,¡± ¡°Master, don¡¯t tell me-¡° ¡°I want you to eliminate me with your own hands.¡± Just as I thought. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you will not suffer any effects even if I disappear together with the vortex. The ¡°vortex¡± just arbitrarily recognizes you as one of its parts.¡± ¡°I was not worried about that¡± ¡°If I¡¯ll just die, I at least want to die in the hands of my beloved apprentice¡± I can no longer decline if she says that. But I wonder if it¡¯s really alright to hand over such important role to someone like me? ¡°What are you going to do if ever I was driven crazy by my thirst for power and eliminate you?¡± Master sigh, almost as if she¡¯s had enough of what I said. ¡°What a foolish question. There is no way you¡¯ll do such a thing.¡± No, I¡¯m the one who¡¯ll be troubled if you just believe in me like that. ¡°If I am to be eliminated by you who has a desire for nothing then that would mean you have a reason for doing so. If that time comes, I will willingly be eliminated and disappear.¡± No, no, no. You don¡¯t have to say that in such a happy manner. ¡°This is indeed a brilliant idea of mine. This kind of sense of security when someone you trust will point you the way when you are lost; it is truly reassuring for someone who will soon become a lord.¡± In exchange, I¡¯m now full of anxiety. ¡°You, becoming a demon lord¡¯s adjutant, it¡¯s not that bad of a role, right?¡± ¡°I-Indeed¡­¡­¡± Just when I let my guard down, I got to such a tremendous position. CH 71 Reincarnated into a Werewolf Chapter, The Tranquil King Chapter 71 I left the room along with Master and began to climb the spiral staircase. ¡°Master, was this really how it should be?¡± I had felt satisfied with Master being as she was before. If anything, appointing someone who was physically weak, but with the skills of leadership to the seat of the Demon Lord; that was the kind of army we should be. Then, Master looked up at my face and laughed with a slightly troubled expression. ¡°I understand what you are thinking. But we are still in turbulent times. One is not fit to be the Demon Lord unless they are strong.¡± Master then lightly levitated in the air and landed on my shoulder. It was a nostalgic sensation. A little chilly. ¡°And that is why I mean to change it from here on. So that the Demon Lord will be chosen not by strength, but their qualities as a leader. That is how the world will be.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± If this were to happen, they would surely be able to make peace with the humans. Master looked at the tips of her fingers and began to mumble. ¡°I am no longer human, much less a magical being. Only phenomena, a nothingness that has a will. I¡¯ve become just like the title that the Demon Lord had granted me.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, I don¡¯t think that I¡¯ve evr heard your title. What was it?¡± And then Master laughed brightly. ¡°O demon wolf, my title is ¡®Tranquil¡¯. The Tranquil Gomoviroa.¡± In terms of thermodynamics, she was indeed tranquil. The Demon Lord must have named Master for her shy personality and her history of isolation that had lasted hundreds of years¡­ And that was how master attained that great power. A power fitting for one named Demon Lord. But master also held reservations about her own power. ¡°This is not an honorable power like that of Lord Friden Richet. It is an abominable power of a soul that has sunken into death and only destroys others. I would prefer using it as little as possible.¡± It was indeed, too dangerous a power. But personally, I did not take such a tragic view of it. If Master was alone, then perhaps some trouble could occur, but I and Mereen and the others were here. Even so, the first Demon Lord had been a dragon warrior; the second Demon Lord, a vortex of nothingness. It was like seeing the transformation of the last boss in RPG¡¯s of old. After that, the time finally came for Master¡¯s coronation. ¡°This is making me quite nervous, after all.¡± Master fidgeted in her dress as I, Mereen and Fernel all attempted to encourage her. ¡°Your power and achievements at this point are without fault, please relax and go out in front of everyone.¡± ¡°You can do it, teacher! If anything happens, Vaito will do something about it.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Things always work out when you leave them to Vaito. But more importantly, Master, you look very cute!¡± ¡°You guys.¡± Just as I began to reprove the sister apprentices for trying to push all of the troublesome work on to me, it was time for Master to go up. I and Mereen accompanied her, we were to stand on either side of her. I hurriedly climbed up to the podium. Inside of the castle¡¯s great hall, the commanders and elders that represented each of the races had gathered together. There were a number of officers and men as well. With a quick scan, there appeared to be several hundred in all. I was reminded of my previous life, of standing at the podium in front of the entire school. Master had become stiff from nervousness, white lights were sparkling around her. Without being conscious of it, she had robbed the heat from the air around her, creating diamond dust. ¡°Please relax, master.¡± ¡°With this burden of following the previous king, you cannot be nervous now¡­¡± As she was nervous, I tried to speak in as cheerful a tone as possible. ¡°The previous king would have laughed and forgiven any sort of mistakes.¡± ¡°That, that is true.¡± Master took in a deep breath and moved forward to the center of the platform. The role of setting the crown on Master¡¯s head was given to Aide Bartz who represented the dragon folk. While they called it a crown, it was really the helmet that the previous king had worn. She, of course, could not actually wear it. Master¡¯s small frame received the helmet and held it tightly in her arms. While there was something odd about it all, there was no mistaking that it was a symbolic moment for the officers and men of the Demon Lord¡¯s army. And in spite of everything I said, I was moved as well. I felt that the Demon Lord¡¯s will had at last been passed on. Master, no Gomoviroa, who had now taken her place as the second Demon Lord, began to speak to the officers and men of the Demon Lord¡¯s army. All the while creating diamond dust due to her nerves. ¡°We may have lost the great Demon Lord Friden Richet, but his will continues to shine, unchanged within all of us. They say that ¡®Friden Richet¡¯ is from a lost language and means ¡®the mediator of peace.¡± Ahh, the king must have told her. ¡°Lord Friden Richet held enormous power, but never drowned in it. He was merciful. You all know that he was magnanimous even towards humans.¡± Gomoviroa addressed the officers and soldiers. ¡°I Gomoviroa am also merciful as the late king was. I was once human, but my life was once taken away from me by the hands of humans. But I no longer hold a grudge against them. There is no need to destroy the humans. We only have to make them accept our existence.¡± The magical races all stared at Gomoviroa in silence. They appeared to be listening intently. ¡°This is not something that one single Demon Lord can accomplish alone. I need the help of all of you that are present. But I will not force you. Only those that wish to follow the path that the late king laid out should stay in the Demon Lord army. And together, we can build a country where all of us can live in peace.¡± As Gomoviroa¡¯s speech came to a close, all the soldiers of the Demon Lord army raised their fists into the air in unison and shouted. ¡°Long live Gomoviroa!¡± ¡°Glory to the Demon Army!¡± ¡°New Demon Lord, we will follow you anywhere!¡± ¡°We will help you accomplish the late king¡¯s will!¡± The shouts and applause that praised the new Demon Lord thundered like a deafening storm, Gomoviroa waved her hand to them as an answer. And then she turned her back and looked towards me. Ah, she was embarrassed. Do your very best, master. You have us to support you. CH 72 Gomoviroa, the new Demon Lord, ordered the complete withdrawal of soldiers from the Northern battlefront as soon as she ascended the throne. She had a plan to deploy all of their fighting force to the South and to strengthen diplomacy and defenses in the meantime. This was something that had already been decided in a previous meeting, and now it was immediately executed. Glenstadt Castle, which housed the body of the late king, would be used as a training facility for new officers and soldiers. The place had been used for this purpose previously, so it was fully equipped. The magical races that have gathered from far and wide would learn how to stand and march, handle weapons and all the general knowledge required of a new soldier. It was a type of production base for new units. I stayed at Glenstadt Castle until I recovered my strength, and it was decided that I should re-educate the soldiers of the Demon Lord army as an instructor. Mainly, the second division. The plan was to dissolve the second division and integrate them with the third division. They too would eventually come to the south of Miraldia. As they had not done anything in the South yet, relations with the humans would still be possible. But their current brutish way of carrying themselves would not do. My job was now to teach them how to interact with humans. The first thing that needed to be done was to remove their animalistic view that ¡®the strong are superior.¡¯ ¡°You have all experienced a hellish battlefield in the northern regions of Miraldia.¡± One of the halls in Glenstadt Castle was used as our classroom. I looked at the lines of giants and ogres. It was quite the spectacle to see them all sitting with their desks in front of them. The second division had been dealt such a destructive blow, but the ones that had survived were not the strongest of their race. If anything, most of them appeared quite weak. They were either the cowardly or the wise. ¡°You are not the elite of the second division. Indeed, those who died in battle are the true elite. And you understand that more than anyone.¡± They all dropped their heads at his words. They were that weak. Part of it was from the shock of experiencing defeat after defeat, but most of them were weak of will to begin with. And so I offered them encouragement. ¡°But you did not fear to run. You understood the horrors humans are capable, and so you ran. And you survived. From here on, you must learn even more about these humans.¡± The giants had expressions of hesitation, they looked at each other¡¯s faces. ¡°What does he mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Instructor Vaito¡¯s talks are hard to understand.¡± ¡°But the humans were frightening. They were stronger than I thought.¡± ¡°Aye, they were terrifying¡­¡± It was as if they both understood, but did not at the same time, questionable¡­ ¡°Humans are frightening due to their stubbornness. Even if their leader falls, they quickly appoint a new leader and continue to fight. They are not like us.¡± Because the leaders of humans are not chosen by their physical strength. And so they can generously send out their strongest warriors into the frontlines. ¡°And one more thing. Humans try to protect their weaker members.¡± It did seem that they would also fight amongst their own, but even so, the militia and guards would fight to the death in order to protect defenseless citizens. Giants and ogres generally do not live in packs, and so they lack this kind of social structure. ¡®It¡¯s too bad that those who are not warriors and cannot fight, will die.¡¯ was their mentality. With the exception of the demon tribes who lived in primitive packs, this explanation was not something that they could understand. ¡°Pro-, protect the weak?¡± ¡°But why? What good comes from protecting weaklings?¡± ¡°Normally you protect the strong. The strong defeat enemies. Everyone is safe.¡± Hmmm, exactly how you would expect magical beings to think. I think I will try a different strategy. ¡°Let me ask you, did all of you like the previous Demon Lord?¡± In an instant the room filled with loud cheering. It hardly needed asking. ¡°Well then, do you like the current Demon Lord as well?¡± This was also met with loud cheering. ¡°If so, I ask you then, do you like the Demons Lords because they are strong?¡± As soon as he said it, the survivors of the second division all looked at one another. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­know?¡± ¡°The late king was strong. But kind. That¡¯s why I liked him.¡± ¡°The current Demon Lord is also kind. She is kind because she is a saint.¡± Good, good, and now let me follow up with this: ¡°You understand then? That strength is not everything. Magical beings obey the strong. But whether you grow fond of them, well, that is another matter, is it not?¡± Several that were there, began to nod at his words. It was likely that they had never been blessed with superior officers. There were many magical beings who would abuse their power. Though, for the most part, they all ended up dying at the Northern battlefront. Because their underlings would not come to save them. ¡°So if the Demon Lord was weak, all of you would not protect her?¡± And with that, all of them stood up at once. ¡°We would!¡± ¡°The Saint saved all of our lives! It is our turn to save the Saint!¡± ¡°We will go forth the when Demon Lord is weakened!¡± ¡°I will fight without fearing for my own life!¡± ¡°Where is the enemy!¡± Some of them were now standing on top of their desk and raising their voices. This tendency to become over-excited had to be curbed. ¡°That¡¯s enough, be silent. Or I¡¯ll bite.¡± The room instantly fell into silence as I said those words. Those who were standing on top of their desks studied my facial expression as they quietly returned to their seats. ¡°We¡¯ll die if Vaito bites us¡­¡± ¡°He kills Heroes¡­¡± ¡°Hey, wouldn¡¯t it be better to apologize to him now?¡± No, it was a joke. I hadn¡¯t meant for them to shrivel back so much. I should continue with what I was saying. ¡°So you would all want to protect the Demon Lord, even if she was weak? Right?¡± They all nodded in agreement, and so I continued. ¡°You want to protect those who are important, regardless of strength. That is how humans feel. And so if you torment or kill those that are weak, they will all band together to get their revenge. That Hero was no different.¡± As the room fell silent, the sounds of the giants and ogres whispering to each other could be heard. ¡°Humans are scary¡­¡± ¡°Damn, they are like wasps.¡± ¡°We would be in grave danger if we laid a hand on them.¡± ¡°Aye, we must be careful¡­¡± Had they started to understand? Well, let¡¯s take this slowly. Aside from the re-education of the officers and soldiers, there were reorganizational changes occurring within the Demon Lord¡¯s army. One of these was the arrangement of ¡®aides¡¯. Until now, everyone had been purposely made aides so as to blur any notions of rank. The commanding officers and deputy division commanders were all aides. But from now on, only those who aided the Demon Lord and division commander¡¯s duties would be called ¡®aides¡¯. Master, no, the new Demon Lord decided to have no aides other than me, so anyone referring to the ¡®Demon Lord¡¯s aide,¡¯ would be referring to me. Come to think of it, Bartz had once told me such a thing: ¡°Vaito, it seems that the soldiers are calling you the ¡®Demon Lord¡¯s substitute.¡± ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t say that I am happy about such an exaggeration.¡± ¡°I think that it is quite appropriate.¡± Really? After the destruction of the second division, the composition of the divisions changed as well. Half of the first division and the entirety of the second division were scheduled to be integrated into the third division to the South. They would also be renamed as the ¡®Southern Assault Division¡¯. It was part of the new Demon Lord¡¯s initiative to bring the southern region of Miraldia under her rule. Mereen, who was now, as a result, commander the majority of the Demon Lord¡¯s army had said: ¡°You were fooled by teacher again!?¡± What do you mean, again? Mereen. On the other hand, Fernel, who had come to see me, wore a much more easy-going expression. Is was an expression one had after being freed from the pressures of being an aide. ¡°Now I am the division commander of the Southern Assault Division. Now I only have to worry about governing Tuban, I think that will make things easier.¡± Unfortunately, things will not go so well for you. ¡°I will have you concurrently act as Mereen¡¯s aide as well.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Fernel abruptly got up. ¡°Why? What would I even be aiding Mereen with?¡± ¡°Mereen needs an aide to help with military affairs. You will help with advice on military strategy.¡± You are one of Gomoviroa¡¯s best students when it comes to martial matters. Don¡¯t think you can escape this. This would be tough for young Fernel, but since the dragonkin officers from the first division were scheduled to be stationed there as deputy division commanders, there shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem. ¡°This is your doing, isn¡¯t it Vaito? I¡¯ll hate you for this¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me. Make your complaints to Mereen.¡± Fernel held her head as her tail started to spin around. ¡°Uhhh, I don¡¯t want such a difficult job¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not bad, being an aide. I enjoy it.¡± ¡°Well, I know that you do!¡± In the end, it was the Blue Scale Knights Order, Red Scale Knights Order and the royal guards who had been assigned to the late king, that were not integrated into the Southern Assault Division. They were newly dubbed the ¡® Royal Division¡¯ and were in charge of protecting the Demon Lord and other important persons. The division commander was Bartz of the Blue Knights. The deputy division commander was Shure, of the Red Knights. They were a bit small in numbers to be called a division, but Master¡¯s skeleton soldiers were there as well. I, along with the werewolf squad, were directly assigned to the Demon Lord, we were to be the eyes, mouth, and hands of Demon Lord Gomoviroa. I was also given the authority to command the Royal Division. On behalf of the Demon Lord. If I think of it that way, maybe I am ¡®the Demon Lord¡¯s substitute¡¯¡­ CH 73 When my health returned after a long last, it was decided that I would take some of the soldiers that would join up with the third division and return to Rune Height. It was strange, but even though it wasn¡¯t my homeland, I felt a sense of nostalgia when I saw the castle gates. I suppose that I¡¯ve grown quite fond of this place. Aria greeted us in front of the gates, wearing a formal dress. Representatives of every squad, including the Rune Height guards were present. They were made up of various races but all wore the black sign of mourning. Aria had a black corsage on her chest, and she bowed before of me as representative. ¡°Welcome back, Vaito.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful for the welcome.¡± Aria was an ally of the Demon Lord army, so she had heard the sad news of Demon Lord Friden Richet. But she did not say anything unnecessary, only the following with a calm expression: ¡°My heart is relieved to see you returned safely.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m sorry I worried you.¡± Not only did I give cause for her to worry, but it was likely that she would suffer hardships in the future because of me. But the demise of the Demon Lord was still a secret to the others. I could not say anything here. The guards here were not aware of any details, but it seemed that they at least knew that ¡®someone very important had passed away.¡¯ I returned their salutes and passed through the castle gates. Aria walked beside me, and looking at my face from the side, said this: ¡°You¡¯ve grown a little more handsome again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just tired.¡± I need to get well soon, I need to be strong for the sake of the late king and the new Demon Lord. It had been a long time since I entered the office, but it looked completely unchanged since the time that I left it. Apparently, the maid of the mansion had been cleaning it. I poured some green tea and sighed in relief. Mereen seemed to be busy with receiving the newly arrived soldiers, and I thought that I would leave the small details up to her. She was the division commander after all. And well, I had my own job to do. I found myself once again gazing at the southern part of a map of Miraldia. Currently, Bernhainen to the northwest and Tuban to the northeast were in a state of stability. The centaur and vampire squads and also the skeleton soldiers were protecting them. And it was not very likely that the enemy would attack from the north for a while, so it would be best if we could increase our allies in the south in the meantime. Then Aria began to explain it to me. ¡°The south of Miraldia is generally split into two trade routes.¡± She pointed at the southern edge of Miraldia with her finger, the city Beruza. ¡°The first is the southwest route. It starts from the port city of Beruza and goes through Rune Height and Bernhainen.¡± Her finger traced the route indicated on the map. ¡°This is the same path that our ancestors traveled. Our ancestors made their headquarters at Beruza and traveled up north, where they built the kingdom of Bernhainen.¡± I see. Now that I think of it, Alam had said that the southern people came here by sea. ¡°The other route is through the southeast. It starts from the southeastern port city of Lotso and goes north towards Shaldir and continues to Tuban and other cities. This route continued to go north and¡­¡± Aria¡¯s voice lowered. ¡°Because of that, there were clashes with migrants who came down from the north, this would later turn into the spark that ignited this war that¡¯s engulfed Miraldia.¡± Ahh, so that is why Shaldir dislikes the north. Aria smiled bitterly and continued. ¡°Vaito, it must be difficult for you to understand how humans continue to quarrel like this for generations.¡± I do understand. I was a human in my past life. Aria pointed at the port city of Beruza to the southwest and said: ¡°Beruza has another name, it is ¡®Pirate City¡¯. They seem to have very little awareness of being part of the Miraldia alliance, but they are the largest city to the south.¡± ¡°Oh, just how large?¡± The larger the population, the more soldiers, and resources we could collect. Aria laughed gently at this. ¡°The civilian population is about two thousand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not very much¡­ Hmm, civilians?¡± Perhaps it meant the number of non-civilians was high. Aria returned with an even more brilliant smile. ¡°Yes, there are only two thousand if we just count civilians.¡± ¡°And the rest?¡± ¡°There should be at least ten thousand.¡± That many? ¡°Other than civilians, but what are they?¡± ¡°Civilians.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t follow you.¡± Aria smiled and apologized to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for confusing you. In other words, they are illegal immigrants.¡± ¡°Illegal immigrants huh¡­¡± It may be a prejudice, but I hoped that they were not a troublesome lot. ¡°Can the city sustain so many illegal immigrants being there?¡± ¡°Yes, it is no matter. While they are illegal immigrants, they have been living there for generations now.¡± Hmmm¡­ This was only making me more and more uncertain. There was still a lot that I didn¡¯t understand, but we could not ignore such a large population. The distance was quite far, but it was to the south of Rune Height. ¡°Well then, we should negotiate immediately. Aria, will you handle the negotiations?¡± ¡°With pleasure.¡± She was still laughing. She must have been very pleased to startle me. ¡°For now, I would like you to tell me a little more. About these illegal immigrants¡­¡± As soon as I said this, Nibert of the Werewolf squad, in other words, Gurney the younger came running into the office. ¡°Vaito, someone suspicious has arrived at the south gate! What is it!?¡± ¡°What is it? How should I know when you haven¡¯t explained anything yet.¡± I answered and Gurney quickly started to explain. ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s a skeleton.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a skeleton soldier.¡± To this Gurney frantically shook his head to the side. ¡°No, no. It talks. My older brother is talking with it now, it¡¯s talking at an incredible speed¡­¡± ¡°What are they talking about?¡± ¡°No-, nothing important.¡± Ah, I see. It¡¯s him. I sighed and waved my hand. ¡°I know who it is¡­ I will go immediately.¡± Gurney the younger was looking at my face strangely, but he suddenly returned to himself and nodded. ¡°Ah, yes. Well, I¡¯ll go and help my brother now. Please come quickly!¡± I stood up slowly and walked sluggishly. I did not want to meet him¡­ As I made my way to the southern gate with heavy footsteps, I saw that the werewolf squad had gathered there. And I could very clearly hear a familiar voice talking. ¡°Is one bite the same before and after you transform? Oh, so it would be more profitable to turn into a werewolf when your friends offer you a bite of their snacks.¡± ¡°Ah, ah¡­ I guess that is true, now that you mention it?¡± Amidst the confusion, Gurney the older said in a somewhat flustered voice. A flippant man¡¯s voice immediately talked over him. ¡°That¡¯s quite the honest reaction! That makes me a happy older brother! Oh, wait, are you the older one? Then I¡¯m the younger brother.¡± ¡°Eh? Why is that?¡± ¡°What, would you prefer a younger sister? That¡¯s too bad, in spite of my appearance, I am a man. See, the suppleness of my skin is different, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Your skin¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I forgot that I shed one layer. What do you think of this pale skin!¡± ¡°Oh, uh¡­ it is pale.¡± Why were they taking this seriously? I pushed through the crowd of werewolves and quickly made my way to the flippant voice. There. It was him after all. The extravagant feathered hat, the expensive suit. His stance was brimming with confidence. And that white skull underneath the hat. ¡°Hey, Parker.¡± As soon as I called him, he swirled around like a tight spring. ¡°Ah, Vaito! My beloved younger brother!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s your younger brother!¡± The crowd stirred. ¡°That skeleton is the commander¡¯s older brother.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see the resemblance¡­¡± ¡°And why is he a skeleton.¡± You guys, stop talking nonsense. ¡°As if you could be my brother. This is Parker of the ¡®Labyrinth¡¯. He was my senior fellow disciple, a former human and necromancer. He is also supposed to be a general of the Demon Lord Army.¡± I was suddenly very tired. Parker merrily laughed as the jaw of his skull loudly opened and closed. ¡°Yes! I am Parker! Parkerparkepaker!¡± ¡°Stop it, that¡¯s annoying.¡± And then Parker suddenly became morose and fell to the ground. He began to draw circles in the dirt with his fingers. ¡°Isn¡¯t that just a little cold for an older brother that you haven¡¯t seen in ages¡­?¡± ¡°As I said, we were just fellow disciples, we are not related!¡± He was terribly annoying. And besides, where had he been all this time and what had he been doing? ¡öGeneral positions of cities south of Miraldia¡ö £¼Wasteland of Discord£¾ £¼South Quite Sea£¾ ¡ùMining villages and small settlements exist around each of the cities. Nomadic tribes also live while traveling between them. CH 74 Before I had time to ponder on such doubts, Parker¡¯s head spun around while his body stayed still and his eyes looked at me. ¡°Oh? Are you perhaps thinking that I was off playing somewhere?¡± Can this guy read my mind? ¡°Hahaha, despite appearances, I am a faithful Third Division Aide of the Demon Lord¡¯s Army! I¡¯ve worn these old bones in service to the Demon Lord¡¯s Army! Though my bones are still intact!¡± Good, here¡¯s my chance. ¡°We stopped using Aide as titles. Currently, you are just Parker.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± It was just for a moment, but I succeeded in shutting him up. I clapped my hands together to disperse the crowd of werewolves. ¡°All of you, return to your stations! I¡¯ll take care of this guy!¡± At my words, the werewolves seemed to return to themselves. They shuffled back to their stations, shaking their heads. Oh well, allowing Parker to talk was a good way to get nowhere¡­ I grabbed him by the collar just as he was about to bring up a new topic, and dragged him to my office. ¡°Upon receiving the order from Master, I went to the southern reaches of Beruza. Did you know that there are merfolk in those seas?¡± Parker began to explain in my office as he helped himself to some of my green tea. ¡°Did it go well then?¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± Parker laughed loudly. ¡°Those people are shockingly pacifistic. Even when I told them that they did not need to fight, they rejected me saying ¡®we can¡¯t go out on land.''¡± Well, that is obvious. They were merfolk. ¡°I said, we only need half of you.¡± ¡°Half, huh.¡± ¡°Yes, just the top half.¡± ¡°¡­Did you really say that?¡± To this, Parker¡¯s bones started to rattle as he began to laugh merrily.¡±I was almost drowned.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re just bones anyway.¡± Master. I don¡¯t think this one was meant for negotiations after all. Parker continued as he held the cup of steaming green tea in front of him. ¡°Well, I think I¡¯ll leave this issue of the merfolk to you. You¡¯ve intelligently secured your foothold here, and you mean to take Beruza in the near future, right?¡± ¡°I am thinking of paying them a little visit before the military invasion.¡± There was no harm in finding out if they could be persuaded. ¡°However, if you¡¯re just going to push the burden of negotiating with the merfolk onto me, then I wonder what exact use you have been all this time?¡± ¡°My ears hurt. Wait, where are my ears?¡± Stop it with these acts. And I¡¯ve heard that joke dozens of times already. ¡°Additionally, this joke can be taken in directions that include ¡®sense of pain¡¯, which do you think is better?¡± ¡°Who cares, go away.¡± I started to ignore Parker who was in front of me and began to think of what to do now, but Parker wanted to continue talking. ¡°By the way, I heard that you avenged the Demon Lord, by defeating the Hero who killed him?¡± ¡°That is not correct. The Demon Lord and the Hero were at a standoff, I just dealt a finishing blow.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Ah, he was about to say something again. If he says something imprudent about the Demon Lord¡¯s death, I will seriously beat him. Fellow disciple or not. Instead, Parker took off his hat, held it to his breast and bowed in front of me. ¡°Thank you, Vaito. You are the pride of Gomoviroa¡¯s disciples.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I too was greatly fond of the Demon Lord. I felt comforted when I was around him. He wasn¡¯t just strong, he was a rare type of leader.¡± It felt like it had been ages since I last heard him speak in earnest. Parker scratched his skull as if troubled and began to mumble. ¡°¡­Oh, dear. I cannot cry any longer.¡± ¡°Parker¡­¡± My fellow disciple, Parker crumpled his own hat in a tight grip and silently looked at the floor. After a long moment of silence, he raised his head. ¡°I am so glad that you are my younger brother.¡± Apparently, that was the best joke he could muster at the moment. I stood up and placed a hand on his thin shoulder. ¡°Younger fellow disciple, I¡¯ll allow that.¡± After mourning a little, Parker put his hat on once again. ¡°Ah, for I, the mood-maker of the Demon Lord Army¡¯s, to be seen like this, the whole army will become gloomy. It is the job of the clown to dance and make people happy, even while he sheds tears.¡± ¡°With you, it¡¯s just endlessly annoying. Also, I thought that you couldn¡¯t cry?¡± ¡°Hahaha, that is fine.¡± What¡¯s fine? As Parker stood up, he completely returned to his usual way of speaking. ¡°If you¡¯re going to Beruza, I will accompany you. Even someone such as I could help you as a guide for the road.¡± ¡°No. You draw too much attention.¡± ¡°Ahh, don¡¯t worry about my clothes. I¡¯ve prepared something that is quite chic and proper.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. It¡¯s your face, your face!¡± As if I could take this skeleton man with me to negotiate with the humans. As soon as I was about to say this, the skull face disappeared. And in its stead, was an incredibly handsome man. It took me about two seconds to realize that the man was Parker. The soft and beautiful youth had an air of melancholy but talked up a storm in Parker¡¯s flippant voice. ¡°How is it? I studied a little of the illusory arts. I can¡¯t change the sensations or temperature, but I can hide my appearance like this now.¡± ¡°Why that face?¡± ¡°What, this is my original face, you know? It¡¯s been a long time since I died, so I should really be an old man. But it¡¯s harder to make an older face.¡± Was he really that handsome in life? With that personality? ¡°What do you think? I don¡¯t think that there were any students so skilled with illusions as me, were there? Should I quit being a necromancer and become an illusionist?¡± Ah, I remembered now. He doesn¡¯t know about Lash. ¡°We have a professional illusionist among our new students. An amazing person who can recreate the walls of this castle, you can even feel it.¡± ¡°Eh¡­what the, are you for real?¡± He was shocked, really shocked. He could create all his facial expressions then. That was a surprising level of detail for him. Parker folded his arms and once again returned his face into a skull. ¡°Well, um¡­ Anyway, with this face, I can accompany you, surely?¡± I always find it difficult to deny this fellow disciple, whenever he asks something of me. ¡°I suppose you have nothing better to do. Very well, you can come.¡± ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s the younger brother I know.¡± ¡°Give it a rest! Listen, you better not say anything that you shouldn¡¯t! If you hinder the negotiations in any way, I¡¯ll throw you to the fish!¡± ¡°I understand. Believe in your older brother.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± While he was usually a flippant, thoughtless person, I actually had a number of debts owed to Parker. And as an elder disciple of the great philosopher Gomoviroa, his skills with necromancy were genuine. And he had a knack for being dependable when it really mattered. But that was also why he got on my nerves so much. Bastard brother. CH 75 Chapter 75 I gathered as much information as I could from Beruza, a famous pirate city. After that, the necessary materials and personnel were arranged for the negotiations. Which member was going to guide us and take us to Beruza was also decided. ¡°I thought I would be called.¡± Mao, a trader, spoke as he prepares a caravan. ¡°I buy salt at Lozzo, not at Beruza.¡± ¡°But do you sell rock salt there?¡± Mao sighed, ¡°That¡¯s right. The Viceroy over there is a good customer.¡± His company will take care of all the small things you need for your trip. It¡¯s very convenient. We are going to meet the Viceroy of Beruza, disguised as traders who have come to sell rock salt. Mao was staring at me. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I know that I am responsible for the journey, but please pay for the travel expenses?¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ll give you and the rest of the personal proper pay as long as you do your job properly. And you¡¯ll also be provided with security.¡± There will be werewolf bodyguards. It was great. And next to Mao was Rashi, the former fake saint. ¡°Ah, am I going too?¡± ¡°Oh yes, Rashi¡¯s illusion is useful. Follow me.¡± Rashi¡¯s illusion can develop a wide range of precise virtual images, so humans who are not accustomed to magic would be easily deceived. In case of emergency, there is a wide range of uses such as running away or threatening, so we plan to have her come with us as a precaution. And this was the person who was formerly an employee of the Senate. The fact that the Demon King¡¯s army has taken in Senate officials can be used as a basis for negotiations. However. ¡°Well, don¡¯t act alone? And at the negotiating table, keep quiet until I allow it.¡± ¡°Okay¡± Rashi nodded enthusiastically. ¡°I don¡¯t trust myself either, so I¡¯ll never leave your side Mr. Vaito! And I will keep my mouth shut!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll protect you if something happens.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Her ability is outstanding, but it¡¯s also a bit dangerous ¡­¡­. And finally, the troublesome brothers. ¡°What is this rock salt? It¡¯s quite interesting to go to the salt producing area to sell salt. Hmm, is the taste different? What¡¯s the taste like?¡± ¡°Mr. Parker, do you know the taste?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t tell even though you don¡¯t have a tongue! Hepero! Oops, that¡¯s why you don¡¯t have a tongue! Ha ha ha!¡± Uzee. It¡¯s all about it. As you can see, all of them are completely unreliable by force, so I decided to bring two squads and eight werewolves. Those of particular note were the Gurney brothers and Monza. The Gurney brothers are quite dexterous even if they don¡¯t transform. Even in situations where it is not good to transform into a werewolf, you can expect them to be active as a full-fledged soldier. Monza was looking forward to using her skills as an intelligence officer. She¡¯s also the most reliable person to watch out for assassination or tailing ¡°Hey brother, Beruza seems to have a sea.¡± ¡°Well, the sea is like a huge lake and it¡¯s salty.¡± ¡°Wow, you know everything!¡± ¡°Oh, but the waves seem to be rushing in, so I¡¯m a little scared.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? Then is Beruza under the water?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s why ¡­ Hey Vaito, is Beruza soaked in water !?¡± Hey stupid brothers. Don¡¯t worry, the waves will pull away, revealing the city underneath. I really wanted to take the demons who were good at negotiations, but those types were busy with the internal affairs of each city. ¡°You can leave the negotiations to me!! Even though I look like this, I¡¯m an orator with two tongues! That¡¯s why I don¡¯t have a tongue!¡± I caught Parker, who was leaning on my shoulder, showed him an empty box in hand and squeezed his back. ¡°Hey, what are you doing, brother?¡± ¡°I think if you break these bones apart, they¡¯ll fit in this box. I think it¡¯ll be easier like that for the both of us.¡± ¡°Wait, are you going to make me into a boxed big brother !?¡± ¡°I want to keep my important brothers and sisters with me. Hey someone, nails and mallets.¡± As expected, I will forgive you if you really were packed in a box, but it seems that there is room for consideration in the event of an emergency. Parker leaned against an empty box and looked up at me. ¡°You have a much worse personality than when you first started ¡­¡± ¡°About half of this is your fault!¡± I joined the caravan and left Rune Height. This time it¡¯s a horse trip. From here to the seaside Beruza, it will be a walk on a gentle mountain road. ¡°Our ancestors who landed across the sea started to move north from Beruza, but as you can see, there was no place to grow fields around here.¡± Mao explained about that while being shaken on the back of a horse. ¡°The ancestors went further north and went out into the plains to create a city that served as a relay base. That¡¯s Rune Height.¡± It¡¯s almost the same story I heard from Aria. Because it was incidental, I would like to confirm the feelings of the citizens. ¡°Then Beruza and Rune Height citizens are like relatives?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They have similar cultures and values ??because they have the same ancestors, and they are relatively familiar. Because the trade route is inconvenient, they are a little distant relatives ¡­¡± In that case, negotiations may be easier. I suddenly became curious and decided to ask about the northern part as well. ¡°If the humans in the south have crossed the sea, where did the humans in the north come from?¡± Actually, I asked Aria the same question, but she didn¡¯t seem to know it well. Mao was a trader who also travels to the north, so he may know. Mao then looked a little embarrassed and replied: ¡°I don¡¯t really know the answer to that ¡­¡± ¡°But you often go to the north, right? Isn¡¯t it the topic of their origin?¡± ¡°I do, but the answer varies from person to person.¡± Mao shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Some say they are indigenous people, some say they are descendants of the great people who built an empire beyond the North Wall Mountains, others say they were commanded by God or that they were collected here from all over the world. ¡° It was splendidly disjointed. Probably one or more of them are correct, but I¡¯m not sure. In any case, it seems that people have ancestors different from those of humans in the south. Certainly, it can¡¯t be helped if the story doesn¡¯t match. It¡¯s not a simple matter of which one is right, but the way of thinking is different because what you have experienced is different. When I was convinced and sighed, Mao was looking at my face. ¡°Can you understand the dangers of the country of Miraldia?¡± ¡°I understand. I understand well. This is why I feel like unifying everyone together.¡± Then Mao laughed a little happily. ¡°You¡¯re a funny person, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I thought the demons wouldn¡¯t understand it, but Vaito-san seems a little different.¡± Because in the previous life I was a human being. Although I was reincarnated as a werewolf and spent my time comfortably, I never thought I would face the problem of ethnic conflict here. After all, it is a good idea to capture only the southern part first. If the southern cities see the northern cities as potential enemies, there seems to be room for negotiation. The master, no, the Demon King was also from the human royal family, and if you talk about the situation, you will understand it immediately. However, as Mao was concerned, this is a problem that ordinary demons cannot understand. I had a headache just thinking about how to explain to the generals ¡­ Mao liked to tell me this story, and continued to tell me this. ¡°I heard that it was the northern side that stuck to the end of the Miraldia Unification War. They wanted to take control of the southern city.¡± ¡°Is it a Southern folklore?¡± ¡°Yes¡± Then it might be better to ask half the story. According to Mao¡¯s explanation, the southern part resisted, ¡°OK, leave me alone!¡±, But the northern part said, ¡°Urusei, form an alliance with us!¡± In the end, the northern part won, so the southern part was forced to formed an alliance. It¡¯s an annoying story. But I don¡¯t think the northern guys are particularly the bad guys, so if that¡¯s true, I think they had done something wrong. These are circumstances that cannot be said about in the south. But I wonder what¡­ CH 76 Chapter 76 That night we made camp. There are camp-friendly plazas here and there on the highway. So we made a sort of campsite. One of the ways was to park the wagons in a circle and make it a simple barricade to prevent the invasion of foreign enemies. It was a measure against bandits and beasts. It would be awkward if we were to be shot by a thief with a fire arrow, but I don¡¯t expect that would happen as the thief¡¯s purpose would be to steal the cargo. If you surround yourself with the wagons, the damage would just be some cargo getting stolen. The thief would also have to steal secretly, and would not steal everything. So of course, this doesn¡¯t hurt the traders. It would be a problem if the trade route was cut off due to overdoing it, and it would be a problem if a full-scale subjugation team came and attacked us. The thieves were, after all, quite smart. ¡°The bandits out there are exiles from cities and nomads. They surprisingly are willing to negotiate,¡± Mao told me. ¡°Salt is a necessity and can be used as a currency, so if you give it a little, it will be quiet.¡± Of course, it is the sea salt that is handed over to the bandits in the south. I won¡¯t hand over the rock salt that I brought so far. ¡°The bandits have territories, and I gave them a lump of salt to the bandits around here. It will be safe tonight.¡± Ah, so those were the people who were wandering around a while ago. If you do this, it will be convenient to prevent other bandits from attacking you. ¡°But you usually have an escort, right?¡± ¡°Of course, but the bandits have to think, ¡®If you fight the escort, do you go home with salt?¡¯ so they usually don¡¯t engage in a fight.¡± A sword was also attached to Mao¡¯s pelvic girdle. ¡°Can you use it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just for show, but I was taught how to use it by a traders¡¯ association. However I have never killed a person.¡± Mao was good at it for some reason. ¡°I am proud that I have survived the crisis through negotiations rather than with a sword.¡± I see, is it the pride of a merchant? Being the escorts of the caravan this time was the responsibility of the Werewolf army, so I ordered eight members of the werewolf corps to take turns watching. ¡°Would you like me to be in charge of security?¡± Parker asked, but I shook my head. ¡°Human beings are afraid of your method.¡± Every time the necromancer did something, the average person would faint. I made sure that the Gurney brothers stood on the lookout and then took my position before the bonfire. Naturally, Parker sat on the opposite side. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t annoy me. Go to sleep.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m always sleeping!¡± Right now it¡¯s definitely what I was aiming for. Besides, this story is the one I¡¯ve heard about four times already. Is there anything new added to it? Parker was looking at me with his arms outstretched, but he silently lowered his hands. ¡°It¡¯s about time this story is getting old¡­ I¡¯ll make a new story¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d be happy if you stopped making silly jokes.¡± Actually, I have a question about necromancy. However, it is difficult to ask for some reason. After returning to Rune Height, let¡¯s ask Senior Melene. While I was thinking about that, Parker was staring at my face. ¡°If you have something to ask, ask me anything. I¡¯m your brother.¡± Apparently it showed on my face. It¡¯s hard to hide anything from this guy¡­ Recognizing that Parker¡¯s pace was rising again, I asked my brothers, ¡°What do you think Master will do in the future?¡± That was a very important issue for me. The Demon King, Gomoviroa, is indispensable to the current Demon King Army. She is a person who inherits the aspirations of the former king and is also a powerful demon. If the Demon King couldn¡¯t stay in the current state. It would lead to a very bad situation for both the Demon King Army and me. Above all, I don¡¯t want Master to get hurt or something dangerous to happen. Parker was silent, but eventually he said: ¡°What was the answer to the ¡®last door¡® that Master opened? Are you worried, since you know it?¡± ¡°Master said that life and death are changes in power, it¡¯s like a ¡®vortex¡¯.¡± ¡°Hmmmm¡­¡­¡± The skull was illuminated by the bonfire. Parker shook his head. ¡°It looks different from my open door, so I can¡¯t say for sure ¡­ I¡¯m sure it¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°Are you being suddenly irresponsible¡± I wondered if Parker would start playing a prank again, but he was serious. Parker has a bright tone and he says: ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I opened the wrong ¡®last door¡¯, but Master doesn¡¯t seem to have done that. So I¡¯m a little relieved.¡± ¡°Wrong door?¡± This guy is immortal, easygoing, and he looks like a master of necromancy. However, Parker murmured with a self-deprecating tone. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I was sick in my lifetime?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why you were studying necromancy, right?¡± When I heard the symptoms, it seemed that Parker had tuberculosis or something. In this world, there is no choice but to treat it with magic, but it is impossible unless you are a professional healer. Even I can¡¯t treat it. ¡°While listening to the footsteps of the god of death, I desperately devoted myself to my research. I was determined to uncover the secrets of life and death and run away from the god of death.¡± And when his life was exhausted, Parker opened the ¡°last door.¡± ¡°For me, life was a complicated puzzle, like a ¡®labyrinth¡¯. It¡¯s a labyrinth that you can only walk while you¡¯re alive. And I thought there was a secret exit that transcended life and death.¡± I see, that¡¯s why it was like a ¡°labyrinth¡± for Parker. ¡°So, did you find it?¡± Otherwise, how could there be a skeleton here right now. But Parker shook his head. ¡°Certainly I transcended death. When I got to the exit, I thought I had outrun the Grim Reaper. ¡° The flame of the bonfire illuminates Parker¡¯s face from below. ¡°But there was nothing beyond the door. There was no life or death outside the maze. It was empty. Only endless emptiness that was spreading. I was neither happy nor sad. Feelings. Even most of them have faded. ¡° ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± This expression was too abstract for me to understand. Although his emotions had faded, the tension was high and it was annoying. Parker then scratched his head and corrected it. ¡°Even if I talk about the image inside of me as it is, you can¡¯t understand it. That¡¯s right¡­ Simply put, it¡¯s something different from what you thought.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely oversimplified, isn¡¯t it?¡± That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t properly understand it. Parker folded his arms as if in trouble. ¡°Well, it¡¯s surprisingly difficult to explain it to you, so that you can understand. At first glance, it may seem that you¡¯ve achieved your goal, but it¡¯s actually the opposite.¡± Parker picked up the wood, put it on the fire, and looked up at me. ¡°I was steadily moving away in an attempt to approach the mysteries of life and death, and in the end I was left behind in a place that would never reach the mysteries of life and death. Do you understand?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± Because necromancy is a philosophy, it is difficult for outsiders to understand it. All I can tell is that he made an irreparable mistake. ¡°Anyways, I failed. But it seems that Master didn¡¯t fail. So you can be rest assured! What are you thinking about this now?¡± ¡°No matter what you say¡­¡± Rather, I¡¯m now worried about Parker, so I¡¯ll ask him a question just in case. ¡°So then, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah? Oh, I¡¯m fine.¡± Parker happily rattled his bones. ¡°Before joining the Demon King¡¯s army, I was told by my predecessor, ¡®If it¡¯s empty, you¡¯re free to put anything.''¡± ¡°The advice was difficult to understand, explain it again.¡± ¡°I thought at that time. Yes, I¡¯m free to do whatever I want! So I¡¯m free to make silly jokes, recreate my life with illusions, or make my favorite disciple a toy!¡± ¡°Wait, what¡¯s the last thing?¡± Parker screamed happily as I approached him. ¡°No, it¡¯s surprisingly fun to have an empty life! Hahaha!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cheat, explain the last thing.¡± ¡°Speaking only silly jokes is a sign of a positive attitude to actively engage with others! I want to cherish the emotions left behind!¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use trying to put it together like a good story.¡± I grabbed Parker¡¯s shoulder and shook it. The bones of the brothers made a cheerful noise and they laughed for a long time. CH 77 Then we traveled in the mountains for a while and we crossed the last pass. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the sea¡± The moment we crossed the pass, a blue horizon jumped into your field of vision. This was the first sea I¡¯ve seen since I was reincarnated. The scenery was familiar to Mao and other traders, but it was the scenery that the werewolves and Rashii were seeing for the first time in their life. Everyone looked down at the scenery and looked at the sea with their defenseless faces. ¡°So this is the ocean¡­ it¡¯s not what I expected.¡± ¡°Big brother, I can¡¯t see the other side¡­¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t magic, is it?¡± There was only one person who had a different impression, but that¡¯s okay. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s more interesting to look at it up close.¡± When I said that and urged his men, Mao tilted his head. ¡°Isn¡¯t it the first time for Vaito-san to see the sea?¡± Oops. I¡¯ve done it again. ¡°Ah, uh¡­ I saw and heard a lot while practicing magic.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it¡± It was good to be a disciple of the Great Sage. If you think about it, this time the questions will come from another direction. ¡°Oh, did the teacher tell you that? Good, I don¡¯t know much about the ocean.¡± I grabbed Parker¡¯s head and closed his mouth, and urged everyone again. ¡°We can¡¯t take it easy yet. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± The pirate city of Beruza is a city that used the crescent-shaped cove as it is. There was a castle wall, but the mountain side is protected by a steep cliff. A werewolf could easily invade by descending from the cliff. The city built on the south slope is quite swanky and seems to be shining in the bright sunlight. The harbor was also bustling. Even so, there are a lot of ships¡­ Maybe that was what Aria was talking about? We arrived at Beruza as we advanced our horses. The detailed procedure was left to Mao, and I immediately asked for a visit to the Viceroy. ¡°I¡¯m the adjutant of the Demon King, Gomoviroa, and I¡¯m called Vaito. I would like to meet with the Viceroy of Beruza.¡± It took less than two seconds for the air around us to freeze. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to stop giving Vaito-sama¡¯s name.¡± Mao sighed while looking around the open space after everyone had run away. Soon after, a ton of fully armed guards rushed in. Mao interceded them, and my subordinates and I were guided to the Viceroy¡¯s mansion while being surrounded. The beautiful scenery was ruined by the annoying people. Still I liked it because it looked like the Mediterranean Sea. The whispers of the surrounding guards were all audible to my hearing. ¡°Is this the Vaito who killed 4,000 people¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s the wall-crushing Vaito.¡± ¡°I heard he killed the Hero¡­ It seems that many people are already burying the Hero.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll protect Viceroy even if I die.¡± ¡°Oh, let¡¯s meet at the Reincarnation Gate¡± Although it was as quiet as possible in the south, what was the damage caused by this rumor? The Viceroy¡¯s mansion was on the slope of Beruza, at the highest point in the city. Me, Mao, Rashi, Parker, and werewolves were guided to the terrace facing the sea. It was a fearless old man who greeted me on the terrace where the tide and the gentle sunlight shined down. ¡°I¡¯m the Viceroy, Garsh. So what is the Demon King¡¯s army here for?¡± There is only one Viceroy of the pirate city, and he looked like a pirate¡¯s master. Absolutely, this was the face that killed some people. There were about 20 muscular rugged men behind him, and it felt intimidating to see. It was like a mafia meeting. Of course, if you order the eight werewolves, they would be easily annihilated ¡­ Feeling a little uncomfortable, I started negotiations immediately. Take a sip of the tea that was brought in and took a deep breath. Because I made a mess when I was in Alam, let¡¯s challenge this with a low profile and a natural body this time. ¡°Garsh, I would like to say this straightforwardly. Could you make an alliance with the Demon King¡¯s army?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡± Garsh folded his arms and stroked his beard. ¡°If you form an alliance with the Demon King¡¯s army, Miraldia will become an enemy this time. Which is better for Beruza?¡± I think it¡¯s much easier being our ally than turning the Demon King¡¯s army into an enemy. However, if you express it straight, it may be perceived as a threat. And maybe this guy won¡¯t soften his attitude when he¡¯s threatened. As long as you¡¯re so proud of your werewolves, he¡¯s sure to be upset. I thought a little and chose my words carefully. ¡°Besides Rune heights, Bernhainen and Tubun are all under the control of the Demon King¡¯s army, and they also have a friendly relationship with Shaldir.¡± ¡°Oh, I know. You¡¯ve made friends with Alam. I¡¯m grateful for that.¡± This pirate captain is quite informed. ¡°Actually, the story secretly came from Alam. He said that I can trust the Demon King¡¯s army.¡± Oh, great Alam. Was he doing diplomacy on his own? ¡°But, whether it¡¯s Aria or Alam, I¡¯m still inexperienced as a Viceroy, so I decide how to deal with the Demon King¡¯s army at my own discretion.¡± As a Viceroy, it¡¯s a very natural thought process. Then let¡¯s sell the good qualities of the Demon King Army. ¡°Let me explain to Garsh first. In the future, if the cities in the south of Miraldia are on the side of the Demon King¡¯s army, the southernmost Beruza will be separated from the north.¡± It¡¯s just a threat so far, but of course there is a continuation. ¡°If that happens, the Demon King¡¯s army will not block the trade route between Beruza and northern Miraldia. We do not want a struggle that afflicts the people.¡± ¡°What?¡± Garsh asked with rounded eyes. You¡¯ve never heard of an enemy protecting a trade route. As expected, Parker caught his mouth from the side. ¡°Are you sure you can promise that?¡± ¡°Oh, I got permission from the Demon King and Aria.¡± Because there is a sea in Beruza, even if the land route is blocked, it can be done via the neighboring Lotso. Even if Lotso turns over to the Demon King¡¯s army, it will be possible to trade with cities outside the territory of Miraldia. It is impossible to stop distribution as long as the naval blockade has not been established. Therefore, I¡¯ll show you a wide range of things here. It has various utility values such as collecting toll tax and monitoring logistics. In the event of an emergency, you may disguise the werewolf corps as bandits and attack the Beruza caravans, damaging the Beruza economy. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll do it, but it¡¯s good to have many choices. But at my offer, Garsh was still surprised. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean. What are you doing here !?¡± ¡°I came to form an alliance?¡± Since he was so surprised, even I was rather shocked. Garsh was groaning with his arms folded, but soon he asked. ¡°¡­ Why are you blocking the sea?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t?¡± This time I was surprised. I can¡¯t help hiding it when I was thinking about it, so let¡¯s be honest. ¡°Unfortunately, my Demon King¡¯s army has no naval force. There is no way we can blockade the sea.¡± Then Garsh looked strange. ¡°Isn¡¯t the mermaid tribe the Demon King¡¯s army?¡± Wrong. The frivolous skeleton next to me had failed to persuade. When I glanced at the hoodie, he quickly turned away. ¡°Hey Parker, explain.¡± ¡°As I reported earlier, the mermaids don¡¯t like conflict, so they don¡¯t join the Demon King¡¯s army.¡± When Parker, disguised as a cool handsome man, answered so, Garsh became more and more confused. ¡°Are the mermaids unwilling to interact with us? Then why are the ships missing? Isn¡¯t the Demon King¡¯s army going to isolate Beruza?¡± It seems that something is wrong. It can however be used, we can use this for negotiations. ¡°Vaito. You have a bad expression on your face right now. Are you aware of it?¡± ¡°Shut up because it¡¯s okay¡± When I stopped Parker, I turned to Garsh. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re in trouble. We¡¯ll cooperate if we can.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s stinky.¡± Although it was a long-awaited proposal, Garsh gave me a suspicious look. Hey, I¡¯m not stirring up trouble in order to get credit for resolving it. Not this time. Garsh looked around our faces many times and then sighed. ¡°It seems that we don¡¯t have any other option. I¡¯ll consider an alliance with the Demon King¡¯s army, but only after the mermaid case is cleared up.¡± ¡°All right¡± As I say, it ¡¯s scary to be in debt from the Demon King Army. However, I would like you to get into the depths with that condition. Let¡¯s try to help them solve their problems. CH 78 Garsh ordered something from his aides, saying, ¡°It is also the job of the Taishou to entertain guests.¡± And we are brought to a nearby restaurant by the guidance of Garsh and others. It¡¯s an Izakaya-like restaurant with the scent of the rocky shore. ¡°Before talking about business, let¡¯s start with drinks!¡± Garsh said so and guided them to a large, sturdy table. The inside of the store was reserved. There were twelve people including me on the Demon King side. There was only Garsh on the Beruza side. You can sit on a table full of monsters like this and stay calm. The bodyguards were all pale. In the meantime, the food was brought in. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it fits my taste because it¡¯s all harvested in the sea.¡± Garsh refused, but it looked really good to me. It was a nostalgic seafood. Shrimp and mushrooms stewed in oil, stir-fried scallops, fish stewed in vegetables ¡­¡­. It¡¯s very similar to what I saw in my previous life, and they all look so good. ¡°The little difficult negotiations will come later. Let the messenger eat delicious food! Then the difficult business will work!¡± ¡°It makes sense¡± While drinking shrimp soup with plenty of garlic, I gave up/started indulging myself after hearing Garsh¡¯s words. The taste is somehow Mediterranean. All the members other than Mao were new to seafood. They seemed to be afraid to eat it while looking at each other. ¡°Hey Vaito, there¡¯s something like a bug ¡­¡± ¡°Shrimp, shrimp. Eat because it tastes good.¡± ¡°Mr. Vaito, what are these grains?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the type, but I think it¡¯s fish eggs.¡± Why do you guys ask me? I¡¯m now dazzled by the seafood that I ate for the first time in my reincarnation. Will you leave me alone? Oh, I¡¯m glad I was a werewolf. Thanks to the bottomless stomach, you can eat as much as you want. I¡¯ve already started eating instead of negotiating, but Garsh started laughing when he saw me. ¡°Wow! Do werewolves eat so much!¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s still a long way to go. Let me eat more, it¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha! How is it? Is Beruza¡¯s food quite good?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an elite lineup¡± I ate fried white fish and poured it in with citrus juice. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve eaten such a delicious fish, give me more.¡± ¡°Oh, here, eat it!¡± Then the chef came from the kitchen and spoke to Garsh with a troubled face. Garsh sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t have any food anymore? The customers aren¡¯t full yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the boss. I have a lot of fish, but I can¡¯t keep up with the cooking.¡± Because there are nine werewolves. Even with the relatively small appetite of Monza, had just finished eating roasted chicken by himself. Platters are piled up around the Gurney brothers like conveyor belt sushi, and it would be impossible to cook at this pace. Looking at the embarrassed chef¡¯s face, Garsh smiled. ¡°Unlike us, we can¡¯t let you eat it raw. Will you wait for a while?¡± As he spoke, I noticed all the fish dishes on the counter are well-heated. Moreover, vegetables and spices are used to eliminate the shore odor. Also, there are many ingredients that are familiar to Rune Height, such as potatoes, chicken, and cheese. We¡¯re from the inland, so they took care of us. But wait a minute. ¡°Unlike us¡± means that they have a habit of eating raw fish, right? ¡°Hey, Garsh¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Garsh turned around, so I asked the question. ¡°Do you eat raw fish?¡± Then Garsh grinned. ¡°Oh, I eat it a lot. It¡¯s best to handle freshly caught fish and eat it raw.¡± I know it well. I know it¡¯s better to let some fish lie down a little, but it¡¯s probably not known in a world without a refrigerator. But now I don¡¯t care about that, I wanted to eat sashimi. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, can you let me have some?¡± ¡°Well,you¡¯re pretty brave.¡± Garsh told the chef that he has a fearless smile. ¡°Great¡± ¡°Is that ok?¡± ¡°Well, if it¡¯s impossible, we¡¯ll eat it. Come on, don¡¯t keep the customers waiting.¡± After the chef returned to the kitchen, Garsh was looking at me with a grin. It looks like he¡¯s waiting for me to whine. They probably thought it was a prank and I wouldn¡¯t eat it. Shortly after, a platter was brought in front of me. ¡°Assorted fresh fish¡± It looked more like Carpaccio than Sashimi. Dressing was attached to a separate plate. I don¡¯t know what kind of fish it is, but it looked like a white fish. When I suddenly noticed, the line of sight from the surroundings was amazing. Both the Beruza people and the Demon Kings Army were curiously staring at me and the platter. ¡°Hey Vaito ¡­ Isn¡¯t it just cutting raw fish?¡± As Gurney said, don¡¯t lose your appetite. ¡°Do people in the south eat this? Wouldn¡¯t it upset your stomach?¡± Rashi seemed to be on the verge of speaking out of turn if I left her alone, so I silently stopped her. Criticism of food culture is taboo. In front of me is Garsh with a grinning face. The escorts and aides behind me also seemed to be waiting for what I would do. Even though I am going to eat sashimi for the first time in a long time, it¡¯s hard to eat ¡­ I put a little dressing on the sashimi of white fish and carried it to my mouth with a fork. This feeling is similar to sea bream. Light night and easy to eat. Oh, but it¡¯s really good! I¡¯m glad I was reincarnated! ¡°Captain, are you okay?¡± I was worried about Monza ¡­ Rather, I looked into it with curiosity, so I nodded while eating. ¡°good¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you overdoing it?¡± ¡°Nope, it¡¯s good¡± It¡¯s okay, so let me eat silently. Garsh looked at me stunned, but now I don¡¯t care about that. But it tastes a bit unsatisfactory, like this carpaccio. The dressing tastes too light. After all, sashimi usually has soy sauce. I searched my pockets and took out the pottery bottle I had hidden. It¡¯s bad for the chef who made it, but I really want to eat sashimi here. That¡¯s why I came all the way with soy sauce. But at that moment, Garsh sharply gazed at it. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s that?¡± Immediately, the escorts behind him were ready. Everyone had a curved sword or a dagger in their hand. In response, the werewolves stood up silently. Was I a little careless? I was blinded by the sashimi and failed. ¡°Everyone calm down. This is just a seasoning. I want to give this dish a little try.¡± I opened the bottle and dripped the black liquid on a small plate. Everyone seems to have calmed down a little because of my word, but glancing around, the atmosphere had a different aura than before. I scooped a piece of sashimi with a fork and put a little seasoning on the edge of the sashimi. And carried it to my mouth. Oh, this is ¡­ this is it. Well, this is it. I can only say ¡°this is it¡±. I¡¯m glad to be alive. Everyone was looking uncomfortable at me being drowned in emotions. Somehow very awkward. What am I doing when I come to the negotiations but start to receive entertainment? I regret it a little, but I can¡¯t stop eating. ¡°Sorry, could you give me another plate without this dressing?¡± ¡°Oh, oh ¡­ of course.¡± Garsh asked me, comparing me with the seasonings over and over again, ¡°It¡¯s a sauce I¡¯ve never seen. What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a seasoning made by fermenting beans. At Rune Height, it¡¯s sweetened and used as a sauce for Kushiyaki.¡± ¡°Why put it on fresh fish?¡± I can only say ¡°because I¡¯m Japanese¡±, but how should I make a proper reason? ¡°This eliminates the smell of meat and enhances the taste. I think it goes well with fish.¡± ¡°Can I taste it?¡± ¡°Oh, please¡± Garsh took a small amount of the seasoning with a silver spoon and smelled it carefully. Then he dropped a drop on his palm and licked it. Garsh nods and opens his mouth many times as the escorts looked at him anxiously. ¡°Sell this to me. This will make good money.¡± Before I could say anything, Mao slipped in. ¡°Garsh, would you like to develop a purchasing route?¡± ¡°Oh. I want to put this in all the stores. It can be mixed with dressing, and it looks good for simmering and grilling with salt.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make arrangements¡± It looks like they were having a business talk over there, and I¡¯ll enjoy the sashimi for a while. However, after that is done, I also want wasabi. Should I look for it next time? CH 79 Garsh returned to his seat after leaving the negotiations to his aides. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting. That¡¯s a very interesting souvenir.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s alright, I didn¡¯t mean for it to be a souvenir however.¡± I was rather remorseful, but Garsh is staring at me as impressed. ¡°You immediately realised that it might match the dish, even though you have never had it before.¡± ¡°Because it fits anything, that is¡± ¡°Hmm¡± Garsh growled with his arms folded. ¡°It looks like the demons aren¡¯t as barbaric as I thought. I think they are a little misunderstood. I apologize.¡± There is no doubt that the demons are barbaric, but if you can say that, let¡¯s just agree. ¡°It¡¯s true that I lived in undeveloped land, so don¡¯t worry. But if possible, I¡¯d like to live while sharing prosperity with humans.¡± When I answered that, Garsh nodded a little. ¡°Then there¡¯s no reason to ally with the Demon King¡¯s army. It just seems more interesting than teaming up with the fucking bastards in the north, but only if you meaning us no harm is true.¡± The last part of his statement carried a lot of weight. Garsh still seems to doubt that we¡¯re doing something at sea. No wonder, because we are demons. This is more and more likely to require consultation with the mermaids. Then, in a tone that Parker ponders, he says: ¡°I had been negotiating with the mermaids for a long time at the order of the Demon King, but during that time they had no suspicious movements. Is there a map?¡± ¡°Oh, wait a minute¡± Just as there was a map of Beruza on the wall, Parker borrowed it and pointed it with his finger. It¡¯s off the southwest coast of Beruza. ¡°Isn¡¯t this strange? This is a place where the tide is gentle. There are some reefs and islets, and there are a lot of mermaids.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Garsh made a strange face. ¡°It¡¯s off the route because there¡¯s a reef. The ship heading to Lotso in the east is missing.¡± ¡°Then mermaids have nothing to do with it, do they? They¡¯re wary of human ships, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll get close to the route.¡± Parker shrugged. Garsh was thinking, ¡°Hmm ¡­ Hey, Vaito, How credible is this guy?¡± I don¡¯t trust him at all. I¡¯d like to say that, but it doesn¡¯t look like Parker is purposefully bringing out vague information. So I can¡¯t help but follow Parker¡¯s words. ¡°Parker is one of the most trusted generals of I and the Demon King. He only reports what he can look up and confirm.¡± I glanced to see Parker grinning, but it¡¯s a shame I have to admit it. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll meet the mermaids once. If they have any disturbing movements, I¡¯ll convince them, and if that doesn¡¯t work, the Demon King¡¯s army will cooperate with Beruza.¡± I still think it was a misunderstanding. Garsh nodded to my words and brought a large bottle of mead from the counter. ¡°Drink¡± ¡°Why?¡± Then Garsh smiled. ¡°Today¡¯s negotiations are over. We¡¯ll have a welcome party, so even if you¡¯re not good at drinking, you¡¯ll have to drink.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡± I smiled back as I received the bottle. ¡°Is there any side dish?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll feed you a lot¡± Apparently, it seems that today is an eat-all-you-can-eat for free. Let¡¯s say that we are well welcomed. The next day, I came with Parker to a sandy beach on the outskirts of Beruza. It¡¯s the beach outside the cove. ¡°Then let¡¯s go see the mermaids.¡± Parker looked back on a small rowing boat, about the size of a fishing boat. ¡°Did you go in that?¡± I asked. ¡°The sea here is calm, and I don¡¯t have to drink or eat. It¡¯s just a matter of riding the tide and drifting for about three days.¡± Replied Parker, who was laughing crazily, I sighed and asked, ¡°In the meantime, what should I do?¡± ¡°Oops, I forgot that! Let¡¯s do this.¡± Parker marked the void, as if he was waiting for me to say it. ¡°Come from the Dark Gate of Gevena, my friend.¡± The voice was horrifyingly cold. I feel that the magical power of the surroundings is distorted in each space and sinks darkly. A number of spatial distortions occurred, from which skeletons slowly emerged. They looked worn out, but were dressed as sailors. There were four skeletons that appeared. Parker said in a low, dark voice, as if his usual tone was a lie. ¡°Brave sailors, there is no time to rest. Now, row the boat.¡± The skeletons silently board the ship and pick up the oars with familiar movements. And started rowing slowly. I jumped onto the ship and stared at this gruesome departure. The greatest feature of Parker¡¯s necromancy is that you can open the gates of the Netherworld and summon the dead directly. It¡¯s quick because you don¡¯t have to make your own. It¡¯s an undead rental. However, the shape and abilities of the undead differ depending on the summoned place. Since this is the beach, the skeletons of fishermen and sailors come out. Those who died around here long ago. Seeing the skeletons rowing the boat silently, I suddenly ask Parker, ¡°Do they have no emotions or intellect?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know because communication is a one-way street, but perhaps all they have left is longing for the past.¡± Parker replied, and continued, ¡°I¡¯m not that different from them either, so I can call them.¡± After all, we shut up and headed offshore on a boat rowed by skeletons. After a while, I felt a strange sense of unease. Ripples were spreading containing the magical power that floats around. It¡¯s a wave of magical power. Mermaids use magic. That is also the magic of spiritual control. Somehow, it makes me feel like going home. I miss Rune Height, Grunstadt Castle, and the hidden village of werewolves. ¡°Near¡± ¡°You can tell?¡± ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t hear the sound, but I feel the vibration of magical power. This is mental control magic.¡± ¡°Yeah. This is the song of the mermaids, ¡®Konaide¡¯.¡± The mermaids attract and alienate others by singing, Parker informs me, ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t make sense to me, and it won¡¯t work much for you. I think it¡¯s just enough for humans.¡± Of course, the rowers of this ship are skeletons, so it won¡¯t work on them either. ¡°If you row toward the center of the song, you will reach it without trouble.¡± ¡°Got it¡± I decided to keep an eye on the destination of the ship, suppressing my feelings of nostalgia for my hometown. Sometime later, when the land was completely invisible, the boat approached a reef-filled sea area. Eventually, a number of ripples spread around the ship. Beautiful half-naked women came out of the sea. They are probably mermaids. This was the first time I¡¯ve seen them. Surprisingly, everyone had a positive smile. Parker took off his hat and approached them. ¡°Is everyone fine after a long time?¡± Then the mermaids replied with a clear, cool voice. ¡°Yes, thank you¡± ¡°Mr. Parker, what about your lord?¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s fearless and wonderful.¡± All the other crew members are skeletons, so I¡¯m monopolizing the eyes of the beautiful women. It¡¯s a little embarrassing. I greet them. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Vaito, the adjutant of the Demon King, Gomoviroa.¡± ¡°Well, you were the one Parker was talking about!?¡± What is this surprise? The mermaids gathered around me all at once and stared at me seriously. When I grabbed Parker¡¯s skull, I quickly questioned him for a moment. ¡°How did you talk about me?¡± ¡°No, nothing, you¡¯re my younger brother ¡­¡± ¡°A disciple. What else did you say?¡± Parker then collapsed to the bottom of the ship and pretended to be just a skeleton. ¡°Hey, say something.¡± Then the mermaids giggled and told me: ¡°Mr. Parker was just proud of Mr. Vaito. He said, ¡®There are a lot of talented people in the Demon King¡¯s army, but the best one is my younger brother¡¯.¡± ¡°Mr. Vaito, it seems you understand the hearts of people. That¡¯s why even though they are demons, they are loved by humans.¡± From their facial expressions, it doesn¡¯t seem like they¡¯re lying or flattering. When I stared at Parker¡¯s face, he shyly looked down. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t think my younger brother would be proud of me talking like this ¡­¡± ¡°Maybe you¡¯re talking about me everywhere you go?¡± Then Parker spoke quickly. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not just talking about you. My friends under Gomoviroa are irreplaceable treasures for me. I don¡¯t have a family anymore, so it¡¯s definitely a story of friends. Just like this one ¡± Because of this one, I¡¯m suddenly shy now. CH 80 Parker was shy and silent, so I turned to the mermaids. ¡°It seems that these unscrupulous brothers have caused some trouble. We apologize for the inconvenience.¡± ¡°No, no, fufufu¡± Why are you so happy? ¡°It¡¯s good, brothers and disciples¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice¡± The mermaids happily fluttered their tails, but I didn¡¯t know how to answer. Personally, I would like to hear various stories immediately, but it seems that the mermaids are not good at such clerical conversations. No need to get in the way here, let¡¯s relax and keep pace with them. But first of all, let¡¯s give an apology. ¡°Parker isn¡¯t a bad guy, but he¡¯s just frivolous and easily misunderstood. He seems to have said things rudely, and I¡¯d like to apologize.¡± Then the mermaids hurriedly shook their tails from side to side, ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous, Mr. Parker is a really sincere person and he helped us a lot.¡± I can¡¯t believe it. Sincere? ¡°But he once said, ¡®Because the upper half is fine, join the Demon King¡¯s army¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that, right?¡± The Mermaids mysteriously tilt their heads. ¡°Even though we declined the offer of the Demon King¡¯s army, Mr. Parker helped us a lot. He is a very serious person.¡± Serious? This guy?! I couldn¡¯t believe it, but the mermaids further explained: ¡°Mr. Parker has enshrined the spirits around here. Thanks to that, we are able to hide in the reefs around here.¡± ¡°If Mr. Parker hadn¡¯t come, we would have been wandering through the vast ocean, reducing our numbers.¡± To summarize their story, it seems that the mermaids had been living while wandering until recently. However, they are not migratory fish. Although they are a hunting and gathering race, they seem to be the type that settles down in a specific place. Parker is said to have removed the reefs and islets where the ghosts were roaming for them. The spirits of those who died in the sea wandered in the waves in search of land, so offshore islets and shallow waters often have spirits that can¡¯t go to the Netherworld.¡± Parker says this with an upward glance and hides his face again. Did you do that thinking you wouldn¡¯t come back at all? When I stared at Parker¡¯s face, he scratched his head in trouble. ¡°Hahaha, it seems that I¡¯ve been skipping it! But thanks to that, I¡¯ve been practicing exorcism! It¡¯s already a huge number!¡± ¡°Parker¡± ¡°What?¡± I said with a smile, ¡°Thank you, you did a good thing¡± Immediately Parker falters and leans against the rim. ¡°Stop, don¡¯t praise me! You¡¯re embarrassing me!¡± ¡°No, it is the right policy of the demon army to help the demons. Isn¡¯t it possible to praise him as an adjutant of the demon?¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s it? It¡¯s just left behind after the negotiations are over?¡± This guy seems to be vulnerable to being praised unexpectedly. Let¡¯s praise him more. ¡°As his fellow disciple, I can tell you that he has a very proud nose. He¡¯s such a fine fellow-brother.¡± ¡°Well, is that so? No, no, let¡¯s negotiate with the mermaids rather than that.¡± ¡°My dear fellow disciple, I respect you.¡± ¡°No, can you stop¡­¡± Parker sneaked and stuck to the bottom of the ship, and became motionless.. You can¡¯t use this method anymore. Let¡¯s also teach senior Melene. Having silenced the annoying brothers, I decided to talk slowly with the mermaids. ¡°Actually, humans are suspicious of you, they think you are attacking human ships.¡± Immediately mermaids started buzzing. Legend has it that they can manipulate water and curse the sinking of ships, but I can imagine that they don¡¯t have that much power. The same is true for vampires and werewolves. Humans have a strong imagination and want to quickly add things to suit the mystery setting. ¡°We don¡¯t attack human ships. The song ¡®Konaide¡® may ask you to leave our home but that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°If anything, it¡¯s rumored here that humans are catching our companions.¡± What does that mean? Then Parker stood up and explained to me carefully, ¡°I remember because I¡¯m a former human being, but mermaids are thought to be immortal, because they don¡¯t look old at all.¡± In addition, there are only women, so it seems that they are seen with a mysterious image. That¡¯s why some heartless humans are aiming for mermaids, thinking that the secret of immortality may be hidden in mermaids. ¡°We certainly don¡¯t look much different, but when we get older, we can¡¯t go out because the ocean is full of enemies.¡± The mermaids said sadly. They looked to be in their mid-teens to late twenties, but they told me that there are actually mermaids in their forties. ¡°There are a lot of ferocious monsters in the ocean. We can fend off our enemies with the speed of swimming and the power of singing, but if neither works, we will be eaten.¡± Therefore, when they get older, the mermaids usually retire early and take charge of young singing instruction and babysitters in the reef. It seems that they just don¡¯t appear in public. By the way, it seems that there are some male mermaids as well, but since they specialize in swimming speed rather than singing, they are in charge of hunting in the flock. Everyone seems to be busy catching fish and shellfish. It is said that male mermaids are always in short supply, as they often go missing while hunting, perhaps because they are attacked by monsters. As a man, it¡¯s a story that I can somehow sympathize with. It doesn¡¯t seem to be as mysterious or graceful as humans think ¡­ I also understand why Parker becomes sympathetic to the mermaid. ¡°We young mermaids swim fast and sing well, but in the waters we were in before, several mermaids of my age suddenly disappeared.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t particularly isolated from the flock, and I was only attacked by humans or monsters¡­¡± The Mermaids had sad expressions. ¡°We don¡¯t have the power to fight humans, and we don¡¯t want to fight at all, so we were wandering in search of safe waters.¡± So that¡¯s it. That¡¯s where this frivolous skeleton came in. The waters where the mermaids were in before were close to Beruza, so they decided to move with caution for humans. However, the reef that they finally found was full of ghosts and they couldn¡¯t get close to it, and they couldn¡¯t get rid of it by singing, so they were in trouble. It seems that the mermaids were in front of the waters just east of Beruza. It¡¯s close to the route from Beruza to Lotso. Neither humans nor mermaids testify that they are attacking each other. If either testimony is true, there could be a third ¡°enemy¡± attacking both. If so, is the ¡°enemy¡± a human being or a monster? ¡°Hey, Parker¡± ¡°What?¡± When I was training, I remembered the description I read in my master¡¯s collection. ¡°Is there a sea-dwelling monster that can prey on mermaids and sailing ships?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know. There are giant creatures on land, and there is sure to be something in the sea.¡± Parker shrugged, but suddenly said, as he remembered. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve been lost in the deep fog while drifting in search of the mermaids.¡± ¡°Fog?¡± Parker rowed into the sea with the skeleton sailors to meet the mermaid, but was trapped in the fog for several days during the voyage. ¡°The wind and tide seemed to have stopped, and the fog was rushing in. I thought it was a strange place, and I hid the boat with the illusion I had just learned.¡± After that, nothing happened, and eventually the fog cleared and Parker met the mermaids. ¡°It¡¯s weird, but what should I say¡­¡± This guy is a skeleton. Even if a monster finds Parker, it can¡¯t eat him. Even if he encountered a monster, it would just pass by him. I¡¯ll have to remember what you just said. ¡°I understand your situation for the time being, so I¡¯ll talk to the humans about it. I¡¯d be happy if you could accompany me.¡± Then the mermaids looked at each other, as if they were a little scared. Is it impossible after all? ¡°By the way, who are your chiefs?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have anyone in particular. We don¡¯t fight, so we don¡¯t know who is the best¡­¡± Their temperament of a demon is in a strange place, though it should be decided by discussion. Anyway, let¡¯s go back and talk with Garsh and others. I should also contact Rune Height. TN: Konaide means ¡°Don¡¯t come¡± CH 81 When I returned to Beruza, I immediately sent two werewolves to Rune Heights. ¡°Transform and return to Rune Heights as quickly as possible. Give this letter to Aria. If the Demon King is also there, don¡¯t forget to report it there too.¡± ¡°Roger that!¡± ¡°Let me take care of that!¡± If something went wrong in this area, it would be beyond my control. A helper is needed just for the investigation. As a liaison, Parker made daily round trips to the reefs with the mermaids. ¡°Are you casually trying to keep me away?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Come on, reassure them.¡± ¡°Okay, but ¡­ after telling the special joke I just came up with.¡± ¡°Just go fast, it¡¯s okay¡± This also serves as a surveillance, as the chances of the mermaids doing something behind the scenes isn¡¯t zero. Just in case. As a lieutenant of the Demon King, it¡¯s important not to trust others so lightly ¡­ Of course, an eye would need to be put on the humans as well. This was just in case. The person in charge there was the Monza Corps. ¡°Keep an eye on them for anything strange.¡± ¡°Oh, captain. If I find something strange, can I kill him?¡± ¡°No¡± ¡°Please¡­ ¡° You can¡¯t do something that isn¡¯t good even if you¡¯re cute. I mean, where did you learn how to do that? While I was suspicious of Monza, Rashi whispered from the side. ¡°No, look at Mr. Monza. He gives me an ¡®I want to be useful for you¡¯ aura.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± I see. ¡°Rashi. It¡¯s nice to get along with the werewolves, but can you not inject in between?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I just wanted to help Mr. Vaito ¡­¡± Rashi said it cutely, looking a little lonely. That¡¯s the way you¡¯ve advised Monza right now. Do you think it will work out? ¡°No, you should train on swimming as a punishment.¡± ¡°Eh !?¡± I have a little idea. Perhaps this may be useful. Rashi decided to change into a bathing suit as I forced her to practice swimming at the harbor. ¡°Wait, Vaito! I was born in the north, so I can¡¯t swim!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I want you to be able to swim. You see, do you want to help me?¡± ¡°No!!¡± I just lightly patted her back, but Rashi screamed and jumped into the sea from the pier. I¡¯ve never seen such comedy/entertainment in my previous life ¡­ Of course I don¡¯t want her to drown, so she has rescuers. I shouted to the Gurney brothers who were fluttering at sea. ¡°Hey you guys, stop playing and take care of Rashi properly!¡± Then Gurney brothers screamed back while scratching themselves, ¡°We just swam in the river, we¡¯re not that good at it!¡± ¡°I used to teach you how to breaststroke. You can use that.¡± I used to teach werewolves of my generation to crawl and breaststroke when I was a kid. So everyone can swim to the extent that they don¡¯t drown. Even back then, the Gurney brothers have not been very good at swimming, and I feel that they have found an unexpected weakness. Even if you¡¯re not good at it, if you become a werewolf, your physical strength will rise, so if you swim in a cove with calm waves, you won¡¯t have any trouble. For the time being, I should keep an eye on it here. In case of an emergency, I¡¯ll rescue them with an underwater breathing spell. I decided to sit on the pier and spread the spellbook while reaffirming what I might need in the future. The magic of this world is difficult to use just by remembering spells and actions. Formal techniques are quite time-consuming and require concentration to use the technique. It can¡¯t be used immediately except for a very simple technique. Therefore, I usually keep the technique to be used in an emergency in the corner of my consciousness. Complete the chanting and movements in advance, and then just activate them. It¡¯s a bit like registering the magic that you often use in MMOs as shortcuts. It can be said that the strength of the magician in battle is determined by the number of shortcut slots he has. No matter how advanced you are, it¡¯s meaningless if you can¡¯t use it right away. By the way, I can prepare about 5 or 6 techniques. That¡¯s a very average number for a professional magician. Rashi can use advanced illusions, but the number of ready ones will be about the same. I¡¯m not a very dexterous person. Senior Parker and Melene have a long experience as magicians and should be able to do a little more. As for Master, I have no idea how many preparations she can make. I think it¡¯s literally orders of magnitude different. That¡¯s why I was endlessly thinking about what to remove instead, putting in conscious shortcuts the techniques that might be needed at sea. ¡°Strengthening the muscle, strengthening reflex speed, and strengthening resilience cannot be excluded ¡­¡± ¡°Vaito-san! Hey, at least, can I swim where I can reach my feet! I should practice step by step ¡­!¡± Rashi was swimming like crazy while the Gurney brothers were watching over. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not that deep! Strengthening your defenses ¡­ Hmm, but should I put in water walking? Oh, wait, I should put in some healing magic.¡± There are some techniques that my teacher recently taught me. I also want to try them. As I was thinking about it, Rashi suddenly started swimming. It seems that she got the hang of it. ¡°Ah!? How should I do this !? Is this how it¡¯s supposed to be done Mr. Vaito!¡± ¡°Ah, do your best! Is it possible to remove the technique that does not need to be used immediately?¡± I will narrow down the necessary techniques while cheering appropriately. I¡¯m a Buffer, so I have to consider sustainability when choosing a technique. If the effect lasts for half a day, you can use it in advance, and if it expires in a few seconds, it is troublesome to use it again. It¡¯s quite difficult ¡­ At last, Rashi seemed to master breaststroke and started swimming happily. ¡°I did it! I did it, Mr. Vaito! I can now swim!¡± ¡°Oh, it was faster than I expected. Great, Rashi. Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Ehehe¡± I gave the following instructions to her as she was smiling shyly, ¡°Then next. Go through the bottom of the boats everywhere.¡± ¡°eh?¡± ¡°Observe the surface of the water and the bottom of the ship while swimming. As you get used to it, gradually switch to a larger ship.¡± ¡°Eh? Eh?¡± Don¡¯t hold it against me, because I¡¯ve thought this through. Good luck, ex-saint. CH 82 (Viceroy Garsh¡¯s Complaints) Where did they go? Yes, the harbor? You shouldn¡¯t neglect to monitor them. Keep an eye on them. Maybe they¡¯ve noticed us. Don¡¯t get too close and be careless. All you have to do is keep an eye on it from a distance. Don¡¯t move strangely. Maybe we are being monitored too. I feel uncomfortable. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing. Anyway, it¡¯s not good. What about our plan? I don¡¯t know. Well, I wonder if that lieutenant can only be seen as a dull brother. This kid is a simpleton. It¡¯s usually not a big deal to be a rotten bastard. You just have to say ¡°I¡¯m so strong, I¡¯m great¡±. Do sharks bark? That¡¯s the case with the bastards in the Senate. All they do is bark and it¡¯s not a big deal. They are the same as a small puppy. I thought that if it was that kind of a guy who would come out in the negotiations, the Demon King¡¯s army wouldn¡¯t be a big deal either. But this dull brother, neither intimidating nor bragging. Rumor has it that he was a monster who killed 4,000 people in the battle with Tuburn. No, 4,000 people wouldn¡¯t be true. That would mean he would have killed all but the Tuburn soldiers. However, he is not a man who kills people unnecessarily. Oh, I¡¯m sure his skills are undoubtedly good. I¡¯ve heard from Aram¡¯s little boy. It seems that he noticed the hidden room and even guessed the number and equipment of the soldiers inside. I¡¯ve heard rumors about him killing the heroes, and I believe it. These guys don¡¯t unnecessarily meddle in other things. It¡¯s the same for his subordinates. With such great skills, he has a lot of credit, but does he ever talk about that? In short, in his mind, such things are normal and nothing to brag about¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right. You should know this. He¡¯s a real monster, a ridiculous human-eating shark. The human-eating sharks are inconspicuous in color, and it comes quietly and quickly, and eats the sailor. I don¡¯t know if it will be satisfied even after eating. They don¡¯t count how many people they have eaten. That¡¯s the kind of man he is. If you make him angry, Beruza will perish. I¡¯ll bet my ship on it. This alone is bad enough, but what he really does is bargaining. Didn¡¯t you see the way he ate the fresh fish? I thought I was going crazy! If he was forcing himself to eat it, he is certainly a great actor. It only seemed to me that he was happy to eat it. The chef was happy, he has probably never seen customers who were so happy to eat. Even though he is a demon, he knows the tricks to please his hosts. Either way, he was not scared of the fresh fish, even though he ate it for the first time. The other guys were terrified, so he¡¯s probably the only one who can do that. The problem was after that. He even had some seasoning that we didn¡¯t know about. That seasoning was absolutely delicious. It¡¯s perfect for fresh fish. I must try it out again later. It will bring a new breeze to Belusa cuisine. Thanks to that, I think I can make a profit. Oh no doubt. I was going to show you the story of the trade. It was a little blurry. Not only did he just threaten with force, he also dangled bait for us. Moreover, it is casual and natural. His level of naturalness is very difficult to achieve. I can¡¯t do it yet, so I always end up looking like I¡¯m forcing myself. It can¡¯t be helped even though I¡¯ve been doing it for a long time. He¡¯s pretty good both as a cultural person and as a business person. Now you know. It seems that Belusa is now losing diplomatically, militarily and culturally. If I use all of Beruza¡¯s troops well, I may be able to repel the Demon King¡¯s army at least once. But do you guys have the courage to fight the werewolf who bit the hero and the Vaito who killed 4000 people? Hey, to me, that¡¯s not courage. The courage of a sailor is being timid and cautious. Therefore, there will be no war against the Demon King Army. It¡¯s much safer to quarrel with all the cities in the north than to make enemies with them. Well, I managed to get them to at least secure the safety of the route. If we get any greedier, we might be killed. I was really scared. No, at that time I was really trembling. I was just as scared as you guys. I was already negotiating only with my sense of responsibility as a Viceroy. It would have been strange for him. The Viceroy, who is proud of his strength, is trembling like a newborn lamb. But he didn¡¯t make a fool of me, who was trembling and quivering, and he treated me naturally. I don¡¯t know how he didn¡¯t laugh at me. Maybe that¡¯s the dignity of a strong man. ¡­¡­no. Perhaps it doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s strong or weak. I don¡¯t understand, but I feel like I¡¯m looking at something different from what he see. What is it? I don¡¯t understand that. I was shaking and rattling. By the way, what are they doing now? Playing in the water? Putting that Rashi girl in a swimsuit? What¡¯s that? They¡¯re having fun with a woman in their midst? And what is Vaito doing? Reading a book? With a difficult face? Are you reading a book at the pier without looking at your sister in a swimsuit? ¡­No, I don¡¯t even know. But I have some ideas. It¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t bother them anymore. I¡¯ll just watch from afar. Oh yeah, keep those beers cold. CH 83 Over the next few days, the information I needed began to come to me. ¡°This is ¡­ Bernheinen ¡­¡± ¡°Okay, let me read it already.¡± I hurriedly received the documents brought by Seiches of the Horse Corps. There are various monsters and mysterious phenomenons in this world, but most of them remain unknown and have not been elucidated. However, humans leave records. If there has been an attack even once, they will record it and try to pass it on to future generations. There are a huge number of books in the ancient city of Bernheinen in the south. There should be information on the pioneering era in it. With that in mind, I asked Senior Melene to look up the books in the Royal Library. In my previous life, if you ask a question on SNS, someone will answer you immediately, but in this world it is not so. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s a hit¡± There was one monster that matches the search results. There was a monster that a pioneer who aimed for Miraldia about 200 years ago encountered while crossing the South Shizukai. A monster that is likely to attack both ships and mermaids. The wind that stopped, the tide that stopped, and the fog. It perfectly matched the conditions of Parker¡¯s testimony. ¡°¡­ Is it an island octopus?¡± It¡¯s literally a giant octopus, as big as an island. The name is somewhat humorous, but it seems to be the strongest and worst monster feared as the ¡°Devil¡¯s Sea.¡± The papers mentioned other possibilities, but did not meet the criteria. Flying monsters are easily spotted, and it¡¯s easier to attack humans than to attack mermaids. The rest are undead, such as the ghost ship, which is the story of a sailor, but then we should have noticed it when the necromancer Parker encountered it. Besides, the undead that occur naturally in this world basically only attack their own kind. The mermaids were afraid of human ghosts, but the reason they didn¡¯t hurt them was probably because they were of different races. Also, human pirates do not sink ships except for the most vicious ones. Like the bandits on the trade route, killing their prey will be a problem later on. It seems that Garsh¡¯s ancestors were also pirates, but from that time there was a ¡°five-percent rule¡± in the South Shizukai. It is a self-imposed rule of the pirate industry that only five percent, that is, five percent of the cargo, should be stolen. With only that much damage, you can make up for the loss by selling the remaining cargo at a higher price. This means that the route will not be interrupted because business will still be possible. On the contrary, if you are too greedy, the merchant ships will be armed in earnest and the subjugation fleet will be organized to defeat them. So it would be different from a human pirate. After all, it seems that the only valid candidate is the island octopus. When I went to the Taishou¡¯s mansion in Beruza with the information on the island octopus, Garsh immediately held his head. ¡°Hey, seriously. Is this kind of thing in our ocean?¡± The documents brought by Seiches are copies of the collection, so the only illustration is a picture of an octopus that seems to be handwritten by senior Melene. Perhaps it was the artist¡¯s handiwork, but it looked vaguely cute. However, the size of the island octopus was not so cute. A sailing ship with three masts is caught by winding it around with tentacles. ¡°The Devil¡¯s Sea attacking the emigrant ship Kaiyan¡± At the bottom of the figure, it was written in the character of senior Melene. Garsh and his minions are having a conversation like this with a moaning voice. ¡°No, I¡¯ve heard that while the first voyage to Beruza, a ridiculous monster attacked and sank a fellow ship.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t the first big mullet ¡­¡± ¡°Hey, I wonder what my ancestors are.¡± ¡°Because even the boss will blow a big mullet soon.¡± (TN: Even we don¡¯t know what this random conversation is about lol) Apparently it still remains in the folklore. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the same individual that Garsh¡¯s ancestors encountered, but it¡¯s almost certainly the culprit. It seems that the master also looked up the ¡°Devil¡¯s Sea¡± in the library, and there were detailed descriptions about it. It looks like an octopus so it is called an island octopus, but apparently, it¡¯s also a member of the shellfish. The head, or rather the top of the body, is covered with a rock-like shell that seems to mimic a reef. The reefs attract small fish, which in turn attract larger fish and beasts. It is believed that it preys on the fish. It seems to be a very clever type of monster. The reason why the wind and tide stop is not clear, but Master thinks that it may have such magical power. Just as a werewolf can transform instantly, demons have mysterious powers. Master hypothesized that the fog might be the island octopus spraying seawater like a whale squirting. By the way, mermaids also live on the reefs. Perhaps their former residence was also a reef. And they are a reasonable size for food for the ¡°Devil¡¯s Sea¡±. However, ¡°attacking the ship¡± is not written in Master¡¯s memo. Even if you try to eat sailors as a staple food, the ships are large and rarely encountered. Considering the ecology of island octopus, it is more natural to think that it would usually eat large fish. That was the content. Rashi peeked at it and tilted her head. ¡°Is this the culprit who attacked the ship after all?¡± ¡°Garsh¡¯s ancestors seem to have been attacked by it, so it seems so.¡± Master¡¯s memo is described as a biological study, and the memo of Senior Melene is described as a historical record. I thought a little and drew a conclusion. ¡°Maybe ordinary island octopuses don¡¯t attack ships, but island octopuses in the South Shizuka now attack ships too. Given that, there¡¯s no contradiction.¡± It was around the time when pioneers arrived in the southern part of Miraldia. Suppose there is a ship that happens to get on the ¡°rock reef¡± of an island octopus. It¡¯s annoying for the island octopus, but it¡¯s also a tanabota. Humans who fall into the sea are slower than fish and are easy to catch. If it can eat dozens of people, it will be okay without eating anything for a while. Unlike homeothermic animals, metabolism should be low. And I think the island octopus is full for now. ¡°I wonder if it will come again ¡­¡± Of course, it¡¯s all my imagination, but if that¡¯s the case, there seems to be no limit to what I can do. Let¡¯s think about how to get rid of it all together. That¡¯s what i thought, but for some reason everyone on the spot was surrounded by a heavy atmosphere. ¡°The Devil¡¯s Sea ¡­ It¡¯s a messy monster, isn¡¯t it?¡± When Garsh moans, Rashi murmured as if she was disappointed. ¡°As expected, neither the Demon King¡¯s Army nor the Miraldia Alliance Army can deal with this ¡­¡± The werewolves also have similar expressions. ¡°This is not something you can handle with fangs and claws¡­¡± ¡°This is a bit of a stretch, isn¡¯t it?¡± Gurney and Monza had difficult faces. Everyone¡¯s reaction was unexpectedly bearish. It can not be helped. I told everyone, quickly putting together a subjugation plan in my head. ¡°It¡¯s just a monster. Let¡¯s quickly get rid of the worries of the Mermaids and Beruza.¡± Everyone was silent and looked at me astonishingly. No, I¡¯m sorry for not reading the air. Parker asked curiously. ¡°Somehow, you¡¯re not afraid of the Devil¡¯s Sea. Your opponent is a monster that sinks a large ship, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still weaker than a hero¡± The strength of the hero Arches transcended the common sense of this world. I¡¯ve fought a lot of guys in my life, but he¡¯s the only one that made me feel like I was going to die. Compared to that, this is just an octopus. You can chop it into ingredients for takoyaki. With Berusa¡¯s naval power, the strength of the demon tribe, and magic, we can do anything. ¡°The Demon King¡¯s Army has defeated the hero, so I think this octopus guy is weaker than the hero. Then we can defeat this guy too. So let¡¯s get on with it.¡± Everyone had a dumb face on them, but after a while the werewolves nodded. ¡°Oh, yeah ¡­ if the captain says so, let¡¯s give it a try¡± ¡°He is the man who bit the hero to death¡­¡± This is the reason why the werewolf team is so energetic. On the other hand, Garsh was cautious only as the Viceroy. ¡°Hey, is there a chance of winning?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not certain, but it¡¯s possible. I also set up a strategy in case the opponent is an island octopus and in case it is not. But we don¡¯t have a ship. Lend me a Beruza ship.¡± Garsh folded his arms and groaned. ¡°Is it a ship? ¡­ Actually, I was building a new warship without permission from the Senate in preparation for the battle with the Demon King¡¯s army.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll use that¡± The warships in this world are probably galleys. It¡¯s the kind you row with large numbers of people. Then Garsh laughs as if in trouble. ¡°I made it secretly to fight the Demon King¡¯s army ¡­ Well, I think I won¡¯t be using it for that purpose, so I¡¯ll lend it to you along with the old one. But return it properly.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t promise that, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine. Also lend me some merchant ships.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a greedy guy. What use do you have for a merchant ship?¡± ¡°I may be able to load weapons developed by the Demon King Army, so I¡¯d like to borrow it for the time being.¡± Merchant ships are basically sailing ships, but this one can carry things better. Garsh looked stunned for a while, but soon began to laugh. ¡°Well, that¡¯s okay. Warships and merchant ships are cheap as long as the route is safe! You can use it as you like!¡± Oh, that¡¯s very generous. Warships are much more expensive than merchant and fishing vessels, so they should cost a lot. ¡°¡­ If possible, I¡¯d be happy if the warship alone could be returned safely.¡± It seems that he still has a little bit of a craving. Based on Master¡¯s memo, I made a plan to subdue the ¡°Devil¡¯s Sea¡±, but this requires additional personnel and special equipment. ¡°Contact Tuburn¡¯s arsenal and Luneheit¡¯s Crossbow Corps. I¡¯ll also train Rashi.¡± ¡°You mean me!?¡± ¡°Your illusion is the key to victory. I¡¯ll train you until the day we set out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± This is to return the warship unharmed. Good luck. CH 84 In the meantime, the personnel and equipment I had arranged for, gathered one after another. ¡°Yee-hah!¡± The first to rush were the elite Centaur corps that the Demon King¡¯s army is proud of. I think I just saw something I shouldn¡¯t have, but I must have imagined it. ¡°Vaito Senpai! I¡¯m here!¡± ¡°How did you come! You¡¯re the Viceroy of Tuburn!¡± Filnir rushed towards me from the entrance and shouted. There are also 200 of the best guards he has selected. Filnir smiled and swung his spear. ¡°I¡¯ve left Tuburn to Seiches, so it¡¯s probably okay!¡± I wonder if he was forced to do something later. I was going to make Seiches the commander of the Centaur corps ¡­ well. Filnir laughed happily and showed me his hoof. ¡°Look! Master made it according to your order!¡± ¡°Oh, this?¡± I asked my master to cast the magic of water walking on the horseshoes for the Centaurs. It¡¯s a simple consumable item, but it¡¯s a magical piece of equipment. When I walked on the water myself during my training, I noticed that the surface of the water is a vast plain. If a horse were to charge through here, it would be able to exert considerable strength. The problem is that if the horse falls, the jockey will drown. But since the centaur soldiers are infantry, they will not fall. If the centaurs were to rampage freely on the water, they would be quite a force to be reckoned with. They are highly mobile and can handle spears, bows and swords. Besides, they are brave. ¡°How is it going to be the same as when running on the ground?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s perfect. Except when you fall over, it sometimes floats upside down.¡± Oh, it¡¯s only the horseshoe that¡¯s magical ¡­ If you design it to cast magic on your whole body, you won¡¯t have the same outcome. ¡°Then, will you do the training for recovery and rescue in the event of a fall? I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± ¡°Yes, Senpai!¡± Filnir and others have carried large weapons from Tuburn. They are all custom-made products. ¡°This is a fixed crossbow. But is this really useful?¡± ¡°Maybe¡± The disadvantage is that the range is a little short, but it is powerful enough. Even if the enemy isn¡¯t an island octopus, it can kill him. ¡°I also had a catapult made, but I wonder if I can kill it by throwing rocks?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not a rock we¡¯re throwing.¡± For the time being, I¡¯m thinking of two ways of operation, but if I explain one, everyone will definitely oppose it, so I won¡¯t say it now. I think I can fly. Werewolves. That afternoon, the Dogman¡¯s Crossbow and Engineers arrived from Rune Height. ¡°Vaito, it¡¯s been a long time!¡± ¡°It smells like the tide!¡± ¡°I want to eat fish!¡± ¡°So much water! Can I swim !?¡± We¡¯re not here on a field trip, you guys. Well, these guys won¡¯t be intimidated by monsters anyway. I¡¯m looking forward to it. Meanwhile, the ship was being steadily prepared. ¡°Okay, the Engineers! Start refurbishing the warship!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Warships in this world are basically amphibious assault ships that transport soldiers. In the fleet battle, the enemy¡¯s ship is struck by the bow of the ship, blocking its movement, and then the soldiers board. But if you try to fight sea monsters this way, you won¡¯t win. Therefore, the warship is used as an aircraft carrier to carry the Centaur corps. There are five ships, both old and new, so we can have about 40 Centaurs on board. On the other hand, it is the transport merchant ships that are responsible for the shooting. Although the durability of merchant ships for transportation used for trading is inferior to that of warships, the loading capacity is large. They don¡¯t have to ram around with impulse angles, so they don¡¯t need to be so thick and strong. The custom-made large crossbow shoots a harpoon-like arrow for whaling. That¡¯s why it¡¯s very heavy. I don¡¯t know how big or durable the enemy is, so I plan to load a lot of arrows. A spare crossbow is also installed in case of failure or damage. In addition, catapults are also piled up. In that case, I feel that the merchant ship is easier to use, so it¡¯s strange. No, come to think of it, did the galleys disappear after they started loading cannons? Huh? I wonder how it was ¡­ I could look it up if I had the internet. It¡¯s frustrating sometimes. As I twisted my neck, Garsh yelled at the pier. ¡°Hey, you and these dogs are destroying our warship! Stop it!¡± ¡°Oh no, we¡¯re not breaking it. It¡¯s a bit small for the group, so we¡¯re just refurbishing it.¡± ¡°If you get rid of everything like that, you won¡¯t be able to put it back!¡± You don¡¯t like the dramatic wooden remodeling by Takumi? ¡°I thought about mounting a human infantry on board as a naval battle specification, but it¡¯s too wide to be useful at sea. And it¡¯s not stable when walking on the water. Give up.¡± ¡°Do you know how much material and money it cost me to build that? ¡­¡± Garsh held his head, but he seems to have recovered by himself because he was the type of person who was quick to dismiss things. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it? Hey, can you kill the ¡®Devil¡¯s Sea¡¯ properly?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee it, but it¡¯s probably okay. Leave it to me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a real stickler¡­¡± Aside from mysterious monsters, I¡¯m relatively familiar with the ecology of octopuses. I¡¯m not particularly afraid of their appearance. After all, I was Japanese in my previous life. I am proud to be a natural enemy of the octopus. After a while, the dragon people arrived this time. The Dragon Fire Engineers and their escort, the Blue Scale Knights. Technician Kurze salutes me and told me with a straight face. ¡°Mister Vaito, this time you must follow our instructions.¡± ¡°I know¡± With a straight face, technician Kurze pressed on. ¡°You must absolutely follow our instructions¡± He obviously does not trust me at all. In fact, I don¡¯t trust myself either. I know that, but when I transform into a werewolf ¡­ I can¡¯t help it. In the meantime, I asked if the thing I ordered was ready. ¡°Did you get the stuff I ordered?¡± ¡°Since it is a material for dragon balls, I managed to prepare it ¡­¡± With that said, Technician Kurze stared at me. ¡°That manufacturing method is top secret. It is made with advanced technology that is incomparably advanced than the ¡°Dragon¡¯s Breath¡±.¡± It¡¯s probably electrolysis. The former king seemed to be familiar with chemistry, and I saw that his master could use electric shock magic, so I thought he was making it. But let¡¯s keep silent. Then Technician Kurze sighed a little, as if he had guessed my thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s as if you can see through all of this¡­ You¡¯re indeed, Gomoviroa¡¯s high-ranking younger disciple.¡± If anything, it¡¯s thanks to the chemistry class. Technician Kurze squints at the sea breeze and mutters. ¡°At first, I was expecting to be told to pack ¡°Dragon¡¯s Breath¡± in a barrel and bring it again ¡­¡± ¡°Because the former king has forbidden me to play with fire.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nostalgic. I¡¯ll just say that this is just as dangerous.¡± ¡°I know. I want to leave the handling to Kurze.¡± Since I am not sure about the waterproofing technology of the Dragon people, I considered the possibility that gunpowder could not be used because it was damp. With drying magic, you can dry it to crisp, but unfortunately I can not use such a convenient thing. At that time, I suddenly remembered my previous life as a student. I have to thank my friend who belongs to the chemistry department for telling me an interesting story. You wouldn¡¯t think that I would be reincarnated as a werewolf and end up fighting a big octopus. If you reincarnate here, you can buy sashimi as a thank you. However, I don¡¯t have wasabi, though. CH 85 About half a month passed in no time, and finally everything was ready. ¡°Alignment!¡± I spoke to the Demon King¡¯s soldiers and the Beruza sailors in line. ¡°From now on, we will start a joint operation between the Demon King¡¯s Army and the Beruza Navy. The operation procedure is as trained, and there is nothing special to say now. It is neither difficult nor a deadly mission. Do it as trained.¡± It¡¯s not really that easy because the opponent¡¯s ability is unknown. However, everyone is nervous, so it seems that I have no choice but to soften the atmosphere. ¡°The opponent is just a big octopus. It¡¯s not the enemy of our octopus-beating fleet. When it comes to that, there are about three trump cards.¡± This is a lie. There is only one. However, since it is an oversized trump card, I think I will never lose. ¡°Even if all the trump cards are missed, you can transfer all the personnel to five warships and leave the sea area. Don¡¯t worry about the details, concentrate on octopus hunting.¡± It seems that the wind and tide stop around the island octopus, but the galley is convenient because it can move without wind. ¡°This will be the first joint operation with humans for the Demon King Army. Let¡¯s see to our bravery.¡± ¡°Oh oh!¡± The centaurs hit the quiver and shouted. ¡°Wanwan Wanwan!¡± The dogs began to bark, as they seemed to burn their opposition. Alright, let¡¯s set sail! ¡°Parker, do it¡± This time, the rowers of the five galleys will be in charge of the Demon King¡¯s army. Human rowers can panic during combat, but that¡¯s not the key source of power. That¡¯s why Parker summoned a skeleton rower. An always cheerful skeleton magician now screamed for the dead from the Netherworld with a gruesome voice. ¡°Come from the Dark Gate of Gevena, my friend.¡± The space was distorted, and a large amount of skeletons sprang up from here and there. It looks like the sailors who died in Beruza, looking at their clothes. ¡°Let¡¯s give the ocean another chance to row out. Come on, get on our boat.¡± Following Parker¡¯s voice, the skeleton sailors board the galley, squeaking their bones. The Beruza soldiers were backing up, staring at this eerie sight. ¡°Wow, awesome ¡­¡± ¡°Is this the Wizard of the Demon King Army ¡­¡± Only Parker¡¯s ability is one of the best in the Demon King¡¯s army. After finishing a job, Parker makes a gesture to wipe his forehead and says in a frivolous tone as usual. No, it was pretty bone.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Thank you.¡± ¡°Only for bones!¡± I ignored his silly jokes. ¡°Vampires, command the skeletons of each ship.¡± I borrowed about ten vampire necromancers from my senior Melene. They are disciples to me because they are under Gomoviroa. Have them board two people on each ship and convey the instructions from the captain to the skeleton. Since the skeletons can move with undisturbed control, perfect maneuvering will be possible. ¡°So that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why are you here, even senior Melene?¡± Then, Senior Melene, who wore a Belusa-style dress, smiled. ¡°No, there are Taishou vampires under Berneheinen¡¯s rule, and I heard that Vaito would do something interesting, so I came to see him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that great for you to come to see¡¯.¡± Isn¡¯t everyone mistaking me as an interesting entertainer? Well, let¡¯s set sail anyway. I don¡¯t know how many more people will be added if I linger. Of the five galleys, I made the newest and finest one a flagship. Rather, Garsh was noisy, saying, ¡°Make this the flagship.¡± Flagships are usually in a safe place, so they probably wanted to preserve the new ones as much as possible. But will it work so well? ¡°Welcome to the fleet flagship ¡®Frieden Richter¡¯, Admiral¡± Garsh, who stood up completely from the captain of the pirate, grinned. By the way, the name of the ship is what I requested as a trade-off. ¡°Leave the maneuvering and hand-to-hand combat to me and your subordinates. You should feel like you are in the office on land and take command slowly.¡± ¡°Thank you. Let us take care of making the octopus sloppy.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± The combined fleet of the Demon King Army and the Beruza Army is a total of eleven fleets. The warship ¡°Friedenrichter¡± that will be the flagship of the fleet. I have a catapult attached to this guy as well. Below, the second to fifth ships are warships. Functions as an aircraft carrier and rescue ship for Centaurs. And there are six armed merchant ships that have been refurbished. Fire support is provided by the large crossbow installed. Also, galleys can carry a minimum amount of luggage for the convenience of rowers and combatants. I will leave the spare supplies to the armed merchant ship. The fleet took its course east and entered the route to the neighboring fishing city of Lotso. It¡¯s about time to join. When I thought so, the guard Beruza soldier shouted at the right time. ¡°Admiral Weit! It¡¯s a mermaid!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m here¡± You can see the mermaid flickering in the waves. Is it about 20 people? Apparently he came. ¡°Mr. Vaito, the number of people is small, but I came to help.¡± ¡°Please help us with something.¡± It was the young mermaids who greeted me that way. The sailors are curious about the amiable waving girls. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really a mermaid!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just beautiful women ¡­ I hope.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a real mermaid ¡­¡± Garsh screams at his wowful minions while facing forward. ¡°That¡¯s right! Don¡¯t stretch under your nose during the voyage! If you like the mermaid sisters so much, show them their brave points!¡± ¡°Hey, hey!¡± When I thought it was surprisingly solid, Garsh was chasing the mermaid with a sideways glance. After all it seems that even he is weak to beautiful women. It¡¯s not straightforward, uncle. Thanks to Parker¡¯s persuasion, the mermaids joined us safely, so we¡¯ll put them under command. Their role is underwater vigilance. If the ¡°Devil¡¯s Sea¡± attacks from directly below, we have no chance. If you can prevent that, this operation should be successful. We also ask for rescue if personnel fall into the water. It¡¯s a mermaid life saver. ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t blame you even if someone deliberately drops water. Fortunately, the wind and tide seem to be going well. The skeletons of the warships are rowed in an orderly manner, and the armed merchant ships are sailing and riding in the wind. I ordered the fleet while watching the situation. ¡°Distribute the armed merchant ship moderately and watch the surroundings. The warship can also be a rescue ship in case of emergency. It is bad if it is sunk first.¡± The number of crew members on sailboats, including the Crossbow Corps, is as small as 40 to 50. Even if all six armed merchant ships sank, all can be recovered if the warships are safe. All you have to do is send some of the rowers¡¯ skeletons back to the underworld and let them sit in vacant seats. A few hours after leaving the port early in the morning. The time is past noon. We take turns eating easily and the waves and sea breeze wash our hearts. The South Shizuka is an inland sea surrounded by land, and the waves are calm. I remember when I got on the ferry in the Seto Inland Sea. It¡¯s just right to calm down before the fight. I¡¯d like to say that, but there are a lot of demons who get seasick, so I was busy trying to prevent them from getting sick with healing magic. I¡¯m not a surgeon. Meanwhile, the guard soldier shouts. ¡°Admiral Weit! There is fog ahead!¡± Looking through a telescope, it is true that there is a thick fog on the ocean. According to the eyes of the sailors, the scale of the fog seems to be unnaturally small. The wind is blowing normally around it, and the fog on the outer circumference seems to be washed away. Once inside, the sailing ship is inoperable. However, there is still a considerable distance. I¡¯m ready for battle now. ¡°Preparing for battle!¡± Beruza¡¯s signal flag, which indicates that the flagship is ready for battle, is raised, and at the same time, a signal bullet is fired from the Demon King¡¯s army to announce the discovery of the enemy. The inside of the warship became hectic at once. Phil Neal carries a spear and inspires the Centaurs. ¡°We will fight in the ocean for the first time in the history of the Centaur tribe! We will never have this honor again! Let¡¯s do our best!¡± ¡°Oh oh!¡± It¡¯s still noisy before the battle, but morale seems to be high as usual. Probably the most damaged would be the Centaur corps, but I want as many people as possible to survive. I ordered the fleet to rush, praying for their safety. ¡°Let¡¯s do it! Rush all the warships! Armed merchant ships deploy on the windward side of the fog and wait for a signal! Operation starts!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll show you the pride of Beruza!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it! Sorei, win the Demon King¡¯s army!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Both humans and demons shouted in unison, and the five warships rushed into the fog. CH 86 The moment the warship rushed into the fog, the sound of the wind stopped. ¡°What the hell, isn¡¯t this the ocean?¡± I could see that Garsh was also wondering the same thing. The surface of the sea is calm like a mirror, more like a lake than the sea. ¡°Mr. Vaito, there is a fish. It¡¯s a shallow fish.¡± The mermaids snuggled up around the warship and reported. The visibility is poor in the fog, and I can¡¯t see as I expected. But if there¡¯s an island octopus here, there must be a reef that he¡¯s mimicking. If you inadvertently get on it, it¡¯s over, so I had asked the mermaids to be vigilant. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on underwater! Is there a reef?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for it separately, but this area is usually deep ¡­¡± Apparently the island octopus is much smaller than the fog range. The fog is deeper than I expected, and the appearance of the next warship looks blurry. There is likely to be an ambush. I¡¯m not at all familiar with medieval fleet battles, but I know a little about the modern ones. You should fly the carrier-based aircraft here and catch the enemy. ¡°Centaur corps, spread out and start searching. Never stop while searching for enemies. Accompany a mermaid to guard against the sea.¡± ¡°OK! Leave it to us!¡± Phil Neal carried a giant two-handed spear and smiled. Just don¡¯t go crazy¡­ Two hundred elite Centaurs landed on the surface of the water one after another from five warships and lined up in front of Phil Neal. Phil Neal himself held a huge two-handed spear and encouraged the soldiers. ¡°I¡¯m going to start searching! Engagement is strictly prohibited, please give priority to reporting and stealth! Don¡¯t worry, the mermaids will keep an eye on your fleet!¡± The centaurs nod and silently raise their bows and spears. It¡¯s their reply during covert action. The centaurs spread to the left and right and disappeared into the fog with light footsteps. The search for the enemy would have been only a few minutes, but the rest of us were waiting in a sneak peek. The opponent is ¡°The Devil¡¯s Sea¡±. I hope there is no damage to the centaurs. Then, the centaurs returned from the fog. Phil Neal at the beginning came back to the front of the flagship and shouted in a hurry. ¡°There is a ship! A ship with sails!¡± ¡°What !? Where is the reef !?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t found it yet! I¡¯m looking for it!¡± What does that mean? Anyway, the ship is a clue. Perhaps the enemy¡¯s identity is something other than an island octopus, so confirmation is needed here. However, we must be cautious. ¡°Raise the Centaur corps once! Decoy will be put out as planned!¡± From here, it¡¯s Rashi¡¯s turn. ¡°Rashi, make the illusion of a sailing ship¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Rashi, who had a tense face, began to concentrate. ¡°I am the one who misleads my eyes, my ears, my nose, and my fingers. Rashi stretched her hands into the void and moved her fingers to touch something invisible. Slowly, a ship appeared on the surface of the sea ahead. It was blurry at first, but gradually appeared to be in focus. It was a fine sailing ship with three masts. It¡¯s a very common type that you often see in the harbor of Beruza. The crew is also placed properly. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a phantom. The emblem drawn on the mast is a fancy pattern and it feels strange, but let¡¯s overlook it this time. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a wolf.¡± Is it a wolf? Yes. I thought it was a dog. Meanwhile, Garsh, who saw the illusion of the ship, growled as if he was impressed. ¡°This is a big deal ¡­ I¡¯m a sailor, there¡¯s nothing strange about it. It¡¯s perfect.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just the water part that¡¯s perfect. The part below the water is also perfect¡­ as it should be.¡± That¡¯s why Rashi lived for days diving into the sea, looking at the bottom of the ship. In the end, ¡°The bottom of the ship comes out in my dreams ¡­. While being worshiped by everyone as a saint, a chain is attached to the bottom of the ship, and Mr. Vaito sees it and laughs. It will help you properly¡± What is my position to Rashi?/What kind of image does Rashi have of my position? Let¡¯s ask next time. The phantom sailing ship made by Rashi slowly advanced ahead of the fleet. It¡¯s just the speed when sailing with inertia alone, losing the tailwind. ¡°Don¡¯t observe closely, Rashi¡± When I praised her, Rashi laughed shyly while manipulating the illusion with her fingertips. ¡°Observation and imagination are the absolute requirements of an illusionist. You can¡¯t make something you don¡¯t know or can¡¯t imagine well.¡± Got it. Unexpectedly, this girl may be suitable for painters and sculptors. After that, if the octopus bites into this phantom sailing ship, it can start the attack without any damage. The octopus visually chases the prey. If the illusion is perfect, you should be able to deceive it. The watchman shouted as he was watching the surroundings while thinking about such things. ¡°Funekage ahead!¡± Is it the one who was reported by the Centaur corps? ¡°Report the ship¡¯s shadow! Where¡¯s the ship!¡± When Garsh shouted, the guard soldier immediately shouted back. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s ¡­ the Nijikai issue of Elana Shokai!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he the one who went missing months ago!¡± Apparently there is a turbulence. Besides Rashi¡¯s illusion, there was another ship that floated in the fog. It was a normal ship. It seemed difficult to navigate because the mast was tilted by one, but other than that, it floats without problems. But of course, this one needs the utmost caution. ¡°Well, Admiral! Let¡¯s go to the rescue right away! They¡¯ll be killed here!¡± The Beruza soldiers were upset, but I shook my head. The ship that has been in the island territory for a long time cannot be safe. ¡°It¡¯s too late. Don¡¯t approach carelessly.¡± Besides, I felt a wicked magical power, though it had been gentle for a while. No doubt something is nearby. ¡°Rashi, bring the illusion closer to that ship. Make it look like you¡¯re in rescue.¡± At my command, Rashi manipulates the illusion carefully. Rashi¡¯s sailing ship faithfully reproduced the appearance of sailing only by inertia. The ship slowly approached the ¡°Nijikai-go¡± ¡­ The next moment, the tentacles of an octopus, that emerged from the sea, entwined with the illusion. A huge tentacle that was thicker than the mast and countless suckers on slimy skin. It became slimy without sound and wrapped around the illusion of the ship. Of course, it shouldn¡¯t be able to wrap around it, but it¡¯s an illusion that even the tactile sensation is reproduced. The tentacles are relentlessly slimy, no matter how many times they last. ¡°Huh!? Woah!¡± Rashi, who was not accustomed to seeing an octopus, screamed in spite of its grotesqueness. If her mind gets disturbed any more, the illusion will disappear. I supported Rashi¡¯s shoulders and encouraged her. ¡°Octopus is such a creature by nature. It looks unpleasant, but it¡¯s just a huge seafood.¡± ¡°But, but ¡­¡± ¡°Believe me! Keep the illusion. With your power, you can protect everyone!¡± When I persuaded her, Rashi, who was half panicked, suddenly returned to sanity. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll do my best!¡± ¡°I will protect you. Please concentrate on the art with confidence.¡± Rashi wasn¡¯t the only one who was scared. Neither human sailors nor demon warriors seemed to be able to hide their fears. ¡°If you are frightened here, you will lose.¡° I immediately gave an attack order. ¡°Centaurs start! Cooperate with the mermaids to find the main body of the octopus, the reef! It should be in the near vicinity! Also, prepare a flare gun and order to rush into an armed merchant ship!¡± Immediately, a flare gun for the night was launched, giving off a blurred light in the fog. I don¡¯t know if it was transmitted to the armed merchant ship, but it should be rushing into the landmark with this light. Just in case, let¡¯s run a few people from the Centaur corps as messengers. The number of tentacles attacking the phantom ship had increased to three. The Centaur corps are safe because he is obsessively aiming at the phantom ship. There should still be five octopus tentacles in the sea. It could attack the centaur corps. But now it¡¯s worse to be attacked by that ship. Anyway, what is that Beruza merchant ship? All tentacles are relentlessly attacking the phantom ship. On the other hand, that merchant ship has not been attacked. And it¡¯s as if we were waiting for the merchant ship to approach. When I thought about it, I realized one possibility. ¡°Remaining mermaids look under that ship for a moment! But don¡¯t get too close!¡± Immediately after that, it turned out that my expectations were correct. There was a big hole in the bottom of that ship. It seems that it became a prey to the island octopus. Of course, it would normally sink, but it seems that a huge octopus tentacle stuck to the bottom of the ship to support the hull. It seems that island octopus learned that if you float the ship after eating the sailors, a new ship will come to you. Octopus wisdom messenger. Now that I know the whereabouts of upto four of the tentacles, I decided to wait for the armed merchant ship to enter while preparing the catapult. Eventually, armed merchant ships rushed in one after another. In this windless, tideless waters, sailing ships can no longer be used to escape. If you give up the subjugation and withdraw, you will have to put the crew on a warship. Little by little, things go in an irreversible direction. As expected, I was nervous too. In the memo of Senior Melene, the tentacles of the island octopus were lifting the ship. However, as far as the movement of his tentacles is concerned, it seems that he is not so powerful. It¡¯s just the right thickness to entangle human-sized prey. If you¡¯re drawn into it, there¡¯s no way to help. At that time, the centaur corps returned from the fog. Phil Neal, who ran at the front, shouted out. ¡°Senpai, I found a reef! It¡¯s at the back, this way!¡± ¡°Well done, Phil Neal!¡± ¡°But be careful! Many tentacles are guarding the reef! Two people were killed!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! Retreat once!¡± For octopuses, tentacles are also organs for swimming. Because it uses the membrane between the tentacles. As long as he uses all his legs in battle, he can¡¯t escape anywhere. ¡°Tow a sailing ship! Dragon fire engineer corps prepares for catapult shooting! First bullet loading!¡± CH 87 The warship towed the sailing ship, passing by the tentacles. The reef was invisible due to the fog, so I had to get a little closer. But if the octopus has the intelligence to use the wreckage of a sailing ship as a fake bait, then it¡¯s time to get rid of the phantom ship. This time, it may attack us at any moment. The size of the reef was measured by the mermaids. They can sing in the sea and detect their surroundings with echoes. An excellent sonar hand. ¡°Mr. Vaito, this is about it.¡± They form a circle and tell you the approximate size. ¡°Big ¡­¡± That is about two tennis courts. ¡°Rashi, how many more illusions can be developed?¡± ¡°If you just put it out, you can have ten or twenty, but you can only move one at a time. Rashi answers apologetically. As expected, it seems impossible to increase the number of decoys anymore. ¡°Okay, the illusion of the ship can be left alone. Get ready for the next.¡± ¡°Yes¡± As long as there are four tentacles in this area, the main body is right there. Sure enough, I immediately saw a reef in the fog. It was a very foggy place, so I couldn¡¯t see it unless I got close to it. This could have been stranded without the mermaids. But with this, I got the whole picture of this octopus guy. The water part of the reef is about 6 tatami mats. The rest seems to be submerged in the sea. Imagine an octopus in your head, and imagine the undersea condition based on the visible legs and reefs. I saw a lot of octopuses in the aquarium and the fresh fish corner of the previous life, so the image is somehow manageable. Alright, that¡®s enough. I ordered the Dragon Fire Engineer to launch a catapult. ¡°Target the sea level in front of the reef! First bullet launch!¡± Immediately, the dragons repeated the command and operated the catapult with a familiar hand. ¡°Target the sea level in front of the reef! The first bullet will be launched!¡± Garsh, who was scolding the frightened sailors, gave a voice that he expected when he saw it. ¡°Oh, is that the secret weapon of the Demon King¡¯s army!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s right.¡± The barrels loaded in the catapult were fired vigorously. Drawing a parabola, the barrel landed on the surface of the sea as it was aimed. And it¡¯s floating. That¡¯s it. Garsh was looking at it, and he hurriedly asked me. ¡°Hey! Nothing happened!¡± ¡°Calm down. This is just observational shooting.¡± There is only one bullet here. If you throw it in a strange place, that¡¯s it. If this guy works to the fullest, the fight will be easier at once. So you have to be careful. ¡°Load the next bullet! Ready to launch ¡®Fulminate Silver¡¯!¡± A slight tension runs between the dragons. However, Technician Kurze immediately repeated it. ¡°OK, ready to launch ¡®Fulminate Silver¡¯!¡± The catapult was equipped with a barrel of the same size as before. Garsh saw it and asked me as if he couldn¡¯t control his curiosity. ¡°Is that it?¡± ¡°Oh, this guy¡± I¡¯m honestly anxious because it¡¯s something that doesn¡¯t look fashionable. Technician Kurze brings the barrels and carefully sets them in the catapult. The tentacles of the octopus have been rampaging all over the place since a while ago, but if you get impatient here, a catastrophe awaits you. ¡°Evacuate the horsemen and mermaids behind the mothership! Use the hull as a shield!¡± After confirming the evacuation of the friendly army, I ordered. ¡°Launch ¡®Fulminate Silver¡¯!¡± The catapult¡¯s arm makes a loud noise and growls, throwing a barrel. Then the barrel landed on the surface of the sea as intended and floated. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t it the same as before!¡± Garsh shouts, but that¡¯s not the case now. ¡°Rashii!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± As trained, Rashi cast an illusion on the barrel. Immediately, the barrel turned into a human struggling on the surface of the sea. I mean, it looks just like Rashi. The appearance of struggling is very similar to her when she started practicing swimming. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s you?¡± ¡°Yes, it was easy to imagine the movement ¡­¡± That¡¯s fine, but it¡¯s eaten by the island octopus, right? The island octopus, who seems to have been tired of playing with the phantom ship, did not miss the stupid little girl who had fallen in front of him. Immediately, the fake Rashi was wrapped around the tentacles of an octopus and dragged into the sea. Even if you know it¡¯s an illusion, it¡¯s a shocking sight ¡­ ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on?¡± Garsh seems to be worried, but to tell the truth, I¡¯m also worried, so it¡¯s hard to reply. However, let¡¯s be proud as the person in charge of the Demon King¡¯s army here. ¡°On schedule¡± The next moment, a big explosion occurred in the sea. Water column stands and seawater fell like rain. The yellow light flashed many times in the sea, and the surface of the sea boiled. All the swelling tentacles retracted astonishingly. The wreckage of the Beruza Merchant Ship was thrown into the sea. ¡°OK!¡± It worked, so I screamed unintentionally. I¡¯m accountable to Garsh, who was vacant. ¡°That is a secret weapon of the Demon King¡¯s army that explodes when it touches water.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that ¡­ amazing?¡± ¡°Moreover, the water you touch becomes extremely poisonous and melts the body of the creature.¡± ¡°The Devil¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Demon King Army¡± What I fed the island octopus was a barrel tightly packed with metallic sodium. When I was in high school, a friend of the chemistry staff showed me a video of an explosion of metallic sodium. When a large container of metallic sodium was dumped into the water, a large explosion occurred. That explosive power and subsequent water pollution can do a lot of damage to aquatic monsters. However, I heard that it is usually stored in kerosene because it is a chemically unstable substance and reacts with moisture in the air. Of course, it shouldn¡¯t exist naturally in this world either. It was made by the former king and his master. It seems that the former king was experimenting with various things to see if his scientific knowledge could be applied in this world as well. It was written in the notebook of the former king. However, in this world, the components of matter seem to be a little different, and it seems that the results were often different from what was expected. So I can¡¯t say if it¡¯s metallic sodium. Since the properties are almost the same, it must have been metallic sodium. I got the results I expected, so it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m happy with that, but Technician Kurze is sighing next to me. ¡°Using the legacy of the King for such a thing ¡­ Why does Vaito want to explode anything?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m a soldier ¡­¡± I¡¯m a little worried about the eyes of the technicians, but this will give me an advantage in the battle, so let¡¯s take a big look. Kurze reminded me, ¡°As a result, it seems that it was effective as a weapon, but above all, it will be difficult to make a yellow dragon ball for a while, so please understand that.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯m sorry.¡± This is because the yellow color of fireworks is made of sodium compounds. The color of the fire turns yellow when the salt is dropped on the stove. ¡°Kurze, can you substitute salt?¡± ¡°Salt absorbs moisture.¡± So I¡¯m sorry. Let¡¯s check again if the chemical formula is correct. Well, sodium is Na and water is H2O, right? It¡¯s a strongly alkaline sodium hydroxide that can be attached to it, isn¡¯t it? That means NaOH, and there is one more H ¡­ Oh yeah, is the gas generated hydrogen? I see, it explodes. I didn¡¯t think too much about the principle of explosion, but now I understand. Chemistry is interesting. The island octopus is probably in agony with the pain of burning in his mouth. All the tentacles were swelling and slamming the surface of the water. The wreckage of the Beruza Merchant Ship was hit by a tentacle and the mast broke from the root. It¡¯s more rampant than I expected. ¡°You¡¯ll get caught up in the tentacles, don¡¯t approach it too carelessly! And the seawater around him is deadly poisonous!¡± I want to fold it all at once, but I can¡¯t get close to it until he¡¯s a little weaker. The island octopus has a magical power that stops the surrounding wind and tide. I¡¯m not consciously using magic, but I¡¯m doing it on my own with my abilities. Therefore, it is not possible to escape by riding the current of the tide and to wash away the aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide with the ocean current. The body surface should be steadily melting, covered with a strong alkaline solution. CH 88 Well, up to this point, it¡¯s on schedule, but I can¡¯t be rest assured yet. It is the type of island octopus that mimics a reef and ambushes, but of course, it would be able to escape if it received an attack that is close to a fatal injury. Even if it is a monster, it is almost like a wild animal. If it escapes deep into the sea, we can¡¯t chase after it anymore. So let¡¯s catch it. ¡°Crossbow corps starts attacking!¡± At the same time as the bullet signal, thick arrows were fired one after another from six-armed merchant ships. You could see the dogs running around the deck, chased by winding strings and loading arrows. At first glance, it¡¯s comical, but it¡¯s smart. Fortunately, it seems that it is possible to divide the roles without hitting even a narrow deck. The arrow this time is as long as a spear, so you can¡¯t fly it that far, but it¡¯s powerful. The arrowhead has a barb, and if you get stabbed, you won¡¯t be able to pull it out anymore. In addition, a sturdy rope is also attached. Even if it comes off, if the rope gets entangled, it will be useful, and if it does not get entangled, you can collect it. In other words, it is a harpoon. The question is where to shoot this guy. The reef is hard and the arrow doesn¡¯t seem to stick, and the tentacles are rampaging. The torso is submerged in the sea. Thinking this way, it¡¯s a surprisingly solid style. Humans were indeed afraid of the ¡°devil¡¯s sea.¡± But I know. As always with this kind of creature, endurance is not as much. Not many people can fight longer than mammals and birds due to the difference in the perfection of the circulatory system. The octopus must have had difficulty with endurance. In the first place, I¡¯m about to neutralize a strongly alkaline aqueous solution with my own body. Can you wait for a while? ¡°Armed merchant ship No. 3¡± Aranami ¡°, main mast medium damage! Warship No. 4 ship¡± Pirate Soul ¡°starboard small damage!¡± It seems that the ship that got too close to the tentacles was damaged. I can¡¯t help it because I don¡¯t understand his reach. ¡°All ships retreat! Form a battle line in a half siege!¡± The rampaging tentacles have caused some damage, but it seems that no human damage has occurred, so it¡¯s okay. ¡°Admiral, what should I do with this !?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± The sailors were upset, but I scratched my head as I leaned against the boat. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry so much. It¡¯s a break until he gets tired.¡± I¡¯m sorry for the random admiral. When the island octopus was getting tired, I ordered the armed merchant ship to shoot again. The crossbow hit rate is not very high, but the archers are a lively dog ??corps. The attack is relentlessly repeated, and one harpoon after another pierce the tentacles. Even if I could pull all six ships together, there should be a limit to that exhaustion. ¡°If the arrow comes off, collect it and shoot it again! You can never fish such a big octopus again!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Dogs are waving cheerfully from a nearby ship. Finally, all the harpoons became unusable due to hits or damage. The work of the Crossbow Corps is over. The damn octopus is now being captured by six sailing ships under countless harpoons. Even the proud tentacles are useless for cutting the rope. And the inside of the body should have been severely damaged by the explosion and the highly alkaline poison. However, the ¡°Devil¡¯s Sea¡± was a far stronger enemy than I had expected. ¡°Admiral! There!¡± A dragon engineer points to the surface of the sea. A huge octopus tentacle floated on the surface of the sea, slamming and eerily. There are three floating in all. All the tentacles that the harpoon is stuck in. Oops. By the way, was the octopus able to cut his legs and escape? I completely forgot. However, it is quite prepared to cut off all the hit legs and run away. The island octopus cut off its leg from one end and slowly began to escape. You could see that it was dying. Garsh hurriedly asks me. ¡°Hey Admiral, can¡¯t you let the Centaurs attack !?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t, the seawater around him is very poisonous. I can¡¯t attack him until I¡¯m away from here.¡± Besides, mermaids have no means of physical attack, and mermaids also cannot attack underwater areas. If there was another sodium bomb, I would throw it in. It can not be helped. Pursue the island octopus until it is debilitated and continue to attack with the centaur corps. I¡¯ll chase you to the end of the horizon. It was when I thought so. The surrounding air suddenly becomes cold. ¡°What¡¯s so cold ¡­¡± It was when someone muttered. When I thought that the fog floating around was shining, it suddenly scattered. No, it¡¯s not. The fog has frozen. The fog that has become ice particles sinks into the sea, and the surrounding fog clears up. Cold air, which is impossible in the southern part of Miraldia, wraps around the fleet. Technician Kurze exhales white and mutters as if he suddenly noticed. ¡°Dear Vaito, maybe this is ¡­¡± ¡°Oh no doubt¡± It¡¯s our Majesty the Demon King. It is an oversized ¡°trump card¡±. I haven¡¯t called it separately. ¡°It looks like I was on time.¡± His Majesty Gomoviroa, the second Demon Lord, came down from the sky above the fleet. While everyone is shaking in the cold, only one person is wearing a light dress. She seems to be warm because it absorbs a lot of heat from the surroundings. ¡°Master¡± When I called the master in a whisper, the master came over here with a fluffy drift. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Is it okay, come out on the front line like this?¡± I thought it would come out anyway because it was an overprotective master, but I¡¯m still surprised if I can really come. Then the teacher replied with a smile. ¡°I am now a passing old man, just a wise man.¡± I saw it in a historical drama of my previous life, like that. ¡°In the future, I will have to reveal my true identity to humans. I will be surprised at that time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve certainly told you that there is such a story before.¡± ¡°Did you forget to see my face?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it now.¡± The fluffy island octopus is about to escape. Then the master landed on the surface of the sea, drifting fluffy again. ¡°I won¡¯t let you escape¡± The moment the master touches the surface of the water with a cane, the sea freezes as soon as he sees it. ¡°What is this ¡­¡± ¡°Is this the magic of the demons?¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve never seen such a big ice cube.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a fairy tale fairy ¡­¡± It seems that ice is rare for sailors living in the warm sea. It seems like a lie that I was scared of the island octopus until a while ago, and I am staring at the pretty girl who dances on the ice. The master¡¯s specialty is necromancy, and other magic is not that powerful. Of course, it is impossible to freeze seawater so rapidly. However, the current master is a thermodynamic vacuum cleaner that sucks in any energy. It absorbs heat from seawater and uses it as magical power to use cooling magic. The heat that has lost its place due to cooling magic is sucked into by the master and becomes magical power. In other words, the surroundings can be cooled infinitely without being consumed at all. The Demon King, who became an angel dancing on the drift ice, laughs happily. ¡°I wanted to try it once, this. It¡¯s theoretically possible, so I want to check it.¡± ¡°Being enthusiastic about research ¡­¡± If you don¡¯t do it moderately, it will be an ice age, Master. While the humans were rounding their eyes, the ice spread in a circle around the master. The reef of the island octopus and our warship stick together with a piece of ice. And his tentacles are under the ice. There is nothing to protect the reef, the top of him. I can go. ¡°Centaur corps, charge! Destroy the reef!¡± As soon as I shouted, Phil Neal rushed. When she swings her two-handed spear, a huge blade unfolds with the metallic sound of jakin. Apparently, it had the same structure as a folding knife. Is it a special weapon made by Tuburn? ¡°I¡¯m going!¡± ¡°Oh-oh!¡± Everyone changes their weapons to hatchets and sprints while swinging around. It is a traditional weapon for the Centaur tribe. ¡°Wait, Phil Neal! You¡¯re telling me to take off your clothes!¡± I really want to get rid of that bad habit. The island octopus, surrounded by the Centaur corps, quickly became a literal octopus hit. ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give it to the ancestors!¡± Countless hatchets can be struck against the reef. Many broken handles slipped on the ice, but this time I started kicking with my hooves. A Centaur soldier whose struggle instinct has ignited turns into a terrifying destroyer. When I checked it with a telescope, the reef of the island octopus was gradually scraped. Even if it looks like a rock, it is just a shell. It seems that it is made of a substance similar to seashells. If you look at it, Phil Neal is roaming the reef with the huge folding blade. However, it¡¯s more difficult than I expected ¡­ When the Centaur corps gradually became smaller, the messenger of the Centaur soldier came back here. ¡°Reported by Phil Neal! The shell of ¡®The Devil¡¯s Sea¡¯ is hard and very thick, so it seems that it will not be broken by the attack of the Centaur corps!¡± ¡°What did you say!?¡± Was it heavier than expected? If you look at it, the centaurs have run out of strength, and more than half are already breathing around. When it comes to exhausting those muscular idiots so much, isn¡¯t it impossible to bring this with a bomb anymore? As if I had seen my thoughts, Mr. Kurze said. ¡°I don¡¯t have it anymore.¡± ¡°Umu ¡­¡± I brought a small amount of gunpowder and it is absolutely necessary for communication at sea. The crossbow arrow has been used up, and then the only strategy left is to do it. As I flipped through the spellbook and prepared for the spell, I told the Beruza soldiers that it wouldn¡¯t be heard by Technician Kurze. ¡°OK, I¡¯m going¡± ¡°Are you an Admiral !?¡± The Beruza soldiers are surprised, but the last thing to say in the battle of the demons is the commander¡¯s bravery. ¡°Use magic. Drive me in a catapult.¡± ¡°eh!?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s okay, do it fast¡± When asked by the Demon Kings, I¡¯m definitely against it, so I have to do it quickly. I jumped on the catapult¡¯s arm and transformed into a werewolf. ¡°I¡¯ll do the fine orbit correction here. Anyway, just blow it off at the maximum output. I¡¯ll ask you for the exact direction.¡± ¡°Wow, I understand!¡± Rough men set the catapult and the arm pushes to the limit. At that moment, Technician Kurze, who was preparing for the flare gun, turned around. Immediately his expression freezes. ¡°What are you doing !?¡± I found it. CH 89 I gave orders to the Beruza soldiers. ¡°Do it!¡± ¡°Come on!¡± The next moment, my body was launched into the sky. It¡¯s much more intense than the feeling of being lifted by an elevator. The inside of the body is fluffy. To reduce air resistance, I flew with my limbs crossed in front of my body. ¡°Uhhhhhhhh!¡± I was dazzled by the fierce acceleration and wind pressure, but I¡¯m a werewolf, and I feel refreshed. It¡¯s in great shape. Now, I have to use spells before I reach the highest altitude. The technique of walking on the water is one of the strengthening magic, but the secret is to learn the operation of buoyancy. Various other technologies are required, but buoyancy is the highest priority. So first, the sorcerer learns how to gain or lose weight. It¡¯s a spell that puts a lot of strain on the body and isn¡¯t very useful on its own. But what if a catapult-flying magician gains weight to the limit ¡­ specifically, to a few hundred kilograms? It will surely be a good bullet. If the person does not collapse. I used other magic in the air to use the magic of hardening, strengthening muscles, and strengthening attack power. This will allow me to withstand the impact and the joints and skin will not disperse the impact. The power of thrusting and kicking jumps up. Fine adjustment of the landing point can be handled by controlling the attitude in the air. All you have to do now is make your weight as heavy as possible at the moment of landing. The trajectory reaches the highest altitude, and I plunge toward the island octopus¡¯s brain. The Centaurs seemed to notice me, and Phil Neal was looking up at me. ¡°Yes, there!¡± I scream, wait for the time, and gain weight to the limit. Maximum output can only last for a few seconds. Since I experimented only once during my training, I have confirmed that this attack is powerful. I can hear Phil Neal screaming for a moment. ¡°Sempai!? What are you doing!?¡± After all, it¡¯s just physics. ¡°Uoriya ah ah!¡± I catch the moment of landing and kick the shell of the island octopus with all my strength. Overwhelming speed and weight, and the power of werewolves. All destructive power is concentrated on one point of magically enhanced sharp claws. There is nothing that can¡¯t be broken with this. The thick shells that the Centaur tribe had trouble with, shattered into pieces. The magically reinforced body of the werewolf felt as fragile as an eggshell. Debris and destructive sounds. My five senses white-out for a moment. I dug into the reef up to my waist and stood on the rugged ground below. I¡¯ve strengthened it with magic, so my legs are safe. If anything, my neck hurts a little, but it should be okay. It seems that this fluffy body is the body of an island octopus. This is the weakness that he was trying to protect with such a thick shell. So don¡¯t hesitate to destroy it. ¡°Don¡¯t miss it!¡± The claws of a werewolf cut through the epidermis of an island octopus like a sashimi knife. When I started attacking, the island octopus began to rampage like crazy. Did such power remain? Phil Neal¡¯s voice can be heard overhead. ¡°I¡¯m crazy again ¡­ I¡¯ll follow Senpai! The attack started!¡± ¡°Oh-oh!¡± ¡°Sword to Vaito!¡± From that point on, it was a frenzied octopus beating party. Centaurs assaulted the roaring island octopus. Once cracked, the shells were brittle, and their hooves cracked one after another. The shell cracks and the hole that is drilled expands. And gradually, the body of the island octopus was exposed. In front of brave Centaurs, such as an octopus that has lost its thick shell, it is as good as a lump of meat. ¡°Blessing the ancestors!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a friend¡¯s death!¡± ¡°This octopus guy!¡± While screaming, I and the centaurs beat the octopus. In the meantime, eight werewolves have joined. It seems that he ran on the ice. The Gurney brothers rushed in first and started carving the island octopus with their claws, pushing me away. ¡°Hey Vaito, I¡¯ll help you!¡± ¡°Leave it to us!¡± I¡¯m grateful for the feeling, but the top of the island octopus is full of centaurs and narrow, so it¡¯s rather annoying. ¡°Urusei, it¡¯s a good place now! Do clam in that corner!¡± ¡°Brother, what is clamming !?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! Knee belt over there!¡± Monza also rushed there. ¡°If you¡¯re a captain, you¡¯ll get angry with Fern again?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it! You see, I¡¯ll hit you here.¡± ¡°Oh, then I¡¯m silent!¡± We hit and kick the island octopus in a friendly manner while pushing each other. It was the fleet that was the one who got the most out of it. The island octopus, which has been pickled in ice and has its head cracked, swings the remaining tentacles like crazy. Eventually, the thin part of the ice broke and the tentacles began to rampage. ¡°Phil Neal! Ask over there!¡± ¡°Eh !?¡± Phil Neal, who was happily hitting the island octopus next to me, looks dissatisfied, but this is an order. ¡°You can cut the tentacles with that spear, go fast!¡± Phil Neal carries a giant spear and commands his nearby subordinates. ¡°I can¡¯t help it, I understand! The first corps, follow me! I¡¯ll beat the tentacles!¡± About 40 people on the flagship with Phil Neal run on the ice to get rid of the tentacles. The frenzied octopus beating party ended probably tens of minutes later. A monster feared by the Beruza pirates and mermaids as the ¡°devil¡¯s sea¡± floated on the surface of the sea. The area is muddy with blue body fluid and black ink, and shattered ice is floating. There is a strange odor, and it is a very gloomy sight. Eventually, they slowly began to flow. It seems that the flow of the tide is gradually returning. A cool sea breeze pats our cheeks. A strange odor flows and we breathe in a little refreshing air. Apparently, the influence of the island octopus is disappearing. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s over. Give it a win!¡± When I commanded, the wolf and the horses nodded loudly with a fulfilling expression. ¡°Oh-oh!¡± ¡°Victory for the Demon Lord!¡± ¡°And thank the ancestors!¡± The Gurney brothers and Monza are also laughing as if they were doing it. ¡°Huh, what¡¯s wrong!¡± ¡°After all, the werewolf is the strongest, brother!¡± ¡°The strongest is good, but I wonder if I want to go home and take a bath.¡± Everyone is comfortable. The body of the island octopus has completely lost its buoyancy, and more than half of it has sunk below the surface of the sea. The shell that mimicked a reef seems to have become a swim bladder. The shell broke and gradually sank. The water in this area is polluted in various ways, so I don¡¯t want to touch it too much. ¡°The werewolves are wary of the surroundings. Sharks may come to the flesh of this guy. Withdraw the werewolves.¡± I cast the magic of walking on the water on everyone and return to the flagship with the horse corps. Even in the fleet, everyone was making a fuss about bandanas and hats. I hear cheers. We won. I realized it again. I feel like the technician Kurze is looking at me from the ship with a stern look, but I pretend I¡¯m not aware of it. Now, as usual, cleaning up is difficult. It¡¯s fun to prepare, but it¡¯s just a hassle to clean up. ¡°Dragon Pyrotechnic Corps collects surrounding seawater! After inspection, spray an appropriate amount of antidote!¡± I have prepared a neutralizer in case of an accident, so I will sprinkle it on my way home. I don¡¯t need it anymore. The ice made by the master will melt naturally, so ice is better. ¡°Marines Beruza is repairing the ship! In the meantime, the dog corps should start withdrawing! In the meantime, pick up the trash that can be picked up with ropes or arrows!¡± Garbage picking is entertainment for the werewolves. Everyone is happily collecting the wreckage while slipping on the ice. ¡°Completed water quality inspection and detoxification work¡± A dragon-man under Technician Kurze brought me some pieces of purple cloth. It looks like a litmus test paper. According to the explanation, it seems that it was able to neutralize a lot. It can¡¯t be completely restored, so this should be fine. Rather, the body fluid of the island octopus is more problematic. I even spit this ink. I was happy with squid ink, but it seems that squid ink is not delicious. ¡°By the way, Mr. Vaito, what about the corpse of the¡± Devil¡¯s Sea ¡°?¡± Oh, by the way, this is quite annoying. Should I have my master disassemble it just in case? It seems to be a bait for fish even if it is left alone. ¡°Processing is still under consideration, but I would like to hear if there is a suggestion.¡± Then Ryujin¡¯s junior technician whispered worriedly. ¡°Actually, Beruza¡¯s viceroy wants to take it home if possible ¡­¡± ¡°Are you serious¡± What are you going to do? Will you really eat it? Then the technician replied in a lower tone. ¡°I want to show the results of the battle to the citizens of Beruza.¡± ¡°got it¡± That would be fine. It is also important to show off the results of the war to the people as a Viceroy. It will also be advertised as a demon army. Floating in ice will make it easier to tow and store. ¡°Then I just told Gomoviroa that the corpse of the island octopus was iced. Tow it and take it home.¡± ¡°Haha¡± However, if you store it in a freezer and take it out, it¡¯s a waste to throw it all away after returning. Perhaps because the tip of that foot was on the surface of the water all the time, it didn¡¯t melt so much and kept the prototype ¡­ CH 90 After finishing the repair of the ship, we went home while towing the island octopus with a fleet of eleven ships. The master sits a little on the ¡°devil¡¯s sea¡± that has turned into a huge iceberg. That is already a ¡°mountain of demons¡±. The mermaids who had been evacuated also joined, and they were scarily swimming around the island octopus. ¡°But you¡¯re amazing! Especially you! Now the route is safe!¡± Garsh laughed as if he was amazed, so I¡¯ll just remind him. ¡°He was probably the lord of this sea, but maybe another new monster will be the lord in the future.¡± When the top of the ecosystem disappears, the balance of those below it changes. If the wolf disappears, the number of deer will increase, and the increased deer will eat up the vegetation. We got rid of only one octopus, but maybe the balance in the monsters will change. When I told him that, Garsh folded his arms as he was convinced. ¡°That¡¯s annoying, but what should we do then?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it decided?¡± I gave a sales talk to Taishou with a big smile. ¡°For a long time, the Demon King¡¯s army will protect it.¡± Garsh instantly understands the meaning of my words. Then I shrugged as if I was in trouble. ¡°It¡¯s like a pirate¡¯s trick. I¡¯ll guarantee the safety of the ship, so give me a toll.''¡± It¡¯s almost like that. But Garsh laughs. ¡°I¡¯m not good at clean things! Pirate business partners are more comfortable with villains! Thank you!¡± ¡°Oh, leave it to me¡± ¡°Monsters¡± who don¡¯t understand the discussion ¡­ or even have no language, are troublesome opponents for us ¡°demons¡±. The demons have long dealt with both humans and demons. The mission to exterminate monsters will continue to be necessary. A transformation hero like a werewolf is good, but it may be better to create a team of monster extermination experts for the Demon King Army. Eventually, as the sun began to approach the western horizon, we returned to the harbor of Belusa. ¡°Launch a dragon ball!¡± I succeeded in the operation ¡°!¡± When I order, a flare gun for the night is fired from the warship. It¡¯s a de facto firework. In response to this, the Beruza Standby Group of the Dragon Fire Engineer Corps launches a flare gun welcoming the return. The light of the fireworks is reflected on the surface of the water, and the scenery is quite tasteful. When a warship towed an ice-soaked island octopus and entered the port, the port became tumultuous. In fact, this port is a place of living for the citizens of Beruza. A significant number of citizens live in boats floating in the harbor. It¡¯s a so-called boathouse. So sailors come out of the boats all over the place, and the harbor is filled with cheers. ¡°Uo, awesome! Is that the¡± Devil¡¯s Sea ¡°!¡± ¡°Hurray for the Beruza Navy! Hurray for the Demon King!¡± ¡°Thank you for the Demon King Army! You can count on me!¡± All voices are cheering voices praising the Beruza army and the Demon King army. Garsh is accustomed and waving loudly on the deck. ¡°We don¡¯t know who can beat the sailors of Beruza! Especially with the Demon King Army!¡± Citizens are overjoyed. Climbing the masts and ropes here and there to praise the Viceroy. Then Garsh turned around and laughed at us Demon King army executives. ¡°Look, everyone is grateful to the Demon King Army.¡± Appeal to the citizens is also part of the job. Should I shake it with my hands? ¡°Alignment!¡± I line up eight werewolves on the deck of a warship. ¡°Transform and bark!¡± We all transformed into werewolves and raised their fists at the highest. ¡°Woooooo!¡± The roar of werewolves instead of congratulatory guns seems to have surprised the sailors of Beruza. At that timing, I scream immediately. ¡°The safety of this city and the route is protected by the Demon King¡¯s army! The prosperity of Beruza will not disturb anyone!¡± Garsh inherited my words. ¡°This is the hero who smashed the slapstick of ¡®The Devil¡¯s Sea¡¯! Everyone, applaud this daredevil!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°A wolf who broke the devil¡¯s sea!¡± ¡°The Savior of Beruza!¡± It¡¯s thunderous applause. I also call Phil Neal and others. Phil Neal shyly shook a giant spear and responded to the cheers. Senior Melene waved gracefully, and Technician Kurze was a salute of the Demon King¡¯s army. The teacher is ¡­ embarrassingly sitting on the iceberg. Mermaids were swimming around the area. I crossed my shoulders with Garsh in the form of a werewolf and waved to the citizens. Phil Neal quickly crossed his shoulders with me, and the dogs and dragons around him responded to the cheers. The people around me were cheering and everyone was making a fuss. It seems that the people of Beruza do not miss the opportunity to frolic. Ever since we were reincarnated, humans have been vigilant and attacking us. Other than Lune Height, it¡¯s still similar. So when I hear this cheer, I¡¯m a little moved. ¡°It¡¯s good, it¡¯s welcomed by humans.¡± ¡°Did you say something !?¡± Garsh listens back, but I smile and shout. ¡°Hello, Garsh¡¯s old man!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll do my best for a long time!¡± We laughed out loud with our shoulders crossed. At that time, a skeleton-faced hoodie stands behind me. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me now ¡­?¡± ¡°Put your hand on your chest and think about it.¡± The moment I said, Parker put his hand on his chest as soon as he was waiting. ¡°Oh, I only have ribs!¡± ¡°Uze!¡± ¡°It hurts! It doesn¡¯t hurt, but it hurts!¡± That¡¯s why I hate it. I held Parker¡¯s neck and waved to the citizens with my free hand. On that day, Viceroy Garsh broke the door of the brewery himself with a hammer and carried out the large-scale behavior of carrying out all the barrels. It seems to be a custom when giving the largest rude lecture in Beruza. The name given is ¡°Beruza¡¯s Hammer Festival¡±. Garsh, who stood up from the captain of the pirate, shouts while swinging the saber. ¡°Until you empty all the barrels, you can¡¯t allow them to work! Drink it! Celebrate!¡± There are sailors who are betting on the Gurney brothers carrying wine barrels. Oh, Phil Neal rushed in. Phil Neal won as the horse tilted the barrel as if drinking water. Everyone laughed when it wasn¡¯t a bet. Brothers Gurney look around and fall down. Everyone seems to be looking forward to it, so let¡¯s secretly enjoy it too. Even before I was reincarnated, I wanted to eat the oversized octopus legs to my heart¡¯s content. I like that texture. There is one leg of an island octopus that was miraculously secured almost unscathed. I stabbed it with a harpoon instead of a bamboo skewer. Ideally, it¡¯s stiff, but wasabi hasn¡¯t been found yet. As expected, raw food is scary. If you want to heat it, takoyaki or tempura ¡­ fried chicken is also good. However, it is a monster that has given many Beruza sailors to the Blood Festival. I don¡¯t want to be seen eating. Let¡¯s safely bake it with soy sauce. In the celebrations that take place around the harbor, I can only start burning octopus by borrowing a bonfire. There is a fragrant scent, and when the octopus legs are wrapped around, apply soy sauce with a brush. It burned well. Let¡¯s eat which one. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s not what I expected. The texture is good. It¡¯s crunchy past the crunchy, but it¡¯s just the right texture for me as a werewolf. Transform and bite with fangs. However, although I expected it to be delicious, the density of the umami is unusually low. The taste is squishy and it seems to be eating rubber. Was this the original taste of the island octopus, or was it not good to hurt it in battle? It¡¯s not very delicious anyway. If you don¡¯t simmer it in a rich sauce, you will definitely get tired of it. Should I eat all this? When I was disappointed, Phil Neal holding a barrel found me in a tipsy mood. ¡°Oh, Sempai! Hey, you¡¯re not drunk, right?¡± ¡°Everyone drunk says so.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the octopus¡¯s legs? Why are you eating?¡± Phil Neal sticks to my back and rubs my horse. I feel like I¡¯m a keeper. Phil Neal is looking at me with a flushed cheek and unfocused eyes. Then suddenly I clap my hands. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Ah, I see!¡± What are you convinced of? Garsh appeared there in good mood. For some reason, it¡¯s an appearance with the Gurney brothers on their shoulders. ¡°Oh, what is the guest doing here! Come on, drink! ¡­ Hmm? Is that the foot of an octopus?¡± But always, for some reason, he doesn¡¯t leave me alone. Phil Neal laughed and explained to Garsh and his friends. ¡°That¡¯s the ritual of eating the defeated strong enemy and taking in its power. We, the Centaurs, do it well.¡± Brother Gurney and Garsh look at each other and comment: ¡°The Vaito guy is greedy for unexpected strength ¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯ll be stronger, brother.¡± ¡°Hey, are all the werewolves like this?¡± ¡°No, this one is special. Think about it, isn¡¯t there a decent wolf flying off with a catapult?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m crazy.¡± Say whatever you want. As the Garsh and others used this as a side dish for sake, my nickname ¡°the werewolf who broke the devil¡¯s sea¡± was overwritten by ¡°the wolf who ate the devil¡¯s sea.¡± I liked the previous one because it sounded more like a magician¡­ CH 91 Even at midnight, the feast still continued. At Beruza, which is made up of trade and fishing by sea, the safety of the sea is of utmost importance. It turned out that the mermaids were not the enemy, and the real enemy, the ¡°Devil¡¯s Sea,¡± was defeated. The Demon King¡¯s army, which seemed scary, were also surprisingly the good guys. Then, why don¡¯t you drink alcohol? It was like that. However, I can¡¯t keep up with it so much, so I¡¯ll go back to the Viceroy¡¯s mansion and make plans for tomorrow and beyond. You should check if the route to Lotso is really safe. If there was another island octopus, it would be hard if anything happened. By the way, I also want to go to the fishing city Lotso in the east as it is. When I was thinking about that on the sofa in the hall when Garsh came over. Surprisingly, I was not drunk anymore. I wiped my face with a wet towel, and the atmosphere was completely calm. ¡°Yeah, Vaito. Good job.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still tired.¡± I no longer felt like I was always floating. The person in charge must always be on standby to take responsibility. Garsh ordered the rough tropical maids to bring the food. Oh, it¡¯s a platter of sashimi. ¡°Given your personality, do you prefer to eat quietly rather than make a fuss?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true¡± I just wanted to eat something to fix it. There is also octopus sashimi. It¡¯s surprising. ¡°Do you eat octopus in Beruza?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a delicacy because it¡¯s rarely found and caught. It usually fits in the fisherman¡¯s belly, so I didn¡¯t put it in the store too much. It seems that you really wanted to eat it, so I gave it a little flexibility.¡± Don¡¯t you see it? The decent octopus sashimi had a condensed flavor and was as delicious as the ones of the previous life. I will consult with Garsh while pinching octopus and fish sashimi with soy sauce. After talking about wanting to make a test voyage to confirm the safety of the route, I cut it out like this. ¡°Are you closely related to Lotso¡¯s Viceroy?¡± Then Garsh laughed out loud as he picked up the sashimi. ¡°Oh, Petore¡¯s fucking grandfather is no better than my dad! If you want to talk, it¡¯s time to leave it to me!¡± Although he was cursed, he looks like he is having fun. ¡°That old man, I¡¯ve been a Viceroy for almost 20 years now, but I¡¯m still sick. How is the Viceroy¡¯s attitude, how is his diplomatic knowledge?¡± ¡°Is it a stubborn old man?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t like that stubborn grandfather in Beruza or Lotso. I don¡¯t know what the relationship is. I somehow remembered the relationship between me and my predecessor. Even with this sashimi, I wanted to eat it with my predecessor. Considering the character of the former king, I would definitely be pleased to see the night view of the fishing port and fill it with sashimi. Imagine that for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s like the Seto Inland Sea, it¡¯s calm, Demon King¡± ¡°Um, don¡¯t feel nostalgia. Sometimes it¡¯s not bad to leave work and relax. ¡° ¡°How about fresh fish sashimi? ¡°It¡¯s really delicious. When this happens, I want to pick up some sushi. ¡° ¡°It¡¯s good, it seems that rice is also made a little in this area.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good story. Should we spread rice cultivation? Let¡¯s examine the surrounding rivers and consider whether it is possible to secure water for agriculture. ¡° ¡°Demon King, why don¡¯t you talk about work tomorrow ¡­¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. ¡° Apparently, I had a strange face. Garsh looked at my face with a mysterious look. ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± ¡°Oh no. Don¡¯t worry.¡± But I still seemed to have a weird face, and Garsh smiled bitterly. ¡°Oh, I see. It¡¯s a face that reminds you of your relatives. Is it your father or grandfather?¡± ¡°No. My dad and grandfather died before I can remember.¡± It¡¯s a story of this world. The previous life ¡­ I don¡¯t want to remember. I¡¯m not a bad guy, but I just can¡¯t like it. There are also such parents and children. That person is the only one I think of when I hear ¡°father¡±. However, we still have to hide the demise of the crown from humans. It cannot be said that it is the predecessor Demon Lord. That¡¯s not to say, but I answer: ¡°We are not connected by blood, but ¡­ I remembered my father who just died.¡± ¡°Got it¡± Garsh had a gentle look. He did not pursue any further. And so I said something like this to change the topic. ¡°I thought the demons were even more ridiculous.¡± ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right for you. If you look only at strength, it¡¯s a monster. If you have strong arms, you have courage.¡± I was just a little familiar with octopi/octopuses because of my previous life. Garsh laughed when I became silent. ¡°But even such a strong demon will weep when he remembers his lost family. It¡¯s the same as us.¡± Tears? No way. Garsh laughed and recommended the octopus sashimi. ¡°Look, eat more. Unlike that monster, is this delicious?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s definitely delicious.¡± ¡°Did your father like octopus?¡± The predecessor would have eaten an octopus in his previous life, and I¡¯m sure he would like it. ¡°I don¡¯t know ¡­ I think he would have been happy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s funny. What kind of person ¡­ no, a wolf?¡± ¡°He was actually part of the dragon folk. He was a troubled father who was thinking about work from morning till night.¡± While talking about that, I look at the night view outside the window. Outside the window is a fuss between demons and humans. I began to complain to Garsh, dedicating this scene to the King. ¡°My dad and I are so busy with work that we can only meet once in a while, but when I was with my dad, I was always talking about work.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a pretty funny dad. It¡¯s a type that isn¡¯t around me. Tell me more.¡± Oh, that¡¯s okay. Will you talk about that stubborn old man, Petore, later?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll tell you a lot.¡± It¡¯s going to be long tonight. CH 92 That Rashi, what did you do? Hmm, captain? It looks like I¡¯m back at the Viceroy¡¯s mansion. Don¡¯t you have a meeting with Taishou? I do not know. Don¡¯t think you can understand anything by asking me. It¡¯s not just a tail. Well, it¡¯s bad to get in the way of your work. From here, you can monitor the state of the building, so let¡¯s relax. Ah, yeah. It¡¯s a habit. I¡¯m always a watchman when hunting. Oh, I don¡¯t drink. I don¡¯t like it, it makes me feel dull. But hey, our captain is interesting, isn¡¯t he? Hey, when the captain says ¡°I can do it,¡± I feel like I can do it too. So, it¡¯s really easy to do. This time as well, I¡¯ve beaten the ¡°Devil¡¯s Sea¡±, though it¡¯s kind of nice. It¡¯s interesting, isn¡¯t it? I feel like I¡¯m messing around with what I¡¯m doing, but I always look like it¡¯s taken for granted. So, don¡¯t brag about it, and I¡¯ll be crazy again soon. It¡¯s kind of mysterious and has a dangerous scent ¡­ eh? Well, I don¡¯t think this is a romantic feeling ¡­ I don¡¯t really understand romance, so I can¡¯t say anything. Either way, the captain isn¡¯t even aware of me, right? Isn¡¯t Rashi better with the captain than that? The magicians talk to each other, right? No, I¡¯m the same werewolf, but come on. Ufufu. I don¡¯t know for myself, but maybe I like the captain¡¯s messy things. I don¡¯t know where to start running, and I¡¯m thrilled about what happens while I¡¯m running, but when I¡¯m done, it¡¯s always a good result. So again, I¡¯m waiting for the captain to start running somewhere. I¡¯m sure it will make my life interesting. Well, one day you might fail and get terrible. It¡¯s kind of like a miracle that no werewolves have died so far. But it¡¯s okay. The captain is entertaining me. When the captain dies, I will be with him. I think all the werewolves have the same feelings. When I was living in a hidden village, I was really miserable. At that time, I was scared of humans and just lived quietly in the woods. Well, I was just alive. It¡¯s alive, but it¡¯s the same as a werewolf dead. Compared to that, now, next to danger, it burns more as a werewolf. This time I was able to fight an interesting monster on the sea and I¡¯m glad I followed. I got along well with humans. Also, the fish is delicious. Oh, but I don¡¯t want to get along with all humans. If you don¡¯t have enough to kill, right? I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, don¡¯t be afraid. From a human perspective, we seem to be ferocious, but since we are born hunters, we can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s okay because Rashi is a member of the flock. do not worry. If something happens, everyone in the flock will protect it. Oh, there¡¯s the Gurney brother. Yeah, it¡¯s easy to tell. The one that is ¡°ga¡± is the Gurney, and the one that is not is Parker. Don¡¯t know? Well, that¡¯s fine. Both are the same. Hey, Gurney brothers! What¡¯s wrong with your face? ¡°Devil¡¯s Sea¡±? Did the captain eat it? That monster? Why? No, what is it when asked by me? Ah, the mystery is getting deeper and deeper¡­ CH 93 ¡°Fine, is it okay to do this?¡± I looked at the shrine made by the werewolves and nodded. It is a shrine for the octopus memorial service. In this operation to subdue the island octopus, two mermaids and one merman have been lost. Much less damage than expected, but not zero. For them, it was a mission that they couldn¡¯t return to life. Besides, many Beruza sailors have been killed in the past. Therefore, I decided to build a stone monument that doubles as a victory monument and a memorial monument, but as a side note, I also made a small shrine. I¡¯m Japanese, so it feels like ¡°everyone who dies is a Buddha.¡± At the same time, there is also the feeling that ¡®there is no worship for the Spanish mackerel god¡¯, it¡¯s okay, but for the time being, it¡¯s worshiped. Therefore, I decided to enshrine the island octopus in the shrine. Even though it is a shrine, it is a small wooden box that can be held under the armpit. I ordered the design in a shrine-like atmosphere because no one would know it anyway. However, I remember the details. As a sacred body, the noisy arrowhead of the crossbow used when burying him is enshrined. ¡°Vaito, what is this?¡± The werewolves who made the shrine were wondering, so I answered appropriately. ¡°I¡¯m doing a ritual to prevent the island octopus from reappearing. I¡¯m not an expert, so it¡¯s just for some relief.¡± Alright, let¡¯s name it Shimamo Shrine. I soaked a paintbrush with black paint and wrote it in Chinese characters on a frame like a kamaboko board. Buddhahood, octopus guy. I recommend the afterlife like Werewolf. And I board the airship ¡°Friedenrichter¡± again. Now, this ship is under the command of the Beruza Navy. This time I¡¯m not an admiral, I¡¯m just a guest. It¡¯s easy. ¡°Admiral! It¡¯s about time to set sail! Are all the Admiral¡¯s minions ready now !?¡± I¡¯m not an admiral this time. whatever. I shouted back to Marines Beruza. ¡°This is everyone! I¡¯ll leave all but the werewolves and aides!¡± ¡°Understood, Admiral!¡± That¡¯s why I¡¯m no longer an admiral. I¡¯m going to negotiate with Lotso, so I only brought a minimum of escorts and aides. Specifically, eight members of the Werewolf corps, Rashi, and Parker. ¡°Don¡¯t you look at my face and think I¡¯m rude now?¡± Parker said something but I as usual ignored it. ¡°By the way, Vaito, can I really leave the rower to the Beruza army? If it¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll prepare it.¡± Then Garsh laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Beruza has plenty of troops!¡± Rashi, who heard it, tilts her head. ¡°But according to the Senate materials, Beruza has a population of 2,000. The guards are assigned 100 people ¡­ by all means, there are more.¡± Yes. In Beruza, the entire cove is a city, and the buildings are lined up. In the city, strong guards are holding shamshirs and folding their arms, and if anything happens, they will let their arms say something and knock them down. Parker murmured. ¡°By all means, Beruza has a population of over 10,000 and hundreds of guards.¡± It was Garsh who looked happy. ¡°Oh, the population is certainly only 2,000. Beruza is a port city. There are a lot of ¡®moored¡¯ ships. That¡¯s why there are so many people.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a boathouse¡± Garsh laughs more and more happily, as I say. ¡°No, it seems that if the wind and waves are convenient, we will leave the port immediately! Isn¡¯t this all that can be done?¡± The captain¡¯s laughter makes his minions laugh. Among the cities in the south, Beruza has a particularly bad relationship with the north. Therefore, the city area was narrowly divided, and the walls were set to prevent the city area from expanding. But you can float something on the sea. There, he built a Janjan house on the sea under the name of a ship under berth or construction, or a pier. That seems to be the case. ¡°Thanks to this, people are gathering from all over the south. Everyone is waiting for departure.¡± Whether it¡¯s Rune Heights or Shaldir, the wall restrictions have caused similar problems and the population cannot be increased. The north is wary of cities close to them having too much power. Therefore, the surplus population of each city migrates to Beruza and Lotso at the southern end. Here, the Senate¡¯s eyes are out of reach. ¡°My old man¡¯s hometown is Shaldir.¡± ¡°My dad is from Rune Heights. My cousin is at Rune Heights¡¯ Chamber of Commerce.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Tuban. I came with my family ten years ago.¡± The Marines of Beruza greeted me. Everyone is like this. Garsh says: ¡°If I accepted the drifters properly, it would have become a bad city. Now I¡¯m ignoring the walls and there are houses all over the place. But thanks to that, there are 6,000 standing armies in Beruza. There ¡° ¡°Six thousand!?¡± Rashi was surprised and looked around. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m supposed to. If I call out, I¡¯ll get more together.¡± Beruza seems to maintain a connection with the north by bearing the standing army in the south. In reality, the standing army exists only on paper, and the ¡°standing soldiers¡± live by catching fish and building ships. I was half amazed and had no choice but to answer: ¡°It¡¯s a villain¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a pirate¡± Garsh laughs happily and orders his minions. ¡°It¡¯s time for the guys to set sail! Aim for Lotso!¡± ¡°Hey, boss!¡± The bronze sword that announced the departure was slammed, and five warships slowly began to slide over the sea. When the ship leaves the cove, the mermaids appear as if they were looking somewhere. Since the extermination of the island octopus, the mermaids have been actively interacting with the Demon King¡¯s army. ¡°Oh, Mr. Vaito, Mr. Parker¡± ¡°Are you out?¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t mind, would you like to accompany us?¡± They offer it and I¡¯m grateful to accept it. ¡°We will go to Lotso while checking the route. I hope many people will come.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll be happy.¡± If there are underwater reconnaissance personnel, it is encouraging to check the route. It takes about two days from Beruza to Lotso on a galley. Compared to sailing ships, galleys that have to rest the rowers are slower. It is an advantage of galleys to go against the wind and tide, but if you go zigzag, you can go upwind. ¡°I should have called the skeleton after all? They can row day and night.¡± Parker says that, but I shake my head. ¡°I¡¯m telling you that Garsh¡¯s old man will negotiate. The Demon King¡¯s army is scared, so we just want to keep it in the form of a party of Beruza¡¯s Viceroy.¡± ¡°Human beings are also quite difficult.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it originally a human being?¡± Parker shrugged with a bitter smile. ¡°I don¡¯t need food or sleep, I¡¯ve forgotten the crush of love if I don¡¯t feel any pain. My human heart gradually fades.¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡­¡± Yeah, this guy was in a rather serious situation. But soon Parker laughs. ¡°Thanks to that, I can make a plan to bring you while you sleep!¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you to stop it! Let¡¯s stuff the hollow eye sockets with oranges!¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s really good! Can I use that material next time?¡± Do whatever you like. During such exchanges, the voyage goes smoothly, and Beruza¡¯s fleet captures the port of Lotso. Garsh folded his arms and grinned. ¡°Land squadron, ready to land!¡± The ones who came out of the cabin were the ones with a bad look. Mohawk and skinhead muscular men carry maces and axes full of thorns. ¡°Hey, boss!¡± ¡°Huh! Is it your turn !?¡± ¡°My arms ring!¡± Where did you come from at the end of the century? ¡°Hey Garsh, what are you going to do with these guys?¡± When I ask, Garsh shrugs. ¡°If you want to persuade Lotso¡¯s Viceroy, Petore¡¯s fucking Jijii, you need at least this much persuasive power.¡± ¡°Is this kind of persuasive power in Beruza?¡± It¡¯s a mistake of violence. ¡°Well, leave it to us. I¡¯m grateful to you. I can¡¯t do my duty even a little. I¡¯m gonna do it!¡± ¡°Huhhhhh!¡± ¡°Olaaaa!¡± Is it really okay to leave it to him? While thinking about that, I decided to keep an eye on the situation for the time being.