【 】

“Onii-chan! Onii-chan! Get up! It’s morning already!”

A voice called out to me as I comfortably drifted in and out of sleep. Though my

consciousness was hazy, I could still somehow make out the words that were being said.

“Nrrggh…” I groaned.

“Come on! Hurry up and get up already!”

The voice was that of a young girl’s. It was so pleasant to the ear that it almost sounded
angelic.

“Just give five more minutes…”

“No! You have to get up now, Onii-chan! Leila’s already done making breakfast!”

In fact, it was so heavenly that I felt like it was slowly lulling me back to sleep.

“Nrrggghhhh…”

My body sudden began to jerk back and forth right as I was about to drift off to
dreamland.

“Onii-chan!”

“Okay, okay, fine. I’ll get up, so stop shaking me already.”

I groaned again before opening my eyes. Illuna’s shaking had forced me awake,
regardless of whether I liked it or not.

Ugh… I’m still so sleepy…

I groggily yawned as I raised the upper half of my body off the throne room’s floor.
Wait, why’s it so warm?

There was a really comfortable patch of warmth to my left, so I looked over and tried
to identify it.

“Oh. It was Lefi.”

The dragon girl was sleeping right by my side. One of her hands had made its way
toward me and grabbed ahold of my shirt. The look she had on her face could only be
described as innocent. Seeing it made it hard for me to think of her as anything but a
girl in her early teens.

Oh yeah, she made me play with her until the crack of dawn last night.

Lefi had kept losing. She got more and more indignant with every round, so she
continued challenging me throughout the night. She kept playing until she was
literally too tired to continue. Neither of us had had enough energy to make our way
over to our beds, so we’d passed out on the spot.

“Get up Lefi. It’s morning.”

“Nn…”

“Come on, wake up. It’s time to eat.”

“Just… 17 more years…”

That’s an oddly specific number.

“Geez! Get up already Onee-chan! You’re gonna miss breakfast!”

Illuna realized that Lefi wasn’t listening to her, so she did to the Supreme Dragon the
exact same thing she did to me. That is, she grabbed her by the shoulders and started
to gently shake her back and forth.

“Ugh…” Lefi groaned. “I get it, I get it already. Stop shaking me.”

I couldn’t help but smile wryly at the fact that her reaction was more or less identical
to my own.
Once Lefi let go of my shirt, I got up and started to stretch. Sleeping on the floor had
not been a good idea. My body was stiff and I hurt in all sorts of places. Worst off was
my shoulder, so I started to rotate it in wide arc in order to loosen it up.

God damn it Lefi. I know you hate to lose, but can’t you at least like, get better before
trying to beat me? We had to keep playing all night because you couldn’t pull off a win.

“Hmmm? You’re kinda looking cooler than usual today, Onii-chan.” Illuna curiously tilted
her head as she looked at me.

“Huh? I am? Well uh… thanks, I guess. You’re looking pretty cute yourself today, Illuna.”

“Ehehe.” She giggled. “Thanks!”

Illuna and I started walking towards the dining table set up in one of the throne room’s
corners. Lefi was trailing a bit behind us, still half asleep. She couldn’t walk straight
yet, so she kind of just ended up staggering along.

Lyuu was already sitting at the table and waiting for us. At first, she and Leila had both
protested the idea of joining Lefi, Illuna and I at the table because they were our
“servants,” but I eventually managed to convince them otherwise. Though they were
helping us with chores and stuff, I didn’t really think of them as hired housekeepers. I
felt that treating them that way was just far too cold.

“Mornin’ Master. And you too Lefi,” said Lyuu. “Wait, a sec. It is just me, Master, or do
you kinda got this like different feel to you today?”

“Huh? I do?”

“For sure, but I dunno how I’m s’pposed to describe it. You’re just… kinda different.”

I didn’t really quite get what she meant.

“Good morning My Lord. Good morning Lefi.”

Like Lyuu, Leila also ended up awkwardly pausing as soon as she finished greeting us.

“Interesting,” she said, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. She put down the plates she’d
carried out of the kitchen and, without warning, brought her face right up to my own.
“W-What’re you…”

My heart rate shot up. She was so close that I couldn’t help but smell the feminine
scent wafting off her body. Though I was certain she heard me, Leila didn’t answer. She
instead began to circle around me and examine me from all sorts of different angles.
She remained totally silent throughout; the maid didn’t start speaking again until she
was looking me over.

“Have you perhaps undergone a racial evolution, My Lord?”

Though she’d phrased it like a question, her tone was conclusive. She seemed fairly
confident that she’d hit the mark.

“Huh? Racial evolution? What’s that?”

Leila explained to me that monsters, demihumans, and demons would go through a

sort of metamorphosis after obtaining a certain amount of experience. In other words,
leveling up enough would lead an individual ascending a step up their own evolutionary
chain.

So it basically works the same way it does in P*kemon?

Monsters were the quickest to evolve. Demihumans and demons tended to require
much more experience, so they almost never evolved until they were relatively high
level.

With that knowledge in mind, I checked my stat page.

General Information
Name: Yuki
Race: Demon Lord
Class: Demon Lord of Judgement
Level: 35
HP: 2951/2951
MP: 10321/10321
Strength: 897
Stamina: 912
Agility: 804
Magic: 1132
Dexterity: 1409
Luck: 72
Skill Points: 6

Unique Skills
Magic Eye
Translation
Flight

Skills
Item Box
Analyze VIII
Martial Arts IV
Primordial Magic IV
Stealth V
Enemy Search IV
Sword Arts I
Weapon Creation III
Endow Magic II
Art of Trapping I

Titles
Demon Lord from Another World
Supreme Dragon’s Owner
One Who Judges
One Hostile to Humanity

DP: 420131

“Huh. You’re right. I did undergo a racial evolution.”

My class had changed from just Demon Lord to Demon Lord of Judgement. I was quite
happy with the change, as my new class sounded much more badass. My race had
switched from Archdemon to Demon Lord.

But why’d this suddenly happen? Oh, wait, duh… It must’ve been been all the people I
killed last night.

I’d wiped out so many humans that I’d even got a title for it, but because I didn’t
personally end any of their lives, I didn’t actually end up gaining any experience. My
level hadn’t changed. My stats, however, had. Most of them had been boosted
drastically. My MP had even shot all the way past the ten thousand mark. The only stat
that didn’t change was my luck.

But again, that didn’t make sense. It wasn’t me that’d done the killing. It was the dungeon.

Wait! That’s it! The dungeon must’ve leveled up!

Humans were weak. Their deaths barely generated any DP. The dungeon didn’t gain
too much from absorbing a human’s corpse either. But that said, there’d been a whole
400 of them. Added together, the humans had provided a significant boost to my DP,
as evidenced by the fact that I was currently holding on to the most I’d ever had at any
given point in time.

The dungeon had always been passively gaining DP because Lefi and many of the
Wicked Forest’s more powerful monsters were within its bounds. The DP gained last
night must have finally pushed the total over some sort of threshold and caused the
dungeon to grow. And since the dungeon and I were linked, I’d grown as well.

It made perfect sense.

I made a mental note to check to see if the dungeon had gained any new features once
I was done with my meal.

“I see,” Leila nodded. “I presume that means Demon Lords evolve quickly, which likens
them more to monsters than demihumans and demons. But wait, what if the demon
lord was but a part of the dungeon and its systems? If I were to think along those lines,
then…”

Leila rambled under her breath as she looked at me as she would a lab rat.

“H-Hey Leila…? The way you’re staring me down is kinda freaky.”

“Sorry, I do apologize. The phenomenon was so interesting that I forgot myself.”

So she thinks I’m an interesting phenomenon…? That’s uh… discomforting.

I felt as if I was starting to see a whole new side to Leila.

“R-Right, no problem,” I said. “Anyway, I’m surprised you guys could tell. I didn’t even
notice it myself.”

“It’s because you’re you, Onii-chan! It’s super easy to tell!” said Illuna.

“Us beastkin have got sharp senses, so it was real easy for me to notice that you were
seemin’ a bit different,” added Lyuu.

I looked at the full-length mirrors I had propped up nearby and quickly examined my
body. I didn’t really know what they meant. I still didn’t see it.

Maybe it’s just something that’s obvious to everyone but the person that it happens to.

“Oh well, whatever. Nevermind that, let’s have ourselves some breakfast.”

We all sat down at the table and got ready to eat, but Lefi nodded off before we actually
got around it. She’d somehow managed to retain a near perfect posture despite no
longer being awake. The only thing that looked off was the position of her head,
which’d dipped a bit in the forward direction.

“God damn it, Lefi…” I sighed.

“Oh come on Onee-chan! I told you it’s time for breakfast!”

Illuna promptly shook her awake yet again.

“Ugh… Can I not just sleep? It is not as if we had anything planned for the day.”

“You can’t! You’ll end up getting as fat as a cow if you keep lazing around!”

Seeing Lefi get scolded by a girl far younger than her brought a smile to my face. And
apparently, I wasn’t the only one. Lyuu smiled wryly, while Leila allowed herself to adopt
a bit of a grin.

And that was how the five us began yet another average day.
“Alright, time to check if anything’s changed.”

I did the usual and plopped myself down atop the throne as I opened the dungeon’s
display.

There weren’t any significant changes as far as the dungeon’s functions were concerned.
However, I was given the option to summon new monsters, construct additional
facilities, and spawn new items. In other words, my incomplete lists had been
expanded on. Evidently, the dungeon really had leveled up. And chances were, it would
continue to level up if it accrued enough DP.

I immediately invested a wealth of DP into increasing the amount of area covered by

the dungeon. The passive income I gained from the monsters wandering the Wicked
Forest was nothing to scoff at, and it didn’t seem like there were any demerits to
expanding my domain.

“It seems that your magical energies have undergone a sort of transformation. When
did that happen?”

Lefi curiously tilted her head as she stared at me. The dragon girl had been drifting in
and out of dreamland throughout breakfast, so she’d only just noticed the change.

“Last night, apparently. I guess I must’ve evolved in my sleep or something.”

“It appears so,” she nodded and seemed scrutinize me for a moment before continuing.
“Interesting. I never knew that there was a Demon Lord race.”

“Really? I would’ve expected you of all people to have heard of it.”

“I rarely examine the status pages of others. I have never felt the need for it.”

I could see where she was coming from. Lefi was so overwhelmingly powerful that she
didn’t need to think much of those that dared to face her.
“Oh yeah, Lefi. Have you ever evolved before?”

“I have not. Evolution exists in order to allow a lower life form to become more
powerful by escaping the restraints placed on it by its mortal coil. My body is that of
an ancient dragon, the most powerful race. As far as I know, there is nothing for me to
evolve into.”

Ohhh, I get it. So basically she started off as a Dr*gonite instead of needing to climb her
way up from a Dr*tini.

“However, that isn’t to say it is impossible for me to evolve. It may just be that I have
not met the requirements.”

“Uhhh… Well I wouldn’t get your hopes up with your level being what it is.”

“I’ve been exactly as powerful as I am now for decades. It’s difficult for me to continue
growing stronger. It may take another thousand years for me to make any significant
progression.”

A thousand years? Good god, talk about out of scale. Er, actually, not really, I guess. My
lifespan’s supposed to be at least that long, so I might actually live to see it happen. If I
do , I’ll make sure I throw her a huge party.

“Still, I find it surprising that your appearance has remained constant despite your
evolution.”

“Is it normally supposed to change or something?”

“I believe so. Monsters that have evolved typically grow fangs or horns. Those with
more human-like forms, such as yourself, tend to see changes in their hair and eye
colours. Of course, that is merely what is typically seen. I once encountered a demon
that had tentacles and fangs protruding from his body.”

Lefi’s expression warped in heartfelt disgust.

“His tentacle-based attacks were slimy and disgusting. I wish to never encounter another
similar individual.”

I shuddered as I imagined the demon Lefi described. Thankfully, my own evolution

hadn’t led me down that demon’s path. Personally, I couldn’t stand anything with too
many legs. Even just looking at them was enough to freak me the hell out.

Hmm… I’m not really that good with gore and stuff either. I guess I just don’t have the
sort of tolerance I should. If there was a sanity stat, then mine would probably be on the
lower side.

After pausing to evaluate the limits of my mind, I checked my body over yet again, just
to make sure I hadn’t grown any slimy tentacles. Only then did I realize that there was
a part of me I’d totally forgotten to check: my wings.

To be honest, I was hesitant to inspect them. I highly doubted they’d changed, and I
was concerned that materializing them would also cause me to sprout additional,
unwanted body parts. That said, I was going to have to check eventually. Avoiding the
problem in perpetuity just wasn’t an option.

And so, I reluctantly got off my throne and materialized my wings.

“Wait, did I grow another set…?”

My wings were the only part about me that had changed. I now had two pairs, with
the second protruding from the area just under my shoulder blade.

The new pair looked a bit different from the old pair. Their colour was a reddish-
brown. My first impression was that I couldn’t tell whether they were bat wings or
dragon wings, but either way, they didn’t look too shabby at all. In fact, they were
pretty awesome. They resembled the kind of thing you’d expect to see on the devil or
the grim reaper.

Oh thank god I didn’t grow tentacles.

I heaved a sigh of relief as I admired myself.

These wings make me look kinda sinister, but I guess that’s not really a bad thing. I’m a
Demon Lord, so being sinister is a status symbol. It means I’m special. [1]

“You know, this isn’t actually too bad. What do you think, Lefi?”

I proudly turned myself towards her, only to find her totally frozen in place.

“Uh… Lefi…? Earth to Lefi, do you read me?”

“Y-Your wings are awe inspiring…”

“Uhh… what?”

“W-why ever have you been keeping those glorious wings hidden from view!?” She
suddenly broke into a shout.

“Woah! C-calm down Lefi! And stop touching my wings, you’re tickling me!”

I took a few steps back.

“W-Why!? I’m just touching them! There is nothing wrong with that, is there? Please?
Can you not just let me touch them!? I implore you!”

Lefi started panting heavily as she reached towards my wings again, her cheeks dyed
a deep crimson.

“Stop that! At least stop wiggling your fingers! That’s just plain weird!”

I grabbed her by the face and attempted to push her away.

“Why are you stopping me!? What harm is there in letting me fondle them!?”

“It’s not about letting you touch them! The problem is that you’re acting like a creepy
old man!”

Of course, there was simply no way that I could match the Supreme Dragon in a contest
of brute strength. It didn’t take long for her to overpower me; she slowly began to inch
closer.

“God damn you and your stupid wing fetish! Okay, fine! I’ll let you touch them, but only
if you calm down first!”

I gave up. There was no stopping her.

“Okay, I’ve calmed down.”

She stopped struggling the moment I gave the condition. It was clear that she was
desperate to begin immediately.
God damn it Lefi…

“And you have to let me touch your wings too. It’d be unfair if you were the only one
doing the touching,” I added.

She probably won’t start getting all weird again if I make her let me touch her.

“V-Very well. I shall, so allow me to start touching yours immediately.”

She seemed a bit embarrassed, but promptly gave her consent and materialized her
own wings. Like her hair, they were dyed a dazzling shade of silver. I wanted to give
myself a pat on the back for being a man and actually asking. I’d always wanted to
touch Lefi’s wings, but never really had the opportunity. At least not until now.

“They’re beautiful.”

I felt like I would feel the exact same way regardless of how often I saw them; their
radiant shine never failed to impress.

“R-Really?” Lefi’s blush deepened. “Y-Your wings are also quite the sight. They’re the
most impressive I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

“T-Thanks.”

We awkwardly reached for each other’s wings.

Woah.

Lefi’s were soft as down and smooth as silk. I felt my hands drawn to them the moment
I touched them; I wanted to grab ahold of them and never let go. I could feel myself
getting absorbed in the act, entranced by her wings.

I wanted to bury my face in them and close my eyes. They were so pleasant to the
touch that I was certain sleeping on them was sure to send me straight to heaven.

“Nnn…” Lefi sighed bewitchingly. “I-I don’t mind you touching me, but… could you be
a slight bit more gentle…?”

“E-Err… my bad.”
It seemed that her wings were at least as sensitive as my own. She moaned enchantingly
every single time my fingers so much as grazed them.

It didn’t take long for us to get so immersed in the act that we lost sight of everything
but each other. She simply continued to touch my wings, and I hers. It was as if we
were in our own little world.

My breathing started growing more and more ragged as we continued. And so did hers.

I finally took my focus off her wings and looked at her face, only to find her staring
right back at my own.

Her eyes were glazed and her cheeks dyed as red as could be.

“…”

We continued to gaze into each other’s eyes without saying a word. I couldn’t pull my
eyes from the alluring expression that decorated her face.

I took one of my hands off her wings and slowly brought it towards her cheek.

“Uhm…”

A noise neither of us had expected to hear immediately jerked us out of our daze.

“Could the two of you please refrain from engaging in lewd activities in broad daylight?
I would very much prefer if you waited until the rest of us were asleep.”

Leila glared at us reproachfully.

“Y-You’ve got it all wrong!”

“Y-You are mistaken! We are doing nothing of the sort!”

Lefi and I instantly separated from one another and shouted in protest, filling the
throne room with our indignant cries of denial.

[1] Being flat chested is a status symbol. Reference to Lucky Star.

Leila’s gaze stung. It was so cold that both Lefi and I felt like it’d pierce right through
us if we allowed her to continue staring at us. Unable to bear it, we excused ourselves.
The dragon girl claimed to be tired and quickly retreated to take a nap, whereas I chose
to head to the dungeon’s field floor under the pretense of wanting to practice magic.

I took a deep breath as soon as I arrived, allowing fresh air to fill my lungs. As soon as
they were filled, I sighed. I wasn’t too sure how I was supposed to bring myself to face
Lefi. Things were sure to be awkward between us.

There was no denying that I’d lost control of myself. Her wings had been so fascinating
that I’d forgotten my self-restraint. Frankly put, touching them was addicting. All
super high quality things had the ability to draw people to them, to retain attention
for far longer than was reasonable. And Lefi’s wings were no exception. Even just
running my fingers across them had totally blown my mind. The soft and silky
sensation was so wonderfully addicting that I felt it deserved to be classified a
dangerous narcotic.

Still, it was my fault I lost control.

You know, I think the best way for me to deal with this whole dilemma is just to pretend
it never happened. Everything’ll be fine as long as I don’t make a big deal out of it. I
mean, that’s what I did with the whole Illuna bloodsucking incident, and that’s turned
out fine so far. In fact, I’d even go as far as to say it couldn’t have possibly turned out any
better. Y-Yeah, you know what? Lefi’s probably thinking the same thing anyway. Things
would start getting really awkward really fast if we started getting all conscious of each
other, especially since we live together. Yup. You know what? That’s right. Nothing
happened. Nothing at all.

I was all but certain that, if I ended up becoming a politician back in Japan, I would
have been known as “the asshole that never shut up about not making a big deal out
of everything.”
It took a while, but I eventually switched gears and directed my mind towards a task
that was a bit more productive: thinking about the dungeon’s abilities. I’d spotted an
interesting function earlier, but I hadn’t the chance to test it. It, Creative Construction,
provided me the ability to engineer any facility I wished, exactly as I imagined it. The
only thing that limited the ability was its caster, which, in this case, was me.

I had no idea as to exactly how it worked. All I knew was that it was what I liked to call
a dungeon skill, an ability that functioned based off of the dungeon’s mysterious powers.

The skill was user friendly and convenient, but naturally came with its own set of
drawbacks. There was no such thing as a free lunch, after all.

Its first major drawback was that it consumed a ridiculous amount of DP. A single cast
of it would eat up everything I’d gotten from last night’s massacre, and then some.
That said, its cost was still a mere tenth of what was needed to purchase the cheapest
castle listed in the dungeon’s catalogue. Fortunately, the cost was static. It didn’t
matter if I wanted to make a castle or a doghouse. They both cost exactly the same.

The second major downside was that it was extremely unforgiving. Like with
primordial magic, I needed to picture what I wanted to make, down to the finest detail.
If the image I had in my head wasn’t clear enough, then the spell would end up failing
to create what I desired. That is, my castle would just end up as a castle sized chunk
of turd if I didn’t know exactly how I wanted it to look.

My new dungeon skill’s final major issue came with the fact that it required mana to
function. The amount of magical energy it needed scaled with the size of the final
output. A doghouse wouldn’t have required too much mana, but a castle was a whole
different story. I couldn’t even begin to fathom its requirements.

Though Creative Construction had a tonne of restrictions and stipulations, I still

thought it was well worth using. Its cost was one whole order of magnitude less than
the cheapest castle listed in the dungeon catalogue, and three whole orders of magnitude
less than the most expensive.

It would literally take me decades to save up enough DP to purchase the most costly
product. It wasn’t impossible for me to wait that long given that my lifespan was now
well over a thousand years in length, but I didn’t want to. I just didn’t have the patience
for it. There was no reason for me to consider buying anything that expensive without
first giving Creative Construction a chance.

More importantly, the dungeon skill allowed me to customize the castle to my liking—
an opportunity I could hardly turn down. I wasn’t sure whether or not I would be able
to make anything tasteful, but I knew I would prefer my own creation to the cookie
cutter castle listed in the dungeon’s catalogue.

Personally, I lacked the brain power to picture both the interior and exterior
simultaneously. I was far too much of an amateur. Fortunately, Creative Construction
was flexible enough to allow me to design the exterior on my first pass and renovate
the interior thereafter, albeit at the cost of extra DP. As far as I was concerned, that was
perfect. Being a M*necrafter, I knew that I could pull off tweaking the interior so long
as I had the exterior crafted ahead of time.[1]

All minecr*fters are basically wizards that excel in spatial magic, after all.

I didn’t have any specific final design in mind, so I started making random miniature
models using earth magic as I got my thoughts in order. Of course, I didn’t start
constructing immediately. My first step was to do research by getting myself a few
reference materials using DP. Specifically, I procured 100 pictures of castles from my
previous world.

My goal was to create something extravagant, so I tried finding screenshots from

games, but alas, there weren’t any available. Regardless, I managed to psych myself up
and get started.

“Heya Master, whatcha up to?”

Lyuu approached from behind and curiously peered at the many dirt castles sitting at
my feet. She was holding a large basket filled with wet clothes. It seemed that she was
getting ready to hang the laundry out to dry.

“Oh, hey Lyuu.”

“Wait, woah! Did you make all those, Master?”

“Yeah,” I replied despondent as I slowly raised the upper half of my body off the patch
of grass I’d been lying down on.

“Wow! Y’sure are good at crafts ‘n stuff! They look real good!”

“Thanks… Hearing that makes me feel a lot better.”

“I-Is somethin’ wrong? You’re soundin’ kinda down.”

“Eh, you know…” I frowned.

I had all the research and skills I needed in order to create a magnificent castle. In fact,
I’d even taken quite a liking to some of the miniatures I’d created. But by no means
was I truly satisfied. None of the castles I’d created were up to par; I wanted to at least
make something on the tier of An*r L*ndo. [2] But I couldn’t. No matter what I did, I
found myself unable to create anything that solemn and majestic. Fr*m Software’s
designers were simply out of my league. [3]

Wait, why the hell have I already given up? I’ve only been at this for two goddamn hours!

The wizards at F*om Software were sure to scoff at me if they heard me complain.
They’d probably continued slaving away in front of their monitors, building and
modeling until they started shedding tears of blood. My inability to emulate their work
was a given. I’d only invested two hours to their thousands.

Expecting to achieve their standard had been nothing short of stupid on my part.

That said, I knew it wasn’t going to take me much longer. Unlike them, I didn’t have to
use a game engine or 3D modeling tool. All I had to do was forge myself a mental image
of the castle.

And, as the Demon Lord of Creativity [4], I was sure to succeed so long as I continued
to push myself forward.

“Alright! One more time!”

Again, I hyped myself up before closing my eyes and focusing on the castle I wished to
construct.

Imagine it. Come on Yuki, you can do this. All you have to do is imagine it.
The citadel that manifested within my mind was dyed in black. It was covered from
head to toe in the very same shade of black that filled the night around it. It was
impenetrable. Its pitch black ramparts loomed over all that dared to challenge it,
overpowering them with its imposing presence. Strong and sturdy was its gate. It was
so thick that it could tank a dragon’s assault without budging the slightest bit. And so
tall it stood that it could fit a giant with room to spare. Its walls were lined with towers
adorned with sharp, pointed tips, and its residential area was made entirely out of jet-
black mansions that extended as far as the eye could see.

The sheer size of the property was abnormal. And at its center lay the palace, solemn
as a chapel and large enough to dwarf its surroundings. Dull lights shined out from
within the structure’s windows, illuminating it just enough for its outline to be seen
in the darkness of the night. It was so stunning to see that it could only be described
as phantasmagorical. And though it was ominous, it still tugged at the hearts of all that
looked upon it.

That was what I wanted to create: an intimidating fortress that inspired fear, dread,
and passion in those that saw it. I wanted it to make its beholders feel not only tiny
and insignificant, but also stupefied by its majesty.

An ideal that no true man could deny.

Once I solidified the image, I activated my primordial magic and forced the earth itself
to move. The soil around me warped, obeying my commands.

Creating a miniaturized model of something was normally quite difficult. There was a
complicated and detailed manufacturing process, involving many steps that I failed to
understand. Primordial magic, however, allowed me to circumvent the more
complicated steps and skip to materializing the result exactly as I wished for it, so long
as I could picture it clearly in my head.

It didn’t take long for the fortress to finish coming together.

“Oh, this one’s actually not too bad.”

Though tiny, the castle I created held a majestic sense of presence. It was beautiful; I
could feel it drawing me in already. Unfortunately, it was only made of dirt, so it was
brown as opposed to the deep black I’d had in mind, but still, it looked quite
impressive. I almost couldn’t bring myself to tear my eyes off it.
“Wow Master! The one you just made is lookin’ super awesome!”

“Yeah. It turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself.”

Finally satisfied, I nodded. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted. A few of the finer details
were still off, but it was good enough for me to work off of. I no longer needed to draft
another concept from scratch.

A sense of motivation assailed me; I felt the urge to continue practicing so I could use
Creative Construction to complete the real deal on my first attempt.

“Alright Lyuu, watch this! I’m going to make it even better!”

“E-Even better!? It ain’t good ‘nuff already!?” Her eyes sparkled. “Wow! I can’t wait!”

“Heh. They don’t call me the Demon Lord of Creation for nothing. Just watch! I’ll open
your eyes to my glory!”

And so, Lyuu ended up getting so caught up in watching me practice that she forgot to
do the laundry.

[1] Should be obvious, but this is “minecrafter.” Apparently some of the people that play

the game actually call themselves this. `-`

[2] Anor Londo, beautiful large castle in Dark Souls.

From Software. The people that made Dark Souls, Armored Core, and some other
[3]

famous stuff. In the raw, they were called by a nickname, but apparently the English
speaking fanbase doesn’t have anything similar. Oh well.

[4] He dubs himself this in chapter 20 or 21.

“Well, Lyuu? What do you have to say for yourself?”

Lyuu and I returned to the throne room to find Leila awaiting us right by the field’s
exit. She flashed the other maid a smile, one that almost instinctively caused me to
shudder. Though it didn’t appear off, it somehow felt entirely devoid of all the emotion
the expression of joy was supposed to contain.

“U-Uhm… I-It’s not my fault…”

“I told you to return immediately after drying the laundry because I wanted you to
assist me with another task.”

“I-I know, but I swear I must’ve had a spell cast on me or somethin’! I really was
plannin’ on getting the laundry done real quick, but then I magically ended up gettin’
all distracted! I-I swear I wasn’t tryin’ to slack! I don’t even know how it happened!”

“Lyuu, that is not an excuse. The fact stands that you neglected your responsibilities.”

“Y-you’d get why if you just saw it, Leila! It was just that awesome! Come on, hear me
out!”

“I think I have heard plenty already.”

“Huh!? W-Wait, where are you taking me? Leila? Leila!? Let go of me! Leila!?”

Lyuu tried to resist, but it was futile. The other maid started dragging her off with ease.
I didn’t have the slightest clue as to what Leila was about to do to the poor girl, but I
could at least tell it wasn’t a good idea to interfere. Given that, I stayed silent and
smiled wryly as I saw the two of them off.

Once they were out of sight, I turned towards Lefi’s quarters, only to find her with her
face still buried in a pillow.

“Er… I uh… Hey, uh… Lefi.” It took me a few tries, but I eventually managed to initiate
a conversation. “W-Would you mind if I asked you something real quick?”

“H-Huh!? Uh… U-uhm… sure,” Lefi’s eyes nervously darted around, but she eventually
calmed down and started speaking in as normal a tone as she could. “I-I will answer
what you wish so long as I am able.”

“T-Thanks. Do you know any way for me to raise my max mp?”

The only reason I returned to the throne room was because I’d wanted to ask her for
advice. I would’ve loved to keep making mini-castles, but I couldn’t. My mana had run
dry. And if a few hours of practice was all it took to drain it, I highly doubted I would
actually be able to forge an entire castle with my current pool.

Of course, I hadn’t been making castles the whole time. I’d taken a break right before
Lyuu showed up, and another when Illuna and Shii joined us a bit later. The two had
been playing together, but immediately stopped to voice their wonder as they saw the
countless castle designs I had laid out. Seeing Illuna like that inspired me to create
something to entertain her. And I figured I might as well make Lyuu smile while I was
at it. I used primordial magic to create S*lvanian Families: cute, dressed up animals
that lived in houses and other human-like environments. [1] I made a metric ton of
them and ran my MP dry in the process. I wasn’t too happy with completely draining
my mana because it disallowed me the opportunity to continue practicing. But still, it
was worth it. Seeing the cute toys caused both girls to light up in joy.

“You need to bolster your magical energies? You already have many times more than
the average person, do you not?” Lefi looked at me quizzically. “Are you attempting to
cast a forbidden spell?”

“Nah. I just don’t seem to have enough to make something I’ve been meaning to. I know
I could always just go gain experience and level up, but I’d prefer to do some sort of
exercise or training.”

Working out had given my physical stats a noticeable boost, and I figured there was
likely a magical equivalent.

“Hmmm…” Lefi paused for a moment to think. “I can just lend you my mana if you’d
only like a temporary boost.”
“You can do that?”

“Easily,” she nodded. “Do you recall how I cycled my magical energy through your body
when I first taught you magic?”

“Yeah?”

Last I remembered, it was an act that could’ve caused my head to explode.

“Lending mana is a similar process. The only difference is that I’ll be channeling my
magic into you as opposed to through you.”

“Huh, that’s neat. You think I could do it too?”

“Not as you are now. You would first need to improve your control,” Lefi smirked. “You
don’t need to reach my heights, but you still do require a fair amount of improvement.
Lending your magical energy involves tuning its wavelength to match that of the
person you’re giving it to. It’s no simple task.”

The proud look she had on her face was her usual one. She was finally back to being
herself.

“Alright then. I’ll come looking for you for when the time comes.”

“It’ll cost you.”

“Fine, what do you want?”

“I’ll be willing to accept payment in donuts.”

“Sure.”

As always, Lefi’s sweet tooth was raring to go. I couldn’t understand how she could
tolerate eating sweets at every given opportunity. If I was her, I would’ve long gotten
sick of them. Her all time favourite seemed to be the chocolate I’d fed her when we
first met. She’d always nibble away at it bit by bit and attempt to make it last in the
same manner as would a certain sugar-crazed detective.

“Borrowing my mana isn’t the only method at your disposal. You could also practice
by firing off higher tiered spells and exhausting your reserves on a daily basis. I believe
you already know one. I think you’ve taken quite a liking to it, in fact.”

“You mean the water dragon thing?”

“Yes, that one,” Lefi nodded. “Continue firing spells of that caliber and you should not
only bolster your reserves, but also raise your proficiency in controlling magical energy.”

“Right.”

To be honest, I wasn’t quite satisfied with the water dragon spell. It was supposed to
be made of hot water, but I lacked the skill to maintain both the shape and temperature
simultaneously, especially seeing as how I had to use earth magic to mix in a bit of grit
to power it up. I’d practiced the spell quite a bit, but I’d never spammed it to the point
of running out of mana. In fact, today was the first time it’d ever happened. Though I
didn’t have it right, I wasn’t going to be putting any more effort into practicing or
refining it. Creating castles also consumed mana, and was a much better use of my
time. Each fortress I crafted would further solidify my mental image of the final
product. Moreover, building castles made it easier for me to switch to creating
Sylv*nian Families for Illuna in my spare time. And as it made her happy, I was more
than glad to do it.

“Thanks Lefi. That was some solid advice.”

“I-It wasn’t a big deal. I-I am glad you found it useful.”

Lefi fidgeted a bit as she blushed. The embarrassed gestures she made were so cute
and charming that I couldn’t help but admire them.
“Welcome back dear. Dinner’s ready and waiting.”

“Thanks honey. You know how much I love the meals you make me, especially after a
long period of non-stop work.”

“I do dear. Everything’s already all set on the dining table. Today, I made rice, miso soup,
sashimi, karaage, pepper steak, and ramen.”

“W-wow, you sure went all out.”

That’s one hell of a heavy meal right there…

“I knew you were going to be tired after coming home, so I tried to make enough food
to help cheer you up.”

“T-Thanks honey, I appreciate it… Wow, this is delicious.”

“That would be because I made it with love, dear.”

I smiled wryly as I continued to “eat.” Illuna, the person supposedly responsible for
cooking up the meal, beamed at me as I did. Of course, she hadn’t actually cooked, and
the two of us hadn’t suddenly started acting like a husband and wife. The whole
situation was make believe. It was all just a part of us playing house.

We were currently inside of a small, toy-like building, specifically the kind you’d often
see in playgrounds or parks that catered to young children. Though I’d made it out of
earth magic, it lacked the bland brown that all my initial creations had shared. Its
exterior and interior were both decorated in vivid reds, blues, and greens. It looked
pretty damn good, if I did say so myself.

My proficiency in earth magic had increased dramatically. I’d become not only able to
affect the colours, but also the texture and overall granularity of my creations. At first,
I’d thought that earth magic was only capable of controlling dirt. Evidently, I was
wrong. The magic could manipulate minerals and gemstones just as easily. In my
previous life, people had crushed stones in order to create colourful dyes. I saw no
reason for me not to do the same, so I began using all sorts of ores and gems in order
to bring colour to my creations. Fine tuning the colours turned out to be much more
difficult a task than I initially anticipated, but I eventually got the hang of it after
putting in enough practice.

The whole experience once again reminded me that magic required an open mind.
Flexibility was key to preventing mages from getting trapped within rabbit holes. As
the Demon Lord of Creativity, I decided I would eventually master many different
types of magic to ensure that I remained adaptable.

On a side note, Lefi was right. My max mp had increased, albeit only by the slightest
bit. I was confident that I’d eventually raise it high enough to craft myself a castle so
long as I continued to practice.

“Um…”

“Yeah, Leila?”

“There is something I would like to confirm. Were you the one that created this structure,
my Lord?”

“Yeah.”

I wasn’t the only one playing house with Illuna. Leila had joined us as well. She was
supposed to be acting as our daughter, but she couldn’t help but find herself a bit too
distracted to play the game. All her attention was focused on the backdrop I’d made.

“With all due respect, my Lord, you and Lefi are both ridiculous. Your ability to weave
complex spells with ease is nothing short of absurd. I fear that I may soon lose sight of
the standard the average mage is held to.”

A distant look appeared in her eyes as she spoke.

Now that she mentions it, I don’t even know what the average mage is supposed to be
able to do.

“I’ve never seen anyone but Lefi cast magic, so she’s pretty much become my standard.
Are our abilities really that far outside the norm?”
“Undoubtedly,” she said. A momentary pause followed her affirmation. She seemed to
be gathering her thoughts. “Would I be correct in assuming that both of you are
capable of casting primordial magic? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen either of you chant
prior to casting a spell.”

“Yep.”

“I thought so,” she nodded. “Primordial magic is effectively treated as a lost art. I highly
doubt it has any more than a few dozen practitioners.”

“Really…?”

“Modern spells are entirely chant-based. In fact, they are less akin to true magic than
they are magic-based techniques. The current standard is for mages is to chant to
create a frame for their spells before weaving their magical energies into it. The spell
activates once the mage injects a sufficient amount of mana.”

Leila’s explanation was factual and to the point. I almost felt like I was listening to a
teacher.

P-Primordial magic is a lost art? Huh. Though, I guess I can see that. Lefi uses it pretty
heavily herself, and she’s supposedly the strongest living thing there is. It only makes
sense for it to be something not everyone can use.

“Wait, you’re saying that modern magic is basically centered around the chant, right?”

“Precisely so.”

“That’s the exact opposite of what Lefi told me. She said that magic’s supposed to be
centered around its caster’s imagination and that chants are just for additional support.”

“The only individuals capable of casting spells through the method you described are
those with a high affinity for magic. The records say that all demons had the ability to
cast primordial magic in the distant past, and that our species gradually lost the ability
as time progressed. The only modern casters capable of reproducing primordial magic
are atavisms.”

“I see.”

I think I get it. Lefi said that demons are just lumps of magical particles that spontaneously
come to life. Most of the later generations probably resulted from demons interbreeding
with other races because there weren’t that many of them. Their magical affinities
must’ve just slowly dropped as the generations passed. In fact, they probably developed
chants as a form of technology to make up for their inability to do things that their
ancestors could.

My ability to use primordial magic probably stemmed from the way the dungeon
created me. It made my body much more like an ancient demon than a modern one.

God damn it dungeon. You have no idea how much I love you right now. I almost want to
run up to your core and give it a smooch. But that aside, I’m seriously lacking in my
knowledge of how things work here. I should probably go visit a human or demon
settlement and stay there a while so I can learn more about this world and its workings.
That’s probably the best way for me to protect myself from any potential major incidents.

“Geez! Come on you guys! We’re supposed to be in the middle of playing house! Stop
getting distracted!” Illuna angrily puffed out her cheeks.

“Right, my bad. Where were we again?”

“We’re supposed to be husband and wife, Onii-chan!”

“Oh, yeah. I remember now. Leila was supposed to be our daughter, but she contracted
a supposedly incurable illness, so I went out on a journey in order to find a way to save
her. I ended up finding it, but she died right before I made it back, right?”

“Yup! Make sure you play properly this time, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I will.”

“Ummm…”

“What’s up Leila?”

“Is it really absolutely necessary for my character to die?”

“Yup!”

Sorry, but our little princess’ words are final. But don’t worry, I’ll at least make sure we
take good care of your corpse.
I opened the throne room’s door and entered the area that made up its exterior. There,
I found Lyuu poking her head out the cave’s entrance. She was slowly looking from left
to right and back again, as if she were surveying her surroundings.

“The heck are you doing all the way out here, Lyuu?”

“Oh, heya Master. I was just hangin’ ’round ‘cause I think you said something ‘bout goin’
out with Rir today.”

“Yeah, I’ve pretty much left him to his own devices lately, so I thought it was probably
time for me to check up on him.”

Though, that’s more of an excuse than anything. To be honest, I just want to get out of
the house. I’ve been doing nothing but practicing earth magic lately, and I’m starting to
get sick of it. I need to go beat up some monsters to relieve my stre—Er, I mean “field test
a few new spells.”

“That’s kinda why I’ve been standin’ here. I thought I mighta been lucky enough to see
him if I stuck around, but it doesn’t look like he’s here yet.”

I double checked the map after listening to her and confirmed that there was a marker
indicating a friendly unit sitting right outside the cave.

“He’s been here.”

“Huh!?”

“Yeah, he’s just hiding.”

“What!? Why!?”

Lyuu’s face contorted in astonishment.

“Because he thinks you’re creepy. Duh.”

“W-Wow Master, you totally just gave it to me straight! You didn’t even try sugarcoatin’
it at all!”

“I mean, think about it. How’d you feel about having someone basically constantly
follow you around?”

“Ugh…” Lyuu groaned.

“I know you think of him like someone you need to worship, but he doesn’t like it when
you treat him like that. I’m pretty sure I’d start running away from you too, if you did
the same to me. It’s just… weird.”

“I-I getcha, but I can’t help it. He’s a fenrir, you know, a freakin’ fenrir! You know how
awesome they are!?”

Lyuu began telling me the legends passed down by her people. According to folklore,
there once existed a fenrir that fought off an entire army of humans and destroyed the
town they were based in. That same beast challenged tens of thousands of monsters.
It continued fighting them non-stop over the course of several years before finally
emerging victorious. And, many years later, it brought vitality to the field in which it
breathed its last breath. Flowers blossomed from its final resting grounds and soon
grew into a forest whose lands remained ever fertile. The warwolf tribe had
descended from that very same fenrir’s line. And for that reason, Lyuu’s tribe believed
it was only natural for them to worship the species as a whole; she didn’t think of her
actions as even the slightest bit creepy or weird. In fact, her eyes almost seemed to
burn with passion as she spoke.

To be honest, a good chunk of that sounds like bullshit, but I guess it technically is
possible. Fenrirs are legendary creatures, and apparently even Lefi found it quite
difficult to defeat one, so it’s safe to assume they’re strong as hell. But wait, fenrirs are
wolves. Why would their children be beastkin?

I paused for a moment, only to remember that there existed a spell or something that
allowed non-humans to take on a human-like form. Case in point: Lefi.

Wait, does that mean it’s possible for Lefi and I to have a ki—

My eyes widened as I realized where my thoughts had taken me.

God damn it brain! What the hell are you thinking!?

“Wow Master, your face started gettin’ all red and stuff real quick. Did hearin’ about
the legends really move ya that much?”

“Shut up. That’s not it. I was thinking about something else. Don’t ask.”

I rejected the notion several times over out of sheer panic before redirecting my
thoughts towards something else. Hearing about her tribe’s legends allowed me to
understand the reason Lyuu revered Rir the way she did. To her, he was like a celebrity.
She’d heard a lot about him, so seeing him in real life had caused the fangirl within her
to freak the hell out. Admittedly, I could see exactly where she was coming from. I likely
would’ve had a similar reaction upon meeting any of my favourite voice actors.

“Do you want to join us?”

“Can I really!?”

“Only if you promise to listen to instructions. You’ll probably die if you get lost.”

“Erk… T-That sounds kinda scary, but sure!” I-I promise I’ll listen real good, so please
lemme join ya!”

“Uhyyaaaaaaaaaahhh!?”

“God damn it, Lyuu. Could you shut up already?”

I frowned as Lyuu, who was sitting right behind me, screamed loud enough to make
my eardrums burst.

“I-I can’t Master! W-we’re going way too fast!”

She desperately clung onto Rir’s back for dear life. We weren’t going too fast, but she
was still sure to go flying off the moment she let go.

“Rir’s been taking it easy and going pretty slowly. He can actually go much faster if he
wants,” I shrugged. “Stop, Rir. This spot’s good.”
The giant wolf used his whole body to decelerate and came to a complete halt in a
matter of moments.

“Nraarghghgh!?”

Lyuu screamed incoherently as she flew right off his back and smashed her face into
the ground below. The stop had been way too sudden for her. She couldn’t help but get
thrown off.

“Stop making weird noises and calm down already.”

“Y-You’re making it sound like I was doin’ it ‘cuz I wanted to!”

She retorted as she slowly got back up. She seemed surprisingly energetic for someone
whose face was caked in a layer of mud.

“Ugh… I should’ve known, but Rir’s real fast.”

“Well, yeah.”

“A-And why are you doin’ the criticizing, Master!? You’re the one that’s acting all weird
here! How the hell do you expect a gal like me to hang on when we’re goin’ that fast!?”

“I mean, we weren’t even going that fast…”

“You’re only sayin’ that ‘cause you’re a weirdo! There ain’t no normal person capable
of staying all calm and composed at that kinda speed!”

Wow. Talk about rude. It’s not my fault I like thrill rides. And it’s also definitely not my
fault that they’ve been growing on me as of late.

“Oh by the way, you might want to get back here, and quick. You’re pretty much right
next to a monster.”

“Huh!? Wait, seriously!? Holy crap!”

Lyuu fearfully turned her head around, only to immediately start dashing back
towards us the moment she saw the thing that’d been standing a bit of a ways behind
her.
“Gelgwa! Gya gya!”

It was a creature whose meat worked quite well in dishes that typically made use of
chicken: a rockbird. It noticed us and started squawking vigilantly. Its death metal
vocalist-like cries were filled with wariness.

“Ugh, that’s loud as hell. Shut up and turn into food already goddammit.”

I briefly focused my magical energies before rapidly bringing my hands together to

cast a spell. I didn’t even bother getting off Rir’s back.

There was a low rumble as the magic activated. The earth right underneath the
rockbird’s head shook and swelled, derforming into a pair of iron-like plates with
spikes protruding from their insides. The two rose, lining themselves up with the
bird’s head before closing in on each other, punching countless holes into the poor
animal’s face. Blood sprayed all over as the now headless rockbird lifelessly collapsed.

The spell I’d just cast was one I dubbed “Iron Maiden.” It was a bit slow; keener, faster
enemies could dodge it with ease. But it made up for its lack of speed with an
incredible amount of power. I had no doubt that it could deal major damage to
anything too sluggish to react to it.

“W-wow…” Lyuu’s eyes opened wide. “Ain’t that a shocker. You really did just kill a
rockbird in one hit.”

She had a smile on her face, but it seemed kinda cramped; her mouth was twitching in
disbelief.

“Yeah, they’re weak. Anyway, let’s go. We need to find ourselves some more prey.”

I urged Lyuu to get back on Rir while putting the rockbird’s corpse in my item box.

“Huh!? W-We’re gonna keep goin’!?”

“Duh. We literally just got started.”

“I-I uhm… really ‘preciate you lettin’ me ride Rir and stuff, but… could ya please go just
a little bit slower?”

“No need to be so reserved. I know you love high speed thrills.”

“Grr!”

“See? Even Rir’s telling you to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Now get on.”

“W-why does it kinda feel like you guys are up to no good!?”

I grinned as I pulled Lyuu, who was trembling in fear, up onto Rir’s back.

“Alright Rir, go!”

“Aaaaaaaaaaaarghhh!!”

And so, Lyuu’s screams continued echoing throughout the Wicked Forest for quite
some time.
Everything was ready.

I had all the DP I needed. My image of the castle was solid. I’d created so many
miniature replicas of the damn thing that the level of my primordial magic skill had
increased.

The only remaining concern was mana, but I was pretty sure I was going to be fine on
that front as well. I had three high tier mana potions prepped and waiting for me.
Rather than the type that instantly recovered my magical energies, I’d opted for the
type that increased my mana’s natural rate of regeneration. Moreover, I also had Lefi
for backup.

Everything was ready.

My success was all but guaranteed. If I failed, then I would honestly have no choice but
to chalk it up to my own immaturity as a Demon Lord.

“So what’re you gonna do, Onii-chan?” Illuna curiously tilted her head.

“Alright, listen closely, Illuna. I’m about to carve my destiny with my very own two
hands. I’m about to pry open a path into the unknown and seize that of which drives
me to dream!”

“What manner of nonsense are you blabbering about now, Yuki?”

“Heh. It’s not nonsense,” I denied Lefi’s claim with a firm nod. “This is just what it
means to be a man. Not all our dreams are meant to be understood.”

“It appears that there is little point in listening to any more of his prattling,” Lefi sighed
as she turned to face the other three girls. “He’s too caught up in his obsessions to
make sense of his own words.”
“You betcha. This ain’t the first time I’ve seen Master kinda start gettin’ all weird.”

“I concur,” said Leila. “But I also cannot deny that the point he made is valid. His actions
cannot be said to be far outside the norm given that he is indeed a man.”

The peanut gallery was being really noisy, but I didn’t give half a flying fuck. Their
words were incapable of stopping me. In fact, there was nothing capable of stopping
me in my current state. My imagination, my will, and my magical energies were all
aligned and working towards a common goal. And with their powers combined, they
made me a true man amongst men. Probably.

We were currently situated within the plains. I’d summoned everyone and convinced
them all to tag along so they could watch me achieve my goal. Even Shii and Rir had
joined us.

“Alright Lefi, I’ll be counting on you.”

“I know already, so hurry up and begin. I would very much rather you cease looking at
us with your expression the way it is.”

Lefi smiled wryly as she nodded. Unlike the others, she already knew exactly what I
was about to attempt. I turned back around after confirming that she was ready to
help out if need be before opening up my item box and pulling out all three potions. I
raised one to my face and instantly downed its contents.

It was bitter as all hell. The taste was beyond disgusting. Still, I managed to drink both
the second and third potions with just as much vigour. The awful flavour was nothing
in the face of my ambition.

“…”

I paused for a moment to place all three containers back into my item box before
taking a deep breath and beginning to concentrate. The castle appeared my mind as I
closed my eyes. The image I had of it was concrete as usual; I’d spent so much time
refining it that it’d even started to show up in my dreams.

Images of both the interior and exterior filled my mind. The exterior design was
perfect. I’d already gotten that down to the finest detail. The interior design was a bit
rougher around the edges, but that was fine. I could always rework it later.
The castle was going to be built around the door that connected the plains to the
throne room. I’d already relocated everything else and moved it out of the way. There
was no need for me to think about anything but the massive structure I was about to
build. With my concentration at its peak, I finally tapped the Creative Construction
button.

An incredible sense of lethargy assaulted me the moment the dungeon skill activated.
Magical energy was being sucked from my body at a rate far outside my expectations.
The skill was consuming even more than I’d initially anticipated. Completing the castle
was going to be tough.

I desperately resisted the pressure weighing down on me as I continued focusing on

the image I had in mind. Warm, greasy sweat began forming on my brow as I fought
the urge to give up and pass out.

Three mana pots had not been anywhere near enough. My castle was just way too big.
All my magical energy was being forcefully wrenched from my body; my reserves
dwindled with every passing moment. Though I started with a mana pool of over ten
thousand, I’d less than a third of it remaining.

“Lefi!”

“You needn’t remind me,” she said. “I have already completed my preparations.”

She’d long realized that my mana had started to drop at an alarming rate, so she’d
gotten herself ready to lend me hers. The dragon girl pressed her small, delicate hands
against my back and began to assist me the moment I asked her for help.

A staggering amount of power violently poured into my body. With it came a searing
heat. I immediately began taking deep, heavy breaths while clenching my teeth in order
to stop myself from getting overwhelmed by the force of the mana Lefi channeled
through me.

“T-That is quite the impressive amount of magical energy,” said Leila.

“Y-Yeah, there’s a whole ton! There’s way more than enough to cast some sorta like
super powerful spell!” added Lyuu.

I clearly heard the girls talking, but I lacked the composure to reply.
The torrent of magical energy Lefi supplied me with flowed out of me just as quickly
as it entered. My body felt like it was going to overheat. It was processing way more
power than it was capable of handling. But still, I hung on. I continued to bear with it,
enduring with nothing but the force of my will.

The ground began to rumble. The shaking rapidly grew in intensity with the passage
of time.

“W-Wha!? T-the heck is goin’ on!?”

It didn’t take long for it to become so violent that I felt like I could no longer tolerate
it.

I felt the urge to give in.

But then it happened.

A deafening roar assaulted my eardrums as something split the earth and forced its
way up above the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust as it did.

All the noise suddenly vanished. We were left with naught but a soundless void.

Silence.

The dust settled, slowly revealing the structure that’d burst through the ground.

It was there

The castle I’d replicated time and time again had finally become a reality. It was so tall
that it almost seemed to rise up to the heavens themselves; I couldn’t see the top from
where I was standing.

It was exactly as I imagined it.

No.

It was even more.

“I-I did it.”

I blinked a few times in disbelief as the strength drained from my body. I fell onto my
knees, and began to collapse, but Lefi caught me from behind and propped me up.

“You have done well,” she said.

“Hahaha… yeah. Isn’t it just awesome?”

“Indeed. I admit it is far beyond what I fathomed it to be.”

Hearing Lefi’s honest, straightforward praise caused my expression to slacken. A wide

grin made its way onto my face. I turned around and looked at all the other girls, only
to find that they were all staring at it, eyes widened and jaws dropped in shock.

Even Rir was gaping in mute amazement.

“Well? What do you guys think?”

“W-Wow Onii-chan! It’s super awesome! Is it gonna be our new house?”

“You got it. It’s got way too many rooms for its own good, so feel free to pick whichever
you like.”

Though, with that said, the breath-taking palace was the only part whose interior was
complete. Everything else was just pretty much made up of a series of empty hallways.
I was planning to flesh it all out eventually, but that would have be something I did in
the future.

“…I apologize, my Lord. It appears I was grossly underestimating the full extent of your
abilities. The fortress you have created is nothing short of impressive.”

“S-So this is why you were makin’ all those models. This thing’s super awesome. I’ve
never seen anythin’ else like it!”

I couldn’t help but happily nod as I listened to their compliments.

“Yuki, I would like to ask you just one thing.”

“Sure, Lefi. I’m feeling good as hell right now, so ask away.”

“How exactly are we supposed to return to the throne room?”

“…Oops.”
The castle I constructed ended up proving itself far too out of scale for our everyday
use. Of course, its size was entirely intentional. Half the structure’s dignity came from
its sheer mass. Unfortunately, dignity and practicality didn’t always go hand in hand. I
failed to realize my failure at first. I was too busy basking in everyone’s praise to notice
that I’d made a mistake.

The corridors were too long; the amount of distance between any two locations was
ridiculous. Living in the newly constructed castle was nothing short of an obnoxious
inconvenience. A good bit of time had passed since its creation, but not a single one of
its many rooms had been claimed for personal use. In fact, all the adults had basically
stopped visiting it altogether. Illuna visited it with Shii and Fluffrir to play and explore
every day, but that was it. They were the only ones that’d gleamed even the slightest
bit of benefit from my efforts.

All the dungeon’s residents still lived in the throne room, and not the newly constructed
one. Having two throne rooms made it pretty difficult to distinguish which was which,
so I decided to call the castle’s throne room “the throne room,” and the dungeon’s
original throne room “the true throne room.”

Fortunately, not all my effort had gone to waste. Anyone that ventured into the cave
containing my dungeon would see a massive castle looming in the darkness, and I was
certain it would at least intimidate them enough to deliver a blow or two to their
confidence. To that end, I’d also given the castle a bit of decoration. I lined its halls
with western-styled suits of armour and even used my earth magic to craft a beautiful
garden. The castle’s courtyard and interior served the exact same purpose as its
exterior. It was all there for the sake of grandeur; it only existed to crush the resolve
of any that dared to intrude.

Thinking back on it, I should’ve known that the castle wouldn’t see much use. The
Demon Lords in JRPGs didn’t wander about their domains or use their own facilities.
They simply remained seated on their thrones and majestically awaited their
challengers. It would only make sense for the demon lord and their close companions
to reside within the throne room.

Creating the castle was an idiotic decision. But I was fine with that. I understood and
accepted it as fact. The only reason it’d come to be in the first place was because I’d
wanted to create something fantastical. Fantasy was something that existed to make
people’s hearts flutter with excitement. Like D*sney Land and many other places that
delivered on fantasies, my castle was built to entertain. No one lived in Disn*y Land.
Thus, it was only natural for my castle to be free of residents as well. That was all there
was to it.

Okay, yeah no. Dis*ey Land, my ass. I’m just trying to convince myself that all that time
and effort hadn’t gone to waste.

I heaved an exasperated sigh as I slumped down onto my throne.

“There is no need for you to be so depressed, Yuki. I can attest that your castle is the
most magnificent I have ever laid eyes on,” said Lefi.

“You don’t have to lie to me, you know? I can tell that you’re just dying to ask why I
decided to make it so needlessly large.”

Hearing my reaction caused Lefi to stifle a giggle.

“What?” I groaned.

“This is the first time I have ever seen you in such a withered state. Admittedly, it is
quite amusing to observe.”

I saw her lips momentarily curve up into a smile as she turned around and plopped
herself onto my lap. She then relaxed and naturally allowed her slackened back to fall
against my chest.

Both the touch of her skin and her pleasant, familiar scent filled me with a sense of
warmth.

“W-What’s up?”

“Do you mind it?”

“E-Er… I don’t.”

She sounded really calm. A part of me felt that getting flustered would be akin to losing
some sort of unexplained challenge, so I tried my best to put up a front and pretend
that nothing was wrong.

Neither of us said another word.

We were silent, but it wasn’t awkward.

In fact, it was comforting.

“How warm,” Lefi suddenly broke the silence.

“Well yeah, I’m alive, so…”

My awkward reply caused Lefi to chuckle.

“Indeed you are.”

I didn’t quite get where she was trying to take the conversation, so I lowered my gaze
and looked down at her face. She seemed to notice, as she promptly half turned
towards me and returned my stare.

“You know, Yuki?”

“Yeah?”

“The time I spend with you is enjoyable. You are a very interesting man, and you bring
me no shortage of amusement.”

“What’s this all of a sudden? Are you trying to cheer me up or something?”

“Precisely so. You’ve spent the better part of the last few days sulking. I believe that,
as your elder, it is my duty to revitalize your spirits.”

She shrugged, as if to say that she’d spoken the line in jest.

“Well then. I didn’t think you’d actually admit to it.”

A wry smile appeared on my face.

“Though you tend to remain level-headed, it is impossible for me to deny that there is
an idiotic side to you as well. That is why I will continue to watch over your actions in
a manner befitting my status as a responsible adult.”

“Says the person that starts throwing a tantrum every time they lose at anything.”

“T-That has nothing to do with maturity!” Lefi shouted. “Taking a game seriously is a
wholesome part of the fun!”

Her lips twisted into a pout as she started indignantly glaring at me. My response was
to snicker as I dropped a hand onto her head.

“Hey Lefi.”

“What?”

“Thank you.”

She smiled as she turned more towards me and pressed a cheek against my chest.

“No fair! I wanna get on Onii-chan’s lap too!”

Having returned from her expedition, Illuna interrupted us with a shout.

“I fail to see the unfairness of which you speak, Illuna. There is enough space for two.”

“Yay! Then I want a hug too!”

Illuna pitter pattered down the hallway before kicking off the ground and transitioning
into a leap with all her momentum still intact.

“What the!?”

I blinked a few times in surprise as she suddenly crashed right into me. I went from
supporting one person’s weight to two in an instant.

“I-I dunno about having both of you on me at once. This is starting to get kinda weighty.”
“You are a man, Yuki. Act like one.”

“I know right! You’re not supposed to call girls heavy!”

“You guys say that, but this chair is hard, and getting my legs pressed into it is kinda
painful,” I groaned.

“Don’t worry, Onii-chan! I’ll hug it better!” Illuna wrapped her arms around my waist.
“Pain, pain, go away!”

“Wow, that was really effective Illuna! I’m all better now,” I said as I forced a smile.

“Pedophile,” Lefi’s eyes narrowed in disapproval.

“I’m not quite sure that’s the kind of thing you’re supposed to say to someone’s face…”
Hi Mom! Hi Dad!

I know you can’t be with me anymore.

You fought to protect me when the humans attacked. You grabbed your weapons and
tried to stop them from hurting us. You fought off lots and lots of them, but there were
too many. You started losing.

But neither of you budged. You didn’t back off at all, not even when you got hurt really
bad.

And then you died.

But don’t worry, Mom, I still remember. I still remember what you said to me right
before you passed on.

You told me to live.

I was really panicked back then, but I still got what you were trying to tell me. You died
for me. That was why you and Dad fought, and why you never backed down no matter
what.

It was all for me.

I knew I needed to respect your wishes. So I ran. I ran as hard as I could, even though
I was sure I was done for. I felt like all hope was gone. My mom and dad were gone, my
home was gone, and I was going to be a goner too. My legs hurt. I thought it felt like I
was going to collapse.

But I kept running.

I had to.
Because you both died to try and save me.

And it worked! I really did get saved.

The members of my new family rescued me right when I thought I was doomed. Oh
right! You guys never met my new family, so I guess I should tell you a bit about them!

First, is Yuki. He’s kinda like my big bro! He’s really nice and funny. He always gives me
blood when I ask for it. He pays a lot of attention to me and tries his best to make me
feel happy. Even just seeing him makes me want to thank him. I really love him!

I remember how you guys always told me about how important blood was for vampires.
We need it to live, so it’s kinda like something sacred, right?

Mom, I think you said that I wasn’t supposed to take it from anyone unless I really
loved them and wanted to be a family like you and Dad. I was only supposed to drink
blood from animals until I found someone like that.

That was why I asked Yuki for his blood. He was really nice, and he even saved me, so
I got really attached to him really quickly!

Just being with him makes me feel warm and relaxed.

He isn’t the only one I really love either. I love Lefi a lot too! She’s kinda like my new
big sister. She talks weird and sometimes acts a lot like a kid, so I’m not really sure if
she passes as a big sister, but you can always count on her when push comes to shove.

Oh, and two new people joined our family just a little while ago! Their names are Leila
and Lyuu. Lefi called them concubines. I didn’t really know what that was, so I asked
them, and they got angry. They kinda scared me. But then they turned out to be really
nice people! I get along with both of them really well.

My new family’s always really fun to be around. We even have pets! One’s named Rir,
and the other’s named Shii. They always play with me and cheer me up if I’m feeling
down.

I smile a lot everyday! It hurt a lot when you guys died, but spending time with
everyone made it not hurt so much anymore. I’m really happy!

You guys don’t need to worry about me anymore.

I’m okay now.

Thanks Mom. Thanks Dad. I love you.

  THE DUNGEON’S DENIZENS

Yuki
Class: Demon Lord of Judgement
Race: Demon Lord (Formerly: Archdemon)
Notable Traits: Dungeon Master, protagonist
Likes: Things that can move a man’s heart, and ****.
Description: Yuki is a shameless man that takes little note of how he is seen by other
people. He has recently evolved and obtained a second set of wings. These wings have
bolstered his ability to fly; they have provided him with both additional speed and
maneuverability. That said, his airborne maneuverability still falls short of Lefi’s. His
judgement is, for the most part, solid. However, his inexperience has often led to
carelessness. Lefi’s teasing has caused him to be more conscious of the consequences
of his actions. He’s still not 100% convinced that he really is a demon.

Leficios
Nickname: Lefi
Class: Supreme Dragon
Race: Ancient Dragon
Notable Traits: Platinum hair.
Likes: Sweets, Yuki’s wings, and ****.
Description: Lefi is very knowledgeable, but it doesn’t show too often due to her
childish, selfish nature. She’s recently started thinking that it would be fine for her to
remain in her human form in perpetuity. She’s a lazy slob, but Yuki’s incessant bitching
has managed to annoy her enough for her to start getting her shit together. Just a bit.

Illuna
Race: Vampire (Demon)
Notable Traits: Blonde, little Girl, innocent.
Likes: Yuki’s blood. All the dungeon’s denizens, but especially Yuki.
Description: Illuna is known for being cheerful. Her ever present joyful mood infects
the dungeon’s other residents and brings smiles to their faces. She’s actually quite
smart, and can win at board games if she tries, but she doesn’t want anyone to know,
so she always holds back. She’s hidden several of her skills and titles. Yuki hasn’t
realized. Lefi has, but doesn’t particularly care.

Leila
Race: Horned Sheep Demon
Notable Traits: A competent maid.
Likes: Knowledge
Description: Leila is a relaxed, kind person. She’s been working in the dungeon as a
maid ever since Yuki saved her from slavery. She’s fairly knowledgeable. Her
understanding of the present state of the world eclipses even Lefi’s. Lyuu’s the only
person that knows, but she’s actually a hardcore scholar. She observes the dungeon
on a daily basis, and keeps logs on even the finest of details.

Lyuuinne Gyroll
Nickname: Lyuu
Race: Warwolf (Beastkin)
Notable Traits: An incompetent and worthless maid.
Likes: Fluffrir
Description: Her personality makes her seem like the type of girl that would really
enjoy a sporting event. In fact, she somewhat resembles Hom*ra from P*wer Pros. [1]
Like Leila, she was recently saved from a life of slavery. She views Fenrirs as sacred.
She decided that she simply had to stay around the dungeon the moment she cast her
eyes on Fluffrir. She used to be a diligent, hard-working young lady, but Yuki’s antics
have reflected poorly on her. And as such, it is no longer possible to describe her as
anything but pitiable. She’s actually a runaway.

Shii
Race: Slime
Notable Traits: Cute pet.
Likes: Naps
Description: Shii is the first monster that Yuki ever summoned. She likes taking
things at her own pace. She’s actually leveled up quite a bit, and is on the verge of
evolving. Illuna’s recently taught her how to play Othello, and she’s surprisingly decent
at it.

Fluffrir
Nickname: Rir
Race: Fenrir
Notable Traits: Male, fluffy, and pessimistic.
Likes: Hunting and Yuki, his master.
Description: Fluffrir used to be treated as the guy on the lowest rungs of the
dungeon’s social ladder, but that’s changed with the advent of the two maids. He’s now
only third lowest. He spends a lot of time playing with Illuna and Shii. He doesn’t
particularly like Lyuu because she follows him everywhere. In fact, he finds her
annoying, and even ended staying away from the dungeon just to avoid her. He actually
has dozens upon dozens of subordinates, and has established a sort of pack with him
as its alpha.

 TRASH MOBS (CHARACTERS FROM THE KINGDOM OF ALLYSIA)

Riutt Glorrio Allysia

Role: The Allysian Prince
Description: Riutt is diligent and committed to his work, but he suffers from excess
patriotism. His love for his country burns so brightly that it warps his perception of
danger. Like many other young men his age, he’s reckless. He thinks that everything
will go his way if he takes things into his own hands. His foolishness and fiery passion
can’t really be helped, given his age.

Raylow Lurubia
Role: Alyfro’s Govenor
Notable Traits: Middle aged
Description: A man that believes in caution and prudence. He has excellent foresight,
and prides himself in his ability to avoid disasters. He was recently asked to assist in
supporting the expedition force, but he firmly refused and declared that he was
against deploying soldiers to the Wicked Forest. He’s terrified of Yuki’s anger and
desperately hopes that the Demon Lord won’t return for a round of retribution. The
excessive stress caused by his concerns has led to equally excessive hair loss.

Gamdia Roston
Role: Former commander of kingdom’s knight order
Description: Gamdia was in charge of the only regiment of the expedition army that
survived. The country’s higher ups grew angry with his cowardice and removed him
from his position. Understanding his choice, Raylow took pity on Gamdia and provided
him new employment. He is now a member of the Alfyro Knight Corps.
【 】
“Shit! God fucking damn it!”

Ryuit Glorrio Allysia smashed his desk as profanities flew from his mouth, one after
another.

The report that’d just entered his ears had ignited in him an irrepressible fury. One of
his recent initiatives, the Wicked Forest Expedition, had more than just ended in
failure. Its outcome was the absolute worst possible. The entire expedition force had
basically been annihilated. The only unit that survived was the one that’d turned tail
and fled from the enemy. Every other soldier and mercenary they’d sent had failed to
return. They’d been completely destroyed.

Naturally, the man in charge of the unit that had survived was judged a coward. He
was immediately removed from his post and permanently blacklisted from the Allysian
knight order.

“Fucking damn it!” The prince gave his table one last smack as he thought through the
consequences of his failure. He had promised his investors profit. He told them that
they were sure to benefit so long as they trusted him with their funds and believed in
him. But he failed. He had nothing to show to those that had supported him. And that
wasn’t even the end of it. Ryuit understood that the blunder had taken a toll on his
reputation. He knew that he had turned many off from investing in his future exploits,
and that the expedition had become a blatant black stain on his record.

To make matters worse, the Wicked Forest Expedition was something he’d put
together without the king’s permission. He ignored the bureaucracy and acted entirely
of his own accord. If he’d succeeded, he would have been able to brush off the resulting
criticism by emphasizing his newfound achievements. But he did not. And so, he was
prone to blame and punishment. His crime was so grave that he would have been court
martialed had he not been a prince. Fortunately, his status allowed him to escape
conviction, but that didn’t mean he was scot-free. Some sort of punishment was
inevitable if his actions and their consequences were ever brought to light.
Ryuit had no choice but to somehow make up for his failure. If he didn’t, his name
would remain sullied, and his reputation smeared with mud. The nobles wouldn’t
obey him, even after he inherited his father’s throne.

“What now, my lord?” The only other individual in the prince’s office raised his voice.
“The expedition’s failure was likely due to a lack of personnel. We’ll need to send an
even larger group if we wish to succeed, but it doesn’t look like we can. His Majesty
will likely catch wind of our actions if we do.”

“I fucking know already goddamnit! I don’t need you reminding me.” The prince’s
immediate reaction was to shout, but he realized that losing his temper wouldn’t be
to his benefit, so he took a deep breath and calmed himself before continuing. “If
quantity isn’t an option, then we’ll have to resort to using quality instead. Why don’t
we employ that one group of orichalcum class adventurers?”

“With all due respect, Your Highness, that isn’t possible. They’ve already been placed
on another task. I doubt any adventurers weaker than them will work either, seeing
as how our foe was capable of crushing an entire army.”

“Damn it.” The prince clicked his tongue. “Fine, then let’s use that.”

“That, your majesty?”

“I’m talking about the thing the church’s been boasting about lately.”

“You mean to say the hero? I believe it hasn’t finished its training yet. The church is
likely willing to lend it to us regardless, but I’m sure it’ll demand quite the amount of
compensation in return.”

“Feh,” scoffed the prince. “Those greedy misers. They call themselves ‘god’s vassals,’
but they’re as hungry for gold as the most avaricious of merchants. Fine. We’ll reel
them in by flashing them a cut of the profits.”

“If that is your will, then so it shall be, Your Highness.”

“Ugh… Why am I here again?”

The hero sighed as she pushed herself to continue moving through the undergrowth.

Her name was Nell. She was a young girl that’d formerly lived in a village out in the
boonies. She’d always thought of herself as an average girl, but one fateful day, that’d
all changed. A man claiming to be one of the church’s priests had showed up at her
doorstep and informed her she was qualified to become a hero.

Nell’s excitement shot through the roof in an instant. Her mother had always told her
tales of heroes, of how they used their blessed powers to rid the world of evil and
calamity. The many folk and fairy tales she heard about them had led her to develop a
deep admiration of their craft. Becoming a hero would not only let her help people,
but also make things easier on her mother. She had no father, so Nell’s mother had
slaved away, overworking herself day in and day out in order to raise her.

The combination of her circumstances and her respect for heroes had led her to be
enthralled by the priest’s words. She immediately accepted his offer and took up the
hero’s mantle. The days that followed were filled with naught but hellish, grueling
training. She would train with the knight order until she was utterly exhausted before
moving on to listening to an old court mage ramble on and on about magic. His lectures
were so “fascinating” that they threatened to almost magically force her into the land
of dreams. It took everything she had to resist the urge and continue listening.

Nell was confident that the relentless training she’d been put through had toughened
her up, and that the church was finally sending her out on a mission because they
recognized her abilities. Frankly, she was happy. She was glad that all her hard work
had finally been acknowledged.

The mission was for her to eliminate a man-slaying demon that lived within the depths
of a forest. It was her first job, so she was pumped, especially since the church had
provided her a full set of equipment.

“Gegyaagyaaaa!”

“W-what was that!?”

Nell took up a stance as a large bird took to the skies somewhere nearby. Her training
had clearly paid off; the action was entirely unconscious. But that said, Nell wasn’t
exactly what one could call composed. In fact, she was exactly the opposite.

Her voice had clearly indicated that she was on the verge of breaking into tears. She
lacked the mental fortitude to deal with her current situation. Nell had been named a
hero, but the truth of the matter was that she was still just an ordinary girl at heart.
“One here, one there, oh, one off in that corner would be good too…”

I tapped at the menu over and over as I placed a series of traps throughout the castle.
I was remodeling and transforming it into an impregnable fortress that none would
ever conquer. A good number of the traps I set were ones provided by the dungeon,
but that wasn’t all. I also made use of a few of tricks and devices I came up with on my
own.

My focus, which had lasted quite a while, was suddenly interrupted by the map. It
popped out of nowhere and shoved itself in my face. All my attention was immediately
drawn to the blinking red blip currently located at the very edge of my territory.

The dungeon had once again been subject to an invasion. I promptly tapped the blip
in order to get the map to show a few more details, only to find that the humans had
changed their approach.

General Information
Name: Nell
Race: Human
Class: Hero
Level: 42
HP: 2120/2120
MP: 6981/6981
Strength: 519
Stamina: 652
Agility: 817
Magic: 704
Dexterity: 987
Luck: 1245

Unique Skills
Barrier Magic
Fast Feet

Skills
Holy Magic V
Sword Arts IV
Enemy Search II
Crisis Detection IV

Titles
Master of the Holy Blade
She Who is Easily Swept Along by the Flow

The humans had acted again. But this time, they sent only a single individual: a hero.

“Huh… so heroes really do exist.”

The hero’s stats clearly deviated far from the norm. She was much more powerful than
all the other humans that had ever entered the dungeon. Her skills looked fairly solid
as well. Her holy magic was a cut above the rest; it was already level five. As a demon
lord, and thereby presumably some sort of unholy creation, I was almost certain that
a text box would appear below me and claim that the attack was “super effective” the
moment I was struck by any sort of holy spell. [1]

Wait, is that a whole thousand luck? Holy shit. God damn. That hero needs to go hit up a
casino or something.

“Still though, a hero…? Talk about lame.” I laughed dryly as I began to grumble and
complain.

The hero was slowly but surely moving deeper into my territory, so I made use of the
many evil eyes I had strewn throughout my territory and began to observe her. Her
advance was cautious, and the girl herself almost seemed kind of timid. Her hair was
cut short and styled like a bob, so at first glance, I’d almost thought that she was male,
but her figure was clearly that of a girl’s.

It was clear that the humans had sent her as an alternative to yet another army. They’d
chosen to go with quality over quantity because the opposite approach had failed.
Holy shit, are the humans retarded? Did they really not think to send anyone else with
her at all? What the hell are their higher ups thinking?

I almost wanted to sigh as I realized that the girl really was all alone. She didn’t have a
party, nor any other sort of support.

Like seriously, what the hell? Is this supposed to be one of those historical dramas where
a battle is decided by a duel between a pair of generals? Or maybe some sort of masochistic
nuzlocke? Like, why? Just why? Whoever sent her here has to be short a few brain cells.

Though I was sure that there was some underlying reason that the hero was here all
by herself, I still couldn’t help but find it stupid, in part because I was never really one
to like heroes to begin with. I’d always found the very concept of a hero to be ridiculous.

Heroes were, in essence, people out to save the world. They obey orders and fight on
many a battlefield all under the guise of carrying out some sort of epic quest. They save
all the people they come across almost as if it were a mechanical response hardcoded
into their systems.

To be frank, I found heroism absolutely fucking ridiculous. I didn’t see the point in
spending my life serving the general populace.

I very much preferred being a demon lord. Because unlike heroes, demon lords were
free. I didn’t have to bend to the whims of another. I could openly detest those that I
hated, seek revenge whenever I desired it, expand my territory as I wished, and
effectively live however I pleased. I was the only thing holding myself back, and I was
the only thing that could stop myself from living a life free of regrets. I knew that living
however I pleased was sure to inconvenience other people, but that was fine. I would
much rather cause trouble than lament my own decisions.

There was no denying that I was a self-centered prick, but it was also precisely because
I was so selfish that I didn’t mind casting my humanity aside. Though my race had
changed, I was still me. I didn’t particularly care how I looked so long as the essence
that made up my being remained unchanged.

Actually… I take that back. I’d probably panic if I ended up becoming something that
didn’t even look remotely human. At the very least, I’d like to have a somewhat humanoid
silhouette.

It was likely precisely that part of my mentality that led the dungeon to believe that I
was suited to becoming a demon lord.

Anyway, if it’s a fight the hero wants, then it’ll be a fight she gets. The castle’s a bit shy
of complete, but it still does have a good number of traps, and nasty ones too. Might
as well have her give them a bit of a test run. Anyway, I better go tell everyone to hide
before she gets here.

I spread my wings, leapt out the castle, and began gliding towards the courtyard, where
all the dungeon’s other residents had gathered for some sort of tea party.

“Hey! Listen up!”

I yelled to grab their attention as I used my wings to slowly descend. The second pair
I’d gotten had boosted my control. I was now much more stable and could both
position myself in midair and land as softly as I wanted, wherever I wanted. I no longer
had to freefall and plunge myself into the earth to come to a stop.

That said, I often did so regardless when I went hunting with Rir. My high altitude
strikes were not only effective, but also thrilling and fun to use, so I decided to keep
employing them even though they had become less of a necessity.

“What is it, Yuki?”

“How about not trying to touch my wings the moment you see them…”

I couldn’t help but smile wryly as Lefi dashed up to me and began feeling me up. There
wasn’t really much of a point in stopping her, as she probably wouldn’t listen to me, so
I began to talk while letting her do as she pleased.

“A hero’s entered the dungeon. You guys might want to head back over to the true throne
room and hang around there for a bit while I handle things.”

“Oh gawd! Didja just say a hero, Master!?”

The first to react was Lyuu. Her face immediately contorted in displeasure.

“I’m guessing you know what heroes are then?”

“‘Course I do!” said Lyuu. “They’re cold blooded murderers, and strong as heck too!
Most of ‘em get trained when they’re just kids, so they all kinda think it’s right to kill
us non-humans on sight.”
“I see…” I said as I narrowed my gaze.

Lyuu’s interpretation made plenty of sense. It was only natural for those that opposed
humanity to think of their heroes as the stuff of nightmares.

I remember hearing something like that in my previous life too. A hero in one country
could be classified a criminalized mass murderer in another, and for the exact same deeds
at that.

“Yeah, so one of those uh ‘cold blooded murderers’ is headed right for us. I should be
able to get rid of them without too much issue, but you still might want to get out of
here just in case.”

“Okay!” replied Illuna.

“A hero? How curious. I am feeling rather tempted to to ask for the permission to observe
it,” added Leila.

“T-That ain’t much of a good idea, Leila. Y’know, curiosity killed the cat ‘n stuff.”

Illuna and the maids entered a hidden door located in one of the courtyard’s corners
and retreated to the true throne room. Of course, I wasn’t stupid enough to place a
door that would put the dungeon’s residents, myself included, in danger. The door in
the courtyard was one of the many anywh*re doors I’d set up around the castle’s
grounds. [2]

I used to be the one that could select and modify the door’s destination, but leveling
the dungeon had caused that to change. Anyone could have the ability to redirect the
door so long as I permitted them to do so.

In other words, the doors served as portals that could take the dungeon’s residents
almost wherever they wanted. They were extremely convenient.

“And you are sure that you need not my aid?” said Lefi. Unlike the other three, she had
stayed behind.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. This is pretty much the perfect chance for me to test the
castle’s defenses. You might as well sit back, find yourself a snack, and watch as I wrap
everything up.”
“Very well… But do not forget that I am more than willing to offer you my assistance if
need be.”

“Yeah, I know. Don’t worry, I’ll ask you for help if I really need it. I think I’ll be fine
though, all I’m planning to do is activate a few traps while sitting around in the throne
room. I doubt I’ll be in any real danger,” I said with a smile.

And so, Lefi and I returned to the throne room as I prepared to engage the hero.

[1] Pokemon

[2] Doraemon
“What… is that?”

Nell continued advancing through the wicked forest until she arrived at a massive,
gaping cave. Though the cave stood in the shadows of a steep cliff, it still somehow
stood out to her. It appeared much darker than everything else around it, as if it was
swallowing all the light in its vicinity and funneling it into some sort of deep abyss.

“Wait!” The hero’s eyes shot open as she came to understand the cave’s identity.
“That’s a dungeon!” She immediately drew Durandal, her holy sword, from the
expensive-looking leather sheath on her waist. A single glance was enough to tell that
the item was made by a highly skilled craftsman—it was both a beautiful work of art
and as functional a scabbard as could be.

Durandal’s faint, familiar glow was comforting. It mitigated her anxiety; seeing it
allowed her to calm herself down.

Nell was already aware that her target was likely a demon lord, a dungeon master. One
of the church’s knights had filled her in on the details while handing down her orders.
She was told that the demon she’d been tasked with killing was formidable. He lived
in the Wicked Forest; his continued survival indicated that he was at least capable of
fending off the powerful monsters that made it their home. The knight had mentioned
that he probably lived near, but not in the Supreme Dragon’s territory, and that she
should retreat if she encounter any foe that proved too powerful for her to defeat. She
had even been provided a magic-imbued tool for that exact purpose.

Unfortunately for her, Nell’s grasp on the status quo was lacking. It was both skewed
and just flat out wrong. Raylow, Alfyro’s lord, had seen the demon first hand and
confirmed that he was a demon lord, but since he was opposed to the expedition, he
had failed to fill all the expedition forces in on all the details. All the reports he sent
were half assed and lacked any real information.

Nell’s only reliable source of information was the man that’d been removed from his
position, the former commander of the Allysian Knight Order. He testified that the rest
of the expedition force had likely been annihilated by a single male demon. The former
knight captain’s report was detailed, but as he had retreated, he never witnessed the
slaughter firsthand. There was no confirmation that the demon was as powerful as he
seemed. Moreover, unlike Raylow, the former knight didn’t know that the demon was
linked to the Supreme Dragon.

Unlike the prince, who sat at the top of the chain of command, the majority of those
that served under him knew that the Supreme Dragon was no myth. Most of those in
charge of military affairs knew that it acted exactly as described in the legends. It
attacked everything that invaded its territory. The combination of that bit of
knowledge and the fact that the demon was still alive was more than enough for
Allysia’s officers to infer that he likely lived outside the innermost sanctum. They were
convinced that there was no way for him to survive an encounter with the dragon of
which the legends were sung, regardless of how powerful he was.

“A-Alright, I guess this is it!” Nell nervously gulped.

A wave of cold air enveloped her as she stepped into the cave. Every single step she
took echoed back to her and assaulted her ears with an unpleasant ring.

The cave was silent, too silent. Dungeons were supposed to contain monsters, but Nell
had yet to meet even a single one. Her surroundings were so devoid of life that she
found them eerie and sinister; a heavy sense of anxiety assaulted her being.

Though she felt uneasy, Nell pushed on until she arrived at the end of the cave and
found a sort of door. The only word she could use to describe it was unnatural. It stood
out from everything else around it; it was almost like it was artificial.

Nell immediately raised her guard. She inspected the door because she was concerned
that it was laced with some sort of trap, but she couldn’t find anything no matter how
hard she looked, so she ended up timidly placing her hand on the doorknob and giving
it a twist. She then slowly pushed it open and looked beyond.

“Woah…”

An inadvertent sigh of admiration leaked from her mouth as her eyes fell upon the
grassy plain that lay behind the out of place entranceway. Both it and the sky above it
extended as far as the eye could see.

It was almost like the door she’d entered was a gate into another world. What lay
beyond was so far outside her expectations that it caused her to feel a sense of malaise.
The part that stood out most, the single thing that left the biggest impression on her,
was the massive black castle that stood at its centre.

The moment she looked upon it was the moment it burned itself into her memory. Its
sheer size was overwhelming; the bulky, jet black structure looked to be at least twice
the size of Allysia’s royal castle. She didn’t understand how, but gazing at it caused her
to feel both disgust and appreciation. She was put off by the blackness of its material,
but entranced by its beauty. The longer she stared, the hotter her chest burned.

“Amazing…”

She continued observing the castle for a few moments before finally snapping back to
reality. She shook her head back and forth a few times to rid herself any unnecessary
thoughts and forced herself to focus on the task at hand.

Nell finally began to understand that her hypothesis was correct. The cave really had
been the dungeon’s entrance. The reason she’d yet to be attacked was because it was
just the prelude. Only now that she’d stepped through the door was the dungeon’s
master finally going to get serious.

She tightened her grip on her holy blade all the more as she narrowed her eyes,
surveyed her surroundings, and advanced towards the castle’s giant black gates.

I couldn’t help but grin as I watched the hero stare down my castle.

“What manner of slovenly expression is that supposed to be?”

“Iunno what you’re talking about.”

Lefi’s sharp glare caused me to return to my senses, so I quickly cleared my throat to

cover it up. The dragon girl had recently christened the castle Luan Fionell Castle.
According to her, the words meant “One that Reigns Supreme” in dragon tongue.

It was a good name; it made the castle seem even more impressive and majestic than
it already was.
“Yuki…” Though I’d denied Lefi’s claim, her gaze remained sharp. “It appears as though
you’ve no intention of ending the girl’s life.”

“Uh… what makes you think that?”

“One look at you is all I require to see that you lack the drive. I’ve witnessed what it is
like for you to lust for blood, and the difference is immediately apparent.”

“I mean, you said it yourself, so…”

“What? I fail to follow.”

“She’s a girl.”

Though I declared that I would slay all my enemies, I didn’t feel like killing the hero.
Killing a woman was something that I knew would weigh on my conscience. I was
more than capable of killing men in cold blood, but I couldn’t bring myself to do the
same to a young girl. That was simply how I’d started feeling about humans ever since
coming to this world. To be exact, the rule applied to more than just humans. I felt the
same way about everyone else that I didn’t have a sort of pre-existing emotional
investment in as well.

I’d long decided that I would kill those I wanted to kill and avoid killing those I didn’t.
Since the hero happened to fall into the latter of the two categories, I decided to avoid
activating my deadlier traps. I instead chose to focus on non-lethal ones that would
slowly but surely deprive her of her will to fight.

“Damned pervert…” said Lefi, as she pinched my arm.

“Ouch! T-That’s not what I mean! L-Like, she only looks just a little bit older than you,
you know? Isn’t it natural to hesitate about killing a girl that young?”

I spat out excuses in a hurry.

“Hmph…” Lefi twisted her expression into a pout. “Very well, do as you wish. But do
know that I will not forgive you if you find yourself in peril as a result of this decision.”

“I-It’ll be fine. I’m pretty confident in the traps I have set up. Just kick back, relax, and
watch. You’ll see what I mean.”
I tried to cheer Lefi up and point her towards the video feed, but my efforts were to no
avail. She just ended up glaring at me all the more.
Nell nervously cast her gaze to and fro as she moved through the castle. In examining
her surroundings, she found herself face to face with many a gloomy corridor. They
were dim and somber, but she felt that they were majestic nonetheless. The light
coming off the brilliant chandeliers refracted off the magnificent pillars lining the
corridors to create a series of dark, intimidating shadows. Though she felt threatened
by her surroundings, the hero thought them to be elegant, sophisticated, and refined.
The ambiance couldn’t be described any other way.

Her enemy search skill had failed to produce any sort of reaction whatsoever, but Nell
remained cautious nonetheless. She knew that she couldn’t let her guard down so
deep in enemy territory, regardless of what her skill was telling her. But that was only
half the truth. The hero’s education was only one of the two reasons she remained
vigilant. To be frank, Nell was only as on guard as she was because the castle had her
spooked. There were a countless number of armoured statues placed throughout the
hall at even intervals. The stone monuments were so well crafted and lifelike that she
was worried they might awaken and assault her at any given moment. And though
they too were made of sculpted stone, the realistic blades the suits of armour were
holding really didn’t help.

No matter how hard she tried, the hero could not help but be creeped out by the eerie
decorations. She felt as if they were staring at her, that something lay within the dark
slits of their helmets.

Nell really didn’t want to keep pushing forward. She was frightened. She wanted to
turn around and head home, but she couldn’t. The hero was already far too deep in
the enemy’s territory for her to turn tail and run. Reluctantly, she continued to
advance. But before she did, she first spun around to inspect her surroundings.

“H-Huh…?” She blinked in surprise. “Did they just…?”

Nell was struck with a sudden sense of foreboding as she realized that the statues
behind her seemed to be looking right at her. It was as if they’d turned their helmets
towards her the moment she took her eyes off them.
“I’m probably just imagining things. That has to be it.” She gulped as she tried to
reassure herself. “There aren’t any monsters around, so there’s no way they weren’t
like that before, right…?”

After once again attempting to convince herself that nothing was wrong, Nell turned
back around—only to see one of the suits of armour right behind her.

“Kyaaahh!?”

She swung her blade as she screamed. The instincts that’d been beaten into her body
allowed her to deliver a splendid diagonal slash despite being caught off guard. Her
blade smoothly glided through the statue’s torso, bisecting it without even the
slightest bit of resistance. The top half of the stone sculpture glided off the bottom; a
heavy thud resounded through the corridor as it crashed into the floor.

“G-Geez… How the heck did that get there…?”

Nell nervously stole a peek inside the armoured shell and confirmed that it was empty,
completely devoid of life or force. A shiver ran up her spine. The lack of a perpetrator
rendered the hero confused and terrified.

The uncanny scenario left her wanting to flee, so she sped up her steps in an attempt
to get out the corridor as soon as possible. She moved through the long hall, passing
armoured statue after armoured statue. It took awhile, but she eventually managed to
reach a bend, a route of escape.

“Huh…?”

But as she turned the corner, she once again realized that something was amiss. The
new corridor she entered, like the last, was lined with stone statues. A single bisected
one was standing in the middle of the hall. It didn’t take more than a moment for her
to realize what had happened. She’d failed to escape. She’d only gone full circle despite
advancing in what had seemed to be a straight line.

“Aieee!” A high pitched shriek forced its way out from the hero’s throat as she recoiled
in fear.

As if using her scream as their impetus, the hall’s doors began slamming open one
after another. Bizarre sounding groans leaked out from within.
“AaaaAAaaaAAAaaahhHHhhh…”

“GugieAaagigiagiea…”

“GURUaruRUARUrururu…”

Nell’s heart pounded. She was so terrified that her breaths ran both ragged and
shallow. She took a step backwards in order to get away from whatever was about to
come out of the doors. But to no avail; the step she took ran her into something. Once
again, there was something right behind her.

The hero’s entire body stiffened.

A part of her was screaming at her and urging her not to look, but she ignored it and
fearfully reared her head. The first thing that entered her line of sight as she turned
around was a large tooth.

It took her a second to understand what she was looking at. It was a woman. Or rather,
least a woman’s face, many times larger than life and floating right behind her. The
sides of the woman’s cheeks were torn open. And visible through the skin was an
abnormally large jaw. The “woman’s” massive mouth was gaping open, as if to readily
swallow the hero whole.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!”

Nell screamed. A shrill cry echoed throughout the entire castle, reaching every last
nook and cranny despite its massive size.

“Ahahaha!” Watching the dungeon’s video feed caused me to slap my knee as I laughed.
“Oh man, I can’t believe she actually fell for that.”

As the person responsible for setting all the dungeon’s traps, I was glad to see them
prove their worth. All the time and energy I spent placing them hadn’t been put to
waste.

I felt as if I was starting to understand why demon lords had the tendency to greet
their foes while pumped full of magnanimity. It was clearly because watching their
carefully placed traps succeed brought them glee. It was only natural for a demon lord
to be in a good mood by the time the heroes finally reached them. That said, my case
was a bit different in the sense that I wasn’t actually using traps. All the events that
had played out on my display had been orchestrated by the dungeon’s monsters.
Specifically, it was the work of my three newest hires. The reason the pranks so greatly
resembled the actions of a poltergeist was because that was exactly what they were.

All three of the creatures I’d summoned were ghosts. Or more specifically, wraiths.
Wraiths were monsters that had no true physical form. They were translucent; you
could almost see right through them. I named the three ghost-like monsters I’d
recently summoned Rei, Rui, and Lowe. For some odd reason, all three of them were
girls, and ones that looked to be between 3 and 4 years old at that. Just to be clear, I
hadn’t planned on them being young girls. In fact, I would’ve preferred that they
weren’t. I was a bit concerned that Lefi would start with her accusations again, and as
I was by no means a pedophile, I really didn’t like to be referred to as one.

Appearances aside, all three wraiths were everything I’d hoped they’d be. Each had a
skill they specialized in. Rei was good at telekinesis. She was responsible for slamming
the doors and moving all the armour.

Lowe was good at mind magic; her spells were specialized to alter the target’s
perception of reality by manipulating their senses. Although it was powerful, mind
magic was also extremely limited in its use. It was more or less incapable of affecting
individuals whose mental states were undisturbed. Fortunately, the hero had been
totally spooked and on edge, so she made for an easy target. Lowe had managed to
make a rectangular set of corridors appear like a single straight hallway. In other
words, she had made the hero walk a full circle without realizing it.

Last but not least was Rui. Her illusion magic allowed her to create both the creepy
sounding groans and the woman with the needlessly large mouth. The most amazing
part about Rui’s magic was that it had substance. You could feel the apparitions she
created even though they didn’t actually exist.

Wraiths were classified as undead monsters. Most wraiths were thought of as

creatures that hated the living, but neither Rei, Rui, or Lowe had any homicidal
impulses. Unlike most other wraiths, they hadn’t become wraiths after basking in
some sort of grudge. Their forms weren’t composed of the pure malice left behind by
a poor soul’s remorse-filled dying wish. They were much more pure. They did desire
to prank the living, but that was it.
And that was why the hero was unable to detect them. Her enemy search skill
functioned by seeking out those that wished to harm her. The three wraiths had no
such intent. All they wanted to do was play with her. As far as the skill was concerned,
the three wraith girls were not her enemies. If I was her, I would’ve been able to cope
with the situation by opening up my map and inspecting the area around me. But
unlike me, the hero wasn’t a demon lord. She couldn’t access the dungeon’s features.
She had no way of finding the creatures tormenting her.
The three wraiths cost a pretty penny. I had to go out of my way to not only save up
the DP I passively gained, but also go hunting with Rir just to stock up enough to
summon them. The verdict? They were well worth the expense. I decided to name the
current non-lethal setup the dungeon’s “haunted house mode.” I’d already thought up
several other defensive configurations as well, but I’d yet to iron out the details of the
“surekill mode.” That part was still on the drawing board.

Heh. This is getting pretty fun. Man, I do love me some good old tower defense.

I grinned as I continued observing the hero. Apparently, my sentiments weren’t shared,

as Lefi, who was sitting nearby, turned towards me with an exasperated look on her face.

“What a hopeless deviant you are… It appalls me to find that you are not only a pedophile,
but also a sadist.”

“Oh come on, stop that. You’re making me sound like some sort of twisted pervert.”

“That is exactly the point.”

I wanted to refute Lefi’s claim, but Illuna, who was sitting between the two of us, joined
in on the conversation and cut me off before I could respond.

“I feel kinda bad for her. You’re being really mean and bullying her lots…” The young
vampire’s gaze was painful. She was clearly finding fault with my actions.

“W-Well I mean, I get what you’re saying, but she’s kind of our enemy, you know…?” I
raised a finger and pointed it towards the screen the hero was displayed on, only to
find that the situation had changed since I last looked. The three wraiths had left the
poor girl traumatized; she had clearly already lost the will to continue. In fact, she was
huddled off in a corner, cradling her knees and sobbing.

“Uhh…” I wanted to keep talking, but I couldn’t. My point had already been proven moot.

“Yuki…” said Lefi.

“I think you should really stop bullying her…” added Illuna.

Both their gazes were reproachful. Neither believed that I was in the right.

“Alright, alright, I get it, so stop looking at me like that already.” I sighed.
Unable to stand their stares, I hurriedly escaped from the true throne room and
started heading towards the hero’s location. She had already lost the will to fight, so I
doubted that she would attack me even if I met her face to face.

Man, what a bummer. I guess all that planning the wraiths and I went through is just
going to end up going to waste…
The first thing I saw after entering the designated corridor was a young girl huddled
in one of its corners, her head buried in her knees. It was immediately apparent that
she’d been crying, sobbing in fear. The girl lacked the valiant, brave nature one would
expect of a hero. I failed to understand why the church had sent someone so cowardly.
I could see that she was much stronger than the average human, but her faint-hearted
nature rendered her strength moot. That said, I very much preferred dealing with a
coward over some sort of war-crazed battle maniac.

“So uh… Hi.”

“O-Oh no! Not again!” The hero responded to my greeting by attempting to shrink into
the corner. She tightened her grip on her knees and shivered upon hearing my voice.
She was so terrified that she couldn’t even bring herself to raise her head and look at
me. I had to change my approach.

I crouched, lowering my body until my face was level with hers before speaking in a
bit of a softer tone. “It’s okay. Don’t be afraid. I’m not going to hurt or scare you,” I said.
“I’m uh… actually a living thing.”

Hearing me call out to her again caused the hero to fearfully raise her head. Her face
was swollen and her eyes were red. She’d sobbed quite a bit.

“Uhm, who are you, mister?”

“Well… it’d probably be better for me not to say. For both our sakes.”
The hero regarded me with a bit of a dubious expression. She seemed to want to raise
a few questions, but her face paled in dread before she could.

“W-Watch out mister! T-there’s something behind you!” She raised a finger and pointed
at the objects floating above my shoulders.

“Oh, don’t mind them.” I shrugged as I turned to face the three dolls hovering around
me. Each was shaped like a young girl. “Thanks girls. You did great. Your job is done,
so feel free to go do whatever.” I gave each doll a light pat on the head as I dismissed
them from their duties.

They responded by happily giggling and floating away. The three human shaped toys
were, of course, each possessed by one of the three wraiths. I’d given them the dolls
because I felt it more convenient for them to have physical form.

“Did you just give those monsters orders? W-Wait, that means you’re the demon lord!”

The hero drew the sword hanging off her waist and held it out in front of her. The blade
was decorated with many a beautiful engraving, but because the hero was still sitting
with her butt planted on the floor, neither she nor the sword in her hand seemed to
possess much in the way of dignity. Needless to say, her tear-stained excuse for a glare
didn’t help either.

A quick glance at the weapon was enough for me to discern that it was dangerous. It
was enchanted with some sort of effect that prevented me from performing a detailed
analysis. All I was able to learn was that it was a holy sword. And as such, it likely had
some sort of bonus effect in the presence of evil. A part of me suspected that it would
do double damage against demon lords and their ilk.

“Yeah, I am, but can we not do the whole combat thing? Iunno about you, but I’ve got
no intention of fighting someone that just got done crying and whimpering.”

“I-I wasn’t crying!”

“Yeah uh… sure. I totally believe you.”

“Mmrrphh…” The hero responded to my exasperated comment with an indignant

groan before following up with an angry complaint. “T-Then why the heck did you have
to mess with me!?”
“I mean, think about it. Some random stranger walks into your house all armed and
shit. Chasing said stranger out is only common sense. That said, I didn’t think that
you’d have a total mental breakdown. Really wasn’t expecting the tears.”

The orders I gave my wraiths were actually quite specific. I told them to leave her alone
and let her head home if she decided to turn tail and run.

“Well… I guess I can kinda see what you mean,” said the hero. “B-But there weren’t any
tears! I wasn’t crying!”

“Yeah, yeah, okay, I get it,” I rolled my eyes. “But either way, leave this place. Go home.
You being here is making it hard for me to go about my business.”

We couldn’t even do the laundry with her around; the maids couldn’t exactly go
around hanging clothes out to dry with a monster girl slaying hero on the loose.

“I-I can’t!” declared the hero.

“Why not?”

“You’ll start attacking innocent people again if I leave you alone!”

Ugh… what a pain in the ass. Why did I think talking to her would be a good idea again?

“And who exactly are these ‘innocent people’ you’re referring to? Are you talking about
the criminals I killed when I visited the city? Or maybe the armed force that came to
take my head?” Again, I rolled my eyes. “Just sayin’, I didn’t instigate either of those
two scenarios. You guys attacked me first both times. All I did was retaliate. Don’t you
think it’s kind of ridiculous to judge me for responding to violence in kind?”

While I did technically launch a preemptive attack on the army, it was still a case of
legitimate self defense. They had infringed on my territory with weapons in hand. It
was clear that they were some sort of punitive force.

“Well… uhmmm…”

The hero was at a loss. I didn’t even need to look at the expression on her face to tell
that she knew not the truth behind the incidents I was involved in. It was only natural
for the country to hide the details from her if they worked against their interests. That
was just what countries did.
“You are far too naive,” I said. “You can’t just swallow what your higher ups tell you if
you truly wish to help people in need and save those in peril. You need to think about
the scenarios you’re exposed to. You have to come up with your own opinions and
then act on them. Of course, that applies to what I’m telling you right now too. Don’t
just swallow it and interpret it as the truth. Digest it.”

My tone was condescending. I spoke to her like a know-it-all despite being the furthest
thing from a hero there was. I had no right to lecture her. I had no intention of ever
doing the whole hero thing. And even if I did, I wouldn’t do it out of the goodness of
my heart. I would demand tremendous amounts of wealth, fame, and status for each
heroic action I undertook. Though the demands were sure to earn the ire of many, I
didn’t care. If I was going to put my life on the line, then it would have to be for my
own sake. I saw no reason to risk dying for nothing but the benefit of others.

To be frank, self-interest was precisely what had fueled all my actions to date. Taken
to the logical extreme, one could even say that the act of saving Illuna was something
that I’d done entirely for myself. I chose to rescue her because I didn’t want to see her
go, because I didn’t want her to suffer, because I didn’t want her to end up as some
asshole’s slave. It was all for me.

I only helped people for my sake. My desire to lend them a hand was something born
within me. My actions were selfish. I only chose to execute them for the sake of self-
satisfaction. And I knew I wasn’t the only one.

My understanding of my own selfish nature was precisely why I hated people who
posed as saints. I absolutely detested the two-faced assholes that claimed they wished
to help others from the bottom of their hearts, people that “believed” that their actions
stemmed entirely from goodwill. They disgusted me. I hated the fact that they didn’t
just admit that they were helping people for their own fulfillment and satisfaction.

“So yeah, that’s pretty much how it is.” I frowned. “It’s not like I hate humans in
particular. I wouldn’t go out of my way to attack them without reason, but of course, I
don’t feel the same way about my enemies. Tell your higher ups that I’ll annihilate
anyone that opposes me without exception or mercy.”

“But then… why?”

I stood up with my declaration and got ready to leave, but the hero stopped me before
I could.
“Why what?”

“Why didn’t you kill me? Didn’t I technically oppose you?”

“Oh, that? That’s just ’cause you’re a girl.”

“Huh…?” The hero’s jaw dropped.

“There are two reasons I let you live. The first is that you’re a girl. The second is that
you’re still just a kid. Killing you would leave a bad taste in my mouth, so I didn’t. That’s
all there is to it.”

“S-So it’s just because I’m a girl…? Wait! Did you just call me a kid!? I’m not a kid!”

“I understand, milady. I am sorry, I was mistaken.” I gave her an exaggerated apology

before spinning around so that I could actually leave.

“W-Wait! Hold on!”

But again, she stopped me.

“What is it this time…?”

“M-My hips gave out so I can’t get back up. Could you help me to my feet?”

“…”

The hero not only revealed her weakness to me, but also asked for my help despite the
fact that she’d been antagonizing me only a few moments prior. Her behaviour was so
bold and outlandish that it scrambled my brain. I could no longer tell if she was gutsy,
cowardly, or just plain naive.
A soothing warmth enveloped Nell’s body as she slowly sank into the water. The
sensation was so calming and relaxing that it caused her to inadvertently leak a sigh.
Above her shone a perfect replica of the starry sky outdoors. Both it and the gentle
light it emitted felt so real that she almost couldn’t bring herself to believe it to be fake.

It had been a long time since she took her last bath. She never had the opportunity to
back home. The church had provided her with a few chances, but none of their baths
had been anywhere near as luxurious as the one she was in now.

As embarrassing as it was to admit, Nell had been so scared that she lost all strength
in her hips. She couldn’t move or get up. The only reason she was no longer plopped
on the ground was because the demon lord had lent her his shoulder. Speaking of
which, the demon lord had offered to let her stay the night. It was already late, and
she’d already been defeated once, so Nell ended up going with the flow and accepting.
And so, he led her over to a building that resembled a hot spring resort and ushered
her inside. That was how she’d suddenly ended up shoulders deep in warm bathwater.

Reflecting on the demon lord’s actions caused her to frown. The church’s description
of him was completely inaccurate. Her superiors had made him out to be the type of
evil overlord often seen in fairy tales. They called him a savage with many a victim
buried in his wake. Her expectations had been set up in a way that completely failed
to reflect what she thought to be the demon lord’s nature. After actually meeting him,
she came to realize that he gave off a “guy next door” kinda vibe. He was a bit older
than her and has his quirks, but all in all, he was casual and friendly. The attitude he
faced her with reminded her of a neighbour.

She had taken up a stance upon discovering that he was a demon lord, but only
because of her preconceptions. The man had never shown any hostility or ill will. His
friendly intentions were only further evidenced by both his actions and the hero’s own
skillset. Her enemy detection skill failed to identify him as a foe, and he had gone as
far as to offer her a piece of advice.

You have to come up with your own opinions and act on them. Don’t just swallow what
other people tell you and interpret it as the truth. Digest it.

His words continued to run through her head even to this very moment. It was as if
he’d etched them right into her brain.

Nell had never acted on her own choices before. She had always remained obedient
and strived to be the good girl. Back when she lived at home, she treated her mom’s
wishes as her highest priority. She knew that her mother worked as hard as she could
to raise her, so she tried her best not to cause her any further trouble.

Likewise, she did everything the church had asked of her as well. Her desire to become
a full-fledged hero as soon as possible had driven her to receive their orders with
naught but obedience. She listened to the knight’s words, memorized the priests’
preachings, and even sat through the old mage’s lectures while paying as much
attention as she possibly could. She never showed even the slightest hint of defiance.

The demon lord’s words led Nell to realize that she was just a puppet. Subservience was
so deeply ingrained in her lifestyle that obeying orders had become second nature. She
never thought for herself. She’d always just let everyone else pull her strings.

None of the heroes Nell had always looked up to had been anywhere near as
subservient as her. In fact, they were often exactly the opposite. They were their own
bosses. They moved without instruction to eliminate evil, regardless of whether or not
it had already come to light.

“Where did I go wrong…?”

The hero frowned as she thought over the steps she took to reach her current position,
but stopped as she heard the door rattle open. Her body immediately responded by
rising out of the water and taking a defensive stance, but the strength drained from
her body as she realized that the person that’d entered was just a young girl.

“Huh…?” The blonde haired girl tilted her head as she regarded the hero. “Oh! You’re
the girl my brother was bullying!”

“I-I’d really prefer you didn’t think of me like that…” Nell slumped forwards, depressed.
“Wait! You were watching!?”

The hero couldn’t help but shout her question. The little girl that she’d never once
seen in her life somehow knew of the trials and tribulations she’d just experienced.
“Er… U-Uhm… So what’s your name?”

After realizing what she’d done, Nell coughed and faked clearing her throat in order
to dispel the awkward atmosphere before continuing with a question.

“I’m Illuna! What’s yours?”

“I’m Nell. Nice to meet you, Illuna.”

“Yup! It’s nice to meet you too, Nell!”

The adorable, doll-like girl sat herself down in front of a wash bin and hastily began to
clean her body. Seeing her act caused the rest of Nell’s tension to leave her.
Understanding that there was no danger, Nell allowed herself to sink back into the bath.

“Wait, did you just call the demon lord your brother?”

“Yup! We’re not related, but he’s like a big brother to me.”

Oh, so she just calls him that because she’s attached to him. Nell nodded to herself before
addressing the little girl and asking one of the questions that’d been on her mind since
she first met him.

“Say, Illuna.”

“Yeah?”

“Uhm… What kind of person is your big brother anyway?”

“I’m super glad you asked!” The little girl’s eyes sparkled as she responded to the
question with unexpected fervor. “He’s super cool! He saved my life! He plays with me
all the time and makes sure I don’t get lonely! I really love him! He acts kinda silly
sometimes, but I like that part of him too. It’s really cute!”

“I-I see.” Taken aback by the little girl’s excited response, Nell could only nod along as
she listened.

Just why is this little girl so attached to the demon lord? Could it be that he sometimes
craves children?
“Has the demon lord ever touched you anywhere weird?”

“Nope! But he does act kinda weird. Sometimes, he’ll suddenly start shouting about
something while bursting out of his room and running off somewhere.”

“O-Oh. So he’s just weird?”

Illuna’s description of the demon lord left the hero confused. She didn’t understand
him at all. The encounter led Nell to lose sight of what demon lords were. The image
of the stereotypical evil mastermind she had built up throughout her life had totally
crumbled away.
“And what, precisely, are you plotting this time?” Lefi crossed her arms as she regarded
me with a piercing glare.

“Nothing, really.” I responded with a casual shrug. “She’s not set on attacking us
anymore, and it’s already late. We have a crap ton of extra rooms, so there isn’t really
any reason not to lend her one. Plus, I’ve been meaning to learn more about the
humans, and this is as good a chance as any.”

“I see. So you intentionally created a set of circumstances such that you would have all
the excuses you needed to rope yet another girl into your ‘dungeon.’ I cannot believe
you.” An intimidating aura began emanating off of Lefi’s body as she spoke. “I know
that I am the one that instructed you to initiate contact, but I meant not that you
should sink your fangs into her. And to think that you even added a trio of wraiths to
your collection while I remained none the wiser.”

“To be fair, it’s not my fault that all three wraiths are girls. They just kinda ended up
that way!”

The first thing Nell saw as she exited the bath and entered the grand hall that led to it
was the demon lord. He was sitting on his knees, as a silver haired girl lectured him,
her tone stern.

“U-Uhm… T-Thanks for letting me use your bath. It felt really nice and warm.”

“Hmm?” The girl turned away from the demon lord upon hearing the hero’s voice. “Oh
hello, crybaby hero.”

“First the bullied girl, now this!? Why do you guys all seem to think of me as something
to pity!?”

Nell couldn’t help but yell as she was once again reminded of her cowardice by a young
girl that she’d never once seen in her life. Speaking of, the blonde girl that she met in
the bath had already gotten out and headed off to bed. A horned sheep demon that
looked to be something along the lines of a maidservant entered the bath to pick her
up right as she was starting to nod off. The maid had thanked Nell for playing with the
girl before escorting the little blonde, who’d barely managed to squeeze out a tired
“bye bye,” away.

Behind the demon girl had been another maid, a beastkin. Though Nell failed to
understand why, the Beastkin seemed to think the demon was in some sort of danger,
as she had urged her to quickly return the moment she picked the young blonde up.

“A-anyway, the guest’s here. S-Sorry Lefi, but I gotta entertain her.”

“Surely you jest. That is a task that Leila is more than capable of handling, and you’ve
not the time for it. After all, you and I are about to spend a long night together.”

The hero was having a hard time processing the scene playing out right before her
eyes. The demon lord, who’d initially come off as mysterious but kind, was being scolded
by a girl even younger than Nell herself.

I really don’t know what I’m supposed to believe anymore…

Nell woke up the next day as rested as could be. She hadn’t been threatened, let alone
attacked, and the bed she was given was extremely comfortable. Likewise, the food
was so delicious that she gobbled it down even though she’d never seen it before in
her life. She felt ashamed that she’d totally lost sight of her initial objective, but she
wasn’t allowed to wallow in it for long.

“So who exactly sent you after me anyway?”

The demon lord pulled her out of her thoughts by addressing her. He seemed really
sleepy, likely because the girl she saw him with yesterday had lectured him throughout
most of the night.

“U-Uhm… The church did. They told me that you were an evil demon on a killing spree,
and that I needed to put you down.”

“Is that all they said?”

“M-Mhm.” Nell shrunk back a bit the moment she nodded in affirmation. Oh my god!
I’m such an idiot! I can’t believe I just told him that!

“Look, trusting people and stuff is fine, but you should probably know that you’re a bit
too trusting…” said the demon lord, exasperated.

“U-Uhmm… Sorry. I’ll try to be more careful.” Nell didn’t groan out of embarrassment,
nor did she really fall into lament. She simply nodded along and heeded the demon
lord’s words.

Though she knew that the dungeon had a few more residents, the demon lord was the
only one present. In fact, he and the horned sheep maid demon were the only two
she’d seen all morning, and the latter had only dropped by to serve breakfast.

They’re probably off somewhere in the castle.

“Wait, so you’re not with the army?”

“Nope, I’m with the church. The captain of the holy knight order was the one that ordered
me to come get rid of you, but she didn’t seem all that keen on the idea herself…” [1]

“I see.” The captain’s face floated across Nell’s mind as she spoke of her. Her expression
was almost always calm, gallant, and refined, but was much less so when she gave Nell
her orders. It seemed that the only reason she instructed the hero to sortie was
because her higher ups were putting pressure on her.

Wait, did I just say too much again? Nell realized too late that she’d just given the
demon lord a whole slew of information about her allies. His enemies. Worried, she
timidly turned her gaze towards him and asked a question. “U-Uhm… You’re not going
to go attack the church now, are you…?”

“Depends. I’ll leave them alone if they leave me alone.” the demon lord shrugged. “But
if they choose to oppose me, then I’ll crush them underfoot with everything I’ve got.
Make sure you tell them that, loud and clear.”

The demon lord’s gaze momentarily turned sharp as he issued his decree. His aura
flared up, and he suddenly began to emit an incredible sense of presence. The pressure
he gave off made it hard for Nell to speak, so she ended up giving him a nod.

“O-okay.”

“Just saying, I’d prefer not to kill anyone, if possible. I’m not really into gore or anything
else like that, but there’s no way in hell I’ll just sit around if an armed force is going to
march on me, you know?”

“I guess you have a point…”

Nell couldn’t deny that the demon lord’s words were logical. Nor could she deny that
he was in the right. She’d spent a good portion of the previous night working her brain.
She started thinking the moment she had laid down on her super comfortable bedding
and didn’t stop until she had drifted off to the land of dreams.

The hero spent a lot of that time thinking about everything that she’d done and
everything she was going to do moving forward. She thought about the place she found
herself in and the demon lord that owned it.
Though she had only been in the dungeon for a single day, Nell understood that the
demon lord was someone that the dungeon’s inhabitants trusted. In fact, their trust
was so apparent that only a single glance was needed to discern it. From that, she
derived that he couldn’t possibly be that bad a person. Those that ruled with tyranny
would have far less faith placed in them. None of the dungeon’s other residents would
have appeared nearly as happy as they did had the demon lord unreasonably oppressed
them.

To those that lived here, the hero was not her, who bore the title, but him.

And she too was starting to see it. The heroes of which legends were sung always
wielded their powers for others, and through their actions, earned the populace’s
trust. True heroes were loved by the people. Though she herself had never witnessed
his exploits, she was all but convinced that he’d done something heroic enough to earn
everyone’s trust. On the other hand, all she ever did was follow orders and listen to
the people around her. As far as she was concerned, he was, at the very least, much
more of a hero than she.

The thought was so bizarre and off putting that it led her to question both his and her
roles. Just what were demon lords? And what were heroes? The answers to her
questions eluded her, but she pondered them nonetheless. Even after a whole night’s
worth of thinking, she wasn’t able to make any real conclusions. The only thing she
managed to do was differentiate them.

“You okay? You’ve been spaced out there for a good while now.”

“Oh, uhm… yeah. Sorry.” The hero got a bit flustered as she realized that she’d let her
thoughts overwhelm her again. “A-Anyway, would you mind if I asked you something
personal? It’s been bothering me for a while, so I really want to get it off my mind.”

“Go for it.” The demon lord brought a cup of tea to his lips as he offered to entertain
her question.

“Uhm… Are you a pedophile?”

“Wha!?”

The question apparently came to the demon as such a shock that he ended up doing a
spit take, spraying tea everywhere as he coughed.
“Ew… That’s gross.”

“Yeah, and whose fault do you think it is?” He stopped to cough a few more times. “Why
the hell does everyone think I’m a lolicon!?”

“A lolicon?”

“A pedophile, a freak that gets off to little girls!” The demon lord shouted indignantly
as he placed his cup back on top of the table. “Anyway, the answer to your question is
a solid ‘hell no.’ I admit that there are a whole bunch of little girls hanging around here,
but I swear to god I’m innocent. I didn’t go around collecting them or anything.[E1]
This is just how things kinda ended up turning out on their own. I’ll even say it one
more time just to be clear. I am NOT a lolicon.”

“Hmmm… Well, everyone’s different, so I’m not going to criticize you too much. The
silver haired girl is at the age where it’s okay, but you really shouldn’t be laying your
hands on someone as young as Illuna, you know?”

“Oh god damn it! Are you actually just not listening to me!? I could’ve sworn I literally
just told you that I’m not a pedophile! Lefi’s like a… well, okay, I admit I can’t say much
about her, but Illuna’s like a little sister to me! She’s totally off my radar!”

“So you have been touching that Lefi girl, then?”

“The fuck!? T-That’s not what I meant! I was just trying to say that she and I are on
equal standing. I don’t need to protect her the way I protect Illuna, so I don’t think of
them the same way.”

Nell giggled as she listened to the demon lord attempt to form an excuse.

He really is every bit as human as I am.

“The hell are you giggling about now…?”

“Nothing really.” Nell smiled. “I just found it funny that we’re talking to each other like
this even though I was dead set on killing you just yesterday.”

“Well, I guess this whole situation is kinda weird if you put it that way.”

“It really is just like you said. You can’t really understand things without seeing and
thinking about them for yourself. I think I’m going to start doing just that. I’ll try my
best to be my own person and make my own decisions.”

“Please do. I’d prefer not to keep making enemies just ’cause I’m a demon lord.”

Seeing the way the demon lord casually shrugged caused yet another smile to break
out on Nell’s face.
Much to my surprise, the hero hadn’t antagonized me to the point of no return. She
was friendly and open-minded enough to see past her prejudices and hold a proper
conversation. Actually, that’s not quite right. It’s more like she’s just too innocent to really
doubt my intentions.

Though I’d always wanted to ask her about humanity as a whole, the truth of the
matter was that, at first, I wasn’t actually all that keen on letting her intrude on my
territory for too long. Heaps of hesitation came when I considered the idea. There
seemed to be far too many risks and barely any reward, so I’d actually planned on
turning her away. But Illuna had convinced me otherwise.

The first thing the young girl had said to me after coming out of the bath was that I
could trust the hero because she was a good person. For one reason or another, Illuna’s
instincts were remarkable. She was able to tell apart things that would cause her harm
and things that wouldn’t at a glance. Without a word from me, Illuna had been able to
point out dangerous monsters and steer clear of them the one time she accompanied
me into the forest. If even Illuna was willing to testify that the hero was harmless, then
there was no reason for me to believe otherwise. In fact, I trusted her instincts so much
that I more or less completely let my guard down. Thanks to our resident vampire, I
decided to let the hero stay overnight before asking her about the human world the
next morning.

Her answers were informative. They told me that I had a fair situation on my hands.

From her responses, I immediately derived that the church bore a wide sphere of
influence. They were so influential, in fact, that they had their own private military
unit, an order of holy knights. The mastermind behind the incident, however, was able
to get the church into a situation in which it either couldn’t or didn’t want to deny his
request, be it through money, political pressure, or some other facet of influence.
Though the church was powerful, the wirepuller was even more so—especially seeing
as how he’d even managed to mobilize an army.
I kind of want to say that I’m probably up against an entire country or something similar,
but that doesn’t really seem quite right. There’s something… off. The driving force
behind both the army and hero incidents seemed a bit… lacking. The mastermind’s
methods were needlessly convoluted. It’s almost as if the guy’s going out of his way to
leap through hoops.

The force that’d come knocking on my doorstep just the other day was a bit small for
an army, at least compared to what it could’ve been. I mean, it’s possible that the
mastermind just underestimated me because he kinda lacked intel, but there’s always a
chance that he’s just retarded. I think I’m going to be leaning closer to the needless hoops
theory though, since he did at least kind of learn from his mistakes.

The fact that he sent the hero was a huge improvement. She was basically stronger
than the entire army all on her own. In fact, there was a fair chance that she would
have defeated me had she not been such a scaredy cat. My stats were higher than hers,
but I’d yet to be trained in combat. I was a total shitter that didn’t have the technique
or combat experience to make use of his talents. That, however, was his only
improvement.

Sending the hero alone is kind of a pretty big risk. Like, I know the dude’s salty and
probably doesn’t want to spend any extra resources since I just blew up his army, but
you’d think he’d at least give her a few companions or something. Like, he’d just be totally
screwing himself up the butt if he lost the hero just ‘cause he didn’t provide her with
enough support.

Of course, the most optimal solution would have been to send the army and hero
together. If the mastermind was acting on the country’s orders, or in a position to give
them, then it didn’t make sense for him not to have his forces boldly march on the
forest, regardless of purpose. And that was all the more true if he truly was working
towards a cause as “noble” as retaliating to restore his or the villages’ honour. No
matter the case, it simply did not make sense for the hero and army to be sent
independently of one another.

I mean, if he’s got the ability to get the army to abide by his will, then whoever’s out to
get me should at least be a good bit higher up in government, right? You’d need some
serious influence to pull off a stunt like that… Or at least I think you would. Blech, I really
need to go to a place with more humans so I can learn more about this world’s people.

Fortunately, I had just the right person to consult standing right in front of me. I had
just escorted her out the castle, so I decided to break the silence.

“Oh yeah, I’ll be having you show me around.”

“Huh?” The hero stared blankly for a few seconds before realizing that I was talking to
her. “Uhm… I’m not really sure I know what you mean.”

“You know how you’re ‘bout to head back?”

“Mhm…?”

“Yeah, I’mma tag along.”

“Huh?” The hero blinked a few times while staring at me as she tried to process what
I’d just said.

“I’ve been wanting to hit up a human village for quite some time, and this is as good a
chance as any. So yeah, thanks in advance.”

“Huh!?” Again, the hero blinked. She was so shocked by my sudden declaration that
she didn’t know what to say.

“Ah, yes. That is right, Yuki. I would like to bring to your attention that I will be joining
you.” The next person to speak was Lefi. She and all the dungeon’s other residents had
gathered in front of the castle. I’d already told them my intentions a bit earlier on in
the day, so they all came to see me off.

“Wait, you are?” It was my turn to blink. Lefi hadn’t said anything about joining me
when I first informed her of my decision. This was my first time hearing about it. In
fact, the only one that had expressed their wish to join me was Illuna. I wanted to
entertain her request, but I couldn’t. I was confident that I could protect myself even
if my identity was exposed, but I somehow doubted that I would be able to keep the
both of us safe at the same time, especially since taking her along doubled the risk of
exposure. Leaving her here with Leila and Lyuu was the safer choice by all means.

“What? Have you a reason to refuse?” An intrepid smile surfaced on Lefi’s face as she
stared me down. It’s almost like she’s daring me to say no.

“Nah, not at all. In fact, I’d be happy to have you join me. I’m just a bit surprised is all.
I didn’t think you’d be interested.”
Having Lefi come with me is reassuring. Her being there makes even the worst case scenario
a hell of a lot easier to deal with.

“Y-You are happy?” Lefi’s cheeks blushed a pale pink, but she quickly dispelled it with
a cough. “I have only chosen to accompany you because I know now that your nature
renders you far too soft on women. It would bother me if you took too long to return
because you were infatuated with a human. My purpose is merely to keep an eye on
you.”

“Yup yup! I know, right! You gotta work hard, Lefi! Do your best!” Wait, was that Illuna
that just said that? Is that why she wanted to join me in the first place?

“Very well. I shall endeavor to ensure Yuki does not lose his way.”

I couldn’t help but smile wryly as the two conversed. They clearly didn’t trust me.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. Anyway, take care of the house while I’m gone, alright guys?”

“As you wish, My Lord,” replied Leila.

“You betcha! We’ll keep this place nice ‘n safe while yer out, Master!”

“Iunno why but hearing you say that makes me feel super worried, Lyuu.”

“Huh!? What gives!?” The beastkin was so shocked that her jaw dropped all the way to
the floor.

“I’m just kidding.” The exaggerated expression prompted me to laugh as I responded.

“Come on, you know I trust you guys. I wouldn’t be relying on you guys as much as I
am if I didn’t. Rir, I’m leaving you in charge of defense. Destroy any enemies that show
up without exception. And you too Shii. Do your best to protect everyone while I’m
out, ‘kay?”

My two pets each responded with their own affirmations. Rir nodded faithfully, while
Shii happily bounced around.

“Alrighty then. I’ll see you guys in a week.” I bid my farewells to everyone present,
including the three wraith girls waving from one of the castle’s windows.

“I too shall soon return.”

“Okay! Have a great trip guys!” said Illuna.

“Do stay safe,” said Leila.

“See ya!” said Lyuu.

The hero, the only person not caught up in the “bon-voyage” themed ambiance, voiced
a bit of pitiable, idle complaint that she was no longer able to hold back.

“Umm… What about my say in all this…?”

【 】
“Woo! We made it!” I cheered and raised both arms in excitement as Nell, Lefi, and I
closed in on the city’s gates. “Hell yeah, it’s time for some city life! I can’t wait!”

The people around us stared and giggled in response to my antics. They seemed to
think that I was a crazy hillbilly from some random village in the middle of nowhere.

“U-Uhm… C-Could you please be a bit quieter? You’re being really embarrassing.”
Likewise, the hero didn’t think my behaviour was quite appropriate. She tried calming
me down with an shy whisper of a complaint, but I shrugged it off.

“Embarrassment? Feh! A mere bit of embarrassment is nothing in the face of the fiery
emotions bursting out from within my heart!”

“Yeah, but what about us…?” Dismayed and shocked, the hero groaned and drooped
her shoulders.

“You’ve little choice but to give up, He-Nell.” Lefi spoke to the other girl and offered her
condolences. She was about to refer to her as the hero, but stopped herself short and
corrected herself before she did. “It is not possible for an outside influence to wrench
him from his current state. Waiting for it to pass is the only option.”

Unlike the hero, the dragon girl’s tone carried no shame. The only emotion it contained
was exasperation. See, Lefi understands me. I mean, how the hell am I supposed to stay
calm. I’m visiting a city in another world. Like, holy shit! That’s an event to get excited
about if I’ve ever seen one.

It was technically my second time visiting the city, but I’d been too angry and fired up
the first time to really examine the environment and take in everything the city had to
offer. The one thing I did note back then was that the city’s walls were impressive, even
from all the way up in the air. Seeing them again, but on the ground, only furthered my
impression of it.

‘Course, it still loses out to my castle and whatnot, but I really gotta say. It’s pretty damn
impressive.

“Alright, enough chit-chatting. Let’s go!”

“Huh? W-Wait, hold on!” The hero took a second to react and pull herself out of her
daze. She tried to stop me as soon as she did, but I didn’t listen. I simply continued
marching onwards as per my declaration, only to be stopped by a spear. The guard
standing at the gate lowered his weapon and refused to let me pass.

“What the hell?” I groaned. “Dude, you mind moving that weapon of yours? I’ve got
places to be and it’s in my way.”

“Your papers?” The man replied with a gruff, grumpy groan. He was an older man,
likely in his late thirties or early forties.

“My what?” I heard him loud and clear, but I didn’t understand what he was trying to
tell me.

“Show me your papers if you want to pass. I’m not letting you in unless you’ve got valid
ID.”

Seriously? Is he seriously trying to ID me? Isn’t this supposed to be another world, an

undeveloped fantastical land? Why the hell do they use IDs? Isn’t that something only
more developed societies bother with?

“What the hell, old-timer? Didn’t you just let another group walk right by you?”

“I did, but that was only because I recognized their faces. They use this gate often. You,
on the other hand, I don’t recognize. You look suspicious.” The guard glared at me
through the narrow slit in his helmet. “And I’m not old! I’m still in my prime!”

The old man followed up his accusation with a shout, but I’d long stopped paying
attention. He lost me the moment he made me realize that I wasn’t going to be allowed
into town.

What the hell!? Talk about game-breaking. Why the hell do I have to get hard stopped
here of all times?
“What a shame… To think that the path to achieving my ambitions would already be
forced to a close…” I groaned and began speaking as would a character from a historical
drama as I fell limp.

“Geez, that’s why I told you to wait.” The hero ran over and pulled what looked to be
some sort of seal out from her bag. “I’m with the church,” she said, as she showed it to
the guard. “These two are my companions. I met them on my journey. Could you please
issue them some temporary ID and let them through?”

“That sigil… so you are a holy knight?” The guard’s eyes widened when he saw the
crest embedded into the hero’s seal. “I understand, ma’am. I will have their IDs ready
immediately.”

He took off in hot haste and rushed into the station. His attitude had taken a full 180.
Holy Knight? Oh, wait, duh. He means the Hero. Yeah, I guess it does make sense for her
to be a part of the faction she was trained by.

“The hell did you just show him He-Nell?” I raised an eyebrow as I referred to the hero
in the exact same awkward way that Lefi had just a bit earlier.

“One of the church’s travel permits. As the hero, I kinda need to be able to get around,
so…”

“Huh. You sure do have a lot of power for someone totally ignorant of the ways of the
world.”

“I really don’t want to hear that from you, especially after what you just did!” cried the
hero, indignantly. “Oh and can you guys please be more careful about the whole hero
thing?”

“Yeah, yeah, we know.” I rolled my eyes.

“Indeed. Altering the manner in which we refer to you is but a simple matter,” added
Lefi.

The hero, or rather, Nell, had asked us to refer to her by name rather than her title. She
was so vehement about it, in fact, that she refused to take us along until after we
agreed to the condition. It’s kind of a pain in the ass but whatever. I’m sure she’s got her
reasons, and it’s still totally worth it.
The guard returned after several minutes. In his hands were a pair of wooden plates
each about the size of a credit card.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, ma’am.” The old man nodded to Nell before turning to Lefi
and I and handing us our cards. “And as for you lot, you better not cause any trouble.
I’m letting you through this time ‘cause you’re with a holy knight, but that’s the only
reason. If not for her, you’d be stuck at the gates at best. Your IDs are temporary, which
means we’ll be hauling you out of town if you start anything.”

His tone shifted the moment he started speaking to us. He was obviously acting much
less politely.

“Yeah yeah, I know. Thanks, old man.”

“Middle aged as you are, we owe you our gratitude,” said Lefi.

“I’m definitely not letting you assholes in next time you stop by…” The guard’s veins
started bulging out of his forehead as he grumbled.

Huh. That’s weird. Why’s he so angry?

Putting the gate and its guard behind me, I entered the town. The sight that greeted
me left me speechless. It was fascinating. It looked like a scene ripped straight out of
a JPRG; everything had a clear high fantasy feel to it. The buildings themselves were
all made of similar materials and bore similar shapes, but not to the point of excess.
The streets were wide, and the denizens that wandered them wore typical fantasy like
clothes. There were even a couple carriages here and there.

Seeing it all left me unbearably excited. I couldn’t sit still. I needed to explore.

“‘Kay, first things first, let’s find ourselves some food!”

“Woah, you see that? It looks super tasty.”

“That it does, and as does this.”

“I know, right? Let’s get both.”

A few minutes was all it took for Lefi and I to get into tourist mode. We wandered the
streets and bought a bunch of different stuff from the food stalls around us as we did.

“Urrgnnggh…” The hero let out a sound that sounded half like a cry and half like a moan.
“My money’s being used up so quickly that it’s practically vanishing into thin air…”

Neither the dragon nor I, the demon lord, possessed any sort of human currency. We
were mooching off the hero and having her buy us everything we wanted. Though it
was just street food, the stuff we were eating was genuinely delicious. Most of it was
monster meat, but it was much more delicious than the stuff I made.

Right. Of course it is. They’ve actually got chefs. Me, I’m just an amateur.

The magical energy within the meat had been evenly dispersed throughout. Both the
feel and taste were consistent. The light seasoning merged with the meat’s natural
juicy flavour to create a combination that was simply irresistible.

Man, this is delicious. It’s just as good as the stuff Leila makes. Actually, now that I think
about it, just who is Leila anyway? And why’s she so competent?

The maid in question was capable of accomplishing any task assigned to her with
undeniable proficiency. She could cook as well as a chef, clean as well as a
housekeeper, and handle every other task that came up regardless of what it was. I’d
even caught her teaching Illuna from time to time, and the only thing I could possibly
say about her explanations were that they made perfect sense despite being concise.

Unable to withstand the urge, I’d asked Leila if she happened to have any relevant
experience. Much to my surprise, the answer was a firm no. But either way, it didn’t
really matter.

She made my life easier, so I was just glad to have her on board. I didn’t care who or
what she was, nor did I need to know her past. All that mattered to me was that she
was so competent that she made my life a helluva lot easier.

Lyuu, on the other hand… well, let’s just say she’s been… improving. Yeah, let’s go with that.

I directed my thoughts away from the maids in my employ and focused on my

surroundings. Though I’d attacked the city once in the past, none of its citizens had
recognized me. A part of it was likely due to my attitude. I was boldly walking around
town like it was nobody’s business, and because I was acting so casually, no one paid
me any extra attention. Besides, last time I was here, I was blasting off magical energy
and intimidating everyone I came across. There were only two humans that’d ever
gotten a good look at my face: this city’s lord and that relatively strong commander
affiliated with the army.

Likewise, Lefi was also blending in. She’d retracted both her horns and tail, so she
looked no different from any other human. The person in question, however,
apparently felt rather uncomfortable. She thought it weird to be missing parts of her
body that were normally there. Yeah, I can see that. I’d feel weird too if I suddenly found
myself missing an arm.

“Could the two of you please be a little more considerate…?” The hero was practically
sobbing as she followed behind us, but we didn’t mind her and continued buying
everything that caught our eye.

“Woah, what’s that?” I noticed that there was a crowd gathered around something,
making a commotion as it did, so I stopped binge eating and headed over in order to
figure out what was going on. Is that… a magic show?

At the crowd’s centre was a group of mages, or more accurately, street performers.
They were casting elaborate flashy spells to entertain the people around them.

Huh, that’s different. I’d learned my magic from Lefi, so I’d ended up emulating her
style. All my spells centered around brute force. They were completely unlike the
precise constructions that the mages hosting the local event were executing. The way
they’re using their magic makes for a pretty good reference. I should probably try it myself
sometime.

“Mmrph. Yuki, I require your assistance.” Lefi interrupted my thoughts with an angry
groan.

“What’s up?”

“I cannot see.” The dragon girl was too short to see through the shoulders of the people
gathered in front of her.

“Alright, I gotchu.”

I bent over, stuck my head between her legs, and stood back up with her mounted on
my shoulders.
“That any better?”

“It is.”

“‘Kay, that’s taken care of then.”

“Indeed it is,” Lefi agreed. The fact that her voice was coming from right above my head
was a bit weird.

“You two sure do get along…” The hero rolled her eyes. “We should probably get you
guys registered at the Adventurers’ Guild. L-”

“There’s an Adventurers’ Guild!?” It seemed like the hero was going to continue her
explanation, but I cut her off. I was too excited not to.

“Yeah, it’s an organisation that helps people find work, you know, like exterminating
monsters and stuff. Registering as an adventurer is the best way to get you guys some
ID, because they don’t really do background checks.”

“Interesting.” So the Adventurers’ Guild really does exist. Of course it does, I’m not sure
why I’d ever expect otherwise. Tropes ahoy! And as for registering? Hell yeah, I’m down.
Feels more like a typical reincarnation plot that way.

“Why do you appear so excited?” Lefi raised her brows as she looked at the silly grin
stuck to my face.

“How can I not? There’s an Adventurers’ Guild! A god damned Adventurers’ Guild!!”

“Adventurers? You mean the individuals that profit from the murder of monsters and
non-humans? Are they not your enemies?”

“I mean, technically, yeah, you’re right. But becoming an adventurer is just something
that all men gotta do.”

“I am not sure that I follow.” Lefi forced a bit of a smile. It seemed that she decided that
there was no point in questioning me further.

I guess it’s a bit of a weird concept to grasp if you’re not a guy. Oh well.

Either way, I was planning to enjoy the overly tropey scenario for as long as it kept me
entertained.
“I must admit, I am impressed.” Lefi offered a compliment as she scanned the city. Her
eyes darted all over, taking in all it had to offer. “I had always assumed human
settlements to be boring. Evidently, that is not the case.”

“Wait, this is your first time visiting a human city?”

The hell? Hasn’t she been alive for over a thousand years?

Though we’d already finished watching the street performers do their thing, the
dragon girl was still mounted atop my shoulders. She liked the view. It apparently felt
to her like she was gazing down on everyone else around her from a position of power.
That’s the Supreme Dragon for you, I guess. Too bad the townsfolk don’t feel the same.

The people we passed clearly viewed her as something far less sinister and
intimidating. In fact, she was flashed many a warm gaze as we moved down the street.
It felt to me like they were looking at her as they would any other happy child. The
discrepancy between the two contrasting opinions was so drastic that I almost wanted
to go around asking people what they thought of her, just for shits and giggles.

“I had never once visited a human settlement without razing it and reducing it to
cinders in the process. This is my first time walking amongst a crowd filled with the
species’s members. I had little interest in their affairs.”

“Makes sense.”

Right. She did mention something about agreeing to some sort of non-interference pact.
She’s probably never entered any human settlements since, let alone visited one just to
sightsee. Wait, isn’t she technically violating the pact right now? Errr… guess not,
actually. They invaded our territory first. The pact basically doesn’t mean shit anymore.
“Ah, yes, Yuki. I forgot that there was a concern I would like addressed,” said Lefi.

“What?”

“I understand that my thighs excite you, but please do exercise restraint. Your thoughts
are written all over your face.”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

I immediately began shouting in denial, but to no avail. Neither of my companions

were even the slightest bit convinced.

“Wow, you’re such a pervert.” The hero turned towards me and flashed me a look of
disbelief.

Oh gawd. Stahp it! Don’t look at me like that! Man, sure, I admit I thought they were nice
and soft, but that’s it! It’s not like I was popping a stiffie!

“Ahem.” I faked a cough and cleared my throat before asking the hero a question. “So
I’ve been meaning to ask you this for a while now, but just what do adventurers do
anyway?”

“You’re not tricking me that easily, Yuki. I know you’re just trying to change the topic.”
Looking over at her, I was once again met by a pair of disapproving eyes.

The hero and I were only calling each other by our names purely out of necessity. I
would’ve very much preferred to use titles, but she wanted to keep her identity a
secret, and she couldn’t exactly go around referring to me as a demon lord in the
middle of town. She’d thought about giving me a nickname, but ultimately decided
that my name was the best choice. Apparently, she felt like I gave off a “guy next door”
kinda vibe.

Makes sense. I was human until I reincarnated, and I was pretty much an average dude,
so I can see where that’s coming from. I do kind of want to give off a more demon lord
kind of feel though. I guess I’ll have to put in a bit of extra effort into seeming more
dignified and shit.

Likewise, the hero had also tried giving Lefi a nickname. Or rather, a new nickname.
Lefi didn’t take kindly to it, however, and silenced her with a “smile.” The dragon
adamantly refused to go by anything but Lefi or Leficios, and as the former was shorter
and more casual, the hero opted for it.

I’d also tried giving the dragon a new nickname just to mess with her. She ended up
getting so mad she slugged me in the face. Oh man, that hurt like hell. Stupid dragon
hits like a truck.

“But sure, I guess we can disregard your ‘preferences’ for the time being.” The look on
the hero’s face almost seemed a bit smug, as if she was basking in her victory.
“Adventurers are responsible for killing monsters, guarding things, and collecting rare
medicinal herbs. I know Lefi mentioned it a bit earlier, but they don’t actually go
around killing members of the other races.”

Oh, so they’re kinda like the hunters from Monster H*nter.

“Are you certain? I have been attacked by many an adventurer in my time,” said Lefi.

“They probably mistook you for some sort of monster.” I shrugged. I mean you kinda
are the “Supreme Dragon.” Like, girl, you probably show up in people’s nightmares. Shit.

“How rude…” The dragon frowned. “Their discourtesy deserves retribution. I shall
exterminate them and leave not even a single one behind.”

“Please don’t!” said Nell.

We arrived in front of a building that could only be described as a hall after pushing
our way through the city’s bustling streets. There was a constant stream of people
going both in and out. A single glance was enough to see that business was thriving.

“We’re finally here.” I grinned as I gave the building a once over. I couldn’t help but
impatiently start stepping forward. “Alright, enough staring. Let’s go. Right now.”

“You don’t have a single timid bone in your body, do you?”

“He does not.” Lefi, who’d only just gotten off my shoulders, answered with a nod. “His
idiocy has rendered him unable to feel the sentiment.”

“Yeah, ‘cause I’m the idiot for getting all emotional. Sure.” I rolled my eyes. “Unlike you
morons, I’m not about to let some silly ‘sentiment’ hold me back.”
I waltzed straight through the open front door as I spoke, my heart pounding with
excitement. As I did, I felt a sudden wave of force worm its way into my ears; the first
sense the guild appealed to was my sense of sound.

It was loud. The place was busy and the noise level was through the roof.
Conversations could be heard amidst the clinking of tableware, but there were so
many of them going on at once that they were indiscernible. I could not, for the life of
me, tell who was saying what. Yet, despite the overwhelming noise, I didn’t find myself
annoyed. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Man, this place has got a helluva good feel
going for it.

Lefi looked like a young girl, and while Nell did look a bit older, she wasn’t by any
means a full fledged adult. Naturally, the two of them drew countless stares as they
entered the facility, but none lasted for more than a moment. The adventurers soon
returned to eating, chatting, and getting plastered in broad daylight. The reason the
guild was so crowded became immediately clear as I realized that it was adjoined with
a restaurant. It was lunchtime. Many of the individuals present were just here to eat.

I moved through the guild’s hall and made my way over to the counter. There, I was
greeted by a receptionist that looked to be a woman in her twenties.

“Welcome to the Adventurers’ Guild. How can I help you?” She spoke in a surprisingly
polite tone.

“My companions would like to register with the guild,” replied the hero.

“Both of them?” The receptionist’s gaze fell on Lefi. “I’m sorry if this sounds rude, but
do you mean to say that the lady would like to register as well? She seems a little
young.”

Yeah, I getchu lady. Lefi doesn’t look anything like an adventurer, even discounting her
age. Her hair and skin are in good shape, and she doesn’t have any scars. You wouldn’t
think she’s a fighter at a glance. As far as the receptionist is concerned, she probably
looks more like the daughter of some rich aristocrat.

“And that is a problem?” Lefi narrowed her gaze.

“Not at all,” replied the receptionist.

“I can vouch for their characters and backgrounds.” The hero cut into the conversation
before it devolved and showed the guild’s clerk the same seal she’d shown the guard
just a bit earlier.

“Great, that makes things much easier.” The receptionist nodded. Though she did react
with a bit of surprise, she quickly recovered and got back to work. “Could you please
each place a hand on one of the magical devices sitting on the edge of the counter?”

The clerk directed us towards a series of crude looking machines. Though they were
made of metal, they were primitive and unrefined. Lefi and I each stood in front of one
and followed the receptionist’s instructions by placing our hands atop a flat plate
situated on the device. I felt it suck out a slight bit of my magical energy while making
a strange, mechanical whirring. The sound vaguely reminded me of a printing press.

Before long, the machine ejected a copper-brown card the same size as the wooden
board we’d gotten from the guard upon entering the town. There was a strange symbol
comprised of three vertical lines carved into it. The symbol reminded me a lot of 川,
the Japanese Kanji for river.

“And that’s that. Your registration is now complete. Congratulations, you’re now
members of the Adventurers’ Guild,” said the clerk, with a smile. “The card you just
received doubles as your ID, so try not to lose it.”

“Huh. That was easy.”

“The process used to be much more complicated, but it disqualified far too many people.
The adventuring business wasn’t looking so good back then, so we had to change it.
Nowadays,all we do is scan your magical energy and register you based off that.”

“Oh. Makes sense.” I guess it’s kind of like what you do when you hire workers from a
temp agency. You can’t really just make them wait outside until an actual employee stops
by to let them in, so you issue them their own passes and whatnot to make their lives
easier and the company more productive.

The receptionist then wrapped up the conversation by explaining the basics of

adventuring. And with that, the deed was done. We were adventurers, guild members
ready to set off and do work.

“Wake up, Lefi. The lecture’s over.” I shook Lefi, who’d totally nodded off. The sheer
boredom had put her straight to sleep.
“Mmrrphh…” She rubbed her eyes as she slowly woke back up. The gesture was so
cute and lovely that it forced a bit of a wry smile onto my face.

After making sure she wouldn’t pass out again, I looked back at the copper coloured
plate and grinned. Holy crap, am I excited. Man, Lefi and the hero probably think I’m just
being childish as fuck, but like, dude, I just became an adventurer. How could any real
man not be excited?

“That card will let you enter the city whenever you’d like, so we should probably head
back to the gate and return the temporary ID you got when you leave.”

“Yeah, sounds good. Thanks Nell, I owe you one.”

Alright! Here begins a heart throbbing adventure, a mysterious and bizarre tale
featuring a Demon Lord seeking a life of adventure! Hell yeah! Let’s do this!
“Just double checking.” I addressed the receptionist shortly after she finished telling
us about the guild and our new membership. “You said that you guys buy dead monsters,
right?”

“We do. I can take anything you have and don’t need off your hands right away.”

Admittedly, I do feel just a bit bad about having the hero blow all her cash on us, so I
might as well grab myself some pocket change. I prepared to reach into my item box,
but stopped myself short of activating the skill.

“Hey Nell. What do you humans think of item boxes?” I leaned over and began whispering
to the hero.

“Item boxes? Oh, you mean storage magic?”

“Uhhh yeah. Sure, let’s go with that.”

“It’s a bit rare, but anyone with the affinity for it can use it, so it’s not anything particularly
off putting.”

Sweet. No need to hold back then, I guess. I activated the skill and distorted the area
near my right hand by creating what looked like a tear in space itself. I reached inside
it and began to look around for something to sell. Let’s see… I probably shouldn’t sell
the stuff that I need to work with Rir to take down. That stuff’s way too tasty. Cashing it
in would be wasteful. I guess I’ll just dump a few of the monsters I can take out with just
one punch.

I pulled out several corpses and placed them atop the counter.

“B-Bro, you see that? The guy just pulled out a Horned Tiger!”

“Aye. And that’s not all. Look, he’s got a god damned Bloody Bear!”
“Holy hell! There’s even a Marmodoltis!” [1]

The few people who happened to be looking my way reacted with shock. The extent
of their surprise drew more gazes, leading to yet a second group exclaiming their
surprise. The vicious cycle repeated itself until every single adventurer in the guild
had their heads craned towards me.

“Fmph.” I crossed my arms. A large grin spread across my face as I looked over the
shocked peanut gallery. Behold, peasants. Behold my power and understand your
inferiority. Mwahahahaha!

“Cease your blatant idiocy, Yuki. Finish your business so that we can leave.”

“Oh come on…” I sighed as Lefi poured a figurative bucket of icy cold water right over
my head. “Couldn’t you have let me bask in the sensation for a little? Why’d you have
to butt in right away? Like, come on? A little fun can’t hurt, can it?”

“Yes, yes, you and your fun.” The dragon girl rolled her eyes. “Very well, do what you
must, but emphasize speed. I am bored of this place. We have dawdled here for far too
long.”

“Fine…” I reluctantly turned towards the receptionist, who was frozen stiff with her
eyes and jaw wide open. “So uh, you mind getting me my cash?”

“R-Right, just one second.” The receptionist unfroze and fiddled around a bit before
handing me a bag of coins. “T-thank you for your patience. Here’s what we owe you.”

“Aight, thanks.”

“T-Thank you very much for your patronage! Please come again!” I saw the receptionist
bow out of the corner of my eye as I turned around and exited the guild.

“Hey Nell. Catch.”

“Huh? Wha!?”

I divided the cash I got from the guild in half right as we left the building. I dumped
one half in storage and casually chucked the other, pouch and all, at the hero.
“What’s this for?”

“You know how we made you blow all that money while we were walking around town?”

“H-huh!? This is for that!? N-No way! This is like, way, way more than what I spent!”
Shock filled her voice yet again as she opened the bag and examined its contents.

“I mean, what the hell am I supposed to do with it? It’s not like I’m going to be spending
it or anything. Plus, I owe you for all the stuff you’ve taught me about human society.
Just think of it as me paying tuition.”

“Really? Are you sure you won’t ask for it back later?”

“Naw. Just take it.”

“Thanks so much!” The hero fumbled around in panic and almost dropped the bag as
she tried to figure out where to put it. That’s weird. I guess she must’ve had money
trouble growing up or something.

Though she was more than strong enough to take out the monsters I just sold with
ease, she clearly wasn’t used to having anything more than just a bit of pocket change.

“Oh right. What’s this thing anyway?” I pulled out the card I got from the Adventurers’
Guild and pointed to the pattern engraved upon it.

“That’s your magic crest.” The hero responded after finally deciding to fasten the bag
of coins to her waist. “Your crest reflects your mana’s wavelength, and everyone’s is
different. The crest will glow a bit if you channel your mana through it.”

“Does it?” I followed her prompt and cycled a tiny bit of my magical energy through
the card. Sure enough, the wavelike crest began to give off a faint light.

“It only glows if its owner is the person channeling, so it makes for really good ID. You
can’t just pretend to be someone you’re not.”

“Huh. I’m impressed. These cards have got a lot more to them than I was giving them
credit for.” I said. “But wait, what about people that don’t have mana?”

“What do you mean people that don’t have mana? Everyone has mana.” The hero gave
me the most incredulous look as she questioned my lack of common sense. Oh… I see.
So this is one of those worlds.

“The closest thing you’ll get to someone without mana is someone that can’t really
control the flow of their mana.” The hero continued. “They’re considered exceptions,
and they tend to have their own specially made ID cards.”

Man, I have to say, this whole ID thing is really well put together. I guess mankind’s
ingenuity really isn’t something to be underestimated, huh?

“So it’s like this everywhere?”

“Not really,” said the hero. “This city is one of the only places where everything is so
nice and organised. It tends to be a lot more sloppy everywhere else.”

Or not. There goes that idea. I hadn’t realized it when I first met him, but I now
understood that the city’s governor was actually quite the capable ruler.

“Oh, and does the crest mean anything?”

“There’s been some talk about how they’re supposed to take different forms based on
the person’s elemental affinities, but no one really knows for sure since their patterns
aren’t really that clear or consistent.”

Hmm… yeah, that seems about right. I’m best at water magic, and the crest I have kinda
reminds me of both 水, the kanji for water, and 川, the kanji for river. You know what? I
actually kinda like the way this crest thing of mine looks. I should try carving it into the
next weapon I make. [2]

“What’s your crest look like, Lefi?” I turned towards the dragon girl off to my side.

“See it for yourself.” Lefi pulled her guild card out of one of the pockets in her dress
and showed it to me.

“Looks like… fire…?”

“Indeed.” Lefi nodded. “Though I have refrained from demonstrating it, my greatest
proficiency is in wreathing flame.”

“Yeah, I don’t really think I’ve seen you use it much, if at all.”
“I have yet to see an opportunity to demonstrate it.” Lefi smiled wryly. “Fire, by nature,
has little purpose but burn and destroy. You have greater proficiency for both water
and earth than you do the flame, and I thought it better to instruct you in aspects
pertaining to your strengths.”

That’s a little too self-demeaning if you ask me.

“Iunno, Lefi. I think fire’s good for more than just reducing stuff to cinders. I think it’s
awesome. It’s really flashy and cool. Plus, I mean, fire just, you know, suits you. It
makes me think of passion and warmth.”

“Really?” Lefi seemed taken aback.

“Yeah. I mean, you’re you, Lefi. I’m sure your flames would be nice, warm and comfy.”

Lefi’s lips curved into a satisfied smile as she took an extra large step forward and began
walking right by my side.

TL Notes

Marmodoltis = マーモドルティス I have no idea what this is supposed to be. I’m

[1]

suspecting something in German or some other European language I don’t know.

This is a bit hard to explain, but if you chicken scratch hard enough, they look kinda
[2]

similar.
Lefi, the hero, and I headed back towards the city’s gates immediately after we finished
up at the guild. We weren’t planning to leave just yet, but the only person amongst us
that actually knew anything about human society had suggested that we return our
temporary ID cards since we no longer had a need for them, and I saw no reason to
refuse her suggestion. Retracing our steps exactly seemed boring, so the three of us
opted to take a more scenic route. Not that you can really call it that.

The area we ended up passing through was one of the town’s less populated parts. The
quality of the housing was clearly inferior, and the place was riddled with unmaintained
buildings and decrepit alleyways. And upon entering one such alley, I came to an abrupt
stop.

“Looks like we found ourselves a bit of trouble,” I complained.

“Sure looks like it,” said the hero. She was nervous. So nervous, in fact, that she lowered
her waist and placed a hand by the hilt of her sword. Her behaviour was basically the
exact opposite of Lefi’s. The dragon girl was completely unaffected by the
circumstances. The manner in which she carried herself was as natural as could be.

Several armed men emerged from the shadows to block both our ways out the alley.
There were three in front of us and three behind us, making for a total of six. Each
wore a vulgar smile on his face. Five members of the group pointed their weapons at
us while the last cockily crossed his arms. Welp, I guess they’re not here to ask us to join
them for tea.

Truth be told, a fair portion of my composure had stemmed from the fact that I’d long
known about them. They’d been tailing us since we left the guild, and the dungeon’s
map feature had allowed me to trace their movements every step of the way. The only
reason that I hadn’t bothered getting the jump on them was because I wasn’t too sure
how I was supposed to deal with them. I’m kind of playing the part of a law abiding
citizen here, so it’s not like I can just bury ‘em.

“Hey, uh… We’re kinda trying to get somewhere right now. You mind moving?” I spoke
in a nonchalant tone. “Oh and by the way, I should probably mention that pointing
sharp objects at people isn’t really something you’re supposed to do. I swear that’s
one of the first things they teach you in school.”

“Heh. Sorry kid, but we ain’t the types of guys that went to no fancy ass school. Ain’t
no one got no teachers where we came from.” The only man that had yet to draw his
weapon, the group’s supposed leader, stepped forward as he grinned. His only notable
trait was a massive frame. Holy crap. Talk about gains. That dude’s body looks way too
stacked for its own good.

“Now listen here, kid.” The leader cracked his neck. “Drop your shit and hand over all
ya cash unless you want us to fuck you up real bad. And don’t try to fake jack. We know
how much dough you got. We was watchin’.”

“Remind me,” I said. “Why are you trying to mess with the guy that can take out monsters
strong enough to leave the whole guild in awe?”

“Nice try, but we seen that bluff of yours from a mile a way. Ain’t no way a skinny ass
bitch boy like you can take out monsters that strong. You probably just yanked ‘em
from someone while they wasn’t lookin.”

Uh… Strong? I don’t think so, but sure bro, whatever you say.

There wasn’t any reason not to, so I decided to analyze the leader and check his stats.

General Information
Name: Dorga
Race: Human
Class: Skilled Axeman
Level: 47
HP: 1601/1601
MP: 198/198
Strength: 350
Vitality: 432
Agility: 210
Magic: 91
Dexterity: 132
Luck: 111
Skills
Axe Techniques IV
Crisis Detection III

Titles
Murderer
Serial Rapist
Mindless Warrior

Wow. The axeman was surprisingly strong, especially for a human. That said, he still
doesn’t really amount to much.

The scenario I was currently in was one that would’ve caused the old me to panic, but
my abilities had allowed me to discern that I was far more powerful than him. I was
confident in my victory. So this is how it feels to look down on someone. Man, emperors
and stuff sure had it good, huh?

Though reveling in a rather pleasant sensation, I wasn’t exactly happy. If anything, I

felt annoyed. I highly suspected that engaging in the altercation that was about to
occur would get me kicked out of town. And as I was still in the middle of touring the
city, I wasn’t exactly all that keen on the idea. I could just kill them all and shove their
corpses in my inventory…

I contemplated the idea, but ended up shelving it. I couldn’t let myself get spotted, so
flashy magic was out of the question. And killing them one by one just sounds like a
royal pain in the ass. Blech.

The leader seemed to interpret my silence as confirmation that his suspicions were
on point, as he broke into a hearty laugh. My god. Why the hell is he so needlessly buff
anyway? His stats are way lower than both mine and Nell’s. None of that excess muscle
does anything but make him look even uglier. What the hell’s even the point?

“I know that brat with tits is a human, but that silver haired bitch’s got demon blood
in ‘er, right?”

“What makes you think that?” I said in a curious tone.

“Heh. I guess I’ll be a nice enough guy to give you some good old edjucatin’,” said the
axeman. “There’s this magical device out there that lets you tell whether or not a
‘human’ is really human, y’see. And I gotta say, sorry man, but I used it on her without
tellin’ ya. Part of the job. No hard feelings.”

The leader of the group flashed yet another disgusting grin. Huh. Stuff like that actually
exists? You learn something new everyday, I guess.

“So? Let’s just say she really is a demon. What then?”

“Heh. Glad you asked. You see kid, demons don’t get along with us humans. We can do
whatever the hell we want to the damned things. There ain’t no rules holdin’ us back.
But if they so much as touch us, then we can tell the guards and have them run right
the hell over. They’ll have you dickwads surrounded in moments,” said the obscenely
large man. “Now if you don’t want us tattlin’ and tellin’ them that she hurt us, you
better hand over all every last bit of cash you got. Oh, and throw in the demon brat
while you’re at it too. She’s a bit flat, but her face ain’t half bad. Don’t you worry, we’ll
make her feel real good. Assuming she’s still alive by the time we start, that is! Who
knows, we might be just havin’ our way with her corpse instead. Gahaha!”

I saw red.

An uncontrollable rage overwhelmed me the moment the man began to laugh, so I

closed the distance between us with a single step, grabbed him by the neck, and lifted
him into the air.

“Care to repeat yourself, asshole?”

“Wha!?” The man tried to speak, but I didn’t let him. I squeezed down on his throat
and reduced his words to hoarse gasps. “Arghhh! Krghghhh!”

“Tell me. What, again, were you going to do to my woman?”

“Leggo the boss you sunnuva bitch!”

The man to my left brandished his sword and readied himself to slash me with it, but
he was too slow. I raised the retard I was holding and whipped him at my attacker
before he could complete his swing. There was a bit off a dull impact as the two bodies
made contact. The force of the throw caused both brigands to fly through the air and
crash into a nearby building.
“You sunnofa!”

“Is that the only insult you fucktards know? How about you go learn a few new words?
Might as well shove the whole dictionary up your ass while you’re at it.”

I dodged a third man’s blade by nimbly twisting my body to avoid it. Using the
momentum, I then delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to the side of his forehead.
His body spun out the moment I made contact. He too flew through the air before
violently smashing his head into the ground. And that was the last response I got from
him. He lay motionless, incapable of any further movement.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t pardon or defend you,” said the hero. The three men behind us
had attempted to attack shortly after I lifted their boss into the air, but they were no
match for the hero’s speed. She’d struck two with her still sheathed sword, and
incapacitated the third in the same manner with a fluid motion as she spoke. Wow,
she’s actually pretty good at this whole swordplay thing.

Only a moment had passed, but Lefi, the hero, and I were the only three that remained
standing.

“Fuck!” That said, the state didn’t last for long. My throw hadn’t been enough to knock
the leader out, so he slowly got up while shaking off the impact and drawing the axe
he had mounted on his back. The weapon looked rather sinister. It was engraved with
all sorts of skeletal imagery and held the same shape as the type of axe an executioner
would use.

I felt a surge of magical energy as the the weapon entered its hands. Surely enough,
checking with my Magic Eye confirmed that the source was none other than the axe.

“Fuck you! You’ll regret making me use this, bitch boy!”

General Information
Name: Dorga
Race: Human
Class: Skilled Axeman
Level: 47
HP: 1502/1891 (1601/1601)
MP: 456/456 (198/198)
Strength: 552 (350)
Vitality: 681 (432)
Agility: 429 (210)
Magic: 211 (91)
Dexterity: 132
Luck: 111

Skills
Axe Techniques IV
Crisis Detection III

Titles
Murderer
Serial Rapist
Mad Warrior

Weapons
Axe of Resentment: An axe that became possessed by hatred and grief after basking in
the blood and resentment of the many that had fallen to it. This weapon drives the
user insane in exchange for a drastic stat boost. Quality: A+

As stated in the weapon’s description, Muscleman’s stats had undergone a pretty big
change. His newfound insanity was pretty self evident. It was clear from the fact that
his eyes had turned a shade of red.

“Oh no! He’s got an enchanted weapon!” The hero’s voice was filled with panic.

“A what?”

“An enchanted weapon! It’s a weapon with a magical effect, kinda like my holy sword.”
A bead of sweat flowed down the hero’s cheek as she spoke. “But his axe has more
negative energy than I’ve ever felt in my life! I’ve never seen anything like it!”

“Heh. Heh. Heh. You shoulda listened. But it’s too late now! I’m going to butcher the
fuck outta you!”

Muscleman swayed from left to right in much the same manner as a piece of tarmac
under the scorching summer sun as he brandished his weapon. The deranged smile
he flashed made it obvious that he was no longer in control.

“W-What do we do!?”

“Calm yourself, hero. You’ve not the need to panic. Anxiety and agitation will benefit
you not,” said Lefi. “Would you like a cup of tea? I am certain that it would calm you.”

“Iunno about her, but I’d like one,” I said. Looks like we are having a tea party after all.

“You guys are way too relaxed! What the heck!?”

The hero was astonished by our behaviour, but I didn’t really mind her. The only
response I bothered giving was a casual shrug. I was way more focused on digging
through inventory; I’d just opened my item box and stuck my hand inside the
dimensional crack it created.

From it, I procured one of the weapons I’d just recently crafted. The unreasonably
muscular axe user had become the perfect target on which I could test my newest
creation.
I opened my inventory and reached into the spacial crack it produced. From it, I pulled
out a large weapon that could only be described as a two handed greatsword. Its blade
was sharp, so sharp, in fact, that it looked like it would be able to cut its way through
even the hardest boulder with ease. The metal it was constructed from was dyed a
shade of black as dark as the night itself. I could almost feel it sucking the light from
its surroundings. Its most notable factor, however, was neither its sharpness nor its
colour. But rather, its weight.

The greatsword was so ridiculously heavy that even I had trouble lifting it. I had to put
every last ounce of strength I had into my hips and arms just to swing the damned
thing. Despite being so broad that it was abnormal, the sword carried with it an air of
magnificence. The combination of its majesty and size made it seem reminiscent of
my castle. At least as far as design principles go, anyway.

Its status sheet looked as follows.

Name: Hasai
Description: A jet black greatsword crafted by a demon lord by the name of Yuki. It is
abnormally heavy and cannot be lifted, let alone swung, by any ordinary entity.
Quality Rating: A+

As the Japanese characters in its name suggested, Hasai was developed with two
concepts in mind: obstruction and destruction. The weapon was hard, heavy, and
sharp as could be, but that said, it didn’t have any magical abilities. I hadn’t chosen to
give it any. Er, actually, I guess it’s more like I couldn’t.

I had imbued the blade with a near excessive amount of mana during its creation in
order to grant it its three properties. And as a result, I had been too focused on
channeling my energies through it to carve a magical circuit into its blade. I’d already
done everything I could to make it as powerful as I could.
I simply couldn’t have done better.

Blech. I’m a bit disappointed that I wasn’t able to enchant it, but I’d say it still makes for
a pretty damned good sword. It’s definitely the sharpest thing I’ve made to date, at least.

“Come at me bro.” A fearless grin appeared on my face as I casually raised the weapon
and took a stance. “Magic sword? Buff ass bod? Bitch please. I’ll show you just how
useless that fat ass of yours really is.”

“Watch yer mouf dickwat!” Muscleman spluttered out a series of distorted words
before kicking off the ground and shooting towards me like a bullet. An insane, bestial
howl roared from his throat as his needlessly large, magically enhanced body
approached. The axe in his hands traced an arc through the sky as it moved to cleave
my head in two.

It was a straightforward, downwards smash.

I countered his blow with an equally straightforward attack of my own. I planted both
my feet on the dirt floor beneath me, twisted my hips, and swung the greatsword
straight at the sinister looking weapon, intercepting it before it reached its mark. A
wave of force coursed through my arms and a loud ringing filled my ears. The collision
created a blast of wind so intense that it pushed against every part of my body before
rushing out the alleyway, disheveling my hair in the process.

It was head-on clash. A contest of brute force. Sword against axe.

And I came out on top.

“What!?” Muscleman’s eyes opened wide in shock. He had prided his strength, and the
cursed weapon he’d drawn had only bolstered it further. That, combined with the fact
that he led with a full bodied downwards strike, had led him to believe that his victory
was certain. But alas, his weapon had been knocked aside.

The cause of his loss had been none other than the fact that he was relying on force
over technique. As someone that lacked technique myself, I would’ve had a much more
difficult time dealing with a fighter more capable of manipulating his weapon.

“Oh come on?” I spoke in a mocking tone. “Is that all you’ve got? What the hell, man?
We’ve barely even gotten started.”
“Fuck you!”

Douchemuscle’s voice was filled with with vexation, so I grinned as I used the centrifugal
force from the first swing to empower a second with even more weight.

He barely managed to react. The obscenely large axefighter pulled his weapon into
position just in time to block the strike, but because he was so rushed, he wasn’t able
to correct his posture. His defenses faltered; my blade broke past his and cut into the
side of his arm. Fresh blood sprayed through the air and splattered against the side of
the alleyway.

“Argggh! God fucking damn it!!”

I immediately followed my second attack with a third, my third with a fourth. My blow
had become a flurry, and my flurry a barrage. Each strike was so heavy and powerful
that it was sure to tear him to pieces the moment his defenses fell short. Unlike him,
his weapon stayed in good shape. It failed to bend or break despite the many times it
clashed against my own.

It took Muscleman a whole slew of injuries to finally realize that he was at a

disadvantage. He gave up on engaging me in close quarters combat once he did, and
instead grabbed something off his waist and chucked it at me. “Take this, twat!”

My body moved before I could even process what the thing was and chopped it right
in half. White smoke burst from the projectile and flooded my surroundings, robbing
me of my vision.

He had performed one of the oldest tricks in the book, a trick that continued to exist
only because it was as effective as it was well known. He had created a smokescreen.
Huh. It looks like he’s gone totally mad, but he’s actually still capable of making rational
decisions.

Buffbro backed off and effectively vanished into the fog the moment his smokescreen
took effect. It was a clear attempt to gain control of the situation, and one that would
have worked if I was just the average Joe.

“Sucks to be you.” I turned to face the man and easily deflected his weapon the moment
it permeated through the mist. A task I found all too easy. While I wasn’t able to see
him, I was able to perceive him. My Magic Eye skill allowed me to detect the magical
energy around both him and his axe, so I could easily tell where it was headed.
“What the fu—!?” Muscleman screamed in confusion as his axe, which he’d swung with
all his might, was knocked aside. But before he could finish, I skewered him.

I could feel the blade in my hands rend flesh and crush bone as I thrust it into the
man’s defenseless torso. Both Hasai’s blade and several litres of blood erupted from
the man’s back in tandem as his body was rendered dysfunctional by the force of the
blow.

“Why…” Crimson fluid leaked from Muscleman’s mouth as he spoke between violent
hacks. “Why did… I lose…?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” I shrugged. “You lost because you were too weak to win.”

The moment I removed my blade from his gut was the moment he lost the ability to
stand. The foreign object that had intruded upon his side was both the last thing
keeping him supported and the last thing preventing the little blood he had left from
draining away. It was a two stage action. He first fell to his knees in an attempt to resist
his demise before lifelessly collapsing onto his face. The life that had filled his eyes
was no more; the needlessly large man had been reduced to nothing but a needlessly
large corpse.

His grip on his axe loosened. It slipped out of his hands and made a metallic clang as
it fell onto the dirt that lay beneath him. I flicked the blood and guts off Hasai and put
it back into my inventory as I wordlessly directed my gaze at the axe that had rolled
over to my feet. Man, you really don’t need any fancy skills or abilities to tell this thing
is sinister as all hell. The malevolent energy it’s enchanted with is so dense that it’s
actually visible. But…

“Hey Lefi.”

“Yes? What is it?” The dragon girl promptly responded to my query.

“Make sure you stop me if I start acting weird. Even if you have to cut my arm off.”

“Very well.” Lefi gave me an understanding nod as she took up a stance. “I shall see that
it is done.”
How reliable she is. I smiled.

“What are you…” The hero’s eyes went wide as she finally caught onto my plan. “Wait!
Are you planning to touch it!? You really shouldn’t! That thing is really dangerous!”

She tried to give me a bit of advice, but I ignored her and stretched an arm out towards
the unholy weapon and touched it.

Malice flowed into me the moment my fingers came into contact with it. What the hell!?
It almost feels like this damned thing is prying my skull open!

Copious amounts of rage, resentment, and lament poured into my mind. Hatred dyed
all my thoughts with a veil of red. I felt the urge to destroy anything and everything I
could get my hands on, the urge to absorb the grudges of those I slayed and use them
as fuel to grow even further.

They were urging me to become a part of their downwards spiral, their perpetual cycle
of death, hatred, and destruction.

Shut. Up. I shrouded the grudge-filled wails that assaulted my mind with a metric ton
of mana and forced it into submission. Boo hoo. You died and now you hate people. Fuck
off. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter who you were or what you were subject to. You’re mine
now. All of you. You’re just another one of my belongings, so act like one. Shut the fuck up
and let me use you. Do that, and I’ll rebirth you and release you all from your shitstained
grievances.

Suppressing the weapon’s will with my magical energy allowed me to tame it in a

manner reminiscent of training a beast. Its wailing began to die down, eventually
calming to the point where its malevolence became a non-factor.

“Phew.” I breathed a sigh of relief and casually chucked the weapon into my item box.
Oh man. I am so going to use Weapon Transmutation on it the moment I get home. I’ll
rip out that dumb grudge stuff and turn it into something badass.

Though it didn’t seem like it, the axe was the perfect target for Weapon Transmutation.
It, like anything else I could channel my mana through, could be used as a raw material
so long as it hadn’t gone through the process in the past.

“Welp, that’s over. Man, this whole alley thing sure was a pain in the ass, huh?”
“Are you okay?” Nell asked, her eyes opened wide. “Are you sure that you’re okay? Did
it really not affect you?”

“Naw, I’m fine. I’m a demon lord. Dealing with negative effects and curses and stuff may
as well be a speciality of mine.”

“Uh… I’m pretty sure that’s more our domain,” said Nell.

Ohhh right. Yeah, figures the church would be good at purifying curses and stuff. Holy
shit, I almost forgot she was affiliated with the church. Not my fault. She’s not very holy,
after all.

“He is fine. The curse has not consumed him, so it is unlikely that he has been affected,”
said Lefi. “That matter, however, is unimportant. I would prefer to ascertain the intent
behind the words you spoke, Yuki.”

“What words?”

“I am referring to none other than the instance in which you claimed that I was your
woman. Quite the bold statement, I dare say.”

“I said what!?”

“I see that you did not pay your own utterings any attention. Very well, allow me to
repeat it for you.” Lefi smiled. “You said, ‘Tell me. What, again, were you planning to do
to my woman?’ in that precise manner and tone. It was quite the interesting sight to
behold. I’ve not seen you in such a state of rage since the first time we descended upon
this settlement.”

Hearing Lefi imitate me forced my brain to grind to a halt. Wait. Wait wait wait wait. I
said that? Hoooooooooly shit.

“D-did I really say that?” I turned to the hero, eyes wide and jaws slackened.

“You did,” said Nell in an exasperated tone. “It was pretty obvious you really meant it too.”

Seriously…? Holy shit. I was so caught up in the heat of the moment that I didn’t even…

“U-Uhm… yeah, my bad. I must’ve meant like, my travelling companion or something.

It probably just came out wrong. Sorry if it bothers yomrphrh,” I began ranting and
firing off one flustered excuse after another until Lefi finally silenced me midway by
placing her hands on my cheeks and pushing them against each other.

Her palms were nice and cool to the touch. Looking at her, I realized that she wasn’t
angry. If anything, it was the opposite. Her eyes, which were gazing straight at my own,
contained an emotion I could only describe as affection.

“Do not apologize, Yuki.” The dragon girl smiled shyly as she spoke. “It was a statement
that I was glad to hear.”

I was instantly stupefied. I found myself staring at the charming, light blush on her
face with no room to think, let alone breathe.

“Uhm… Can we go now…?” said the hero.

“R-Right, my bad.” I backed away from Lefi in a hurry and shook myself as I responded
to the hero. “We should probably move. We’ve wasted far too much time already.”

“Indeed. I feel the same,” said Lefi, who had already reverted to a mask of nonchalance.
“I, for one, would very much like another skewer.”

Yeah, sounds good. I opened my mouth to reply to the dragon girl, but stopped as
several armoured men suddenly positioned themselves at the alleyway entrance.

“We are Alfyro’s guards. We will consider you hostile and subject you to an assault unless
you remain still!”

Ohhh shiiiet. Yup. Definitely wasted too much time.

I twisted my face into a frown as I looked at the armed soldiers that had greeted us,
only to stop as I recognized the man standing at the group’s front. I wasn’t sure exactly
where I knew him from, but I didn’t recognize him right off the bat.

“Huh?” I narrowed my gaze as I gave him a second look. “Oh! Aren’t you that one old
dude from that forest thing?”

“What!? And you are—”

“Hold that thought,” I said, cutting him off. “It’s probably better for you not to say what
you were thinking, for both our sakes.”
The guard at the squad’s helm was the old dude that had fled from my territory, the
only commander whose regiment escaped my one sided slaughter, and the only member
of the army that I had bothered meeting with.

“…Why are you here?” the guard asked. He was trying to sound as composed as he
could, but his voice remained tinged with nervousness nonetheless.

“Oh, you know. I had a little bit of business to attend to. I was thinking of meeting the
governor and chatting him up a bit.”

“Wait, that’s why you wanted to visit Alfyro, Yuki?” asked Nell.

“Yeah. Him and I are acquaintances, you see.”

“Okay, I understand, but who are they?” The guard directed his gaze towards the men
collapsed in the alleyway.

“Beats me. All I know is that they pretty much decided to attack us for no real reason,
so I retaliated.”

“Captain,” a second guard approached the one I recognized and whispered into his ear.

“These men are known to be vile. They have many a previous offense. The claim is likely
valid, sir.”

The captain nodded to acknowledge the other man’s testimony before giving his squad
an order, “Men, I will leave you responsible for cleaning up this mess in whatever
manner you see fit.”

He then turned to me and once again began to speak in a little bit more nervous a tone
as he sheathed his weapon. “It seems that you’ve had to deal with a few rude guests. I
would normally like to take you over to one of our stations and ask you for more
details, but it seems that you’re headed for the governor’s manor, so I will be taking
you there instead, if you don’t mind.”

Oh wow. He’s actually offering to guide us even though he’s still clearly on guard? Er,
actually I guess he’s doing it because he’s on guard. Probably wants to keep an eye on
me or something. There wasn’t any reason for me to refuse, so I glanced over at my
companions to check how they felt about it. Neither seemed particularly against the
notion, so I responded to the man’s offer with a nod.
“I would very much have preferred a chance to continue consuming skewers…” muttered
Lefi. Okay. I take that back. Apparently we do have someone against the notion.

Unfortunately for the dragon girl, it was a bit too late to be rescinding my decision. I’ll
buy you some later, but you’ll have to just sit tight and bear with it for now.
“Ayyyy, old governor dude, long time no see.”

“So you have returned…” replied the middle aged man. “I suppose that this truly was
inevitable after all.”

Lefi and I found ourselves located in a familiar-looking reception room. It was the very
same one we had visited at the end of the whole Illuna case. The only major difference
was that, this time, we had the hero in tow.

Of course, there were a few minor differences as well. For example, the governor, who
was sitting across from us, seemed quite a bit older than he did last time we visited.
His hair was lacking its former volume, and he had gained a good number of wrinkles.
He sure seems stressed. Must be all the social pressure. No worries fam, I getchu, I know
what you’re going through, so I’ll make sure I don’t call you out on it. Wait, what even
was the dude’s name again? Raylow, I think…? Let’s see… Yup. Raylow it is. Thank god
for Analyze.

“I knew that you would come seeking vengeance.”

“Uh… What?”

“I did as much as I could to dissuade them from raiding the Wicked Forest, but, as I’m
sure you know, I failed. The fault is mine and mine alone. I understand that you must
be angry. You are free to take my life if it will appease your rage. I am more than willing
to offer myself as a sacrifice if it’s enough to repent for my mishaps. But please, please,
spare the townsfolk.”

The old man closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and began speaking in a
solemn but steady tone.

“H-Holy shit, calm down bro.” I stuttered. “You’re getting way ahead of yourself there.
I don’t have the slightest intention of seeking any sort of retribution whatsoever. I’m
just here because I wanted to talk.”
The old man clearly seemed to think that I took joy in mass murder. Where the hell did
he get that idea? Holy crap. That’s a totally unjustified claim if I’ve ever seen one.

“So you haven’t come to take your revenge?”

“Nah.”

Hearing my response caused the middle aged man to heave a heavy sigh, one laced with
obvious relief.

“I’m glad to hear it,” he said. “And I apologize for losing my composure and jumping to
conclusions.”

“For the record, I don’t actually like killing people. Look, me and you, we aren’t too
different. I, no, we just want to spend our days in peace. But someone apparently
doesn’t like that, and wants to stick their nose in our business. so I’m here to figure
out who. I know that it’s someone that’s got ties with the government. And close ones,
at that.”

“…And what, precisely, led you to that conclusion?” The middle-aged governor narrowed
his eyes and took a few moments to carefully pick words that neither confirmed nor
denied my claim.

“It’s obvious,” I said. “I was attacked twice. The first time, it was by an army. And the
second, it was by a hero. In other words, the wirepuller behind all this is powerful
enough to not only move the nation’s forces, but also put pressure on the church and
force them to deploy their most powerful fighter. The church is influential as all hell,
so that can only mean that whatever pressured it was an even greater power. And the
only one I can think of is the government.”

“The hero?” asked Raylow, in a surprised tone. Huh. Well then.

“What, you didn’t know? Well I mean, she’s literally right here, so… yeah. Why don’t
you go ahead and introduce yourself, Nell?”

“…Did you really have to use me like that? I really would’ve preferred that you didn’t.”
The hero flashed me a reproachful glare before turning to face the city’s head honcho.
“Hello. I’m sorry for not saying anything before, but I’m a member of the Order of the
Faldien Holy Knights as well as the one dubbed this generation’s hero.”
“What!?” The governor’s eyes widened in shock. “I’m sorry, please do excuse me.”

The middle aged man narrowed his gaze and momentarily centered it on the hero, a
focused look on his face all the while. The old man was obviously using Analyze to look
over the girl’s stat card. It was an action he had refrained from doing for courtesy’s
sake. Activating the skill and sneaking a peek at someone else’s personal information
was effectively no different from denying the very concept of privacy.

“So it really is true…” he said upon reaching a conclusion. “But pray tell, hero, why are
you accompanying a demon lord, of all things?”

“Well, you see…” The hero’s shoulders dropped as she began to tell her story. “The gist
of it is that I was sent to subjugate him, but I was defeated. Instead of killing me, he
kinda just talked to me instead. What he told me wasn’t really consistent with the
information I was dispatched with, so I decided to come here, to Alfyro, in order to
find out the truth for myself. But then he kinda said he wanted to tag along, so here we
are…”

“My condolences,” said the middle aged governor. His tone was heavy and thick with
sympathy. “It must’ve been quite the stressful journey.”

“Yeah…” whispered the hero, her eyes distant. “It really was…”

What the hell, guys? You’re almost making it sound like I’m the cause of all your undue
stress.

“But I must say,” muttered Raylow. “Mobilizing the hero for such a trifling ordeal is
unacceptable. Do they not understand that that it is imperative we keep you safe and
only have you deploy in times of national crisis? Those bumbling idiots! Just what is
wrong with them!?”

He started out rather quiet but worked his way up to an angry shout as he spoke. He
even ended up smacking the table for extra effect. Well, someone here is clearly lacking
in the emotional stability department. Must be due to all his pent up stress.

“Calm down, old man,” I said. “We aren’t going to get anywhere if you keep getting your
panties in a knot.”

“…Sorry.” He finally calmed down after heaving yet another heavy sigh. God damn it.
Wait, why am I the one keeping him cool anyway?
“So who exactly was responsible for all this army and hero shit again?”

“That… I can’t say,” replied the governor.

“You can’t say? And what, exactly, is that supposed to mean?” I gave him an icy cold glare
as I unleashed a torrent of magical energy and overwhelmed him with its pressure.

Lefi hadn’t really bothered reacting to the sudden surge in mana, but the hero had
leapt off the couch, gained a good bit of ground, and taken up a stance. The governor
made note of her actions by glancing her way momentarily, but he soon turned his
eyes back towards me and gave me a straight answer, despite the cold sweat flowing
down his brow.

“My loyalties lie with this country, demon lord. It is my motherland. I cannot give you
any information that is likely to bring it harm, regardless of how much it angers you.”

“Even if it means I’ll destroy this city in its entirety?”

“Even so, my answer remains unchanged.” The middle aged man’s response was
decisive. He had started off this conversation by stating that he valued his citizens’
lives more than his own. And now, he was stating that he would readily sacrifice them
for his country’s sake. The extent of his resolution was clear, even with his own death
as imminent as could be.

There was a brief moment of silence as we stared each other down.

“Fine, you win.” I exhaled lightly, shrugged, and stopped coercing the poor old man
with my magic. “Thanks for having us. Let’s go, Lefi. There isn’t much of a point in staying
here any longer.”

“Are you certain?” the dragon girl asked.

“Yeah. Why don’t we go grab you a few skewers too? I’m pretty sure you were wanting
them earlier.”

“A splendid suggestion, that is. I was indeed craving their taste.”

“Are you really… not going to attack us?” asked the governor. He was completely
dumbfounded by my sudden, drastic shift in attitude.
“Yeah, pretty much. I mean, what’s the point? It’s pretty obvious that you’re not
planning to tell us anything, regardless of what I say or do. It’s my loss, old dude. There
really isn’t anything left for me to do here but sightsee. So I might as well just finish
that up and head home.”

A part of it was that I was impressed. He failed to bend or break under pressure and
stayed true to his beliefs. His attitude was something that I, as a man, couldn’t help but
respect. There was no way I could possibly bring myself to harm anyone that manly.

“What’re your plans now, Nell?” I said, turning to the hero.

“Uhm… Me? Uhm…” She relaxed her pose and brought the hand by her blade to her chin.

“I think I’m going to stick around here for a bit. I have a few things I’d like to talk to
the governor about.”

“Fair enough. I still do want you to keep showing us around though, so you mind
meeting somewhere around here tomorrowish?”

“Oh, uhm… sure. Okay.”

“What a surprise,” said Raylow. “He really did just leave.”

“Yup,” I replied. “He’s a bit of a weirdo, but he’s not a bad person”

The wry smile I had on my face was more than enough to express the emotions I felt
as I watched the demon lord march himself right out the door, just as promised. I had
moved to draw my weapon the moment I felt bloodlust radiate off his body, but luckily,
I didn’t have to use it.

Because I didn’t want to fight him.

Seeing his incredible strength, just a little bit earlier, had made shivers run up my
spine. He was like a furious gale. He fended off attacks from a person enhanced by a
magical weapon like they were nothing. He even beat them back with just brute force.
I’ve been winning most of my spars against the other holy knights lately, but I really can’t
imagine ever beating him. Yuki’s just too strong. I think I might be able to get a few hits
in, but he’s sure to overpower me in the end.

And his display of power wasn’t the only reason I didn’t want to fight. Yuki, Lefi, and I,
really did get along. Though I had a bunch of complaints about their behaviour, I
couldn’t actually bring myself to hate them. Not at all. They tease me a lot more than
I’d like, but I don’t really mind. Spending time together with them is fun. I had already
caught myself unconsciously smiling in response to their actions on more than just a
few occasions.

“He’s not malicious,” I said. “To me, it seems like he’s fighting for the things he wants
to protect.”

“Yes… That, I can understand.” Governor Raylow clasped his hands together and gave
a deep nod, after which he heaved a sigh. The aged gentleman then scanned the room
and confirmed that we were the only two inside before continuing. “Now that they are
gone, hero, I believe it would be best for me tell you something you must know.”

“What is it, Mr. Governor?”

“It concerns the answer to the demon lord’s query. The individual responsible for the
deployment of both you and the army that came before you is none other than His
Highness, Prince Riutt.”

“His highness…?” I put a finger on my chin as I recalled the man. I had once met him
while accompanied by one of the church’s priests. He was a young man who seemed
rather diligent. I could tell that he had good intentions, but I also felt as if he had been
a bit strong willed.

“The Wicked Forest has been demarcated as an uncharted territory for generations.
His Highness has likely forecasted that it contains abundant resources to match its
time outside of human hands, and that our country will spin many a profit if he
succeeds in seizing control of it. Hearing his plan, the other nobles began to add their
resource pools to his own. It was precisely through this that he amassed an army.”

“Does that mean His Majesty the King is aware of His Highness’ intentions?”

“While His Majesty is a wonderful person and a soul kind beyond words, he is not
extremely proficient in his role as monarch. I highly doubt that he is aware of His
Highness’ choices.” Raylow sadly shook his head from side to side. “I paid the royal
palace many a visit, but I was denied the opportunity to report my findings to him on
every occasion. Giving up, I attempted to warn the individuals responsible for
deploying the troops, but they mocked me for my fear of the enemy and failed to
seriously consider the information I had for them. ”

“They completely ignored you?”

“It is as you say…” Raylow ground his teeth against each other and balled his hands up
into fists as he spoke. “None of them realize that their actions are putting the whole
country in jeopardy! Damn it! How could they be so irresponsible!?”

“I’m sorry,” I said, with a frown. “I’ll try visiting the church and asking the priest for
his advice. I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to accomplish anything, but I’ll at least try.”

“Regardless of the result, hearing your kind offer has brightened my mood. Thank you,
hero. I am in your debt,” Raylow relaxed his hands and heaved a sigh. “Please let the
church know of this idiocy. I hope that they will be able to hand a decree decisive
enough to stop this country from destroying itself.”

“So it was the prince? Huh.” I muttered under my breath as a bizarre item floated
through the air and landed in the palm of my hand. The creature, if you could call it
that, was effectively a winged ear, but when observed from afar, its silhouette was no
different from that of a butterfly’s. It was an Evil Ear, an inorganic monster created by
the dungeon with functionality similar to that of an Evil Eye. The difference was that,
while evil eyes allowed me to see through them, evil ears allowed me to hear through
them. Specifically, it would be able to convey to me any sounds it picked up within a
ten meter radius of its location.

Like all other golems, most Evil Ears were only functional within the dungeon’s
bounds. The one I had in hand, however, was a superior specimen a few tiers up from
the standard. It contained what was effectively a magical battery pack and could
operate outside my domain so long as I charged it with mana. It also had a pair of
useful skills in Stealth IV and Conceal Mana III. This combination allowed it to remain
undetected except in the case that it was in the presence of anyone particularly sharp.
So stealthy it was that it could even leave good old Big Boss in awe. That said, Lefi had
caught onto the golem’s presence immediately. [1]

As its functions were remarkable, the Evil Ear had cost me quite the fortune. Its price
was in the same range as the combination of my hot spring and the Japanese-styled
inn built around it. Its cost wasn’t it’s only downside either. Its battery took what was
basically my entire mana pool to fill, but even then, it couldn’t remain operational for
any extended period of time. It was sure to drain through its power supply and shut
off if I forgot about it and left it somewhere for too long. Losing its magical energy
would deactivate the golem’s ability to conceal itself, which in turn would lead to its
inevitable discovery.

Still, it had proven useful. Deploying one in the reception room was the right choice. I
had suspected that the old, balding governor would tell Nell about the douchebag that
had tried to lay his hands on my territory, so I immediately put the device to work. Lo
and behold, my guess had been spot on.

“That is quite the odd contraption,” said Lefi, as she regarded the golem.
“Heh. This thing’s just a little sample of what’s to come. I’ve got a whole 27 different
secret gadgets I’m itching to put to work,” I said in a cocky tone. [2]

“I am sure you do, Yuki. Good for you.” The dragon girl rolled her eyes dismissively before
shifting back to her usual tone. “I take it that you have acquired all the information you
desired?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“Then let us be off.”

“Yeah, let’s.”

Sorry old dude. Sorry hero. I chucked the golem into my item box as I began walking by
Lefi’s side. It may not look like it with how I’m frolicking about and playing tourist, but
I sure as hell am not here to fool around.

My goals had been accomplished. I now knew exactly who I was up against, and from
his identity, determined that he was likely living in the country’s capital. Hmm… that’s
rough. I was originally planning to thoroughly destroy whoever was messing with us, but
running a raid on the capital is a bit of a tall order.

Attacking any sort of capital city was a feat that couldn’t be done without absolute,
overwhelming force. It was sure to be heavily guarded by individuals on par with the
hero. I was confident that I could take on one or two of them at a time without issue,
but by no means was I conceited enough to think that I could simultaneously face the
brunt of the capital’s forces head on and come out alive. And it’s not like I can just sneak
in and assassinate the prince either. They’re sure to start an all out war the moment they
find out that I was the perp.

Of course, there was no way I would lose any sort of armed conflict with Lefi by my
side. But I really don’t want to have to rely on her. Especially not right off the bat.
Crushing my foes is my responsibility. And there’s no reason for me not to bear it alone.
More importantly, I don’t want Lefi to have to fight. I want her to be able to just laze
around in the dungeon to her heart’s content. I want her to be happy.

The whole reason I sought out to destroy my enemies in the first place was so that Lefi
and all the dungeon’s other residents would be able to kick back and enjoy life the way
they wanted. Having Lefi fight went against the point of seeking out my foes in the first
place. There was no meaning in a victory created through her power.
Everything I did had to be done through my own capabilities. And my capabilities alone.

“Now, how am I supposed to neutralize our good friend the prince?” It doesn’t look like
things will be going as smoothly as initially planned.

[1] Big Boss from Metal Gear

[2] Secret Gadgets from Doraemon

“You know what?” I craned my neck over in Lefi’s direction and spoke to her as the
two of us exited an inn. It was morning. We had just finished up the check out
procedure and set off on our way. Our destination was the governor’s manor, where
we would meet with the hero, our tour guide. “That inn wasn’t all that bad. I’d even
say it was pretty good, in fact.”

“I have little affection for it,” replied the dragon girl. “It fails to match the quality of our
home.”

“Well yeah, you got me there.”

On the inside, I felt a tinge of happiness run through me. Lefi’s words were proof that
she acknowledged the castle as more than just another place to rest her wings. It had
become her home. However, I didn’t let my feelings show and replied with only a
shrug. It really was a nice place though.

The inn we chose was one of the more expensive ones, but not unjustly so. Its staff was
highly professional. We were fresh faces in town, but they treated us well and got us a
room right away, and a pretty spacious, well decorated one at that. Dinner turned out
pretty great too. Most of the food they presented was stuff I had never even heard of,
let alone seen or tasted, but it was delicious nonetheless. The only complaint I had was
the fact that they had given us a single large bed instead of two smaller ones. The lack
of a second bed, in and of itself, wasn’t really that much of a problem. Lefi and I had
already lived together for quite some time, and the dragon girl often barged in on me
in the middle of my baths because she wanted me to wash her hair. Sharing a bed
honestly wasn’t anything special with our regular conduct being what it was. In other
words, the real problem was just the way the staff looked at me. I could feel their gazes
painfully bore their way into the back of my skull each time they passed me by.

And as for Prince Douchebag? I had long stopped thinking about anything and
everything concerning him. The whole situation seemed like too big of a mess for me
to resolve after just a few moments’ worth of scheming, so I decided to put it off. This
expedition’s goal had just been to identify my foe. And that goal had already been
accomplished. Which means I get to slack off and play tourist. Might as well save all that
mind-numbing, super complicated contemplation for after I’m done enjoying this
otherworldly vacation to its fullest. Changing gears is important. As any real working
adult would say, “the inability to turn work mode on and off leads only to clinical
depression.”

“There she is,” I said as I spotted the hero. “Wait, why’s he there?”

Guards aside, there were two people standing in front of the governor’s house. The
first was our good friend the hero, Nell. The second was the “jolly” old governor, Raylow.

“Hey, what’s up, old dude? You need something?” I greeted him before looking back
and forth between the middle aged man and the teenage girl beside him. “Wait, is it
just me, or do you two seem kinda tired?”

“Gee, I wonder whose fault that is…?” The hero rolled her eyes. “To answer your
question, Mr. Raylow is here because he has a few things he wants to ask you.”

“Huh. Well alright, what’s up?” I turned towards the “jolly” old man.

“Good morning,” he said in an informal but respectful tone. “I happened to hear about
your run in with a cursed magic weapon, and I wanted to ask you a bit more about it.”

Cursed weapon? Oh, he must mean the axe. Hmmm, that feels like quite the fitting name
given what it does. Lefi did mention something about it me not being swallowed by the
weapon’s curse back when I shut it up, so it’s probably accurate too.

“You mean this thing?” I grabbed the axe, which had since become obedient, out from
my inventory and showed it to the governor.

“What the!? Governor, please stand back!” The guards standing by the building’s
entrance immediately drew their weapons and cautiously turned to face me.

“Cease this immediately! Sheathe your swords!” The old man shouted at his subordinates
in a commanding tone. “I’m sorry, please forgive them for their sudden, rude outburst.”

“No worries,” I said with a shrug, “I don’t really mind.”

“Still… is it truly fine for you to hold the weapon as you are? Is it not affecting your
body and mind with its curse?”
“Yeah, it’s gotten pretty obedient ever since I tamed it.”

My words caused the governor to lower his gaze bring a hand to his face, and shudder
as he muttered under his breath.

“How absurd… To think that he is even capable of taming a magic weapon afflicted by
a sinister curse.” He took his hand off his chin and looked back towards me. “Thank
you, that is all I wanted to know. Could you please put it away again? To be frank, even
the simple act of laying eyes on its malevolent form makes me feel nauseous.”

“Wow uh… is this thing really that strong?”

“Verily,” said the old man with a nod.”It is so powerful that I find it strange that it has
yet to corrupt your mind.”

Huh. Wow. I guess me telling the hero that demon lords were good at handling curses
ended up being more than just a joke. Errr actually, wait no. That can’t be right.

The hero was intimidated by the weapon, but it hadn’t made her sick. Lefi, seemed to
have the exact opposite experience. In her case, it was she that made the weapon sick.
The poor axe was so terrified of her that it stayed completely quiet and acted like any
other weapon while in her possession. Though it remained unmoving, I could
practically feel it trembling like a small animal, which was kind of cute in its own way.

Clearly dissatisfied, Lefi tried to threaten the axe into cursing her, but again, to no avail.
I couldn’t help but feel sorry the poor weapon and the cursed spirits possessing it, so
I ended up stopping her before she went any further. I guess the way you perceive the
weapon must be based on how high your stats are.

I chucked the weapon back into my magical inventory as I entertained the thought,
which in turn caused the old governor to breathe a light sigh of relief.

“I already knew that you… deviated from the norm, so let us leave your abilities aside
for now. Could you tell me about the man who wielded it before you?”

“Deviated from the norm? That’s a bit rude, but fine, whatever,” I said. “The weapon
boosted his stats a whole bunch, but honestly, I thought he was pretty strong for a
random thug even before he drew it.”

In fact, I’m pretty sure he was easily strong enough to earn an honest living. Kinda dumb,
if you ask me. At first, I had thought that the cursed axe was what drove the adventurer
to debauchery. But after wielding it myself, I came to understand that wasn’t the case.
He had to have gotten it recently. The weapon would’ve long drove him mad and sent
him on a rampage to fulfill its desires had he owned it for long.

Although cursed, I knew that the axe was an extremely potent item. In this world, even
just ten stat points was a large enough boost to create a huge difference in the
performance. Yet, just holding the axe gave an increase of roughly two hundred to every
single stat. It was insane. Losing your mind in exchange for its power was a negligible
drawback. If anything like this ever showed up in an online game, the whole community
would go nuts and throw a shitstorm ‘till it got nerfed. Like holy fuck. This thing is B O R
K E D.

“So yeah, that’s pretty much the gist of it.”

The governor wrinkled his brow and started to brood after I informed him of my
speculations. “You look like you’ve got something on your mind. What’s up?”

“…No, it is nothing of importance. Your words happened to remind me of an unrelated

matter,” said the old man. “Alas, I digress. I am sorry for keeping you.”

“No worries.”

“I would love for you to return to the forest immediately, but I’ve no complaints if you
do insist on continuing your activities here. Please, at the very least, do your best to
stay out of trouble.”

“So uhhh, whatever happened to being all two faced and shit? You sure do seem to be
giving it to me straight now.”

“I figured you’d prefer it that way.”

“Heh. True.” I smirked. Damn, this old man knows his shit. I’d much rather deal with
someone that’s willing to be blunt than someone that beats around the bush.

“Anyway, don’t worry. The only other thing we were planning to do was see this city’s
sights. We’ll head right back home once we’re done enjoying ourselves, and we’ll leave
the place exactly as we found it. Right, Lefi?”

“Precisely,” replied the dragon girl. “The food prepared by your city’s denizens is
delicious. I would endeavor to avoid destroying it in its entirety even if my wrath was
incurred.”

“Never before have I ever been so thankful that our city’s chefs are skilled,” muttered
the old governor, dead serious.

And so, with our business here done, we waved the governor goodbye and loosed
ourselves into the city, hero in tow.
“So uhhh… might be a bit too late to ask, seeing as how we’ve kinda already turned
you into our tour guide, but you sure it’s okay for you to hang around us?” I turned
towards the hero, who was walking right beside me, and voiced a concern. “Won’t your
higher ups start getting all pissy if they find out? Since, you know, we are technically
supposed to be enemies and whatnot.”

The two of us were weaving our way through the city’s crowded streets. Lefi, on the
other hand, had avoided becoming a part of the masses by once again climbing up atop
my shoulders.

“I really would’ve appreciated you asking that earlier…” My church affiliated

companion heaved an exasperated sigh. “But I think that this is for the better. I would
probably get in way more trouble for letting you two run around unsupervised,
especially if something happened. So I think it’s probably best for me to stick around
until you decide to go back home.”

Wow. Talk about rude. It’s not like I’d ever do anything unless someone else messed with
me first.

“Oh, and just in case you didn’t already know,” the hero continued. “I don’t live here or
anything, so I don’t really know the city that well. Don’t expect me to be able to show
you anything too special, okay?”

“Yeah I got that. But you still know a lot more about it than we do, right?”

“Well… yeah, I guess,” she said with a nod. “So is there anything in particular you wanted
to see?”

“Me, I want to check out the weapon shop and the bookstore. What about you, Lefi?” I
craned my neck upwards and looked at the girl perched atop my shoulders.
“I would prefer an establishment known for the quality of its food. The most ideal
candidate would be one that serves sweets.” Lefi crossed her arms and nodded as she
spoke. You’re looking mighty comfortable up there.

“Wait, didn’t you just eat like a metric ton this morning?”

“Hah!” Lefi snorted. “You underestimate me, Yuki. That meager excuse for a meal was
nowhere near enough to abate my hunger.”

Uh huh… Whatever you say then, princess. I rolled my eyes before turning back to the
hero. “And there you have it. Food, weapons, and books. Lead the way.”

“Hmmm…” The hero brought a hand to her chin. “Okay. Then let’s do weapons, books,
and food in that order.”

“Sure, your call.”

And so, before long, we found ourselves inside a store specialized in the sale of
weaponry. Most of the stuff that was featured was lined up against or hanging from
the walls, but there was also a bargain barrel containing a bunch of low priced junk.
Sitting at the counter was a stubborn looking old man. He glanced at us, but
immediately lost interest and redirected his attention back to polishing the weapon
he had in hand. Fuck. Yes. Oh my god, the atmosphere in here is literally exactly what I
expected. This. Is. Hype.

I felt the urge to pump my fists out of sheer excitement, but refrained. Man, this trip
has been nothing but a series of exciting encounters. I just keep running into stuff that
gets my heart pumping to no end.

The reason that I wanted to visit a weapon shop, despite my inability to use normal
swords, was because I wanted to see the difference between my work and a
professional’s. As with all creative processes, I couldn’t improve without looking at
examples of high quality items, specifically ones I didn’t make myself. I had to know
my faults if I wanted any meaningful iteration. As the Demon Lord of Creativity, an
entity responsible for making his own weapons, I just had to see what human weapon
shops contained.
“This place has got some pretty decent variety,” I said.

“It has a good reputation,” replied Nell. She too was scanning the walls and ogling the
various goods on display. “There was this one time the holy knights brought me to
Alfyro for an expedition. This shop is the one we came to in order to figure out our
weapon situation.”

As an amateur craftsman myself, I wasn’t able to tell much about the weapons’ quality
just by glancing at them. I did, however, have a certain secret weapon that let me
circumvent my weakness: Analyze. Through it, I discovered that the worst stuff on the
walls had a quality rating hovering around the B area, whereas the best seemed to cap
at A+. The stuff that was in the bargain barrels was, as one could expect, inferior. Most
of the discounted goods had quality ratings between C+ and E.

The sole exception was a single heavily damaged blade. Curious, I picked it up and
examined it in more detail. It was rusted all over and even chipped in places. Both the
guard and the handle looked crude, unrefined, and unmaintained. At a glance, it didn’t
seem like anything more than a piece of junk, a worthless excuse for a weapon that
the owner had simply been too lazy to throw away. In fact, that was most likely exactly
what it was to anyone that lacked the ability to analyze it for its true worth.

Ancient Hero’s Sword: A blade once taken up by a nameless hero in the distant past. It
was once a powerful weapon responsible for the defeat of many a formidable foe.
However, it has long since lost the vast majority of its might. Quality: Immeasurable.

Wow. Holy shit. This reminds me a lot of the ancient stuff in Monster H*nter, the super
strong stuff that regains its former power if you succeed at upgrading it.

“Oh?” Lefi, who had been casually glancing around the store, stopped looking around
and focused a curious gaze at the weapon in my hands the moment she noticed it. Her
tone was filled with obvious interest. “It appears that you have found quite the decent
armament.”

“Yeah, I know, right?”

This is perfect. I was just thinking that the axe probably doesn’t have enough volume to
be reforged into a greatsword, so I can just mix this in while I’m at it and boom. Perfect.
Weapon Transmutation was a fairly versatile skill. It didn’t necessitate that I only
worked with a single item. I could fuse as many different things as I wanted, with the
only condition being that I had to be able to channel my mana through each raw
material. I think I’m still going to be a bit lacking in mats, so I still need to find a couple
more. But oh man, I can’t wait to see what comes out of this. It should be pretty damn
impressive so long as I don’t mess up.

I felt the urge to approach the clerk by saying something along the lines of, “Magnificent,
human. I see that you truly understand what it means to be immersed in passion,”
while bringing him the blade, but refrained for reasons that could only be described
as obvious.

“Alright, I guess I’m getting this. How’re things looking on your end, Lefi? Is there
anything you want me to get for you?”

“Not quite. While I do admit that some of these weapons have piqued my curiosity, I’ve
not caught sight of anything that has me enamoured. I would much rather you provide
me sustenance.”

“Fine. Orders received, ma’am,” I said in much the same tone as would an exhausted
soldier before turning towards the hero. “What about you, Nell? You ready to go?”

The hero didn’t respond. She was too busy staring at one of the longswords hanging
off the wall, completely entranced. Her eyes, which were practically glued to it, were
filled with longing. It was clear that she was in her own world, so I walked right up to
her before calling out to her again.

“Don’t you already have a sword? And a pretty good one at that?”

Her weapon was a holy sword, one enchanted with a spell powerful enough to block
out my ability to analyze its features in detail. Swords as powerful as it were likely so
few in number that they could actually be tallied up and accounted for. Hmmm, wait a
second. That’s just a preconception. I mean, that’s how it was back on Earth, but that
doesn’t have to be how it is here. I mean, it is technically a whole nother world. Holy
swords might be a dime a dozen. I mean, why else would they ever give something that
important to this sorry excuse for a hero otherwise?

“Uhm… well, yeah. I do, but this and that are different, you know?” said the hero.

I can see where she’s coming from. I mean, I’d probably feel exactly the same way if I was
in her shoes.

“Well, I don’t mind if you stare at it a bit more, but don’t take too long, alright? We’ve
got places to be.”

“G-got it. J-just give me a few more minutes,” she said with a stutter.

Aren’t weapons supposed to be a guy thing? I’m pretty sure girls are supposed to just roll
their eyes and lose interest when they see swords and stuff… Oh well. She looks like she’s
having fun, so whatever, I guess.
Visiting the weapon shop had proven far more beneficial than anticipated. And so,
with Ancient Hero’s Sword in hand, I was ready to go. The hero, on the other hand,
wasn’t. She was still staring at one of the longswords on the shop’s wall, her eyes glued
to it like a child to a toy display. I reminded her on several occasions that it was time
to leave, but she never did. She would always ask for just five more minutes, or
something along those lines. Isn’t she supposed to be showing us around? What the hell?

In the end, I had to grab ahold of the sword brained idiot and and drag her outside
before she finally agreed to lead us to our next destination: the book store.

That said, I was the only one of us that actually made it all the way inside. Lefi had
started complaining about how she was starving and wouldn’t shut up about it, so I
saw the two off on the impossible quest to slay the God of Diabetes, armed with only
a bag of coins, before heading for bookland all on my own. The plan was for us to meet
up again once I was done with my business.

A thick scent reminiscent of an old book filled my nostrils the moment I opened the
creaky door and stepped inside. I immediately began to look around the place. I’d
always wondered what this world’s bookstores would look like, so my eyes curiously
darted all over. It was dim and quiet. There were only a handful of customers browsing
the shop’s wares, which were conveniently ordered by genre. Huh. This isn’t so
different from one of those ma and pa bookstores you’d see back in Japan.

“Welcome…” An unenthusiastic sounding woman that looked to be somewhere in her

twenties greeted me as I entered the store. The way her chin was resting in her hands
only seemed to emphasize her lack of passion. Nodding to her, I headed towards one
of the sections that lay a bit deeper in the store.

The reason I was here in the first place was that I wanted to learn more about magic
circuits. My Enchant skill allowed me to endow them to weapons, but it was too
limited. It didn’t come with enough circuits to satisfy my wants. As far as I was concerned,
the perfect weapon needed to be able to inflict paralysis, burn my foes, freeze them,
poison them, or put them to sleep. As a P*kemon Master, I had to be able to wield all
five non-volatile status conditions. And if I want to make something that badass, I’mma
have to learn me some magic.

I eventually found exactly what I was looking for after a few brief moments of glancing
over the shelves. That is, I discovered a series of books called “Magical Concepts And
You – The Magic Circuit.” There were three distinct books, a book for beginners, an
intermediate one, and an advanced one. I casually picked one off the shelves and
started flipping through it—

“The fuck is this shit!?”

—Only to realize that I had no idea what was being said. At all. I felt like a student that
had just been told to write a report on reference material so complex it was
incomprehensible. Of course, the translation skill made it possible for me to literally
read what was written, but I couldn’t understand a thing. The information just didn’t
click. Ugh… And these look like the only three books on magic circuits. God damn,
working through all this is going to be a slog…

I immediately understood that I had to interpret the three books before me as a trial,
a trial to test the limits of my passion in my pursuit of badassery. Fuck. You know what?
Fine. Let’s do this. You think these measly books will get between me and my fervent
dreams? Fuck no! Bring it on, bitch!

The first thing I did after purchasing the books, leaving the store, and chucking them
into my inventory was open up my map and quickly scan it for friendlies. Much to my
surprise, the two were only about fifty odd meters away. I immediately started moving
towards them after double checking to make sure I was headed in the right direction,
only to discover that they weren’t alone.

“Come on girls, it’ll be real fun. I’ll even treat ya to as much food as you’d like,” said a man.

“U-Uhm… it’s okay,” replied the hero, “we can pay for our own food.”

“Aw, come on. Don’t say that. Trust us, it’ll be a great time. You too, silver,” said a second
man, turning to Lefi as he did.
“Yeah girls, don’t be so uptight! Come on, you know you wanna chill with us,” added a
third.

“…” Lefi, however, didn’t reply. She instead continued to wholeheartedly engross
herself on chomping her way through the skewer she had in hand. That, in turn, meant
that the hero was stuck dealing with them.

“U-Uhm… Sorry, we’re waiting for someone,” she said. You do know you don’t have to
be all that diligent in trying to turn them down nicely just ‘cause they don’t seem like bad
people, right?

Honestly, I wasn’t surprised that they were being hit on. Both girls were beautiful.
They’re also kind of both ridiculously powerful, but that’s besides the point.

“Hey guys. Sorry, but they’re with me. You mind finding someone else to flirt with?”

“There you are,” said the hero as she breathed a sigh of relief. Hero pls. You’re not supposed
to feel relieved to see a Demon Lord.

“I see you have finally arrived, Yuki.” Lefi spoke as she handed me a skewer. “Behold.
This is your share of the meat.”

“Oh thanks. That was thoughtful of you.”

“I chose to provide you that piece because it was not to my taste.”

“Why the hell…” I started to complain, but gave up and stopped myself halfway. “You
know what, whatever. I was going to end up eating it anyway, so whatever. Let’s go,
Nell.”

“Oh, uhm… ok.”

“W-Wait, hold on!”

One of the men hurriedly reached towards the girl closest to him, The Hero, as the
three of us got ready to leave. However, it never reached its destination. I grabbed him
by the wrist and locked it in place.

“What, you still need something from us?” I smiled as I slowly walked towards the
man, who matched my advance by backing off.
“Not at all… sir.” He was a bit startled, so he momentarily spoke in a more polite tone
before turning back towards his buddies and reverting to his usual manner of speech.
“L-Let’s bounce, guys.”

The three men looked back several times as they left. You guys are probably thinking
that it seems like you’re missing out on a huge chance here seeing how pretty they are
and shit, but that’s only ‘cause you don’t know how much Lefi eats. You’d already offered
to treat her, so if anything, I’m doing you a favour and saving your sorry asses from going
flat broke.

“T-Thanks, Yuki,” said the hero.

“No problem, but you do know you really don’t have to try so hard to be polite when
dealing with idiots like them, right? They’ll just take advantage of your inability to turn
them down by being even more pushy.”

“O-okay, I’ll keep that in mind,” she said. “But… you really seem used to dealing with that
kinda situation.”

“Well, yeah, you know. Stuff happens.” I shrugged as I recalled an event from my past
life. But none of that’s relevant anymore. ‘Cause this is a whole ‘nother world.

“Anyway,” I said. “I’m starting to get a bit hungry. Why don’t you go ahead and show us
to a fancy restaurant or something?”

“I second the notion,” said Lefi. “I would appreciate for you to show us the way.”

“Uhmm…” The hero blinked a few times. “Didn’t you just eat a whole bunch, Lefi?”

“Whatever are you saying? I have yet to eat much at all.”

“But you ate twice as much as me…”

Hah. How naive you are, hero. I mean, just look at you. It’s pretty obvious that you’re not
one to gorge yourself. Lefi, she eats twice the amount I do. Twice what you eat is probably
just an appetizer as far as she’s concerned.

Er, actually, that logic is fundamentally flawed, now that I think about it. If we went by
appearances, then Lefi’s appetite should be the smallest of us all, huh?
“Wow…” The hero spoke in a half exasperated, half impressed tone as she watched Lefi
and I shove copious amounts of food down our throats. Her gaze darted back and forth
between the dragon girl and I as she tried her best to keep her jaw from dropping.
“You two sure do eat a lot…”

She’d brought Lefi and I to a restaurant open to the general public, and a rather large
one, at that. The three of us were situated around a single round table located therein.
Overlooking the store and its operations was a slightly older woman with a few extra
inches around her waist. Business was booming. It seemed there were too many
customers for the lady to handle herself, as she was being assisted by a younger
woman, who I presumed to be her daughter. The girl was quite the looker and seemed
to carry a sort of sophisticated but cheery aura. Wew. Half the men here are staring at
her with their faces red as tomatoes. No wonder this place is so damn packed.

“You know, now that you mention it, it kinda does feel like I’ve been eating a good bit
more than usual. That’s kinda weird.”

“Wait! Why are you of all people confused!?” The hero couldn’t help but retort in a fit
of indignance.

“Well, I never used to eat this much back when I was hanging around the dungeon.
‘Course I’ll find this sudden, ravenous hunger of mine kinda strange.”

As far as I could tell, my appetite had never been anywhere near as abnormal as it was
now. Yeah, Iunno. I’ve always just eaten as much as the next grown ass man back while
we were at the dungeon, but now it feels kinda like I could easily devour twice that.

“That is due to this region’s lack of magical particles. The density is far lower than
what you have accustomed yourself to,” said Lefi. “There is not enough of it in the air
for your body to sustain its energy reserves in its regular manner. Thus, it is
encouraging you to acquire it through other means.”
The silver haired maiden’s words had been spoken between mouthfuls of the
spaghetti dish she had sitting in front of her. She was slurping up both the noodles and
the extra meaty sauce in a manner so impressive that it managed to get her a smile
and compliment from the owner, who just happened to spot her while passing by.
“Wow! You’re slurping those down like a champ! You go girl!”

I lightly nodded in the older lady’s direction before redirecting my gaze towards Lefi
once more. “Wait, the magic particle density makes that much of a difference?”

“Of course.”

“Wow. Honestly, I can’t really tell.”

“That is a result of none other than your own incompetence.”

“…” There was no way for me to refute Lefi’s point. She’d hit the bullseye, and no
amount of complaining would change the accuracy of her claim. Feelsbadman… Wait
a second. Doesn’t that mean that my body’s not actually anywhere nearly as energy
efficient as I thought it was? I’ve already eaten way more than a single person ever
should in one sitting, but I’m still not feeling anywhere remotely close to full.

“Oh yeah, speaking of magic and stuff, that reminds me.” I turned towards the hero.
“Why was that old governor dude all worked up about that magic blade anyway?”

Naturally, I kept my hands moving as I spoke to her. I wrapped a piece of meat that
resembled teriyaki chicken inside a piece of some sort of vegetable that resembled
lettuce, topped it off with tomato-like fruit and a cheese-like substance before cutting
out a piece of what looked like a burger and extracting it from the bread-like thing it
had wrapped around it. I then stabbed both the lettuce wrap I’d made and the meat
I’d cut with a fork and crammed it all into my mouth. I had no idea what any of the
ingredients used actually were, but I found myself enjoying them nonetheless. Oh man,
burgers sure are great. Anyone that’s had actual burgers overseas should know exactly
what I mean. ‘Course, I’m talking about the stuff you find at restaurants, not fast food
joints. Why do the burgers served as fast food taste so much worse anyway? God damn
enigma if you ask me.

“Well…” The hero paused for a moment to think. “It’s not anything super confidential,
so I guess there won’t be any harm in telling you. The truth is, stuff like that has been
happening a lot lately.”
“Oh?” I stopped shoveling food down my throat and looked towards the hero with
interest. “So what you’re telling me is that there are more cursed magic weapons just
like the axe I picked up?”

“No, that’s not what I meant,” replied the hero. “The only person with a cursed magic
blade was the one you defeated yesterday. The part that’s similar is that the axe you
picked up can make people go crazy. This city’s been experiencing a bunch of weird
cases involving insanity lately. There’ve been two main types of cases. The first
involves people known to be straight-laced, hard workers suddenly picking up
weapons and killing people. The second is where people go on rampages and throw
incoherent fits. Governor Raylow was thinking that it might have something to do with
drugs or other similar substances, but he hasn’t gotten any tangible evidence.”

“You sure it’s not just happenstance?” I asked.

“Apparently not.” The hero shook her head from side to side. “The governor said it
couldn’t be. The incidents started with the month and there’s been far too many of
them for it to just be a coincidence.”

“I see.”

“Oh, and do you remember the guy you got the enchanted axe from?”

“Yeah? What about him?”

“Well, magically enhanced weapons with curses that powerful almost never appear on
the market. They’re really, really hard to get, so the guards questioned him about it
when they first saw him hoisting it around. Apparently, he said that someone had
given it to him.”

“I see. I think I’m starting to get what’s going on,” I said with a nod. It looks like
someone’s sneaking around behind the scenes and handing out items like that enchanted
axe, items that make people lose their minds.

“So that’s why there are so many guards up and about?” I glanced outside and just so
happened to see one of the governor’s patrols pass by. The group I spotted had three
men in it, each in a suit of armour. Huh. And here I was thinking that this was normal.
“So you guys think there’s someone out to destroy the city or something?”

“Just you guys.”

“Oh come on…” I rolled my eyes. “We’re totally innocent here. I’ve already told you
guys that I’m not here to kill anyone or mess the damned place up. And more than
once, at that.”

“Yeah, I know,” replied the hero. “Your methods would probably be a whole lot more
straightforward.”

I couldn’t deny her claim. Yeah, if I wanted to blow this place up, I’d probably just
summon a bunch of monsters and have them flatten it overnight or something. Cheap
dungeon monsters probably ain’t gonna do much to the monsters living in the Wicked
Forest, but they’re still a fair bit stronger than humans.

“So yeah, be careful! I know Yuki will probably be okay, but you’ll definitely want to
stay on your toes, Lefi. The city can be a real dangerous place for a girl like you.”

“Uhhh… Yeah…” I agreed with the hero in an awkward, forced tone. Right… We never
did tell her that Lefi’s the Supreme Dragon. “You hear that Lefi? She’s telling you to be
careful.”

“Be careful?” The world’s most powerful dragon furrowed her brows in confusion.
“What exactly must I remain cautious of? Eating more than my stomach can handle,
perhaps?”

“Uhhhhh… yeah, sure. Let’s go with that.” I gave a half hearted reply to the girl that had
clearly been more focused on the food than the conversation it came with.

“That’s really not what I meant…”

The hero slumped her shoulders and heaved an exasperated sigh. Yeah, I getcha, but
don’t worry Nell. Lefi’s probably at least a couple hundred times stronger than you think
she is.
【 】
The sun began to set and the moon began to rise as evening descended upon the city.
It was twilight, and the sky was dyed in a brilliant mix of orange and black to match.
Most of the city’s population had retreated indoors.

Its streets weren’t nearly as populated as they’d been during the day. The few people
that wandered about were far less rushed. In fact, they almost seemed to blend into
the backdrop. The whole town had taken on a more relaxed atmosphere. Its emptier
streets and beautiful architecture came together to form a cityscape I could only
describe as enchanting. The experience was so magical I could almost hear the town’s
evening BGM.

Like everyone else still outdoors, Lefi and I had also melded into the scenery. We
walked side by side as we slowly made our way towards the inn we had stayed at the
night before.

We had already bid the hero farewell—at least for the day. Surprisingly, she seemed to
enjoy her time with us. So much so, in fact, that she had happily asked us to meet her
in front of the governor’s manor the next morning without any sort of prompt on our
parts. I guess all that hero training she’s gotta do has made her so busy that she rarely
ever gets the chance to kick back and relax. I should probably help her blow off all her
excess stress. Guess I’ll have to figure out a good way to entertain her next time she hits
up the dungeon.

“I have to say,” said Lefi, breaking the silence. “I cannot help but label it a shame that
we are the only two of the dungeon’s inhabitants to partake in this experience.”

“Yeah, true. Having them here would’ve made this trip a whole lot more lively.” A bit of
a smile appeared on my face as I imagined the scenario. I could practically see Illuna
excitedly dash around the alleyways while Lyuu chased her with a look of panic
plastered all over her face all the while. Unlike the two overly energetic hooligans,
Leila would probably stand by and keep an eye on them with a smile.

Rir and Shii though… yeah, no. The only possible thing I could imagine the two of them
doing was causing a huge uproar. The same went for the three wraith girls.

“Heh.” I chuckled a bit as I imagined the mess they would cause.

“What is it?”

“Nah, nothing too important.” I paused for a moment. “It’s just that… I really didn’t
expect you of all people to say that.”

“I concur.” Lefi nodded. The smile on her face was a bit of an awkward one. It was clear
from her expression that even she found it strange. “Never once had I ever imagined
that I would one day long for the presence of another.”

“Yeah, true.” I led my reply with a shrug. “But honestly, I’m liking this whole just you
and me thing a good bit too. It’s been a long time since we’ve had anything more than
just a moment to ourselves.”

“T-That, I cannot refute.” The dragon girl stuttered as she did her best to keep a grip
on her composure. “And I daresay, I find it strange that I have known you for no more
than half a year. It feels as if you have been by my side for decades.”

“Right? Those are some mighty fine words right there. Almost makes me think you
actually do more than just laze around all day.”

“That claim is one that you make for the sole reason that you knew not what my days
were like prior to my relocation. My former nest was one in which I spent many a day
naught but drifting back and forth between this land and the land of dreams.”

“Wait. You’re saying you’re actually being less lazy now…?”

“Precisely. I have spent my time in your presence expending much more energy than
I have in the period that preceded it. It cannot be helped that I find myself too drained
to assist you with the housework.”

“Talk about faulty logic…” I turned towards the dragon girl and flashed her a wry smile.

We continued our journey in silence, basking in the city’s warm atmosphere as we did.
But alas, the silence was broken.

By a scream.
A woman wearing clothes typical of an adult out to enjoy the city’s nightlife shrieked
like a banshee as she came tumbling out of a nearby alleyway. After her chased a man
holding a bloodstained knife. Oh man, look at those eyes. That guy’s totally lost it.

Adding to the effect were the dry groans that leaked from the man’s lips. God. Fucking.
Damn. It. Man, today was going so well. But noooo, this asshole has to show up and spoil
it.

“Fuck you! And fuck that stupid ass bucket of cold water you ruined my mood with
too!” I shouted as I picked up a nearby rock and whipped it at his face. The projectile
whizzed through the air and almost seemed to dig into the side of his skull as it hit
him dead on.

Unable to defend himself from the sudden attack, the man was sent flying into a
nearby building, where he promptly collapsed. The wound was a pretty heavy one.
There was blood everywhere. I was sure that the man had either died or suffered a
concussion. But much to my surprise, he got right back up.

His head twisted towards me in an unnatural, eerie fashion as his body rose in a
manner that almost made me think of a jiangshi.

“The fuck? That’s hella creepy,” I said.

“You would do well to activate your Magic Eye,” advised Lefi.

“Uhhhh… suuure…”

I followed Lefi’s instructions and looked towards the crazy dude with the skill active.
The hell? His whole body’s covered in some sort of magical energy. It almost looks like
it’s binding him.

“I believe it would not be incorrect to declare the man before you a corpse,” she said.

“You serious?”

“Indeed. Necromancers are amongst the enemies I’ve faced in the past. The spirits
they employ are restrained by mana. The fetters that bind him remind me much of
their work.”

“I see…” I nodded. Alright, yeah. I get it now. Dude’s a zombie.

Though I had labeled the man as a zombie, he wasn’t operating under the influence of
some sort of virus. His reanimation had instead been brought about by a magic-based
means. Specifically, he had been dominated. Someone had taken control of him in the
same manner I had taken control of my cursed axe. He was practically a puppet.

I knew that there had to be someone out there controlling him, but my enemy
detection skill wasn’t coming up with any results. Alright, enough thinking, Yuki. Deal
with the zombie first. Think after.

I frowned a bit and began contemplating my next steps. It’d be easy if the guy was just
infected. Virus controlled zombies can be ended with a quick snap of the neck. Or I could
just flat out blow his head off and call it a day. But the fact that he’s being manipulated
with magic means he’ll probably keep moving even if he’s missing his brain.

“So how’d you handle these things anyway?” I turned to the dragon girl for advice.

“It was a simple task. I merely set the necromancers themselves ablaze.”

“I-I see…”

Oh, I get it. You have to light filthy things on fire so you can disinfect them. Makes sense.

In the end, the only conclusion I came to in the short span of time I had was to
overwrite the mana that kept the corpse moving with my own. Fortunately, it had
already switched its target and began lumbering towards me. The way it walked got
to me. It was disgusting, inhuman.

I immediately knocked the creature over and grabbed it by the back of its skull the
moment it touched the ground. I gathered up my magical energy and immediately
forced it through the man’s head. The mana that already existed within resisted me.
But that was all it could do. Heh. That ain’t anywhere near enough juice to stop me.

The zombie moaned and convulsed as I continued to forcefully channel my magical

energy throughout. But no matter what it did, I didn’t stop. The man’s struggle,
however, did. The forces compelling him to motion were overruled. And so, he
collapsed. Much like a puppet with its strings cut loose.
The woman I saved thanked me before running off to what I could only presume was
a safer location. Only after she left did I finally turn towards the corpse once more.

“Man. The hell was up with him?” I said as I frowned at the corpse.

“I was unable to detect the mage in control anywhere within our immediate vicinity.
That, however, comes not as a surprise,” said Lefi. She was angry; her words were
practically laced with venom. “There are no necromancers that know basic decency.
As such, it is only rational to assume that the caster is viewing the spectacle from afar
through the application of a questionable and atrocious spell.”

“Any other possibilities?”

“The only I can fathom is that this particular undead has escaped the control of its
despicable excuse of a master.”

“Someone’s sounding a lot harsher than usual today.”

“I cannot help it. It deeply disgusts me to think that there is an individual foul enough
to desecrate the dead and treat their remains as tools. Do you not feel the same?”

“Yeahhhhh, can’t say you’re wrong there.”

Voicing my agreement reminded me that we couldn’t just leave the man’s body where
it was, so I began looking for a guard or two to take it away.

But I was interrupted.

Several extremely loud bells began to clang. The sound was so obtuse that it echoed
throughout the entire town. The passersby, who’d been curiously observing our
activities, began to panic. They all began fearfully hurrying along to their destinations.
The leisurely atmosphere we had been enjoying a few minutes prior had vanished,
replaced by one filled with naught but tension.

“The heck was with all that clanging?” I stopped one of the men that was on the move
and asked him about the noise.

“You guys must not be from around here,” he replied. “That’s the evacuation notice. I
don’t know what’s happening, but the last time they rang that thing was when we were
attacked by a huge group of dragons! It’s gotta be pretty bad, so me, I’m getting the
hell outta here! You probably should too.”

He dashed off again as he finished his explanation. Like everyone else moving about,
his expression belayed a sense of panic.

“Oh, come on.” I sighed. “It’s just one thing after another isn’t it? God fucking damn it.”

I swear to god, the moment I find the asshole messing up our vacation… Like, for fucks
sake, why the hell’d they have to do this while we were in town?

“Human cities sure do get rather boisterous,” said Lefi.

“I know, right?” I replied. “Anyway, I’ll go for a quick fly so I can figure out what’s going
on. You mind waiting a sec?”

“Very well,” she said, with a nod.

I walked into a nearby alleyway and made sure no one was around before activating
my stealth skill, materializing my wings, and taking to the sky.

A flash of silver cut through the air as Nell drew her holy sword and beheaded the man
before her. Though the wound was supposedly fatal, she continued her assault
nonetheless. She drilled a foot into his chest and sent him flying away from the
mother-daughter pair he’d been in the midst of attacking.

Nell’s seemingly excessive aggression was justified moment’s later. The assailant, now
headless, attempted to get right back up, so she positioned herself on top of him and
jabbed her sword into his chest to lock him down.
“Run! As quickly as you can!” Nell yelled at the two she saved while keeping an eye on
the creature underneath her.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” The mother held her young daughter tight to her
chest and began to run.

Nell redirected her attention back to the headless corpse and chanted a spell. “Oh ye
who hath strayed from the rightful path, return to whence you belong! Turn Undead!”
A bright light enveloped the headless man’s body, swallowing it whole. His groans
grew more frequent as he struggled, but eventually, all signs of life left him. And only
then did the light fade. Nell took a second look at him to confirm that he was no longer
moving before moving on to yet another, similar enemy.

The outbreak had been swift and sudden.

Nell first realized something was wrong shortly after she parted with the demon lord
and headed towards the church, where she was set to spend the night. She ended up
running into a hoodlum running amok along the way, so she quickly suppressed him
in order to prevent him from causing any further harm.

She had hit him straight in the solar plexus with enough force to knock a well built
man out cold. There was no reason for him not to be incapacitated. And it was for that
reason that she found herself caught completely off guard by the fact that he had kept
moving. In fact, she was so surprised by the unexpected event that she couldn’t stop
herself from drawing her blade and tearing a hole in his gut. It was purely a reflex. Oh
crap! Did I just kill him!?

She panicked. The blow she delivered was fatal. It’d split his stomach and caused his
guts to spill all over. She had thought that she had made the mistake of slaying
someone that had just happened to get a bit too rowdy.

But her worries were soon completely blown away. By the fact that it didn’t have any
effect on the man’s actions. The hero slashed at the hoodlum once again. This time, she
aimed at his neck and sent his head rolling. But still, he continued to move.

Shivers shot up Nell’s spine. All the hairs on her body began standing on end at the
unnatural sight before her. The man was dead. She had personally delivered two fatal
strikes. And because she was so certain of his lack of life, she came to understand that
the man was no mere hoodlum, that he was a member of the undead.

Undead creatures were known to hold nothing but envy for the living. Yet, they were
drawn to life like moths to flame. They attacked the living and ate their flesh in a
desperate attempt to restore the life energy within them. But no matter how much
they consumed, no matter how much they longed to live, they would forever be unable
to escape the fetters of death. Their plight was so hopeless that it was almost pitiful.

Nell could handle a single undead on her own, but similar cases had quickly started
springing up all over the city. A blink of an eye was all it took for Alfyro to start
overflowing with walking corpses.

There were two key factors that led to the spread of the undead plague. The first was
that the undead brought great trouble to those that wished to deal with them. Their
attacks contained little power, and their movements were slow and sluggish. But
unlike monsters, they were more difficult to identify. As most of the corpses were
human, many found themselves in circumstances in which they were under attack by
their former companions. Some found themselves unable to fight back, either because
they were caught by surprise or simply unwilling, but whatever the case, the end
result was the same: the creation of more corpses.

The second reason the city was overrun was because, for whatever reason, those that
fell the to the undead joined their ranks, which, as far as Nell was concerned, made
little sense.

Undead creatures were only supposed to spawn if a specific set of conditions were
fulfilled. That is, they required magical particles to interact with the vestiges of those
that died with their hearts filled with regret. None knew exactly how the process
worked, but circumstantial evidence had led scholars to conclude that they only
frequently spawned in the war theatres of old and areas with a high concentration of
magical particles.

Alfyro was neither.

If a city like Alfyro spawned undead this often, then its cemetery would likely be a
literal hellscape. Its gates would lead straight to the netherworld, where corpses
roamed free. But that wasn’t the case. There was no way that the creatures assaulting
the town’s inhabitants had spawned through natural means.

There had to be some sort of artificial aspect at play.

She had no proof to support her hypothesis, but she was certain that, at the very least,
something was off. I sure wish Yuki and Lefi were here.

The hero found herself thinking of the pair that she had been with only a few minutes
prior. She could practically see the man grin at her while the girl by his side watched
over him with an expression that mixed both joy and exasperation. There was no
doubt in her heart that their smiles would restore her confidence, and that they would
be able to resolve the situation in the blink of an eye while she was still frozen stiff,
completely dumbfounded by their antics. But I can’t just keep relying on them.

Nell closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she finished off another undead. I have
to start thinking for myself and taking things into my own hands. Which means, first
things first, I should save as many people as I can!

Divine blade and holy magic in tow, the hero headed straight towards the city’s
centre—the place from which she heard the most screams. The look on her face made
her feelings immediately obvious. It was a do or die scenario. And she had resolved
herself for both possible outcomes.
“Keep the formation intact!” Gamdia Roston roared an order to his subordinates as he
kept his eye on the situation. “Don’t let a single one of the undead slip by!!”

“Sir! Yes sir!” The men that served under him reciprocated with equally vigorous
shouts of their own. Each voice contained such a strong force of will that, combined,
they almost came off as indomitable.

The soldiers-cum-guards were gathered in front of the governor’s manor and

positioned such that their ranks came together to form a phalanx. Every last man and
boy bore a greatshield with which they weathered the relentless undead assault. They
remained almost entirely on the defensive, but their actions weren’t in vain. Their
allies, the town’s mages and adventurers, worked to suppress the undead by
rendering them incapable of any further movement as the guards continued to hold
the line.

Adventurers and guards often failed to see eye to eye. The former group was a lot
rougher around the edges, and thus, they were often apprehended and remonstrated
by the city’s soldiers. Yet, they stood united and fought as one. Together, those with
power worked to protect the evacuees that lacked it. Because they knew. They knew
that there was little point to the strength that they worked so hard to obtain should
they not use it to protect the city they called home. And thus, they endeavoured to
eliminate the undead threat.

In command of the united forces was none other than Gamdia himself. Gamdia was a
new face; he had only recently come to Alfyro. Many possessed far more knowledge of
the city and its problems, but it was he that was appointed captain of the city’s guards.
Many of his newfound subordinates began to doubt the city’s management, which had
always been known for its love of meritocracy. However, he soon won them over by
proving that he was not only honest and straightforward, but also skilled enough to
justify his rank. His instructions were precise and the man himself was more than just
a force to be reckoned with. In fact, he found himself acknowledged by not only the
guards, but the rest of Alfyro’s citizens as well.

While Gamdia drew a lot of attention, he wasn’t the only notable fighter than had
joined the fray. The city’s governor, Raylow Lurubia, had done exactly the same. His
subordinates had desperately pleaded for him to retreat, but Raylow had ignored
them and joined the ranks of the adventurers and soldiers fighting off the zombie
hoard. He too was a part of the task force defending the shelter to which the citizens
evacuated: his manor.

“Master Gamdia, how are we faring?” Raylow turned towards the commander as he
felled yet another zombie.

“The undead offensive is gradually growing weaker. We should soon regain full control
of the area.”

“Great. We should head towards the center of the city as the evacuation comes to a
close. It looks to be in trouble.”

“…Are you sure you wish to join us?”

“Of course. I’m no stranger to the battlefield. I may no longer be much more than an
ancient sack of bones, but even so, I can still wield a blade if my citizens’ lives are on
the line,” said Raylow. “Besides…”

“Besides?”

“The whole scenario has me seething in anger, and I’ve a need to vent it.”

Raylow’s remark caused Gamdia to grin. But as he had duties to attend to, the captain
had no more time to converse. He bowed to excuse himself and immediately got back
to issuing orders.

Likewise, the governor returned to aiding in the evacuation as he worked his mind
and considered the scenario at hand. While the undead often sought out and attacked
the living, they didn’t tend to spawn in large numbers in areas that humans inhabited.
The amount of positive life force in the aforementioned areas was far too strong for
them to naturally rise en masse. It was far more likely than not that the scenario at
hand was artificial, that it had arisen from some sort of sinister plot or conspiracy.

And it was probably one thought up by an individual affiliated with the kingdom.
One key piece of information that Raylow had withheld from the young hero that had
visited his manor was that Alfyro was a city that was well detested by its peers. Many
of the nobles with longer lines labeled Raylow, who’d earned his nobility through his
performance on the battlefield, as an upstart. They were quick to criticize him and
often ostracized him from their circles.

The city’s success only made matters worse. Alfyro lay far from the capital, so far that
many thought of it as a hicktown in the borderlands. All sorts of creatures nested near
its boundaries, many of which were extremely powerful. The constant, looming threat
led to a natural increase in the quality of Alfyro’s combatants. Both its adventurers and
soldiers grew more powerful than those that resided in other lands. Dispatching these
high quality troops in times of need had brought Raylow countless achievements,
achievements that left his peers green with envy. Yet, this was only another layer in
the cake.

The icing was the incident. The expedition. Unlike many of the other nobles, Raylow
had been opposed to it from the start. Those that disagreed with him had sent their
troops to the Wicked Forest, only to have every last bit of their investment completely
obliterated while Alfyro’s forces remained perfectly intact.

Whoever organised the attack had all the potential motives in the world.

Of course, the other nobles weren’t the only threats. The demon lord was present as
well, but the governor highly doubted that the undead had risen due to his actions. He
wasn’t the type to bother conspiring in such a roundabout manner. Raylow imagined
that, if the demon lord were to strike, then he would employ nothing but sheer
violence. All he needed to do to burn Alfyro to the ground, should he desire it, was to
go on a rampage.

Moreover, the incidents that plagued the city had began prior to the demon lord’s
arrival. While he had no proof, Raylow was almost certain that the many mysterious
cases were somehow connected to the undead assault.

“…Fine.” Alfyro’s lord muttered under his breath. “I too am a noble, albeit one of little
importance. If you wish to challenge me, then I will not refuse.”

After confirming his resolve, Raylow took a deep breath and began to speak.

“Listen up, men! This is only one of the many crises that this city of ours has faced.”
Raylow spoke in a loud voice that stemmed from deep within his core. It was heard
not only by the soldiers and adventurers engaged in battle, but also the evacuees in
the midst of seeking refuge. “We’ve been plagued with infamous bandits and attacked
by armies of monsters! Yet, Alfyro has never once fallen! We have always succeeded in
driving off those that wish to destroy us. And today is no different! Alfyro, our city, our
home, shall not fall! Let us ready our arms, raise our voices, and purge our homes of
the dead!”

Morale rose. Alfyro’s warriors cheered the moment the governor’s speech came to an
end. Together, their voices formed a thunderous roar so loud that it shook the earth
beneath them.

Seeing the way his city’s bravest reacted caused a slight but undeniably proud smile
to form on Raylow’s face.

“Wow… This is looking preeeeetty bad.” I frowned as I looked down on the city from
the sky above it.

It had pretty much descended into a state of utter chaos. Zombies like the one that Lefi
and I had run into were appearing all over the town and attacking any humans
unfortunate enough to cross their paths.

So many things were ablaze that the scene was almost as bright as it would be in the
day.

The city was in the midst of a veritable zombie outbreak. Back on Earth, I had quite
the liking for zombie movies. But the only reason I had been able to enjoy them was
because they were works of fiction. Stories. False realities. Seeing the real thing didn’t
invoke the excitement or interest that movies endeavoured to inspire in their viewers.
Rather, the only emotion I felt was pure revulsion. Ew. That guy’s got his guts hanging
out. That’s super gross. Please, stop.

Of course, it went without saying that the humans resisted. They didn’t just sit around
and let themselves get wiped off the map. Armed groups that I assumed to be parties
of adventurers fought back against the undead plague. My birds eye view led me to
realize that the combatants were in fact quite numerous.
More importantly, they seemed to know what to do. Their actions were planned and
methodical. They disabled them by cutting off their limbs before making them drink
some sort of liquid. The strange fluid caused the undead to spasm as it entered them
before eventually rendering them still. Yeah, I figured adventurers would probably be
good at stuff like this.

Given the speed at which the undead were being exterminated, it seemed that the
situation would soon resolve itself. And that was exactly what left me so confused. I
don’t get it. Why would the wire-puller do something like this? What’s their goal?

According to Lefi, the disaster at hand was man-made, something caused by a

necromancer. In other words, someone had intentionally attacked the city. But the way
they did it could only be described as half assed.

The zombies seemed more like a distraction than anything. As an avid consumer of
real time strategy games, I felt as if the current scenario was somewhat familiar. It’s
almost like he’s setting up for a second wave, like he only sent this first wave to paralyze
the chain of command so he could expose an opening and use it to take control of the
city. But that can’t be right. This would be the perfect time for him to send in his second
wave. But it’s not coming. I can’t see anything nearby, even from all the way up here.

Though he had caused the city to descend into a state of anarchy, the man responsible
for this incident simply wasn’t following up. Does that mean that this is all just so he
can buy time? But what for? What kind of crazy bullshit would need this large a
distraction?

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t get a clear picture of the whole story.
I knew that I would be able to end the incident with ease if I managed to find the son
of a bitch responsible for it, but he wasn’t showing up on my map. I couldn’t detect
him with my Enemy Search skill either. Wait a second. Why the hell am I being so
narrow minded?

I had assumed that the person responsible would be within the city. After all, it was
only human nature to be curious about the results of one’s actions. However, further
thought and observation led me to realize that the man wasn’t giving the zombies
direct orders; he hadn’t assumed full manual control. Moreover, the fact that he didn’t
plan on following up his initial attack with a second wave meant that he didn’t have to
be lurking within the city’s bounds—he didn’t have to open any gates while someone
wasn’t watching. Given the lack of constraints, it made much more sense for the
perpetrator to be somewhere outside the city, somewhere he could overlook the chaos
while staying out of danger.

Realizing that, I directed my gaze outside the city’s walls and began to scan for him.
Found you!

My eyesight, which was top tier given the fact that my body was a demon lord’s,
allowed me to spot a group of men not too far outside the city. They was situated atop
a random nearby hill. To any other onlooker, the hill would’ve seemed like exactly that.
The men were using a skill or spell similar to Stealth.

However, I was different. My Magic Eye allowed me to spot their human-shaped forms.
Or rather, the mana flowing through them; I could see right through their petty little
trick with minimal effort.

I was by no means obligated to help the city or its residents.

But I was pissed.

The bastards that had put this plan together had ruined my vacation. They’d taken the
time that I was supposed to enjoy with Lefi and totally fucked it up. And there was no
way I was letting them get away without a little “reimbursement.”

My reasons were nothing short of selfish, but that was just what it meant to be a
demon lord. You brought this upon yourself you sons of bitches. You really should’ve
waited until I was gone before you put your retarded little conspiracy into action.

I poised myself to launch off in their direction and crush them, but happened to catch
sight of a familiar face right as I did.

“Is that… Nell? What the hell is she doing…?”

The hero was, for some odd reason, letting herself get swarmed by a countless number
of zombies. She could’ve easily shaken them off and made her escape, but she wasn’t.
Instead, she was holding her position and attempting to fight them off.

Evidently, retreating wasn’t the first thing on her agenda. It looks like she’s… protecting
the church? Only after checking the map did I understand the purpose behind her
actions.
Well… you know what? I might as well go help her. I had already located the asshole
responsible, and there wasn’t any real need for me to deal with him immediately. I
could spare a few minutes and hunt him down after. I don’t exactly want to see her die.
And having her owe me one sounds like a pretty solid idea, so might as well.
The first thing I did after noticing that Nell was in trouble was to move in her direction
as I pulled Hasai, my greatsword, out from my inventory. I stopped above her,
dematerialized my wings, and dove straight into the zombie horde.

“Huh!? Where the hec—” She was startled by my sudden appearance, but I cut her off
with a loud battlecry before she could finish questioning my entrance. I swung my
blade right before I hit the ground. The resulting shockwave was so powerful that it
blasted all nearby zombies to bits. Huh. Almost looks like confetti.

“Y-Yuki!?” she stuttered.

“Hey. Looks like you’re still alive and kicking,” I said with a grin.
“G-Geez!” The hero angrily puffed up her cheeks. “Don’t scare me like that!”

“My bad, my bad.”

I casually swung my greatsword and batted away the few battle-capable zombies in
my immediate vicinity as they approached. Nice! That one was definitely a home run.

While my onslaught had been effective, it wasn’t nearly enough to wipe out the whole
horde. There were still lots of zombies outside the shockwave’s area of effect. That
said, it served its purpose. It was able to buy us enough time to talk.

“Here, drink this.” I lobbed Nell a mana potion; analyze had told me that her pool was
about to run dry. She must’ve been using holy magic to purify the zombies or something.
That kinda stuff sure does hit zombies hard. Or at least it should if convention is anything
to go by.

“Huh? Uhm… thanks.” She freaked out a bit, but was able to catch the object I threw at
her without any issue. “Wait a second! Isn’t this a high grade potion!? Aren’t these
really expensive!?”

“How about you stop freaking out and start drinking? You do realize that this is an
emergency, right?”

“R-Right. Good point,” she said, calming down. “Thank you.”

“Ugh… it’s really bitter…” The hero grimaced as she downed the bottle’s contents. But
despite her complaints, the potion proved effective. Her MP gradually began to recover.

“Alright, that should just about cover everything you need, so I think you’ll be fine from
here on out,” I said. “Oh, by the way, I found a few guys who look like the assholes that
put this whole situation together, so I’mma go smash their faces. Good luck. See ya.”

“Wait, wait! Did you just try to brush something really important off like it was no big
deal!?” The hero started to make a big fuss of the situation. “If you’re going to go take
care of the culprits, then I’ll have to come too!”

“What about the church? Aren’t you supposed to be protecting it?”

I pointed towards the building that the hero had been risking her life to defend only
moments prior. Analyze had informed me that it was mostly filled with children and
the injured, innocent lives unable to outrun the undead. If not for her valiant efforts,
they would’ve long been swallowed by and integrated into the mindless horde.

“…Yeah. You’re right,” said the hero. “I can’t leave. I have to protect them. So please,
Demon Lord, take care of the perps. I’ll do anything you as—”

“Oh?” I cocked an eyebrow. “Anything, you say?”

“…Huh?”

“Hold onto those words of yours because I’m going to come right back and have you
pay up.”

“Uh, erm, uhh… uhhhhhh…” Completely dumbfounded, the hero could do naught but
stutter in hesitation.

“What? You couldn’t already be thinking about going back on your word, could you?
Of course not, right? There’s no way an honourable hero would make false promises,
is there?”

“Ughhhhh… fine…” said Nell, reluctantly. “B-But you’re not allowed to ask for anything
l-lewd, okay?”

The young warrior was on the verge of tears. Her expression caused my own to warp
into a huge, shiteating grin.

“Lewd? What are you talking about?”

“…Huh?”

“All I wanted was for you to show us around again once we get everything resolved.
The heck were you thinking?”

Only after I spoke did she finally realize that she was being trolled. Big time.

“Wow! I can’t believe you! You’re such an idiot!” With her face flushed a deep shade of
red, the hero swung her holy blade at me in an attempt to rid herself of her
embarrassment.

I casually dodged it, then leapt into the air, all while laughing hysterically. “Oh, and
before I forget. I’m going to get Lefi to head over, so feel free to ask her to lend you a
hand if you feel like you’re in any sort of trouble. Just sayin’, she’s a lot stronger than
you think.”

“I don’t care! Just go away already!”

The first thing I did after saying goodbye to the hero was fly over to the dungeon’s
resident Supreme Dragon. “Hey Lefi! If you head west, you’ll find Nell in enough
trouble to make her start tearing up. I gotta go grab the idiots responsible for all this,
so do me a favour and go lend her a hand!”

I began to move the moment the dragon girl responded with a thumbs up. I flapped
both my wings and boosted myself forward with an explosive burst of speed. The wind
fought against me and put its pressure on my entire body as my surroundings flew by.
I was so fast that the city and its walls almost seemed to blend into the background as
I moved.

Only then did I finally have them in my sights. Let’s see… three… four… and… six. Alright,
six people I gotta take care of.

I took a deep breath as I brought myself closer to the surface; I flew so close to the
ground that I was practically touching it. Activating stealth, I began my assault. I
readied my greatsword and swung it the moment I passed the group by, retaining the
same speed all the way through. I felt my blade react with the slightest bit of
resistance. And then, a moment later, five of the six men erupted into a rain of blood.
A copious amount of the crimson fluid spilled all over as their torsos were torn in two.

The sixth and final man had noticed the attack in time and engaged in a quick, tactical
retreat. He’d leapt backwards with all the force his legs could muster and safely
avoided the blow.

“What the hell’s a demonic bastard like you doing in a place like this!?” The man
shouted as the magic concealing him became undone. He oozed out of the shadows,
which then revealed that he was wearing all black. Man, if outfits could speak, his would
totally be screaming ‘I’m really, really suspicious!”

“Nice dodge,” I said. “But too bad, it ain’t gonna do much to help. Die!”
I rushed the man down a second time, to which he reacted with a click of the tongue.
He immediately realized that he would be unable to defeat me in a contest of power,
so he focused all his effort to mitigating the amount of damage he would take from the
attack. He drew the dagger he had mounted on his waist and intercepted my blade to
alter its path.

His efforts proved successful. My attack still connected, but I was only able to get his
shoulder. It wasn’t fatal.

The suspicious looking man once again retreated to open up a good bit of distance
between us before facing off against me.

“Why are you here!? Why’s a demon like you getting in our way!?”

“How about using that brain of yours, and, y’know, thinking?”

I brandished Hasai and got ready to charge, but the overly suspicious wire puller had
taken the initiative and acted before me.

“I summon the damned! Rise from the netherworld and do my bidding!”

A bluish white magic circle appeared underneath the man. It flashed momentarily,
only to rapidly fade away and disappear soon after. In its place was a group of
monsters. The group was made up of all sorts of different species. There were bears,
wolves, and there was even something that seemed to resemble a dinosaur chucked
into the mix. Monster heritage aside, the sole similarity they shared was that they
lacked the brilliance they would have had in life. Their eyes were dead. They were
dead. Their bodies were rotting in some places, and flat out falling apart in others. To
put it simply, they were zombies, zombies that moved much more smoothly than the
pitiful undead assaulting the town. It was obvious that they were at least fairly
powerful.

“Now that you’ve seen me, you have no choice but to die!” claimed the overly suspicious
necromancer. “These undead are several times stronger than the ones you’ll find in
the city! They will be the end of you, demon!”

“…Now I see why Lefi said that necromancers don’t understand what it means to have
basic decency.”

The man was desecrating the monsters’ corpses. It was clear that they were being
ordered around like puppets and forced to act on his whims. I could only see his magic
as a cruel method of torturing the departed and forcing them to suffer, even in death.
Don’t worry. I’ll make sure I send you guys off and allow you to pass on. I won’t miss a
single one of you. I promise.

“Now go, zombies of mine! Unleash all of your power and defeat my foe!”

I dove straight into the zombie horde as the man issued an order for them to attack.

The first to lash out at me was a wolf. It attempted to bite me, but I repelled it with a
kick and struck it with my greatsword. A bear zombie tried attacking my opposite
flank at the exact same time, but I dodged its razor-sharp claws and lopped its head
off in retaliation. I was then immediately attacked by a zombie that was so messed up
I was unable to discern its original form or even its species. It tried to get my feet, so I
stomped it into the ground and used the force to take to the air, thereby dodging the
charge of a zombie that seemed to resemble a triceratops. The moment it passed
under me, I jammed my sword into the back of its neck and ended it.

And so, the cycle repeated. I used all sorts of different attacks to shred and destroy
every zombie within range. While they were indeed significantly stronger than the
zombies wandering around within the city’s walls, it didn’t change the fact that, in the
end, they were just, well, zombies. And as members of the deceased, they were unable
to move as well as the living.

I had a demon lord’s stats. There was no way I would be so weak that I would struggle
to take down such easy prey. Though, that might not have been true if you’d all still been
alive.

“You’re a goddamned monster.” Shady clicked his tongue as he began getting ready to
summon another wave of zombies.

“You think I’d let you get away with that?” I dashed up to him yet again. But this time,
he didn’t panic.

“You imbecile! Is blindly rushing at your enemies all you know?” He mocked me, but
his expression soon transformed from a look of confidence to one of confusion.
“What!?”

“I see right through you, small fry!”

The man had set up a trap while I was preoccupied with the zombie horde. He’d woven
a spell into the ground, but I’d destroyed it with my own, Dispel Magic, on my way
over.

It did exactly what its name suggested. Spells required specific magical constructions,
constructions which could simply be disrupted with more magic. The interference
that resulted from smashing a dense lump of mana into a spell prevented the intended
phenomenon from actualizing.

The way Dispel Magic worked rendered it relatively expensive. But that was fine. A
single cast had been all I needed given that I had quite literally seen right through my
opponent. Magic Eye allowed me to get a read on the sort of attack he was launching.
I’d known his plan the moment he attempted to set up for it. Bitch please. I’m the last
person that kinda shit would work on.

“You bast—”

“Too slow!”

The suspicious looking man tried to dodge my attack the moment he realized his spell
had failed. But it was too late. The momentary pause resulting from the shock of seeing
his spell fail was all I needed to run Hasai’s blade through his body.
“Geez, Lefi. You went way too far!” The hero crossed her arms and frowned as she
scolded the dragon girl. “I can’t believe you burnt down a whole house!”

“Mmrph,” the silver haired girl groaned. “I see not the issue of which you speak. It has
only suffered a minor burn. And it is not as if I left my flames to burn. In fact, I daresay
that I quelled them rather quickly.”

“Oh I think you did a little more than just ‘quelling’ them,” said Nell. “You basically
caused a whole freaking flood! There was so much water that you not only wrecked
the house that was on fire, but also destroyed the one next to it! And that one was
doing perfectly fine even without your ‘help!’ It wasn’t even anywhere close to getting
caught in the flames!”

I returned to the church with the perpetrator in hand, only to catch Lefi and Nell
having a conversation that bore a rather strong resemblance to a typical two man
Japanese comedy skit.

“…The hell are you two doing?” I almost felt the urge to sigh and roll my eyes as I landed
next to them.

“Oh, hi Yuki.” The hero greeted me before getting back to grumbling and complaining.
“I think it’s a lot more Lefi than the both of us. I mean, just look at what she’s done!”

I turned my eyes in the direction she was pointing only to end up resting my eyes on
a pair of houses—if you could still call them that. Both were more or less completely
demolished, with a few minor differences. The first was totally scorched whereas the
second looked like the victim of some sort of devastating flood.

“Like, what the heck!?” The human girl crossed her arms and turned back towards the
dragon as she continued to rant. “Using fire makes sense, but you really didn’t have to
light everything on fire! The house was nowhere near them! You totally could have
avoided it!”
I’d expected the hero to be mad, but not at Lefi. She’d been quite mad that I teased her
the way I did, but her mood had been overwritten. Every last bit of anger had been
redirected towards Lefi and her antics.

“I see not a problem. I used only as much power as necessary to consign the dead to
the abyss. My actions were just and therefore the results inevitable.”

“That’s a big fat lie and you know it! I totally heard you say ‘oops’ right when you cast
the spell!”

Cornered, Lefi could only avert her gaze; she outright refused to look Nell in the eye.
Yeah… I think I pretty much understand what’s happened here now.

A bit of a wry smile crept up on my lips as I continued to watch the two engage in
banter, or at least that was the plan.

“Is the man you hold under your arm perhaps one of the imbeciles of which you
spoke?” Lefi, however, was out of wiggle room. She didn’t have any other way to
dispute Nell’s point and she didn’t exactly find much joy in getting scolded, so she
blatantly changed the topic.

“Pretty much, yeah. This asshole’s one of the retards that ruined our happy little
getaway.”

I released my grip on the shady looking man and allowed gravity to take over. The
result? His face promptly ended up smashing itself into the ground. Despite the rough
treatment, the man failed to respond. He was out cold. That said, he likely wouldn’t
have been able to right himself even if he wasn’t. The chains he was bound with were
quite literally embedded inside his flesh.

Fighting the zombies that the necromancer had summoned had gotten me a bit too
excited; I had only accidentally rammed my blade through his gut because I’d let the
blood get to my head. Though I didn’t particularly care about the man’s fate, I realized
that letting him die wasn’t exactly the best course of action given that he had yet to
reveal his motives. He had literally been just a few seconds short of falling into the
abyss, so I quickly grabbed a pair of high grade health potions out of my inventory and
used both.

Again, I wouldn’t have cared if he died, but the miraculous power within the high grade
potions had allowed him to narrowly escape the reaper’s scythe. So effective were the
potions that they made his wound seem outright irrelevant. His flesh, bones, and
organs all rapidly regenerated right before my eyes. It was like I was watching
someone play the whole injury process in reverse. Ew. Actually ew. This is so gross I
don’t even know what I’m supposed to say. It’s actually giving me goosebumps.

The reason his chains had been integrated with his flesh was because I’d wrapped
them around him mid-recovery. He was likely going to need to have his guts cut open
if he wanted them removed. Yeahhhh, no way he’s getting away. In fact, he’s probably
going to be stuck with those for life, but oh well, whatever. Not my problem. Besides, it’s
at least better than being dead.

“He… appears to be quite the eccentric,” said Lefi as she stared at the chains. Soooo…
uhhhh… That’s kinda my doing and not his, Lefi.

“…Is he the perpetrator?” The hero narrowed her eyes.

“One of them. I can say for sure that he’s probably guilty since he used something that
seemed more or less like necromancy. Not sure about the guys he had with him. I kinda
already killed them.”

“…I see. Then I guess that means you’re why all the undead stopped moving.”

“Did they now?”

The hero quickly explained that the zombies had all stopped moving around the time
I defeated the perpetrator. Oh. I guess it must’ve been because I smashed that one
suspicious looking magically enhanced item I spotted on my way back over.

Our conversation was soon interrupted by the approach of a noisy crowd. The group,
which seemed to be composed of guards and adventurers, was moving down the city’s
main street. They held their weapons ready and carefully scrutinized their
surroundings as they moved. Their expressions, however, revealed that they were
feeling more bewildered than they were tense.

“What the hell is going on here…?”

A man in the group’s vanguard voiced the question that they had all wanted to ask.
They had come out ready to fight to the death, only to find that the zombies they were
supposed to subjugate had already fallen. They were no longer sure what they were
supposed to do or how they were supposed to feel.
“Oh, hey old man,” I address the “soldier” that had let his wonder leak through to the
surface. “Wait a second, aren’t you supposed to be this city’s governor? Why are you
all the way out here? Seems kinda reckless if you ask me.”

“I couldn’t possibly sit at home while the city is under attack.” The lord replied as he
greeted me with a nod. “I’d like to ask you the same question. Why are you here?”

“I’m only here ‘cause Nell’s here,” I said. “Oh yeah. Here. This asshole’s the perp.”

I kicked the shady-looking douchebag and sent him rolling towards the governor.

“I saw him sneaking around just outside town, so I nabbed him. There were a few
others, but they’re all dead. Might be a good idea for you to send a few guys over to
confirm it for you.”

“…I will have it arranged,” said the governor. “Would you mind if we took the man you
have just presented us into custody immediately?”

“Go for it. Not like there’s any reason for me to keep him around,” I said. “The only
condition I have is that you guys tell me what he says when he spills the beans.”

I wanted to interrogate the man myself, but I had no experience in making people talk.
I wasn’t exactly what one could call a fan of gore, and hitting him until he gave in
seemed like more of a pain than it was worth. All I had wanted to do was sit back and
enjoy my vacation. The only reason I had gotten involved at all was because I had
happened to get caught in the crossfire. It only made sense to have the old man
interrogate him in my place. He likely either knew how to do it himself or had just the
right person for the job on staff. I doubt he’ll withhold his discoveries, especially since I
was the one who caught the bastard in the first place.

“Fine. We do owe you, both for capturing him and for saving the city. I swear that I will
tell you anything he says.” The governor looked over the zombies turned corpses as he
spoke. He did, however, flash a wry smile and look in my direction as he spotted a
certain pair of houses. Bruh, that wasn’t even me!

“Listen up!” The governor turned around and began to address his men. “The threat is
no more! However, that doesn’t mean that you’ve the time to lazily sit around and
space out. We must immediately shift gears and devote ourselves to reconstructing
everything that was destroyed!”
The bewildered soldiers and adventurers, who had been at a loss due to the sudden
change in situation, began to cheer in response to the lord’s words. The cheers
gradually grew louder as the would be combatants overcame their shock and finished
processing everything that had happened. And, before long, the cheers transformed
into a deafening roar that echoed throughout the city.
The city’s reconstruction progressed with gusto. Apparently, crises like yesterday’s
zombie outbreak were common. The guards, adventurers, and citizens alike were
already accustomed to bouncing back and rebuilding. In fact, that was exactly what
had happened to the two houses that Lefi had wrecked through a mix of flame and
water. They had both been demolished and partially rebuilt. Fortunately, we weren’t
asked to pay any sort of remuneration despite our direct involvement in their…
deconstruction.

And, although I referred to it as reconstruction, that wasn’t exactly what the relevant
tasks required. The zombies hadn’t been the direct cause of any sort of architectural
destruction. Most of the non-Lefi related damage caused to the city’s infrastructure
had arisen from the fires that had been ignited during the assault. Thus, most of the
townsfolk had spent their time burying the dead, a task they had finished in under a
day.

The evening was thus dedicated to a task that naturally followed the many burials:
mourning the dead. Specifically, the town was hosting a festival to honour those that
had passed in the incident. Once again, the city was turned into a ball of noise. This
time, however, it was filled not with screams, but rather the sounds of people eating,
drinking, and laughing the night away.

Lefi and I were in the middle of all the noise. We were situated near the edge of a large
plaza, at the centre of which was a warm bonfire. Like just about everyone else, we
were eating stuff we’d bought from nearby stalls.

I cast my glance beside me and gazed upon the dragon girl, who just happened to be
eating something that looked a lot like grilled squid. Though she was stuffing her face,
her charm was clearly conveyed to me nonetheless. She was beautiful, beautiful in
such a way that it made me want to describe her as both attractive and mysterious.
The way the firelight illuminated her face only made her even more appealing to the
eye. Man, seeing her like this almost makes me want to make her wear a Yukata.

“What is it?” Noticing my stare, Lefi turned towards me.

“Nah, it’s nothing.”

“You may regard my food all you wish, but I will allow you none of it.”

“That’s a shame.”

I broke into a wry smile before turning back towards the bonfire. The centre of the
plaza was especially lively. There looked to be a group of street performers playing a
series of instruments and bringing smiles to the faces of the people around them.
Watching the city’s residents enjoy themselves ultimately lifted my own spirits. I
couldn’t deny that seeing them make merry like this made me feel as if my actions
were well worth it, even though they had stemmed from naught but a petty desire for
vengeance. All I’d wanted to do was punch the bitch that messed up our vacation. But
it had turned into oh so much more.

I still had yet to find out much more about the incident. That, however, was apparently
soon to change. The shady looking asshole I captured was already in the midst of a
nice hearty round of interrogation, and it didn’t seem like it would take all that long
for him to spill the beans. My condolences, Shady, my condolences. I know you’re going
through something that’s probably a good bit worse than death right about now, but it’s
only fair. I mean, you kinda totally messed up my happy little getaway, so you’ll just have
to suck it up and deal with it.

One of the more surprising things about the incident was the fact that the governor
seemed to have more or less accepted my testimony as is. I’d expected him to question
me and ask me whether I was in fact the person behind the incident, to which he’d
said, “You could easily tear this city apart with nothing but brute force should you wish
it, so I don’t believe there’s any reason for you to bother with such a roundabout
scheme.” Is it just me, or has he started getting bolder lately?

The city had a lot to do, and I’d enjoyed hanging around it. The inn was nice as well.
That said, none of it even came close to living up to what the dungeon had to offer.
More importantly, I felt as if everyone that’d stayed behind would likely start to worry
if we didn’t return soon; it was time to go. And the first thing I’m going to do the moment
I get back is dive into that super comfy futon of mine.

We’d already arranged for the hero to deliver the results of Shady’s interrogation at a
later date, so there wasn’t a need for us to hang around and wait for him to crack. I’d
told her that she didn’t need to and that it would be fine for her just to head home
since she was more or less done with her mission, but she refused on the grounds that
she wanted to see her job all the way through to the end. How earnest and upright.

“Oh yeah, Lefi, that reminds me.”

“What is it?”

“Here.”

I grabbed a certain special something out of my inventory and handed it to her.

“Hmmm?” She blinked as she looked at it. “Is that perhaps… a ring?”

“Yeah. I happened to see something that I thought would look good on you, so… yeah,
y’know.” I awkwardly scratched the back of my head in embarrassment as I answered
her question.

I’d spotted it amongst the wares of a suspicious looking old lady a good bit before the
incident. The moment I first laid eyes on it was the moment I realized that it would
look great on Lefi. I was so overwhelmed by the thought that I’d purchased it before I
realized it.

All in all, the ring wasn’t particularly complex. Its frame was of a simple silver
construction, save for the pale emerald line running through its centre. There was a
second line at the top of the ring, which intersected with the first to make a cross,
inside of which lay a bit of magical energy. Adorning the ring was a small but beautiful
jewel, one that remained translucent despite being dyed a shade of crimson.

It was a design that fit particularly well with the dragon girl’s beautiful platinum
coloured hair. Most important of all, however, wasn’t the ring’s appearance, but rather
its effect. Analyze had identified it as follows.

Adjustable Ring: This ring’s size will change such that it fits its owner.
Quality: A+

It seemed extremely convenient in the sense that it wouldn’t break, even if she were
to revert to her draconic form.
Giving it to her, of course, made me feel extremely embarrassed, but I knew that giving
this sort of gift was something that only grew more difficult with time. I’d probably end
up never giving it to her at all if I kept fussing about the particulars. And that would just
be wasteful, especially since I’ve already bought it.

Lefi put her food back down on the plate she had on her lap before accepting the ring.
She held it in both hands and examined it, all while bearing a serious look in her eye—
only to stifle a giggle shortly after.

“W-What?” I asked.

“It is nothing.” She shook her head. “I believe it falls within the realm of tradition for
you to place this present of yours upon me?”

“Huh? Uh… erm… Yeah, I guess.”

I tried my best to keep calm as she presented me her left ring finger. Is that just a
coincidence? It’s gotta be, right…?

I took the ring from her other hand and slowly slipped it on. Her finger was so smooth
to the touch that I was reluctant to part with it; I felt the urge to never part my hand
from her own.

Lefi waited for the ring to fall into place before raising her hand and gazing at it as the
bonfire made it glimmer with light.

“Thank you, Yuki. This present is one I am glad to receive.” Only after she was satisfied
did she finally turn towards me.

Again, I tried to keep my heart under control. But I couldn’t. The way the firelight lit
up her gentle smile caused it to continue pounding with vigour.
【 】
“We’re finally home.” I exhaled deeply as Lefi and I finally arrived at what was
effectively our doorstep, the cave in which the dungeon lay. “Man, it’s good to be back.
Walking through this cave really makes me feel that whole home sweet home vibe.”

“It is as you say,” agreed the dragon girl. “While I did enjoy my stay at that human
settlement, I would not hesitate to state that I would very much prefer to spend my
time relaxed atop the futon I call my own.”

“You say that, but you pretty much spent just about as much time lazing around on the
bed the hotel provided us as you would’ve back home. The only real difference would
be that you invested a few seconds towards kicking me off from time to time.”

“Fmph,” she snorted. “You should be honoured that I deigned to allow you to lay by my
side to begin with.”

“Again, you’re saying it like it’s something special when it’s not. In fact, I’d even say it
happens pretty much all the goddamn time. Hell, I often wake up thinking that I didn’t
get a good night’s rest, all ‘cause a certain someone has a habit of getting on top of me
and shoving their feet in my face in the middle of the night.”

“…”

Oh, would you look at that? The perp’s not only gone radio silent, but also totally refusing
to meet my gaze. Big surprise there. Totes didn’t see it coming. Not at all.

“Anyway, moving on.” I shrugged and casually changed the topic in order to give the
mighty “Supreme Dragon” a bit of breathing room. “The to-do at the top of my list is
checking up on Rir. You mind if we head over to the plains, or do you wanna just dive
right into the true throne room?”

“I mind not.”
With my next task in mind and the Supreme Dragon’s consent under my belt, I turned
towards the door that led to the dungeon’s grassiest floor and gave it a twist—only to
find myself faced with a literal swarm of monsters.

There were over a hundred of them. Their forms and species were varied, the only
commonality I could immediately identify was that they seemed to believe that my
turf was theirs. They had began growling at us from the moment we opened the door,
much in the same manner as would a feral beast an intruder.

“…Oh shit!”

The first scenario that popped into mind was the absolute worst possible. I was all but
certain that misfortune had fallen upon both Illuna and the maids. And to that end, I
drew my blade and readied myself for vengeance.

But my bloodlust waned as I heard a familiar sounding bark resound from the castle.

“Was that… Rir?”

I turned my head towards the sound’s source, only to find the family pet, Fluffrir,
headed in my direction. The way the monsters reacted to his cry laid their relationship
bare, for they’d immediately leapt aside to provide him a straight-line path to his
destination.

“Uhhh… what?” I blinked in confusion.

“Behold them well, Yuki, and the answer shall become clear.” Lefi spoke in a calm tone.
Unlike me, she hadn’t been the least bit panicked, not even from the get go.

Despite my confusion, I lowered my weapon and heeded her advice; I looked over the
monsters again. Only this time, I analyzed them in the process. In doing so, I
discovered that every single individual present shared a title, one that read as follows.

Wolf Lord’s Subordinate: One who obeys Fluffrir, the Lord of Wolves. Those that bear
this title fear the Fenrir’s might, are awed by his power, or both. And as a result, they
have prostrated themselves before him.

Uhhh… What the heck? Are all these monsters seriously Rir’s subordinates?

The first thing the white wolf did as he closed the distance between us was offer an
apologetic whine.

“D-Don’t worry too much about it. I was a bit surprised is all,” I said. “Though, I do
kinda want to know exactly what’s going on.”
According to the wolf, it had all started in the middle of one of his usual hunts. He was
going about his business within the Wicked Forest when he was suddenly approached
by a monster that begged him not to attack it. It swore loyalty to him and agreed to
obey any of his orders. He couldn’t bring himself to coldly refuse its request given the
lengths it had gone to in order to explain its adoration for his strength. That said, he
knew that he was a monster affiliated with a dungeon, and that it might not be the
best idea for him to issue others orders on nothing but his own authority. And to that
end, he continued to put off giving any orders whatsoever despite the incident
repeating itself on more than just the rare occasion. The group that followed him
continued to grow without him realizing just how big it had gotten. To the wolf, it’d
felt like all the upscaling had happened in the blink of an eye.

After hearing that he had been tasked with guard duty, Rir’s men had persistently
insisted on participating until he eventually caved. And that was what had led to the
status quo.

Honestly, I wasn’t surprised. In fact, I felt like it made a lot of sense. Rir’s growth had
made him strong. Incredibly strong. His stats had long outstripped mine, and he was
now able to go head to head with the monsters that lay to the dungeon’s west, the
strongest monsters in its vicinity. Is it just me, or does he feel like more of a protagonist
than me? I mean, that is supposed to be what I am right? Seeing as how I’m the one that
got ported to another world? Oh well, whatever. Doesn’t really matter much to me either
way.

“D-Don’t worry about it, man.” I pat the wolf on the shoulder as I finally finished
getting over my initial confusion. “I’m the one that told you to do whatever you want,
and I still stand by that statement. But do make sure you take care of those men of
yours, alright?”

Rir bowed his head, as if to apologize for any trouble he caused, before turning around
and barking at his subordinates. They immediately heeded his command and lowered
their stances in a way that almost seemed reminiscent of a group of kneeling humans.

…Wow. That’s some discipline they’ve got. Goddamn, Rir. You’ve seriously got to make
sure you treat them well. These guys? They be men.
“Man… that was a shocker.”

“It is only natural that he too would come to stand above others, for that is the fate of
those who bear strength,” said Lefi in the most matter-of-fact tone possible.

I mean, I guess that is one way to go about turning your life into a success story. Swearing
loyalty to someone that’s real strong definitely does seem like it’d raise your own shot at
survival. ‘Cause like, monsters have got it tough. They have to spend each and every day
in a desperate struggle with the laws of the jungle just to survive. Finding yourself a
reliable boss honestly sounds like a much better choice than trying to manage all on your
own. Y’know, now that I think about it, being able to understand that must mean that
they’re pretty smart, huh?

There wasn’t much of a point to loitering around in the dungeon’s grass zone for much
longer seeing as how I’d already finished conversing with Rir. And so, Lefi in tow, I
headed towards the castle and opened the nearest door that led straight to the true
throne room.

I had yet to greet the wraith girls, but not because I was intentionally putting it off.
Lefi apparently terrified them. They refused to come out of hiding in her presence, so
I would have to check up on them when she wasn’t around.

“Hey everyone. We’re back.”

“That we are.”

Lefi and I greeted everyone present as we stepped through the door.

“Yay! You’re back! Welcome home!”

The dungeon’s resident little blonde girl shouted gleefully as she dashed towards the
door. Without dropping her speed, she leapt through the air and dove straight at me.

“Woah, careful there,” I said as I caught her in my arms.

“Oh heya Master, heya Lefi. Nice t’see that you’re back. Welcome home.”

“Nice to see you too Lyuu. Where’s Leila at?”

“She’s prolly in the middle of doing laundry. I’ll go ‘n get her right away!”

“Nah, it’s fine. All that’ll probably amount to will just be you getting in the way of her
work, so let’s not.” I flashed Lyuu a bit of a strained smile.

The next person to greet me did so by clinging onto one of my sides.

“Welm. Hom.”

“Yeah, thanks. Good to… be… back…?” I slowly trailed off as I realized that something
was off… Wait, who the hell am I talking to again?

The person that had just greeted me couldn’t have been Illuna or either of the maids.
I knew where the vampire was. I was literally hugging her as she affectionately rubbed
her face against my chest. The warwolf was too far away to do anything like clinging
to me, and Leila wasn’t here to begin with.

With those facts in mind, I slowly looked towards the source of the sensation.

After turning my head, I found myself face to face with another young girl who just so
happened to resemble Illuna. If I had to name a difference between the two, it would
probably be the fact that one was blue, and the other was not.

And by blue, I didn’t mean that she had blue hair, nor that she was wearing blue. I had
meant it in the most literal sense of the term. That is, I could see the floor through her
translucent blue body.

Silence.

Silence was the only thing that I could muster as I stared at her, my mouth gaping wide
open. Though it was supposed to be my first time ever seeing her, she gave off a sense
of familiarity.

I could immediately tell that I knew her.

She was undoubtedly someone I had met in the past.

No, she was more than just that.

She was someone for which I felt a sense of affinity, a sense of affection.
I felt as close to her as I did Lefi and Illuna.

And it just so happened that the number of translucent blue individuals I happened to
feel that way about numbered exactly one.

“Wait… are you… Shii!?”

“That’s. Ite!”

The girl, whose body was as blue as the sea, happily jumped about on the spot in
response to being identified.
“I see that yet another one of the dungeon’s residents has now taken upon a form that
stimulates your desires, Yuki,” grumbled the dragon girl. She continued to both poke
Shii’s cheeks and look her over as she spoke.

“You and I really need to sit down and talk about what you think I’m into.” I rolled my
eyes before turning to Illuna, who’d just stopped glomping me. “So how did all this
happen anyway?”

“Uhmmmm…” She paused for a moment before firing off and describing the events
that had occured as quickly as she could. “Well, Shii was kinda like, she thinks she can
transform! So I told her to try, and then she did! Right Shii?”

“Wight!” replied the slime.

The two girls exchanged a glance before turning back towards me, big smiles plastered
all over their faces. Damn, that’s cute, super cute. But it doesn’t exactly tell me much
about what’s happened.

Fortunately, the vampire continued to explain. Because she was just a child, she only
ended up expanding on the things that she cared about. Fortunately, it was still enough
information to get the gist of what had happened.

The two had been playing around, as usual, while we were away, when Illuna tripped
and hurt herself. Shii immediately bounced over, and because she had thought that the
wound looked like it hurt, she had touched it in an attempt to ease the pain it caused.
Her body suddenly began to glow with a bright light the moment she did. And by the
time it had faded, so had the cut.

She first took on Illuna’s form shortly after the incident. She felt as if she’d suddenly
gained the ability to do so, and figured that she may as well try given that the girl had
urged her to do exactly that. Wait, does that mean that Illuna and Shii were totally able
to talk even back when Shii was still just in her slime form?
…The fuck?

Yeah, you know what? I’ll just bench that thought for now and come back to it later.

Long story short, Shii had evolved, and the instant she touched the vampire’s wound
was probably the exact moment it happened.

I understood the events that had transpired. But, despite Illuna’s explanation, I wasn’t
able to make heads or tails out of an important question: why? But since sitting around
wasn’t going to help me solve the puzzle, I decided to check the slime’s stats for myself.

General Information
Name: Shii
Class: Healer
Race: Heal Slime
Level: 11
HP: 130/130
MP: 572/572
Strength: 21
Vitality: 51
Agility: 32
Magic: 256
Dexterity: 64
Luck: 114

Unique Skills
Transformation

Skills
Predation III
Regeneration III
Healing Magic II

Titles
Demon Lord’s Kin
Therapeutic Slime
…Well then. That’s a huge change if I’ve ever seen one. Her magic stat had grown so
much that it was now more than twice that of the humans I’d analyzed in town. Wait.
I could swear that the only times we’ve ever taken her outside were when we took her on
walks, and the dungeon itself has almost never been attacked. How the hell did she get
enough exp to evolve?

Leila had explained to me upon the occurrence of my own evolution that monsters
were typically the quickest to evolve. From that perspective, I thought that it wasn’t all
that strange for Shii to have fulfilled all the necessary requirements. It was possible
that she had somehow managed to leech a bit of experience here and there. Still, I
doubt that’d be anywhere near enough for her to level up so m—wait a second!

Only after another moment’s worth of contemplation did I realize that Shii had a skill
by the name of Predation. It was an ability that apparently allowed her to do
something along the lines of absorbing the magical energy contained within whatever
she ate. And because the slime was pretty much willing to ingest anything I tossed her
way, I’d ended up feeding her a whole bunch of random shit. The number of mana-rich
afternoon snacks she’d had was impressive, to say the least. Yeah, that’s gotta be it. She
probably just ripped the mana out of everything I fed her and turned it into exp.

As much as I wanted to believe that I had finally reached the correct conclusion, I still
felt that something was off. She’d grown far too much for someone that had done
nothing but employ the power of gluttony. If eating was enough to make one evolve,
then all the forest’s predators would have long done exactly that. Carnivores ate meat
every day, after all. And even those that didn’t prefer meat had plentiful access to a
near-excessive amount of magical energy. Most of the fruits and vegetables in the area
were practically stuffed full of it.

It just didn’t make sense for Shii to evolve at the speed she had, even considering that
she was a monster with access to plenty of food. If a few meals were all it took to turn
a monster into a more powerful monster, then humanity would’ve long been wiped off
the food chain.

“Erk…” The dragon girl made a funny groan as she continued staring at the slime.

“What’s up Lefi? You look like you’ve got something to say.”

“I believe that I may perhaps know the cause of Shii’s sudden evolution. It… likely
bears a relation to my actions, for I have fed her my magical energies.”
“You what…?”

“I happened to take notice of her habit of draining the mana from her meals,”
continued the dragon girl. Both her tone of voice and her expression gave rise to a
sense of guilt. “I provided her a portion of my own on occasion after considering that
she would likely enjoy it.”

“Your ana. Weally taty!” said Shii with a smile. A. d. o. r. a. b. l. e.

Well, that explains that, I guess. I nodded as I accepted Lefi’s explanation as the key to
the puzzle. I knew exactly where she was coming from, as I’d often done the exact same
thing. But because Lefi was so much more powerful than me, her mana was far denser.
Even a tiny bit of it went a long way.

With her body in its current form, hell, even in its dragon form, she had so much mana
that she wouldn’t be able to contain it if it wasn’t highly compressed. And that was
precisely the reason that she had accidentally done in a house while attempting to
burn down a zombie or two. She had an excessive amount of mana and she needed to
be very careful if she wanted to use it in smaller quantities. In other words, her spell
had been more powerful than intended as a result of the dragon girl’s sloppy nature.
Alright, that’s enough about that. I’m getting a bit sidetracked.

I could finally both understand and accept the cause of Shii’s speedy evolution as well
as the reason for which her magic stat had increased so explosively. Our resident
dragon had basically fed her steroids. Each dose of her mana may as well have been a
rare candy. Speaking of rare candies, P*kemon was messed up, man. Rare candies were
definitely just weird drugs. 100% for sure.

The only part of Shii’s evolution that I wasn’t particularly surprised about was her
race. It made sense that she’d become a Heal Slime. She had always been responsible
for soothing our minds. Her newfound ability to heal our physical wounds felt more
like an extension of her existing abilities than anything else.

Transformation was likely the skill that let her take on her current form. Rir had it as
well, but unlike the slime, Rir’s body wasn’t nearly as malleable to begin with, so all he
could do was change his size. And although I had been referring to Shii as a her, she
did not in fact have a gender given her identity as a slime.

“I see… So that’s what happened…” I muttered under my breath as I pat Shii on the
head. At first, I had only felt surprise. But the emotion had gradually faded and
replaced itself with a sense of joy.

“Master? Shii evolve. Happy?”

“Sure am.” I smiled at her as I continued to pat her on the head.

It was true. I was happy. I was deeply moved by the fact that Shii had changed as much
as she had. I guess this is how parents must feel when they realize that their kids are all
grown up.

“Me too,” said Shii. “Look ore ike everyone els. Happy.”

Oh. My. God. She. Is. Adorable.

“You are smiling as would an imbecile, Yuki.”

“O-Oh shut up Lefi, you’re literally doing the exact same thing.”

“I-I am not! The grin upon my face is merely one that reflects my lack of fear.”

Uhhh, that’s kinda weird in its own right, but okay. Whatever you say.

“Oh yeah,” I turned to Illuna. “Earlier, you mentioned that Shii was talking to you when
she was still just a normal slime, right? Could you really understand her?”

“Mhm! Of course I could!” nodded the vampire. “‘Cause we’re friends!”

“Fweins!”

Yeah uhhhhhh… that’s not making any sense. But you know what? They’re both super
cute, so I could honestly care less.
A night had already passed since Lefi and I had returned to the dungeon. We’d spent
yesterevening giving everyone the souvenirs we’d gotten them and talking, both about
everything that had happened while we were away and what we did in town. The
entire conversation had actually happened over the dinner table, at which the
dungeon’s residents had sat until the day’s end.

“Okay! Next!” Illuna cheered energetically as she pointed towards yet another object.
“That’s called an apple!”

“App-o!”

“No, no, no! It’s not an app-o. It’s an apple!”

“A… pple!”

“That’s it, good job!”

The two girls continued the adorable act of squealing in delight. Watching them
caused my head to fill with so many images of cute things that I felt like I was starting
to experience Gestaltzerfall. Yet, I didn’t want to tear my eyes away from them. That
was just how cute they were. The reason I almost couldn’t take my eyes off them was
because one of the two girls was currently in the midst of acting as an apprentice to
the other. That is, Shii, who had formed pseudo vocal chords, was learning how to
speak from Illuna.

Of course, they weren’t the only ones hanging around and doing whatever. Since we’d
put everything behind us last night, today, we all went about doing our usual business.
The maids were performing their duties, Lefi was, as proclaimed, lazing around in bed,
and I was huddled up in one of the corners of the true throne room.

The next task at hand was for me to construct a brand new weapon. The base was
obviously going to be the cursed axe I’d looted off a thug in town. So with that goal in
mind, I reached into my inventory and grabbed the item in question. Though it didn’t
try to corrupt and take over my mind as it had the last time I wielded it, it did continue
to overflow with a sort of twisting, malevolent mana. The magical energies that it gave
off weren’t entirely docile, however, as it did prickle my skin as if to complain that I
had left it inside my inventory for far too long. My bad, my bad. I didn’t forget about you
or anything. I just didn’t have the chance to get to doing this, so gimme a break already
goddammit.

“T-The heck is that, Master? It’s lookin’ real sinister and givin’ me the creeps,” said Lyuu
as she stared at the axe wide-eyed.

“Is that perhaps the magically enhanced weapon you mentioned last night?”

The two maids’ reactions were nearly on complete opposite ends of the spectrum. One
was intimidated, while the other looked with her eyes full of curiosity.

“Basically, yeah. It’s pretty much obeying me right now, so you don’t really need to
worry too much. That said, I’d still advise against getting too close to it.”

“Uhmm… Master, y’sure obeying is the right word? ‘Cause it almost sounds like you’re
treating it like a pet,” said Lyuu. “Wait! Is it really okay for you to be touchin’ it if it’s
dangerous!?”

“This ain’t too big a deal for me, so don’t worry.” I responded to Lyuu’s confusion with
a casual shrug before getting back to work.

I laid out the materials I planned to use and gave them a quick once over. The first was
the Ancient Hero’s Sword that I’d bought in town. The second, a chunk of metal I’d
gotten from the catalogue. Orichalcum.

Orichalcum was an excellent conductor of magical energy. Mana could flow through it
with ease. The metal was known for being able to not only restore, but also enhance
broken blades when used in the repair process. But of course, that was a waste of the
precious metal’s potential, for it was of orichalcum weapons that legends were sung.
They were so sharp that, according to Lefi, they were known for cleaving through even
the scales of dragons, this world’s most powerful creatures. That said, she herself was
apparently immune to them. Her scales were far too hard even for orichalcum to
pierce. What kinda bullshit is that!?

Of course, such a high quality good came with an appropriate price tag. A single
kilogram of the stuff had equalled out to three whole inns. And given the expense, I
wasn’t about to just chuck the orichalcum in just to do it. The reason I included it was
because I had hoped that I would be able to use it to restore some of the power that
lay within the Ancient Hero’s Sword during the reforging process. But man, I am
seriously short on DP. I’ll probably have to start going hunting with Rir again.

“…Is that perhaps orichaculm, my lord?” asked Leila.

“Wait, orichalcum!?” The warwolf’s eyes went wide.

“Yeah,” I said, impressed. “I’m surprised you could tell, Leila.”

“Thank you, my lord,” she replied. “…Remaining here in this dungeon has truly allowed
me to see all sorts of different things.”

“All sortsa different things is cuttin’ it short, Leila! Orichalcum is totally the stuff of
legends, ain’t it? Though I guess it ain’t too special when you’ve got both the Supreme
Dragon and a venerable member of the Fenrir species lying around, huh?”

Both maids had basically stopped working and become the peanut gallery. But though
they continued to speak, and though I continued to listen, I ended up zoning them out
as I placed the materials in a line and began to concentrate.

I had to take the grudges that possessed the weapon, its will, and forge it anew into
something more… righteous, something that didn’t scream malevolent at the top of its
lungs. And I could not fail. I only had one shot at this; only one of each component lay
in my possession. If I fucked up, then it was game over. Failure was equivalent to
wasting both my money and destroying valuable materials.

To that end, I kept in mind the most important lesson I’d learned from creating all the
weapons I had.

Simple was best. More often than not, making something complicated resulted in
failure rather than success. Thus, I focused on the two traits that I really wanted:
weight and sharpness. Those two traits were all I focused on. Ideally, I would like to
have something done to its appearance. I wanted to make it look a lot less sinister and
a lot more dignified. But that, again, wasn’t nearly as important. I only kept it in the
back of my mind. Don’t worry. I’ll use you a ton once you’re born anew.

Only after reassuring the magic axe of my intentions and refining the image I had in
mind, did I finally begin to channel my magical energies into the materials. And then I
activated the skill.

A groan escaped my lips.

The materials, which were of the highest grade, rapidly drained my mana. The amount
that it required was far greater than what Hasai had needed. But that don’t mean shit!

I grit my teeth, clenched my jaws, and endured. I faced the weighty sense of
despondency created by the fact that a massive amount of magical energy had escaped
from my body. I faced it head-on with sheer willpower.

And I succeeded.

The materials almost seemed to liquify as they would in the depths of a blazing hot
furnace. The three, distinct objects each gave off an incredible sheen as they slowly
melded together to form a single, final result.
As the figurative furnace cooled, the light surrounding the newly merged item began
to dim.

“Wow…” I blinked, impressed, before reaching towards the final result and grabbing it
by the hilt.

The blade glimmered. The light that came from the chandeliers illuminating the room
almost seemed to sparkle off its edge. It, the final product, was a blade of Japanese
origin—a katana. Specifically, it was a longer sub-type of katana known as a Tachi. Or
at least that was what it would have been had its size been any less disproportionate.
The blade was so long that drawing it from a scabbard looked like it would be a royal
pain. Fortunately, there was no need for me to carry my weapon the same way the
average Joe would. I had a magical inventory, and I planned to use it.

My new weapon’s blade wasn’t nearly as wide or thick as the western styled swords
that I had been using to date, but its weight matched, no, exceeded its predecessors’
nonetheless. The grip, the part that I had grabbed, was fairly simple as far as its design
went. So simple, in fact, that it lacked a guard.

By contrast, its blade was beautiful. It was dyed a fiery shade of crimson and almost
seemed to embody the concept of flame itself.

The only thing the weapon lacked now was a name.

And I had just the perfect one in mind.

“Alright, from here on out, your name is gonna be Zaien.” After christening it, I
analyzed the weapon to ensure that it had taken on its new moniker.

Zaien: A greatsword in the shape of a katana synthesized by a Demon Lord by

the name of Yuki. This blade despises sin and forgives not those that commit it.
Through its blade, which only grows sharper and more powerful as it bathes in
blood, Zaien convicts sinners of their crimes and delivers their sentences itself.
 Equipping this weapon leads to a drastic boost in its wielder’s stats. Quality:
Immeasurable.

To summarize, Zaien was a crimson blade capable of judging and punishing sinners.
And that was precisely why I had given it the name I had. Zaien was a combination of
two Japanese words. The former denoted sin, while the latter denoted flame. Together,
the two formed a perfect description of exactly what the weapon was.

Its specs were quite literally off the charts. It was obviously not only far superior to
anything I’d made to date, but also likely more powerful than anything I would ever
make going forward. Yet, according to its description, the sword was still incomplete.
I guess that’s probably why it’s got that whole immeasurable quality and all that.

Of course, it went without saying that I didn’t mind. Gradually strengthening a sword
that only grew more powerful as it continued to cut was an entire male fantasy in and
of itself.

As for the weapon in question? It also seemed quite satisfied with its transformation—
which made sense given the sinister air that had possessed it prior. The thick, grudge
ladden miasma that it had attempted to channel into me was now replaced with joy.
Its happiness was literally seeping into my being. Yeah, I’d say this whole experiment
turned out pretty damn well. I see no reason not to use the hell out of you.

“Wow! That thing’s huge!” said Lyuu. “The blade’s got this weird curve to it too. Is it
s’pposed to be some sorta cutlass, Master?”

“Nah. It’s a katana.”

“A katana…” muttered Leila. The demon girl was looking at the weapon with eyes full
of unbridled curiosity. “I believe they stemmed from the east…”

You know, Leila’s got a pretty serious curious streak, huh? The fact that I’d voiced only
to myself was one that I’d only noticed fairly recently.

“I see…” said Lyuu. “Well, uhmm, would you mind lettin’ me see it, Master?”

“Sure. But you might not be able to wield it. It’s pretty heavy.”

“No worries there! I may not look tough, but I’m a warwolf, and strength is somethin’
that just comes to us, y’knowhat the heck!?” The warwolf cut herself off with a screech
the moment I handed her the oversized blade. “Why the heck is this thing so heavy!?”

Yeah, that’s pretty much the exact reaction I figured you’d have.

Leila and I laughed as we watched Lyuu, who had already started to sweat in
desperation as she did her best not to drop the blade. Only after watching her struggle
did I casually take it back.

“Man, you guys sure are mean…” she said as she panted. “I can’t believe y’just stood
there n’ laughed even though I was ‘bout to drop it!”

“Don’t blame us. Your reaction was just so classic that we couldn’t help ourselves,” I
chuckled. “Anyway, I’mma head out and give ‘er a spin.”

“Do you know when you’ll return, my lord?”

“I’ll definitely be back by dinner, so make sure you make my share!”

I gave the girls one last shout as I walked across the true throne room and left through
the front door.

I called for Rir, who had returned to the forest with his underlings, immediately after
doing a few practice swings. The reason was obvious. The two of us were to set out to
hunt, both to test my new weapon and to earn some much needed DP.

“Wow… Not bad.”

A few minutes after we started, I found myself standing in front of the butchered
corpse of the first monster we’d encountered, nodding in appreciation. Needless to
say, Zaien had impressed me. The sword had quite literally adjusted its own trajectory
in order to better the strike I had executed. As a result, the slash had ended up literally
perfect. It had cleanly cleaved the monster into two equal halves. Wielding Zaien just…
felt right.

It was in part a result of the way I fought. I had always just relied purely on brute force.
I had a lot of power behind my swings, but much of it was wasted. That, however, was
no longer the case. The lovely crimson blade assisted me in following through with my
attack and thereby put the would-be wasted force to good use. Talk about user-friendly.
God damn. And these bonus stats too. Holy crap. My body’s light as a kite. Hell, I feel agile
enough to pull off all the crazy acrobatic shit they need stuntmen and wires for in movies.
With ease.

The weapon’s auto-assist was a really nice feature, but it wasn’t the only thing that left
me feeling pleasantly surprised. Zaien was sharp. Incredibly. Fucking. Sharp. The first
swing I used had happened to contain a little bit too much power because of how gung-
ho I had been feeling. Thus, Zaien had cut right through both the monster and the tree
next to it without the slightest bit of resistance. So sharp was the blade that it scared
me. I was worried that I would accidentally end up touching it without meaning to do
so one day and end up losing a finger or five.

I suspected that Zaien’s current state at least in part stemmed from the will that
resided within it. It had really wanted to be able to fulfill its role as a weapon, after all.

“You’re sharp, you look awesome, and you’re even easy to use. God damn. You’re pretty
much the best possible weapon a man could ask for,” I said with a smirk.

Zaien once again began channeling its joy into me in response to the praise I sang it.
Huh. That’s a bit of a charming reaction. Hell, I’m even feeling kinda tempted to call it cute.

You know what? I’m definitely going to engrave a fire-based spell into this thing later.
Maybe I’ll go with the one I got from one of the books I bought, the one that ignites things
it cuts and reduces them to cinders.

Despite eating much more mana, Zaien had, unlike Hasai, spawned with three slots,
likely as a result of the ultra high-class materials used in its creation. Wait. Will it be
able to do that whole growing by drinking blood thing if it burns things down on contact?
Ehh, whatever. I’ll figure that part out afterwards.

I had yet to decide on what I was going to put in the other two slots, but since I didn’t
have any ideas off the top of my head, I shelved the thought for another time.

My excitement had been a little more than just obvious. The sheer extent to which it
seeped out from my being had actually caused Rir to smile wryly in my direction. But
that didn’t discourage me. I continued to spend the rest of the day testing my new
blade out regardless.
“Ugh…” I loosed a sort of lethargic groan as I lay in a position that could only be
described as awkward. My face was on the floor and my arms were sprawled all over.
Meanwhile, my feet lay resting atop the throne. While I couldn’t deny that the groan
did have something to do with my awkward posture, it wasn’t by any means the root
cause.

“Is something the matter, my lord?” Leila, who had noticed my interesting pose, had
approached in an attempt to uncover the source of my behaviour.

“Oh, hey Leila,” I craned my neck to greet her while handing her the book I had
obtained from the town we visited. My attempts at processing it had all led to no avail.
“It’s this goddamn book.”

“Is that perhaps a book about magic circuits?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

Crafting Zaien had sent me over the moon. With the resulting tailwind at my back, I
had promptly begun investigating the magic circuits I needed to strengthen it even
further—only to be bricked in the face by reality. Being all gung ho was great, but it
didn’t exactly do anything to help fill the holes in my knowledge. In other words, I still
didn’t understand the things I had started off not comprehending.

The three magic circuit related books I had bought were labelled to contain
elementary, intermediate, and advanced concepts respectively. I had obviously started
with the easiest of the three, but even that was apparently far beyond anything that I
could grasp. Even the book on elementary concepts seemed to assume that the reader
already had some degree of proficiency in the subject matter at hand.

Of course, I knew literally nothing about the theory of magic. There had never been
any point in learning it given that I could create any phenomenon simply by imagining
it. But now, everything had seemed to backfire. My attempt to turn Zaien into a symbol
of calamity, a blade infamous for its overwhelming power, had caused me to descend
into an endless abyss of confusion.

“Would you like me to teach you?” But just as I was about to give up, Leila extended
her hand through the darkness and offered me salvation.

“Wait, you know this stuff?” I immediately pushed myself off the ground, the fire in my
eyes burning anew.

“I do,” she said. “My knowledge of this sort of magic was precisely what I used to put
bread on the table in the past.”

“Please and thanks then.”

I immediately took the maid up on her offer with a smile.

“Do you remember what I taught you about modern magical techniques, my lord?
Specifically, the methods by which they are activated.”

“Uhhhh…” I paused for a bit. “I think it was something like… you chant to create a frame
for the spell then pour mana into it in order to complete it?”

“That is correct. Magic circuits use letters and patterns to express the very same frame
the caster would normally construct with a chant. And like any other frame, pouring
magical energy into it completes it and transforms it into a spell,” said Leila. “To equate
this to the primordial magic that you are more accustomed to, drawing the magic
circuit is no different from forming the image of a spell within your mind.”

“Wow uh, you make it all sound simple. Why’d the book have to make it seem so
friggen complicated?”

Man, I really should’ve just asked Leila from the start. To hell with the book.

“That would be to dissuade the common folk from learning magic,” the maid said
matter-of-factly. “Magic is a powerful weapon and an easily concealed one at that.
Those in positions of power have mandated that magical texts be phrased in a manner
difficult for those lacking knowledge in the field to understand. That, however, does
not happen to apply to demons, as we regard magic as a fundamental skill that all
members of our species must learn.”

In other words, the overcomplicated textbooks were the government’s way of

regulating the distribution of magical knowledge. Huh. I guess it’s kinda like how those
that lorded over Japan’s Sengoku era would confiscate swords en masse in order to
ensure that their reigns remained stable.

Adventurers and people working in other similar trades would still have access to
magic and pass on their knowledge of it to their peers, but as far as the brass was
concerned, that wasn’t a problem. They knew that adventurers were dangerous; they
were often visibly armed with all sorts of weaponry. The ruling class felt much more
threatened by the prospect of the arms remaining hidden. That is, they didn’t want to
have to worry about getting attacked by the average Joe even in the case that he lacked
any sort of visible weaponry. Yeah uhhh… I can kinda see why they wouldn’t want that.

“As I was saying, each individual magic circle can be split into several distinct
modules,” said Leila. She began drawing on the whiteboard as she spoke, one that I
had originally bought in order to make it easier for Illuna to study. “Let us start with a
simple example in the form of the Fireball spell. The three modules that make up the
Fireball circuit implement the functions that allow the caster to create the fireball,
establish control over it, and launch it. It is no difficult task to take the implementation
a step further and apply a module that allows one to either affect its trajectory mid-
flight or alter its form.”

Leila had drawn an entire diagram on the board by the time she finished speaking. The
magic circle penned by the demonic maid was of the exact modular design that she
had described; it was comprised of several smaller circuits that came together to form
a whole.

“Uhhhh… wow. I gotta say, I’m impressed with how much you seem to know about all
this.”

“These are just the basics,” she chuckled. “I must say, my lord, this board of yours is
quite convenient. So much so, in fact, that I am starting to lament not having had one
to work with in the past.”

And so, Ms. Leila’s classes on magic circuits continued.

All the magic circuits she taught me were much like the first. They were all made up
of smaller modules that could be combined to create a whole. However, they were
benign. Apparently, magic circuits could not be activated unless they were drawn from
start to end and in a single go; the two ends had to meet before the marker left the
whiteboard. I guess that means it’s kinda like how I have to make my mana circulate
through my body before casting primordial magic.

Unlike primordial spells, however, magic circuits had to remain fairly small scale. They
needed to be as compact as possible, as it became difficult for magical energy to flow
through them otherwise.

“Wait. Do magic circuits have to be drawn on flat surfaces or something?”

“Come again?”

“Like, the whole thing doesn’t all have to be on the same plane, does it? Can’t you like,
put different parts of it on different parts of the thing you’re trying to enhance?”

The idea I had in mind was to carve a magical circuit into a three-dimensional object,
as one would in the kinda software that let you make models. Doing that would allow
the circuit to remain fairly compact even with a larger magical algorithm. That is, it
would eliminate the mana flow problem without compromising the spell’s complexity.

“Well, you see…” I had begun explaining my thoughts to her, but cut myself off before
I dug too deep into the weeds. “Actually, y’know what, nevermind. What I thought up
is like, super obvious, so I’m sure someone’s already tried it and failed, so yeah. Forget
it.”

I waited for the maid’s response, but none came.

“Uhhh, Hello? Leila? Earth to Leila?” I tried giving her a verbal prod or two in order to
get her to stop spacing out. Only then did she suddenly come back from her daydream,
but what she did next was something that almost seemed to completely shatter the
nonchalant impression I had of her. She grabbed my hand with hers and began
speaking in a tone that reeked of excitement.

“That’s an incredible idea, my lord! I believe you may have just made the greatest
breakthrough in the study of magic in the modern age!”

“Uhhhh. Okay…?”
“Everyone that has studied magic circuits has always assumed that a flat surface was
necessary, but that assumption is one that holds no ground. The method you described
is precisely what is needed in order to increase each spell’s complexity without
necessitating a decrease in the resulting circuit’s ability to process magical energy! I’m
sorry, my lord, but I will have to excuse myself! I have something that I must
immediately attend to!”

“A-Alright…?”

Leila dashed off and made a beeline straight for her room the moment I gave her my
consent.

“Though I really would’ve liked it if you had at least finished this lesson up first…”
“Watch out Shii! The ball’s going your way!”

“Okay!”

The slime girl stretched out an arm in the most literal sense of the term in order to
catch the rounded toy that the vampire tossed her way.

“Wow! That’s so cool Shii! I can’t believe you caught that!”

“Yup yup! Really good. At this!”

I smiled as I watched the girls frolic about within the castle’s courtyard from atop a
nearby wooden bench. The two of them had always been on good terms, but Shii’s
newfound ability to speak seemed to have brought them closer than ever. Friendship
sure is beautiful.

Although the slime was still far from being the best speaker, she was slowly getting
there. Illuna’s lessons, which the vampire had carried out with gusto, had turned Shii’s
fragmented words into choppy but understandable sentences. Most importantly of all,
speech now seemed to come to her much more naturally than it had at first.

And while I knew that making progress was good for her, I couldn’t help but lament it.
The way she so desperately tried to express herself with words she was incapable of
pronouncing had been adorable. But alas, the phase had already both come and gone,
as per the natural order of things. And despite my many grievances, I had already
accepted it as one of the many sorrows that naturally accompanied the act of
parenting.

One might ask: why, Yuki, are you sitting on a bench in what is effectively a park and
staring at a pair of little girls? The answer to said question was, of course, not to
observe the aforementioned underaged individuals. Heavens no. My presence was
entirely coincidental. I simply happened to decide to sit down after finishing up a
series of exhausting renovations, and they just happened to be nearby. There was
nothing else to it.

Speaking of renovations, they were coming along quite well. I had finished about ten
percent of the interior spaces I had created. I only tackled a few things each day, as I
was taking a more relaxed approach to completing all the renovations. My castle’s
completion still lay far off in the future. The only place that was fully fleshed out so far
was its palace-like centrepiece. Ugh… Which retard was the one who decided to make
this thing so fucking big again? Oh right. It was me. God damn it Yuki, you’re an idiot.

That said, the castle’s incomplete state wasn’t something I was really stressed over. I
was in no rush to complete it. I pretty much had all the time in the world, after all. The
gradual way I was going about doing it now was much more entertaining. It gave me
the liberty to be creative and add buildings or fiddle with the terrain at my leisure.
Most important of all, it staved off the threat of burnout.

The warmth of the sun wrapped me in its embrace as I bathed in the calming
atmosphere. Before long, the combination of the fatigue I accumulated from doing all
those renovations and the courtyard’s relaxing mood led me to drift off into the land
of dreams.

I felt something akin to the sensation of slowly rising to the surface of a calm lake as I
regained my consciousness. It was a feeling I was well accustomed to, the feeling of
awakening well rested from a comfortable slumber.

“Nrgh…” The first thing I did as I opened my eyes was groan as I was greeted by a sky
steeped in the orange-red glow of twilight. “Whoops. I guess I must’ve passed out.”

The grassland the castle was situated in had been set to be synchronized with the
outside world, which meant that the afternoon had indeed come and gone. Aw crap. I
think I might’ve slept a bit too long.

I tried to get up as the thought hit me, only to realize that my legs were being held
down by a pair of weights. Turning my gaze downward, I realized that the two girls
that had been playing around in the courtyard were now sound asleep with their
heads on my lap. It seemed that they had tired themselves out by playing to their
hearts’ content.
Given their current situation, I decided to stop getting up. Instead, I leaned back on
the bench and smiled. Carefully, so as not to wake them, I placed a hand on each of
their heads and ran my fingers through their hair.

The sensations that the two girls gave off were almost polar opposites. Shii was soft
and cool, whereas Illuna was warm and had hair that was smooth to the touch.

Only after coming to this world did I finally begin to feel like I was actually alive.

My last life was much different. There, it was almost like I’d spent my days living just
for the sake of being alive. I hadn’t had any particular interests or goals, and I’d never
felt like there was anything I really wanted to accomplish. I’d always felt that I was
going to live in obscurity and die in obscurity. I would leave no legacy. No one would
ever remember me or the things I did.

And in the end, that was exactly how it happened. My final moments had been a bit
more abrupt than what I had anticipated, but it had all played out exactly as I’d
expected. Back there, I was nothing. All my experiences were measured only on a scale
of worthlessness.

But now, things were different. Everything was tens, hundreds of times as vibrant and
fulfilling. The number of significant events I’d experienced in my time here in this
world had already eclipsed the number I’d experienced in my last.

Today too, I’d spent the entire day enjoying it however I wished. And although I had
no solid proof that tomorrow would be the same, I expected exactly that.

Lefi had once told me that her world had changed. I had to agree. The very same had
happened to mine. My world had once been a mix of greys. But now, it was practically
bursting with colour. The colours only grew more and more vivid as time passed me
by. I couldn’t help but find them precious. And the two resting on my lap were a part
of the many elements that comprised them.

I stroked their heads as gently I would delicate treasures before moving my hands to
their shoulders and lightly shaking them awake.

“It’s time to get up, sleepyheads. You won’t be able to sleep well tonight if you catch
too many z’s now. And I’m sure you don’t want to end up like our resident dragon,
right?”
“Nnn…”

“Mmnn. Morning. Master.”

Illuna didn’t really seem to offer anything more than a groan, but apparently the
shaking had been enough to rouse Shii, who blinked a few times before turning
towards me with an adorable smile.

“Good morning, Shii. Good evening would probably be more appropriate given the
time, though.” I smiled. “And as for you, little miss Illuna, you’ll probably want to get
up if you don’t want everyone else to eat up your share of tonight’s dinner.”

“Nnnmm…” Despite being warned of the fact that she may end up missing a meal, the
vampire failed to open her eyes.

Well, can’t be helped then. Given no other choice, I smiled wryly as I lifted her with one
arm in order to carry her back into the castle.

“Alright Shii, let’s go back inside.”

“Okay!”

I extended my other hand towards the slime, who promptly grabbed ahold of it as we
slowly moved back over to the door leading to the true throne room, leaving a pair of
long evening shadows behind us as we went.
There was a moment of silence. The air was filled with naught but stillness until the
moment I loosed a victorious roar.

“Yes! I got a bite!”

“What!?”

I glanced to the side as I gave my fishing rod a good tug and reeled in my catch, only to
see Lefi making an expression of shock.

“Well, Lefi, that’s fish number two,” I said with a snarky grin. “Iunno about you, but I
think it’s pretty safe to say that I’ve already won this little match of ours.”

“Your pursuit of victory comes with excess haste, for the event has yet to conclude.
Victory has not yet eluded me.” The dragon, who’d been grinding her teeth in
frustration, humphed before continuing to speak in an indignant tone. “And I see no
reason to perform such a menial task in the first place. It makes little sense not to
simply dry the riverbed should you wish to consume a fish.”

“Lefi, please. Talk about no taste in leisure.” I rolled my eyes. “Look, this, this is way
more fun. And before you even think about actually doing it, running the river dry is
hella wasteful and destructive, so please don’t.”

‘Cause coming from you, that seems a bit real, y’know?

The banter Lefi and I were engaged in was only an aside to the activity that we were
focused on: fishing. The two of us were both camped out in front of the river running
through the dungeon’s grasslands, rods in hand and ready to extract our prey at a
moment’s notice.

We weren’t the only two fishing either. Lyuu was doing the same, though she didn’t
quite seem all that focused. She kept glancing towards Illuna and Shii. Bored of fishing,
the two had started playing around with Rir, hence why Lyuu was so distracted. As a
warwolf, she couldn’t help but allow the Fenrir to draw her attention.

Like Illuna and friends, Leila was also situated nearby. She was seated on a large picnic
blanket, and continued to watch over the rest of us with a big smile on her face. Or at
least that was what she was doing most of the time. She would occasionally seem to
make a eureka face, pull out a stack of paper and start scribbling away while chuckling
with all the wickedness of a mad scientist. It was something I had seen many times
now. She’d started doing it ever since she put an abrupt end to that magic lesson the
other day, and had basically never stopped. She didn’t seem to be able to focus on
anything all that much either. The sheep-horned demon girl would always be
mumbling something or another under her breath, even while doing the chores.

That said, it wasn’t like I’d grown accustomed to her cackling. Honestly bro, that shit’s
kinda freaky.

I wasn’t the only one that found her recent actions intimidating either. Lyuu had
evidently felt the same way, as she’d come to me for a consultation. Frankly, Leila’s
demonic cackling had terrified her.

Despite her newfound habits and lack of attention, however, Leila was still doing one
hell of a job. Yeah, you know what? I’mma just leave that be. She’ll get back to normal
eventually. I hope.

I shook my head to stop myself from imagining the opposite case and once again
returned to reflecting on the day. Today was, like the day we had the picnic, another
outing for everyone to kick back and relax. And of course, the cause of it all was the
discovery that the river contained fish.

I myself had not been responsible for placing the fish where they were. I hadn’t known
that they were there at all. In fact, I was surprised to see that the river I’d used DP to
create was filled with life. All sorts of fish were swimming around in it like it was
nobody’s business. The only conclusion I could come to was that the fish just
happened to come with the river, and that was just how it was. Thinking along those
lines, that probably means that there’s stuff living in the mountains I decided to place as
a backdrop and whatnot too. But oh well whatever. They’re way too far out for me to
really give a shit. And the fish are way more important right now.

The fact that fish existed and were in a safe, accessible area meant that I straight up
had no choice but to start fishing. And that was why I’d arranged this little get together.
A fishing trip, per se. But despite it being the purpose of the outing, Lefi, Lyuu, and I
were the only ones that were actually fishing.

“…Woah! I think I just got one!” Lyuu shouted wide-eyed as she reeled her catch.

“Nrgghhh…” Again, Lefi groaned. “I see that you too have done as Yuki has, Lyuu.”

“Mhm! I guess that leaves you in last place, huh?” replied the warwolf.

“I shall see to it that the two of you face retribution for your conceit,” growled Lefi.

The supreme dragon’s discontent stemmed from the fact that us three fishermen were
engaged in a high stakes game with tonight’s dinner on the line. Literally. We were
planning to have fish tonight, and whoever caught the least would be stuck with the
shoddiest meal, or maybe even no meal at all depending on the catch. Of course, while
numbers were the primary method of determining the winners and losers, one could
redeem themselves and perhaps even claim victory through quality as well. The
requirement for such a victory was to catch something large enough to function as
tonight’s main dish.

As I was lost in thought, Illuna, who’d been playing around, pitter-pattered over and
gave Lefi’s back a big hug.

“Hey Lefi! Have you caught anything really big yet?” she asked.

“I-I have not,” stuttered the dragon girl. “But it shan’t be long. I assure you that I will
soon procure a catch of an impressive size.”

“Wow! I’m really excited to see what you’ll fish up, so do your best!” Illuna left as
quickly as she came, and returned to playing with everyone else after voicing a few
words of encouragement.

I began to grin. I really couldn’t help it given what I’d just seen.

“And why precisely have you that look on your face?” Lefi scowled.

“Naw, it’s nothing. I was just thinking that you two sure are close.”

“Fmph.” Lefi snorted as her cheeks turned red and her lips curled upwards in an
expression of discontent. “I’ve little reason to consider Illuna anything less than a
sister. It is only fair that I regard her with kindness.”

“I see, I see. A sister, huh?”

“What is it that you are trying to say?”

“Nah, don’t sweat it. It’s nothing.”

I’m just happy you think of her that way. That’s all.

“…Regardless, the expression you bear is one that stirs my rage. I shall see to it that
you change it, even if I must do it mys—” Lefi was cut off mid-sentence as she suddenly
felt something pull at her rod. “—A catch! It is time for me to lessen the gap between
our scores!”

“That rod’s mad bending. You hook the riverbed again or something?”

“Say what you will, for soon, you shall weep! The creature I have caught is undoubtedly
one of impressive size!”

Lefi enthusiastically roared as she pulled on her rod. And as she did, her prey surfaced.
Wait. The fuck is that thing!?

The bizarre creature had a body that resembled a tree trunk, a beard made of writhing
tentacles, and a mouth lined with dozens of tiny fangs. I had absolutely no idea what
it was, but it creeped me out either way.

“Hey uh… Lefi… You mind doing me a favour and fishing up something that’s a little
less… bizarre? Like, seriously. I can’t even tell if that thing’s supposed to be a fish or
something else altogether.”

“T-That is completely irrelevant. All that matters is that I too have now landed a catch!”

“I mean, yeah sure. But if you’re going to count that, then you better make sure you eat
it when dinner comes around, alright?”

“…I shall leave that duty to Rir.”

Please don’t feed my pet weird shit. Kthxbye.

“Ahem!” Lefi cleared her throat. “As I was saying, I believe that this brings Lyuu and I
to one catch apiece. While you are still yet ahead of us, the end is yet to be in sight.
This contest of ours is not yet over!”

The dragon smirked before turning to the beastkin beside her.

“Listen well, Lyuu. We must burn away the very essence that composes us and steal
away all that there is to capture. For tonight, we leave Yuki with only the smallest
morsel!”

“Huh? Uh… sure! Master’s been kinda mean lately, so this is just the right thing I gotta
do to teach ‘im a lesson!”

“Hah!” I scoffed. “All I hear from you guys are the cries of the incapable. I’ll show you
noobs just how overwhelming a real fisherman can be!”

And so, with our spirits lit aflame, the three of us continued to fish.
My surroundings were dim, lit only by three sources. The first was a magical lamp,
which provided only the slightest bit of illumination. The second was the flame that
kept the grill alight, whose warmth provided us with the ambience of a night out in
the woods. Finally, there was the moon and the brilliant star-filled sky around it. I
knew it was fake, a mere creation, but turning my eyes upon it gripped my heart with
a sense of wonder regardless.

“God damn it…” I groaned as I stoked the fire. “I really didn’t think I’d actually lose.
Man, talk about a sudden comeback.”

“You lost quite easily for a man that dared to boast,” Lefi smirked. She was hanging
around right beside me, and not for any good reason either. She was only there to gloat.
“How delectable this is. I must say, Yuki, I am impressed by your skill as a chef. It is a
shame that you are unable to taste the fruits of your efforts yourself. To think that you
must miss out on such delicious meat.”

Though she spoke words of pity, the shit eating grin she had plastered all over her face
clearly indicated that her true feelings were quite a far cry from what she claimed.
Further evidence came shortly as she used a pair of chopsticks, a tool she’d only
recently mastered, to taunt me with a piece of meat. She brought the perfectly grilled
morsel right before my eyes and just left it dangling.

Nom.

“What!? You ate it!?” shouted Lefi in a confused tone.

“Yeah. It was pretty good, if I do say so myself.”

“How dare you! Spit it out! Return it to me immediately! That piece was the last we
had of its variety!”

Lefi protested by lightly hitting my chest over and over, but I disregarded her and
continued to chew, stopping only to gloat with a grin. “My bad. You basically left it right
in front of my mouth, so I figured you were probably trying to feed me.”

“I did no such thing! You swine! Fiend! Demon!”

“Mwahahahaha!” I cackled. “Indeed, Lefi. You speak to none other than a fiendish
demon lord! How haven’t you noticed?”

“I have not fallen for your deception! I had known from the moment I first laid eyes on
you that you were a fiend!” shouted Lefi.

I put Lefi’s insults aside and instead began to reflect on the fishing contest. I had
managed to remain in the lead for quite some time. I kept netting fish after fish, and
neither of the other two could even come close. To that end, Lefi soon began protesting
that the whole scenario was unfair given my experience. Cocky as I was, I agreed to
give them a handicap. Thus, it ended up me vs. Team LL.

Though they put both their efforts and catches together, I still held onto the lead
regardless. But then, it happened. My reign came crashing down. Lefi managed to steal
my crown away by landing a massive catch the moment before we called it a day.

The massive creature yanked on her rod with all the force it could. If Lefi had been any
other delicate-looking girl, she probably would’ve been dragged right into the river.
But though she didn’t look it, she was the supreme dragon, and thus managed to easily
tear the creature out of the water. The reason I referred to her catch as a creature was
because, although it looked like a squid, it was apparently some sort of fish. Yeah, I still
don’t get it. The fuck was up with that thing?

It was obviously large enough to serve as the night’s main dish, and so, team LL
claimed the victory. In other words, my loss was entirely my own fault. Lyuu would
have been stuck at rock bottom had I not allowed the two of them to form a team.

As per the conditions of the bet, the loser (read: me) was responsible for firing up the
grill and barbecuing everything while everyone else ate; I wasn’t supposed to be
allowed to eat until everyone was full.

That said, neither Lefi nor Lyuu could actually cook, so I would’ve ended up sitting in
front of the grill regardless of who won. The only difference was that Leila would have
helped me out had I not come in last place. But since I did, she too had been granted
the right to sit around and eat to her heart’s content while I did all the cooking myself.
Fortunately, the fish had all been gutted ahead of time, so all I really had to do was sit
in front of the grill and watch as it did its job. Yeah, no biggie.

“Come on guys! Stop picking on each other already!” Illuna scolded Lefi and I as she
approached. “And open wide Yuki!”

“Thanks, Illuna,” I said as I bit down on the piece of meat she presented me.

“Mmmmnnn, that’s tasty. Having you feed it to me made it taste a whole hundred times
better.”

“Then I guess I gotta feed you lots more!” the young vampire giggled with delight as
she handed me another slice of meat.

That smile though. What an angel.

“You must cease, Illuna. You are spoiling him rotten,” said Lefi. “It is his duty to atone
for his loss.”

“But he’s the only one not eating and I feel really bad for him! Good food should be
shared with everyone! Right, Shii?”

“Right!”

The two girls exchanged glances while happily chewing on their food. C u t e.

“You see that, Lefi? That’s called kindness,” I said in a matter of fact tone. “You should
really take a page out of her book.”

“…I cannot disagree. Very well.” Lefi grabbed some vegetables and brought them to my
face.

“Huh? U-Uhh. alright. Well, I guess that means you get it, so don’t mind if I do.”

Failing to see any reason to reject her offer, I ate what Lefi had presented me.

“And here is another serving.”

“T-Thanks.”

“And another.”
“Thanks Lef—WAIT A SECOND! WHY ARE YOU ONLY FEEDING ME VEGETABLES!?”

The dragon girl responded to me with a despondent shrug. “I see that you do not
appreciate my attempts to feed you. How petty, to meet my kindness with naught but
complaints.”

“Yeah, how about you at least feed me some meat before you start mouthing off like
that.”

“The meat does appear rather delectable,” said Lefi. “I suppose I will have some.”

Lefi went out of her way by grabbing the exact piece I’d pointed to before swallowing
it whole. Damn it Lefi. I swear to god…

“Uhmmmm…” Leila said between hesitant but elegant bites out of a grilled fish. “I
would not mind taking over if you so wish it, My Lord.”

Speaking of fish, the bizarre life form that served as Lefi’s first catch had been released
back into the river, as none of us had been all that keen on eating it. Yeaaaah, shit
looked gross as fuck.

“That’s a no can do Leila. S’his job since he lost ‘n all that,” said Lyuu.

“Says the person that barely caught jack.”

“That don’t matter, master. A win is a win,” The warwolf grinned.

She was right, so the only response I could offer was a frustrated groan.

“Ay Rir, mah dude. You know that Lyuu chick? Bitch be mean as hell.” I intentionally
spoke in a hoodlum-like manner while doing absolutely nothing to lower my voice. [1]

“Wha- hey! Sayin’ that to Rir’s just a real act o’ good ol’ cowardice, Master! F-Fine, I
getcha. H-Here, I’ll feed ya some meat.”

“Nah, I’m good. I lost. This is my duty as the loser”

“W-What the heck Master!? L-Lord Rir! You got it all wrong, this ain’t my fault! I-I ain’t
mean at all!”
The wolf slumped over and whined, almost as if to indicate that he wanted to be left
out of the argument.

“Watch yourself, Yuki, for your hands appear rather idle for one responsible for the
fire.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I won’t slack. Oh yeah, before I forget. Stop feeding me all
the god damn vegetables and have some yourself.”

“U-Urk…” The dragon groaned. “I have had the inclination to ask this of you for quite
some time now. Why is it that I must eat mere grass? I see not the reason, and I have
never once in all my years felt the need to do so.”

“First of all, vegetables aren’t just grass,” I said. “And while it’s true that you can get by
without them, eating them is much better for you than not. You’ve gotta keep a
balanced diet if you want to stay healthy, you know?”

Of course, I understood that Lefi, being a “Supreme Dragon,” may not be built the same
way as any other omnivore, but I felt that she needed to be fed vegetables nonetheless,
just not for nutrition. She needs to be a lot less of a picky eater, and I know for a fact that
she won’t back down if I start spoiling her now.

“I believe you mentioned that you are starved for meat…?” The dragon grabbed a piece
of the stuff I’d been pointing at earlier and parked it right in front of me.

“Yeah, thanks.” I ate it, chewed, and swallowed before continuing. “But don’t think you
can get out of eating your veggies just ‘cause you actually started feeding me meat.”

“…”

Lefi please. I saw that one coming from a mile away.

“Hey Nell. Long time no see.”

I called out to the approaching silhouette with a casual wave as I watched it approach
through the forest. The map had told me that she was coming, so I left the castle in
order to meet her at the entrance to my dungeon.

“How the heck did you know that I was h… you know what, I’m not even going to ask.”
Nell blinked a few times, taken aback by the fact that I’d already been waiting for her.
“Man, I know this forest is huge and all, but I can’t believe seeing you actually made
me feel relieved. That actually makes me kind of mad,” she huffed.

Yeah, and that’s my fault, how…?

Unable to come up with a response, I instead shifted the topic. “It’s a shame you didn’t
show up three days ago. You missed out on some real good barbecue.”

“I don’t really mind,” she said. “It’s just a barbecue.”

“Seriously. It was real good,” I said. “Anyway, I bet you’re tired. You want to hit up the
hot springs first?”

“I’d really like to, but maybe next time,” said Nell, her tone grim. “I’m on a bit of a tight
schedule right now.”

“Fair enough. Well, either way, come in and make yourself at home.”

I turned around and led Nell into the cave. A wave of nice cool air hit us right as we
entered, and our footsteps gradually echoed behind us as we got deeper and deeper.

Only after a few minutes of walking did we finally arrive at a thick, heavy door, one
that came with a sense of grandeur. Although the door seemed to give off an almost
ominous aura, I opened it as casually as I would any other.
On the other side lay the usual grassy plain. Specifically, we were behind the castle and
right beside the good old hot-spring endowed, Japanese-style inn or ryokan,
depending on where you hailed from.

“Huh…?” Nell blinked a few times. “Wasn’t that door supposed to take us in front of
the castle?”

“It was, but it wasn’t all that convenient, so I had it swapped.” There were a series of
rattling noises as I opened a second door, the sliding door that marked the ryokan’s
entrance. “Oh yeah, shoes off.”

“Huh? I uhmm… Okay.”

The hero was unable to accept the explanation I gave her at face value, so she more or
less nodded along as she followed me into a room she was more familiar with.

I grabbed a pair of cushions off the stack sitting in the corner of the room and placed
them on the opposite sides of a table. I sat down on mine, crossed my legs, and waited
until she timidly followed suit before I started talking.

“Alright, why don’t you tell me what happened?”

“So to summarise,” said the hero. “It was apparently all just to buy time. The hoodlums
with the magic weapon, the various cases happening around the city, and the undead
assault were all just a part of a scheme meant to keep Governor Lurubia focused on
his own territory. And it kind of worked. They managed to get the governor to keep
the vast majority of its troops in Alfyro. But because you showed up and cleaned
everything up, the governor managed to send a horse to the capital and report what
had happened.”

She took a deep breath before continuing.

“Thanks to that, we were able to learn a bit more about the incident that happened in
the capital itself.”

“Mhmm…” I made a noise to indicate I was still listening as I sipped from a cup of hot
tea, one Leila had dropped by to serve.
Nell was here in order to provide an account of what she and the old man had learned
about the case. In other words, she had come to fulfill the promise she made when I
handed over the totally not suspicious looking necromancer I had caught back in town.
The reason I’d been waiting for her was, again, because my map had told me that there
was an intruder inbound. I had more or less already figured out her intentions the
moment I realized it was her.

Long story short, the country that the old man served had happened to undergo a
change in leadership. A coup.

And it had apparently all started because Prince Retard had found himself at his wit’s
end. He had made far too many major mistakes in too short a timespan. And so, he did
what any other dumb shit in his position would do and more or less led an armed
uprising.

The reason he had found himself so cornered was twofold. The first was because he
had lost the expedition force despite using greed to win his father’s subjects over. His
promises of gold and glory turned up as nothing but hot air and dead soldiers. The
second was a failure in a similar vein. He had abused his authority in order to force
the church to deploy the ever valuable hero without consulting the relevant
authorities (read: his father).

And, like the army, she too had vanished into thin air. Of course, Nell was fine. She had
been with us the whole time, in fact. However, the church had declared her MIA. A part
of it had been because the hero hadn’t made any reports. But, as she discovered upon
her return, that wasn’t the only reason. The church had used her supposed death as
an excuse to put more pressure on Prince Dumbfuck. Goddamn. This world be fucking
scary.

But whatever the case, the end result was the same. Shit had hit the fan. Hard.

The prince’s reputation hit rock bottom. And, to him, it probably seemed like his
brilliant future had slipped right outside his grasp before his very eyes.

He only had two choices remaining. The first was to put everything he had at stake all
while trusting that he could somehow miraculously turn everything around. The
second was to take everyone else down with him. And so, Prince Fuckwad did what
any self-respecting, reasonable human being would. He went with choice number one;
he chose to engage in a desperate sink or swim struggle that could allow him to either
reclaim his “all that was his by right” or lose it forever.

Hence why he had attacked the city. Apparently, his territory’s proximity to the Wicked
Forest resulted in the old dude’s forces, the soldiers and adventurers that inhabited
his city, to be much stronger than the norm. Moreover, he was both loyal to the king
and against the prince’s expedition plan to begin with. Thus, the prince had subjected
him to an attack in order to direct his attention away from the capital while he seized
control of the throne.

Apparently, he had done similar things elsewhere. He ordered attacks on all the other
cities lorded over by governors that did not agree with his policies, paralyzing them
and rendering them unable to interfere. But again, because the old man’s troops were
of such a high quality, he had been hit much harder than anyone else.

And frankly, the prince’s ploy succeeded. The king had been declared missing, and the
capital was now under the control of a force that he had charge of. Wow, shit for brains
over there actually thought up something decent for once. The king being missing is some
real nasty shit.

If the king was alive, then one could expect his supporters to rally his troops in order
to rescue him. And if he was dead, then one could expect his supporters to march on
the capital flying banners of justified vengeance. But since he was missing and not
known to be in either of the aforementioned states, his supporters were paralyzed.
There was no cause for them to rally under. And they couldn’t act without extreme
caution.

The plan was effective, but it would only ever be able to buy so much time. Those that
opposed Prince Dickwad would soon find an excuse to rally, but they would not be
able to touch him so long as he put together a functional administration prior to their
arrival.

There were many that didn’t want the prince on the throne.

And I was among them.

The prince had already prodded at me twice. I had no doubt that he would send an
even larger force right to my doorstep should he gain full control over the country’s
military. I doubted that I would be able to handle the entire thing myself.

There was a chance I would have to ask Lefi to lend me a hand. Yeah no. Fuck that.
You’d think this idiot would learn his lesson after having his plans to move on me bite
him in the ass twice in a row, so he probably won’t come again, but I’m just going to go
ahead and assume the worst. Not thinking about something isn’t going to stop him
from actually doing that something. God damn it. There go my days of kicking back
with my feet on the sofa.

Though I mentioned having to think up something, the truth was that I already had a
little something up my sleeve. Y’know. Just going to give him a bit of irreversible brain
damage and casually turn him into a comatose potato for the rest of his life. Nothing too
special.

I had already identified the exact tool that I would need to do it, a golem called the
puppet of possession. As implied by its name, it was an inanimate creature that was
capable of allowing my consciousness to possess it. It was the perfect assassin. I could
use it to eliminate the prince from a safe distance. Or at least a relatively safe distance.

The puppet would only function so long as it remained within a hundred meters of me
so I couldn’t go too far. Still, it was useful. Like other golems, I could use additional DP
in order to provide it with a specific set of skills. Heh. Oh, the possibilities.

In truth, it would be much faster for me to descend upon the castle and remove the
prince myself, but that didn’t quite seem like as good an idea as it seemed. The castle
was home to the royal family and was, as one would expect, situated within the capital.
It was obviously fortified with all sorts of defences. And as I wasn’t exactly all that keen
on tying a metaphorical noose around my own neck, I figured it would be a much
better idea to send something else in my stead.

Unlike me, the golem was disposable. The only thing I’d lose from its death was a bit
of DP. Farming up said DP was, in fact, one of the two reasons that Rir and I had been
going hunting so often lately, with the other being the need to grow more accustomed
to Zaien.

“So what does the church think of the prince?”

“We’ve got our fair share of misgivings about him coming into power,” said Nell. “He’s
the stubborn type, so he’ll most likely put a lot of pressure on the church and try to
force it to bend to his will.”

“I see… So are you guys planning to do anything about him then?”

“We’re planning to rescue the king.”

“Even though he’s missing?”

“Yeah. I think we’re going to go through with it either way.”

I see. So the church is taking a bit of a firmer stance. Hmm, actually that’d probably work
out in my favour if it went well.

“Sounds good. How about I lend you guys a bit of a hand?”

“Huh…!? Well uhm, I’d really appreciate it since you’re real strong and it’d be
reassuring to have you but…” Nell gave me a dubious, probing look, as if to ask me why
I would bother.

“The prince has been a real thorn in my side, so I’m not exactly liking the prospect of
having him in total control. Chances are, he’ll probably shove his entire army right
onto my doorstep,” I said. “So I’d much rather have the guy who was king before get
back onto the throne. Doesn’t really matter if he turns out dead either, so long as the
faction that opposes the prince gets back in power, seeing as how most of them were
against invading the Wicked Forest and all that.”

While I didn’t lie to Nell, I hadn’t told her everything on my mind either.

There was a chance that they would use some sort of weird method I didn’t know
about in order to track me down if I assassinated the prince. And if that happened, the
whole country would likely be out for my blood even if the old king was reinstated.
Going after the fiend that murdered a member of the royal family was only natural,
especially given the fact that it was the god damned prince.

And if that happened, there was a chance I’d end up with a huge army on my doorstep
either way. I wouldn’t be able to continue living in peace. Hence, working with the anti-
prince faction was a much better choice, as the faction as a whole would take my place
as the culprit responsible for his demise.

“Uhm… I don’t think anyone will trust you since you’re a demon lord. I know you’re a
weirdo, but everyone else will probably assume you’re just like all the others,” said
Nell. God damn, woman. Talk about throwing shade.

“No worries. I wasn’t planning on exposing my identity. Just tell them that I’m someone
you happened to meet along the road and that I decided to serve you or something. I’ll
even wear a mask, just in case.”

“I’m pretty sure that won’t work. We do have magical tools that appraise people, so…”

“Oh come on, don’t worry. It’s fine. I’ve got something in mind that’ll keep everything
right under control. Trust me.”

The hero put on an expression of unease, to which I responded with nothing but a playful
grin.
“Alright, I think that’s just about everything. I’ll see you guys soon,” I said to the
dungeon’s residents. All five of its more humanoid members were lined up right in
front of the cave outside. “I should be back in less than a week this time.”

The reason they’d assembled so early in the morning was to see the hero and I off; a
full night had passed since her arrival, so she was nice and rested.

“Stay safe!” said one little girl. “And come back soon, okay?”

“Really really soon!” chirped the other.

“You can count on it.” I gave each a pat on the head and a smile.

“Yuki.” The next person to step forward was Lefi.

“What’s u—mrrmphhrhh!?”

I turned towards her, only to have my cheeks suddenly pinched and ruthlessly
stretched to their limits before I could so much as finish a sentence.

“Listen well, Yuki. I shan’t be there to keep an eye on you this time. That means not
that you should find yourself enamoured by some human woman and dally in your
return. You must come straight home once you have completed the task that you set
out to accomplish. Have I made myself clear?”

She used the grip she had on my poor cheeks to keep me looking straight at her as she
spoke. And as such, I couldn’t help but notice the fact that she was smiling in an awfully
intimidating manner.

“Fweah, aye gnowe.”

Only after I agreed did Lefi let go of my cheeks.

“Splendid. I am glad that we were able to ascertain that we have come to an
understanding.”

“Thanks Lefi,” I said. “I guess I’ll take you up on that offer then. I leave my home, my
heart, and everyone’s safety in your capable hands.”

“Rest assured. I shall see to it that all is well.”

“Yeah. I know. I won’t even be the slightest bit worried with you around.”

And so, I finished up my conversation with Lefi, exchanged a few words with the maids,
and turned around to face the hero.

“I do apologize, my lady, but we must make haste,” I said. “I have prepared the perfect
carriage for such an occasion. Right this way, my lady.”

“Why did you suddenly start talking like some sort of butler? And, by carriage, did you
mean that huge wolf?”

“Verily, my lady.” I completely ignored her first question and answered only the second.

I hopped on top of Fenrir before giving him a few light pats on the back. “Sorry Rir. I
know it’s a bit far, but I’m going to need you to take us all the way to the capital.”

We didn’t have the time to just sit around given the kingdom’s… circumstances. And
the wolf was more or less the best vehicle a man could ask for. Hell, Rir’s so fast that he
may as well be a Super Express Bullet Train.

Fortunately, Lefi was staying home this time, so Rir didn’t need to hang around and
keep watch. We actually had the opportunity to board him and ride him all the way to
the capital.

The ever-reliable wolf nodded to acknowledge the command and braced himself for
departure. I once again turned towards the hero, who had completely frozen over
while gazing in the wolf’s direction, and beckoned her over. “Well? What are you
waiting for? Hurry up and get on.”

“I-I think I’ll just wwaaaaaaaah!?”

I grabbed the hesitant hero’s arm with a grin and wrenched her onto the wolf before
she could refuse.

“Alright Rir, all passengers have boarded. Full speed ahead!”

“Huh? Wait! Hold oooooooooooooooooooooooon!”

The hero squealed in an unexpectedly adorable manner as she was exposed to a

sudden burst of speed. Her screams almost seemed to trail behind us as we quickly
made our way through the forest.

A massive rampart lay in front of me, extending as far as the eye could see. A great
number of soldiers were pacing around atop of it, moving back and forth at regular
intervals. They remained vigilant, and would occasionally stop to look around despite
the fact that their surroundings were illuminated almost entirely by moonlight and
moonlight alone. The outside wasn’t the only thing they surveyed. The troops would
often direct their gazes into the city that the giant stone wall had been constructed to
protect.

The sole entrance to the stone fortress was a single, solid looking gate. The metal it
was constructed of looked so thick that it wouldn’t let even a soul slip through. Like
the rampart, the gate was heavily guarded; a group of stern-looking men stood in front
of it.

A grand total of two pairs of eyes was focused on the fortress. They observed it from
within a forest that lay a bit further away.

“Ugh… my back is totally killing me.” The owner of the first pair, the hero, voiced a
complaint as she rubbed the backside of her waist.

“Yeah, well it was either this or we take at least three entire days to get here,” I said
with a shrug.

Rir had pretty much made a beeline from the dungeon to the capital, taking only a few
breaks along the way. And as a result, we’d arrived on the exact same day we left.
Normally, travelling such a distance in less than a day was flat out impossible. But Rir
belonged to a species of which legends were sung. He was far outside the realm of
what one could consider normal.
One could say that the load on his back had been substantial. He had carried both me
and the hero simultaneously. By all means, we should have slowed him down. The
extra weight should have forced him to move at a pace far inferior to his best. And it
would have, had we been a pair of fully armoured knights. But alas, that wasn’t the
case. My magical inventory allowed me to carry nothing more than the clothes on my
back. And the hero barely weighed anything at all; she was a dainty little thing; I could
lift her with one arm with ease. And although she herself was technically a knight, she
wasn’t the type that wore heavy metal plates to fortify her defences. As such, Rir was
able to maintain a pace that matched that of your standard sedan.

To him, covering the distance between our home and the capital had been a breeze. It
hadn’t even begun to eat into the Fenrir’s near unlimited stamina.

“I guess…” responded the hero. She still didn’t seem all that sold on the Rir Express.
“Wait. How come you seem like you’re totally fine?”

“Oh, you know,” I shrugged. “I’m already used to it. In fact, I ride Rir around pretty much
all the time.”

And ‘cause I’m hooked on thrills and whatnot.

Speaking of Rir, the wolf was no longer anywhere in sight. As much as I would’ve liked
to, I knew that there was no way for us to get him into the city without causing a fuss.
And as such, I’d told him to shrink down, hide somewhere in the forest, and await
further orders.

“So uh, any idea how we’re supposed to get inside?” I turned towards the hero and
used a thumb to point to the wall at my back.

We obviously couldn’t just waltz right up to the gate and say hello. While one would
normally expect to be shown a fair amount of hospitality for such an approach, the
current circumstances made it far more likely for such an action to be met with the
sharp end of a spear.

“Hmm… Dunno…” The hero frowned.

“…You were planning to return to the capital after paying me a visit, weren’t you?
Shouldn’t you, y’know, know how you’re supposed to get back in?”

I narrowed my eyes and gave the girl an unamused stare, to which she responded by
spouting off a series of excuses.

“I was! And I totally knew what I was supposed to do, but I really wasn’t expecting it
to be this well guarded! Look over there.” She pointed towards what looked to be the
entrance to a sort of sewage system attached to a part of the wall. It was fairly well
hidden, obscured by a series of tall trees. The sewer seemed to have a freshly installed
iron grate covering the exit. Moreover, there were several guards positioned around
it. “I was supposed to use an item to make myself invisible and then sneak back
through there so I could rendezvous with the church’s knights, but it doesn’t really
look like we can get through anymore…”

Oh. So they found out about the security hole she was going to use and patched it. Makes
sense.

“Alright, just making sure. You do have plans for what you’re supposed to do after you
get back inside, right?”

“I-I think so.”

“Alright, then I guess we’re getting over the wall my way,” I said. “Excuse me for a
moment.”

I grabbed her and tucked her under one of my arms as I spoke.

“Huh!? Wait! H-Hold on!”

“Oh shut it already.”

I heaved an exasperated sigh as I activated Stealth. Stealth was, fortunately, able to

extend its effects to anything I touched. That aspect of its effect was what stopped my
clothes from walking around by themselves. Without it, I probably wouldn’t be able to
find anything to do with the skill besides maybe a few niche little things like freaking
people out. Walking clothes does seem like something out of some sort of horror movie,
after all.

“I said be quiet dammit. They’ll notice us if you keep up all the noise.”

I materialized both pairs of wings after confirming that the stealth skill had activated
before giving them a good old flap and diving into the starry night sky. The ground
almost seemed to shrink in an instant as we rose. And soon, we began to see much
more of our surroundings than we had before.

The hero’s response to the sudden change was to scream in terror.

“God damn it Nell! I told you to keep quiet!”

“I-I know, but it’s not like I could help it!”

The guards began shuffling around and making a big fuss the moment the hero’s cry
filled the night.

“I think I just heard something!” said one.

“It came from somewhere up above us! Someone get some lights up in the sky!” added
another.

“See? What’d I tell you?” Although they were aware that something was there, they
hadn’t actually seen us, so I decided there wasn’t any harm in continuing as planned.

And so, I succeeded in infiltrating the kingdom’s capital with a certain terrified hero
held under my arm all the way.
While Yuki’s infiltration of the capital was indeed an event of note, it was not the only
that had happened that night. In fact, a certain group of women had organized a little
get-together, the climax of which occurred at about the same time a certain Demon
Lord had made it over the wall.

Lefi, Lyuu, and Leila sat facing each other atop a series of futons. The three had taken
the fact that Yuki was out of the house as an opportunity to discuss topics the likes of
which they wouldn’t dare mention in his presence. It was a so-called girl’s night out,
save for the fact that they’d stayed in as opposed to going out. Of course, the event
hadn’t just spanned the later parts of the evening, and the three present weren’t the
only attendees. Shii and Illuna had both participated in its earlier phases, only to fall
asleep as their bedtime came around. The former had reverted to her slime form and
situated herself atop her cushion, while the latter had passed out with her head
resting in Lefi’s lap.

“Oh yeah Lefi, that reminds me!” Lyuu turned to the dragon girl in order to address
her with a question. “Y’know what that weird relaxing aura Master’s got around him
is? I dunno why, but being ‘round him pretty much always just makes me feel all calm
and safe ‘n stuff.”

“It is an effect of the mana radiating from his being.”

“The mana?” Although Lefi had answered Lyuu’s question, Leila had spoken up before
the warwolf could reply. The topic had piqued her interest.

“All livings things leak the magical energy that they contain. Individuals possess subtle
differences that allow others to discern them,” said Lefi.

“…I see.” Leila paused for a moment before nodding to acknowledge the silver-haired
girl’s claim. “That would explain why I felt as if each individual seemed to possess
some sort of aura. It does make sense for that to be something based in mana.”

“Precisely. The mana is reflective of the individual. It can be used to discern whether
one is a beastkin, a demon, or a dragon and tells much about its source. That it is why
Yuki’s presence brings you peace of mind. It is none other than his calming aura that
draws others to him. It is why Illuna grew so attached to him on such short notice,”
said Lefi. She used her fingers to comb through the hair of the vampire that adored
her like a sister as she spoke. “And it is one of the reasons the hero chose to loosen her
guard and engage him in conversation, with the other being his lack of ill intent. I
suppose that one could claim this a talent, of sorts.”

“Whaddya mean?”

“He is a natural womanizer, a philanderer capable of easily deceiving a woman should

he ever feel the need,” scoffed Lefi. “I would not be surprised to find that he has
performed such an act in the past.”

The way the dragon girl ended off with a snort caused Lyuu to force a bit of a wry smile.

“Right, so master being a philanderer ‘n stuff leads me right to somethin’ I’ve been
meanin’ to ask ya for a good while. I’ve been real curious, and it’s been killin’ me.”

“What is it?”

“It’s that ring there.” Lyuu pointed to the accessory Lefi was wearing around her fourth
finger. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Uhm… er… indeed,” confirmed the dragon after a good bit of stammering. “It is a gift
I received from none other than Yuki himself.”

“Oh my god!” Lyuu squealed in excitement. That said, she made sure to do so at a
relatively low volume as to not wake those that were already asleep.

“Wow,” added Leila. “I did not think that My Lord had it in him. I’m impressed.”

“Wait, wait! Does that mean he already p-proposed to you!?” Despite being the one to
suggest the idea, Lyuu started to blush and stammer at the mention of wedlock. “When
the heck did you guys get that far along anyways!? I could’ve sworn you weren’t all the
way there just yet!”
Neither of the maids had heard the pair profess the full extent of their feelings for one
another, but they’d always been convinced that something was going on. Anyone with
working eyes could have immediately identified that they were at least on friendly
terms; the way they both fought and played made it obvious that, at the very least,
mutual dislike was off the menu.

The sight of the ring on Lefi’s finger had caused Lyuu to speculate that something had
happened while the two were away, that some event had gotten them to suddenly
further their relationship while the dungeon’s residents remained none the wiser.

“I-It was not.” The dragon only barely managed to squeeze out a reply in all of her
embarrassment. “It was no more than a present.”

“Not yet, huh?” Lyuu heaved an unamused sigh. “But well, getting something like that
means you’re probably just shy of having him in the bag, right?”

“…I am not sure.”

The dragon girl’s uncertainty only seemed to spark Lyuu’s curiosity all the more; she
immediately threw yet another question Lefi’s way.

“Wait, so how do y’feel about Master anyway? I mean, I can see you guys are at least
on good terms, but…”

The question flew as straight as a bullet. And while one would normally expect a
maiden like Lefi to redden up and act all embarrassed as a result, she did not. Instead,
she simply pursed her lips in silence. Only after she found the right words to say did
she finally open her mouth and slowly give form to her thoughts.

“If I am to remain completely honest, I know not.” Each of her words was slow,
deliberate, and carefully chosen.

“You don’t?” Leila raised an eyebrow.

“I know not how I feel. Not about him. Nor about you.” Lefi paused for a moment before
continuing. “I have been by my lonesome for a long, long time. The only others that I
have ever met either cowered before my power or sought to challenge me and evaluate
their own prowess. I was never regarded in an amicable manner. He was the first to
treat me not as an object of terror, nor a foe to surmount, but as Leficios, the
individual.”
The two maids remained silent as they listened to the dragon’s tale.

“I never once would have even entertained the idea of living among others had he not
interacted with me in such a manner. Never once had I ever imagined that my life
would take such a turn, that I would have him, the two of you, and Illuna by my side,”
said Lefi. “The emotions that he has brought me are those the likes of which I have
never felt. And as such, I have not the understanding of what I am to think of them.”

Lefi averted her gaze and blushed as she revealed her thoughts to the maids. Both of
them understood that, while one could not see it from her appearance alone, Lefi had
spent a great number of years with solitude as her only companion. A great loneliness
plagued her, one the likes of which no other could imagine. And it had etched itself
into her heart with time.

“…So does being with Master make everything all fun now?”

“Undoubtedly,” said Lefi. “This nest of his is filled with many an interesting thing.
Oddities stretch as far as the eye can see. And its owner is the strangest thing of all.”

Her interpretation of the man they knew as their master caused both maids to giggle.

“I am inclined to agree,” said Leila. “I have only rarely seen any other that even vaguely
resembles My Lord.”

“Right? Master sure is an interesting one,” added Lyuu. “But seein’ this side of you is
real fresh, Lefi. You’re a lot more relatable than I thought at first. I feel like I know you
a lot better now and that we’ve gotten lots closer.”

“I feel the same,” said Lefi with a smile. “Never before have I thought of myself as just
another woman. Now, I feel very much inclined to do so.”

“So how did ya meet Master anyway, Lefi?”

“An interesting tale, that is,” said the dragon. “I supposed that it is only just that I weave
a story about my first encounter with the mysterious substance we know as chocolate.”

And so, the three girls continued their discussion deep into the night.