The cherry blossom viewing party was supposed to end without a hitch, but unfortunately, it’s still going on.
Of course, the ones still lingering are the instructors, the president, and the in-laws, along with their wives who stayed behind, seemingly to enjoy the night cherry blossoms and drinks.
Keiri-san also stayed behind.
Kaidou was taken care of by the instructors and carried to his room by Amili-san and the Twin Angels, while Amelia went home with her completely sloshed mother.
The Minors, after drinking soft drinks like juice, left around an appropriate time.
As for us, after a light cleanup, we…
“Master, dinner is ready.”
“Ah, I’m coming.”
We also returned home instead of staying at the venue.
“The young lady, this way.”
“Tatte, you don’t have to do that.”
Even so, it’s not just me, Suella, Memoria, and Himik who are at the house, but Evia-san and Tatte-san are here too.
Since Suella is pregnant, we can’t keep her out for too long, so it was originally planned as a daytime-only event.
After getting permission from the instructors, we did a quick cleanup and left early.
Some of the battle-crazed demon girls looked disappointed, but we just ignored them.
While Himik was finishing her preparations, I was sorting the trash, including tools and empty bottles that we brought back. Just as I finished sorting the trash, she called out to me.
I washed my hands, having just handled the trash, and headed to the dining table.
What I saw there was something she probably does routinely. Tatte-san pulled out a chair to assist Evia-san, but Evia-san waved her off and sat down herself. Evia-san, who usually takes the lead in work and acts as a capable superior, is also a noble, so perhaps such customs are ingrained.
“Oh,” I thought, genuinely impressed, and then took my own seat.
Suella and Memoria were already seated, and Himik brought out the last of the dishes.
“Tatte-san, please sit down too.”
“No, I…”
Amidst this, only Tatte-san remained standing, positioned behind Evia-san.
“Tatte, Jiro is the master of this house. You should obey the words of the homeowner as a matter of courtesy.”
“Understood. I will graciously accept your invitation.”
While Tatte-san initially intended to continue serving, this is not that kind of household, so I urged her to take a seat. Although she initially refused my invitation, she sat down next to Evia-san at Evia-san’s word. Smiling wryly, I looked at my seat and saw Himik had also sat down.
Once everyone was seated, we clasped our hands.
“Itadakimasu.”
When I said this, Suella and the others also said “Itadakimasu,” and Evia-san and Tatte-san joined in.
The gender ratio at the table is strange, but that’s nothing new.
Since everyone ate at the cherry blossom viewing party, this isn’t a full-course dinner. Instead, the main dishes are the light meals Himik prepared, along with drinks. It feels more like a casual second party, doesn’t it?
“Honestly, the Demon Lord’s whims are always troublesome.”
“Is it that frequent?”
The second party began with casual conversation. Evia-san and I were both drinking, and we were still slowly sipping our drinks. As we carried on chatting like this, it was natural for Evia-san to let out a quiet complaint. It’s probably not that she’s dissatisfied, but rather that she wishes certain actions would change, while acknowledging that those actions are effective. Evia-san’s expression, despite her complaint, showed no real discontent.
“It’s not that frequent. He understands his position and restrains himself. However, if he deems it necessary, that’s another story. When the circumstances are right, like this time, and he judges the impact on others to be minimal, there’s no one who can stop him. He disappears and reappears as he pleases.”
Although she might be tipsy, her consciousness is clear as she describes the president’s actions, which are unusual but apparently witnessed often.
“You mean like ‘now you see me, now you don’t’? Do Suella and the others know about this?”
“I’ve only heard rumors, but I have heard second-hand accounts of the Demon Lord suddenly appearing.”
“I saw the scene from a distance. I believe it was during his inspection of the underground facilities, and a lot of things happened afterward.”
Hearing this, I wondered if it was information only known to the upper echelons, and asked Suella and the others. To my surprise, it wasn’t quite like that. Suella and Memoria simply recalled a few things and offered rumors and eyewitness accounts.
“…Was that the time when some idiot tried to secretly sell contraband, and the Demon Lord dealt with him directly?”
“When was that?”
“Who knows? Remembering such foolishness means they wouldn’t be treated properly anymore.”
I thought of him acting like a retired old man with a powerful symbol, or a magistrate with a cherry blossom tattoo, and I mused that the Demon Lord I imagined was quite different.
“Even when I first met him, our president is far from the image of a Demon Lord I had. When I think of a Demon Lord, I imagine someone laughing maniacally, conquering the world, and bringing about ruin. But since joining this company, I haven’t encountered any such image.”
“…I don’t know what image you have of a Demon Lord, but he is an anomaly among past Demon Lords. In principle, someone in the position of a Demon Lord wouldn’t be concerned about us Testers to this extent.”
After saying that, Evia-san chose her words carefully before telling me about the president.
“His origins are a bit unusual. In principle, it would have required a series of miracles for him to attain the position of Demon Lord. However, he forged those miracles with his own power and stands where he is. Perhaps because of the unique nature of his background, he understands the importance of building a solid foundation better than any previous Demon Lord. That’s probably why he showed up at your banquet today and said those things.”
Evia-san explained the reason for the president’s appearance at today’s cherry blossom viewing party, swirling the ice in her whisky glass.
“Dungeons are the wedges and foundations for fulfilling our long-cherished wish. It’s natural for him to be concerned about the existence that will transform those Dungeons. I’ve never heard of such discussions from the Demon Lords of the past.”
“There have been vampires who became Demon Lords in the past, and among them, there was a famous one called the Demon Lord of Crimson Moon, but his nature and personality were the opposite of the current Demon Lord, and he was feared by humans and subordinates alike.”
“We Dark Elves have also produced Demon Lords, some with strong notions of superiority and exclusivity, and others with strong spirit ideologies, but someone like the current Demon Lord is rare.”
Suella and Memoria chimed in, agreeing with the sentiment and sharing the differences between the Demon Lords of their respective races and the current president. The more I heard, the stronger my impression that the president wasn’t very Demonic became. However, it didn’t strike me as strange. Rather than ‘not Demonic,’ it felt like a new paradigm.
“It must be amazing to be expected so highly by a president like that.”
A unique Demon Lord. His creativity stems from viewing things from a different perspective. I am probably among the Testers he pays attention to. Thinking this makes me a little nervous, but also happy, and I feel a shiver run down my spine.
“Seeing your expression, it would be rude to tell you to be more self-aware. No, I was worried about what would happen if you flinched at the opportunity to fight the Demon Lord, but I’m relieved.”
Unbeknownst to myself, I must have been smiling at the corner of my mouth. Evia-san, tilting her glass, took a satisfied sip.
“However, if you intend to fight the Demon Lord, you should be prepared. Even from my perspective, he is genuinely on a different level.”
Evia-san, who had been in high spirits, became serious after finishing her drink.
“Jiro, you have grown more than anyone else in this past year. Even from my perspective, your growth is astonishing. However, if you were to challenge him, it is still not enough. Not nearly.”
Her expression seemed to stem from knowing the president’s prowess. I have worked at this company for one year, and I am aware of my own growth, just as Evia-san says. The content of this growth is embarrassing, like the reduced number of injuries from the instructors’ harsh training, but Evia-san acknowledged it.
“That much?”
“Indeed. I’m sorry to say this to you, Master, but if that Demon Lord were serious, you wouldn’t last a second. If you were to challenge him alone, even I would be lucky to last a minute. If I regain my senses, I might be able to extend it somewhat.”
“I cannot even gauge the Demon Lord’s strength.”
“Nor I.”
I asked Suella and the others to estimate the power difference, but looking at Himik, Suella, and Memoria’s expressions, I understood that the difference in power was so immense that it could only be described as despair.
“…He said he’d go easy on me, but wouldn’t it be selfish to want to surprise him?”
Even after hearing this, a desire secretly welled up. I had sensed the power difference from the beginning. I understood it. But, as a man, unable to shake off this unsatisfying feeling, I found myself thinking if there was any way to at least land a blow. However, with such a clear power disparity, it wasn’t something that could be resolved. I refused to give up and thought about it to the very limit, but ultimately concluded that it was selfish and that this topic was over. Just then…
“Selfish, is it? I can understand that feeling. So, I’ll tell you. It’s not that there are no means for Jiro to surprise him.”
Evia-san picked up on my muttered words.
“I wouldn’t have told this to the old Jiro, but for you now, there’s at least a possibility.”
Perhaps she was considering my strength and possible methods, Evia-san placed her glass on the table, put her hand to her chin, and pondered.
“Young lady, could it be…”
“…Yes. Annoyingly, the Demon Lord acknowledges his strength too.”
Tatte-san, who seemed to have some idea of the method, questioned Evia-san, who affirmed and began to speak.
“Many of the current Generals caused various problems with the Demon Lord at first. Of course, the Oni King and the Undead King, but also the Machine King and the Tree King, and even the Insect King, who has since died. The only one who didn’t cause problems was the Uuor.”
Six names were mentioned. But there were seven Generals. This means…
“The Tree King is an exception and will be excluded, but they all fought the Demon Lord, and the Demon Lord defeated them all. And in all cases, with an overwhelming power difference. Among them, there is one who inflicted near-fatal wounds on the Demon Lord. After the battle, he was pushed to the brink of survival, not just half-dead, and yet he pushed the Demon Lord harder than anyone else. Although the Demon Lord had the advantage throughout the fight, he was pushed to that point in just one exchange.”
There was no need to ask who. Everyone seated at this table understood who Evia-san was referring to.
“The Dragon King. He’s a prime troublemaker within our Demon Lord’s Army, but he’s still one of the most powerful Generals. He usually acts nonchalantly, but I don’t know what he might do when he gets serious.”
Evia-san, who dismisses most events as inconsequential, declares this being a troublemaker. I’ve only seen him once, briefly, on the stage at the entrance ceremony. His personality—no, in this case, his dragon-ality. Evia-san calmly presents a possibility to me, who doesn’t know what kind of being he is.
“This is a good opportunity, Jiro. You’re stuck in the Machine King’s Dungeon, aren’t you? Challenging his Dungeon for a change of pace wouldn’t be a bad idea. Perhaps you might gain something?”
The Dragon King’s Dungeon. The word ‘danger’ always floats around its reputation. Not that other Dungeons aren’t dangerous, but it’s a byword for danger as a land inhabited by dragons. When I first joined, I avoided it due to lack of skill. But now, it might be the perfect place to improve my abilities. I expected Suella and the others to look worried, but…
“Indeed, at Jiro-san’s current level, he should be able to fight without problems even in that territory.”
“Um, Master, as long as ancient dragons don’t appear, you should be able to survive.”
“That’s right. It would also be beneficial for my shop if you could sell new materials soon, and I can prepare anti-dragon equipment.”
Instead of being worried, they were more positive than I was.
“If you’re worried, Tatte can teach you about dragons.”
“Young lady, you’re not planning to hole up at your workplace during this time, are you?”
Then, Tatte-san’s stern reprimand echoes as she tries to use me as an excuse to advance her work, and we all laugh.
“The Dragon’s Nest.”
That phrase lingered in my mind more than I expected.
Today’s Word:
It’s probably good to engage in activities in new territories.
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*The first volume of the book is published by Hayakawa Bunko JA.
It was released on October 18, 2018. The ebook version was released on October 31 of the same year.
Volume 2 was released on December 19.
Volume 3 was released on February 20, 2019.
The content includes revisions and additions to the material posted on Shousetsuka ni Narou, along with an unpublished interlude.
Please do consider the new releases as well!!
The serialization of the comic adaptation is ongoing in Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third.”
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