Another side
“Hoh, so he made a move on the Mura family,” the Demon Lord said.
“Yes.”
While Jiro was being subjected to Keiri’s iron claw, the Demon Lord was in his office listening to Evia’s report.
The Demon Lord nodded with satisfaction as he heard about the successful marriage greetings, his good relationship with Jiro’s parents, the subsequent arrangements for the marriage, his brother’s future plans, and the Mura family’s actions.
“It might be because I urged him on, but it seems he’s doing his best. Starting with consolidating his foundation, which is just like him.”
“It’s important. Those who don’t secure their footing have no future.”
“That’s right. But to think he chose the Mura family. I must admit, it was a bit unexpected.”
“They are an anomaly on this continent. They maintain distance even from allied families, which makes forming connections difficult.”
“But their capabilities are undeniable. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have maintained their family for five generations of Demon Lords and have such a history.”
Jiro’s actions had, in a way, exceeded the Demon Lord’s expectations. Perhaps it was because the outcome was a result of Nord, an irregular element, that things had settled in this manner.
Even the Demon Lord wasn’t so idle as to predict the actions of a recluse.
Evia, feeling a bit embarrassed by the exposure of her kin’s follies, wore a displeased expression while the Demon Lord chuckled, his hand covering his mouth, at how Nord’s actions had coincidentally aided Jiro.
“However, the response from the Japanese side seems to be delayed. Is everything alright? The marriage proposal is, in a sense, back to square one.”
“Jiro mentioned he has a plan for that as well. I considered preparing something myself, but based on what he explained, his method seemed viable, so we’ve adopted his suggestion.”
“Oh, a plan so good that you yourself are stepping back? That sounds intriguing.”
Though their conversation appeared amicable, they were both busy individuals. The Demon Lord conjured documents with magic, completing their approvals. Evia swiftly organized them and transferred them to their respective departments.
To anyone who understood magic, witnessing its application in such a manner would evoke both admiration and a wry smile.
“It’s nothing extraordinary.”
“Come now, knowing you for so long, I understand your standards are set quite high. Even if you say it’s nothing special, it’s undoubtedly interesting.”
There was no one present who would dare question if this conversation was worthy of their time.
“Haa… but aren’t there people who are single and concerned about marriage around Jiro?”
“Ah, I see, I see. Indeed, he’s now the right-hand man of the Human King, and his abilities are unquestionable. His character is also assured. Yes, when you think about it carefully, there’s no woman more suited than her. Strangely enough, her family background isn’t particularly noteworthy, making it easier to avoid interference from troublesome nobles. And if the conversation needs to expand, it can be kept within Jiro’s or your purview.”
Evia, knowing that her attempt to seek out a little solace was a transparent ploy, realized that her secrets would be easily discovered by this gentleman regardless, so hiding it would be futile. She indirectly conveyed who would be the alternative to Nord, but the Demon Lord was not so obtuse as to not understand who she was hinting at, even without naming names. While processing numerous tasks, his mind quickly arrived at an answer, confirming her suitability.
“However, I recall her stating that she prefers men stronger than herself. Can we provide such a man for the other party?”
“More precisely, he plans to arrange for unmarried women who are supportive of Jiro, centering them around her. Instead of a one-on-one meeting, it will be structured like a marriage hunting party.”
Personal preferences vary, and while she didn’t specify the exact person, it was clear that she was outwardly trying to fulfill the woman’s wish. The Demon Lord smiled at this effort.
“I see, so it’s a lure for future negotiation representatives between Japan and our side?”
“It has that aspect to it.”
“Isn’t that aspect the main point?”
There are factions within the company as well. Jiro is likely planning to have his right-hand woman draw women who haven’t deeply aligned with any particular faction into his own. Such individuals are surprisingly numerous. While solidifying his foundation, he’s also securing personnel and aiming to reduce his right-hand woman’s workload. The Demon Lord’s mind visualized Jiro’s strategy, and as he understood it, simultaneously, he mused.
“He’s certainly become quite thoughtful. Where has that cute boy of the past gone?”
“He was probably blown away by Raidou.”
“I see, it’s unavoidable in the face of his fists.”
The Demon Lord felt a pang of regret that the once endearing Jiro was nowhere to be found, and with a swift movement, he affixed his seal to the document.
“So, if this is such a sweet deal, won’t other factions try to interfere and snatch this opportunity away? How are those situations being handled?”
“I believe he plans to use Muil effectively, but it seems Jiro is also involving the Machine King.”
“Her, huh… Well, it’s true that she has a good relationship with Jiro’s subordinates. She’ll likely lend her assistance if negotiations go well.”
However, Evia presented something that made the Demon Lord pause his stamping, and he turned his gaze towards her. But his look was immediately met with one that told him to continue, and with a wry smile, he returned to his high-speed approval process.
“Even she is a General. She won’t be swayed by personal feelings. Now, I wonder what the remuneration will be?”
In terms of a strong and influential alliance, Jiro’s most significant figure would be Evia, followed by Oni King Raidou. While the former is already cooperating, Raidou himself might assist in schemes depending on the conditions. The possibility is considerable; Jiro has built that level of trust. However, why did he choose the Machine King, Amili Mazacraft, who has no particularly strong or weak ties, instead of Raidou, in whom he places such trust?
“The first reason is simply that she is a woman. In situations like this, it’s easier for women to navigate than men.”
Evia, with practiced skill, accurately perceived the Demon Lord’s unvoiced question and answered preemptively. The Demon Lord wasn’t surprised; he was, in fact, grateful, as such exchanges were commonplace.
“Another reason is that Amili has a deeper understanding of Earth. It probably started from Amili’s hobbies, but from there, she has learned about Earth’s common sense, culture, and customs.”
“I see. So she’s the suitable candidate for interacting with Earthlings. And not just the newcomer Human King, but the Machine King as a dual threat, or rather, with you included, a triple threat. Yes, any sensible person in power would hesitate to interfere.”
Oni King Raidou, by all appearances, does not possess a demeanor that suggests friendliness from the outset. He’s somewhat unsuitable for assisting in a marriage hunting scenario. While he’s an unparalleled deterrent in a simple sense, this situation concerns arranging a romantic opportunity for female staff. If we were to categorize their strengths and weaknesses, Raidou would fall into the less adept category for this kind of matter. There’s also trust that Amili, unlike Raidou, would manage the schedule perfectly unless something extraordinary occurred.
“Only those who are sensible, that is.”
“There are always elements of uncertainty everywhere.”
Even with such trust, unforeseen issues can arise. The Demon Lord, in particular, could recall families prone to causing trouble. And not just one or two. He almost felt like creating a list, visualizing the internal discord within the country and sighing inwardly. Evia also readily came up with possibilities but didn’t show it on her face.
“Uniting a country is indeed a difficult task.”
“It is.”
Yet, they both understood the shared burden of worry. A melancholic air seemed to permeate the space as they spoke.
“Well, let’s just consider addressing trouble as part of the experience.”
“He’s not foolish, nor is he overly kind. He muttered about how he could use my advice, perhaps to his advantage.”
“Hahaha! He’s become even less endearing. Was this strategy your suggestion? Or perhaps it was No Life?”
“It seems he had a talent for schemes from the beginning. He doesn’t seem interested in belittling others, but he’s ruthless against those who try to scheme against him.”
“Karma, that’s a saying from this world, isn’t it? Scary, scary. I have a feeling he could take me down in ways I wouldn’t even think of.”
“Indeed, if Jiro could harm you, then it’s possible.”
“Yes, despite saying it myself, it’s not a funny story. Being able to harm me is quite something.”
Ultimately, the President decided not to interfere with Jiro’s actions, leaving all profits and losses to his own responsibility, and affixed his seal to the approval documents prepared by Evia. These were essential documents for a General’s actions, used to grasp the power dynamics of which nobles were allied with whom, and were of the highest application format. Jiro’s power structure included the Nordis family as the primary house, alongside his own established forces. The influential Mura family sought to connect with them, and they were also becoming a bridge to the otherworld, Japan.
“Well, it’s reassuring to have that kind of attack power on our side.”
If this alignment occurred at a favorable timing, the Demon Lord would certainly welcome it.
“They’re more capable than I thought.”
And it goes without saying that the reason for this welcome was not entirely peaceful.
“Information retrieval has become difficult. It seems they are actively hunting our spies.”
“Indeed. Several of our operatives embedded in the country’s inner workings have gone silent. Some Dark Guild branches have also been shut down. Honestly, do you know how much it costs to train spies? Normally, I could say ‘innocent until proven guilty’ is their standard practice, but this time it’s different. The damage to the populace has been too minimal.”
“Their discernment seems to be at an unprecedented level. Several organizations have gone into hiding out of fear.”
“That’s understandable. Until a countermeasure can be devised, the accuracy of our information will decrease…”
For these two, sensing the atmosphere of war, an expansion of military strength was a welcome development. Moreover, it was even more so when their influence over Isal, accumulated over decades or centuries, was being eroded. They wished for only the good outcomes to materialize, but reality rarely accommodated such convenient scenarios.
“Haa, I never thought the absence of No Life would be this painful.”
“He could trace the thoughts of the deceased, so losing that means of information gathering is a significant blow.”
“Regret is pointless. Now, we must do our best with what we have. Let’s pray that Jiro can get the dungeon up and running as soon as possible.”
“Indeed. And here is an additional task. Please review this today.”
“Evia? Am I seeing things correctly? I’m currently working on this same amount of work.”
“Yes, it’s just the repercussions of a certain Demon Lord going missing the other day.”
Resolving negative situations was also part of the job. Before the Demon Lord, who was scrambling to handle the aftermath, a stack of papers was presented. Even in this era of paperless communication, such documents were endless in the Demon Lord’s Army, as PCs were not in use on the continent. Seeing Evia present the pile of documents for approval, the Demon Lord simply said,
“Are you a devil?”
“What are you talking about now? I am a devil, is there a problem?”
The Demon Lord momentarily wondered if overwork would claim him before the previous war.
Another Side End
Today’s Word:
The course of future actions depends on the nature of reporting, communication, and consultation.
This chapter concludes with this story. A new chapter will begin with the next installment.
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I am currently serializing another work: “Pandora Pandemic Panic – Pandora’s Box Has Been Opened Again, But We’re Fighting Back with Secret Bases and More!!” Please give that a read as well!!
