“Earlier, I met with Nina for a brief moment.”
At breakfast time, we were eating at Zazam’s villa.
The maids who were already working were Big Mam, also known as Seira, and her daughter Shikada. Also accompanying them were two Slave Female Heroes.
(There are four more Special Guests, but we’ll get to them later.)
Clarice, the Sub-leader, was in charge of things.
“Well, you’re that busy, huh? Busy enough that you can’t meet with me?”
“Could you refrain from saying that in front of Nina? Especially at night.”
“Th-thank you for the warning, I mean, I didn’t mean it as a jab or anything.”
Yeah, she might just store me in her chest and drag me away.
“So, about today…”
“Anju has taken the day off from school to prepare for the Seven Great Demon Lords Battle.”
“Ah, what was her name again? Uh, Luna’s affair partner.”
I suppose that’s a rather unpleasant way to remember someone.
“Her race is ‘Emperor Deathlich.’ You can ask that butler of yours for her individual name, I believe.”
“Ah, Kyun-san’s! Come to think of it, is the Demon Lord’s Castle okay?”
“They say they regularly deliver the Great Heavenly Tree’s Fruit to Makide.”
I wonder who they mean, but oh well. No new enemies are likely to appear anymore.
“Then Anju’s graduation will be delayed again.”
“It’s been pushed back by three weeks. It’ll be after the Auction.”
“I see. Since it was originally a three-month course, well, that’s about right.”
I might get scolded for this, but
could I perhaps scout Shusher, an Assassin from my class, during the afternoon lesson?
(It feels a bit out of line to try and poach someone who already has an affiliation.)
Still, to strengthen our Sub-organization, starting with Mogunami, we need talented individuals.
“So, I won’t be able to see Anju today then.”
“That appears to be the case. She finished her breakfast at the Great Tree. Oh, and Nastasia.”
“Yes.” “You are also scheduled for preparations. Head to the Adventurer Guild in the Imperial Capital Mamamoo afterward.”
Ah, so Nina’s there too.
That makes sense, the target Dungeon seems to be near the Imperial Capital.
“Understood. Will I be alone?”
“Yes. It’s said to be important preparations, crucial training.”
What will they be doing? Training, huh.
(I’m curious, and I want to go along, but today…)
“So, my Lord Derus, today will be without Nina, Anju, and Nastasia.”
“Yes, it’ll be just me, Clarice, and Helen. Perhaps I’ll invite Mogunami later.”
“First of all, is it really necessary to proceed today?”
“Please go!!!”
One of the Special Guests, Harmy, an Angel Race, cried out desperately. Neary, the oldest of the golden-feathered group next to her, also bowed her head.
“Please, save my sister as soon as possible!”
“The other two could also be trapped, all three of them.”
“…Is Mermaid Island a Dungeon like that? Sarinaami?”
Sarinaami, another Special Guest, who was immersed in her usual bowl of seawater created by magic, answered while eating a rather hard-looking fruit.
“Mmmph. That place is also known as the ‘Never-Return Dungeon.’ Many of our male merfolk never came back either.”
“Is it due to the currents inside?”
“Those who went to search for them also didn’t return, so I don’t know. This is about the Dungeons on our side, though.”
What she means by “on our side” is that, according to the Zazam Adventurer Guild, there are several underwater Dungeons around the island, which are for the merfolk. There are also Dungeons on the land part of Mermaid Island, which are for humans, and they seem to be connected inside.
“If the Angel Race entered, they must have come from above the island, right? Yes, the three of them headed that way… Akiraki-san.”
Akiraki-san, whose teeth were more jagged and numerous than other merfolk, was also floating in a seawater bowl. Hmm, she doesn’t have much of a chest… or rather, no chest at all, but she has long black hair in twin tails and her nipples are properly covered.
“I saw them. Judging by the direction, it’s definitely the island. There’s nothing beyond that, and I don’t think it’s a route to another continent.”
“By the way, I heard at the Adventurer Guild that Mermaid Island is a penal colony.”
“That’s right. We force human criminals to work in the Dungeons, and death row inmates are deliciously consumed by the merfolk.”
I was also told at the Guild to check on how things are developing in that regard.
(It’s probably a story about them being wiped out, though.)
“Hmm, Dungeons where people go missing sound scary.”
“Husband, then kindly prioritize our Succubi first.”
“No, no, the risk is too high. If even one of us is lost, it will hinder our efforts in dealing with the Seven Great Demon Lords.”
For example, the seawater bowls the merfolk are currently in were conjured by Freezing Succubus and Helen’s magic. But if Jin-chan were to be lost, Helen’s ability to ‘use summon magic’ would be disabled.
(In this way, not only would our Succubi forces be reduced, but Helen’s own usable spells would also decrease.)
“If we’re using decoys, Deru Deru Ecstasy would be too weak in terms of combat power, wouldn’t she?”
“Master, if it’s just to observe, perhaps buying a Slave for that purpose—”
“Ah, I understand Nastasia’s idea, but ordinary Slaves wouldn’t return; they’d be wiped out.”
That would render the reconnaissance pointless.
“Lord Derus, then what about other High Level Parties?”
“Hmm, ah! What about Bellgrace-san and his party from the Shamanias Continent!
With that huge Beastman army, even if something happened—wait, they got buried in bedrock, didn’t they?”
Bellgrace’s old man (according to Anju).
“Them? Would they be captured?”
“Huh? Didn’t they return to the Movermas Continent?”
“No, apparently they went by land route afterward, without using a Teleport Scroll.”
Why would they do that again!
“Did they want to sightsee around the Movermas Continent that much?”
“That might be part of it, but it was for saving money.”
“Saving money? Ah! The Teleport Scroll—”
“Even one is extremely precious to the general public.”
If they were buried in bedrock, though, as long as they could use it, they could escape.
“…If you had told me, I would have given you two more.”
“If so, they would have saved those two as well.”
“Hrmmm, it feels strange to proceed without hearing from the old man…”
Ah, come to think of it!
Let’s ask the merfolk about that question.
“Sarinaami, Sarinaami.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“This is just between us, but…”
Ah, for some reason, it turned into a whispering conversation.
Everyone is watching, and my voice is leaking out, audible to everyone else though!
“Can merfolk, even temporarily, become human?”
“They can, if they form a marriage with a human. However, they lose their voices.”
“Why would that be?”
“The gills inside disappear, and along with them, the vocal cords also vanish.”
There’s that kind of risk.
“Are there any such people?”
“Very rarely. And the reverse is also true, of course.”
“Ah, so *that’s* the curse!”
“My magic is of high rank, so they can return to human or become merfolk as they please.”
…Wait a minute. If you can cast magic after forming a marriage…
(So, what I tried to do the other day, like drowning my lower body in the sea…!!)
Sarinaami playfully extends her tongue.
No, no, my fear outweighs any such interest!
Let’s get back to the topic. For the merfolk, it would probably be an underwater route.
“Well, as for reconnaissance from above, I don’t know if I can call them in time.
Let’s try to call one or two swift Assassins separately, ones who seem reliable.”
“When you say ‘separately,’ do you mean other than Lord Derus and Mogunami?”
“Yes, both of them are skilled. They’re skilled.”
Though both of them are Lustful Berserkers!!
