We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
This is how it will end up.
A beautiful capital city came into view.
In the center of the city, a large building was under construction, and there were many people moving about.
Trees lined the main streets extending from the center, and parks and plazas were developed throughout the city.
I’ve seen many cities from the sky before. However, looking at this city anew, I can’t help but think that it’s larger than the major cities of the Armēdo Kingdom and the Yorttenitos Kingdom.
Indeed, Sefina, to whom Priscilla-chan explained, “Um, that’s Older Brother’s town,” had her face stiffen.
“Wow! You’ve added so much greenery since I last saw it!”
By the way, I could only be surprised.
After all, it’s hard to believe it was once the City of the Dead, given how much greenery has grown and how happily the residents are living.
Apparently, this city is developing rapidly.
This is all thanks to the skills of Meduria, whom we have entrusted with its governance.
Before she met me, she was apparently a low-ranking noble who only managed a small town in the countryside, but her talent is beyond doubt. I believe it’s fine to leave it to Meduria like this from now on.
Nimia descended not towards the construction site in the center, but towards a large mansion built nearby.
It was a sudden visit, but when a giant dragon approaches from the sky, anyone would notice our presence.
In the garden of the large mansion, several people who had spotted Nimia’s figure had come out to greet our arrival.
“Good afternoon, Meduria!”
“Welcome back, my lord.”
“No, no, what do you mean, my lord!?”
As expected, Meduria has a problem!
Please don’t treat me like a sovereign, no matter what.
Because Meduria is so formal, her aides and retainers are all prostrating themselves!
I hurriedly had everyone stand up and exchanged normal greetings with Meduria.
Meduria seemed a little displeased, but normal is best.
“Well then, although this is a sudden visit, what is the purpose this time?”
“Um…”
And then, I conveyed the purpose of my visit.
Upon hearing this, Meduria showed a slightly troubled expression.
“Is there a problem?”
“Well…”
“It’s not good to stand and talk here,” they said, and we were guided inside.
However, it wasn’t into the mansion.
So, where were we taken?
“It’s a splendid palace.”
“It’s a splendid castle.”
“M-Meduria!?”
No, I actually knew because I could see it from the sky.
It was in the city center. The place where the Necrotic Castle originally stood.
The giant building under construction there was a magnificent structure, a combination of a castle and a palace.
Many craftsmen and laborers were busy working.
The sounds of hammering and scraping, along with the general clamor, echoed and created a lively atmosphere.
“Meduria. I thought you said you were building a government building here…?”
“Yes. The outer palace for the administrative government and the inner palace for Elnea and his wife. And a castle befitting the city…”
“You mixed everything you could think of!”
What on earth is the castle for!?
I held my head in my hands at the construction that had greatly exceeded the original plan.
“Elnea, please take responsibility for managing it.”
Mistral was exasperated.
Even though the mansion in the Forbidden Territory was already more than I could handle, this has become another source of worry.
Also, although it’s easy to forget with two giant buildings, my family home is also large…
Why are giant things increasing around me!
…I see, the cause is from the beginning.
In the first place, my encounter with Sleigsta (Old Man), which changed my life, was already extraordinary.
Sleigsta (Old Man), a giant dragon the size of a small mountain.
It’s all Grandpa’s fault!
“Meow!”
I unintentionally shouted it in my mind.
But now is not the time to lament.
I need to think about why Meduria brought us here.
“Um, so. What is the relationship between this building and our request?”
I just came to borrow a whetstone for polishing stones, you know?
As I tilted my head, a man with a fierce expression came from the construction site.
“Hey, Meduria!”
“Oh, Macheri. Just in time.”
“In time for what? Where are the tools and materials I requested? If you have free time to show tourists around, I’d like you to prepare the items I’ve requested.”
Apparently, the man with the demon mask named Macheri seemed to be some kind of site supervisor. And he had been demanding supplies from Meduria for some time.
Meduria, while calming the irate Macheri, introduces us.
“Macheri, this is the true ruler of this city, Elnea of the Eight Dragon Kings.”
“What!”
I wanted to blurt out that she must have thought we were just human tourists, but since I was introduced, we also greeted him.
Then, suddenly, Macheri raised his voice and called over the workers. And they all prostrated themselves.
“No, no, we’ve had enough at the mansion! Come on, everyone, go back to your work without worrying about us!”
“Everyone, Lord Elnea has come to encourage us. Show him our work!”
“Ooooooh!!!”
At Macheri’s command, workers, some of whom had run from afar, returned to the site at a run. And they resumed work with unprecedented shouts.
Ah, I feel like I’m causing them extra trouble.
Seeing their enthusiasm, I feel so sorry that my stomach hurts.
What a hassle. I only came to pick up a whetstone, why am I so exhausted?
Macheri, who had given the order, also bowed respectfully to us and was about to return to the site with renewed vigor. Meduria stopped him.
“What is it, Meduria?”
“Yes, it actually concerns you as well.”
Meduria then finally began to explain why she had shown a troubled expression earlier.
“With Elnea’s prestige, the Dragon King’s Capital is full of vitality.”
“Yes, just a moment! What do you mean, Dragon King’s Capital!?”
“Regarding that matter. If we continue to have the ominous name ‘City of the Dead,’ it will cast a shadow on Elnea’s reputation.”
“You don’t have to worry about me. But yes, we can’t keep calling it the City of the Dead forever.”
It seems to have become established with a strange name without us realizing it.
Well, since I’ve left governance and everything else to Meduria, I guess I have to overlook these kinds of things.
“Of course, as per the initial policy, we are conducting strict inspections of immigrants. We are not neglecting our screening to prevent the entry of those who treat slaves unjustly or criminals.”
The Dragon King’s Capital is located near Dragon Peak.
Like Ruilala’s territory, Dragon Peak is a dangerous place even for demons, so living nearby is out of the question. Therefore, this area is a frontier.
However, in the chaos after Kusharilla’s downfall, refugees also flowed into such frontier areas.
The residents of the Dragon King’s Capital are a collection of such immigrant refugees.
However, this is a place influenced by my will.
I will absolutely not become a Demon Lord. I have no intention of ruling over demons.
Therefore, I don’t intend to interfere with their customs and culture, but it’s okay to indulge in a little stubbornness when it comes to a city I have dominion over.
And so, I decided on the basic policy.
Demons treat other races as slaves.
That is their culture, and I cannot interfere with it. However, it is not permissible to treat those slaves as less than livestock or as disposable items.
Meduria also respects my will and has made this an important condition for accepting immigrants.
It seems Meduria has a problem with immigrants.
“Only the carefully selected live in the Capital of the Dragon King. However, perhaps due to the rapid increase in population, or perhaps because they are merely those who have abandoned their former homes and drifted here… many of the residents arrived with nothing but the clothes on their backs or only a small amount of property. As a result, they are lacking in many things.”
“Ah, I see!”
I understood Meduria’s dilemma.
“So, you are also short on building materials and tools, and in trouble?”
It’s more than that. I suspect they are also lacking in everyday necessities.
Although it appears to be a developing city at first glance, its internal situation might be dire.
However, I thought it was questionable to focus on building a castle and palace in that situation. But I soon realized my thinking was shallow.
Perhaps this construction work is to create jobs for the residents?
Only a handful of people would have had a trade. Most others, even if accepted by the city, would have no means of earning a daily living.
It made sense.
So, they are deliberately building such magnificent structures to provide workplaces. I was once again impressed by Meduria’s administrative ability.
“In that case, Elnea-kun, you won’t be able to borrow tools here.”
“In that case, Elnea-kun, you won’t be able to achieve your goal here.”
“That’s what will happen.”
Yufilia and Nina say it casually, but I worry about what to do.
“Should I just go back and borrow from the Giant Demon Lord? If I go there, I think I can collect the things that Macheri and the others are currently short of.”
This is the reason Meduria brought us here, isn’t it? To make us understand the current situation of the Dragon King’s Capital. And, if possible, to ask for cooperation.
However, Yufilia and Nina, who were observing casually, were the ones who put a stop to my opinion.
“If we accept help from the Demon Lord, we will owe them a favor.”
“If we accept help from the Demon Lord, they will retaliate.”
“I see!”
They seem to be thinking even though they appear casual. Seeing their sensitive reactions to these kinds of negotiation tactics makes me think, “As expected of princesses.”
“So, what will you do?”
To Mistral’s question, I came up with a clever idea.
“Everyone, have you forgotten? When it comes to stones, we know a promising person.”
“Lord Elnea, I know! It’s Jiludo!”
“Yes, Laira is correct. Jiludo, the stone carver, might have spare whetstones. And if we go there, I think we can get various things without demanding a dreadful price. However… it will be hard on Nimia.”
“It’s fine, Nyanko.”
The capital of the Armēdo Kingdom is also in the process of reconstruction and likely needs materials and tools, but they should have sufficient resources there.
After all, a lot of loot from the land that Kusharilla ruled has flowed in…
“Oh, as expected of the Dragon King. To resolve our troubles so easily.”
Macheri is kneeling again.
Unwarranted awe and subservience are creepy, but it’s nice to feel it as an expression of gratitude.
We decided to head to the Armēdo Kingdom to meet Meduria’s expectations.
However, there, we were surprised by an unexpected offer.
“Elnea, could I have a moment?”
“Sefina, what’s wrong?”
Sefina, who had been looking around the unfamiliar land with interest, raised her hand and voiced her opinion.
Hmm, as cool as ever.
“You’ll be coming back here again, won’t you, Elnea? Then, may I stay here until then?”
“Whaaat!”
Not only me, but Mistral and the others were also surprised.
“Sefina. Even though the Dragon King’s Capital is a place under my influence, this is a demon country. Of course, the ruling class living in this city are demons. So…”
“I am fully aware of the dangers. However, I want to look around this city a little more. And…”
Sefina looks at me with determined eyes.
“I know that acting with you means being at the mercy of danger, and yet I am allowed to be with you. However, I don’t want to be pampered. This is indeed a demon country. But it’s safer than Dragon Peak or other demon cities, isn’t it? Especially with your prestige.”
We listened to Sefina’s words in silence.
“Madrine is also working hard for her mission and self-improvement. Then I too want to improve myself.”
“In other words, you want to live in a land ruled by demons and train yourself?”
To my confirmation, Sefina nodded with strong resolve.
“Sefina, you are responsible for yourself if anything happens.”
“Sefina, I cannot help you if something happens.”
“Big sister. I am fully aware of that too.”
It seems Sefina’s resolve is genuine.
If so, all I can do is support her and offer a little help.
“Meduria, please take care of Sefina. She is human, but she is a strong person who can take care of herself. However, in an unfamiliar land, finding a place to stay and food will be difficult.”
I might sound like I’m telling her to figure it out herself, but this much help won’t have any impact, right?
Meduria readily accepted my request.
“Well then, Sefina. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Fufufu. I want to grow, even if I have to push myself to follow you.”
“Sefina, you’ve had enough royal blood.”
“Sefina, you’ve had enough of being a princess.”
Yufilia and Nina corner Sefina, saying, “I will never give you to anyone else.” Their words are a rejection, but I can feel their deep concern for their dear sister. However, I won’t indulge her.
“If you cause us trouble when you return, we won’t forgive you.”
“If you worry us when you return, we’ll send you home.”
“Yes.”
Sefina had joined us from the beginning with the purpose of training.
It seems her training ground will be the Dragon King’s Capital.
This time, we finished our greetings and left the Dragon King’s Capital riding Nimia.
