The ogre feast truly goes on all night. From experience, it’s clear that if things continue like this, we’ll definitely be staying up all night.
However, some people can’t keep up.
“Excuse me, Jiro-san. Yukiera and the others are at their limit.”
“That’s right. I guess these kids got too excited and tired themselves out.”
The first ones to mention are our children. Fueled by the boisterous and fun atmosphere of drinking and singing, they were more excited than usual. But for their young age, staying up all night is out of the question. In fact, it’s amazing they’ve been having fun for this long.
My children started showing signs of sleepiness, finding the noise bothersome. It was at that moment that Suella gently cast a spell to bring them silence. Seeing them fall asleep enveloped in their mother’s magic, the surrounding ogres covered their mouths with their hands, showing their respect for the quiet.
“Hmm, then I’ll escort them. It would be troublesome if something happened when they’re alone.”
“Please do, Himik.”
“Thank you, Himik.”
“Indeed! Leave it to me!!”
With that, Suella, the children, and Himik become the first group of four to depart. While leaving the ogre feast midway isn’t usually appreciated, no one reprimands these four. Pleased that the children are smiling, the ogres see them off with reluctance.
Losing four people from a banquet is noticeable, but with such a large crowd, the noise level doesn’t decrease significantly. With the four who weren’t drinking gone, it’s not like the feast continues as is.
“Heeheehee! Still drinking—!!”
“Mom, here! Water! Drink water!!”
Meguri-san, who could likely be considered a heavy drinker even among humans, collapses here after continuing to drink. Kaido, who still has plenty of energy, offers water to assist Meguri-san, who has managed to drink a considerable amount.
“Tadashi!! Good boy, good boy!!”
“Whoa!? Mom, let go! Everyone’s watching, you know?”
“Don’t say such sad things!! Don’t steal a parent’s joy of doting on their filial son who is showing you their grandchild!!”
Meguri-san slips out of Kaido’s grasp and pulls him into a hug. Letting out a cute snort, she pets Kaido’s head with rough yet loving hands. Knowing that if he struggles too much, Meguri-san might get hurt, Kaido simply endures it, unable to escape.
“Kaka-kaka, what a great mom. Right, Jiro?”
“That’s right.”
Observing this scene are myself and the instructor, who has come to sit next to me.
“Shall we have a drink?”
“Yeah, I’ll have some.”
“You’ve really gotten into Japanese sake, haven’t you?”
“Japan is a great country. It has so many types of sake, and most importantly, it’s delicious!!”
The ogre sitting next to me means it’s time to pour drinks, so I use a simple levitation magic to pull bottles of Japanese sake closer and pour them as if emptying one of them. The instructor happily drinks it down.
“I hear you’ve brought the Kiō to your side.”
“Yes, due to the circumstances, it seemed convenient to get Amili-san’s cooperation.”
The instructor doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to these matters. Smiling wryly at his directness, and not feeling any particular displeasure, I feel at ease.
“Is it that troublesome?”
“Yes, it seems many people are trying to shrewdly snatch the best parts from afar, which makes the connection with Japan look very appealing.”
“I can imagine. To us, Japan is a gold mine. There are probably countless individuals who would try to exploit that.”
The instructor is probably more concerned for me, and with his rare display of consideration, I wryly admit that my work hasn’t been going smoothly. The instructor, perhaps having experienced something similar, lets out an exasperated sigh and drains his drink.
“Amili-san is acting as a guard for that, so I can finally get down to business. I’ve already paid her, too.”
“Paid? You mean for introducing you to that young lady and Amili?”
“Yes, she said that would be reward enough.”
“She’s mellowed out quite a bit, hasn’t she?”
It’s been a while since I’ve been drinking shoulder-to-shoulder with the instructor, and it’s actually quite enjoyable. The sake flows with the sound of our loud laughter as background music.
“Is there that much of a difference? I’ve only recently made contact with Amili-san.”
“It’s completely different. Her expression never used to change so much.”
“Really?”
“The ‘Cold-hearted Kiō,’ that rumor is well-known, Jiro-san.”
“Cold-hearted?”
“Yeah, just like that vampire young lady said, she wouldn’t show a flicker of emotion no matter what happened. She handled everything like it was a task. That was the old Kiō. She’s changed a lot since meeting Kaido, though.”
Hearing about the Amili-san of the past is quite fresh information for me.
“I can’t imagine it.”
“Jiro-san, you’ve had a meteoric rise, but you haven’t been affiliated with the Demon Lord’s Army for long, so it’s understandable you wouldn’t know about that.”
“Well, it’s not something worth talking about anyway.”
Here we are, a rather unusual combination of myself, the instructor, and Memoria, drinking together. The instructor consumes alcohol voraciously, while Memoria and I drink leisurely beside him.
“Personally, I’m curious about the instructor’s past. I haven’t heard much about it.”
“It’s the same as now. I was constantly fighting every single day. That’s all.”
Hoping to hear about the instructor’s past during this reminiscing session, I was quickly brushed off. Perhaps it’s better not to know, but the atmosphere hasn’t changed.
“Speaking of old times, Evia has more interesting stories than I do.”
“Evia’s?”
“Yeah, stories from before she was adopted into the Nordis family. Want to hear them?”
“I do, but I don’t know what Evia might do to me afterward if I hear them, so I’ll pass.”
The conversation shifts, and it seems like it might turn to Evia’s stories. However, if I were to hear them without her present, it would be a hassle to deal with if she found out, so I decline.
“What’s this, that’s boring.”
“It’s not boring. Jiro’s decision is excellent.”
“Evia, are you done with your work?”
“The president insisted on working, so I took the liberty of leaving.”
That decision was not wrong. As if summoned, Evia suddenly appears, her presence vanishing and reappearing in an empty seat, making my eyes widen. The time is quite early, or rather, it’s well past the regular working hours, so it’s late. Still, for her, it’s on the early side. This means the president must be having a hellish time right now.
“Great General, you have a lot of nerve to make an enemy of Evia.”
“If you had the nerve to abandon your work, how would you handle it? What would you do?”
“I’d punch them.”
“That’s what I thought. I’d do the same, but our opponent is the Demon Lord. I’d be easily stopped.”
With the Demon Lord’s right hand, a veteran general, and a newly appointed general, a rather intense group has gathered.
“I seem to have become quite out of place.”
Memoria laments, feeling a bit out of her depth.
“We’ve fallen for the same man. There’s no difference in status between you and me.”
“Gahahaha! If you’re Jiro’s wife, there’s no problem!!”
I doubt these two would object to Memoria’s presence, so it’s not an issue, and as expected, they say they don’t mind.
“Besides, I actually have something I wanted to ask Memoria.”
“Me?”
What’s more, Evia wants to ask Memoria something. This is quite unusual.
“Oh, I also have something I want to ask the merchant lady.”
“The Oni King, too?”
Not only Evia but the instructor as well. This is even more unusual. What could it be, I wonder, as Memoria and I exchange glances.
“It’s about the rise in prices. Considering the future, the army will have to procure various materials. This will inevitably lead to a shortage of goods and a rise in prices.”
“I’m also considering various approaches on my end, but no matter what we do, we can’t avoid that.”
And so, the topic raised is indeed something Memoria is suited to discuss. What the Demon Lord’s Army is currently preparing for is war. War is a gold-eater. It is undoubtedly an unproductive act. Starting with food, various things are consumed but not produced. Therefore, goods become scarce, and their value increases.
“Yes, the Toris Trading Company is also concerned about this and is taking measures in various areas. However, as you both say, a rise in prices seems unavoidable.”
“So it would seem. In that case, the army’s stamina will be determined by how much prices rise.”
“A short war is unlikely. No matter what we do, it will be a long one.”
The two of them, having experienced war, understand that it won’t end easily. Therefore, they also understand that the rise in prices will directly damage the army.
“However, it’s not that there’s no solution.”
As the two of them begin to look concerned, Memoria states that there is a solution, placing her wine glass on the table. Unfazed by the gazes of the ogre and the demon, races considered symbols of fear, Memoria calmly meets their eyes and then looks at me.
“The key is Jiro-san.”
“Me?”
And for some reason, the solution is me.
“Currently, you are the face connecting the Demon Lord’s Army and Japan. Therefore, if Jiro-san could establish a contract for the buying and selling of food with Japan, at least the rise in food prices within the country could be avoided.”
“I’m already considering that. Japan and America are seeking oil. That’s something we don’t need. I believe we can negotiate various things in exchange for it, but we haven’t reached that negotiation stage. I considered trading through the company, but nowadays, companies are perceived as our country. We can’t be careless. What Memoria is suggesting is a future prospect…”
The means of resolution that Memoria proposes is something already planned to be implemented. Negotiations are difficult, and immediately starting trade is impossible from a national perspective. At the very least, I estimate it will take years. The instructor also knows this and doesn’t interfere.
“That’s a matter of the country, not Jiro-san as an individual.”
However, Memoria, the merchant, nonchalantly declares it’s not a problem.
“…I see, so that’s what it is.”
“Huh? Are you telling me to buy a large amount of food, Memoria?”
“Yes, that’s exactly right. Not as a country doing business, but if Jiro-san purchases a large amount of food in his personal name, it should be fine as long as the procedures are followed. Fortunately, Jiro-san has connections with relatives who can help, so it’s realistically possible.”
My wife and I immediately grasp what she means. Memoria is telling me to engage in something akin to merchant activities. The proposal, which adds business to marriage hunting parties and dungeon management, is about to overload my capacity, and I can feel my mouth twitching.
“What do you mean?”
Only the instructor seems not to understand, so Memoria raises her index finger to explain it clearly.
“If Jiro-san procures a large amount of food cheaply with his personal assets and sells it to other members of the army at a slightly lower price, he can build goodwill, suppress the rise in market prices, and increase the army’s stamina.”
“I see, that’s a great idea!!”
“Yeah, other than my workload increasing!?”
One of my wives, apparently a merchant before she was my wife, mercilessly presents a solution. The only one who can object is me.
Today’s word:
Even if the feast ends, there will still be time for conversation.
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I am also currently serializing another work: “Pandora Pandemic Panic.” The Pandora’s Box has been opened again, but we are fighting back with various activities in our secret base and elsewhere!! Please check that out as well!!
